𝓑𝓻𝓾𝓽𝓾𝓼 ⋆ 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘹 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

𝙰𝙲𝚃 Ⅲ • 𝚂𝙲𝙴𝙽𝙴 Ⅳ

"No, my Brutus; you have some sick offence within your mind, which, by the right and virtue of my place, I ought to know of: and, upon my knees, I charm you, by my once-commended beauty, by all your vows of love and that great vow which did incorporate and make us one, that you unfold to me, yourself, your half, why you are heavy, and what men to-night have had to resort to you?

...If this were true, then should I know this secret. I grant I am a woman; but withal a woman that Lord Brutus took to wife: I grant I am a woman; but withal a woman well-reputed, Cato's daughter. Think you I am no stronger than my sex, being so father'd and so husbanded? Tell me your counsels, I will not disclose 'em: I have made strong proof of my constancy, giving myself a voluntary wound here, in the thigh: can I bear that with patience. And not my husband's secrets?"

- Act 2, Scene 1. (Julius Caeser)

TW/CW: Injury and self-harm (IT SOUNDS BAD I KNOW BUT DON'T WORRY) 

After a while of riding with only the sound of Karl's hooves thumping against the ground filling the air, the adrenaline that had been coursing through my veins this whole time had finally worn off and with it, I began to feel the consequences of dislocating my own thumb earlier to free myself.

I'd been trying to keep as quiet as possible for the entire journey thus far, busying myself by idly running my fingers through Karl's mane and trying to process the events of the past few hours. It didn't take a genius to tell you that Technoblade was exhausted. Although it didn't seem like he was affected by having an anvil dropped on his head only a few hours ago (I still cannot wrap my head around how he survived), the quiet, yet laboured breaths that the man seated behind me let out every now and then told a different story.

"Let's take a break for a little bit, your hand is injured," the pinkette announced suddenly, pulling semi-harshly at Karl's reigns so that the horse would slow down and allow us to dismount safely. We were less than an hour away from the cabin at this point, so I couldn't really see the use of this break, but I mumbled a quiet 'okay' as a response anyway. Techno had, had a rough day after all: he'd had to deal with the Government coming to his house unannounced and attacking him viciously before looting him of all his belongings, dragging him back to their de-facto country, conducting a kangaroo court trial in which the ruling was execution via anvil, narrowly surviving certain death (with some unknown witchcraft), taking care of my sorry ass, fighting a deranged butcher AGAIN and now getting himself back home without any help. He deserved a break and then some.

While pondering all the hardships that my would-be friend had endured today, I'd zoned out, and ended up practically jumping out of my own skin when I felt a pair of hands gently touch my waist.