Breaking eggshells

[Fourthmatchflame]

It has come to your attention that you and Miss Ryoshu make a surprisingly good team.
Particularly her in her current ID, that of a Seven Association Fixer. (For whatever reason, you seem to not be getting any IDs out of the Mirror. It's quite honestly bizarre. You never really liked mirrors anyway…)
Currently you are fighting the Alleyway Watchdog, Luxavating Thread. You're not all too sure how exactly this process works out to obtain Thread, all you know is that it ends up produced. A few strikes with your Halberd Combo later, and it's Ryoshus time to shine.
You've seen it a few dozen times, but it never really stops being impressive. An amount of slashes that are dizzying in number strike the enormous three headed wolf, staggering it.
Despite the clear power behind these strikes, you can tell it is not her preferred weapon.
You simply must ask about that sheathed Odachi at some point.
Ryoshu grins slightly and nods to you.
"Y.T."
The true power in that move, "Swash", as she calls it, is what it does to an opponent's armor. It rends it, allowing slashing attacks to do much more damage to an opponent than would ordinarily be feasible.
You ready yourself to utilize your personal E.G.O., but Dante instead orders you to do something entirely different.
"<No. Ishmael and Ryoshu are almost dead.>"
Ok.
You know how to deal with that, you think.
You conjure thoughts in your head.
Thoughts of… Forests. Luring. Being hungry as you could possibly be. Woodsmen.
Kromer.
Its extremely mentally taxing. But, thankfully it works, and you hold unto yourself.
"Ill chop you down… along with the trees."
Your outfit changes along with your weapon.
You've always kinda liked this E.G.O., despite what it represents. The outfit, particularly. It feels… nice. Its very cute and feminine androgynous.
You slam the Axe into the earth, impaling the already impaled dog.
You grow closer to the beast, and swing.
The tree falls down, disintegrates into light, and as it turns out, this strike was enough to slay the beast.
"I did it…"
You collapse from exhaustion, Yi Sang grabbing you to keep you from falling.
"Uh… Thanks, Mr Yi Sang."
"It is of no issue to me, young Sinclair."
For whatever reason, you've always despised your name. Your first name, specifically. You've always made anyone talking to you call you by your last name, it feels… better, for some reason. Even your parents did this.
You miss them.
Mentally moving on from that thought, lest you break out into tears in front of everyone here, you instead try to get back on your unsteady legs. Its difficult, but you eventually manage it, with Yi Sang's help.


If theres one thing youve learned from working for Limbus Company, its that most post battles are awkward. While you all wait for the okay to get back on Mephistopheles, you, Yi Sang, Ryoshu, Outis, Ishmael, and Dante just sort of… mill about.
Trying to strike up a conversation, you say:
"That was a tiring battle, huh?"
"Not really. You're not a true artist if this is enough to rouse you."
Ryoshu replies.
She grabs the cigarette in her mouth and tosses it to the ground, before stomping on it. She then quickly takes out another cigarette and lights it.
Awkward silence fills the air, broken only by the occasional ticking of Dante's head.
Outis pipes up, saying:
"Well, I'd say that any battle where Executive Manager commands us is a good one!"
She says it like she's trying to get herself to believe it, more than anything.
"<Gee, thanks Outis!>"
And with that, any and all conversation ends.
Shortly after, you get the okay from Faust to come back on the bus.
You stare at Ryoshu for a bit. Sometimes you wish you were more like her. More confident, more honest about things, more dangerous.
Its because your nothing compared to her that you couldn't kill Kromer. Your nothing more then a useless fuck. Everyones lying when they say you're good at this. You. are. Nothing. Just like she told you.
You push those thoughts away and get back on the bus.
Dante dismisses you all for the day and you go back to your room, staring at the ceiling trying to sleep.

A/N: So uh. did I do a good job? Im personally kinda worried I did this all wrong, and I mainly made this due to ADHD driven hyperfixation.
but uh... anyway, enjoy

 

[Fourthmatchflame]

Eventually, after much staring at the ceiling, you finally pass out.
Your dreams are strange and feverish, and almost always nightmares.
You stare into the mirror in your bathroom wall. Your face is not there. A metal plate is all that's present.
The worst part is that it's only slightly worse than looking in the mirror normally.
You want to cry but you cannot, you have no eyes to cry with.
Just like you cry when you do this normally.
She looms over you.
"Sinclair… My Sinclair…"
"Sinclair… You let them do this to you, Sinclair?"
You try to take a deep breath.
You cannot take a deep breath.
"Why, Sinclair, you know what I do to such heresy, do you not?"
Her body cracks and breaks, flesh sloughing off, revealing the form you see in your nightmares ever since that day.
As Her hands grasp around you and shove you into her gaping maw, you wake up screaming.
Thank Wings.
You thought you where going to die.

You get out of bed and leave your room, hoping to god you at least woke up at daytime.
You did not.
It seems Ryoshu is still awake.
Perhaps you should talk to her.

A/N: I am so sorry for not updating in... jesus. i got a bit sidetracked with life, and i didnt really know how exactly to end this chapter, so i just kinda did this and got it out of me.