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[ Shortly after she realizes her powers have gone poof: RING RING. ]

[he picks up on the third ring. sorry, he was shooting up.]

Hey doll. Feeling squishy?

Saber! Do you have your powers? I can't do anything, I can't— I keep fucking trying and nothing happens. The contract— they did something— or was it Raíz? I don't know!

[ She's feeling something! ]

[oh she's actually freaking out. she's coming to him, specifically, while she's freaking out. this means something! less teasing:]

Whoa - slow down. Raíz wouldn't do this, no way. I don't have my powers anymore, but they're handing out something sweet in the library. Grab yourself a vial and get a surprise.

They're— what? What do you mean? The library's open again? What vial?

[ Girlie hasn't been paying attention to the network, oop. ]

[there's a pause while waits for the end of a joke. he laughs even though it never comes.]

Hold on, hold on. [attached: link to homelander and alicent's network post.] See that? They're uh, tellin' us about the drugs. Wanna come do it with me?

[he says, having already taken the drug.]

[ Okay, give her a moment to watch that, and then… ]

So it's. What Raíz does, but in a drug?

[ ?_? ]

[hm, that sounds wrong to his ears.]

No, nothing like her. These powers are cheap knockoffs compared to what she does for us.

[ There's silence while Cellar checks uneven nails and bites her lower lip. Worried, still anxious about what their sudden loss means. ]

… Saber, where is she?

[ No real expectation that he'll have an answer, just … some fumbling attempt to ask for guidance. Reassurance from the mentor that never was. ]

[she's quiet and he's listening too closely. the flick of a lighter can be heard, then a quick exhale. totally delusional but 100% confident:]

Look, just 'cause she's not here doesn't mean she's not here. She's probably watching us right now. I'm not worried.

You really think so? [ Another pause. ] That she's been watching us the whole time?

[ That's been Cellar's belief from day one, anyway. Suddenly she's not that sure. ]

[wait a minute-]

Am I hearing doubt in you, Cellar? I thought you knew better.

[ —ack. ]

I mean— you've never felt any doubt? Ever?

No. People fuck up all the time and I expect people to fuck up, but not Her.

It's not really about her fucking up. [ Voice smaller, ] I don't think. It's just...

Sometimes I wonder if whatever's running this place is like her. Like, maybe she has cousins or something.

Oh. [he clicks his tongue.] Huh.

[obviously not having thought in that direction at all, but very much accepting of it:]

Yeah, maybe. That doesn't mean anything, y'know? Just means we're here for a bit, then we'll be back, or maybe we won't. You got some loose ties or somethin' back home?

You mean other than the contract? [ Irony in her voice now. (There's her family, friends — Great Dane, Wolf Spider, and so on...) Someone's coping. ] I dunno, at this point so much crazy shit has happened that I wouldn't be surprised if it's a not-Raíz also playing around, except this time we're the toys.

[ A deep sigh. ]

At least you're here.

Same toys different circus. I think you know that we've always been the toys.

[but saber is already latching on to cellar considering that his company is comforting.]

I'll always be here for you.

I prefer to think of us as... weapons! Makes us seem cooler.

[ And they will continue to be weapons throughout the month, kicking zombie ass. ]

Thanks, Saber. [ A pause. ] You're sure the drug-thing is okay?

Ah-huh, weapons like us are toys for things like Raíz.

[doesn't stop them from being nearly unstoppable forces though.]

No, but I don't care. We're against zombie fuckasses and I'm not facin' them empty handed.

... Point.

[ Not how she would've made the case, but. Point nonetheless. She wasn't going to need a whole lot of convincing, but in Great's absence, she's looking to Saber to be her guide into Probably Dangerous Ideas. Which is a dangerous idea in itself. #thatsirony ]

Ugh, I hate zombies. I'll take the ... what was it called? Temp V or whatever.

[alert, chipper:]

Good! I can dose you up.

Yes, please. [ Sigh! She wants her shadows baaaack. ] See you in a bit.

why are you being an asshole to theo

he started it

how

he said you guys were married
that's not true right?? like you arent married to that fuckass, right?

he said we're married so you threatened to kill him is that what you're saying to me right now

answer me

no, i'm the one who's pissed off! YOU answer me!

[hahahahahahha]

you're mad? imagine how i feel. you lied to me, cellar. lied to my face. how could you do that to me? i thought you cared about me.
if you don't tell me the truth i'll kill him

answer or be the reason why he's dead.

sabe i am going to kick your ass if you ever say that again do NOT touch him ever it was a stupid game in some cursed chapel around here, we're not MARRIED married but you didn't even come ask me first before you decided to threaten his LIFE why are you like this?

[why is he relieved to read this....]

that would be fun ♥

a stupid game?? really? he knows it was a stupid game? he didn't act like that when i was talkin to him
cause i'd do anything for you and i don't like when people lie about you. it's gross.

maybe for me, yeah [ look at how threatening she is!!1 ]

there's a lot worse going on around here than people lying saber and if I have a problem with anything theo does, I will kick his ass myself not you got it?

haha you're cute
tell him not to lie then. not to me.

[says the compulsive liar.]

you act like you don't know me and it hurts my feelings.

good, because you hurt my feelings too

[ #mature ]

[shocked pikachu]

no one else takes care of you like i do
hows that hurt your feelings?

[ WELL ]

you talked about killing someone i care about that's how you hurt my feelings

you should feel good about that
i don't do that for nobody else

are you gonna do this for me too? leave him alone?

i dunno
can i sleep with you tonight

if you leave him alone. and stop making threats.

i'll stop i promise

[for a week]

fine

see you tonight ;)

hey. you.

do you still want to help with the clinic?

hmmm dunno
do you still have the drugs

yes, but this is a new deal now. new terms.

field medic, right? you're familiar with standards for surgery care?

new terms?
i put them back together again what the fuck else do you want

[and a second separate message:]

yes

we're not in terrible zombie times anymore, are we? dystopia times get dystopia rules, vice versa.

i am being fair here, believe it or not. i don't care if you want to OD on your own time, but seeing as most of the medical guys who end up here tend to just up and leave, someone has to look out for everyone else.

you up for learning a little more than just field basic?

Edited 2025-03-13 03:42 (UTC)

uh no. if you want my help you gotta be desperate, so still my rules.

what's more than basic to you?

resetting dislocated bones, laparoscopies, biopsies, blood transfusions, stents, so on.

this place likes to throw things into the fire a lot. i'd like for us to be prepared for the next shit show.

you're also not the only one i asked, so you're wrong on that first part.

i can reset bones and stent fine. the only thing i don't know how to do on that list is a biopsy because i never needed to

aw boo hoo. what's the trade?

well, i guess you're learning it now.

you're not taking this opportunity to renegotiate? name some other thing you want? come on, man.

that's the thing about this place, it's got everything i want. and what i can't have, people get all freaked out if i wanna kill them.

got anyone i can kill?

[ huh. this is interesting. ]

is it a personal need? do you need to kill or your brain explodes otherwise?

that's a good way to put it

tell me why, and i'll name someone.

i like it and it mellows me out.

then why the drugs? what do you need them for?

i'm not playing 20 questions with you. i gave you an answer so now you owe me a name.

unless you're not someone who holds up their end of the deal. maybe i should come find you instead :)

you still haven't figured it out yet?

the name's mine, man.

what the fuck do you mean the name is yours?

you want me to kill you?

i'm functionally immortal. trade secret: my body regenerates every time i die.

this body is only three months old. if you had to kill anyone, at least kill someone who won't net a house penalty like the others do.

Edited 2025-03-16 20:39 (UTC)

huh
ever find out how much your body can take before it dies?

[ pause. ]

it's the torture that gets you off? that's what you're telling me?

dying lost its purpose here. even for you. acting like some martyr because you got a special power.
so yeah i like killing them but i like seeing what else happens too. i don't get to mess around with people who want to die or have powers much.

[ this could be useful. ]

i don't want to die, for the record. it's pointless here and it's pointless back home, too. but if i have to die — if you're getting something out of it and it keeps you from killing someone else, then that's useful to me.

are you good with filming it?

it doesn't keep me from anything, you're giving me something to do. it's not a promise kipper.

why do you want to film it?

you wanna see how far your luck goes in this place, be my guest.

scientific curiosity.

Edited 2025-03-17 04:01 (UTC)

oh it's going far. nobody likes dealing with people like me and if they do they never like what they get.

sure. if you wanna film yourself all day every day. you're not gonna know when i'm coming for you

it won't matter.

[ it's not arrogance that makes eunhyuk say so. it really doesn't. there are only a handful of ways to truly kill eunhyuk, and there is only one person in this house who knows how. ]

you do realise you're not the only person who's like that, right? population this small, you're gonna hit one of them sooner than you think.

we'll see.
great. it'll finally get interesting.

look at that — something we can agree on.

don't get boring in the meantime.

fuck you i won't get boring
see you when i wanna see you

Your gift keeps dying on me. Rotting away, no matter how much it's given. Isn't that peculiar?

Edited 2025-03-09 00:29 (UTC)

[great it's this freako]

what the fuck are you texting me for
let it die or give it back

I'm taking care of you, Saber. It's only right that I let you know. So why would I do either of those things?

[this mother-]

fucker.
try killing someone to see if it'll last longer

I don't kill. Would you like to see what it looks like?

oh duh! that's useless of you

no i don't

[5 minutes later:]

fine show me

Is it?

[ No reply after two minutes, four... Getting dangerously close to activating the ignoring is actually an invitation to come over mode, until — ah, there he is again. ]

Gladly. Come any time.

[ :) ]

uh no im not coming over there just take a video or some shit

Oh? Are we shy all of a sudden?

i hate you and i want to kill you

why do i need to be there

You had your chance to do that. You just let it get away. Because you owe yourself that much.

it was fucking impossible and when it wasn't a twink zombie took it from me.

[and he's not addressing that last bit, buuuut his curiosity does get the best of him. he doesn't knock when he arrives, swinging the door open only to linger in the doorway, surveying the space. then he's just in it, stalking around, mood foul, eyes locked on zephir.]

So? You wanna show me what you stole?

[ Saber is greeted with a bright smile, like his last visit never happened. The room is full of plants, mundane species sat next to unique ones, unusual to the point of seeming uncanny. Each of the latter are grown out of seeds he took from people's bodies. ]

Stole? [ Sat by the window, Zephir makes a motion with his head. How harsh, Saber! Anyway, ] Can't you guess?

[ He gestures with the hand holding a cigarette before it goes back between his lips. Zephir was right: Saber's plant has the color and texture of meat rotten to the point of losing any color, dark all over. ]

Don't worry. I don't intend to give up on you.

[ #freak ]

Don't screw around with me.

[there's no point in pretending to be nice to zephir. he might have once, if he'd known about his powers before he was royally fooled. he can still remember the taste of her - him - in his mouth. if showing him exactly where the plant is happens to be a trick, saber falls for it. standing next to it, poking at its leaves with a look of annoyance. a cat tempted to knock the pot over.]

You don't want to give up? Suck it up, you should. I'm taking this back.

You're taking it back. [ Parroted with mirth, like he just heard a child make an ambitiously silly claim. He breathes out smoke. ] And what do you plan to do with it?

[he hates that tone that zephir is taking with him. one hand firmly placed on the desk, fingers at the edge of the pot.]

Maybe I'll eat it. Or burn it. Better than whatever you're doing with it here if you can't keep it alive.

[ It tracks, once Zephir gives it some thought. He sees someone greedy and selfish in those solutions — who either consumes something to own it, or destroys it to make sure no one else can. ]

You can do that here.

[ The same cool dismissiveness of a parent, only less amused, bringing the cigarette back to his lips. ]

But I will require another seed after you're done.

No. [nose wrinkling as the second statement is processed.] Fuck no.

[lashing out as a petulant child right back at him, saber grabs the pot and takes a few steps toward the door (like he'll get away with it).]

You're not gettin' anything for your collection. That's what all this is, isn't it? Seeds you've taken from people? Not mine. You don't get mine.

[ He lifts his head, watches to check whether Saber will walk away or break the thing on the spot, cigarette idly burning away between his fingers.

The next time Saber blinks, Zephir will be between him and the door, watching serenely. Silent, almost unmoving, making it seem like he moved at an inhuman speed, until his voice is heard from the very same spot he was before — turns out Zepir is still there, too, smoking.

The only thing better (worse) than one Zephir is two of them? ]

You can do that here, [ The original repeats. ]

[not this shit again. again, like he's experienced it before when he hasn't. saber knows enough about messing around with life that he doesn't want to do it again. not when there are two of them. stopping abruptly when the other zephir makes his appearance, he turns halfway to look at the original.]

Take your garbage out.

[ The Zephir by the window simply takes another drag, eyes on his copy. The copy steps closer to grab Saber's face, turn it to face the plant he's so determined to confiscate; again, it isn't the one who speaks, tone audibly different by the word. The voice is coming from the one by the window. ]

Eat your rot, Saber. Or I will feed it to you myself.

[he feels - hatred. disgust, as the copy makes to touch him. he doesn't know where to put any of those feelings, coiled so tight in his stomach. hating himself for falling for zephir's tricks, hating zephir for being the trick.]

No, you won't.

[saber ducks out of the clone's reach, twisting around to kick right at his kneecap. he doesn't know what that will do aside from send a message that he's not going to be compliant. he doesn't want to eat it now, naturally, so he drops the pot onto the floor. ceramic crashes apart, pieces gliding in all directions.]

Have fun with that.

[ Everything that should happen happens, and the next time the copy falls out of Saber's view, it and its damaged leg will be gone, leaving Saber alone with a god and an act of rebellion shattered on the floor.

Paced in his movements, deliberate in how he watches the other man, Zephir puts the cigarette out in his own palm, the noise and smell of burnt flesh floating between them. Away from the window, crunching ceramic under his shoes every other step, he comes closer to the rotten, splattered plant, kneeling down to pick up a fragile piece before he's towering over Saber again. Already healed from the burn, he uses the resulting black substance generated in his mouth to spit it onto the plant. The dark sludge is quickly absorbed; in the seconds that follow, what once looked like a replica of decayed flesh reverts back into something more fitting to be in a pot. This is how Zephir has been healing what refuses to stay alive. ]

It feeds on death. All the others prefer life, but not this one.

[ And he hands that little piece over to Saber, if he'll take it. The rest is staying here, the threat he issued minutes ago seemingly a thing of the past. ]

You can visit us any time.

[zephir casts a heavy shadow over him and instincts tell him to step back, but saber's anger wins and keep him in place. annoyance twists up his expression as he watches the plant get brought back to some semblance of life.]

'Cause I feed on death. What's so surprising about that? Damn thing came from me, after all.

[staring down at the piece zephir holds out to him, then up to meet his eyes as he snatches it from his grasp like he'd been holding it from him in the first place. for saber, he reminded him of it after being forgotten about. like he knew he was moving on from their little 'tussle'.]

Fuck you.

[a broken record at this point and he doesn't care. at least he got part of it back, right? he'll be going now.]

Do you know much about the Library?

no. there's a girl here that really liked talkin about it
dunno if she's still here haven't seen her in a while

Oh, okay. It's just a bit strange, that's all.

you're pulled from your world into this one and you wanna tell me a talking library is strange, lot?

Both of those things can be weird, it's not like the kidnapping stops the talking library from being odd.

I don't know, it's just interesting. I'd like to learn more about it, I guess.

it's all odd, sweetheart.
you wanna leave it something to do for you? people do that you know.

I didn't ask it for anything, just gave it something.

What would you ask for?

[hm...]

what did you give it?
live long enough and you don't need a special gift from a tube

[not true, he wants plenty of things from the library but he won't be telling her.]

Just a message, that's all.

[ just casually leaving out the 'in my own blood' part that's probably vastly more relevant... ]

There's really nothing? How old are you, then?

a message in a bottle from sweet little lottie? did you get a message back?

time gets fucked up around here. cold war ring a bell?

A smiley face. Maybe everyone gets one of those though, I don't know.

Yes, but that ended a few years ago now. Were you involved?

[what the fuck]

how cute :)

damn, you're behind! what are you in the 90s?
i was an agent in russia while all that shit was happening off the coast. US of A had me over there just in case. didn't work out for them cause i got bored.

It's '96, yeah. Or well, I suppose it's '97 now, the details are a little bit fuzzy.

That sounds scary, were you there all that time? How does that work?

because of your time in the forest?

[he hasn't talked about this in a loooong time.]

do i look like someone who gets scared? not my style.
but i was there for a while. shit got intense after i went awol. made a mess behind enemy lines, it was fun.

Yeah. It's hard to tell how much time has passed, there's seasons, but you know. I'm not really sure how long it's been.

What kind of mess? Can I ask that? You don't have to answer, if it's personal.

yeah yeah. i don't think about it cause it doesn't really matter.

[it does matter but if he thinks about it too hard he starts feeling crazier, faster.]

the kind of mess that made their government and "my" government real upset. didn't belong to anybody after all that
not until raíz picked me up.

[ mommylonglegs has added you to a group chat! ]

[ The morning before Saber's first shift at the Hex Club, an envelope finds its way to his door. Inside is a gold pin in the shape of a hexagon, as well as a note: ]

Saber,
Welcome to the Hex Club.
I look forward to working with you.
— Silco

* For clarity's sake: The pin is merely a gift, not an expected part of your daily dress.

r u fucking dead or something

[his fingers are too soaked with blood for him to be able to type properly.]

i'll bfdjring yfou witsh m3

are you texting with your dick ??

i hate you
i hate you so much if you come near me i'll make sure you stay dead

im so happy you're such a sensitive, kind and caring person

what do you get out of talking to me? you must get somethin

or do you just like it when people tell you how much they wanna kill you

idk, just wanted to know if ur alive

figured u might be idk shaving that weird stash off or w/e

and yeah i do like that tbh, but that's neither here nor there

to see how much you can get away with without me?

hah
yeah that stache. it's gone, never here
you're a weird kid

maybe

i mean it didn't look that bad
but you look better w/o the gel

inbox

voice;

cw drug use mention🤪

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backdated!!

teehee

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text; @kpyr7.8

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sorry 2/2 surprise

dfgklsdf

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text, un: magazine

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