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 Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 6:43 pm
It was a youma, that much was absolutely obvious. It looked like a child sized labubu that had taken the spines of a porcupine and decided they were a fashion item. Honestly, it wasn’t pretty to look at and the soulless eyes and creepy smile made the hair on the back of Lisse’s neck stand up. It was fine though, if he couldn’t handle a youma alone well. That just made him absolutely weak, didn’t it?
And he wasn’t. He really wasn’t. And he did have good ideas. Really good ones and he…
Well. Maybe he had been daydreaming, for the sudden spray of quills that the youma shot out went right into his shoulder, causing Lisse to cry out in surprised pain. That…okay. A misstep. Clearly it was a ranged fighter…he could deal.
He began to swing his lasso, channeling his magic and grinning as the youma was knocked back. Once. Twice. And then, it fired a barrage of quills again, but Lisse had been ready for that and ducked, feeling very much as though he were in the matrix. He gave a laugh, which turned into a strangled scream as the thing–holy s**t it was fast–dug nine sharp little teeth into his ********! Ow!”
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 6:46 pm
He hadn’t even been powered up when he heard the commotion. Riker was making his way back home after picking up some extra ingredients Evan was running low on, and while it was not said out loud, it was probably because someone had gotten the munchies in the middle of the night and forgot to replenish. That was fine. This was just a quick errand.
As long as there weren’t youma to deal with.
He ducked behind the first cover he could find, powered up, and made his way toward the source of the cries. Pain. A laugh. More pain. The kind of sounds that made his gut sink.
And then, when he broke through the bushes and actually saw it, Reims stopped short. That thing was… what even was that? Some nightmare lab rat crossed with a porcupine plush. The soulless eyes and jagged grin were enough to freeze him for a moment.
But then he saw Lisse’s arm between its teeth.
His sword clattered uselessly to the ground as Reims rushed in, closing the distance without thinking. He wedged his hands between the monster’s jaws, prying at the sharp, too-strong bite. The teeth shredded at his fingers immediately.
“Don’t pull! You’ll lose half your arm--” he hissed out. The warmth of his own blood made his grip slick but he didn’t let go.
The youma shrieked, its jaws wrenching wider, and in retaliation it fired-- a spray of quills right into his chest.
Reims’ breath choked out of him in a raw, strangled sound as he staggered, his vision flashing. The pain burned deep and hot, but he dug his feet in harder, refusing to let it knock him back.
“G-go! Get--” he choked out at Lisse, barely able to get the words out between clenched teeth as the thing writhed against him. His whole body was trembling now, but his grip didn’t loosen. If the damn thing wanted a meal, it could take it out of him instead.
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 6:47 pm
If Lisse had the time to think before suddenly there was more blood–another Knight and more screams, he would have gone right for the creature's eyes. And…well. ******** it, it still seemed like a good idea. He withdrew his arm from the jaws, nodding, face pale. “I’m not leaving you. Jesus you might hate me but I’m not…like that…” His injured arm was cradled against his middle, but Lisse reached up without thinking and grasped the quills lodged in his shoulder, pulling a small group out with a cry and then shoving them right into one of the stupid, soulless eyes.
The trick worked, and it gave another bloodcurdling shriek as it stepped backwards, but Lisse shoved the tied end of his lasso over the creature’s head and pulled, channeling his magic once again.
“Are you okay? You didn't have to jump in…you have a sword? Why didn’t you like…behead it?” He was babbling. His shoulder was bleeding heavily now, the quills must have been barbed and yanking them out might not have been the smartest thing to do.
He pulled the lasso tighter and with a surprised cry as he fell backwards,the youma did end up losing its head, the force of his magic coupled with the rope holding it in place…there was nothing left but a pile of dust. The lasso lay slack on the ground and Lisse sat on the ground with it, blinking, confused. In pain.
“...Reims? Are you okay?”
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 6:47 pm
Reims dropped to one knee when the dust finally settled, his chest heaving as if his ribs were burning. His fingers were shredded, blood dripping freely onto the pavement. The quills, although now gone with the youma, left puncture wounds in his chest that throbbed with every shallow breath. But the worst part? The part that left him more shaken than the injuries? Was what Lisse had just said.
“Hate you?” his voice cracked, still raw from when he’d been unable to bite back the cry from earlier. He stared at Lisse, frustrated and perplexed, and… disoriented, and pale with pain, but still looked at him regardless.
“Why the hell would I hate you? Where did you even--” He broke off with a sharp hiss, placing a palm over his chest. The pain was worse than the wound itself, he was sure. But it still took him a few moments to push himself back upright, grimacing as his body protested.
“You think I’m gonna swing a sword at something chewing on your arm? My blade isn’t--” He let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head, frustration peppering his words, but although his tone was leaning towards something more sharp, it wasn’t directed at Lisse.
“It’s dulled. I’d break bones before I cut anything clean. That’s not a risk I’m taking with you in the middle of it. I don’t…” He paused and shook his head as his words faltered for a moment. “... I don’t understand half the things you say. But don’t twist this into some story where I hate you. That’s not--...” He paused to settle himself against another throb of pain, his hand pressing harder against the punctures in his chest. “...that’s not what this is.”
He glanced to Lisse’s arm, then his shoulder. Blood. Too much of it. He took a steadying breath, despite the burn in his lungs.
“We need to get those wounds taken care of. Do you have any first aid stuff with you?” He did, but they couldn’t go wrong with more. He didn’t think he needed to answer if he was okay or not.
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 6:49 pm
Lisse shrugged and then grimaced as the action jostled both his shoulder and arm. “You were literally accusing my brother of being me and having snacks, and I just assumed you hated the crazy snack boy.” He reached into subspace and hesitated for a moment before slowly sinking to the ground, his legs feeling a bit shaky. Carefully, he withdrew a few bottles of water, several packs of crackers, some cookies, fruit snacks and packets of juice and finally a small first aid kit. “Don’t know how much use it’ll be but I have this. It has some gauze and bandages and like, antiseptic creams and whatever. A thermometer too, which I guess I should just take out and put in the bathroom at home…”
Thankfully, he had never had to use it before, and somewhere, in the back of his mind he was feeling a bit proud for even having it. Things came in useful every so often after all.
“It made sense. The hacking the head off? I had figured it would let go if that happened. Works all the time in zombie movies…or monster movies. I don’t know. It made sense in my mind.”
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 6:49 pm
Reims gave him a look that was half incredulous and half pained. “That’s--... what you thought? That I accused your brother of being you because I ‘hate’ you?” The words had a slight edge, both from exasperation and the burn in his chest. He shook his head, pressing harder against his wounds. “You’re impossible,” he muttered, mostly to himself.
He eyed the pile of food Lisse then produced, his expression shifting almost instantly, wary and tense. His jaw tightened for a moment as he tried to figure out the best way to navigate through everything.
“...Don’t take this the wrong way, but… keep that stuff away from me. Just… please.” His tone was a bit sharper now, not hostile, but there was an urgency in it. His eyes lingered on the packets of cookies and snacks with an almost paranoia, like they were more dangerous than the youma had been.
He crouched closer to the kit instead, reached out with bloodied fingers for the gauze.
“First aid’s good. Use that,” he nodded with uneven breath as he tore the packet open. “Zombie movies don’t exactly… line up with real life. Swinging swords at whatever’s holding onto you is a great way to lose more than you keep.”
His hand trembled as he pressed gauze to his chest, but he kept his voice as level as he could manage, even if it came out a bit strained.
“So, no… I don’t hate you. You just--... say insane things and nearly get yourself killed, and apparently think snacks are worth arguing over in the middle of a fight. That doesn’t make any sense to me. That’s not hate.”
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 6:51 pm
“Well, yeah? And you always seem so grumpy when I’m around. And it just sucks because I think you’re really cool and just…” Hm. Lisse hesitated and grabbed one of the packets of juice, opening it with slightly trembling fingers and taking a long sip from it after taking rather too long to get the straw into the hole.
Maybe he was losing a bit too much blood. He was just a little light headed but. Juice should help. That was what they gave you after giving blood…it was totally the same thing. Snacks for the win.
“They’re all in date. I’m not going to carry around expired food and try to feed my friends with it, you know…why do you hate snacks so much? Like…it’s clearly enough to call Halle out for being me and it not being snack time? LIke…you know?”
No. He doubted that Reims would know, and honestly…wasn’t sure just what had come out of his mouth just then. “I didn’t mean to nearly get killed. That thing was just…freakishly fast. It was like a horror movie when it ran up on me. I swear it was Annabelle only in youma form…”
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 6:52 pm
“Grumpy?!” he sputtered. “You’re--” Reims cut himself off with a breath that seemed to rattle through his chest. “You’re bleeding all over the sidewalk, and that’s the conclusion you’ve landed on? That I-- what? Hate you because of snacks?”
The words came out sharper than he’d wanted, but the look on his face was more pained than angry. He dragged a hand down his face in frustration, smearing blood across his cheek from his fingers without seeming to notice.
“I don’t--” he paused, his jaw tightening as he once again glanced at the pile of food. “...Look. I don’t take things from people I don’t know well. Especially not from people who think I hate them! And definitely not things I didn’t ask for. You and your brother look identical, and I don’t--... like not knowing who’s who. That’s all it is.”
He shook his head, pressing the gauze harder to his chest. His voice dropped then, lower and quieter. “It’s not about snacks. Stop making it about snacks.”
He let the silence linger before saying anything else.
“And I don’t hate you. If I did, I wouldn’t have jumped in. That should be obvious.”
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 6:53 pm
“We’re not…his hair is longer, and his colors are different than mine are…also our uniforms are like…mirrored. Plus…”
Carefully, Lisse tugged at his quilted cape. “My things are quilted which makes them better, I think. I’m the comfy one.” Finally, feeling some bit of sense, he tugged harder at the cape and yanked it off, wincing as the fabric ripped, and wincing at how much it jostled him but…he was bleeding all over the sidewalk. And there was a lot of blood. He pressed the cape onto his arm and sighed.
“Snacks are like. My love language. It’s stupid. I know it’s stupid but like…I don’t know if it was a book or something my mom said to me once but, people like you better when they’re not hungry and I’ve just always…food has been a crutch for me? It makes me feel better? A warm piece of toast or some soup when you’re not feeling well? Something hot to drink? It’s comfort without words and sometimes words aren’t my strong suit. My brother’s the smart twin, after all. I’m the. One who tries really hard to please people and make sure everyone’s well fed, happy and taken care of. And sometimes. I’m reckless, sure. I have this kickass magic that makes unicorns attack people? Who wouldn’t be a little reckless with that? But Halle babies me. And like. s**t. You don’t need to know all of this. I’m glad to know you don’t hate me, but like so much of me feels like it is about snacks. Like. I’m just the snack twin, and I’m not sure if I’m able to be anything else.”
He was quiet for a moment, taking another sip of the juice.
“...Thank you, for jumping in.”
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 6:53 pm
Reims stared at him, then at the cape, then back again.
“Quilted,” he repeated flatly, like he was trying to process how that detail was supposed to be important enough to remember. “I don’t--... I’m not staring at fabric choices when I meet someone. Sorry I didn’t note which twin had the… better cape.”
He exhaled sharply, his chest aching against the pressure of his own bandage. The whole exchange was making his head spin, though whether it was from the shock of being injured or sheer absurdity, he couldn’t tell.
“You’re still bleeding all over the place and talking about love languages now,” he said, the words coming out incredulous. “I don’t know what you expect me to do with that. Just because food works for you doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone else. Some people don’t like being handed things they didn’t ask for. Some people don’t have good memories tied to it. Some people just… don’t have a good relationship with food at all.
“The point is,” Reims continued with a shake of his head, as if dismissing the thought. “It’s not universal. Your way of showing care isn’t always gonna fit with everyone else. And if you push it on them anyway, it doesn’t come across like kindness. It just makes it feel like you don’t actually care about them.”
He adjusted the gauze against his chest, forcing his focus back to something practical. He glanced at the cape pressed against Lisse’s arm, and his tone softened, despite the sharpness from before.
“You’re more than ‘the snack twin.’ I don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean. You’ve got good magic. You didn’t run when you could’ve. You fought back. That counts for more than whatever’s in your pockets. So stop reducing yourself to… crackers and juice boxes, or whatever.”
He grimaced, shifting so he could sit back down to catch his breath for a moment. His body felt too tight and achy.
“And don’t thank me. You’d have done the same.”
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 6:54 pm
“It saved my shoulder the last time we fought a youma together, And…he’s more pink and…” Lisse paused and shook his head. “Sorry no, I’m more pink,and he’s more blue…I’m sorry you don’t have a good relationship with food. That…honestly sounds miserable…and…okay, I’ll believe you for when I’m Lisse? But what about in real life…like…normal me? There’s this guy there who also doesn’t like snacks and…Reims…”
He looked up at the other Knight with a wry smile. “I don’t have magic when I’m just…my normal me. And like, you’ve been making me think about it, I don’t think my old roommate was ever really happy with my snacks either? And it just. It’s so dumb but like. Who am I without that? He never said he was unhappy, but honestly, I don’t think he ever said he was unhappy. It was just a feeling, I guess. Do you think we should go to the hospital?”
Lisse pressed down the cape harder against his arm and hummed softly. “I might need stitches, and I don’t know what they can do for your poor hands…vicious…large dog bite? Will they make me get a rabies shot, do you think? Do youma have rabies?”
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 6:55 pm
Reims’s expression tightened the longer Lisse went on. Whatever patience he’d been scraping together was running thin, and the ache in his chest and hands weren’t helping.
“Lisse,” he said finally, his voice low and a bit strained. “I’m not getting into my personal life with someone who just finished accusing me of hating them. That’s not a safe setup, and it’s not a conversation I’m having with you.” His jaw clenched, the words were short but deliberate.
He pushed himself back to his feet before he was ready, grimacing at the strain.
“What I think,” he said after a breath, “is that you need stitches. Go to the hospital. Let them deal with the blood loss before you pass out on the sidewalk.”
He glanced down at his hands, torn and red, but shook his head. “I’ll manage mine.”
The questions about rabies, the jokes, the comparisons -- he didn’t bite. His whole posture had shifted to something more guarded, shoulders tense, eyes deliberately avoiding Lisse’s searching ones.
“...Look. I get that you want to talk about this stuff. But I can’t. Not right now.” His voice was quieter this time, not sharp, just worn down. “You don’t trust me, and I don’t trust you enough to hand over pieces of my life. That’s just where we’re at. And I don’t have the energy to argue about it anymore.” He said as he bent to retrieve his sword, wiping his hand across his mouth as if the touch would help ground himself, then nodded once toward Lisse.
“You should go to the hospital. That arm’s not gonna patch itself up. Tell them it was a dog, whatever you need. Just… let someone fix it before it gets worse. Take care of yourself.”
There wasn’t anything left to say, so he turned back in the direction of home, making it clear that the conversation was over. For now at least.
Fin!
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