"It begins storming, and the room is drenched in darkness. Suddenly, you hear slow, soft footsteps make their way in. Their pattern is almost melodic, and nothing like the heavy footfalls of the guard. A figure steps in front of the iron bars, shadows concealing everything but their imposing stature and thin frame. Suddenly there's a flash of lightning, illuminating the mysterious person for a split second. Piercing golden eyes stand out against rough gray-green skin, and jagged horns protrude from their head. You can't tell if their expression is one of conniving intentions, or drained boredom—"

"Poultry Man rolls for charisma!!!" Grian interrupted, swiping an abused D20 off the floor. "Imma seduce this bi—"

"GRIAN!" Stress shouted, bursting into a quaint hobbit hole. Scar, Mumbo, Grian, and Jevin sat on the floor of said hobbit hole, surrounded by a large quantity of cushions, pillows, papers, and tiny figurines. One of the figurines was made of... slime? Stress ignored that, standing in the doorframe and bouncing on her toes.

"Ugh, I was just getting to the good part," Scar sighed, flopping backwards into pillows behind him. He snapped shut a leather bound notebook and hugged it to his chest.

"Hey Stress-" Grian started, but was quickly interrupted by Mumbo jumping up from where he sat.

"Stress! Goodness me, are you okay?" he fretted, "Have you gotten any sleep?"

It was a valid concern, Stress had deep bags under her eyes, and a drowsy expression if not for her thin smile. Her hands shook ever so slightly, though she was clearly trying to hide it.

"Plenty, Mumbo," she lied, waving him off with a spin of her hand. "But big news! I know how to heal your wing Grian!"

Stress smiled widely, but the others didn't smile back.

"How long Stress? How many nights?" Mumbo asked softly, though his questions were firm. "My gods you look sick, Stress. How long did you stay awake?"

Stress counted off a few fingers before huffing and looking back up. "Doesn't matter. I'm fine Mumbo."

"You're avoiding the question. However long it was, it wasn't healthy," Jevin interjected, standing up from the DnD nest.

Stress turned towards him, making too much eye contact. "It doesn't matter. I had to help Grian! I have to help him!"

"No, Stress." Grian's voice was straightforward, and he let out a small sigh. "You didn't need to do any of that. You need to sleep. Please, rest. You can fix my wing but just sleep first, please."

(GRIAN: Peace, peace Stress, peace! Thou talk'st of nothing!)

As if on command, Jevin and Mumbo each took one of Stress' shoulders, marching her towards the bed in the back corner of the hobbit hole, while she muttered arguments.

"C'mon guys..." Stress whispered, her statement punctuated with a yawn.

Scar sighed, and pulled himself up, shaking his head. He fished something shiny and crystally from one of his many coat pockets, and tossed it to Jevin, who pressed it into Stress' hands. "I think you need this more than Jellie does... now ϟ|:ᒷᒷi!."

Scar murmured the last word like a lullaby, and the crystal in Stress' hands glowed a soft navy blue. Stress stumbled back down onto the bed and was out like a light, Scar's magic taking effect.

Mumbo found a blanked from who knows where and tossed it over Stress', now snoring, form.

"For taking such good care of us she really needs to learn how to take care of herself," Scar commented with a small pout. "It's a little hypocritical of her."

Mumbo stifled a chuckle, a small pop of static electricity sounding from his hair as a redirection of the laughter.

"Soooo," Grian chirped, "Poultry Man rolls for charisma?"

"You guys sure she's not gonna wake up if we're too loud?" Jevin asked, plunking back down next to Grian and grabbing a small blue figurine off the floor.

"Yeah, magic'll keep her asleep," Scar reassured. "Plus, Stress sleeps like a rock anyways, trust me on that."

Scar opened his notebook back up and flipped through to the right page. He sat down and looked Grian dead in the eye.

"And no. Poultry Man cannot roll for charisma to seduce the stranger."

. . .

After planning to meet later that week at Mumbo's place, the others had left, and Grian was puttering around cleaning up.

He winced when his wings bobbed as he stepped. The magic from Scar's crystal had been slowly wearing off, not that he told anyone of course. That would make them worry.

Grian heard a small shuffle and a huff from behind him, and turned to see Stress stirring. She was waking up. Dang it, he'd hoped she would sleep for longer.

With a sigh, he made his way over to her bed. Stress pulled herself upright with a tired groan.

"Wha—? Goodness, 'ow long was I asleep?!" Her eyes widened as she realized what had happened.

"Not long enough." Grian answered with a scoff. Stress rolled her eyes at that, standing up.

"Ugh, at least let me heal that wing uf yours now," She grumbled, pitting her hands on her hips.

"Tea first," Grian motioned towards his table, where he already had a pot of water on. Stress hung her head a little. "I don't trust you until you're awake awake."

. . .

Once they'd both brewed and downed a cup of liquid happiness, Grian finally gave Stress the go ahead to work her magic.

He sat down on his cushion nest and splayed his injured wing out behind him. Stress carefully unraveled the splint and ran a hand through Grian's feathers, smoothing them out.

He felt her hands start to pull and he gripped the crystal from Scar tightly. He stared intensely at the wood of his floor, his mind suddenly filling with... worry? Please don't let it hurt too terribly, please don't let it hurt too terribly—

"And done!" Stress exclaimed cheerily.

"Wha? That fast?" Grian mumbled, rolling the wing in its socket to test it out. "Whoa"

Stress let out a soft, shaky sigh of relief, repositioning herself to face Grian.

"Thank you so much Stress, just, wow," Grian said, beaming. Stress smiled back, but started getting up from the cushion nest.

"If there's no lingering pain or anything then I guess I'll be in my way—"

"Wait— Stress," Grian reached over and took her hand. She muttered a quiet "yeah?" under her breath.

"Don- Don't do that again."

"Do what?" Stress looked at him quizzically.

"The not sleeping thing. Don't push yourself like that. I know you're, no pun intended, stressed, but you didn't have to do all of that." Grian explained.

"No, I did," Stress shook her head. "You were hurt Grian, I couldn't let you stay hurt."

"But hurting yourself doesn't make it any better."

Stress stayed quiet for a moment, slowly contemplating. "No, you're right, it doesn't. I'm sorry."

"Stress." Grian looked at her seriously. "Don't be sorry for making a mistake. The only thing you have to be sorry about is how you drooled on my pillows," he quipped, cracking a smile.

Stress' eyes went wide as she stifled a giggle. "Hey! Rude."

"Yes. It's what I live to be. Now go home and fix your sleep schedule!"

Stress made an 'are you serious' expression, but headed towards his door anyways.

She started to wave but turned back for a second. "Oh, and did you ever message Zedaph, about... about Iskall?"

Grian cringed momentarily as the topic of their possessed friend was pulled up. But he answered simply. "Yeah, I did yesterday after we left Scar's. He's got his hands pretty full right now though, so he said he'd get back to me when he was available."

A nod was all he got from Stress in response.

"I'll be on my way now?"

"Yes, and you will sleep!"

"Okay mom!" Stress chuckled and darted out the door.

~~~

False knew she shouldn't be upset about this.

For the record, she wasn't.

Okay, maybe she was a little annoyed that Stress had last minute cancelled their girl's night out of the blue, leaving her and Cleo worried and a bit mad.

Maybe the rumors were scaring False, all the talk of a glitch in the server, but no real explanation. Stress had been involved. But Stress wasn't saying anything about it.

Maybe it ticked her off that Stress wasn't talking to her, no matter how many messages False sent.

But it didn't, because False didn't get angry. She took a deep breath, remembering her training so long ago.

Proper Jedi don't let their emotions control them.

False wouldn't waste all of those techniques she'd struggled to learn. She closed her eyes, attempting to wash the anger, the despair, all of it, away.

"I am a proper Jedi," she mumbled to herself, clenching her hands into fists. "The anger doesn't control me—"

"Let it."

False jumped in shock, spinning around and scanning the walls of her base. "Hey! Who's there!" She reached down and gripped the hilt of her lightsaber. "Show yourself!"

"Show myself? I'm iN yOUr HeAd False..."

False narrowed her eyes, doing another slow rotation. "Ha ha, very funny Jevin. Now take off the voice changer and get your butt out of my base."

:0 "Rude! I am insulted."

"I'm serious! You've got five seconds to leave!" False pulled out her lightsaber and scowled. She'd slice Jevin's slimy prankster face right in half.

"Ha! That's more like it, let the anger take control. It suits you better than being emotionless."

"What?" False murmured. This... this wasn't Jevin, was it?

"You've got such great power False, it's time you stop bottling yourself up. It's hurting you, isn't it? I can show you how to be free... that's what you want, isn't it?"

False scoffed. She was fine, she wasn't bottling up anything. And even if she was, it was what Jedi were supposed to do.

And False was a good Jedi.

"Go away, whoever you are. Please."

"Fine, but only because you asked nicely."

————
(A/N)

Btw the events of this chapter occur the day after the events of the previous, Stress pulled two all-nighters, and was just pretty damn confused about it.

Song for this chapter: Problems - by Matt Maeson

Fun fact of the day! The original name for the Gifted AU was "Powered Up!" yes. not a lie. now cringe with me. :)

Alright, pls dont do a Stress Monster, and get your sleep. I know half of yall are reading this at midnight. And I totally dont know that because I do it too. I don't. I read fan fic at normal hours. I defo sleep.

weilll sheet, this chapter was late bcuz I'm writing another fic. Anybody interested in a demon!Impulse and angel!Skizz AU?

<3 ꇙꄲꏂ ꇙ꒐꒒꒦ꏂꋪ
ꋬꋊ꒯ ꒒꒐꒒ꌦ ꉔ꒒ꄲꉔꀘꅐꄲꋪꀘ
ꄲꁝ ꌦꏂꋬꁝ!