Jellie Was Once The Magical Queen Of All Cats, But A Curse Turned Her Into A Normal Cat Until Someone

Conflicting Lives Island and Districts

Hi! This is an explanation of the Island that Conflicting Lives takes place in!

Warning! This may change slightly over time as I further develop the story of Conflicting Lives! This is still a new project, especially now more than every, so as I think further about certain areas of my story, some aspects may be slightly tweaks!

Esempy

Esempy is the name of the island where Conflicting Lives takes place. It is split up into 5 separate districts, each based on a Minecraft SMP and group of MCYTs. These districts are Hermiton, Survas, Empyria, Wynnra, and Drimas.

Hermiton

Hermiton is the district of Esempy based off of Hermitcraft and the Hermits. All of the characters that live in Hermiton are either only on Hermitcraft(in comparison to the other SMPs on this list), or were on Hermitcraft before any other SMP. Xisumavoid, Bdouble0100, GoodtimeswithScar, ImpulseSV, Joehills, Zedaph, and Keralis are all part of the Hermiton Hero District, With Xisuma(Voidling) as the Head and Bdubs(Spore) as the Second in Command. Impulse(iWork) is the healer of the district as he had studied medicine and healing magic profusely to help his friends and coworkers with any injuries they may endure. The role of the other heroes will be revealed as each character sheet comes out! Docm77, MumboJumbo, Stressmonster, TangoTek and GoodtimeswithScar are all Hermiton Villains, causing chaos and mischief wherever they may be. Doc(G.OA.T.) is one of the two most powerful villains in all of Esempy, and the strongest villain in Hermiton. He and The Blood God control virtually all villainous activity, instructing others to go on missions against the Hero Districts. Scar is a special case, as he is both a Hero and a Villain of Hermiton, but more of his story shall be revealed with his character sheet! Hermiton is the most advanced of all the Districts in terms of technology, often selling their tech to other districts to fund further technological research and advancement. Their buildings are also the most modern in terms of architecture and design, and walking the streets of Hermiton can oftentimes feel like a fever dream with how much there is to see around every corner. The terrain of Hermiton is relatively flat, with large hills/mini mountains dotting the landscape, making some areas hard to navigate. Hermiton is also the centermost district on Esempy, landlocked with no direct access to the sea surrounding the Island, except for a medium-sized river that crosses over the Survas District border.

Survas

Survas is based on 2 different minecraft servers, one far more known than the other. These two servers are The Life Series server, and Project:SSC. The characters that live in Survas either first appear in the life series before another server, or were placed here because I felt that they fit in Suras better than the other Districts. The Life series is a bit self-explanatory, but Project:SSC is a modded superflat survival server that I play on with friends which was made by one of them and is their passion project. It’s been so fun and absolutely amazing to play on this server over the 2 seasons it has, and I would recommend checking it out here! (https://ssc-info.carrd.co) Hira, Skizz, and Scythe are the three heroes of Survas, and are also among the strongest heroes as well. Hira(Atlas) is the head of the Survan Hero District, though initially they didn't want to. SKizz(Archangel) is the second-in-command as Scythe is too young to be that large of a position, even if he is stronger than most heroes out of training so recently. Rendog, Martyn, and Scythe are all Survan Villains, with Etho and Hira(RevvlChai) being Vigilantes. Rendog(Red WInter) is a very powerful villain, but not quite on the same level as G.O.A.T. or THe Blood God are, although he is still well-respected nonetheless. Etho(Argentum) is among one of the most powerful vigilantes, escaping capture multiple times from both heroes and villains alike.  Survas is just under Drimas in terms of technological advancement, often preferring a more simple way of life without large and fancy tools, relying on the handiness and comfort of handcrafted tools and weapons, especially those of which coming from a local provider. Survas is the least populated of the districts due to its odd terrain, but those who do live there know their neighbors well. Everyone knows the best bakery or crafts place in town, and regulars are everywhere you go. Survas is the district with the most variation in terrain; it has rivers and streams flowing throughout its entire area, many of which split out into other districts before returning to the ocean. Most of the areas are flat, but the areas of Survan that are the farthest inwards are much more hilly and elevated then the rest, with a mildly dense forest covering most of the area, spare for about 100 meters from the coastline.

Empyria

Empyria is based off of EmpiresSMP. The characters that live in Empyria are EmpiresSMP members, and were likely part of this server before any of the other servers on this list. All of the EmpiresSMP members are included in this list, even ones I myself have never watched, so please forgive any mistakes I make with how most of these characters act. Fwip, Joel Smallishbeans, Katherine, Pixlriffs, MythicalSausage and Smajor are all Heroes in Conflicting Lives. Fwip(Tinkerer) is the head of the Empyrian Hero District, with Pix(Guardian) as his second-in-command. Sausage(Protector) is the main support of the Empyrian Heroes, and more will be revealed about his abilities later in the story and in his character sheet! Joel Smallishbeans, Joey, OwengeJuice, Pearlescentmoon, and Smajor are all Empyrian Villains, with GeminiTay and Jimmy Solidarity as vigilantes. Joel(Tanuki) and Smajor(Chroma) do both lead double lives, but manage it very well thanks to their respective partners and support systems. Empyria is the second most advanced District in terms of technological advancement. Thanks to the close relationship Empyria has with Hermiton, Empyria gets almost every single new piece of technology, shorting out at the most advanced weaponry. Tinkerer is both the head of the Empyrian District and a Weapons Developer for his heroes, so even if he cannot get the weapons that Hermiton makes themselves, he is able to use his status and connections to get the materials and make powerful weapons himself. Empyria is the District of Esempy with the most land area, though also the most land unoccupied. This is due to the extremely hilly and borderline mountainous terrain on the eastern side of the Esempy island. The best places to live and  build in Empyria is inland, as the largest of the hills/mountains dot about the coast, making trips there difficult for those unfamiliar with the terrain it holds.

Wynnra

Wynnra is based off of Wynncraft. The characters that live in Wynnra are mainly considered to be dangerous or at the very least unpredictable species. In short, these characters have grown up in a harsh environment, gaining more street smarts than people who have grown up in other districts have. Grian is here because well, he was one of the people that made Wynncraft, so it kind of fits in my eyes. Grian, Hypnotizd, and Iskall85 are the known heroes in Wynnra. Grian(CuteGuy) is the head of the Wynnran Hero District, with Hypno(Sting) as his second-in-command. Iskall(Cybernetic) makes weapons for the others, often using them to help his fellow heroes get out of any sticky situation they may find themselves in. ZombieCleo, Grian and Sam are Wynnran Villains, with Lunaris being a vigilante. Grian(Xelqua) is both a villain and the hero district head, but he keeps his work strictly separate, often going to the other side of Esempy to Survas before doing any sort of villain activities as to not draw attention to himself. Cleo(Wildfire) is an extremely strong villain and well respected by others due to her power and strength, similar to how The Red King is. Wynnra is the farthest behind of the other districts in terms of technological advancements. They have transport of very old models and methods, but oddly enough, they don't mind and even prefer it that way for the most part. Trying to help out in any situation where a District like Hermiton needs all available heroes can be a little difficult sometimes due to the difference in available technology, but that never stops them from doing what they can to help anyways. Wynnra is the southernmost District of Esempy and has a very flat landscape, with small patches of trees and foliage scattered everywhere. The coastline is dotted with fishing towns and boat docks, and Wynnra profits a lot off of this fishery trade to the other Districts.

Drimas

Drimas is the District of Esempy based off of DSMP. All of the characters that live in Drimas are from DSMP, though not all content creators that have been on the server are in Conflicting Lives. This is for various reasons that I will not go into, but the creators that do have a character in Drimas are characters that I enjoyed watching while the server was still active, and still sometimes watch now. Philza, JackManifold, Nihachu, and Eret are all heroes in the Driman Hero District, with Eret(Strawberry) as the district head and Niki(Sirenade) as the second in command. Sirenade is also the Drimas Hero District main support and healer, as being part fairy allows her to heal most all injuries her team receives. The others roles as heroes will be released as their character sheets come out! Technoblade and Philza are both Driman Villain, Tommy Tubbo and Ranboo being Vigilantes. Technoblade(The Blood God) is one of the two most powerful villains in all of Esempy, with Philza(The Angel of Death) as his right-hand man. The Bench trio mostly stay on their own, but sometimes appear on the same scenes as some minor villains do Drimas is somewhere in the middle of all 5 Districts in terms of technological advancements. They aren't really near Hermiton’s level of technology, but are also not as old-fashioned as Wynnra is, so to say. Buildings in Drimas have a sort of business-casual feel to them, seeming professional and thought out, yet relaxed and welcoming at the same time. Drimas is the Westmost district of Empyria with a very hilly landscape and densely forested areas in non-populated areas. There is a smaller-than-average river running through it from Survas in the north and out into the ocean along the western coast.

MCC Rising Application: Team Wonderland!

My team application for MCCR 3 is Team Wonderland! Check out our application featuring myself, @crystalcat025, @furyphoenixmtf, and @hiratlas0-official

Come and meet Scythe in all his various lives! Scythe Lux and Ender are from my Superhero fanfiction Conflicting Lives! Separate images are below the cut :D (Glitch TW I think) oh boy the tumblr quality crunch-

Scythe

Lux

Ender

Conflicting Lives Character Design: Scythe Cristaal

Scythe's reference/character design sheet for Conflicting Lives!

Without Text:

More below!

What the text says (top to bottom):

Casual

Gold horn rings Golden yellow embroidery Jean Material Wraps around middle toe to keep in place (all designs)

Lux

Blue Steel Horn Caps Can be taken off and separated to use as rope Coms(+Inv) device Golden leaf pattern on both sides Cloth sleeve, buttons at base of tail

Nebula

Rose Gold horn cuffs(?) Undershirt has extra fabric for mask Undershirt over finger for style points Cloth sleeve to cover tail

Name: Scythe Cristaal Age: 20 Pronouns: He/Him Species: Enderman, Wastes Blaze Role(s): Hero - Support, Defense; Villain - Support, Offense; Civilian - Student Hero/Villain Name or Alias: Lux; Nebula Abilities/Powers: Teleportation, Enhanced Vision, Quick Response, Enhanced Hearing, Illusions, Fire Manipulation, Fire Creation, Fall Resistance, Fire Immunity, Enhanced Strength Motivations: Scythe was just a normal Highschool kid, at least for the most part. In his Junior year of Highschool, he decided he wanted a new little hobby. He had been working at a coffee shop near the border between his home district, Survas, and a neighboring district, Wynnra, when he had met a close friend of his, Lunaris. They mostly go by Lunar, but Scythe gave them the nickname Crystal pretty early in their friendship, and that's what he calls her. Lunar opened up to Scythe about being a well-known Wynnran vigilante, Storyteller, after a long time of knowing each other, and helped introduce Scythe into the life of chaos and mischief, recommending Martian as someone to help get him trained in fighting. He often went out at night to go on these crazy and sometimes dangerous expeditions, often coming back home late at night and with a few cuts and scrapes. He got a costume before he started based on a recommendation from Lunar, and the media decided his name was Nebula. After he graduated highschool, he got a letter in the mail from the Survas Hero District, saying that he was selected to be a trainee hero in their new-and-improved training program. He was a bit hesitant at first given what he had already been up to, but he had kept his identity well-kept and no majorly identifying features exposed at all times. Scythe decided to accept the invitation and put in his two week notice for his job at the coffee shop, starting the training program just 3 weeks before his first semester at Survan University started. Needless to say, Scythe passed the trainee phase and became an official hero by winter break in his Freshman year of college, going by the name of Lux.

Silly extra art: 1 /

Edit: Have the reference images I used! I think I'm going to try and do this every character, just to show what and where I got my ideas from! I used to find the outfit refs :D (the bottom two I did just use for colors tho tbh-)

Cobflicting Lives- Chapter 4: The Meeting (pt.1)

Word Count: 2050

As he and Scar walked into the meeting room as Lux and Hotguy, Scythe was relieved to see that the only other people that were there other than Voidling seemed to be iWork, Tek, and Cuteguy.

He walked over to where Voidling was talking with iWork, and the two older men looked at him expectantly. “Would I be able to speak with you for a moment Voidling?” Scythe asked after a second or two of silence.

“Of course Lux.” Voidling said, getting up from his chair. The pair walked towards an unpopulated corner of the meeting room. “What did you need to tell me?” the older hero asked.

Scythe took a deep breath. “You know about how I put up an illusion to further keep my true identity a secret from the public,” he looked at Voidling, who was nodding with eyes full of curiosity, “But I didn't have time to grab my uniform from my room before I came over here.” Voidlings eyes opened a bit in shock for a moment, then softened in understanding.

“So the illusion you have right now is for both appearance and clothing then, correct?” he asked Scythe. And he nodded in response.

“I’m not sure how long I can keep one up without revealing the other, either. Even just starting it I can tell that I’m not going to be able to hold both for more than like an hour or an hour and a half, max.” Scythe continued explaining. He didn't know what Voidling was thinking, and just the thought of anything being revealed to other heroes he didn't know well enough to trust very well made his stomach turn over itself.

There were only a few seconds before Voidling responded, but it felt like hours. “I can try to keep it as short as possible, but with what I’ve gotten I don't expect this meeting to be that short.” He finally said, concern filling his eyes as he looked at Scythe. “If you need to leave for a moment during it if you feel like the illusion is falling, by all means take a breather.”

Scythe contemplated for a moment, mulling over the offer that Voidling had given him. “That could work, but I also don't want to miss out on what has happened.” That much was true, but he may have told a small white lie as he continued, “The situation concerning the last meeting has been eating at the back of my head, and I want to try and help as much as I can. It feels like I can't do that if I have to leave because of my stamina capacity.” Well, maybe only part of it was a lie.

“I understand where you’re coming from,” the older hero said in a comforting tone, “But I also don't want you to over exert yourself for the sake of some information that I can get to you at a different time.” Voidling put a hand on Scythe's shoulder, and he looked up at the masked man. “Don't push yourself beyond your limit when you don't have to or aren't comfortable with doing so.”

Scythe took a deep breath and looked down once more, looking back up a moment later. “I… I could just let a little down. Not enough to be super noticeable, but enough to let off some of the drainage.”

 Voidling was silent for a moment longer, and took his hand off of Scythes shoulder. “Just don't push yourself too far. I may not be as close to you as some of the others are, but that doesn't mean I don't care and worry about you.” With that, he turned around and walked back towards the table, where the rest of the heroes seemed to be filing in.

Scythe took another few seconds to recuperate, then walked back to the table himself. As he approached, the last of the heroes to arrive walked through the door. Joel walked in, and it looked like he just got out of bed. Scythe assumed that his messy hair was from flying, as his artificial wings were also fluffed and messy from the air.

The white-winged hero walked over to the area where Scythe sat, and chose a seat next to him, moving his wings farther ti back to drape over the back of the chair. The pair looked at eachother, having a silent conversation of how much it sucks to be rushed.

“It looks like everyone is here. Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I do want to start by apologizing for the rush, especially as many of you aren't exactly very close to our building here.” iWork was the one to start off speaking, and he continued on, “however some information we've just received from one of our IOs needed to be discussed immediately.””

Voidling reached his hand under the table where he sat and the small click of a button was heard. A forgotten door in a back corner opened, and everyone's eyes went wide as four people walked out. Two of them looked well dressed and prepared, while the other tel looked rushed and a bit unkempt. And there were at least three heroes in the room that knew at least one of those people. 

Scythe felt like all of the oxygen left his body. He made eye contact with Lunar and Augustus, then with Etho and the fourth IO, his identity unknown, but something eerily familiar about them. The red highlights of their outfit and the blond, unkempt hair definitely belonged to someone he knew, the name just on the tip of his tongue.

He prayed that he hadn't gone too pale as he then locked eyes with Voidling when scanning the room for the others’ reactions. Voidling seemed to be talking to him through the silence, Step out if you need it, Lux, his eyes seemed to say. Scythe knew that he wasn't pale because of the illusion efforts, but because he wasn't expecting to see three of his closest friends infront of him, and in front of all of the other major heroes throughout the island.

Trying to gather his composure, Scythe took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing mind. His head had started to ache from all the thoughts darting around, and he took a few moments to calm them down, steady his breathing, and check his illusion to make sure it hadn’t faltered in the moment of panic.

He turned around to look at Joel, who also seemed to be a bit pale in the face, despite the light pink hue riding on his cheeks. Joel looked back at Scythe, a look of slight fear in his eyes as they both realized the situation, and the pink faded from the winged man's face. The pair then looked at scar and the three exchanged knowing glances, but making sure to look amongst the others as well. Thankfully they all seemed to be as confused as they are, if not a little pale too.

“These are the four IOs that had agreed to gather information for us at the last meeting.” Voidling said once everyone seemed to calm down and gather themselves once more. “These are Storyteller, Snowfall, The Above, and Slab,” they each waved as their name was announced, “and I feel that they each have a very valuable piece of information to give us all.” Voidling turned around to face the four IOs. “Storyteller, would you like to go first?”

Lunar, or rather Storyteller, stepped forward. “Sure. Thank you for inviting me here. I was asked to gather information about the routes that Ender takes at night, from where they split from Tanuki after any chosen activities, and figure out the area where they seem to be located.” She looked around the meeting room, meeting the eyes of a few heroes, sparing Scythe from eye contact in the already awkward situation.

Even though Scythe knew that Lunar knew what she was saying and how they were going to say it, he couldn't help but feel anxious. He was putting an incredible amount of trust in someone he knew very well, but even that didn't stop the farthest corners of his thoughts spiraling. 

“What I have found by slowly trialing Ender is a semi-consistent direction that he travels in. Oftentimes, he heads in a south west direction. This does vary a lot of however, and I've seen him go north and east before for a very long while before he eventually turned back towards Cursia.” Lunar at last looked at Scythe, then back at Voidling who was watching and listening very intently. “This leads me to believe that Ender may be staying somewhere in Cursia, though I have yet to follow him past the border line. Each time I have tried to do so, it has been far too late into the night for me to continue any longer.” 

Lunar had finished speaking at last after what felt like hours, and stepped back to where the others were. Scythe realized he had been holding his breath a bit, and let out a slow exhale. Joel seemed to hold his as Voidling spoke next, “Thank you Storyteller. What you have brought to us is greatly appreciated. Slab, would you please step forward and present what information you have to offer?”

Scythe felt bad for the winged man behind him. Slab, or Etho as Scythe knew him, was one of Joel's two partners. Void knows what he would be feeling right now if Ella was one of the IOs standing up there, so he could only imagine what Joel was feeling.

“Of course. I was asked to provide similar information as the Storyteller was, but about Tanuki instead of Ender,” Etho started. “From what I have been able to gather myself, Tanuki has been seeming to head north more often than any other direction, though I have followed him as far as the Wynnran border a small number of times. What I believe is that he may have a home in a few different cities, though they seem to be mainly in Empyria and Wynnra.”

Etho stepped back into the line, and Scythe heard Joel breath a small sigh of relief. He looked around at the others to see if anyone had noticed, but thankfully it seemed as though no one else did. “Thank you Slab. Your additional information will greatly aid us in our search.” Voidling said.

Then the masked hero turned to the third IO in line. “The Above, would you care to speak next?” Voidling asked, and Scythe could feel butterflies rising once more in his stomach.

“I would be honored,” Augustus said. “Before I present my information however, I would like to make a clarifying statement. I am mainly a weapons developer, and only gather information for others as the need arises. Information gathering is not my specialty, but I was not going to refuse someone that needed help for a good cause.

That being said, I was asked to bring information about the way that both Ender and Tanuki fight. What I have found isn't all too much, either. From what I can tell, they balance eachother out to make fighting others easy at all ranges, Ender seeming to keep a bit farther back and Tanuki seeming to keep closer in.” Augustus looked around the meeting room, pausing on a few people's gaze, including scythes. His look seemed to ask if he was revealing too much, and Scythe quickly blinked once as a way to tell him he's fine. And so the masked IO continued, “I believe they work as a team because they balance their own strengths and weaknesses with the others, proving for a force to reckon with.” 

At last, Augustus stepped back into the line, finalizing what information he could give. It was a few more seconds before Voidling spoke again, and he seemed to be lost in thought for that short amount of time. “Thank you for what you have been able to give us. We now know how we can try to combat both of these villains if it comes to a fight.” He said atlas. “Snowfall, thank you for waiting. Would you like to give us your findings?”

AN: Next chapter is going to have a TW, so enjoy the calm(ish) before the storm

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Timebomb :]

Generally uninterested in pretty much everyone but they may or may not have a soft spot for a few different people

everyone. post ocs. NOW

My Commissions are OPEN!!

HI! I currently have 10 open commissions slots! I'm trying to get some more money saved up while I look for a job near my college, as I haven't been able to find one quite yet. Because of this, I am opening a 15% off all commissions until Dec 31st! Click here to view what commissions I offer and see the example art pieces!

Welcome in Blaze! Blaze is my own take on a Villain version of the Tango of the Tek variety!

This is also the final art piece of this post and the result of this poll I did a while ago! I'm really liking this little series too! Not only is it helping me to draw more, but with each one, I'm also trying to do something a little different to get better at using bases so much. Who knows, by the time I'm done drawing everyone maybe I won't need to use bases anymore than just an inspo.

Anyways have the art process, from base to final!

I hope you've been enjoying this little journey with me as well!

Conflicting Lives- Chapter 7: Midnight Nightmare, Afternoon Patrol

Word Count: 2788

Scythe looked up at Martian from where he was poised on the ground, clutching the deep wound in his right side. The red-clad villain had knocked him down with a powerful blow, and he was now half laying, half sitting against the brick wall of the alleyway they were in. A small pool of Scythe's crimson-violet blood was forming on the rough concrete below him, also scattered across Martian's upper body from their fight.

Scythe tried desperately to crawl away from Martian. He still had his entire life ahead of him. He was scared to die, and he didn’t want to die either, but something told him that Martian wouldn't let him go, even if he was begging on the brink of death.

But he still tried. “Please…” Scythe said, his voice barely above a whisper thanks to his quickly fading strength. As Martian stopped in front of him, Scythe could no longer hold his head up to look at him. “Please… I don’t want to die…”

“If only you had realized that sooner.” Martian smirked, his confidence and hatred oozing out as he spoke. “Too bad, no one’s here to save poor, little…” His voice faded, Scythe seeing his lips move, words forever unheard.

His voice now barely audible to even himself, Scythe’s vision blurred with the tears that now ran down his cheeks,  mixing with the drying blood on his face. Martian squatted down to where Scythe was laying on the ground, and lifted his head with his fingers covered in the Enderian's blood.

In the brits place, a soft, worried voice filled. “...Scythe… Scythe!” The young Enderian’s eyes shot open and he scrambled to sit up. He moved his hand almost immediately to his right side where he swore he still felt the pain of his wound.

Scythe’s heart still raced and his breath still seemed to come a bit short as he looked around the room he was in. He was in his room, in his dorm, in Cursia, and far, far, away from Martian. Taking a deep breath, Scythe took his hand off of his side, the pain from his nightmare still lingering in his mind.

“Scythe, are you alright?” The soft voice said again, somehow filled with even more worry. He looked to the side and saw Ella sitting up beside him, her eyes filled with worry and her wings fluffed in a protective manner. Scythe moved his hand to hers and slowly nodded.

“I think so, now that I’m awake.” He said slowly, testing to see how much she wanted to know, and how much he was willing to share. The worry in Ella’s eyes softened slightly, but she was still very obviously concerned about him.

“I promise, Ella. I’ll be fine. I just need to wrap my head around what happened.” He looked away as he said that, thinking about the dream a moment longer, then looked at Ella one more time. “You don’t have to worry love, I’ll be ok.”

Ella crossed her arms and looked away, fake pouting as she spoke. “I don’t believe you.” she said simply, her wings flapping very slightly on her back. Scythe simply chuckled and pulled her close, resting his head on hers.

“You don’t have to believe me, you just have to trust me.” he said to her, and she took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around him in return. The pair stayed like that for a few minutes longer, simply enjoying the warmth and comfort of the other.

Eventually, Scythe spoke again. “How about we try to sleep again? It's still too early to be fully awake, and I have a patrol to watch for myself at noon.” he had said. Ella took a few moments before responding, her voice quiet and edged with sleepiness. “Fine, but you’re not escaping cuddles.”

Scythe chuckled, his chest shaking and his mood improving immediately, the nightmare temporarily forgotten. “Alright, alright. We can cuddle back to sleep, but we have to lay back down to cuddle properly.”

Ella almost immediately let go and layed back down in the bed, shuffling and adjusting to make room for Scythe to lay next to her, and held her arms out to beckon him down. He chuckled once more under his breath before adjusting himself to properly lay down, Ella pulling him to her as soon as he got situated, and he wrapped his arms around her in turn.

“Now sleep. And no nightmares during cuddles.” Ella said. “Alright, no nightmares with cuddles.” Scythe conceded. The two Enderian hybrids held each other, eventually falling asleep cradled in each others arms with no nightmares or unsettling dreams to be had for the remainder of the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scythe woke up a few hours later, the sun shining through the window blinds, the clock by the bed reading 10:40am. As he rubbed his eyes from their sleepiness, realizing that he now had an hour and 20 minutes to get dressed, eat, and get to the Agency building for his patrol.

“Good morning sleepyhead” Scythe heard Ella say from the doorway, not even realizing she had opened it. The sweet and savory smell of waffles met his nose, and he smiled a still-sleepy smile.

“Good morning my favoritest person in the world.” Scythe said, rubbing his eyes once more and getting up from the bed. He walked over to the doorway where Ella still stood, holding his arm out for a hug as he approached. Chuckling, she embraced his hug and after a few moments, let go and led him into the kitchen where the wonderful smell was coming from.

Spread across the kitchen counters was admittedly a mess, but amongst the mess sat two pretty plates of food. One of waffles, and one of bacon and eggs. Scythe’s mouth started to water from the smell and sight of the delicious food, and he grabbed a plate to get himself some breakfast. Ella soon followed, and they sat down at the small table to eat their breakfast/brunch.

It didn't take long to eat considering Scythe had found himself to be very hungry when he took the first bite. Once finished, he and Ella rinsed their dishes, and he helped her to clean up the mess that was spread amongst the kitchen counter. It took a few minutes longer than expected, and once the pair had finally finished cleaning the counter and washing the dishes, it was 11:00.

With an hour before he had to be at the agency, Scythe decided it was about time to get dressed in his Uniform and head out. He figured that if he left earlier than he usually would, he might be able to save some energy by going slower in case anything, or anyone, came up. Him and Ella talked for a bit longer after Scythe had changed.

He ended up leaving at around 11:15, but that still left him 45 minutes to get there. Before long, he pulled out his phone and messaged Joel.

Scythe: Do you want to join me on the way to Patrol?

Joel: Why? Are you lonely without me?

Scythe: Oh shut up! Have you met yourself when it's been a long day and you haven’t had the chance to see Etho or Lizzie?

Joel: …

Joel: Shut up. 

Scythe: Hmm

Scythe: No, I don’t think I will

Joel: Rude.

Scythe: Yeah :D

Scythe laughed to himself, and he was sure that Joel was too at his

house. It was a few moments until Joel started typing again.

Scythe put his phone back away, and started leaping and climbing his way up the nearest easily accessible rooftop. Once up, he looked around to make sure of which way he needed to go in. He realized he needed to go in the opposite direction he was facing, but once corrected, he started heading to the address.

Joel: Where do you want to meet? I have to get changed, but it shouldn’t take too long.

Scythe: How about that one café off of  [xxxx] and [xxxx]?

Joel: Sure, I’m about 10 minutes out, tops.

Scythe: I’m about the same, meet ya there.

Read

Leaping across all kinds of different kinds of roofs, Scythe swiftly made it to the café, making sure to put up an illusion before hopping back down onto the street and walking up to the building’s doors.

After placing his drink order, Scythe found a seat close to the door and a window so he could see Joel when he got here. It didn’t take long before he saw Joel walking up the door, and when he walked through the door, Scythe waved to get his attention. Joel waved back and walked up to the counter to place his own order, then joined the younger man at the table.

“Fancy seeing you here, eh stranger?” Joel said with a wide smile as he sat down in the chair. 

“Oh wow, didn’t know you hang around these parts, stranger.” Scythe responded while trying, and failing, to hold back his laughter

Before long, the two burst out into laughter, and once they had stopped laughing, a worker came by with their drinks. Scythe could swear he recognized her bright orange hair and antlers, with the pointy elf ears to match. Nevertheless, he thanked her for bringing their drinks, and took a drink of his own cappuccino.

Scythe must have been very visible in deep thought about the waitress, and Joel most definitely noticed. “You alright there mate? You’re thinking too much, I can tell.” Scythe perked up, momentarily forgetting that he was in the café in the first place.

“Yeah, sorry.” Scythe rubbed his head before continuing, “I feel like I know that waitress from somewhere else, I just can’t place where from.” He took another drink of his coffee, and waited for Joel to respond.

“I thought so too, but damn dude you think too much.” Joel said after taking a drink of his own coffee. After he took his drink he just shrugged ,”You’ll figure it out at some point, let's just enjoy our drinks until we have to go.”

“Fair enough” Scythe felt himself agreeing. He knew he would figure it out another day, but the girl seemed to stick in the back of his mind until the pair had finished their drinks and had to leave once more.

They had spent about 15 minutes there, and only had about another 15 to get to the Agency building. It would be a close fit, but they would be able to get there in time. Walking out of the building, Scythe turned to Joel with a mischievous smile on his lips.

“Bet I can beat you there without teleporting!” he said as he jumped away from the brunette. He had jumped to the ladder of a nearby building, using it to climb up onto the roof. Once he made it up, he disabled his illusion, revealing his hero uniform and he peered over the edge of the building to where Joel was standing before, only to find him missing.

“Y’know you’re a bit slow climbing things, right?” Scythe heard a voice from behind him, really close to his ear, and jumped. Turning around, he saw Joel there with his wings and hero uniform, smirking even wider than he had been earlier.

“Not fair! You have wings!” Scythe pouted. “You can use your wings to get there either, just like I can't teleport.” he tried to reason.

Joel pondered on the thought for a moment before responding. “Fine, sounds fair enough. But if the time cuts too close I can’t promise I won't fly the rest of the way” The brunette shifted his weight to one leg and crossed his arms. “Deal?”

Scythe stood up from where he was still crouched on the rooftop. “Deal. See you later, slow poke!” and with that, he ran and jumped to the next rooftop, landing well and keeping his momentum to run and leap to the next. 

After landing again, Scythe looked back to find Joel confused for a split second before making a running start and following. Both of them had smiles plastered across their faces as they ran, the lead constantly fluctuating between them. At one point, Scythe had misjudged a jump, landing rough and killing most of his momentum, where Joel had used his wings to help him clear the gap.

Seeing Joel use his wings to help him, Scythe recovered quickly, catching up easily with a small, innocent, teleport forward. “You use your wings, I use my teleporting!” he said as he caught up to Joel, teleporting to a nearby rooftop to gain the lead once more, smiling mischievously the whole time.

Joel, temporarily stunned and confused, launched himself in the air a moment later, zooming up to where Scythe was, now quite a few rooftops in front of him. “It’s not my fault you misjudged the leap! I was only using my resources!” he said before propelling himself further forward and up with his wings.

“If you want to play that way, it looks like I'll just have to use my resources too.” Scythe said to himself, Joel being well out of earshot by now. He teleported to the next few rooftops, closing the gap between him and Joel. Once he was close enough and made sure he had enough energy to teleport again, he teleported a few meters in front of Joel. He had positioned the teleport so that Joel would have to catch him if he wanted to keep flying, and so that he wouldn't crash down onto a rooftop.

And it worked perfectly. Joel saw Scythe falling in front of him and scrambled to catch him and keep flying before he crashed to the ground. After realizing what Scythe had done, Joel looked at the young enderian with a glare that shot all kinds of daggers.

“I used my resources, just like you did” is all that Scythe said in response, earning an eye roll and annoyed scoff from the winged brunette who held him. 

“You’re damn lucky that I care about you enough not to drop you right now.” Joel said after a minute more of just flying. Scythe saw that he was smiling, and he smiled as he replied, “I know, but all that teleporting was getting exhausting anyways.”

Joel muttered something along the lines of “Fair enough, I guess,” and flew the rest of the way to the Agency. It only took them around 5 more minutes to get there, and they spent probably around 12 or 13 getting there in total.

With those few minutes left once they actually arrived, they went inside to see who else was there, and to see if they could find their other 2 patrol members.

It didn't take long at all to find them either. iWork and Voidling were talking with each other just inside of the main doors, looking over at Scythe and Joel as they walked in. Voidling seemed to smile under his mask as he waved the pair over. “Lux, Stratos! Come over and chat for a bit before we go!” He said in a cheery tone.

Scythe smiled and walked over to them, Joel following close behind. “Hey guys!” He said as he got to them, and was handed a cup of water. He shrugged and took a drink, liking the way the cold helped to cool him down from the journey. 

“Safe passage here I hope?” iWork asked after handing Joel a cup of his own. 

Joel took a drink before he replied. “It was, but this child--” he looked at Scythe “-- decided to teleport in front of me while I was flying and made me have to carry him the rest of the way”

“Hey! I didn’t make you carry me! You even said so yourself; you care too much about me to have dropped me!” Scythe replied with a playfully offended gasp.

The winged man’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Oh, shut up! No one asked for your input peanut gallery!” he reported jokingly.

“Alright you two, settle down.” Voidling said, stepping forward slightly to position himself between Joel and Scythe as they stared at each other. The masked hero turned to iWork and said, “It looks like we might have our hands full this afternoon.”

“Hey!” Scythe and Joel said simultaneously, causing the other two men to burst out in laughter, themselves stunned into silence and just staring at each other.

“Did that just happen?” Scythe asked.

“Yeah. Yeah it did.” Joel replied.

And the pair stood in shock as Voidling and iWork died of laughter on the floor.

(to be continued)

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