#and then vik kept writing
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Hi can u do harry with shy and pregnant reader who ĂŹs like a little sister to rest of the sidemen
nerf or nothing, harry lewis.
summary: the boys come over to spend a bit of time with you and harry, and they come bearing gifts!
warnings: pregancy (idk if that's even a warning?)
notes: as a shy person myself, some of this writing is heavily self inserted đĽ˛
"what if they don't end up liking football though?"
"then we can try darts. or hey, even rugby."
"harry."
it was past noon and you and harry were discussing things that parents to be often discussed, only harry was focused on the later years of your child's life.
the two of you sat in bed, your back leaning against his chest as you sat in between his legs, loads of catalogues scattered around you both.
"oh, about the pram that you were talking about before," harry mentioned.
"yeah?"
"ethan said faith had loads of websites, she could send them to you if you wanted?"
"oh, god, yes." you sighed contentedly, no longer feeling the stress of having to look for a perfect pram. "or better yet, tell her that she can come over, i haven't seen her or olive in a minute."
harry told you that he'd let ethan know, kissing your forehead before leaving to the kitchen to fix you both a snack.
whilst he was in the middle of pouring you a glass of cranberry juice âââ "it's good for the body harry," you told him, to which he replied with "no, rank is what it is," âââ the doorbell rang.
confused as to who you were both expecting or if it was yet another baby purchase coming in, harry sat the glass on the counter and made his way to the door.
before he could even open it, he knew who it was judging by the loud voices and the bickering of what sounded like jj and simon.
"just ring it once, mate, they can definitely hear." simon groaned, trying to obstruct jj, who clearly didn't listen and kept pressing the doorbell, which earned your attention from upstairs.
harry stood a little away from the door, contemplating what would happen if he just turned around and pretended not to hear the commotion happening outside.
"we can see you, harry," ethan called from through the letterbox. so much for that plan.
harry sighed before opening the door, a smile plastered on his face as his friends all cheered, seeing them bound with gifts and food and other things.
the soft sound of your footsteps made them all turn their head to where you were on the stairs, your baby bump proudly peeking through harry's oversized shirt that you had on.
"oh," you shyly smiled. "hi guys." you didn't think they'd all be here, but there they were.
one by one they came up to you, hugging you and saying their hi's or hello's, asking how you were. and you'd reply with the same, you were doing good, more tired than usual, all that stuff.
whilst harry and simon carried the gifts and food bags to the living room, toby linked your arm with his as he walked you there, making sure you were sat comfortably before harry and simon joined.
harry, being attracted to you like a magnet, squished in next to you, his body on the edge of the sofa as you leant on him.
there was never a moment of silence when the boys came over, and like the listener you were, you loved it.
toby began to explain what each of the gifts were for, considering you didn't know the gender of the baby yet, most of then were just toys. but then again, with them being the slightly immature bunch if men they were, the toys were things like legos and nerf guns or huge dollhouses for toddlers.
"what the hell is a baby going to do with a nerf gun?" harry asked.
"i thought you of all people would like this gift," jj gasped, hand on his chest as he feigned hurt at harry's words.
"no, i'm just saying boys..." and there started the debate over suitable toys for children.
you turned to vik with a look that said 'help me' yet all he did was shrug.
"harry, a couple of months ago you would've been on board with this idea. y/n, what did you do to him?" ethan pointed a finger at you.
"whatâ me? he's right, a nerf gun's for toddlers, not babies!" you defended yourself.
harry's chest moved up and down as he laughed behind you, even more so at the way you groaned and his your face in your hands.
"i'm not ready for harry's mature era," simon commented.
"mature and harry don't belong in the same sentence," vik added.
"oh my days," harry mumbled as they launched into a new topic, harry's maturity level.
as they all introduced their own point, you just smiled and laughed along as you leant on your boyfriend, feeling even more excited for your baby to be welcomed into the family.
#wroetoshaw#wroetoshaw x reader#sidemen x reader#wroetoshaw imagines#harry lewis x reader#sidemen#wroetoshaw imagine#harry lewis
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a hope redefined (prelude)
Genres: angst, post S1 canon, more angst, romance, eventual smut, established childhood crushes to strangers to lovers, post-pining, becoming machine herald (sort of), eventual dad!vik, political tensions, growing up, the human condition
Pairing: Viktor/AFAB Reader
Warnings: series will have eventual smut, mentions of difficult pregnancy/injury/civil war. this prelude mentions spicy activities.
Summary: Viktor shouldnât be alive.
He shouldnât have survived the blast of the Council attack, and even if he did his sands of time should have soon run out. And yet here he stands, part man and part machine, in a future he never planned for and an augmented body he never expected to have.
With no template to follow, Viktor forges a new path towards happiness as he grapples with reconciling the man he once was and the man he could become. Complicated as this path may be, he knows better than to waste an opportunity to spend his remaining years with you, the person heâs kept in his heart ever since you were children. Amidst the chaos of an antebellum Runeterra, Viktor finds his freedom, his future, and his family.
Chapters: Prelude
Chapter Word Count: ~1.3k
Author Notes: Unedited. Threequel and final part to a hope never forgotten and a hope at risk. This can be read independently of its predecessors, though reading those first will better contextualize Viktor and YNâs relationship. Previous fics summarized below if you don't have time to read them!
Prequel summary: YN is Heimerdingerâs adopted daughter; YN and Viktor are childhood friends who grew up together between the ages of 10-16 and separated at 16 immediately after an unspoken confession of love. The uncertainty and cowardice of youth prevent YN from keeping contact until twelve years pass. Over the next five years the two keep orbiting each other, gravity pulling them closer, until Viktorâs hospital stint as per Episode 5 forces YN to reckon with their lifetime of love. The end of A Hope Never Forgotten sees Viktorâs seventeen-year-long hope and longing fulfilled.
A Hope at Risk follows canon for episodes 5-9 of Season 1, with some references to LoL lore for post-Season 1 events. Viktor hides his prognosis and the nature of his Hexcore experiments from YN for as long as possible, until his life is in jeopardy after the Council attack and YN finally finds out. YN and Jayce share the decision-making burden in not destroying the Hexcore so that Viktor's life can be saved. Viktor withdraws while processing all of these black-swan events (Hexcore integration, new city of Zaun, his Zaunite and Piltovan identities, etc), but hopes to work through his demons enough to return to YN. In the meantime, he moves to Emberflit Alley in Zaun where he hopes to rebuild who he is and figure out who wants to be.
If missed, the prior work notes that Viktor refers to YN as 'Sparrow' sometimes, which is because he finds her lively and likeable.
This last work refers to Arcane Season 1 canon first and foremost, then interprets post-Season-1 events by incorporating elements from older LoL lore. The majority of this piece will not follow Season 2 canon as it's not out at the time of writing, but Viktor's plotline in this work is written to be as plausible of a Season 2 fan theory as possible.
The first work in this series deals primarily with hope as per the title; the second deals with themes of loss and survival. Both are about decisions made and avoided. This final work reckons with recovery, rebirth, and rebuilding.
Hope, as the past five years has taught Viktor, is not quite the out-of-reach temptress he once believed it was, but rather a willful act of empowerment that even he is entitled to pursue.
Itâs a bit of an odd lesson for him. During decades of wanting, but not having, he thought perhaps hope was a thing intended only for others â never him. He now thinks back to those days, remembering his own failure to quell the little flickers he felt, despite what he considered to be careful, methodological, and supposedly fool-proof efforts. How could his sixteen-year-old self, shown blissful perfection for mere minutes before having his heart torn away from him, ever have fathomed that there was something that came after despair? How would he, at 28, know that the little flame of hope he forgot to extinguish would grow to a blaze of success? Even more important â how could he have ever known that a sickly boy from the undercity could be given a second lease on life?
These second chances he never expected to receive (and one, even, that he still struggles with accepting) are the reason he is here today, he reminds himself. And here so happens to be in the arms of your post-coital form, watching as you struggle to calm your breathing. This affirms two things that he thought to be impossibilities: youâre his partner, and heâs â somehow â alive.
Such boons come with their own set of costs, of course. The cool metal of his peculiar augmentations serve as a daily reminder of what he gave up for science, for life, and for society. In part, he surrendered some of his humanity; though he's grateful to live another day in your presence, something that nearly feels sentient lives within him as sustenance. Nevermind the brief euphoria he felt running at the docks; the Hexcore might be a curse, he thinks, but it saved his life. In other ways, he lost control over his moral sensibilities; the breaths heâs allowed to take now were given to him against his consent, and the corrupted Hexcore remains, undestroyed, within him. Skyeâs life was taken by the very thing keeping him in the mortal realm, and he endures the guilt of her death with every second his life goes on longer than hers.
Heâs spent the greater part of the past few weeks in agony, mostly of the emotional sort as the foreign, willful hum of the Hexcore inside him makes quick work of healing his most severe injuries. Tormented by his conscience, his fear, and a profound sense of losing himself, Viktor knows heâs made a series of hurtful decisions to part from his entire family in Piltover. He knows that some of these relationships will have seen their heyday and may be beyond repair â not for lack of effort, but by the predicament of the turbulent political climate created in the aftermath of the Council attack. But such efforts must be taken one step at a time, one person at a time. Fixated on working on himself so that he might stand by you as his full self and not a broken, conflicted version, he furiously set plans in motion no matter his uncertainty. At his first sign of some satisfactory progress (to his standards), he allowed himself the small luxury of reaching out to you. Heâd intended to only start a conversation, hoping to restore the full effect of your relationship as best as one might during a powder keg of a political situation. At most heâd expected that you might see each other in a few months to a year after letting letters and counseling do the work of rebuilding.
Naturally, you (fearless, fearless you, Viktor thinks) showed up on his doorstep at first chance instead. He would never complain, but after two nights of your warmth in his bed and the impossible pleasure of your daily company, the worries that prevented him from seeing you earlier seep back in.
As if you can sense his rising anxiety, you stir against him now after having come back down to Terra. He smiles at the dazed, incomprehensible murmur you make with your lips against his bare shoulder. You ease him, somewhat, but the kernel of worry remains. Viktor presses kisses to the top of your head. You tighten your arms around him, blinking back into reality under the dim Zaunite glow that filters into his bedroom.
âItâs still early,â he hums. âIâm sorry I woke you forâŚâ (You raise your eyebrows knowingly, pressing naked self into him more intently). Viktor elects to finish his sentence carefully. ââŚFor certain activities.â He coughs, making you smile at the dichotomy of his bashfulness after rather intense morning spent with his face between your legs. âYou should get some more rest.â
Never one to be told what to do, you frown slightly, then prop yourself into an elbow. But Viktor is adamant you take care of your health (never mind that heâs notoriously bad at doing the same for himself), especially in these polluted depths. Pulling you to the washroom for the loo and a quick rinse, he then leads you back into his small bed for a few more hours of shut-eye. Later when he tries to wake you for a tardy breakfast, he chuckles at the trail of dried saliva you hurriedly wipe away â at least itâs a strong indication that youâre able to sleep soundly despite the constant bustle in the streets of Zaun. His small unit is a far cry from the sweeping wings of the Heimerdinger Estate that youâre accustomed to, and itâs still much less comfortable than even his modest apartment back in Piltover. In the least, heâd managed to pull together a rudimentary air filter from spare materials he brought with him from the academy lab and hopes that it lasts long enough for the duration of your stay.
Then he realizes something. He has no idea how long youâll be here in Emberflit Alley with him. Hopefully not long, he thinks. Not because he wants to stop seeing you, no â rather, Zaun is no place for a Piltovan at present, and the small alley heâs in now was chosen for its seclusion instead of its relative quality of living. The dangers to you in the former undercity are many; if not to your health by means of pollutants, then by the constant stirrings of war that are whispered in the streets, emboldened by the Council attack and the topside confusion that remains unresolved. The pit in his stomach grows. You shouldnât be here. No matter how much he would prefer to bask in your presence.
Nonetheless, you are here and these precious minutes are not to be wasted. You sit up, concerned by the change in his expression as thoughts race through his brilliant mind. âVitya?â
âHm?â He shakes his head slightly as if to rid himself of his thoughts, then pushes himself off of the bed to lean against his crutch. âAh, I made a quick meal in case you might be a bit peckish. Itâs not much, but itâs enough.â
You survey him, waiting to see if he might share what he was thinking of. Viktor merely tilts his head in the direction of his kitchen with a half-smile. He waits patiently as you grind your teeth in your decision to stay in bed longer or satisfy your hunger, electing to savor the moments he can with the extra time heâs been given, and pushes away his niggling concerns for now. His leg twinges as if to remind him who he has to thank, but when you slot yourself into him and support his side (arm wrapped tightly around his waist), he melts into your warmth and feels his worries â temporarily â fade into the background.
The road ahead might be immensely difficult and fraught with tragedy, he thinks. But mornings like these make it all worth it. As he wraps his own arm around your shoulders and nestles your head onto his, Viktor silently vows to help ensure that you and Runeterrans â all Runeterrans, not just the privileged few â get to have a future filled with such mornings.
#viktor arcane#viktor x reader#viktor x you#viktor arcane fanfiction#viktor arcane fluff#arcane viktor#viktor smut#viktor fluff#viktor arcane smut
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jayvik with 16/lee!vik?
Jayce + Viktor - 16. âPut the book down and pay attention to me!â
The sound of chalk harshly hitting against a blackboard kept repeating, Viktor drawing a equation that took half the space in a hurried manner as if the ideas flowing in his head would vanish any second before he could write the rest down. Viktor was deep in thought, having spent around three hours already in the lab alone. No distractions so far, which he was thankful for.
Until the door swung open.
Jayce comes in, immediately taking a seat while dramatically running his hands through his hair; an anxious habit. âI need to rant real quick.â He starts, but Viktor only glances once and keeps writing away. âItâs this upcoming speech,â he fetches something nearby to fiddle with. âIâm so nervous I canât even think straight. I donât even have a speech prepared!â
âMmm.â Is all Viktor responds with, now taking a little step back to view his work so far. Somethingâs missing. He grabs a book that was on standby the entire time, flipping through the pages to see what went wrong with his equation.
âI donât know how much Insight I should give the people about Hextech and its potential. Will it scare them? Will it bring hope?â
âuh huh.â Viktor says again, but he wasnât truly listening. He has been too caught up on what heâs currently doing, itâs impossible for him to drop it all suddenly and put full attention on anything else. Donât get him wrong, Viktor deeply appreciates that Jayce comes to him for advice or just to be a shoulder he can lean on, but right now wasnât a good time. Jayce seems to be a little slow on picking that up, though.
The man sighs, resting his cheek on his palm. âI really wish you could be up there with me, Viktor. I know you already declined but it wouldâve put me a lot at ease, yâknow?â Silence was all he was met with. He could hear the wall clock ticking, pages being flipped and a occasional chalk meeting the blackboard, but no reply from Viktor. The only sound he was looking forward to hearing.
Jayce finally looks over, seeing Viktorâs nose buried deep in a book. This entire time was he just being ignored? Annoyance starts to fuel Jayceâs entire body, making him stand up to creep over to Viktor quietly. He doesnât even hear him, of course, his mind somewhere else.
Viktorâs racing thoughts suddenly ripped away from him by a hand placing tiny squeezes on his side. The book was dropped, Viktor grabbing onto Jayceâs wrist tightly but not doing much to push it away.
âPut the book down and pay attention to me!â Jayce nearly pouts as a joke, still squeezing away on Viktorâs side while his other hand supports his back so he wonât fall from all the helpless squirming. âWahait! Stohohop, I wahahas!â He shakes his head in the midst of all the squirming, loose hair strands starting to almost cover his eyes. Jayce stops abruptly but with the hand still there, almost like a warning.
âThen what was I talking about?â Jayce clearly sees Viktor trying to mentally recall, his silence speaking volumes. âuhmâŚ.errâŚâ Viktor hesitantly looks up at him, who stared back unamused. Then, the tickling started back up again.
âItâs not looking good for you, Viktor. Maybe this will jog up your memory? Worth a shot, right?â The squeezes started to intentionally get lower, Jayce evilly seeking out for that bad spot: the hips.
And Viktor knows this. Hence why hitting weakly at Jayceâs chest, trying to signal a tap out. ânoHO!âJAHAYCE!â He pretty much squeaks, cheeks slightly flushing from embarrassment. Viktor absolutely hates the sounds he makes whenever he gets tickled silly, but if you ask Jayce?
He adores them.
âThat is my name.â Jayce answers innocently, honing in on just that spot. At this point, he doesnât even care if Viktor had actually listened to him or not. At first, this was for the sole purpose of a bit of fun revenge. Although it always finishes out to be Jayce wanting to just hear his partner laugh like thereâs no tomorrow, his reactions so priceless. How can someone not enjoy tickling a person that scrunches up their nose when you target there, or squeaks like a mouse when you tickle here?
It wouldâve gone on for a few more minutes if Viktor didnât bump against the blackboard in the midst of all his squirming, accidentally erasing some of the equation he had written. They both halt; Vitkor staring at the half erased problem in disbelief and Jayce staring because heâs about to get scolded by him any second, which is not a pretty sight.
But Viktor didnât scold. He instead slowly turned, faces so close they can feel each otherâs breath hit their skin. What Jayce failed to see from the corner of his eye was Viktor starting to flex his fingers.
âYouâre going to pay for that.â
#tickle fic#arcane tickle#tickle prompts#arcane tickle fic#jayvik tickle fic#jayvik tickle#Jayce arcane#Viktor arcane#oopsâŚI wrote too much againâŚ.hope u guys arenât madâŚ.(I know u fuckers arenât)#COME GET UR JAYVIK FOOD
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The Holiday Spirit
I was seized by the spirit of creation and held by the throat till I wrote this. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays I guess! (thanks to the tk server for the fuel!)
Title: The Holiday Spirit
WC: 1621w
Summary: Viktor is stubbornly refusing to get into the Snowdown spirit and leave his work alone for an evening. Jayce uses the only method he knows of to get him to chill, only to realise this deal goes both ways.
-------
Piltover had grown cold with the change of seasons, and with it came a healthy dose of cheer tinged with worry for Jayce. The first snowfall on the city made him anxious and sent him back to the swirling blizzard he had been trapped in before the mage appeared to save him and his mother. It was manageable, but storms left him on edge more often than not.Â
Thankfully, Snowdown was a welcome distraction. Houses were lit with warm hues and decor was slung over trees and buildings in the city, so Jayce could find as much business as he wanted in the decoration of his own home. The fire roared in the fireplace, filling the small apartment with heat and light while Jayce stood atop a cobbled together ladder and hung bunting on the window frame. A record blasted holiday tunes to fill the silence and Jayce was happy with his progress.
His peace was interrupted when the door was flung open by an appropriately disgruntled and cold Viktor, shopping bag in one hand and crutch in the other.
âIt is fucking shitty out there.â He stated, chucking the bag on the counter and shutting the door before starting to take off a multitude of layers. âMy crutch was slipping all over the ground and frankly Iâm offended that I left the house at all.â
âVik, you insisted youâd be fine to pick up the groceries.â Jayce said, coming down off the ladder with a grin. Viktor glared at him.
âWell Viktor from an hour ago was an imbecile and should not have been trusted.â
âYou threatened to smack me with your cane if I went instead.âÂ
âAs I said. Imbecile. Now why are you hanging fabric from the roof?â Viktor asked, head tilted.
Jayce shrugged. âItâs Snowdown. Bunting is nice!â
âAh, yes. Consumerism central masked as a fun holiday.âÂ
That earned Viktor a long enduring sigh from Jayce. âVik, youâve gotta make fun for yourself somehow.â
Viktor hummed and started putting away the groceries, examining the apartment as he did so. âIt certainly looks⌠festive.âÂ
âThatâs the point! Oh, Iâve actually got something for you.â Jayce ran out into the bedroom and came out with a maroon sweater with white snowflakes embroidered on.
âThis is for you!âÂ
Viktor took it from his hands, feeling the fabric over. âThis is a holiday sweater, no?â
Jayce nodded, a proud smile on his face. Viktor couldnât say no to him like that - and from what he could tell the sweater was very well made.Â
Viktor took off his cardigan and pulled on the sweater to find it offensively soft and warm. He opened his mouth to speak and then closed it before starting again.Â
âI was going to say something witty and perhaps a little insulting, but this is⌠comfortable. Thank you, Jayce.â
âMy mother made it. You should have seen the ones she made when she was starting out - they were as wonky as they come. Sheâs gotten quite good at it though.âÂ
âTell her I appreciate it.â Viktor said with a smile, and then pulled out a thick tome filled with taped in notes. He opened it on the table, brought out a pencil, and started puzzling over an equation.Â
Jayce huffed. âSeriously, Vik? Weâre like 4 days out from the holidays, surely you can stand not to bring work home with you.â
âProgress waits for no one. Least of all a man-made excuse for avarice.âÂ
âViktoooor, come ooooon!â Jayce wheedled. âWeâve both been working since the sun rose. We can go back tomorrow.âÂ
Viktor kept writing, lost in his own head. Jayce sighed and cracked his knuckles. âWell if youâre not going to get into the Snowdown spirit yourself, Iâm gonna have to make you.â
It took a minute for Viktor to process the sentence and by the time he realised and tried to scramble out of his chair Jayce was almost on top of him. He braced himself for the awful feeling of fingers on his sides but when the attack came all he felt was the movement of fabric. Viktor stood in shock for a minute before looking at Jayceâs face and barking out a laugh.
âHa! The sweater is too thick for you! Suck on thahahAT FUHUCK OFF!âÂ
Jayce had sent his hands under Viktorâs jumper in the middle of his sentence and that crawling feeling Viktor had been anticipating was now directly over his sides.Â
âBy Janna, how many layers are you wearing, Vik? Iâm surprised youâre feeling this at all!â Jayce teased, genuinely amused at how much Viktor was twitching at him tickling through what felt like six layers of fabric.Â
âYohou are a cruel and unjuhust pahartner!âÂ
âEh, no Iâm not. If youâre that resistant about getting into the holiday spirit, then I think you need more convincing.â Jayce pulled his hands down from Viktorâs sides and found the top layer of fabric, slipping back under it and scuttling up to spider under his arms now. Viktorâs arms pinned to his sides and he hunched his shoulders up, leaning into Jayceâs chest as he laughed.Â
âCoal! Coahal and beetles are all you are getting thihis year!â
 âThat doesnât sound all that cheerful to me. Do you need another layer?â Jayce cocked his head and smiled when Viktor buried his face in his neck.Â
âNohoho! Let me go!â
Instead of answering Jayce pulled his hands out again and stuck them under another layer, this time scribbling all over his stomach. He could feel that there werenât many layers left, and by the looks of Viktor immediately trying to pull his hands away he could feel it too.Â
âJahahayce! Youâre a fuhucking fiend and I am going to put snohow in your pajamas-â
âThatâs it.âÂ
Jayce pulled out all the stops and slid his hands under the final layer of fabric, squeezing Viktorâs hips before scrabbling towards his upper ribs, completely unprotected by his brace. In one motion Viktor threw his head back and cackled while losing his footing and dropping to the floor. Jayce took a second to break his fall before going right back to drawing spirals over his ribs. This kind of tickling wasnât as intense, but Viktor was still squirming around like a fish out of water under him.Â
All Viktor did in response to Jayceâs raised, questioning eyebrows was stick out his tongue, so Jayce kneaded and wiggled his fingers between the bones of his ribs. Viktor shrieked and started swearing in Czech, hurling out several that Jayce recognised. As punishment he pulled one hand off his ribs and set it on his tummy, squeezing and spidering over the skin.Â
âAre you cheered up now? In the Snowdown spirit?â Jayce asked. Viktor glared through his giggles and Jayce shrugged.
âGuess Iâm pulling out the raspberries. Come on, let me at your belly.âÂ
âNO!â Viktor yelled and in a burst of energy rolled to the side and away from Jayce, ending up face down and protecting himself. âKeep your evil beard away from my fucking stomach!âÂ
Jayce laughed and sat back, giving up the game. âThe beard tickles that badly, does it?âÂ
Viktor flushed and sat up with his arms firmly around his middle. âWhat the hell do you think?âÂ
âIâll be sure to keep it then.â
Viktor sputtered through some words before standing with the help of the couch. Jayce handed his crutch back to him which he accepted before moving to the kitchen.Â
âGet your round ass in here and cook.âÂ
âŚ
A few hours later Jayce was snug on the couch with a book while Viktor was in the shower. All was well until a high pitched yelp rang out and Jayce jumped to his feet, sprinting to the door.
âViktor, are you alright?âÂ
The shower cut off and was followed with some select insults at the plumbing before a reply was heard.Â
âThe water turned fucking ice cold! Again!âÂ
Jayce winced. âThe wind must have blown the boiler. Iâll fix it.â
It only took five minutes for Jayce to reset the boiler and by the time it was done Viktor was dressed in warm pajamas. Despite the heavy fabric, he was shivering. Jayce stood and closed the closet door, gesturing over to the couch so they could sit down. The two of them curled up together, Viktor leaning into Jayceâs side with his eyes closed. They sat like that, content for a while, until Viktor grumbled and started pulling at Jayceâs sweater.Â
âLet me in.â Viktor said, quite literally trying to crawl into the jumper with Jayce. Jayce would have been fine with this if Viktorâs hands werenât the same temperature as an ice cube. He jumped at the contact, squirming away with half a yelp.Â
Viktor was of brilliant, sharp mind, and it didnât take long for him to connect the dots. He slid his hands further up Jayceâs deliciously warm sides and grinned at the resulting laugh.Â
âMy hands are cold. I think you can help with this.â Viktor said, and that was all the warning Jayce got before freezing cold, nimble fingers were crawling all over his torso. He pressed into the back of the couch, snickering and trying to take it but all it took was Viktor kneading his belly for him to break into full laughter. Viktor perked up at the sound and a dangerous glint caught his eyes.
âI wonder if you can take raspberries as well as you dish them out?âÂ
Jayce had less than a second to protest before Viktor pressed his lips to his stomach and sent him into a laughing fit like no other. There was no doubt about it - Jayce was completely and utterly done for.Â
#arcane tickling#jayce talis#viktor arcane#jayvik#lee!viktor#arcane jayce#lee!jayce#I'm really happy with this one it's my fav I've written in a while#had it in my head for hours and somehow made it through xmas dinner before sitting down and word vomiting lol#anyway enjoy! :D
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Also Rio has been completely written out this season. She doesn't even get name-dropped by Singed or Viktor...
You'd think the astral part of Viktor wants to heal her now that he's able to, right? Last time he saw her, she was floating in a tank forcefully being kept alive, a very similar situation Vik himself experienced before he got his powers..
But no, they just write out the best adorable good lizard this show had...
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So, I recently started rewatching Arcane S1 to fill the hole in my soul(lovejayvik tho, that completed me for like 10 minutes) after what ever was S2 and got a little carried away after reading some really good fics on this website.
I also finished watching Superstore and Bridgerton so its been a spiraling thanksgiving week,
Anyway, I know I said Matt Murdock was coming but I got really distracted... So here is a part of a draft scene in a viktorxreader smut fic set during his earlier academy years (and eventually into the series events? if I can manage that long) I wanna post soon.
I tried to shift my thigh away, looking up at him, surprised by his boldness - his hand following after. A flush of warmth settled in my stomach, mixed emotions bubbling up my throat as I struggled to swallow them back down. I could feel the intensity of his gaze as I quickly looked back to my paper. Viktor turned his hand over, tapping a gentle rhythm on the top of my thigh like he was playing piano. âIf you just needed a little motivation,â he started, leaning close as if studying my notes. His taps slowly moved to drag up and down, callouses start to scrap the goose flesh building up as he made sure to linger along the hem of my skirt's slit. His intentions were unmistakable. âThen all you need to do is pay attention and write your notes.â I could only swallow hard, aware of the game we'd been playing over the past few months. The exchanged glances, light touches, the foot games, the playful teasing. It all began the day he took my pen, and since then, the tension had only grown, with neither of us trying to pull back, but rather escalate it. He kept tapping my thigh, expectantly waiting for my response or a sign. I glanced at Viktor again; his golden eyes sparkled with wanton glee, sending my heart racing as I thought of the possibilities and the ramifications of being caught. We rarely interacted outside this room, so I wondered what the harm could be... right?
I felt a little freaky and missed the old Vik.
Tell me what you think. Either way its being finished and written with hopefully at least 3 parts in total. I think it will be called 'The Long Game' or 'With Sugar & Spice"
Edit: it's up yall. Here
#snippet#fanfic#viktor arcane#viktor lol#viktor x reader#pre-arcane#viktor x reader smut#Arcane smut#viktor smut#Arcane x reader smut#Dabble#Writing Test#I think I drank to much coffee making this?#Or maybe it was the bridgerton marathon.#Be my bane and desire baby#Final's are also making me loose my mind#Just needed to start on a good old smut story again to make everything okay again#Cruel Slow burn#Kinda slow burn#Is it a slow burn when they still fuck but aren't serious?#Emotionally for the characters it a slow burn#Actually its just college kids fooling around behind their bosses backs while on work time#Ya know modern romance and all that good stuff.#I'll stop now
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Sleep
Summary: After a long day at the studio, you decide to pay your favorite scientist a little visit and maybe convince him to get some much-needed rest.
Lol, I did end up putting this on a separate blog. This is the first fic I'm posting to Tumblr. I had to hype myself up for this, but I hope y'all like it. Please let me know if y'all would want more of this kind of stuff haha I totally didn't redo my whole blog just to post this, so I could keep my art and writing on separate accounts
Oh and thanks to @bruh-anator3000 for the confidence boost, i love you _______________________
You could see the blue glow of HexTech from under the labâs door before you even entered the room. Familiar piles of blueprints and scribbled out calculations lay scattered across desks and floors alike. You made special note of the ones that bore black burns on their borders. Youâd reckon that the lab was almost as messy as your studio back in the arts and design side of the Academy, splattered with paint and littered with tools strewn haphazardly on tables. Mess was the calling card of a creative you supposed, and at the center of this particular one, bathed in blue light and golden sparks, was Viktor.
Despite the echoing clack of your shoes against the floor, he stayed seemingly unaware of your presence. Not that he usually acknowledged the presence of many while he was working, but you still thought that perhaps the sharp sound disturbing the relative peace would have caught his attention. Even as you stood behind him, peering over his shoulder, he kept working. If he knew you were there, he made no show of it.
He flinched as you placed a hand on his shoulder, cursing. A part of you almost felt bad for spooking him, and you wouldâve if he wasnât wearing those stupidly adorable blue goggles. He looked over his shoulder at you with what you could only fathom was a glare through those thick blue lenses.
âYouâre lucky I didnât drop anything,â He scolded, setting down whatever it was he was tinkering with. It looked to be some sort of mechanicalâŚclaw with one of those hex balls he and Jayce had been troubleshooting. âYou should know better than to disturb a scientist when he is working. This isââ He picked up the blue orbâ âdangerous stuff Iâm working with!â
âMhmmm, and what would you have done? Beat me to death with this contraption of yours?â You gently removed his goggles, holding back a laugh. He grumbled as you did, but the pout that had formed a tight knot on his face all but melted away as you started to smooth out his goggle-hair. His hair was soft, though slightly slicked with grease.
âIs it so late that even you have stopped working to grace me with your presence?â He asked.
âI think I could hear the morning doves as I walked here.â
He hummed, slinking deeper into his chair as your fingers carded through his hair.
âYou���re going to tell me itâs time to sleep, arenât you?â
âItâs important,â You say as you work out a particularly unruly knot, âand I think your back could use the break from all the times youâve passed out at this desk just this month.â
You slid your hands down the back of his neck and gave his shoulders a light squeeze. He shuddered under your hands. You leaned down to his ear.
âYouâre turning into a shrimp,â You mused. He gasped dramatically, turning around in his chair with a hand to his heart.
âHow dare you!â
You laughed, a smirk playing on your lips, âIf it hurts so much, you must know itâs true.â
âWho said things have to be true to hurt?â
Despite the oh-so-scornful look on his face, he didnât move when you placed your hands on his cheeks. âAre you going to sleep or not, Vik?â
He hummed, meeting your eyes with a playful smile. âEhh⌠With all these insults of yours⌠I donât think Iâve been properly persuaded yet.â His hands found their way to your hips, drawing you in close. Half-lidded amber eyes suddenly turned to alluring whiskey, and you eagerly drank them in.
âAnd what would you suggest?â
His eyes flicked down to your lips.
âA kiss, perhaps?â You chuckled, but fulfilled his request nevertheless.
You could feel the warmth of his red flush bloom under your fingertips as your lips met his. The hands on your waist wound themselves tighter into the fabric of your shirt, inviting you to rest a knee on the edge of his chair, so you didnât have to lean down quite so far. His lips were rough against yours, but the abrasion only seemed to make you dizzier with desire. You had to steel yourself in order to pull away, lest you get lost in your lustful daze. An amused hum resounded through your chest when you saw his lips try to follow yours as you leaned back.
âWill that suffice?â
He raised an eyebrow. His pupils had nearly eclipsed his whole iris.
âSurely I canât convince you into something more?â
âNice try, mister,â You grab his tie out of his shirt and pull lightly. âYou can have more when youâre in bed.â
He sighed in mock annoyance. âWell, if you insist.â
You handed him his cane, which he took begrudgingly, and helped him go through the motions of closing down the lab for the nightâ or morning, you guessed. The sound of his footsteps and cane alongside yours made for a lovely orchestra for the doves as you walked back to his room.
#viktor x reader#viktor x you#arcane#arcane viktor x you#arcane viktor x reader#viktor fluff#viktor arcane
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For the 'hit 'em where it hurts' starters: 'I hate the way that I donât hate you.'
Oooh thank you for sending this in! This is begging for me to write Judy/V in endgame/right after the final mission.
*Usual disclaimer that I don't really know what my ending is going to be for V yet, so this is just stuffing all the bits and pieces together that I like into one ending. No Phantom Liberty spoilers because I haven't played it yet, but spoilers for the final mission of the main game :)
V/Judy: "I hate the way I don't hate you."
--
Judy was drowning beneath the neon lights of Night City.
Once upon a time she'd worn the suffocating anonymity of the city like a cloak, sank into the comfort of not being known, and thrown herself into the violent game the city played with its residents.
Now those same skyscrapers that had once promised opportunity were a neon gilded cage and the faceless anonymity she'd graved threatened to suffocate her.
But more than ever V gobbled up the lights and commotion up like a fire inhaled oxygen.Â
Raging, gulping every morsel of fuel into an inferno. Something that would burn bright for only a short time. Her fuse was lit and she was burning, burning, burning.
Something had happened that day that V called Judy from the rooftop of Vik's clinic. That call haunted Judy, snuck into her dreams and rang in her ears. She'd been distracted, searching for something around her apartment, and it hadn't been until the ragged edge to V's voice fully sank in that she'd tuned in.
So yeah, maybe she'd told V to be careful, maybe she'd told V that she'd be home waiting. But what if she'd said something different? Something that would've kept V from doing whatever it was she was planning, something that would've kept V from coming back a shell of who she'd used to be.
There was an emptiness in Vâs eyes now. No matter how often she smiled at Judy, it never lit up the rest of her face. Her laughter was hollow, when it came at all.Â
She was just going through the motions. Raging through the city wearing the only persona she knew: merc.
With Johnny being gone, Judy would have thought that V would have lit up again. That without the engram eating away at her, she'd come back into the voraciously lively woman that Judy had met before the heist.
But the Johnny Problem hadn't seemed to be a problem at all. V mourned Johnny like she lost her closest friend, like she'd lost part of herself.
It came to a head in V's apartment, the one she'd unceremoniously moved all her stuff into after coming back from Arasaka Tower. V sat in a plush chair in the corner of the room, lacing up her boots. Or had been, but now they lay half laced, as she said the same words over and over again that drove Judy insane:
"I can't leave Night City, Judy, this city is part of who I am."
She hated that phrase, the excuse that V always fell back on. This city had eaten her up and spat her out so many times. There was nothing good in this city left to stay for but V just wouldn't get it.
"I hate this." Judy finally snapped, "I hate that I can't bring myself to hate you when you do this every single time." Judy ducked her head, the chromatic curtain of her hair sweeping over her eyes. She hoped it would mask the way her lips twisted, the way her eyes burned white-hot with tears.
She whistled out a hissing breath from behind her teeth, trying to pour concrete into her words to bolster them, "I want to hate you so much. You are a goddamn ticking time bomb and you made me love you. I could be halfway across the country by now, living outside of this stupid fucking city, but you've tethered me here and I'm going to be here until all that's left of you is an alcove and I'm going to have to pick up the pieces."
The words rushed out, so many armed with a viscous stinger. A deep part of her wanted the words to hurt, wanted them to land like glass shards in V's heart the way that the thought of losing her wedged its way into Judy.
V sank into the chair, eyes wide. Her jaw set. "I never asked you to love me. I've never asked you to stay."
"We talked about leaving!" Judy gestured out towards the skyline before locking her arms around herself, hugging herself in a vice of her own making, "After all this was over, we talked about leaving and yet we're still here."
It wasn't fair, not really, to pull this from the water beneath the bridge. Out of nowhere. But she'd woken up to V in the bathroom again this morning, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth with a towel, looking like hell and with it brought the ticking clock crashing back down onto her.
V stared at her in silence, eyes darting across her face.
Judy sucked in a shuddering breath.
"I think I made a mistake."
If V wouldn't pull the ripcord, then she'd do it herself. Pull her walls back up inch by agonizing inch.
"Jude, what do you mean? Where is this coming from?"
V tilted her head, the rust-worn dog tags around her neck clinking together. Judy stared at those, used those as a bolster as she grit her teeth and pushed forward. Each word fell measured, like stepping on ice lightly to make sure it wouldn't break before putting your full weight on it.
"I'm just...I'm starting to realize that I've never felt right here."
The silence V held for Judy to speak, the quiet patience that Judy had once adored when she was rocked to the core from Evelyn's death and just needed to let words lose grated on her. She'd flung daggers at V with her words, why wouldn't she fling them back? Why wouldn't she make this easier?
"I thought I liked being one among the many. Anonymous. It felt safe for me. But none of that was real. But now I look at this city and I feel..." She rung her hands together, running her thumbs along the ink wrapping across her skin, "It doesn't feel safe anymore, V, I feel alone."
V pushed herself more upright, as if to get up, to come over to Judy. Judy turned half a step away, staring hard out the window and watching V's reflection as she sank back down into the chair.
Leaning her elbows on her knees, V reached out a hand to Judy, "You have me."
And there it was, the crack in V's voice that Judy had been fighting to get. The first chip that would make the rest of this so much easier. She ignored V's outstretched hand, crossing her arms over her chest instead.
"Yeah, I guess. For a little while longer." Her stomach flipped as she spoke into existence the inevitability. The day when she'd wake up and V wouldn't. When she'd have to put her name on a cold concrete niche.
She'd always kept time for herself in phases. Each one ending when she pulled the plug, meeting every disappointment and home-that-wasn't-really-a-home by pulling away from it before it could leave her. This phase ending waking up next to a cold body...
"Listen, V," She spoke the woman she'd loved, no, had loved, if she had any control of her emotions, the only way she knew she'd understand: like a business woman. Maybe if she could pull the long-dormant corpo out of V then she could ignore the wet glisten in V's eyes. "You pulled me back into this city far longer than I should've stayed. I need to find something better, something more...stable."
She didn't pull the corpo out of V. She pulled tears, running thick and hot down V's cheeks in silent streams. It should have twisted a knife in Judy, she should have begged to take the words back. All it did was wash cold relief through her. The more irreparable she left these pieces the less it would hut when she inevitably stopped hearing from V, or worse, received the call that she was too scared to hear.
"I don't want you to disappear, Jude, not now. I need you, I love you. Please." V sucked in a ragged breath, choking down what sounded painfully like a sob. "I've lost everyone else, please don't make me lose you too."
But there was no reconsideration, no miracle 'I'll come with you. Let's get out of this city'. Judy didn't even know if she'd have wanted it even if V had offered. In fact, some coiled part of her eased at the thought of leaving it all behind.
Leaving the brilliantly vibrant women in front of her behind and getting out of the radius before she went nuclear, just like every other good thing in Night City did.
"You have your place in this city, let me find mine outside of it." Judy looked to the ground so she didn't have to look at V's face as she delivered what she hoped would be the fatal blow, "It's been a nice phase, V, you've meant so much to me. But it's just a phase that's destined to end, just like everything else."
V muffled a sob in her hand, drawing her knees to her chest and folding in on herself. She kept her fist there, pressed against the lips that Judy used to kiss with such giddy reverence, and stared hard out the window until her tears were silent tracks down her cheeks.
"Okay." V finally said in the soft rustling of Judy grabbing her things, tossing them haphazardly in a bag, "I...I'm sorry, Jude."
Judy didn't know what to do with that, didn't know where that fit in with the broken pieces of their relationship she'd just strewn across the floor. So she slung her back over her shoulder and let the door hiss behind her in a quiet click of finality.
#captainderyn writes#prompt fill#hit em where it hurts prompts#cyberpunk 2077#cyberpunk 2077 fanfic#judy alvarez#judy/v#female V#cyberpunk v#cp2077#oc: V#otp: Borrowed Time Beneath City Lights#I think that's my final choice for their ship name lol#look at me giving myself feels over them ahaha this hurt to write#sorry not sorry this is another cyberpunk piece :)
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Campaign Summary's (1/4)
The following is a summary of a finished Campaign of D&D 5e which unfolded within Wildfall...
Wildfall Eclipse | 30 Sessions + Epilogue
Far into the Whitedrape wastes sits Vik, a city, like a pen, corralling the desperate northerners into the blackmarble mountainside. The common people forced to fend for themselves as the resources that were once abundant have long been consumed; exploited and destroyed by the fearful aristocrats of the Oikos Ward. The "prophetic, or godly tied" rulers, the Simirinov family, have placed the city into a draconic rule of law since the very start, using their Wardens as hounds against the common people below. Those outside of the ruling class have banded together within the snowed-in Favela's, founding a northern hospitality despite the Simirinov's violent presence. Faith, Promises and Punk-ish attitude are the only things that keep you alive in the dark north.
PC's (The Lichendogs)
Finn (Hadozee, Drunken Master Monk)
Lumen (Drow, Soulknife Rogue)
Juliette (Human, Wildfire Druid)
Melody (Half-Elf, Life Cleric)
Legacy (Humunculus, Clockwork Sorc/Creation Bard)
Thrown into the fray at the footsteps of a Hitao Stalf, towers dedicated to free heating for the misfortunate, the group were unwillingly pulled in the midst of a mass conspiracy. A Gang known as the Death Mistresses, A Pseudoscientist Wizard, the Royal Family, a Grand Conservatory, all working with or against something from the Otherside, a being able to pull on the strings of emotions and takeover the mind suddenly; the being? Legacy's previous Patron and Fey witch, Lene-Scarlett. Backstabbed by her Unwilling Coven in the Fey-reflection of Vik. Lene was severed from her body, having her mind unknowingly scattered to the Material plane, while her body endlessly rots in the Feywild. For a stretch of time she was satisfied twisting the emotions of the royal family and acting as a surrogate god to them, but now is severed from them aswell. The Old Queen Amelia's ritual managed to protect her and her children's mind from her twisting, but now Lene demands a new body again, turning her sights to someone more apt to her warping. Legacy, a body and mind without soul is her new target, and is happy to exact revenge on the ruling family and their city, who banished her again.
Fending off the twisted emotions of a rival gang leader under Lene's grasp and saving the city from near destruction, the group, now crowned The Lichendogs, turned to work tenuously with the Old Queen once again, both determined to finish this once and for all. However, with most of the group being those from the Favela's or Exurbs of the city, they were plenty familiar with the cruelty of the Simirinov line and kept her at a safe distance; only working together when necessary. Lumen and Juliette, a punk from the Favela's and a reactionary princess from the Oikos found something unique, something Lene could use against them, yes, but unique none the less, a young love. Finn and Melody reunited with their lost families, freeing them from prison or reconnecting after many years. Legacy found purpose, both as a unprecedented life in the World, but aswell a friend to all those that were damaged by Lene's torment. And Lene? though she is doomed to live until the near-very end of time, her mind is stuck in a endless dream within Legacy. Ultimately, getting what she wanted after all these years, but not the way she expected, the two are now one but she is not in the drivers seat.
#dungeons and dragons#dnd#dnd oc#dnd campaign#dnd5e#punk#gothic#feywild#fae#folk punk#folk#folk horror#drama#worldbuilding#fantasy#writing#creative writing
#creative writing#writing#fantasy#worldbuilding#drama#horror#folk horror#folklore#folk punk#fae#feywild#gothic#punk#dnd5e#dnd campaign#dnd#dungeons and dragons
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i recommend taking a look at this real quick otherwise you might be confused
ill put this on the daily writing list, i also cant focus enough to edit it right now so i might post an edited version later
oh and ill start calling the wip magic space prospectors (MSP) since i cant think of anything better right now
MSP Chapter 3 : Takeoff
Vik left their room properly dressed, ring spike on their belt and coat a bit too big hung on them perfectly, well except for the sleeves that needed to be rolled up so that they didn't get in the way.Â
Vik still wasn't used to being on the ship, basically a cube of metal plating haphazardly bolted and welded together. The heaver, Kali, seemed pretty nice. they could get used to them. Based on their conversation Kali was close to losing their housing on Kuralon before getting a job with the port guild and was given guild housing. It was a shame that Vik was so young when theyâd lost their place of inhabitants otherwise they might have done the same thing.Â
Lan and Nell were sitting on the couch. Nell looked like they were struggling to stay awake, while Lan was in deep concentration about something. Kali was still setting up in their room.Â
Kali left their room, they were dressed in a simple blue shirt with the port guild emblem printed on the left breast area. Attempts had clearly been made to scratch off the logo but they seemed to have been ineffective. Their long and black went down all the way to the middle of their back. Vik was a bit jealous. Vik used to have long hair like that but it could get caught in things way too easily so Vik had decided to not deal with it and cut it. Now that they weren't living on the street anymore they might consider growing it out again.Â
âAre you alright?â Kali asked, Vik realized that theyâd been staring. They blushed furiouslyÂ
âYeah I'm fine,â Vik replied, futilely trying to hide their embarrassment.Â
âCool, anyway do you have any idea when Lan will finally explain why we're here?â
âNope theyâve just been sitting there, do you want to ask them?â
âYeah I guess I'll have to ask him, otherwise they might kick us off the lot,â Kali said, walking over to Lan over on the couch with Vik trailing behind.
Kali gently tapped Lan on his head, they jerked back hitting their head on the wall behind them. Lan Yelped, causing some of their coffee to splash onto them.
âOw, shit, sorry, I get very jumpy when I'm thinking,â Lan said, getting up and wiping themselves off. Nell, who'd been woken up, wore a wide grin, silently giggling to themselves.
âSo when are you going to explain what we're doing here?â Kali asked, seemingly unphased by the turn of events.
âhum? oh right yeah i forgot that i forgot to do that, uhh i guess we should probably do introductions now. my name is Lanyard Wayne, please call me Lan though,â Lan gestured to Nell inviting them to continue.
âYeah, I got it, my name's Nellson Wayne, although you're free to call me Nell if you like. im a spiker and Lan here is a dodgerâ Nell shot a sly smile over to Lan. they seemed to have not noticed.
âI guess I'll go next,â Vik said hesitantly. âMy name's Vik, it's not short for anything. i'm a dasherâ
âRight, my turn i suppose, my name is Kaladar Pickwick but i prefer to go by Kali. im a heaver as i suppose you already knowâÂ
âAlright now that's over I'll explain what we will actually be scouting for. We will be looking for a white moon.â Kali and Vik both grew silent. Kali was the first one to speak up.
âAre you insane? We only know of two Keno moons and both have been in pieces when we found them, what makes you think we can find another one?â Kali said. Vik just nodded in agreement they didn't know much about cosmography but to their knowledge most of the areas around the solar system had been thoroughly mapped out. The only hope of finding another white moon would be to go outside that range and lose contact with civilization. It didn't sound particularly like the best idea but they kept their mouth shut till they got all the facts.
âYes, I know that. But there has been evidence that Aothos that orbited Aramis was whole while modern humans were alive. That's why we have so many legends about the sky falling apart. And we also found pieces of Melanus in the ring. So scientists have theorized that Melanus was wandering like many we have seen. What was I talking about again?â Lan abruptly stopped their torrent of words in confusion.
âWhy were we looking for a Keno moon?â Vik said in a small voice.
âOh right that. I just want to examine an untouched specimen. Oh and I guess it'll break the economy but that's irrelevant. There's also a chance that if it is orbiting another planet there's a chance that there would be life on it. There are a few theories I want to test when it comes to non-humans and if they can also be Kenekâ Lan looked so excited by the prospect, Vik couldn't say no to them. And by the looks of things neither could Kali.
âIâŚseeâ they said slowly âwell I guess I don't have any other option. Are we going to take any jobs while we're looking for the thing? Because chipping pisces off the engine when we need to pay for things doesn't sound like a long term solutionâ
âYou know, i didn't intend on it but now that you mention it that does sound like a good ideaâ Lan said walking over to the kitchen area and pouring themself another cup of coffee
âAnyway we need to get going soon so let me explain how the ship operates, come hereâ Lan beckoned both Vik and Kali over to the big white rock that was bathed in yellow flame. Rods made of some kind of white metallic substance pierced through the boulder at various angles, connecting it to the ship and rendering it imobile.
âThis here is our engine, it is just one big chunk of keno. It is of 256 grade M, you know what that means right?â Lan asked to their confused faces.Â
âLan,â Nell said, glaring at Lan.
âRight, right, I'll explain it later. All you need to know is these rods here make it so any Kenek induced property the the engine is succumbed to the rest of the ship will respond as if the property was applied to it as well. Does that make sense? Any questions?â Vik hesitantly raised their hand to just above shoulder height.
âUhm what are those rods made from?âÂ
âAh right. The rods here are made from small keno shards that have been melted down and were mixed with some iron to make kenosteel. It's not the most creative name but I didn't come up with it. Anyway Kali, would you like to do the honors?â they gestured Kali over to the engine. They approached and pleased their hand gently on the stone. Nothing happened.
âAlthight Vik, your turn. You know how to make things accelerate in reference to other objects right?â Vik hesitated, they were pretty sure they knew how. But what if they got it wrong, what could happen? Vik slowly stepped over to the engine and gently rested their hand on it.
Vikâs senses exploded, they could feel the immense power running through the rock. Vik struggled to focus, what were they doing again? Right the, the thing, right.
Vik took a small piece of the Athos, even that tiny piece was more Athos theyâd ever touched let alone used. They focused on the landing pad below their feet. Using that as reference they multiplied the acceleration of the ship tenfold although it was still zero at the moment, the command clicked and the small pieces of Athos that theyâd taken were returned back into the pool.
âAre you done?â Lan asked, as Vik stumbled back from the engine gasping.Â
âYea- yesâ Vik said, finding themself a seat on the couch.
âCool, good work, Nell our turn,â they both walked over to the engine, touching it. The ship suddenly jerked up at an insane speed, and the speed kept increasing. Nell who was the only one that wasn't completely squished against the ground reached up to touch the engine, the fire around it suddenly turned Cyan, despite it being violently yellow just moments before.
âVik, by how much did you multiply the acceleration?â Lan asked, picking themselves off the ground.
âUhmmâŚten?â Vik whispered, almost inaudibly.
âI see, that's kind of impressive actually, but for reference usually you should only do it around two when we're taking off. Either way you did good, better than I expected actually for your first time.â they took a sip of their coffeeÂ
âAnyway, welcome to the great nothingness, that everyone agrees is actually a whole lot of something. Yes, that is the full official name, research papers have gotten quite lengthy over the years. Anyway Now that weâre here we can take in the view.â Lan and Nell walked over to the front of the ship and unhooked a big metal panel spanning the entire width of the ship, revealing a large pane of glass. They hooked the panel to a spot under the window probably to keep it from moving around when flying.
The sight was beautiful, sure Vik had seen the night sky but the great nothingness was truly something else.Â
Kali finally picked themselves off the ground, rubbing their head.
âIs that how that normally works?â they asked.
âWell we haven't actually had a dasher on board before. This is only the second time weâve flown theo since she was built, i'm surprised it stood up to that crazy accelerationâ
âI see, where to then?â Â
âI uhh didn't think that far aheadâ Lan scratched the back of their head. âAny suggestions?â
Kali sighed.
âLets get over to Kuralon. They have a better market for mercenary work than Artagan,â they said, taking a seat next to Vik on the couch and taking a swig of their flask.
@ohnoitsslime @kaylinalexanderbooks @theeccentricraven
@illarian-rambling @beloveddawn-blog @caligusabs
@weird-dork37 @ratedn @leahnardo-da-veggie
@you-need-not-apply @elsie-writes @fwoofz
@fallenrain40
@mr-orion @squarebracket-trickster @the-ellia-west
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a hope redefined (part 2)
Genres: angst, post S1 canon, more angst, romance, eventual smut, established childhood crushes to strangers to lovers, post-pining, becoming machine herald (sort of), dad!vik, political tensions, growing up, the human condition, some fluff
Pairing: Viktor/AFAB Reader
Warnings: series will have eventual smut, mentions of difficult pregnancy/injury/civil war. this prelude mentions spicy activities. she/her pronouns, but no use of YN.
Summary: Viktor shouldnât be alive.
He shouldnât have survived the blast of the Council attack, and even if he did his sands of time should have soon run out. And yet here he stands, part man and part machine, in a future he never planned for and an augmented body he never expected to have.
With no template to follow, Viktor forges a new path towards happiness as he grapples with reconciling the man he once was and the man he could become. Complicated as this path may be, he knows better than to waste an opportunity to spend his remaining years with you, the person heâs kept in his heart ever since you were children. Amidst the chaos of an antebellum Runeterra, Viktor finds his freedom, his future, and his family -- retelling these events through vignettes and letters to his daughter.
Chapters: Prelude | Part 1 | Part 2
Chapter Word Count: ~6.2k
Author Notes: Unedited. Threequel and final part to a hope never forgotten and a hope at risk. This can be read independently of its predecessors, though reading those first will better contextualize Viktor and YNâs relationship.
Little bird, my Robin,
Iâm not sure if you quite understand what a charming little one you are. I admit your burbling is beyond my comprehension despite my best efforts, but even when you are cranky and tired and screaming at us at the top of your miniature lungs, I somehow manage to find you so precious. (Though, of course, your mother and I fervently long for the days when you will allow us to sleep; I have never known this depth of frustration and I was known, before you arrived, for terrible sleep schedules).
Mama and I, we have had quite the story. Iâll tell you about it one day when youâre better able to understand what Iâm saying to you, but for now I want to get into the practice of writing you letters in the same way she had written and saved many for me. I will, of course, be much better than your mother at communicating the contents and intents of each letter to you in real-time, so that you grow up only knowing love and never knowing loss. For now, I write this first letter to you. Youâll learn about the things I will tell you later on again, in history books perhaps or in your studies. But it might be interesting for you to learn about them directly from me, as well, so that you may learn about how the things in history-books tend to have real impact for real people. Â
Robins are cheerful little birds, signs of hope and promise after seasons of strife. You, my dear, were born in a particularly difficult season, one that Mama and I continue to live in now. To best explain the story of how you came to us despite all the odds, I suppose I should start at the very beginning.
Now that I think about how Iâd like to begin describing these events to you, it strikes me that Iâll likely only give these letters to you when you come of age and maturity; I donât think these are topics that you should learn when you first become reasonably literate. We will store these in a safe place for you, so that the pages are fresh and strong when you first look upon them; rather than crumbly, yellowed, and strained.Â
I digress. Where was I? Ah, yes.
It starts, my Robin, with a disaster that builds into tragedy. In the midst of it all, I was blissfully unaware of what transpired; Mama bears the brunt of the emotional fallout from this time so you must always be respectful to her, because I unfortunately had been quite rude to her in the immediate aftermath of this disaster. Iâve been atoning it for it this whole time, my dear, but I do have a secret: I think you are a large part of my absolution, especially because whenever Mama is irritated with me these days she tends to look at you, see how much you look like me, and is a little less grumpy after basking in your company. Letâs keep it that way, little Robin.
(I fear that your feeding schedule and its interruptions to my rest have left my thoughts unsorted, I apologize for the side-tracks.)
When your teachers tell you about the attack on the council, take care to consider the events beyond words on a page or facts to memorize for a test. We have all been impacted by it, and you are here in part as a result of the things that happened that day.Â
It was a tense time. I⌠was in very poor health, and near the very end of my tether to this mortal plane. Nevertheless, I came to the Council with your Uncle Jayce (who, at them time, was beginning to feel like a stranger to me despite our years of partnership), because he and I wanted peace in a world that seemed to disagree. Imagine! Me, a frail and deteriorating Zaunite, crushing myself under immense guilt, and Uncle Jayce, strong in body and conviction but wavering under the pressures of entire societies. But we were doing what we thought was right; Uncle Jayce had made choices I never thought he would make and we both were seeking the abundant optimism and encouragement we wanted to bring to the world through our research in our younger days.
Iâm not sure what theyâll teach you about Jinx. It depends on how the future shapes itself. Iâm inclined to think that we are all complex beings that are subjected to chaos both inside us and around us, and even choices we are confident in may have the ability to grow into monstrosities we never anticipated. That happened to your uncle and I; I believe this, too, happened for Jinx.
Iâll spare you the details that you will no doubt learn in school. It was a missile attack, and the outcome was devastating. This was especially so since in those fleeting moments after I spoke to the Council and relayed Jayceâ plans, he and I were filled with that hope we were once so aflame with (and this hope, Robin, was in spite of the anger we incited instantly amongst the Councilmembers). It was radiant, my darling, with the bright light reflecting the explosive aspiration we held in our hearts. As you will know later, of course, everything broke mere heartbeats later.Â
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The first thing Jayce noticed was shrill, all-encompassing ringing in his ears. He tried to brush it away with his mind, but his body did not obey this command. Then in a panic he realized he noticed nothing in sight; merely black and grey and clouds billowing. His heart seized; where had he been last?
Finally the picture before him came into focus, in streaks of visibility between billowing, noxious clouds.
The other sensations followed quickly after, assaulting his nervous system with acrid stinging in his lungs, shocks of pain in his body, and the increasing awareness of other sounds beyond the internal ringing. What were those? They were screams of anguish, of pain, and of terror.
As he tried to physically orient himself, Jayce realized he was not where he had been before. Wasnât he standing? Heâd purposely put himself between Viktor and the Council, if only to metaphorically shield his dying friend from the brunt of the Councilâs fury. Where was Viktor? Where was â
Mel. Mel! Jayce scrambled to his feet, a feat that took nearly a minute in the confusion but felt like milliseconds. His mind quickly began to sort events into a timeline; he vaguely understood this to be a fight-response, a survival tactic in disaster. There must have been an explosion, judging by the jagged edges of curled steel and broken glass he could see in pockets of clear air. If there was an explosion, it was from outside, given the direction of debris and decay. If it was from outside â Jayce shuddered, all the while staggering forward towards where the window once hang â then Mel had been the first to be hit.
He found her after tripping over objects that should not have lined his path; objects that were pieces of the ornate Council desks, shards of glass, gnarled metal, and also people. He screamed her name, maybe, but he couldnât hear his own voice. She was slumped over a section of broken desk at an awkward angle, but to Jayceâ relief she appeared whole, if not unconscious and likely severely injured. It was impossible, really, based on what he knew about ballistics and explosives and physics, but he would receive any miracles that the gods would allow. He thought to shake her, but managed to remember that this would be unwise â she might have internal injuries â but he checked for a pulse. With confirmation that she was, in fact alive, he yelled for a medic, before realizing his voice was not the only one doing so. Instead, Jayce then set his jaw and glanced frantically around the room.
The dichotomy between Melâs relative lack of being harmed and the rest of the room was jarring; the hall was completely unrecognizable and nearly everyone in it had been sent far from their original seats. Then Jayce noticed an odd pattern in the path of destruction; the people closer to the window and the main circle of desks seemed reasonably intact, but the building and furniture in that same radius was most certainly not. Attendants and assistants, most of whom had been standing near the periphery and the elevators, seemed to be in much worse shape (Jayce found his stomach rising in his throat at the sight he saw, but stepped away in time to vomit further away from Melâs unconscious form); but architectural structures there only saw streaks of soot and flame and far less impact.
A wavering light caught his eye, but he couldnât be sure if it wasnât just the reflection of flickering fire or something emanating from the golden patterns on Melâs back. He ignored this, instead lifting Melâs body onto his shoulders with as little disturbance as possible. Jayce brought her past the elevators, past the carnage and into an unaffected corridor deeper in the building. He lay her to rest by the wall, whispering for her to stay alive even if she couldnât hear him, then stumbled back into the fray.
Viktor. He had to find Viktor; no matter what miraculous defense Jayce suspected Mel had mounted, Viktor had already been on the precipice of death.
Jayce first spotted the mangled remains of Viktorâs crutch; scanning that area, he found his friend crumpled beside debris. He quickly took stock of the smaller manâs injuries, wincing at what he recognized as serious impalement, but found Viktorâs condition reasonably safe enough to move out of the chaos. With Viktorâs impossibly thin frame in his arms (and taking care not to jostle the debris embedded into his friendâs body), Jayce struggled back to the corridor. Flashes of the terror around him seared themselves into his mind that night; he later remembered Councilwoman Kiramman lying beneath a frighteningly large panel of destroyed stone, or pieces of Bolbok lying far away from the Councilmanâs main frame, but he focused on getting Viktor to safety before returning to assist other less-injured people with rescue.
He rode in Melâs ambulance, of course, in part because Heimerdinger had materialized shortly after the blast to watch over Viktor. The rest of the evening came only in fragmented blurs; Jayce suspected a concussion, but considered himself to be lucky if that was the only injury he would get away with. He kept Melâs hand in his and made it a point to be grateful for the fact that it was still warm. Â
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The peace we called for was obviously fractious. We hadnât known then that Silco was no more and that Jinx was behind the attack. Rather, I knew nothing. I only came to later, then promptly entered the darkest fury of my life as I only knew that Iâd been betrayed by Jayce through your motherâs assistance. This, in hindsight, I regret, but nevertheless there will always be a part of me that wonders what might have happened if the Hexcore had been destroyed completely â and a part of me that secretly longs for that alternate universe to the suffering so many have endured since then.
Of course, I am now mostly grateful for that âterrible decision.â My mixed feelings do not negate the very real truth that I can be your father today because I was saved by your mother and Jayce. I have decided to not let this gratitude go to waste, but it shall forever be a cautionary tale for others.Â
In those first few weeks, Zaunites and Piltovans fought fiercely, though in smaller, renegade groups. We were all fearful that either side would escalate into all-out civil war. It was a very real risk, back then. With nobody sure who started what, and families vengeful for their own fallen, any slight overreaction could have blown up the whole powder keg. We hadnât known that there were greater threats beyond, but we could only see what was in front of us, what was local. And yet we couldnât remember, for some reason, the shared origins of our two cities. We only saw the differences and the hurt.
Many people made bad decisions then. In fact, I was quite worried about those that your Uncle Jayce might make with his power and influence. We are lucky heâd chosen to attempt peace before the attack, because even if Jayce struggles to find the right answer, he does, fortunately, try his best. Itâd been his decision to offer Silco what he wanted, and in those early weeks, Uncle Jayce tried to hold to that as much as he could even in the face of dissenters. I imagine he was still reeling from his own sins, and trying to hold onto his own hope â or better yet trying to emulate Auntie Melâs measured stances. Regardless, we had a fragile stability despite many citizens entering into altercations. Or should I say that the ups and downs averaged out to something more even? It seemed that every other weekend we were promised a war between the two cities, and there were many weeks where we came very close. I think it is a miracle that the many battles fought didnât tip over into much longer, formalized conflict; at least, between our two cities. We knew it would not hold for long, however, and when your Auntie Caitlynâs mother finally succumbed to her injuries a few weeks later, we were incredibly concerned.Â
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You couldnât recognize the woman before you. What happened to the little sister figure who youâd watched grow up? Where was the fierce, intelligent girl who (like you) sought to break free of the shackles of upper-class decorum and instead work for a better future? No, the person staring back at you from the printed posters around Piltover was someone hardened by loss. It was someone who cut their teeth on the blades of their own hurt, and used their pain to fuel their development.
Caitlin had always been a serious markswoman, but you would never have expected her to rise in the ranks so quickly. How much if her meteoric rise had been due to the absence of her motherâs influence, or her own dogged pursuit of power, youâd never know. She was too young to be a sheriff, you thought. Not because she was immature but rather because she should have had more time to enjoy her twenties. You supposed that there were much smaller spaces for leisure and entertainment in those times; though most life went on as a hushed normal at the surface, the simmering resentments and fears underneath were never far from mind.
While the cities had not yet sought the otherâs total destruction, festivals and the like had been cancelled for safety concerns. Fewer people wandered in the streets without company, especially after dark, but people still needed to eat and to sleep and to live, so children likely hadnât noticed the suspicion and concern in adultsâ eyes.
You glanced to Caitlynâs right, surveying her personal hire to her investigation team. Through your father, youâd heard more about this Violet â or Vi, though youâd never met her. You tried to ask Jayce more about what had happened in the weeks leading up to the Council attack, but heâd been tight-lipped and more concerned with preventing societal collapse. It wasnât possible to blame him, however. Mel was still comatose, though stable, and you knew Jayce was trying to keep Piltovan warmongers at bay while tamping down his own grief and rage. He slipped every so often, particularly if itâd been a bad day and heâd come back from visiting Melâs bedside. With Viktor long gone to sequester himself away in Zaun, you took it upon yourself to remind Jayce that the previous undercity was not a monolithic hotbed of crime and terrorism. Heimerdinger tried as well, but he, too, disappeared frequently â and you suspected he had gone down into the depths in his own efforts to rebuild peace.
He certainly had no time to tell you about a former prisoner heâd made a tenuous ally of, much less one that appeared to be the sister of the attackâs primary suspect. You squinted at the poster again, frowning in reflection of Violetâs own conflicted expression. Your gaze flicked back to Caitlynâs hardened gaze, and you realized that both young ladies were wrought with their own grief. In Caitlyn, you saw the tortured guilt of someone whoâd long argued with her mother and now broke under her fatherâs mourning. In Vi, you saw a clearly uncomfortable Zaunite looking for any opportunity to find the remnants of the little sister she once knew, forced to join the Piltovans who had tried to subjugate her. At least, that was the best you could come up with given the shreds of information you knew on this new Caitlin and this stranger Vi.
You had no immediate sympathy for the woman named Jinx, especially not within the first few weeks after the attack when you discovered Viktorâs dance with death and he lay, unconscious and severely injured, in his hospital bed. But your rage needed somewhere to go, and since you were by no means a fighter, you channeled your anguish into providing aid directly. It was just as well; wealth Piltovans were not in any mood for philanthropic deeds, especially if any mention of Zaun was involved â thus you had little fundraising to do. You stayed local in those weeks, helping the poorer Piltovans who might have been targeted in smaller skirmishes, if only to stay close enough for any news of Viktorâs recovery.
You hadnât expected the extent of his anger when he regained consciousness, but youâd been equally as furious that heâd hidden his prognosis from you until he was finally on deathâs door. Viktor directed most of his fury towards Jayce, who knew the risks involved and the threat the Hexcore posed, but you were still surprised when he decided to move out of Piltover and into the new Zaun in the middle of this odd detente.
On worse days, you blamed the mysterious Jinx for your woes, but over time â and as Viktorâs mood began to thaw â you learned more about her through Jayceâ intel grapevine. Now glancing again at Viâs tortured expression in a fading Piltovan sunset, you considered the splintering of their sisterhood and recognize the heartbreak in that uncomfortable gaze. Could those two (and their team) accomplish what they set out for? You werenât quite sure. Jayce insinuated that there was a relationship between the two Enforcers, but you worried that the overlap between their investigatory objectives might wear thin. You wrote to Viktor in his absence, relaying your thoughts, but heâd only given inscrutable references to a former mentor of his who he suspected of being involved with Jinx.
Lost in thought on the steps of city center, you didnât notice when your adoptive father pulls up beside you. Heimerdinger patted your hand, leading you to jump back in shock, but once you realized who it was and settled your nerves, you picked up on the weariness in his face.
"Sheâs likely a bright young woman,â he sighed, shaking his head in sorrow. âHer sister, I mean.â
You balked at that. âYouâve met Jinx?â
âNo,â Heimerdinger replied. âPrior associates, perhaps, but not her. Iââ He paused. âI remember when our two cities were one, and Iâve watched brilliant young minds in both triumph and fail under the circumstances they never asked for.â His expression grew long at that, and you realized he was thinking of Viktorâs own time under his care.
Your wounds still raw, you bristled. Your father knew about Viktorâs death sentence and failing health, and yet he never deigned to clue you in. Heâd given you excuses that he was under Viktorâs instructions, but that hadnât mattered to you. It shouldnât have mattered to him, and you felt betrayed by your fatherâs discretion. He seemed to understand where your thoughts drifted, and remained silent for a few beats more.
âMy dear,â Heimerdinger tentatively began again. âI am gravely concerned. There are more threats than those from between our two peoples.â He took your hand in his, patting yours gently. âThere are those who would take advantage of our strife to bring both our cities to their knees.â
You told him he was being cryptic, and started for the gates of the Heimerdinger Estate. But his words remained in your mind, always at the edge of your uncertainty and concern, and it would not be till much later that the premonition he anticipated would come true.Â
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But never mind all that; by the time you read these letters I hope we will be living in a vibrant, thriving world and not one besieged by war. Thus I turn to the silver linings from that period.
I angered your mother very much when I left for Emberflit Alley. I donât know if weâll be living there, or at your grandfatherâs estate, or somewhere in between, but I hope that by the time you see this you will have been to my little laboratory in the Entresol. I have many fond and not-so-fond memories there, but all the unkind memories are long in the past now that you are in my world and my heart. Your mama visited me as soon as I allowed her to. I recall that reunion with great clarity; it was a very exciting few days back in each others arms, but after the excitement faded away we were still left to grapple with my guilt, her hurt, and an uncertain future. I sent her away several times after that, and moodily so, so if you end up rather impetuous I might be to blame for that part of your personality (though Mama is as well). Still, weâd been apart for so many years that we couldnât help but keep gravitating back to each other even when we tried to stay away for safety, self-healing, and individual growth. Your mother says she wanted to have you as early as then, but I was in no shape for that.
You see, the reason Iâm alive today is because of a peculiar technology and the greatest sin of my life. Youâll likely have seen one of my Hexcores by the time you read this, but the one Iâm referring to was the first â and it was corrupted. I carry deep grief as a result of my stubbornness with that Hexcore specifically, and thus I promise to teach you everything I have learned from my mistakes so that you will never have to experience them.
With this one, something was gravely wrong. We hadnât known that at the time, your Uncle Jayce and I, and it is only in retrospect that we know about the Void and its corruption of this specific Hexcore. Your papa was very foolish back then, little Robin, but I was also quite desperate. This Hexcore wanted to control me, to use me as its vessel, but at first Iâd only seen it as a gift. I realized later that it must be destroyed; I asked your Uncle Jayce to do so but after that disaster â that tragedy â your mother asked him to use it to save me. And so he did.
It became a part of me then, a part of my survival and part of my story. But it couldnât stay; I knew that it would consume me and then I wouldnât be the papa you will get to know. I learned many things in those months, because I worked hard to figure out a way to stay alive but be rid of that corrupted Hexcore. Thatâs where I learned to be a surgeon of sorts, and I studied feverishly to find a way out of my predicament. I also continued with engineering, just like your Uncle Jayce, and through the technology we developed I made Blitzcrank what he is. In Emberflit Alley, I built a great many things to help our fellow Zaunites; some things to clean the air more affordably, other things to make work easier for weak bodies, and more to bring prosperity to those who had little of it. Some of Uncle Jayceâ Piltovan colleagues were not pleased about this, and even some Zaunites (who, you should never ever interact with, little one â stay far away from chembarons and their people, even if they are your fellow citizens) truly disliked my work.
All of this progress, however, was not enough to ease my concerns over the Hexcore. Yes, living conditions improved for others, but I never felt safe with that first corrupted prototype. And if I wanted a future â a real one, not just borrowed time â then I needed to be in control of it myself. So with great effort I replaced the void-touched parts with mechanical ones I built myself. That may sound scary, but living with the Void was much more frightening and I couldnât bear with myself if it endangered your mother in any way. Besides, if you saw those parts youâd laugh; they were clunky and ugly, but by now theyâre much improved.
You may have been told a number of things about that time period. Not everything youâll hear will be the truth, from either your Piltovan or Zaunite friends and teachers. Remember that you are always welcome to ask me or your mother, and we will carefully tell you the truth we witnessed with our own eyes.
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Viktor was backed into a corner. What madness was this? The little Kiramman girl, emerging from the shadows with a hard look etched into the lines of her face, seeking to take him in?
He figured her investigation had turned up his name; Heimerdinger kept Viktor appraised of the topside Enforcersâ campaign against this Jinx, and he knew that it would only be a matter of time before the new sheriff in town connected the man called Singed to both himself and the blue-haired fugitive. It was odd, though, as it had been Caitlyn herself who had provided Jayce and you with a small vial of Shimmer when he stood with one foot through Deathâs Door. She would have known about his involvement and his research and how benign it must be, but why would she have been looking for him now of all times, weeks after her campaign was well underway, and weeks after Viktor had sequestered himself in the Entresol with his golem, his tools, and his loneliness? If anything, Viktor was grateful heâd made it a point to send you back topside when Emberflit Alley became suspiciously quiet. Having you by his side in this specific moment would have been disastrous.
As he surveyed the look in Caitlyn Kirammanâs eye, he knew that she wouldnât hesitate to put the members of her own circle under surveillance if it would help move along her objectives. He glanced to his peripherals, noting several cloaked Enforcers circling towards him at the end of the alley. Not ideal, but he would be damned if he was taken in on nothing more than a paranoid suspicion. Now was not the time to be separated from his work in Zaun; with a dogged sheriff on the chembaronsâ tails, the innocent civilians of Zaun needed medical assistance without strings attached more than ever.
âI wouldnât do this if I were you,â he warned, fingers tightening around the latest prototype of his Hexcore-powered staff. (âItâs a deterrent, not a weapon,â heâd told you when you first saw it. But he was decreasingly convicted in his own definition; whatever deterrent effect heâd hoped the Hexcore would have seemed not to be working as intended. âI am no traitor, and you of all people should know that.â
âForgive my inability to take your words at face value,â Caitlyn replied steadily. Her finger remained on her rifleâs trigger; eyes still squinting through the scope. âFirst you run from Piltover, then I learn youâre one of herââ The sneer in her voice made apparent to whom she was referring. ââknown associates? Youâll need to come with me, Viktor, if you want any semblance of a topside future with Heimerdingerâs daughter.â
He flared up at that; how dare anyone threaten the fragile hope he held onto for decades?! His emotions ran wild and angry, and the Hexcore â damn, he hadnât yet managed to completely purge his biomechanical connection to it still â responded with its own flicker of crackling energy. Viktor sensed the whole alley tensing at the sensation, and he knew then that there would be no saving his insistence that the Hexcore wasnât a weapon of destruction.
âI fail to see how I might be a known associate if Iâve never met Jinx,â he replied. It took every bit of his personal pride to keep his temper stable. âSo without reasonable suspicion, I believe I will not be joining you.â Movement to his left caught his eye. âAnd I wouldnât take another step closer, if I were you,â he warned the Enforcer.
âI have no time to dance, Viktor,â spat Caitlyn. âLower your staff, now!â
Viktor remained where he stood, amber eyes glaring out at her from beneath the dark fabric of his hood. He kept silent, attuning his senses to the several Enforcers eyeing him warily with weapons raised. He wouldnât hurt them, not first, and not unless it was a last resort. What he feared was being backed into his final corner.
Caitlyn began to pull on the trigger, a minute movement that Viktor noticed through instinct alone.
So be it. He couldnât be taken; people needed help and protection, not only from criminals within Zaun but from unwarranted topside aggression. He couldnât be taken; he needed to continue his work on severing his physical connection to that angry, disturbing Hexcore â months imprisoned would impede any hopes of progress. He couldnât be taken; his arrest, no matter how unjustified, would irreparably damage Heimerdinger and your reputations by association alone, and heâd worked too hard to let his family, topside or not, be taken from him.
When the Enforcers nearest him lunged, Viktor exhaled, closed his eyes, and allowed the Hexcore to release a burst of pure, radiant energy. Then he ran, ignoring the cries of surprise and fear and squinting past the blinding light heâd unleashed on his adversaries. He bounded past Blitzcrankâs hiding place towards the opening of the alley, beckoned along his golem, and darted into the nearby safe house heâd kept anonymously registered for this purpose.
Youâd hear about this, certainly. But Viktor hoped that your faith in him would help you see past the propaganda and widespread fear, and trust in his character. It was a weak hope in fraught times as these, but Viktor hoped nonetheless.Â
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Once I was confident that the void was gone from the Hexcore and it could be developed in complete safety, I let Mama stay with me for good, and I stopped pushing her away. She was much happier about that, but we were mostly relieved that I could stay alive, healthy, and strong without the corrupted core. Lots of things happened before then, many difficult things, but I was very happy to be safe for Mama eventually.
Even so, our relief was short-lived. The fragile peace we had was broken by external threats, and many bad things began to happen to everyone in Valoran. These problems are not yet fully resolved, Iâm afraid, but everyone in your life is now committed to fixing them for the betterment of your future.
In the midst of the sheriff looking for me and everything being quite scary for the regular people in both our cities, Auntie Melâs mother was incredibly cross with Uncle Jayce and how he responded to the big disaster. Remember, Robin, Auntie Mel wasnât healthy as she is now. She was in the hospital, stable but unable to wake or to fully recover, and she was there for many months. Auntie Mel tried to save all of our lives because she believed in diplomacy and peace, and she saved mine even though I imagine many of the other Councillors wouldnât much care about my life. But while your Uncle Jayce was very angry with Jinx, and very worried about Auntie Mel, Auntie Melâs mum was even more angry. She wanted revenge, and in Uncle Jayceâ decisions she saw weakness. She interpreted that to be an opportunity; one for her people to exploit.Â
It was chaos, little bird. Your grandfather stopped appearing in Piltovan public, too distressed at the warmongering he saw. In fact, your brave grandfather met me often, in secret, to help me care for the injured Zaunites and yes â sometimes Piltovans too â in all the fights that were to come. I, regretfully, had to fight too, as did your grandfather, but we did our best to only do so when the alternatives were worse. I hope that by the time you can read this letter that I wonât need to fight anymore; you deserve a future that lets children play in the streets and enjoy a life without fear. Where was I? Ah â Ambessa. (Thatâs Auntie Melâs mumâs name. I imagine sheâll be in your history booksâŚ)
Noxus, where Ambessa and Auntie Mel are from, is a strong but frightening place. Iâm lucky Iâve never had reason to visit myself, but they are a rather proud, fearsome people who value strength immensely. Remember when I said that Ambessa saw weakness in Uncle Jayceâ decisions? Whatever Uncle Jayce and his colleagues said was what Piltover was saying, and Ambessa thought that Uncle Jayce was being a bit soft in trying to find the woman named Jinx. As unforgiving as Ambessa is, Auntie Mel is still her daughter; I believe in some sort of way, Ambessa loves Auntie Mel just as much as we love you (although Mama and I will never try to hurt thousands of people for you. You have our promise). Because Auntie Mel was very badly hurt, Ambessa wanted to catch the culprit and felt that a strong military response from Piltover to Zaun was necessary. When Uncle Jayce didnât do this to the extent she expected, Ambessa brought Noxus down upon our two cities.
This was very scary for everybody; remember, lots of people kept fighting between Piltover and Zaun, too! But of course the most troubling part was that the very rich, very powerful, and often very corrupt were the ones who stayed the most safe through this all; they could afford better medical care or hiding places or all of the above. No, the people getting hurt the most werenât even the ones behind what happened to me, your uncle, and Auntie Mel on that disastrous day. It was regular people, just like you and me and mum; people who just wanted to eat their meals and enjoy their time together in Valoran like every other day.
In fact, it was humans specifically who suffered most. Unlike your grandfather, or Councilman Bolbok, survival for these regular humans was very difficult. Many sick people were pulled into fights or injured on accident; they often werenât strong enough to recover, if they didnât have good health or money or a safe place to live beforehand.
Blitzcrank tried to protect a lot of them, but when I went to these people and helped stabilize broken bones or reattached limbs, it became very clear that what they wanted was their own strength â not to rely on groups with questionable incentives like the chembarons to keep them safe from Ambessa or Enforcers. I started using my new skillset to help them, too, the way I started to mend myself.
Lots of people didnât like that. People who hadnât known why I was doing what I was doing thought I was doing very bad things to the people I tried to help; they didnât understand the benefits of mechanical augmentation and thought I was trying to change people into something they were not. Uncle Jayce was very uncomfortable with it as well, but we didnât talk much then so I didnât have to hear him argue with me about it. I was trying to do what he and I wanted all along; use Hextech for the betterment of society. But I understand; progress can be scary and foreign and it was even difficult for us to have Hextech accepted by the public. I didnât expect most people to accept physical modifications that quickly, but I did often think that many disagreeable opinions were driven by fear and uncertainty.
Mama, you must understand, did the best she could to accept and comprehend my work. She did really well; even if she was unsure about man-machine supplantation, she knew that I was only trying to help people who wanted it. But I made her really mad one day, Robin. I learned a lot that day about how I might perceive my lifeâs work and discovery, and how others might as well; it was an important experience for me, and I was deeply humbled by her.
Well, I say this now. But I was just as mad at Mama back then. Adults arenât perfect or smart most of the time, but we do our best.Â
#viktor x reader#viktor x you#viktor arcane#arcane viktor#viktor arcane x reader#viktor smut#viktor arcane smut#viktor fluff#viktor arcane fluff#viktor arcane x you
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Send me ⤠on anon and Iâll compliment someone at random!
@petrovawitch girl as stated I HATE sibling/child OC's and YET there you are existing in my head rent free. I love Vik so much shes so well put together and I like how youve covered your bases in the lore. Your writing style also somehow flawlessly suits her and IDK how you do it but im glad I woke her lazy ass UP.
@devilfated we have yet to write but from what I have seen of your Klaus on my dash I am very very excited to get some kind of interaction going with you. I can't wait to throw Katherine to his mercy.
@taintedbloodlines All of your muses that I have seen have been SPOT. ON. and I just have so much respect for someone that can consistently do their muses justice. WE NEED MORE INTERACTIONS.
@invitisalvatore Your take on Damon is so unique and interesting and thats what drew me to him right away. I love how youve kept his essence but managed to give him a completely different back story that sounds so interesting and has had such an impact on him as a person.
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The opening and closing are brain worm that refused to go away until I wrote them down, so this is the word equivalent of a quick sketch I suppose!
--
âSo the satellite exploding, that was you?â
âMhm.â
ââŚand the pall of smoke over Arasaka tower, the cops and everything, that was you as well?â
âErm, yeah I guess.â
The whole collapse of Arasaka, like, all of it, youâre telling me that was you?â
âSâpose.â
âBy yourself?â
âNah, Johnny was there too prolly more than me, and Rogue and Waylon, couldnâtâve done all that by myself.â
âHuh, OK.â
Kerry had finally persuaded V to tell him about what happened that night and had sat there for the last couple of hours looking, in turn, incredulously and proudly at his mainline.
It had been a difficult few months, Kerry could only watch as V became sicker and less able to look after himself. The merc work dried up when he became too sick â and therefore unreliable â so Kerry looked after him at the villa, kept him active, made sure he was fed and that he drank enough, kept the fixers off his back, sat in the shower with him when it was all too much. Then, Kerry had to go to the studio one afternoon and V disappeared, left a message saying he was on a job and that was the last Kerry saw of him for two weeks, other than a cryptic phone call the next day.
That was the day the satellite exploded, that the tower fell, and that Arasaka was effectively wiped out. Kerry had a feeling that it must be something to do with where V had gone, even spent a couple of days searching around the streets near the tower hoping to find him, but V had taken himself to the Aldecaldos to mend, the separation of himself from Johnny had been more traumatic than he couldâve imagined, for a few days he could barely remember who he was and for a few weeks after that sadness would sometimes overwhelm him, but he felt ready to go home after a couple of weeks and Kerry finally got the call heâd been waiting for,
âHey Ker, can you come get me?â
Kerry didnât ask any questions then, he was just happy to have V back, albeit a sadder, thinner, less joyful version, but that was four months ago now and with them in their new condo, and V king of the Afterlife things should be looking good â except of course that V was still sick and was clearly planning something.
-
The morning V left, Kerry coped with it the only way he knew how, by pretending nothing was happening. He mightâve hugged his mainline a little tighter, spoken more openly than he was used to and found it difficult to look him in the eye, but everything was completely normal. Maybe V would have told him what was going on if he had asked, but that would have made it real, so he carried on in blissful ignorance, not even turning as the AV rose towards the sky for fear of the tears running down his cheeks never drying up.
-
What happened at the Crystal Palace is all over the feeds, Kerry has spent the night either glued to his holo waiting for news, or staring up at the now dark spot of the sky where the casino should be. He tells himself that V is the best solo there ever was, if this is his doing then heâll be fine, whatever the plan was it clearly worked since the feeds are full of stories from evacuated guests telling how the lights went out when all the computers crashed.
For a week, Kerry barely sleeps, doesnât eat at all and sits alone, waiting for news, good or bad he just needs to know. Â After a further week, where Kerry had finally called Vik and Misty for help and is on nine different kinds of medication but at least eating again, he gets a mysterious message from an unknown number that just says, âMission was a success, await further info.â
So he waits, for twenty-six more days he waits. Despite its vagueness the message gave him hope, somewhere out there V was alive. He manages to pick up his guitar again, though what comes out is utter scop, he even manages to do some writing, but what emerges is so personal it will never see the light of day. He buys things for the condo, a new bed, rugs, plants, subconsciously preparing for Vâs return.
Finally, forty-one days, six hours and fourteen minutes since they last hugged on the balcony, the message arrives, âA car will be arriving shortly to convey you to your destination.â Vague as ever, but enough.
The cigarette gets hastily stubbed out and Kerry rushes to get his first shower in, well heâs lost count as it goes but itâs been a while. He changes into track pants and one of Vâs old shirts and grabs his jacket, piles some clothes into a bag and waits, unsure of what to do next. Fortunately, he doesnât have long to wait, Del is downstairs so Kerry bolts to the elevator cursing at its slowness.
Itâs dark by the time the car reaches its destination, Kerry lost track of where they were a long time ago, but itâs nowhere that he recognises. A huge, non-descript metal building miles from anywhere, no signage, no windows. A white-coated bland-faced doctor meets him at reception chattering about something or other, asking him to sign forms which he does without reading them and leads him down winding corridors before finally opening a door and walking away.
Kerry enters the gloomy room cautiously, his Kiroshis take a while to adjust to the lack of light but a bed can be made out against the far wall so he heads towards it quietly gasping as he sees the sleeping figure lying there. âVâŚâ he breathes, rushing the final few feet and kneeling at the manâs bedside.
He runs the back of a calloused finger over the cleanly-shaved cheek and brings the tips of his fingers down through the tangled mess of his hair, pushing away stray strands from his face as he goes. Those goddamn beautiful eyes slowly open and crinkle adorably at the sides as he smiles, âKerâŚâ the voice is small and rough but unmistakably V.
-
After two nights of Kerry sleeping precariously on the edge of Vâs bed - despite there being a perfectly serviceable second bed in the room â V is well enough to sit in a chair and is looking forward to going home at the end of the week, albeit in a wheelchair and rattling with a dozen different forms of medication.
âYouâre all good now? Gonna be stuck with you for the rest of my life and all that shit?â Kerry asks hopefully.
âMhm,â
âAnd the unscheduled rocket that took off, that the feeds were all over, that was you?â
âI guess.â
âAll the shit with the Crystal Palace blowing, put it right out of service, that was you too?â
âSâpose.â
âBy yourself?â
âYeah, yeah I did it by myself.â
âShit V, Iâm the proudest man alive, but tell me youâre gonna give it a rest now.â
âCourse Ker, well, for a while anyways.â
#kerry is my muse#kerry eurodyne x male v#kerry eurodyne#cyberpunk v#male v#cyberpunk 2077#cyberpunk kerry#kerry x male v
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Mortal Kombat: Enenra's Shadow
Chapter 7: Bitter-sweet meeting
After two hours of driving, getting in and out of rides and walking they finally got to the hospital. They gave the doctors the flower, told them to crush it up into tea, and give it to Viktorâs mother, no questions asked. They went to her room, with Nico waiting outside, waiting for the results. The doctors walked in, carrying a tray with the tea on it and slowly and very carefully pouring it down her throat. Within the first ten seconds nothing happened, but then, her life support started beeping like crazy, and before soon, she opened her eyes, with the life support calming down.Â
VIKâS MOM: <Ughhh, what a headache⌠Oh, Viktor. Hi.>
Viktor quickly started crying pools of tears as he hugged his mother.
VIKâS MOM: <Woah, okay. This is quite new for you.>
Viktor slowly released from the hug, wiping his tears.
VIKTOR: <Iâm just happy to see you. Also, I think there's someone else who wants to see you.>
He said, looking out the door, at Nico, inviting him into the room. Nico with a smile on his face, walked in the room, greeting his wife.
MELISA: Hey, Nico.
NICO: Hey, Melisa.
MELISA: Didnât see you in a while.
NICO: My reasoning is stupid anyways.
MELISA: That's exactly why I love you, you chaotic dumbass. Now get in here.
Nico took a deep breath before walking in the room. Melisa got up from her bed, ripped out the infusion out of her hand, with the doctor trying to reach his hand to her, but saw the two hug, and was so confused. Viktor, who stood next to the doctor, then looked at him.
VIKTOR: <Trust me on this, I donât know how that works either.>
The doctor looked at his notepad before taking his pen and scribbling over anything he wrote and writing at the bottom âHealthy.â
VIKTOR: I, uh⌠*ahem*... <When can she leave?>
DOCTOR: <First thing in the morning.>
NICO: Great.
Enenra, Nico and Viktor left the room and hit the road. They turned to each other, then Nico squeezed Viktor and lifted him up a little before putting him down.
NICO: Okay, canât do that for more than two seconds. Shit, I almost broke my back.
Enenra giggled, as Viktor pulled out his phone, looking at the time.
VIKTOR: Wow, would you look at that, 6 AM.Â
Said the boy, as they looked off into the distance, noticing the rising sun.
ENENRA: And would you look at that. You barely caught 5 hours of sleep.
VIKTOR: YaaaaayâŚ.
The two got back inside the heated building and Viktor got to the vending machine, put a mark in and took a coffee to chug it down his throat. Nico looked at Viktor in disbelief.
VIKTOR: What? I need caffeine to function. How else do you think I got these eyebags, apart from insomnia?
NICO: âŚ
NICO: Alright.
Viktor sat down, throwing the cup in the trash as Nico went to Melisaâs room. Eventually, the two would walk down stairs, with Melisa in a jacket and trousers.Â
ENENRA (in Viktorâs head): Wow, she is very pretty when she isnât sick.
Viktor slapped his head as he waved hi to his parents.Â
MELISA (semi-quietly to Nico): Thereâs your little man.Â
NICO (back to Melisa): He sure is.
The three walked out, sat on a bus and went home. They entered their building and went to the top floor. As they were walking up the stairs, Melisa almost slipped, but was caught by Viktor. She smiled at him and kept going up. As they entered the apartment, Viktor went straight to the kitchen to drink some water as Melisa and Nico sat next to each other on the sofa. Nico was hit by a wave of nostalgia, as he was looking around the space.
NICO: Reminds me of the first time you invited me here from the first time we met.
MELISA: Back in America, huh? Yeah. Good times.
Viktor entered the living room while drinking water, noticing the two sitting next to one another. Viktor sat down next to his mother, as she turned to look at his arm.Â
MELISA: What happened to your jacket, Viktor? Its whole sleeve is missing.
Viktor looked at his dad, who shrugged at him, after which Viktor took a deep breath and looked at his mom.
VIKTOR: Well uh⌠it was snapped off.
MELISA: ⌠What?
VIKTOR: By an ice ninja.
MELISA: What??
VIKTOR: Along with my whole original right arm.
MELISA: WHAT?!?
Viktor and Nico looked at one another as they both rested back to explain everything to Melisa. Ten-ish minutes later, Melisa looked down on the floor with her jaw agape.
NICO: Appropriate reaction, hun.
MELISA: Okay. Well, at least Iâm happy to see you both okay.
VIKTOR: ⌠Iâm going to go to my room now.
He said, going to his room and playing some calm music. He laid down on his bed as Enenra slithered out of his shoulder.
ENENRA: Well, that happened.
VIKTOR: Sure did. Now that it's winter break, whatâs next?Â
ENENRA: Now? We do whatever we want.
The End, credits play
#GOD THEY'RE SO FUCKING CUUUUUUUUTE#venom references my beloved#mortal kombat#mk#humor#comedy#fluff#mortal kombat oc#mortal kombat fanfiction#mk fanfiction#mk fanfic#mk oc red robin#mk oc viktor#mk oc melisa#mk enenra#enenra#mk enenra's shadow
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Review: Telling Secretsâ new pounding alternative-rock single âFall Behindâ tells the story of tumultuous change and frustrations
Telling Secrets like many upcoming bands was realised way back in the pandemic of 2021, stemming from the sole architect Vik Kovacs. As somewhat of a nomad musician, Kovacs was born in Budapest, Hungary, before growing up in the UK, moving between London, Surrey, and Manchester, and later travelling to Los Angeles where he currently resides. Now looking to âraise the bar for the modern rock genreâ, Telling Secrets share their newest offering âFall Behind.â
The bombastic soundscape of âFall Behindâ doesnât waste any time in making itself known from the second you press play, an all consuming and thunderous approach that wraps you around its vast feel, tumultuous velocity and lingering reverberation. From the openingâs frenzied drums to the shredding electric guitar strums and emphatic riff, âFall Behindâ is relentlessly dominant in making its presence heard and pulling you in for more, a short burst of power and control before simmering down into the versesâ bubbling trepidation. Lulling you into a false sense of security, âFall Behindâ hovers through electronic beats and subdued guitar strums that are still rich and heavy but kept afar, instead slowly building the heightened sound back up through the presence of the soon re-joining slamming drums. Delivering his pained lines atop this with a half sung, half emo-rap embodiment, this downbeat moment allows for Telling Secrets to place his heavy-hearted narrative front and centre of everything without being smothered by the almost overshadowing vigour of the instrumentals abilities. Finally erupting once again back into a chorus high, âFall Behindâ lets it all loose once again, exploding into hard-hitting drums, powerful guitar and a bright unfolding riff, all the while Telling Secretsâ bursts into a sung, euphorically agile chorus range thatâs a stark shift from what we heard before. With his words drenched in a very human strain and rawness, you canât help but feel the exuding emotion behind every line, a gritty and intentionally bare deliverance of it all both in sound and lyricism. As things push forwards for nearing four minutes of harsh but completely addictive sound, âFall Behindâ only continues to get better the longer you listen - and weâd recommend listening to it all.
With many of Telling Secretsâ releases detailing a common theme of change, sole architect Kovacsâ seems to be writing a narrative of a similar nature bundled within âFall Behindâ, taking inspiration from the frustrations that he dealt with throughout the processes of moving halfway across the world. As the opening lyric rings out âI canât seem to see, but Iâll keep on going, one day Iâll be freeâ, this initial link to his own journey feels incredibly clear, yearning for an escape from a seemingly endless process to once again be reunited with simple freedoms. With no end in sight however, further lines like âIâve been holding my tears for way too long nowâ keep bottled up inside the growing resentment and overwhelm to be trapped in this way, a desperate desire to be unshackled from this existence. Critical of the world we live in, Kovacsâ continues to sing âtake me away from this societyâ , hoping for a change in what we deem to be normal and simply finding acceptance in everyone. With such a magnitude of change, thereâs also undoubtably a mass of severed ties along the way, emphasised through lyrics like âkeeping account of the losses Iâve dealtâ that seem to reflect on everything and everyone left behind. The seeping edges of a romance also weave their way through the storytelling, clinging to lyrics like âfall behind, kiss me at the back of the lineâ that leave us wondering how their story will unfold, perhaps kept apart by distance or lifeâs roadblocks along the way. With multifaceted interpretations for every line, âFall Behindâ manages to not just be captivatingly meaningful, but in many ways relatable to whatever story you see yourself within.
Check out âFall Behindâ for yourself here to enjoy both the dark sound and deeply engaging lyrical matter buried within it.
Written by: Tatiana Whybrow
Photo Credits: Unknown
// This coverage was supported and created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator.
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OMG your tags <3 this is also how I find out there's a limit lmao
I feel so at home writing them just being together, y'know? it's great. I couldn't resist making Zaeed troll Regis about his whole thing about fashion, and it turned into a fun little game that I might have to write an alternate ending for at this point :). every moment between them is so fun and I love them and their shenanigans. especially kaidan. people would think Zaeed or Regis would be the worst about getting into trouble but no, it's kaidan. and he's proud of that even if he deflects it all the time. if someone catches them in the act in somewhere public or semi-public it's all due to kaidan. fun fact ;).
wren! UGH I love writing her so much she's definitely become a fast favorite of mine to explore. her and EDI was a surprise even to me but after thinking about it for a while I knew I had to make it happen. soon :). really my favorite thing to write is banter and conversations that don't get to happen in canon so it's been fun exploring everyone and reusing dialogue in my own way. as you can see wren's also my way of giving liara the middle finger about her decisions in canon. putting another person in place on the ship so there's multiple "brokers" in action. not getting rid of an obviously valuable ship. and so on. also making wren a little more hands off in the mission because duh she knows the triad is competent. seth isn't likely an OC I'll sculpt because I really need to get Vik and Adrian figured out but when I gave him his last name I also thought to the nomad and kept it for funsies.
what would kaidan's title be... good question <3.
ah brooks. if regis wasn't so tired he probably would have figured you out by now. but for now he's just narrowed eyes about the whole thing.
for the casino bit I wanted to highlight some of my favorite little conversations you can have, and those were definitely the bartender, sha'ira, and jonah. most of the others were kind of "eh" to me but those were fun and I wanted to include them. I also enjoyed adapting other characters' dialogue for zaeed for some of his moments. which boyfriend was he talking about? he doesn't even know.
in game of course it will be one mission after another but in reality I imagine it's a lot more spaced out. let! them! rest! it was fun making Zaeed being the protective bastard he is and also making his feelings on brooks clear. can't wait to get to the reveal scene. oh it's going to be fun.
see the last bit also is inspiring me to write ashley's POV about zaeed. getting used to regis's and zaeed's dynamic without kaidan. trying to figure out his deal and only knowing him from a call or too from in between ME1 and ME2 and stories from Kaidan during ME2. she's used to regis and kaidan, but zaeed adds something different. not bad, but she does wonder how it all started... we'll see if the muses are kind to me during my break. I have wayyy too many ideas about wips and mods lately :D.
okay yeah I can keep rambling but I always love reading your tags and responding to them :).
a night to remember
Sequel to don't ask about Ryuusei. Description: Regis, Kaidan, and Zaeed dress-up to invade Khan's domain at the Silver Coast Casino and learn more about the identity theft plot against Regis.
Paring: Kaidan Alenko/Regis Shepard/Zaeed Massani
Regis put the final touches on his outfit, a pair of cufflinks adorned with both the Spectre and Alliance logos and a chain across his shirt collar, gleaming in the light of their bedroom. In some ways, he considered formal wear to be another type of armor, another way of masking and protecting himself.
He also enjoys looking damn good, so thereâs that too. Â
In a sudden burst of inspiration, he knocked Zaeed out of the way in the bathroom and grabbed the pencil eyeliner from the drawer, lining his eyes with a bit of smudge, preferring a more lived-in look over precision. Â
Zaeed wrapped his arms around Regisâs body, making the atmosphere in the room even more intimate. Regis turned his head slightly to meet Zaeed's gaze through the mirror as he continued to line his eyes.
âIf we werenât about to go on a mission, I doubt weâd ever make it to the door,â Zaeed teased, a mischievous glint in his eye.
âYeah, yeah, youâll make good on your promise eventually,â Regis said, putting the cap back on the eyeliner and placing it back in the drawer. âWhat about my own ideas? Remember one of the first nights in this apartment, and I took the both of you apart with only my biotics, you two bare to the world while I was dressed to the fucking nines?â
Zaeed kissed a spot of skin under his ear. âOh yes, I do remember. You can be a sadistic bastard when you want to be.â
âWe all contain multitudes,â Kaidan said, leaning in the doorway. Regis took him in, noticing a bit of nude lipstick and highlighted cheeks, a hint of blush and shadow around his eyes, a beautiful addition to the three piece suit he wore so well.
"That we do, love," Regis replied. "Damn we look good."
"We are going to steal the goddamn show," Zaeed said, leaning in to steal a quick peck on Kaidan's lips before heading towards the bedroom door. "A damn shame we're working this evening. Would've liked to be able to show off and let loose."
"We can still do that, you know," Kaidan said, linking his arm with Zaeed's. Regis followed behind them. "All part of the mission.â
A whistle and a round of applause greeted them as they walked down the stairs. Regis preened under the attention, knowing that he was the mastermind behind their ensemble. âLooking good!â Ashley whistled. âAlmost too good.â
Regis rolled his eyes. âIsnât that the whole point?â
âFor you, maybe,â Zaeed muttered, keeping himself pressed against Kaidanâs side.Â
âI doubt anyone will bother with us once weâre inside,â Kaidan replied. âAll the spectacle of us being there will be lost once we start mingling with the masses.â
âNo matter what, weâll be one hell of a distraction for Brooks,â Regis said. âSpeaking of, where is she?â He didnât see her among the crowd.
âGetting ready in the spare bedroom,â Wren said, now sitting at the bar with a colorful drink. âMyself, Ash, and EDI have volunteered to be your immediate backup.â
âGood team,â Zaeed nodded. âAre we just waiting on the specialist?â He shuffled on his feet, hands going up to adjust his tie. Zaeed gave him a pleading look, and Regis let out a resigned sigh, motioning for him to take off the damn thing. He grinned at him and pulled it off, setting it down in a heap on the coffee table. There goes that perfect pressing.
Wren nodded, taking a sip of her cocktail. âOf course, in the world of rich socialites aboard this station, being late is almost expected. But with you here, Regis, I canât expect you to abide by that.â
âBeing on time is a good thing,,â Regis replied, crossing his arms. âI doubt the information business thrives on lack of punctuality.â
Wren's lips curled into a sly smile as she leaned back in her barstool. âAs far as Iâm concerned, I make the rules. I have enough agents where it doesnât matter. Sometimes being a little late works in our favor, donât you think? Panic⌠fear⌠all good motivators to get what we want.â Â
Regis smirked. âFair enough, but Iâd like to get a handle on this situation ASAP. Not exactly fond of someone trying to gain my identity.â
âOf course not. Iâm doing what I can, but this whole thing even has me stumped,â she said, finishing off her drink. âAnd I hate being in the goddamn dark.â
âAmen, Wren,â Zaeed said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Again, messing up the perfectly pressed suit.
Regis will make him pay for that later. He knows this kind of shit annoys himâŚ
âMakes you wonder if it's someone close,â Kaidan mused. âOr at least, someone familiar with our methods.â
âIâve approached that angle and havenât come up with anything yet. Joker was kind enough to let me check the sigs of the messages you both supposedly sent out. Curiously devoid of any information save for the signs that belong to you. Location data was a bit fucked, but these days thatâs normal. Very impressive work, Iâm afraid,â Wren elaborated, pushing the empty drink away from her. âHope you donât mind me taking shit from your bar, by the way.â
Regis shrugged. âI donât drink most of that shit anyway. Take what you want.â
That was more of Kaidanâs and Zaeedâs hobby, the two of them sharing a similar taste in drinks.  And men, Regis couldnât help but chuckle to himself. They are the ones who will squabble over the perfect liquor for the evening, while Regis just grabs a hard lemonade or cider from the fridge and uses that as his drink of choice. He wasnât much of a fan of mixed drinks either, unless they were mostly sugar and syrup and fruit. Â
Something he definitely got from his mother. She and Adrian have both teased him how he managed to find men who had damn near the same taste in alcohol as his father.
Itâs been a while since heâs thought about Atlas. Sometimes he wonders what he wouldâve thought of Regisâs career in the Alliance, his choice in relationship, and his ultimate decisions in the midst of the Reaper War.
In these times of peace, Regisâs mind wandered more and more.
âBe careful who you say that around,â Wrex piped up from the kitchen. Â
âI think we have enough credits to cover everyone here if it came to it,â Kaidan chuckled. âNot that we have any krogan liquor here, but if you put it on the tab, I might be inclined to pay for it. You did help save our lives after all.â
âIt amazes me how good of a person you are, Kaidan. I wonât take too much advantage of your generosity.â
âI will!â Tali exclaimed, seated next to Wrex. They fist bumped.Â
Kaidan rolled his eyes. âThanks.â
âYou do have an impressive bar here,â Ashley said, moving to grab Wrenâs empty drink, pour out the ice, and drop it in the sink. She sat down next to her. âItâs a damn shame you never took up my offer for that drinking contest. Didnât want to lose against the âGlamorous and beautiful superstar Spectre agentâ?â
âMy biotics and my modifications would give me an unfair advantage. I donât get drunk easily,â Regis defended. Mostly he didnât want to drink whatever hard shit she would insist on, and she most definitely knew that. Better suited for Zaeed and Kaidan to take her up on her offer. âCute title. Might need to come up with one like that for Kaidan.â
âIâll get right on it,â she laughed, giving Kaidan a wink. He merely shook his head, walking into the kitchen to sit with Tali and Wrex. Zaeed joined Vik on the couch.
As Regis moved to join Zaeed by the fireplace, he saw Brooks rushing towards them from the spare bedroom, wearing a simple, but elegant dress, just enough to fit the dress code without drawing too much attention. She had pulled her hair up into a bun and curled her hair, adding a bit of extra makeup to her face and finishing off the look with a hint of gloss. âSorry for the delay! Got a little distracted. Wow, you have such a great apartment!â
Regis nodded his head at the compliment. âReady to go? Or do we need to debrief again before we take the skycars over?â He motioned to the door, anxious to get on with it.Â
He was more unnerved about the situation than he let on, wondering how someone managed to get past his security and get too close to ending him once and for all. After they get the apartment back to themselves, he's going to seek comfort in Kaidan and Zaeed, hoping that this will all blow over soon.Â
They know how vulnerable the restaurant attack made him. His injuries and immediate clinginess was enough proof of that.Â
âSkycars?â Brooks asked. âPlural? I thought we would all be walking in together?â She looked a little put out.
âThis is as much of a press event as it is a mission,â Kaidan said. âBetter for the three of us to get all the attention first, while you follow behind. Nothing personal.â
âMaybe a little personal,â Zaeed said under his breath. Kaidan wouldâve elbowed him for that. Regis wasnât that tactful.Â
"Okay, that makes sense! I'll be able to slip away and get ready while you three steal the show. Got it," she said with a nod.Â
Yes, that was the point of the mission. Regis kept his snide comment silent. âSo, are we ready? Any last minute preparations?â
Wren stood up and shook her head. âNone at all from my end. Weâll also be in civilian wear, to not draw too much attention to ourselves in the area. The rest of the squad will be ready to go in full gear if necessary, but somehow I doubt that will be an issue. Iâll hail the skycars.â
â â
They stepped out of the skycar, and Regis held out his arms, waiting for Kaidan and Zaeed to link arms with him before heading down the red carpet lining the path into the Silver Coast Casino. Flashing lights, cheering crowds, and adoring masses lined the area, held back by rope barriers. Â
Regis couldn't help but flash a charming smile to the crowds. âWe are going to be all over the headlines tomorrow morning,â he remarked, amused at the whole situation. There were benefits to being the man in the middle, having no hand free to wave to the crowd.
Kaidan waved at the crowd, playing the ever-so-perfect media darling. Regis could play the part as well, but Kaidan was quite the natural at it these days. Let Kaidan do the talking, while Regis stands menacingly for recruitment posters. âAll part of being who we are, Iâm afraid.â
âDon't rope me into your celebrity statuses, babe," Zaeed grumbled, keeping his free hand stashed in a pocket, "I'm just an accessory to both of your Spectre and Admiral nonsenses."Â He may have sounded reluctant, but Regis knew he secretly enjoyed all the attention, loving that he could be out and open in the spotlight with his husbands by his side.
âYou love it, though,â Kaidan said as they walked through the grand doors, stopping at the foot of the stairs. Regis moved his grip to brush against their hands before breaking apart. They stayed close together, shoulders touching, unafraid to be out and open with who they are. âThe press are only allowed outside. We should have nothing to worry about once inside. Except for some extranet gossip, but that's normal."
âI am going to hold you to that,â Zaeed said, popping another button open on his collar, smirking at Regis as he did so. Regis narrowed his eyes a fraction, raising an eyebrow. Zaeed mirrored the motion, as if goading him into doing something about it. And oh, he wanted to. Wanted to find a stray alcove or hidden corner somewhere and wipe that damn expression off his face, make him let loose and ruin his suit under Regisâs terms.
This is going to be a game all evening, isnât it?
Brooks joined them soon after, walking quickly down the red carpet behind them. âWell, I guess Iâll get to the ventilation shaft. Wish me luck!â
As she walked up the stairs, Regis double checked the comms and activated his link. Kaidan and Zaeed did the same. âWren, have anything for us?â
âNot currently. EDI and I will keep in contact in case weâre needed. As you can imagine, Khan is a paranoid bastard, and has lots of surveillance. Act natural, mingle, and be in oh-so-disgusting-love,â Wren said, chuckling at the end of her sentence.
âItâs like you want us to be all over the extranet,â Zaeed muttered, shaking his head. âRemind me why I signed up for this?â
âIâd imagine because of whatever Regis and maybe Kaidan promised you. And I donât want to hear it. But remember: this is supposed to be a press-free event on the inside. Youâll be fine, Zaeed. Also: mute button. Use it!â Wren chimed in.
Regis rolled his eyes, despite knowing she couldnât see it, and muted his comm for now. âTime to meet the riff-raff.â
âAnd Iâm going to hang out at the goddamn bar,â Zaeed said, making a motion with his thumb. âYou two can look pretty and talk politics or some shit. Lots of crowds mingling. Maybe you can learn something new.â
There were plenty of groups, mixed between humans and aliens, all in formal wear. Some were hanging out by the gambling areas, others stayed put in the various couches for a semblance of privacy. Others were walking hand in hand, pointing and marveling at the spectacle. It was quite the elegant place, a soft piano ambience in the air mingling with the sound of the crowds. Â
âSo you want us to do all the distracting work so you can look pretty drinking the night away at the bar,â Regis said, linking his arm back with Zaeed's. âCome on, whereâs your sense of adventure?â
âI left it at the door with my guns.â   Â
Regis did let Zaeed guide him to the bar, where he asked for some sparkling flavored water. âThree of the strawberry flavored, will you?â He held up three fingers, nodding once the bartender set three cans on the table. âHave to stay focused tonight, you hear me?â The bartender nodded, likely getting lots of similar requests. People either wanting to get drunk and have fun, or those that want to take part in the festivities without losing face. Or a lot of money.
Huh. Maybe he did plan something out of this. Kaidan looked at him curiously, grabbing a can and opening it, taking a long sip. âAre a lot of people enjoying the evening?â Kaidan asked, motioning to the well-stocked bar.
âPeople are feeling adventurous lately. Some asari gelatin shots that kick like a shotgun. Even some hanar delicacies. Ever heard of mindfish?â
Regis and Kaidan shared a look. Zaeed grinned. âSure have. Never tried it myself, it seemed too goddamn wild even for my tastes.â
âSo, what is it?â Regis asked, taking a drink. Â
The bartender went into detail about hallucinogenic skin oils and how it works in humans. Yeah, no, not for him. He likes being in control. And something like that sounds like his worst nightmare. âI think Iâll pass,â Regis said, finishing off the small can. The bartender took it off his hands.
âI donât blame you. We have many more ânormalâ concoctions, if you desire to get something stronger.â
âWeâll keep that in mind,â Kaidan said diplomatically, finishing off his drink. âHave a good evening.â
âYou too, gentlemen.â They stepped away from the bar.
âWell, that was a waste of time,â Regis muttered, heading towards the grand stairway in the back.
âIsnât that the whole point? To waste time?â Zaeed asked, giving him an unimpressed look, but following behind him.
âHeâs got a point, love,â Kaidan said, moving up beside Regis. âBesides, do you really want to entertain most of the people here who are probably vying to get a special talk with the oh-so-great Admiral Shepard?â
âAs if you arenât the oh-so-wonderful Admiral Alenko. But fair, I can concede to that,â Regis admitted, moving to lean against the railing in front of the waterfalls. âThis should be my element,â he murmured, crossing his arms against his chest. âI sometimes like doing these things, but tonight I just want to get to Khan.â
âItâs not a normal evening,â Zaeed said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. âWeâll find the bastards that are doing this and make them fucking pay for nearly taking you away from us.â
âI know. Canât help but dwell on it,â he sighed. Â
âAdmiral, Iâm upstairs by the grate leading to the shaft, but thereâs a problem. Can you meet me?â Brooks said over the comm, sounding worried.
Kaidan answered, âWeâre on our way.â
They walked up the stairs and met her off to the side, away from the dance floor and yet another well-stocked bar. She was standing in front of the vent, her omnitool out. âAh, there you are! Okay, just like we thought. Thereâs an alarm on the grate.â
âWeâll need to bypass it,â Regis said with a nod. âSomething tells me this isnât something I can do cleanly with one of my programs?â
âProbably notâŚ?â She trailed off, glancing back at the vent. âIn any case, Major Clarkson gave me these to pass to you.â She pulled out a small lens case from her pocket. âThese are resonance emitter lenses. They will let you see security grids and wiring.â
Regis sanitized his hands with a quick flash of his omnitool and put in the lenses, blinking quickly as his eyes adjusted to the intrusion. A slight haze settled over his vision, and he saw bright blue glowing wiring on the wall surrounding the vent and climbing down to the floor.
âI love your glowing eyes, but thatâs freaky on another level,â Zaeed said, blunt as ever. Kaidan gave him one of his signature looks. Â
Regis ignored them but made a point to catch his reflection later. âGood. I'll disable the alarm. Should be rudimentary with this shit in my eyes.â
âFingers crossed!â She said, holding up a hand.  Â
âIâll be right back,â Regis said. He activated the comm. âWren, the lenses are working great. Bit disorienting though.â
âYeah, they arenât my favorite thing either. Calibrated well with your cybernetics?â
âPerfectly. Great work as always.â
âYou flatter me. Follow the blue wiring for me.â
As he walked across the upper floor, careful to not bump into any of the dancing, drinking patrons, he noticed glowing areas around the cameras. âI see the camera zones as well. Iâll keep an eye out for them.â
âWasnât even worried about you.â Â
He stopped at the wall on the other side of the room, directly across from the vent. âI see the junction, and of course a camera is watching it. Need me to hack and fool it, or am I going to need a Wren and EDI special?â
âPfft, nah. You got the good shit. The stuff I have is a fork of your stuff anyway. Itâs pretty sad that the shit you and Adrian do was far better than a lot of stuff in the former SBâs database.â
Regis chuckled, activating his hack with a flourish and disabling the alarm. âThought Iâd ask anyway.â
âSuch a gentleman.â
The camera turned back on a moment later, and Regis stepped away. âShould be disabled now, Brooks.â He took a moment to glance at his reflection by opening the camera on his 'tool.
His normally red glowing eyes were lined with yellow scan lines. He blinked a few times and the light dimmed some, but not going away completely.
Zaeed had a point. It was a little off putting, even by his normal post-Lazarus apperance.
âGood! Zaeed helped me get the grate open and⌠in we go! Act casual, this could take a while.â
Kaidan and Zaeed rejoined him in the center of the room. âNice and efficient as always,â Kaidan praised, leaning up against him. He motioned to the dance floor. âWant to let loose for a bit?â
âThe kind of dancing I want to do with you two is not appropriate for this kind of shindig,â Zaeed chuckled, his eyes darkening. âBut I did catch an interesting figure there in the back. Ashland⌠Jonah, I believe.â
âOf Eldfell-Ashland Energy?â Regis asked, the name vaguely familiar.
Ah, right. The owners of the facility on Zorya, back when they hired Zaeed to free it from the Blue SunsâŚ
âOne and the same,â Zaeed nodded. âWant to say hello?â
âProbably one of the more interesting people up here to talk to,â Regis said. âShall we?â
A well-dressed older man was leaning against the bar, speaking to a turian dressed in casual wear. As they approached, his face broke out into recognition. âTwo Admirals and a well-known mercenary. Interesting company.â
âEnjoying the party?â Kaidan asked, joining him against the bar. Regis and Zaeed stood next to Kaidan, getting comfortable.
âYoung people party. I drink. Tonight itâs ryncol on the rocks,â he chuckled, holding up his glass. âWhat brings you here?â
âBusiness,â Regis said, keeping it truthful but vague. âA common reason here, Iâm sure.â
âItâs never just business,â Ashland replied, looking over at Zaeed. âI heard what you did on Zorya back a few years ago. Good work keeping our people safe. Blue Suns can be such a stain on this galaxy.â
He couldnât help but share a look with Zaeed. They long since worked past Zorya, and the moment Wren became the Broker, they were able to hunt Vido down once and for all before their final mission with Cerberus.
Still, it wasnât easy thinking about what had happened. No regrets from the both of them now, but Regis hated what that mission did to them, hated how fragile things could get concerning his command.
One of the few times he wasnât sure if he would have done the same thing if he could repeat the mission. Best to leave those thoughts buried in the past with Vidoâs corpse.
âAll in a day's work,â Zaeed said, brushing off the compliment. âI had Shepardâs resources on my side. Good to know that it worked out in the end.â It worked out for the company. For them? Eventually.
Kaidan sent a reassuring push into the gravity well, sensing the change in the air between them, caught in their old conflict like everyone else on board the SR-2.
Regis sent one back. They will be fine.
They continued to talk more about the state of the galaxy. Ashland offered up some information pertaining to his company's growth and reconstruction post-war. He kept his comm open, knowing Wren would likely enjoy the tidbits of knowledge. Â
âSeeing all this,â he said, gesturing around him. âNobody is afraid of each other anymore. Youâve made the galaxy quite a better place, Admiral.â
âI wanted to win,â Regis said. âAnd the only way was to unite the galaxy to the best of my ability.â
âIâd argue you did far more than that. Enjoy your evening, gentlemen. Donât waste your time speaking to me.â He raised his glass and took a long sip.
âIâd argue youâre one of the more interesting people here,â Kaidan said, amping up the charm as always. âIt looks like most are here to throw around their wealth and status. What brings you here?â
He laughed and talked about his daughter, asking if they had run into her yet. They hadnât and the topic changed to her and his concerns about her. Young, impulsive, not yet knowing much about the world. Like they all were once upon a time.
Eventually, it was time for them to move on, Regis departing with a laugh and well wishes. They walked back down the stairs, heading back down to the main area to grab some more refreshments and eat some of the variety of foods offered to the eventâs guests. However, an asari caught his eye at the bottom of the stairs, looking somewhat familiar.
She caught his gaze and tilted her head to the side.
Shaâira.
âAdmiral Shepard,â she greeted. Regis stayed a few feet away, recalling their last meeting with a bit of distaste. He doubted she would do anythingâhell, she backed off when he asked her toâbut he found the whole situation⌠uncomfortable, especially with Kaidan and Ash in the room with him, as if she wanted to put on a show. âOr do you go by your full name these days?â
âWhichever you prefer,â he replied. âItâs been a long time.â
âMy idea of a long time is different from yours. I see some of your companions have remained the same,â she said softly, nodding at Kaidan. He returned the gesture, but Regis could feel the tense air around them. Kaidan also wasnât too happy at her display back in her chambers, ranting about it the moment they left the chambers. âAnd some are new.â Zaeed didn't introduce himself, and she didnât ask. Â
He remembered their call to Zaeed all about her later that day, catching him up on everything that had gone on since Eden Prime.
They have come a long way since then.
âIâve put a lot of living in the past few years,â Regis replied, adjusting his tie. âBut even these times must feel long to an asari.â
âIndeed,â she said, taking a sip from her drink. âIf this was a couple of years ago, I would have had more advice for you.â
âOh, really?â Regis asked, admittedly a bit curious to learn what she had to say.
She smirked. âOne word: win. Youâve done far more than that, and I applaud you. I would offer you a drink, but something tells me you would decline.â
âWant to have a clear head tonight.â
âI see.â She sat her glass down. âGood to see that you are doing well, Admiral, after everything.â
âSame to you,â he offered. âThe galaxy has come a long way since its first human Spectre.â
âAnd now thereâs more than a few,â she glanced over at Kaidan. âSome even I would consider honorary in deeds if not in name.â Her gaze landed on Zaeed. Â
She turned back to him. âDid you ever find a use for that trinket?â
A vision on Eletania, after examining a floating prothean relic. A chance, a hunch, a sensation from the trinket that brought him to test it in the slot.
He became enmeshed in the life of a Cro-Magnon hunter, captured by a prothean drone. The implication of being watched and studied, but unable to comprehend it.
It disturbed him and still does to this day. Â
âNo,â Regis lied. âI did not. It was lost with the SR-1.â That part wasnât a lie. It stayed hidden in a drawer after it detached itself from the relic. He damn near wanted to blow it up, but he kept it, just in case.
His visions may have played a part in preventing him from destroying it. Dwelling on it these days creates nothing but disquiet and unease.
Zaeed sensed a change in the air and brushed up against him Right. He never told him about the vision, barely even giving Kaidan the details after they got back to the Normandy and ensured Regis suffered no ill effects from the relic.
âA shame. Maybe some mysteries were never meant to be solved.â
âAgreed,â Regis said, moving to take Zaeedâs hand. He squeezed it tightly in response. âNow, if youâll excuse me, Iâm going to enjoy the rest of the evening with my husbands.â
âI can see saying that makes you very happy, Admiral. I wish you peace for the rest of your life,â she nodded. âA better gift of words than the ones I gave you all those years ago.â
âThank you,â Kaidan answered, taking Regisâs other hand. âTimes are better for us. I hope they are also peaceful for you too.â
âAs do I, Admiral. Have a good rest of your evening.â
âWhat was that about?â Zaeed asked as they walked back to the railing in front of the waterfalls.
âThe trinket?â Regis asked, already knowing the answer. Â
âYeah, exactly.â Zaeed nodded. âTrust me, I remember the story about her. You lied to her, didnât you?â
âCanât hide anything from you. We found a relic on an UNC. Her trinket just so happened to interface with it. I saw⌠and damn near lived the life of an ancient hunter. The protheans were watching us, throughout our historyâ Regis said. Zaeed and Kaidan both provided reassuring squeezes, punctuated by Kaidan reaching into the gravity well, his eyes igniting blue briefly. âItâs⌠not fun to talk about.â
âThatâs about what I got out of him after it happened,â Kaidan said for Zaeedâs benefit, moving in to brush a soft kiss on the side of Regisâs neck. âNever expected to see her again.â
âThat prothean shit freaks me out. No offense,â Zaeed said. Regis waved it off,
âCanât say Iâve enjoyed having it in my head either. It is what it is,â he sighed.
âAdmiral!â Brookâs voice appeared over the comms in a harsh whisper.
âWhat?â Regis asked, lowering his voice.
âThereâs a guard right below me. Heâs on the uhâleft? Side of the room? From your left. Not mine.â
Regis looked over and saw a guard on the other side of the bar. âDonât panic. Weâll get his attention.â
But how⌠Hmm. The three of them shared a look, and Kaidan kicked off from the railing, volunteering himself to do the job. âExcuse me.â The guard turned to him, his visor shutting off momentarily. Interesting little feature. Kaidan leaned in close, as if he was telling a secret. âYou may want to check out the menâs restrooms. I donât want to snitch butâŚâ He lowered his voice. âMight have seen some people using red sand.â
âGoddamn snitch,â Zaeed chuckled. âHope there arenât any unsuspecting folks in there.â
âItâs effective,â Regis defended, watching as the guard opened his omnitool and relayed the information to the rest of security. âBut Iâll agree. Was damn near tempted to bring my Astras with me.â
âThought you quit that.â His tone wasnât accusatory, but his glare damn sure was.
âI did. Shit like this wants me to bring it back.â
Zaeed wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close to his side. âI get it. Just donât like you relying on them.â
âNeither do I.â But he still has that feeling all the same.
âWeâre taking care of it sir. Appreciate your help. You have a good night, now.â
Kaidan rubbed the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish. âUh, no problem.â The guard turned away from him and started on a different patrol route. Kaidan rejoined them as Regis relayed to Brooks that the route was clear.
âThanks! Iâll see if I can get to the panic room.â
Zaeed motioned for them to follow him, walking over to the other side of the room in the back, a quieter area with some mixed seating and refreshments. A bit of a break from standing around and making conversation with people. Regis was very thankful for it.
Kaidan grabbed a couple of little tarts and passed them around. âLooked like you two werenât too impressed with my display there,â he commented, taking a bite out of the tart.
âWasnât all about that,â Zaeed said, eating his in one go. He wiped away crumbs from his mouth, getting some on his suit. Regis moved to brush them off, but he dodged him, stepping aside with a laugh. âIt will be fine, babe.â
âYouâre paying for the goddamn dry cleaning.â
âOur money anyway.â He shrugged. âAnything to get out of this suit faster.â
âThereâs a coat check,â Kaidan helpfully suggested. He moved in, grabbed Zaeedâs suit by the lapels. âYouâve always looked better without the jacket, showing off those arms of yours.â
Regis couldnât exactly disagree with that. But itâs about the fucking principle. âAnd what happened to me making all of us match?â
âWeâve matched for the goddamn press already.â Zaeed let Kaidan slip the jacket off his shoulders before he started rolling up the sleeves of his black, silk shirt. Regis tried to not focus too much on the action, knowing it will definitely betray his real feelings on the matter. âTake off your coats too and we can all match again.â
âTempting.â Regis narrowed his eyes as Kaidan walked over to a room in the corner. âBut I'm not going to do it. Besides, didnât you want to take this off of me later?â
âYouâre still all dressed up,â he purred into his ear. âOne less layer just makes it easier for me to make you writhe.â
Regis had to hold back a shiver. Itâs been a while since they were able to take a moment for themselves. This shore leave was meant to be a bunch of self-indulgent laziness, plenty of sex, and ignoring the responsibilities of the greater galaxy.
Instead, he was fighting off yet another attempt on his life. When will people learn that it isnât easy to take down Regis Shepard?
âCareful,â Regis replied. âYou may be the one helpless if you keep up this game of yours.â
Zaeed popped another button, showing off more of his skin in response. Â
Kaidan rejoined them, watching them with an exasperated look on his face. âNot that Iâm not enjoying the show, but time and a place.â
âSays you,â both he and Zaeed said together. Â
Kaidan held up his hands in surrender. âI like what I like. But the last thing I think you want to deal with is getting in the moment and hearing Brooksâs voice over the comm.â
âI hate it when youâre being so reasonable,â Regis said, shaking his head. Â
Kaidan hooked his arm with Zaeedâs. âYou can do whatever you want to each other later.â
âYou arenât involving yourself?â Zaeed asked with narrowed eyes. âWhat are you planning?â
âI think Iâm going to let you two take the lead on this one. See who wins out on this petty game you have going on.â Kaidan always liked to watch when it was the three of them, being a vocal spectator, directing the scene to his specifications. Or heâll be content just watching in silence, joining in after Regis and Zaeed were nearly spent to push them all over the edge.
Regis walked back over to the table of refreshments and grabbed some more desserts. He was getting hungry, and these tiny little portions werenât helping. âWhatever happens will be after we get some takeout.â
âAnd we still need to test out your amp,â Kaidan reminded with a pointed look.
Regis rolled his neck. âI can test out plenty of maneuvers in the bedroom,â he said, looking at Zaeed as he did so. Zaeed smirked in response. âAnyway, want to gamble some of our money away?â He pointed to the door.
âNot particularly,â Zaeed replied, letting Kaidan guide him over to the door. âWho else is there to even talk to in this place? Politicians and shit?â
Regis followed them back to the main area, heading to one of the side gambling areas. They can at least watch and feign interest in what's going on. This was getting old, fast. âWren, did you ever get a guest list together?â He asked, unmuting himself.Â
âI can send you one. Why? Zaeed complaining about the company?â
She knows them so well.Â
âAm I wrong?â Zaeed shot back.Â
She snorted. âNo. Iâll send you a list. But since I havenât seen anything too untoward posted to the ânet about you three, I think youâre going just fine.â
Their omnitools pinged with the file transfer.
Zaeed opened it, examining the dossier. âSee, I was right. Mostly a bunch of bullshit.â
âAt least many are high paying donors. And as far as I can tell, most of the money goes where it says it's going to be. Iâll make sure that it all gets routed to the charity efforts. Iâll leave you three to it, unless you have anything else for me?â
âI think weâre good, thanks,â Regis said, taking a cup of water from a nearby waiter. âWeâve made good progress.â
âTo be honest, Iâm impressed. Like you, I thought this whole thing was going to go up in flames.â
âA little faith goes a long way,â Kaidan said diplomatically. Â
âYouâre too goddamn nice, Kaidan,â Wren chuckled.
Kaidan looked at Regis and Zaeed, shaking his head. âSomeone has to be on our team.â
Before Regis could even attempt to defend himselfâand it would be for naught, as it is very hard for him to be nice most of the timeâthe comms came to life from Brooks. âUm, Iâve got a pressure pad and an obstruction detector ahead. I canât disable them from here.â
What kind of spy-movie bullshit is going on in this place? Then again, physical security was never Regisâs thing. Maybe this kind of stuff really was effective.
âSounds like a job for EDI,â Zaeed answered, to his surprise. âWeâll figure this shit out for you.â
âI was talking toâoh nevermind! Okay⌠Iâll stay here, hoping to not blow up anything.â
Her enthusiasm and focus on him was getting real grating. Zaeed grimaced, muting his comm. âThis shit canât end any sooner.â
âI donât foresee how you need my help. You have Shepard, who is capable enough with his own programs to handle your situation from my knowledge. Unless you want me to improve outputs by an incremental only I will notice⌠then no,â EDI piped up. âWait, you wanted her to get off the comms.â
âYouâre goddamn right, EDI,â Zaeed said. âRegis, what do you got for us?â
Regis scanned the room, now since used to all the extra information coming from the lenses. He identified one point in the gambling area they were in, and what appeared to be another on the other area on the other side of the room. âWeâre in the perfect spot, found one of the junction points. Only problem is we have both a camera and a guard over here.â
The guard was weaving between the betting races and the quasar machines, making a long, but predictable path. Moving fast enough to where Regis knew he couldnât hack the junction and deal with the camera without her noticing. Â
âDonât worry. Iâll distract her,â Zaeed said, undoing his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves to his elbows. He handed Kaidan his cufflinks.
Kaidan gave him an unimpressed look. âZee, I love you, butââ
âNo buts. I can handle this. You both do remember what I used to do for a goddamn living, right?â
Yes, in many explosive and non-clandestine ways. But Regis also wanted to see what he was planning, and chose to not support Kaidan in this. When Kaidan looked at him for back up, Regis shrugged. Kaidanâs gaze fell on Zaeedâs arms and pursed his lips.
He got to see those large, muscled arms. Can he really judge him? Focus, Regis. You canât let him win.
Kaidan sighed and waved him off, moving to make small talk with some of the gamblers as Regis moved to the junction, starting by disabling the camera. Â
âHey, can we talk shop for a second here? What kind of resume do you need to work at a place like this?" Regis overheard Zaeed ask the guard as he inputted his program and waited for the camera to clear.
He had to stifle a laugh. Effective for sure.Â
âWell, if you're really interested, we have an extranet site with the details,â she replied, sounding hesitant, as if she was expecting something else out of him.
The camera cleared out, and he slid over to the junction, keeping a mental timer in his head. Plenty of time to get rid of the first obstruction. According to the printouts, this belonged to the pressure pad.
âAh, thanks. You see, I think a gig like this can really help me impress my boyfriend.â
Regis wanted to know which one, feeling like he could hear Kaidan rolling his eyes. He finalized his entry, looking through the printouts as they appeared to ensure there were no errors.
His display flashed green, and he was in the clear just in time for the camera to recover.
One down, one more to go.
He sent a push through the gravity well to let Kaidan know he was done. Kaidan nodded at the group he was talking to and walked up to Zaeed, reaching out for his hand. âHey love, what are you getting up to?â
The guard only smiled at them before continuing her route. âOh, you know, just making conversation.â
âHope you werenât flirting,â Kaidan teased, lightly punching him on the shoulder. âCome on, letâs check out the other activities.â
Regis started to make his way over to the other side of the room. âBrooks, try the pressure pad.â
âChecking the pressure pad⌠no alarms. Looks good!â
âGood, Iâll get the other module disabled. Stay put.â
âNot like Iâm going anywhere anytime soon!â
Regis glanced behind him to make sure Kaidan and Zaeed were following him as they made their way over to the roulette tables. Â
He saw the junction on the wall, confirming it was the right one by following the wires. Unfortunately, this area was also heavily guarded. Two guards were patrolling, and sending both Zaeed and Kaidan to deal with them would look suspect.  However, there was no camera this time.
Regis positioned himself near the junction panel. âOne of you needs to distract the guard, while the other keeps an eye out for me.â
âSounds like itâs my turn,â Kaidan said, adjusting his suit, heading towards the guard that was patrolling closer to the junction controls.
Regis wondered how this was going to go. Zaeed gave him a nod and settled near one of the roulette tables, keeping an eye on the game and the guard.
âExcuse me, sir,â Kaidan began, sounding a little⌠guilty? âUh, I accidentally used biotics on the roulette wheel. Sorry.â Regis had to hide a snort. He started to input his program, watching the printouts for anything he might need to adjust on the fly. Nothing.
Man, the security in this place is terrible. Either that, or his programs are that good.
Most likely a bit of both, if he had to guess. The guard replied, âWe can eject you for that, sir. Do I make myself clear?â
The program was almost done. âExtremely. Though, Iâm not the only one, those groups of asariââ he pointed behind him. âWatch.â
The display flashed green before Regis turned around to see where Kaidan was going with this. To his surprise, Kaidan was right. Two asariâs eyes flashed a light violet as the roulette spun.
The guard hurried over to the table without a second glance. Nice one, babe.
Regis sent a push through the gravity well, and they were off, leaving as the guard started to escort out the cheating asari.
Zaeed started to laugh as they settled down in a quiet corner. âI love you, Kaid.â
âNoticed it when we walked over. I wasnât going to âincriminateâ myself at first, but why not. Funny seeing him get so mad until I dropped that bombshell onto him,â Kaidan said, a smile tugging on his lips.
âI was wondering where you were going with that,â Regis said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. âNice one.â
âI donât get a kiss for my distraction?â Zaeed said, crossing his arms, looking unimpressed.
âDepends on which boyfriend you were talking about back there,â Regis replied.
âUh, did you get it working?â Brooks asked, interrupting their conversation. Ah, right.
âYes, the detector should be disabled.â
âOkay⌠yes! Alright, Iâm already at the storage room grate. Time to hit the lock.â
âBe careful,â he said, and then heard sounds of metal and general commotion. âUh, Brooks? Everything okay?â
âOh, son of aâhey, Admiral?â
The three of them shared a look. âWhat happened?â
She started to whisper. âInfrared laser hooked up to a silent alarm. I didnât get it in time.â
Shit. EDI piped up, âShepard, Iâll call the responding guard to say it was a false alarm, but you must stall her before she reaches Brooks. She is coming from the racing area.â
âGot it, EDI. Thanks.â
Regis hurried back over to the other gambling area, wondering if it was the same female guard Zaeed was talking to earlier. As he rounded the corner, he saw that it was, her hand on her comm link and the other holding up her omnitool display.
He motioned for Kaidan and Zaeed to stay behind. âHey!â he yelled, trying to get her attention.
She held up her hands. âJesus, calm down. Iâm trying to do three things at once here!â Her omnitool pinged with an alarm. She held up a finger. âOne moment, please, sir,â she sighed, activating the vid.
âEDIâs got it handled, thankfully,â Wren said quietly. âSheâs so coolâ
Regis only smiled, despite knowing she couldnât see it.Â
Will she do something about it already?
âBarrow?â The guard sighed. âWhat is it?â
âMaâam, weâve checked out the alarm in storage. Itâs nothing. Minor accident,â EDI said with her voice disguised to be that of one of the guards. Â
âFind out who tripped it and get them in my office by the end of the shift!â she ordered, shutting down her omnitool. She brought her attention back to Regis. âNow you. What is it you needed?â
Uh⌠thatâs a damn good question. He was going to be a little shit and bring up Zaeed, but maybe thatâs not a good idea. Try not to bring too much attention to them. So⌠what now?
âAh shit, Iâm sorry. Thought you were an old friend of mine. Sorry about that,â he said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. âIâll leave you back to your work.â
Good enough. Plausible, if a bit weak.
She paused and shook her head. âYou⌠have a good evening, sir.â She walked away.
Regis returned back to his laughing lovers. âWhat is it?â he sighed.
âYou came up with that on the fly, didnât you?â Zaeed laughed.Â
Regis ignored them. âBrooks, youâre in the clear. Please, be careful.â
âThanks, Admiral. I will! Iâll see if I can get to the panic room.â
So close to getting to Khan. Regis was getting tired of this back and forth, running on fumes at this point. He moved to lean against the wall, taking a breath. He knew he wasnât getting a migraine, none of the tell-tale signs were there, but his head was starting to pound. Â
Kaidan picked up on it. âRegis, love, everything okay?â
âJust tired,â he said. âShouldnât have volunteered to do this so soon. Wren, can you do me a favor?â
âDepends. Related to the mission?â
âNot this current one. Iâll say it anyway. Get my goddamn apartment cleared before we get in there, and I donât want to hear anyone bitching about it.â
âAh, I see. No problem. I imagine some of us might want to stay behind in case thereâs a problem⌠Vik already let me know they were going to meet up with Adrian to get him informed on the situation.â
âSure, thatâs fine. Got a number in mind?â
âMyself and EDI⌠Ash for sureâŚâ
Wren and EDI⌠thatâs something heâs been keeping a close eye on from the beginning. He first thought Joker was interested in EDI, but when Regis made that suggestion, he shot it down fast, saying that he and EDI were best as friends, even making a comment about Wrenâs interest.
He also knew Traynor had a thing for EDI as well, but he wasnât sure if that was just attraction to her voice or something more. Wren, however, got to know EDI and her mech would often spend time in Wrenâs office, helping her sort out stuff with her network and her liaison, an N7 Paladin by the name of Seth Nomad, still on board the old Brokerâs ship. Â
Keeping that ship intact gave them a lot of good resources in the Reaper War. Too valuable to be decommissioned or sacrificed.
âThatâs fine with me. We have two guest bedrooms you can bunk in,â Regis said, looking at both Kaidan and Zaeed who nodded at the suggestion.
âIâll let them know. I know you want some time alone, so weâll keep to ourselves.â
âThanks, Wren. Youâre the best!â
She laughed. âIâm well aware, my friend. You three are being quite antisocial.â
âAt this point, weâre tired of all this bullshit,â Zaeed said. âI, for one, was tired of it when we walked through the goddamn door.â
âFair enough. Not that I really expected anything else from you,â she chuckled. âAh, well, as long as we get something out of Khan I donât really care what you three get up to at this point.â
âIâd be careful, Wren. Best not to give them anymore leeway they need,â Kaidan said, a smirk tugging at his lips as he looked at Regis and Zaeed. Â
âWhat are they doing now?â
âZaeed keeps messing with his suit,â Regis supplied, and Wren made a sound of understanding. âItâs become a whole thing.â
âAnd Kaidan, you say that like you arenât the reason why I cleared the camera feeds in the docking bay a couple of months ago.â
He shrugged as Regis recalled that memory. Kaidan and Zaeed got a little⌠distracted with one another, to put it simply.Â
Both of their exhibition kinks will be the death of him.Â
Kaidan had the decency to look a little guilty at that, rubbing the back of his neck. âFair enough. Weâre all horrible.â
âThatâs more like it,â Wren said. âDonât worry, we love you three anyway even if yâall love each other a little too much.â
Regis opened his mouth to reply, but Brooks appeared over the comms once more. âOkay, so now I think you just need to get to me. Iâm on the other side of the security gate.â
âSounds good. Weâre on our way. Have you bypassed the camera back there?â Regis asked, eager to finally get the answers they came here for.
âWell, I got my side. Yours is still on, though. We need to finish this before someone comes by.â Regis wondered if the security differed that much between the two areas, but then again, time wasnât exactly on Brooksâ side. Itâs not like it would take him long to hack into any of the cameras on his side, but something about her blase attitude bugged him despite being so nervous earlier on.
Maybe sheâs becoming more sure of herself as she goes through the motions. Or maybe heâs just really fucking tired and is trying to make sense of something that doesnât need it.
âTook the words right out of my mouth. On it,â Regis replied, nodding at Kaidan and Zaeed.
âItâs the yellow wiring,â EDI chimed in. Regis glanced down and made note of the path, leading them to an area in the back of the casino. Â
âI canât get the security gate to open from here. The junction must be on your side,â Brooks said as they got closer to her location. âIt might be tricky, just so you know.â
Regis chose to not reply to that statement, looking into the doorway,
All that remained in order to get inside the safe room was a few cameras, a patrolling guard, and a stationary one looking bored against the wall. They were alone in the room; a couple walked out as the three of them lingered nearby the entrance.
âSo, how are we going to handle this?â Regis asked, pathing out a way to disable everything as cleanly as possible.
âDonât worry, I have a plan,â Zaeed said, motioning for Regis to enter the room. âGet yourself nice and positioned by the controls, and weâll make sure you get us in with no problems.â
Regis looked at Kaidan who merely shrugged in response, not appearing to know what Zaeed was planning, which didnât concern him at all. Nope.
If worse comes to worse, they can just Stasis the guards and threaten Khan. Not the end of the world.
Regis gave them one last lingering look before walking inside, sitting down on one of the couches closest to the first panel. He made a show as if he was searching for something in his coat, waiting to see if any of the guards were about to approach him.
Regis was in the clear. Ready to activate his omnitool at any moment, he kept a lazy eye out for his lovers, watching as they walked inside, looking a little flustered.
Oh, no. Really?
âWhat the hell were you thinking, spending all my goddamn money like that?â Zaeed asked, his voice in a low, dangerous growl reserved for the worst of the scum of the galaxy.
ââMyâ money,â Kaidan replied, with dramatic air quotes, his voice carefully flat. âI donât know, what was that doc we signed all those years ago, signifying the joining of what, exactly? Remind me of that Zachary!â
Regis had to hide a snort as he activated his omnitool. The stationary guard shuffled on his feet, careful to look at anything other than them.
âYes, yes, commitment and all that goddamn shit, I havenât forgotten! Do you know what I was saving up for you, Kevin?â Laying it on thick with the names, loves, Regis thought to himself, listening out for the tell-tale sign of the program finishing up. It was taking a bit longer with this one.
âI donât know, tell me. Youâve been awfully cagey lately. And hey, I ended up making more goddamn money than what we started with, so stop with your complaining!â
âYeah, you may have made more money, but guess what? That wasnât your fucking decision to make. Because I was going to buy us a goddamn home on Bekenstein, and you nearly robbed us of a chance for that!â
Aw, how sweet. The program chimed, and Regis got up to deal with the next one. The other guard in his route had moved closer to his lovers, slowing down as he assessed the situation.
âYou⌠what? Our dream home?â Kaidan asked, all starry-eyed. Heâs sure Wren was getting an absolute kick out of this, but she was suspiciously quiet. Maybe she was enjoying the show as much as Regis was.
âYes, you blind idiot!â Out of the corner of his eye, Regis saw Zaeed step closer to Kaidan.
âYou shouldâve told me! You know how much planning I have to do now to make it perfect? Come here, you asshole.â Kaidan closed the distance between them, grabbing Zaeed by the shirt collar, and pushing him up against the wall near the door.
Regis activated his omnitool the moment he heard the patrolling guard clear his throat awkwardly, inputting the program and watching for the cameras, both still disabled. He wouldâve love to watch the show, having just enough of them in view to see that they were ignoring the guard, too absorbed in each other and their love. Or something.
The other guard had joined his partner, clearing his throat louder and trying to find a way to deal with the⌠situation.
The program chimed, and Regis moved away from the wall, sending out a quick pulse in the gravity well to signify he was ready to go. In the corner of his eye he saw Brooks outside the door with her omnitool out. Just in time.
He watched, amused, as they broke apart. âSorry, gentlemen. A place like this makes you feel so in love,â Kaidan sighed. âWeâll finish this later, darling. Got to show all my appreciation somehow.â
The guards waved his lovers off, turning their backs to them and giving them a bit of space. Honestly, it was a good plan, making the air awkward and causing the guards to stumble in their routine.
Still, they could work on their acting skills. He has half a mind to call them by their fake names on their way back to the apartment, just to see how they will react.
They slipped past the guards, the three of them now ready and waiting in the hallway in front of the door. Brooks nodded at them and opened the door, the four of them rushing inside the office as the doors closed and locked behind them, the faint voice of a guard shouting cut off by the sudden closure. A problem they will deal with later.
The office itself was fancy, a large, long, wooden desk that appeared to be an Earth antique, and had to be decades, if not over a hundred years old judging by the craftsmanship. Dimly lit by a fireplace, the office had a nice aura to it. A couple of chairs lined the desk, and Khanâs chair with him in it was facing away from them. Â
A large vid screen was placed above the fireplace, clear of any data. Other screens lined the walls of the office, filled with scrolling text. Perhaps something of interest could be gleaned from those later.
The lack of reaction upon their entrance was not lost on Regis. Or Kaidan and Zaeed, judging by their narrowed eyes. Â
âKhan,â Regis began, stepping forward. âWe need to talk.â
No reaction. Only silence.
Regis sniffed the air, fine tuning his senses augmented by Cebrerusâs project. Blood. Singed flesh. Shit.
Kaidan tilted his head to the side and walked around the desk. Once he got a look at Khan, a grim expression formed on his face as he turned the chair around. Khan was slumped in his chair, dead.
âWhat the hell?!â Brooks exclaimed, stepping forward to join Kaidan behind the desk.
Kaidan scanned his corpse with his omnitool to confirm it. âDead by cardiac arrest. An overload, perhaps. This wasnât accidental.â
âAnd here I had this bad-cop routine all planned,â Zaeed muttered as he and Regis joined them, all huddled around the smaller terminal. It was open and logged in. Brooks moved to activate it, but Regis pushed her aside and starting looking through the outputs.
âFucking hell,â Wren cursed. âGot me in?â
âAlmost there⌠ah, there you go,â Regis said, getting her linked into Khanâs systems. âAnd well, shit, thereâs a deletion order.â
âGoddammit. What a fuckingâugh.â Wren let out another string of curses, her composure surprisingly lost. Â
Brooks started to ramble behind them, pacing back and forth and apologizing if this was because something she did. Regis paid her no mind as he continued to look through the terminal along with Wren in his ear in case there was something left.
And thereâa comm that was left. Only the terminal was wiped. Amateurs Regis scoffed to himself. âLooks like our killer is an idiot. Didnât wipe everything. Letâs see what this is.â
âSo, that means we can bring it back to the safe house and scan it orââ
Regis rolled his eyes and activated the comm, turning around to face the screen once it went through.
A figure appeared on the screen, obscured by static and a feed disguised to be lagged out. âAlready on it, Regis,â Wren said.
âElijah, come crawling back?â The voice taunted, the same modulator as the earlier call Wren got her hands on.
Regis couldnât help but smirk, crossing his arms and punctuating it by roaring his corona to life. âAfraid not.â
âYou! I see youâve recovered from flopping on the floor like a fish.â The voice was carefully neutral, only losing a bit of composure at the beginning.
Have they not checked the news feeds? Or maybe this was just part of the show they are putting on?
âFucking pathetic work,â Regis scoffed. âPlease, you must know my track record. Did you really think falling from an abomination of a restaurant would be my end?â
âBrave. I thought as much, but it wonât matter. You have nothing. All you can do is wait for the hammer to fall.â
Regis blinked. Is this guy serious? âI have nothing? Huh, interesting. And yet you want me and all that I stand for.â
âDonât worry. Iâll take everything you have and everything you are. And there wonât be anything you can do about it.â The call ended from the voiceâs end.
âShit. Almost enough time to track it. Still, itâs something,â Wren muttered over the comms, almost sounding a little defeated. âPull out any data drives you can find.â
âAlready on it,â Zaeed said, taking Regisâs place at the terminal. âThink EDI can find something?â
âIâll be surprised if I am unable to locate anything from the drives,â EDI said. âAlso, there are guards and C-Sec behind the door. I suggest letting them in so you can explain the situation.â
âNever a dull day,â Kaidan said, moving to unlock the door, already prepping his Spectre credentials. A few armed C-ec and a couple of the casino guards were waiting on the other side, their own pistols drawn.
Brooks instinctively put her hands up, but Zaeed shot her a glare, causing her to slowly put them down.
âExcuse me, Kaidan Alenko, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. With me here is Regis Shepard, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance, Zaeed Massani, Spectre liaison, and Maya Brooks, Alliance Staff Analyst,â Kaidan said, smoothly diffusing the situation. âThis is under our jurisdiction.â
The salarian officer stepped forward and scanned the credentials. âIf we didnât recognize you by sight, these definitely prove it. Whatâs the situation, Spectre Alenko?â
The next hour passed in a flurry as Zaeed prepped the data drives for transport and Kaidan and Regis talked to the officers to prepare basic reports about the situation, giving the officers a general breakdown of the situation, careful to not reveal anything about the identify theft plot but instead about Khanâs seedier operations.
Enough to provide plausible reason without informing more people of the situation, heeding Brooksâs earlier warnings. Not that Regis still wanted to abide by them at this point, but there was wisdom in giving information as little as possible. Â
Soon enough, they were able to gather their things and leave, Regis making a point to stop by the coat check to give Zaeed his goddamn suit coat with a pointed look that went nowhere.
The only good thing to come out of this mission, really, their teasing keeping things interesting even if they don't keep their promises to do something about it in the end.Â
At least they werenât entirely empty handed, but it didnât inspire confidence either. EDI was known to work miracles, and even more so with Wren by her side.
The ride back to the apartment was slightly awkward as they only called one skycar for the four of them to share. Â And one of them had to be the one to break the news that the apartment was off-limits to Brooks, who seemed eager to get to the bottom of this, even more so than Regis.
Which, again, fair, but Regis was only human, and he was tired of chasing ghosts.
âBut, we have toââ
âNo, we fucking donât,â Zaeed interjected, stopping Brooks from responding to Kaidan telling her to join the rest of the crew in local accommodations. âShepard is exhausted, hell, we all are. And weâll be goddamn useless if we donât rest for a few hours before reconvening. Give EDI time to look over our shit. The Reaper War wasnât won in a day, and neither will this.â
She slumped down in her seat, and the rest of the ride was filled with an awkward silence.
â â
The smell of soup greeted them as they entered the apartment, shrugging off jackets and taking off their dress shoes. EDI immediately reached out for the physical drives to go along with the data transfers they sent her before they left the office. âAshley took the liberty to order some food. She opted for an array of soups from a local kitchen, citing that comfort food is exactly what the three of you need. Was she correct?â
âShe was,â Regis said, waving at her in the kitchen. âIâm going to get undressed, and Iâll be right down.â
âSame here,â Kaidan said, and they all made their way upstairs. Â
The door to their bedroom was barely closed before they all started stripping down. This night shouldâve concluded with them enjoying each other, high after a successful mission. Regis making good on his own promise to take Zaeed apart, as Zaeed fought to do the same to him. Kaidan watching, observing, waiting to find the right moment to join in. Or maybe he wouldâve been drawn into their shenanigans anyway, siding with the partner he agreed with most at the moment.
Instead, they barely even looked at each other as they shrugged on some comfy clothes, washed their faces, and hung up their suits to be dry cleaned later. Regis took out the lenses and trashed them, not worth it to reuse them for a later mission.
They all did make a point to prep their hardsuits for later, just in case something were to arise.
Doesnât hurt to be prepared.
Waiting for them downstairs were bowls of piping hot soup. Homestyle chicken noodle for Regis, cheesy baked potato for Zaeed, and a hearty vegetable stew for Kaidan, their usual orders.Â
âCute,â Ashley said as she sat down with them at the dining room table, also changed into some loungewear. âI like your shirts.â
Regis shrugged, knowing he was wearing one of Kaidanâs Spectre shirts, and Kaidan wore one of Zaeedâs yellow tank tops proudly. âAre you really surprised that we wear each otherâs shit?â
âNo, but I like teasing you about it anyway. Big bad merc wearing your too small N7 tank top,â she said, looking at Zaeed. Â
He raised his glass of water in response. âWhat are you trying to say, Ash? Want me to flex for you?â Â
Ashley raised her own glass in response, winking at him. âBe my guest, if only for your husbands. Youâre a great friend. Rather not see more of you than I have to.â Zaeed barked out a laugh.
âHowever much I would like to see that,â Regis began, smiling at Wren who sat down with a bowl and a datapad. He pulled the datapad away from her with a pointed look. She rolled her eyes and started eating. âItâs still my tank top. And l like that one.â
âBetween the two of us, we have plenty,â Kaidan said between bites. Â
âWhose side are you on?â Regis asked, putting his spoon down.
âThe side of seeing Zee in an N7 tank top,â Kaidan replied with a smile on his face. âEveryone wins.â
As they continued to eat, the conversation changed subjects to the mission, all expressing disappointment at the outcome. âEDI has situated herself in our-er the downstairs bedroom,â Wren said, reaching back out for her datapad. Ashley and him shared a look, the same way Kaidan and Zaeed did, but Wren didnât appear to notice. Regis was tempted to just tell EDI already so she will make a move in lieu of Wren.
Regis gave it back to her. âDonât stay up too late pouring over reports when EDI can handle it without worrying about organic shit.â
âI make no promises. But yes, Iâm sure weâll be working into the night. Weâll try to get you a few hours of sleep instead of relying on stims, that I can promise you.â Â
At that, Regis let out a yawn. He finished off his soup and got up to put the bowl in the sink. âAnd with that, Iâm going to get some sleep and hope this all turns out to be some weird nightmare.â
âIf only it were that easy,â Kaidan chuckled, moving to do the same. âGood night, ladies, and good luck.â
âTry to actually get some sleep, boys, but by the way Regis here looks, he ainât putting out tonight,â Ashley grinned.
Zaeed punched her lightly on the shoulder as he passed by. âTrust me, the only thing this goddamn merc is doing is getting some rest. Damn near gave me a heart attack when you sent that distress message. I blame Kaid for calling that jinx.â
âRegis started it,â Kaidan replied, crossing his arms against his chest. Regis didn't argue, he did make light of the whole weird email situation and heâs definitely regretting it now. âEither way, itâs never a dull leave. Hell, did anyone complain when you commandeered our apartment back?â
Regis didnât even think to ask, too focused on getting some goddamn rest. Â
Ashley shrugged. âNot really. Everyone understood. Even Joker wished you weil.â âHe did see me on the front lines. Not easy when youâre always behind the scenes,â Regis said. âReassure everyone that Iâm fine, but even their Admiral needs some time to himself.â
âTrust me, we did,â Wren said. âOr at least, Vikram did in your place. Everyone knows to listen to your doc.â
Regis smiled, stopping at the base of the stairway. âThanks, guys. Remind me what Iâll do without you?â
âHopefully you never find out,â Ashley replied good-naturedly, echoing what Kaidan and Zaeed said to him prior. He rolled his eyes, but leaned into his lovers beside him all the same. âGoodnight.â
Regis replied the same in response, as did Kaidan and Zaeed, and they hurried up the stairs. Kaidan dimmed the lights in their bedroom, moving to turn down the covers while Regis and Zaeed went to do their nightly routines. Regis admittedly rushed through them, the comfort of their bed calling for him throughout every step, barely spending the time to get his teeth cleaned and some of his piercings taken out before getting in the middle. At a more subdued pace, his husbands finished their routines, sharing a quick kiss before crawling in the bed next to him.
Zaeed settled behind him while Kaidan was in front of him, turning to face Regis to kiss him softly and sweetly on the lips. A lazy wave of his omnitool turned off the lights completely, leaving only a couple of night lights to light the way for the non-cybernetically enhanced members of their triad.
Zaeed pressed a kiss on the back of Regisâs neck, wrapping himself around him to make Regis his little spoon. âWe got you, baby,â he murmured. âSafe in our arms.â
Regis smiled, cuddling up against him. âI know. This mission is getting to me.â
âIâm sure weâll have some answers in the morning. Weâll make them pay,â Kaidan said, his eyes flashing blue momentarily.
âI love you,â Regis said, cupping Kaidanâs face and glancing back at Zaeed.
âI love you too,â they echoed, and they all settled down in the comfort of their bed, in each otherâs warmth, and hoped that this mess of a mission would be over soon.
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