*Alissa’s POV*

I frowned at the nick in Avalanche. It really hadn’t been my imagination, or just a bunch of clotted hair or tissue! That damned ghast really had managed to notch my blade! Fucker! I had only brought two inferior replacements, I had no fucking clue the road to Merry Willows would be so packed full of the undead.

Angus chuckled as he lit his little pipe by his shoddily made fire. “Now, my grumpy traveling companion, it’s still a serviceable blade! Perhaps we can get it repaired once we get there-“

“-By some inbred blacksmith in that backwater town? Are you kidding?” I scoffed! As though I’d let anyone but the best make repairs to Avalanche!

Angus cocked his head at me, puffing round, friendly-looking clouds of smoke out of the corner of his mouth. “You’re mighty cranky, ‘lissa. Why not give it a burl? She’ll be right; you’ve never even been there-“

I was getting irritated with Angus’ ‘helpful’ advice; he was chock full of it. I was also going mad with how often he had averted disaster on this gods-forsaken trip with his own little short sword, when I felt like he shouldn’t even have to use it, that was my job. Not to mention how tired I was of being in the middle of nowhere in the Forest with the undead trying to kill us. “-Stuff it, Angus, I’m bushed! I only want Ginger to work on Avalanche.”

Angus grinned at me. “Mmmm, very well. I’ve got first watch then, get some rest.” I sheathed Avalanche in its scabbard, put my cloth and lightweight whetstone away, got settled, and tried to focus on the progress we had made. We still had quite a ways to go yet. I just barely caught Angus murmuring. “Pig’s arse…”

---

*Eliza’s POV*

Once we were back at the shelter, I decided the time was right to return Andy’s sword to him. I was worried about what kind of emotional reaction Andy might have, though. Would it make him feel rejected? Would it bother him to remove Juliet’s sword, now that he’d used it?

As he went to feed the cats, I unbuckled his scabbard, resetting the buckles where they were well worn in, to fit Andy, fiddling nervously. When Andy turned about and saw me holding his sheathed sword in my hands, he cocked his head. “You’ve spoken with Blasko already about wielding an axe as your primary weapon?”

I nodded. “And now, thanks to you, I have swords of my own too, Andy. This belongs with you, and I am in your debt.”

Andy took his sword, but shook his head. “No, you’re not, and I don’t want to hear you talking like that. You’ve given me hope and care, where there was nothing tangible any longer. I had started to rot, I was hollow.” Andy paused, looking at the sword. “You are definitely strange, but only in the sense that you give me a new appreciation for a world I had ceased to really care for. You have managed the impossible-“

I snorted. “-Hardly, Andy! So maybe I pulled your head out of your ass a bit, that’s all! I’m sure getting your dick sat on would do anyone some good-“

Andy sniffed at me. “-Shut up!” I found myself on the receiving end of brief but vigorous kiss. It made me feel vaguely unstable on my feet and I had to stretch my wings out for balance. I grabbed awkwardly onto Andy so I didn’t fall over in some kind of effeminate swoon. Fuck, he was good at kissing!

He broke away and smirked at me cockily, making me blush like an idiot. I decided that then was the time to make a break for the lavatory, to give him a moment alone to do whatever he was going to do with Juliet’s sword.

I swallowed before going for a casual tone of voice. “I’m going to take a piss, I’ll just be outside, I promise.”

Andy had already turned away, towards his whetstone, and was drawing Juliet’s sword, as he nodded acknowledgement. As quietly as I could, I went out the door, leaving Andy to his memories.

Notes

i've had a bunch of concert excitement lately.

on 8/11/16, i went to see Marilyn Manson (and I met him, he was very nice, he liked my scarf!), Slipknot, and Of Mice & Men. this was in Auburn, WA at the White River Amphitheatre. here are some videos i took:

Marilyn Manson plays 'Antichrist Superstar' (a rough view from the pit)
part of Slipknot playing 'Killpop'
Slipknot playing 'The Heretic Anthem'
Slipknot plays 'The Devil in I' (Part I)
Slipknot plays 'The Devil in I' (Part II)

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on 8/13/16, i went to Warped Tour in Portland, OR. (the final date of Warped 2016.) i was not happy that Falling In Reverse was scheduled at essentially the same time as Motionless In White, so i had to choose. bummer of the day, for sure. here are some videos i took:

Motionless In White play 'Reincarnate' (rough view from the pit)
Ice Nine Kills play 'The Nature of the Beast'
Ice Nine Kills play 'Hell in the Hallways'
Crown The Empire play 'Machines'
Palaye Royale play 'My Youth Generation'

surprises of the day (for me) included discovering that Ice Nine Kills, Crown the Empire, and Palaye Royale were all pretty awesome. low point of the day was probably getting kicked in the head by a crowd surfer during MIW so hard i was stunned: thanks to the ladies who held me upright. it was also a bummer that Balz's Strange & Unusual Oddities Parlor was absent for the day, but what can you do?

personally, i really hate that festivals are in the summer, i hate the sun. it was 92 and sunny and disgusting. but i still had fun. also, apparently signings these days require tickets, and people were walking around with little boards on sticks, what the fuck were those? how are they different from the little tickets, versus the assorted wristbands people had? i am just too old for Warped, man.