#Kieran has no curse in his life it's okay he's just a bit weirded out

[perelka-l]

The magic of perfectly non-judgmental friendships and mild clash with limited life experiences of knowing only ever one grandfather.

[mooflettes]

So, you told me to DM my idea, so here it is!

I believe that Pecharunt wants one thing: Revenge. Essentially, it’s constantly in pain, agony and suffering. However, no one knows about it, one day in the crater, when most of the trees and terapogas’s died, everyone pinned the blame on Pecharunt and exiled it from the crater. Fueled by hatred, it vows to return and destroy the crater and the world. Starting by absorbing

the last Terapogas, but he doesn’t know the location so it seeks after the masks that Eustace made. After waiting for who knows how long, the events of the DLCs happen. The only difference is that the doll at Peachy’s is not there but the shop owner is (Pecharunt placed her under its control). Before Stellar form Terapogas is defeated, Pecharunt comes out and absorbs it. There is a reason why but Pecharunt is not only absorbing Terapogas, but other

legendaries as well. See, I remember BirdKeeperToby making a video about the tree of life and how the last legendaries may relate to it. But for simplicity’s sake, Pecharunt formulated a plan and also wants to absorb Eternamax Eternatus, Ultra Necrozma, Zygarde Complete form, The Tao trio and Mega Rayquaza. VERY SPECIFICALLY in those forms. It’ll have enough power to then take down the creation trio in another timeline. Then it would travel to another

timeline to absorb Arceus before it hatched and become god in that timeline (he did absorb Hoopa Unbound in another timeline) However, it was eventually stopped by the protagonists and the legendaries would be freed. But it was a hollow victory in the end, as before Pecharunt unfused, it was able to use the last of its energy to blast Kieran to another timeline where Pokémon are nothing more than machines, and the Pokemon that were freed did not make a full

recovery as the legendaries were still poisoned even after 8 months. And Kieran is nowhere to be found. Pecharunt would then be deemed too dangerous to capture and train so high tech prison was made specifically just to house it. Making it the first pokemon to be imprisoned. But that’s my idea! Sorry if I rambled on for too long (a bit of my autistic side is here). If you’re confused about Pecharunt absorbing, I think that can happen as Pecharunt may have the

ability to absorb souls, since the third signboard in Kitakami talked about ‘your soul will be forfeit to the ogre’ or something, but I think it’s referring to Pecharunt. Also, I think that Pecharunt would probably rename itself later into something like ‘Dokuwāro’ or something. But again, thanks for listening!

Okay, so while this stuff may fit on my alt, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS IDEA! Dokutaro/Pecharunt being blamed for something wouldn't be off the mark, as it always has seemed kinda mischievous to me. I also kinda am inspired to maybe thing that Dokutaro is the reason like Ogerpon is blamed for a lot of other things than just the situation with the Loyal Three. Dokutaro could be not just upset because it didn't get it's way but for other happenings such as say Eustace not making it a glittery mask to give it power or something else, so Eustace is now cursed by Dokutaro. I was thinking of the idea that maybe Eustace is stuck in the blackish void of it's inside-shell, if that even makes sense, and that being how Dokutaro stores souls.

I know this is a little ooc from what you said but you're giving me ideas to spitball here. Also its name being Pecharunt...it must have been small and weak and frail at one point...what if it took mock-pity on Kieran later on and fed Kieran his power or so? I'm sorry if my answer seems a little broken I have a weird attention-span and can only remember certain things^^ I love this idea tho and I wonder if I could incorporate it into like, the itty bitty bits n' pieces of Project Venus, esp since it somewhat lines up in canon!

[scatterpatter]

Corren - 1 through 100 - You did this to yourself.

FUCK YOU *UN-IRONICS YOUR ASK*

UNDER THE FUCKING CUT

1. What do they smell like?

Bad. Do you think their party is able to regularly take showers? I thinketh the fuck not. ... Pine and old books when he can self care tho.

2. What is their voice like?

Listen I know Corren, being taller, would be more likely to have a deeper register but you'll tear "tenor Corren" out of my cold dead hands

3. What is their biggest motivator?

Spite.

4. What is their most embarrassing memory?

When he first met his BFF Alondra, he was so antisocial and good at ignoring people that she actually got the impression he might have been hard of hearing. She never let him live that down. (one day I'll finish this fic i promise)

5. How do they deal with/react to pain?

"I will keep all of my pain in here, and one day I'll die." ... Okay but listen he's squishy so he takes like one hit and is bloodied up. Someone get him a healer. Pls.

6. What do they like to wear?

He likes his cloak. Its weighty and soft(well. WAS soft. got a bit of wear and tear these days.) and like. Who doesnt love cloaks.

7. Which of their relationships have impacted them most positively?

Ohhhhh fuuuccck this one's tough. I might have to go with Torvid honestly. While the entire party has had a positive impact on him(and trust me I was this close to picking Alistair), Torvid's been more of the one to call him out on his bullshit and to, oh I don't know, talk about your emotions? Ever??? Yknow BEFORE they become too much to handle and he absolutely breaks down???

8. What’s the weirdest thing they’ve ever eaten?

Alistair's cooking.

9. Describe the way that they sleep.

Good luck finding him NOT cuddled up with at least one dog. Tbh he just enjoys cuddles in general.

10. What is their favorite food/kind of food?

FUCKIN. GIVE HIM A GOOD STEAK. THIS BOY IS MOSTLY CARNIVORISTIC.

11. What do they feel most insecure about?

As tempted as I am to say "His cooking", it's actually his singing.

12. How do they like to dress?

"Comfort over flashiness tbh. I gotta go ADVENTURING in whatever I wear after all."

"... Also don't you DARE perceive me as cishet."

13. How do they react to feelings of guilt?

Call him a genie because he will BOTTLE THAT SHIT UP.

14. How do they react to/deal with betrayal?

Denial :D

15. What is their greatest achievement?

Shrike: Killing his dad

Me: NOOOOOO

EDIT: WAIT THIS WAS ANSWERED IN Q99 WHAT THE HECK

16. What are they like when they’ve gotten too little sleep?

Somehow more of a dick than usual. Snappy and cranky and just. Mrehhh.

17. What are they like when they’re drunk?

Doesn't get drunk often, but when he does I imagine he's actually giggly and a little clingy. It's cute :)

18. What kind of music do they enjoy?

*Opens my Corren playlist* Oh yeah. It's either full edgy alt rock or indie alt "depressed millenial" tracks.

19. Are they right or left handed?

FFFuuhhhhck uhhhh well

Looking over my old art I can't seem to pick a dominant hand(I've even drawn him handling his sniper with either hand???????????) so like oops guess he's ambidextrous.

20. Fears?

The dark, the ocean, dying alone and forgotten, his friends losing their trust of him

21. Favorite kind of weather?

Rain!!!! Especially cool rain like what people often get in fall months.

22. Favorite color?

Indigo!!!

23. Do they collect anything?

Books :3

24. Do they prefer either hot or cold weather more?

Cold weather by far.

25. What is their eye color?

Electric blue!

26. What is their race/ethnicity?

Well his race is a homebrew race known as Marelienth. Uhhh ethnicity? Idk he's from a mountain town way up north *shrugs*

In human aus I imagine him as half-Mongolian half-Norwegian so ayee

27. Hair color?

Black!

28. Are they happy where they are currently?

No :D He loves adventuring with his party don't get me wrong but he still has a lot of trauma to unpack. ... Also he was just possibly broken up with soooo. :/

29. Are they a morning person?

NOPE.

30. Sunrise or sunset?

*motions to above question* Sunset.

31. Are they more messy or more organized?

More organized, actually!

32. Pet peeves?

*unravels a list. It's all shit the party has done. Mostly Alistair.*

33. Do they own any objects of significant personal importance?

HOOUSIDSJFK- HE- Y-YEAH HE SURE DOES

His amethyst pendant used to belong to his brother, Julian, and he gave it to Corren right before they were separated so you BET it's sentimental as shit and he wears it daily.

34. Least favorite food?

Mecha's usually a great cook but one time trolled him with some absurdly spicy curry he couldn't handle and he's never forgiven them.

35. Least favorite color?

Hmmm. Maybe... yellow?

36. Least favorite smell?

He spent a year with his party in a damp cave and no showers, so uh. I'll give you a guess.

37. When was the last time they cried?

Literally last night in our game's timeline :D Full breakdown and everything!

38. Were they with anybody the last time they cried?

Torvid :D He was there to comfort

39. Tell us about one of the times they got injured?

One time they were in combat and Corren took a few hits and was down to about 2hp or so. He had a temporary level thanks to Kieran, which boosted his HP a little bit. When he teleported them to a safe town, though, well... Torvid was waiting for them so that's cool. But uh. Yeah that temporary level wore off then and there, dropping Corn Cob to exactly 0hp and he just- flopped down face first in the snow and started dying then and there KJNDKLFNSLKN

40. Do they have any scars?

:)

Do you want to talk about the scar over his eye from a fight he got in with his dad or like. The scars on his limbs from the time he was literally experimented on.

41. Do they struggle with any mental health issues?

:)

Undiagnosed+Untreated Anxiety, Depression, DPDR, PTSD, just to name a few

42. Do they have any bad habits?

Running away from his problems, definitely.

43. Why might someone dislike them?

He's a pretentious nerd. He can be a dick if he doesn't care about you.

44. Why might someone love them?

He's an adorable nerd! He's a hopeless romantic and oddly enough an optimist. He's passionate and driven too!

45. Do they believe in ghosts?

Well ghosts are like- a canon proven thing in his world sooo. Yeah.

46. Is there anyone they would trust with their lives?

His party. Well- most in his party.

47. Are they romantically interested in anyone?

Nethyl :)

48. Are they dating/married to anyone?

He's dating Nethyl and they're in a happy and healthy relationship :) *politely ignores canon*

49. Do they like surprises?

NO >:(

50. When is their birthday?

Heroya 5th! I think. I don't wanna check, assume it's this.

51. How do they usually celebrate their birthday?

"You guys celebrate your watchdays?"

Jokes aside, he mainly just treats himself to a nice dinner and a new book or something :)

52. Do they have any family?

Two older siblings: Julian and Mila. His parents are Andreas and Fanya!

53. Are they close to their family?

... *Coughs*. He was close with his siblings, but Mila died and he hasn't seen Julian in 30 years. Was close with his dad but last time they saw each other, they fought and Corren might have killed him so. ... Yeah. :/

54. What is their MBTI type?

FUCK uh. I... N... T... J? INTJ. Sure.

55. What is their zodiac sign?

In Sekrezia: The eagle

In our world: Uhhh. Idk. Capricorn????

56. What Hogwarts House would they be in?

Uhhh. Ravenclaw??? I know almost nothing about HP :/

57. What D&D alignment are they?

THIS ONE'S EASY- lawful neutral!

58. Do they ever have nightmares? If so, what about?

:)

Used to have typical nightmares, nothing special. Nowadays though he often dreams of being underwater. Not drowning, though. It's... weird. He doesn't like those.

59. What are their views on death?

He's a necromancer lol.

Death is inevitable, though. It's a necessary part of life. Death is not an entire loss, though. One lives on in the memories others carry of them, in the love they hold in their hearts. Death is complicated, but that's okay.

60. What is something that they’re sure to laugh at?

Alistair :)

61. When bored, how do they pass time?

Dog time :)

62. Do they enjoy being outside?

... Ehhhhhh?

63. Do they have an accent?

Technically??? It's an accent from where he's from but like. I just barely tweak my own voice when I rp him so? Damn Corren I'm sorry you've been cursed with east coast dialect.

64. Upon seeing a slice of chocolate cake, what is their first reaction?

"Damn who's the rich bastard here?" (cake is kinda a delicacy in their world- not like elites only but not NEARLY as common as it is here)

65. If they knew they were going to die, what would they do/say?

Reassurance mode to whomever he's with. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm okay. Remember what I told you, death is a natural part of life, yeah? I don't have any regrets, I'm okay... Just. Thanks. For giving me a chance. Thank you. Thank you."

66. How do they feel about sex?

I SWEAR he's allosexual. I'm just bad at writing allosexuals.

67. What is their sexuality?

He doesn't really know how to pin it down, so he just calls himself "queer". Definitely not straight, that's all he knows.

68. Do they become squeamish at the sight of blood?

AHAHA no. He's hella desensitized

69. Is there anything that they find really gross?

Skulking cyst. Look it up at your own volition. It's. NO.

70. Which TV Trope(s) best describes them?

It's 12:21 in the morning and I'm NOT about to scroll through a bunch of tv tropes just. just. NERD stereotype.

71. Do they enjoy helping people?

Yyyyes? Only really if it's the people he cares about.

72. Are they allergic to anything?

Bullshit.

73. Do they have a pet?

WINGTHARA!! HIS SKELE-DOG!!!

74. Are they quick to anger? What are they like when they loose their temper?

Oh yeah he's all bark and no bite. He usually just throws a little fit and/or yells.

75. How patient are they?

More than he should be :/

76. Are they good at cooking?

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

77. Favorite insult? Do they insult people often?

Oh yes he insults the others all the time. No particular favorite, he likes so spice it up.

78. How do they act when they’re particularly happy?

Stim. Stim. Stim. His eyes get all sparkly and he. He.

79. What do they do when they learn about other people’s fears?

He will do everything in his power to assure they won't ever have to deal with their fears alone- You afraid of spiders? It's his job to get the spiders from now on so you won't have to deal with them.

80. Are they trustworthy?

Oh yeah. He's like Rapunzel- doesn't break promises.

81. Do they try to hide their emotions? Are they good at it?

Oh yes he tries to hide it. And yes, he's awful at it.

82. Do they exercise regularly?

Yes and no? No like- exercise regimen, but the amount of travelling and fighting they do is just- a workout in and of itself

83. Are they comfortable with the way they look?

Yeah! He's cute and he knows it baybie!!!

84. What are some physical features that they find attractive on people?

He,,, he likes someone who's physically stong,,, Muscles are,,, aaaaa >///>

85. What kind of personalities do they find attractive?

Someone he can nerd out with :)

86. Do they like sweet foods?

Impartial to it. He won't turn sweets away but he's not crazy about them either.

87. What is their age?

43, the equivalent of- I think someone in their mid 30s?

88. Are they tall or short or somewhere in between?

He's 6'8" :) Which is actually normal for his race

89. Do they wear glasses or contacts?

Sometimes! I like to think he has reading glasses or something like that.

90. Do they consider themselves attractive?

HE'S CUTE AND HE KNOWS IT.

91. What is their sense of humor like?

Julian tainted his sense of humor and now he finds the most dumb shit hilarious. Think very millenial/GenZ humor like "I wish I was Jared, 19"

92. What mood are they most often in?

"I don't get paid enough for this" or Fear.jpg

93. What kinds of things anger them?

People who don't keep their FUCKING WORD. Oh and like. Yknow. Half the shit his party does.

94. Outlook on life?

Again he's??? Oddly an optimist? In the "Things will get better and that is a fucking THREAT" way, but still optimist!

95. What kind of things make them sad/depressed?

Talk about his family :) Or the fact that his boyfriend might want him dead :)

96. What is their greatest weakness?

He's squishy as fuck. He goes down easy.

97. What is their greatest strength?

He's extremely intelligent and great with magic and his sniper!

98. Something that they regret?

Not doing more to stop his brother when he tried to resurrect their sister

99. Biggest accomplishment?

Either convincing an entire town his name is Torren or accidentally convincing some very OP people that he's secretly a dragon.

100. Create your own!

FUCK YOU I SPENT LIKE 2 HOURS ON THIS. NO PROOFREAD. IVE ALREADY DESIGNED CORREN'S AND NETHYL'S HYPOTHETICAL KIDS. ANYWAYS THEY'RE TWIN IRINAGA AND I'VE NAMED THEM AFTER THE DNDADS TWINS: THEIR NAMES ARE LARK AND SPARROW.

[lamiralami]

TMA Retro 5: Thrown Away

Come on and get funky with your fellow feral trash pandas, it’s garbage day in MAG 5: Thrown Away

if MAG 4 was a hearty meal that needs time to digest, MAG 5 is a light and crunchy fortune cookie

(with a tooth in the centre)

which is good! it was a savvy decision to have the meta plot build so slowly over the first season. sometimes the thought of getting into something with a huge, complicated, mysterious narrative is...preemptively exhausting. but the format of singular spooky stories within a slowly illuminating enormous web eases you in, tricks your brain into getting invested despite itself. you know, like being in a pot gradually coming to a boil  🙃

this one is very self-contained indeed. I don’t even think anything in this statement ever comes up again. just get in, get spooked by a pile of teeth, get out

still, we are left with a lingering question: Which Fucking Entity Did This?

no but seriously. it could be so many!

the doll parts remind me of the Stranger, and it does come up later how much they like to play with teeth.

but then, piles of body parts would suggest the Flesh?

the metal heart sounds a little too elegant for them though (lest we forget, the Flesh ritual could have been called Hole Vores Some Meat. not sure coppersmithing is precisely their style)

could also be a bit Beholding? the whole mess would have been avoided if they hadn’t looked in the bags. Kieran talks about how bin men are privy to the secrets of those on their routes. and both he and Alan feel a compulsive need to look further into the odd disposals, an urge that leads Alan to his assumed end.

or even, maybe, just a whiff of...the Extinction?

yeah, almost certainly not.

but.

there has been garbage imagery linked to the Extinction, in MAG 149.

and this quote stuck out to me: “People have an odd mental block - this idea that as soon as they put something in the bin it’s gone. It’s officially been made rubbish and no-one will ever see it again. [...] it’s gone, far beyond all human understanding.”

maybe it’s just recent reports that make me think about this blind spot about garbage in relation to the catastrophic mess of climate change, which certainly feeds the Extinction if it’s not a manifestation of the same. a world without us, built on what we’ve left behind - that would involve a lot of trash.

okay, it’s definitely a reach. but hey! the fact that  I can make a bullshit English paper of an argument for almost any of the powers being present is in itself a good example of the entangled nature of the entities.

a thing I love about TMA is all the background detailing. the individual world building lets the statement givers breathe, makes them feel like real people. the statements become a wee window into another life.

my little T. rex arms mean I’ll never be a London bin man, but now I, too, have strong opinions about proper garbage etiquette. Solidarity!

“You can throw away a mountain of grotesque porn and, as long as you’ve tied it into neat bundles, we’re fine with it, but if you throw away cat litter without properly bagging that, you’d better believe that you’ve earned the hatred of every bin man that ever slung a sack. Still, I’m getting off topic.

Point is, the bag of dolls heads didn’t bother me.”

WHAT a transition! Gold star! ⭐

I might just have a high threshold, but the bag of doll heads doesn’t strike me as...phenomenally weird? I dunno, hang out with a few artsy friends and suddenly any mass collection of objects is dismissable as part of some demented craft project.

and then there’s the Latin Lord’s Prayer streamer. ordination party clean up perhaps?

singed edges say maybe the Desolation. they do have a cult, they’re at least pseudo-religious...

...but the Dark have a church...

god, are multiple players just - using this house as a communal dumpster, in order to fuck with some garbage men? for no real purpose other than to be Chaotic Spooky?

that

that would be extremely On Brand for almost everyone

“[...] I realised that the others were waiting for me to pick it up - I’d picked up the others, and apparently this was how it was done now. It almost felt like a ritual.” well now it probably is a ritual because your own awful human brains imbibe everything with meaning! we did this to ourselves!!

“There was something about this, beyond anything else I’d encountered, that… I don’t know. It drew me in almost as much as it disgusted me.” even on top of the near possession he experiences reading statements, this part has got to resonate pretty deeply with Jon

(and yet he still doesn’t take note that this guy survived by NOT investigating further and his coworker disappears BECAUSE he ran off to investigate on his own, he got obsessed and then his heart got ripped out and alchemized into a fairly valuable amount of haunted copper, you ever want to reach back in time and shake a fictional academic until he listens)

but anyway, speaking of said copper: hope your buddy who works the medical incinerator just did you the favour without opening the package. copper scrap sells for a pretty penny, and a big chunk of it goes a long way since it’s primarily used in wiring. so. yeah, might have us an epidemic of eldritch electricals out there.

every time Jon bitches nastily about Martin is so delicious. a nutritious meal, rich in irony. “[..] at least it got Martin out of the Institute for an afternoon, which is always a welcome relief.” you spend the entirety of season 4 barely holding back tears because Martin is out of the Archives, you absolute windchime.

I’m weirdly bothered we don’t know which tooth is in the bag. you say there’s 2,780 examples of the same tooth but you don’t tell us which one it is? incisors? canines? this will haunt me forever you bastard

it does my head in that this statement seems so clearly to be inspired by this truly cursed news coverage...except that article is from 2018 and this episode came out in 2016 🙃🙃🙃

[arcadiasarchives]

The Price of Memory

It was strange sitting around with my friends after everything. The old pub we’d practically lived in since university still looked exactly the same. The booth we always commandeered no matter how packed the place was still had the little sign with ‘reserved’ written in red that the owner had put up when we became her best customers. The table was still stained, and in one place burned where the girls had tried a little experiment that had gone about as well as could be expected. My friends were all still the same, still did the stupid, endearing, infuriating things they always had done and probably always would. But then why would they be different. We all promised ourselves that nothing would be different when everything started and nothing had happened to change that. Not really. But then there was something different wasn’t there. I was what was different. Because they thought that I had forgotten, but I remember. Everything

I remember the beginning, the magic and the secrets we all kept. I remember the adrenaline and the happiness of being part of something no matter how dangerous it could be. I remember the darkness, the battles, the war. But I’m not supposed to, I remember that as well. It feels terrible, continuing the charade when they’re all so obviously worried about me. Even grumpy old Samael makes a special trip every so often to discreetly see if I’m doing any better. Under the guise of dropping off forgotten homework or chasing up missing papers.

It’s hard for the others to get me up to the university to see him for secretive check-ups as I’m not taking ‘night classes’ like they are. Of course, his magic, sneaky as he thinks it is, hasn’t picked up on anything because there’s nothing there to find. 

No old spells were hindering my memory. No brain damage. No curses or spirits or any such thing. No just good old fashioned threats and violence. It was amazing how well those things still worked. A little shocking that a man with so much power at his fingertips would resort to that but he’d always seemed like a traditional sort of guy. So here I am sitting in the corner while Jax and Kieran try to discreetly have an argument at the other end of the table about how to deal with a lich. Alice is doing her best to talk over them, telling me about this really weird thing that happened at the bookshop today. It’s interesting but I’m sure the real story is even better, the way she trails off in places and has to think for a second means it’s having all the magic cut out of it for my benefit. But that’s the price I pay to keep them safe. Or at least safer. I know that Adrian didn’t get hit by a car while crossing the street and that Maya didn’t burn her hands while cooking. But I can’t keep them safe from everything. Not with what they stick their noses into all the time and at least this way there’s no big bad waiting around every corner. Just every other corner.

Nicolai, Seth, and Grace come in looking more than a little worse for wear just as Alice is about to tell the boys to fuck off. I can tell because she always gets this really annoyed look right before she says it. They were getting a bit too loud to ignore and I was going to have to ask what they were on about soon. I don’t like doing it but I can only pretend to be so oblivious for so long before they start to realize it’s deliberate. They don’t come over to the table and my heart skips a beat as Jax goes over to talk to them. This can’t be good, it’s never good, and I feel myself crossing my fingers under the table. I never believed in luck, still don’t most of the time, but I’ve started testing it every once in a while just in case.

“Hey, apparently Samael’s had to move our lecture so we’re going to have to leave now if we all want to be able to get our stuff.” Jax is looking at me apologetically, it was after all the first night we’d all been supposed to hang out for ages. “I’m sorry man.”

“It’s fine, you can’t control your classes.” I smiled as Alice got up, ruffling my hair as she did. Samael rearranging lectures was code for, information possible fight, so not something to be too worried about but my stomach was still twisting at the thought. 

“We’ll do it tomorrow or the day after, promise.” She said as she headed around the table to grab her coat, the others all nodding enthusiastically.

“I’ll hold you to that.” I wonder if my cheer sounds as fake to them as it does to my own ears. If it does they don’t say anything and I watch them go, ignoring the way my stomach twists at the thought that this could very well be the time one of them doesn’t come back.

My ginger beer is looking a lot less appealing now. The bubbles popping every so often reminding me how fragile everything was. How fragile life was. My friends lives. Well, there goes my resolution to stop drinking. Alice and Adrian are going to be disappointed in me. They're so happy I’ve stopped drinking they haven’t even asked about it. Which is good because I haven’t come up with a suitable reason and as much as they love me none of them are going to buy any of the generic shit people offer up. Me my reason is based purely on logic. When I’m drunk I can’t always control my brain. If I don’t have control over my brain I might say or do something that gives me away. So now I only drink when I’m alone, which is pretty sad, but even that’s a rare thing. Tonight is just going to be one of those rare things. I’ll be sober long before I see anyone.

“When exactly are you going to stop all of this nonsense?”

Looking up from what is probably only my third glass of whiskey I find Maggie with her hands on her hips giving me one of those looks. The looks reserved for people who cross her or people who need a life lesson taught to them. I’ve been on the receiving end of that look before, for both reasons, but I can’t think why I’d warrant it now.

“Huh?”

Definitely not one of my more eloquent replies but it’s my first time drinking in awhile my brain’s a little sluggish.

“You heard me young man. It’s not nice what you’re doing to them.” She reprimanded as she sat across from me.

I don’t think my blood has ever run cold so fast in my entire life. And that’s including the time I accidentally came face to face with a hell hound. Coincidentally it was also the first time I came face to face with a hell hound which certainly didn’t really help matters. Hey on the plus side I was more or less sober already.

“I’m sorry what.” The look she gave me could have melted stone and I immediately raised my hands in surrender. Maggie was not someone you wanted mad at you. “Sorry sorry I just...”

Her face softened as I tried desperately to figure out what to say. She couldn’t know what was going on. For starters, she had no idea all the weird shit we’d gotten into. If she had noticed something it probably came off as some sort of cruel game I’m playing at the expense of my friends. The thought alone makes me want to vomit.

“Sweetheart sometimes I wonder what on earth made Samael pick you lot.”

Okay, that was weird, she shouldn’t know Samael, there was no reason for her to know Samael any better than she knew us. Certainly no reason for that highly accurate comment. Maybe I’ve already drunk too much. If my tolerance for alcohol is that low my life really is shit. Maggie shakes her head like she does when she catches people showing off around her bar. It’s that disappointed mother face with a hint of challenge in it that no one has ever dared counter. I’m certainly not about to start.

“How do you think Samael finds gifted people with potential. It’s hardly like he goes out to find them is it.”

And oh, oh, that makes a lot of sense. The reserved sign had gone up not long after Samael began tutoring Kieran, Grace, and Ace in the arts of magic. It had been a little while before any of the rest of us learned or joined but yeah it would have been around the same time. I reached for my drink though not completely convinced more alcohol was the answer. So many little things I’d noticed over the years began to take on a whole new life. The fact that the cold hardwood chairs and benches had suddenly been replaced with padded ones just after Alice and Alec spent the night being thrown through walls. No one ever noticing when one of us looked like death. Ace being barred. I quickly turned away from that last thought and back to the matter at hand.

“Have you told Samael?” Which was definitely my more pressing concern because not only did I have no way of explaining this without giving myself away his brain would immediately jump to the worst possible conclusion.

“Of course not,” Maggie said with a rather put upon air, like it was completely obvious she wouldn’t tell him. Considering she’d told me not a minute ago that she was the reason he’d picked us out I think she could have cut me a little slack. “I’m sure you have reasons. Very good reasons in fact.”

“Yeah.”

Now she’s looking at me expectantly and I know she wants me to tell her. I shouldn’t, it’s too dangerous it could ruin everything. But at the same time, I want to. I need advice, need to know what to do because there’s no way I can keep this up forever. Besides short of a complete stranger I can’t think of anyone better to tell. If she’s telling the truth no one knows about her, I doubt anyone even suspects, and if she hasn’t told Samael yet she’s hardly going to now. But it all boils down to that doesn’t it, if she’s telling the truth. Because if she’s not that means she’s one of Kyle’s which is going to ruin everything. I really really hate my life sometimes, and to think everything had been going great just a few months ago. Of course, this is Maggie so if I don’t tell her she’s going to get it out of me somehow. Besides I want to trust her.

It doesn’t take nearly as long as I ever thought it would, but still long enough that I know it’s the right thing for me even though I regret it just a little. Maggie looks sympathetic, her hand resting on mine and it’s one of the most comforting feelings. I trail off about not knowing what to do and finish what is now my fifth whiskey wondering where I can go to get more if this ends really badly.

“I’m so proud of you Xander, I know none of this can be easy.” She smiles at the little noise I make though even I don’t know whether or not it’s agreement. “But I think the best thing right now is to tell Samael.” Panic must have shown on my face because she immediately raised her hand to stop my protests. “Not the others, just Samael. Think we can manage that? It’s alright to say no.”

I think about it for a moment my head already beginning to nod. Samael will know what to do. Samael always has an answer.

“Yeah, I think we can manage that.”

[srrrokka]

WIP game: worry!

[Give me a word and I’ll quote it from my fic WIPs]

Please note that my WIPs are mostly a mess of notes, half written scenes, dialogue snippets, and so on, therefore this might look a wee bit weird.

I think this one ended up having all the good bits somehow hahaha

 Tethered AU

1)

One of the men stood up from the table and approached him slowly. He looked completely unhurried, unconcerned with his guest’s state. “Poison. Don’t worry, it’s not going to kill you.”

Ah.

Corvo tried to get up, do something, anything, but all he managed was getting on his knees before the two men. One of them pushed his chin up with the tip of his sword.

“Maybe he should worry.” He remarked, looking down on him. “After all, our client explicitly wants him alive. For what, I wonder.”

The way he said it made Corvo shiver. Couple of possibilities passed his head and none of them were pleasant.

2)

A warm hand guides his head back up and Corvo is met with an expression he hadn’t seen on Daud’s face yet - worry, he’s worried for him.

________________________

 Scratch Session

1)

What was unusual and somewhat worrying, he thought as he got up to find some clothes, was that he couldn’t remember his current life. It most often was something that was already there, something that he didn’t have to additionally remember, not even after recalling that he was from a completely different timeline. Not like his other memories from all the other lives that would return when they so pleased. It never happened before…

2)

He looked at his reflection critically, analysing the differences this new version of his life brought with it to his appearance. He seemed younger without his scar, without his broken nose, with skin smooth and unweathered by decades of working outside in the relentless Gristolian weather. The slimmer build of an aristocrat was something new but even as a royal he clearly didn’t let himself go. He sighed and closed the wardrobe slowly. He looked healthy, happy even. There were barely any worry lines on his face.

Was it weird to be jealous of your own life, Daud wondered, making his way through a small private library to his office.

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 Witch Your Single Word (Token)

1)

Billie: Killian. Attano. Stop right this instant.

K: [curses under his breath. Corvo slowly stands up]

B: Attano, what is this supposed to be? And you better have a good explanation.

C: Might wanna ask someone that is actually required to answer you, *lieutenant* Lurk. [Spits some blood on the ground.]

B: [takes out her sword and turns to Corvo]

K: It was just a small, friendly quibble. Wasn’t it, Corvo? We just got a little carried away. We’re gonna go now, don’t worry about it. [Grabs Corvo under the arm and literally drags him away as fast as he can]

K: You. Have. Fucking. Balls. Or you’re just really stupid. She would literally shred you.

2)

K: Now you eat.

C: [takes his mask off and grabs the knife and bread to cut a slice]

K: are you alright, man? You haven’t tried to wreck anything in a surprisingly long time. Not that I’m particularly worried. Mostly suspicious.

C: [looks at Killian with his really hazy eyes] Yeah, I’m fine. [Looks right back at his hands, making a really crude sandwich]

K: [frowns] Bullshit. Have you seen yourself in the mirror recently? You look like you’re about to keel over. You better not be getting the plague…

C: [around his bread] I’m not, don’t worry. I think the marked are somehow immune anyway.

3)

Corvo looks up at Daud again, this time with a surprising calmness. The man looks tense, there’s a deep worry line between his eyebrows and his fist is wrapped tight around the token.

4)

He groans and folds over himself. There is a sound of a transversal right next to his bed. But he doesn’t look up, just makes another displeased sound and rolls one of his shoulders.

“Corvo? Are you alright?” Daud’s voice is filled with worry, he sits down at Corvo’s feet.

“Yeah,” Corvo’s voice is horribly gravelly and he clears his throat. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just- everything hurts.”

________________________

 Soulmate AU

1)

Corvo: Just make me walk again and I’ll worry about the rest later.

Kieran: Oh, you mean worry about it when you’re dead? Attano, you really are one foot in the grave. It’s a wonder you got this far with this nastiness in your system.

C: [huffs annoyed] Void, I don’t have the time for this…

K: None of us have time for dying.

2)

Daud: The amount of trust you put in me is somewhat worrying.

Corvo: Well, I wouldn’t mind being stabbed to death right about now. [when instead of coaxing a laugh out of Daud it only makes his frown deepen, he adds with a sigh:] It was a joke, Daud. I don’t know how true it is, but I like to believe you wouldn’t hurt me.

________________________

  Fugue Feast Story

“Maybe next time I should order a pear soda instead, hm?” His eyes slide to the man’s hip where he can see a small dagger attached at his belt. Long fingers clad in leather wrapped around his jaw and gently turned his head back to their owner.

“Don’t worry, it’s just for protection.” The man says, small smile dancing on his narrow lips. His thumb brushes along Corvo’s mouth and Corvo has the stupidest idea yet, he opens his mouth and licks on the gloved digit. The pupils of the red masked man widen and Corvo feels a burst of idiotic satisfaction.

________________________

 Blind AU

But the moment burst like a soap bubble when a trickle of blood suddenly poured out of Corvo’s nose. Corvo licked his upper lip reflexively and frowned. He touched it and looked at his fingers to confirm his suspicion. He sighed but didn’t look alarmed.

“It’s fine, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” He tried to reassure both Thomas and Daud who in the meantime approached the other two and was now having a closer look at Corvo with a deep frown on his face.

Out of lack of better options Corvo put the hem of his sleeve to his nose to soak up the blood that only started flowing heavier.

________________________

 Apocalypse AU

Anatole: [Picks up a small whale oil powered torch and checks the pupil reaction, while at it:] My biggest worry was that you might have a severe concussion. You’ve been unconscious for two days. But you seem to be quite fine. [She straightens with a smile] To come out of a fall like that with a couple bruises and a cut? [clicks her tongue and shakes her head] The Outsider must have a particular liking for you.

________________________

 DXMD fic

Jensen: Koller, who did this to you?

Koller: Wha- oh, this? That’s nothing, don’t worry about it, Jensen. I just had a little… bar brawl, you could say.

J: Koller…

K: Listen, Adam… I trust you, I really do, but- I just can’t talk with you about this, okay man? Unless, I really want to swim belly up with the fishes.

________________________

 Dark Matter

“Oh, no, no. Don’t worry. He won’t do anything.” Corvo’ s eyes don’t leave his double’s as he lifts his right arm, open palm up. A string of blackness appears in it and he closes his fingers around it. A blackness that wraps around Daud’s throat in a blink of an eye like a leash. He yanks on it hard enough to force the assassin to bow over with a startled grunt, his face now level with Corvo’s. “Will you, Daud?” He looks at him - grin too wide, eyes too black.

“Attano.” Daud barks out his name through clenched teeth. It’s a warning. It’s a reminder.

________________________

 Save Game

“Em…” Corvo’s voice is gentle but full of sadness. There it goes. The cat is out of the bag now. All of them. Emily runs up to him and hugs him as she cries into his shirt. He wishes he could hug her back but his arms are bound behind his back. “Shhhhh, Em… It’s going to be okay. Don’t worry.”