feral | sting eucliffe

XXIII | CM

Episode 23: Comforting Moments!

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SHE SWUNG HER FIST, jumping in the air and slamming it down onto the boulder. The rock cracked in multiple pieces, exploding as the shards of the rock blew into the air. Back flipping, the girl dug her hand into the dirt, the claws on her hands helping her stabilize onto the ground. Her nose twitched briefly, her sense of scent coming into action.

Currently, she was sparring with Nikos. Ears picking up a few sound waves on her left, she grabbed a whip that Lucy had given to her earlier. Charging it with her magical energy, Y/n swung it into the direction of which she heard his movements. He smirked, teeth showing off as he jumped over it, feet planting back on top of his large snake.

Although Y/n was a bit more powerful and her magical attacks had more range, Nikos had far more speed and defense compared to her. She charged at him again, twirling the whip quickly before latching it back onto her belt. Nikos had used that time allotted to attack, a snake shooting out near her waist with its fangs out.

Y/n jumped to the side in time, its scales grazing some skin just above her waist. Y/n grit her teeth, her white cloak swishing with her movements as she turned into an h/c tiger, launching at him with her jaws open. Nikos countered with his own dodging, slithering, and jumping over each and every one of her powerful lunges.

As their speed and stamina competed, it grew painful to watch. Flashes of h/c and black were the only things that could be visible at this point, accompanied by the occasional roar or hiss from either one. Chase and Akane stopped their sparring to watch, his chains slowly sinking back into his sleeves while Akane's used-to-be purple fingertips dimmed.

"They're at it again," Akane announced the obvious as she grew amused, shaking her head. Chase sighed, crossing his arms as he leaned against a tree behind him. "This happens every time; it's insane." He chuckled, blinking at the flashes of f/c and black that ran back and forth down the open field.

The black-haired girl walked away, Chase turning to look at her as she moved past the foliage and towards the city area of Magnolia. "Where're you going?" He blinked, watching her frame shrink further and further as she wandered out of his eyesight. She moved her right hand in the air, waving her purple sleeve. "I'm not going to watch this. I'm going to go eat."

Chase sighed, internally debating whether he should join her or not. Akane paused, looking over her shoulder. "Just come with me, it'll be a while until they actually finish. I'm sure we can eat lunch and then just come back. It's like leaving a toddler to tire themselves out." She said the last sentence in a childish tone. 

The orange-eyed male tilted his head at her, rolling his eyes. "Just like how I did to you when you were little?" Akane frowned at that, smacking him with her sweater sleeve once he caught up to her. "Excuse you! Y/n was the main one that raised me, you dick." He rolled his eyes again, ruffling her hair as he continued to walk. "Pick up your pace, I really want an egg salad sandwich."

The two continued to share quiet banter, the other half of the group continuing to fight int he background. Y/n landed on a branch, throwing her whip again as Nikos narrowly dodged it. Her whip had dug into the ground, causing her to be sent flying towards the grass. Face planting into the grass, a scowl shaped her lips as a laugh escaped Nikos's.

She turned back around, swinging the whip and hitting him right on the ankle. Nikos winced in pain as Y/n swung the whip constantly, keeping up with her actions as the snake boy was forced to hop over each attack. Of course, that didn't work every time. After a while, he flopped onto the ground with red ankles and sweat covering his skin.

Y/n dropped to the ground beside him, her grip loosening on the whip as she grew too lazy to even coil it up and hook it up to her belt. "I want to ask you something," Nikos managed to sputter out between tired gasps, his chest feeling like there was a heavy weight upon it. He barely ever tired himself out like this, but it did remind him of his limit, which was good.

"What?" She rolled over slightly, looking at him. He didn't bother to do the same and look her in the eye, his face still pointing towards the sky as he closed his eyes tiredly. "Do you like our new life?" Y/n stared at him, turning over to copy his position. She extended her fingers, stretching her lightly bruised arms as she flexed her fingers. "Yeah, I guess,"

He blinked, staring up at the sky that was slowly turning into a darker blue. "Do you feel the need to lift our spirits?" Her head whipped to him at that, brows furrowing as she blinked wildly at him, as if not grasping what he was putting down. "What do you mean by that?" Gathering strength, he sat up and dug his elbows into the vivid grass, sighing. "You know what I mean,"

She averted her eyes in a slightly embarrassed manner, refusing to look at him. He continued speaking, "Just because Galena's gone doesn't mean that you have to suddenly be the sunshine. We're fine with you just the way you are. It'll take some adjusting, but we'll get used to it." She mumbled, sounding like a whiny child. "How did you even notice?"

He winked at her even though she still didn't look at him. "Don't forget that I raised you, Y/n. Well, for the most part, anyways. You've always been the observant, clever, and independent type. You usually remained silent, but we knew that you were loyal to all of us. You helped us a lot, but always remained so humble. It's something you notice after a while."

Tears welled up in her eyes, still staring at the trees ahead of her. "I love you."

Nikos cracked a smile at that, combing back his black hair as he looked over at her. "I love you too, lil' sis."