#but theres a difference between ‘okay’ and ‘normal’ here that im struggling to describe

[suckinitup]

metaphorically i get the removing taylor’s powers thing- and the fact that. yknow. its a good way to make sure she cant get into more trouble, her passenger cant get her into more trouble, and she doesnt draw attention to herself. and she would have!!! if she still had her powers she would keep causing problems!!! keep solving them!! find a new mission and keep Moving. its all neat and tidy, pulling out the rot, removing everything that isnt Taylor and letting her sew the pieces of herself back together. but. in my heart. bug girl cool.

[blatherkatt]

I know y'all have a lotta AUs, so I gotta ask: what would the Blumenthal Drei's relationship be like had Caleb never had his breakdown? I know the circumstances have dramatically changed in the fic (re: Astrid may uh, may wanna murder Caleb, which ain't, y'know, conducive to friendship), so I'm curious how the relationship would be at a "base state." We get glimpses of the relationship's natural state through flashbacks, so I'm curious how that would've evolved with time had Shit Not Hit The Fan

The sort of scenario I think you’re describing here is one that we haven’t really talked about much honestly, and on top of that if we did it’d still give some tangential spoilers unfortunately. However, I am instead going to use this as an opportunity to talk instead about what Ed and I have been calling the “Allura Drei AU”, aka The One Where Trent Was Visiting The Area Around Draconia Right When It Fell And Friggin Died And The Blumenkids Got To Grow Up Without His Nonsense

it’s what he deserves. 

ANYWAY. 

im gonna give a general overview without going into toooo much detail on the kinda things we imagine here because we’ve talked about a lot of stuff, this one’s a happy place favorite, but like, this is the golden timeline, lets put it that way. so. without trent in the picture, the three kids were noticed and mentored by probably someone else at Soltryce, or potentially might’ve just gone through it as normal students and just generally done great there, but they all stick together when they graduate and after hanging around doing stuff in Rexxentrum for a while eventually decide they wanna set up a proper tower somewhere quieter than the city, so they pack up and move out to Felderwin. 

Is this confusing and kind of alarming for the people of Felderwin? Yes. yes, it is. ANYWAY the extremely short summary is that the three of them befriend the Brenattos because they need to get components somewhere and it makes sense to be good friends w/ the local apothecary, plus their little family group has a kid about the same age as Luc so it just sorta makes sense, and they’re all very saddened when Veth dies etc etc. but when the Krynn attack Felderwin the three of them chase off the attack and, upon noticing that Yeza’s been apparently caught up in some nasty stuff that has him wanted by both sides, promptly decide the best course of action is to lowkey kidnap him themselves (he’s ok with it actually) and keep him in their tower without telling anyone. and just. let both sides think the other has him while they figure out what’s going on. 

and then through a series of shenanigans involving molly (who is still alive because this is the Good Timeline Okay caduceus is still here too its an au let us have this) getting to know the boys and astrid being stuck in some trouble she cant get out of on her own and needing rescue, the three wind up basically serving as an Allura-equivalent for the mighty nein. its very cute and very good. 

but to answer more of your actual question now that the stage is set: 

when thing were working well between the three of them, and there wasn’t a certain bastard man around to screw things up, the three sort of keep each other in balance ~~especially with sig around too but i still cant talk too much about him and i am dying, i want to so bad ok~~ 

Astrid and Bren have been fierce rivals since they were kids and that’d likely continue, but Eodwulf functions as an emotional center and a mediator, keeping tensions from boiling over and making sure that it stays just as a playful rivalry. They push each other to do better, and that’s part of why they’re both (Really, all three, honestly) are constantly improving at the rate they have ever since childhood. Bren and Astrid can both get too caught up in things, but Eodwulf is real good at keeping that from ever going too far.

Astrid and Eodwulf, meanwhile, like I’ve said previously, have very different languages, so to speak, but she and Bren have been on an extremely similar wavelength since pretty much the moment they met. But at the same time, Bren’s also good at reading Eodwulf. Astrid and Eodwulf are opposites in a lot of ways, and Bren’s a good happy medium who can help bridge the gap and serve as a translator where it’s needed. The two of them can do alright without him, as you can see in Ghosts, but there’s hiccups. They do best when they have a third party to help bridge the gaps in communication that sorta naturally happen between them. Plus, without Bren, they really never would’ve become friends in the first place, so that’s another reason he’s important to the triad. And then there’s Bren and Eodwulf–they do real well on their own, and would by this point definitely be married in this timeline, since, uh, canon stuff never happened. But. Even if it’s not as bad as it would be with trent’s trauma, Eodwulf is still somewhat conflict averse and struggles with RSD a lot, and Bren can, yknow, get caught in his head, plus he’s always been the natural at everything so wouldn’t really push himself as much on his own. Astrid drags them both out of their comfort zone, pushes Bren to keep improving because of the looming threat of her surpassing him always lingering, and Eodwulf straight up wouldn’t do a lot of the things he’s tried if Astrid weren’t around. She’s constantly pushing herself, seeing how far she can go, and she’s caused both of the boys to do so as well!

She’s also, weirdly enough, the moral center of the three in this scenario, if only because her morals are the least flexible. Like, she’s always up to pull pranks and mess around, but she’ll be the first one to really call someone out on something she thinks is Actually Wrong, even if the person doing it is someone she cares for deeply. Trent unfortunately poisoned her sense of morality and shaped it to suit his own purposes in canon, but since in this AU that didn’t happen, she’s really the one keeping the two of them from crossing certain lines. Her sense of morality doesn’t leave a lot of room for nuance, which is, yknow, not great, not to mention the whole reason she’s such a problem in Ghosts, but it’s good to have someone who can draw a line in the sand and say “no, actually” especially when dealing with extremely powerful wizards. 

(It’s worth noting too though, that’s a thing I forgot to say about her in the ask about her relationship w/ eodwulf, and i also forgot to say likewise that Eodwulf helps remind her to slow down now and then; stop and smell the flowers, that sort of thing–he’s good at noticing bright spots and at spoiling himself and others, and that’s a thing Astrid wouldn’t be as good at on her own without people to keep her tethered. In this AU eodwulf’s extra good at that because he wouldn’t be such a MASSIVE misanthrope, and bren probably helps slow Astrid down now and then too, albeit to a lesser degree.) 

anyway they’re an insanely good team and that highkey freaks out the rest of the wizards of the assembly, since wizards kinda have a well deserved reputation of not getting along w/ other wizards due to being a bunch of intellectuals with Opinions and Complexes and seeing three actually LIKE each other to the degree that they all live together and such is confusing and distressing and so the assembly largely just…..leaves them alone,,, 

are parts  of this probably very unrealistic? yeah. do i care? no its great feel free to ask more about it theres a lot to talk about 

also all four of the adults (including sig who is not a wizard but, yknow, astrid’s here so he’s here) absolutely dote on brand who i cant talk about yet either im still dying whats up

[cyberstabbing]

Non AUs/Somewhat Canon

Unequivocal - This is how it would have happened. 38k

Hear Me Out - It’s not so much the turning into a girl that’s a problem; that’s happened before. It’s the fact that Frank doesn’t turn back. 23k

Okay but this …  was so much more than I could have hoped for. Definitely raised the bar for everything else.

Ice Cubes And Rubber Bands - “It’s hot.“

”Shut up.“

”It’s so fucking hot and I’m melting.“

“You’ve said that like fifty fucking times in a row now shut the fuck up and stop whining!” Frank grits through his teeth, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

“It’s not my fault that we are stranded here in the middle of fucking nowhere, Frank”, Gerard says, a bitchy undertone in his voice. It almost sounds like he’s trying to pick a fight. Frank takes a deep breath and closes his eyes; it’s too fucking hot to deal with Gerard’s allures right now. 7k (if you include part two)

Breakdown on the L.I.E. - Frank jerked awake when his dream was interrupted by a squealing banshee, which turned out to be the van grinding and squealing to a halt. 6k

every man - “I won't—we’re a band, Marc,” Gee says, “I’m not—shit. I’m not the girl who stays home.” 1k

with the lights on - Frank is weirdly chivalrous in some ways. He always opens doors for her, he lights her cigarettes like he’s in a forties movie or something, and he always offers her the last seat, even if it means that he has to sit on the floor. 10k

Sparkle Motion - For the next week, Gerard woke up every morning to a new list of Words that Describe how Gerard is In Bed pinned on the fridge. It disappeared after one of them wrote, ‘Sparkle Motion’ because, Bob explained to Gerard, they felt they’d nailed Gerard’s essence with that one. 6k

A Natural Reaction to Rough-housing - He made it to the bathroom and stood there leaning heavily on the sink, staring at himself in the mirror. He didn’t look like a creepy sadist. But neither did Christian Bale, and that hadn’t ended well for anybody. 27k

Sweet Caffeine (and Love of Liberace) - In which Brian tasered them into it, Gerard read too many comic books as a kid, Jamia isn’t worried about anything, and Bob doesn’t wear a codpiece. 4k

Now Honey, Don’t You Cry - Frank has always had an irrational fear of thunder, but when it causes a breakdown beyond that of ‘irrational,’ Gerard vows to find the truth. 6k

Pavlov’s Dog - It’s during one of their coveted hotel nights that Frank finally has enough. 1k

Reaching Through The Mirror - The one where Party Poison and Basement!Gerard have sex. 5k

(part one of Time Travel ‘verse)

James Cameron Got It Wrong - In which 2005!Frank and Fun Ghoul get it on. Then Frank accidentally winds up in 2019. 56k

(part two of Time Travel ‘verse)

Whatever I Want (Whatever That Is) - The first time Frank walked in on Gerard going down a girl in the dressing room, he was pissed. 9k

Distance in the Afterlife - Gerard comes out. 15k

The One Where Ray Can Hear Sex Dreams - I’m really sorry, Mr. Toro. But I didn’t make you have sex with anyone, as per your request. 2k

Heart On - From early days touring in vans to Projekt Revolution, the tour crew swears that they’re not homophobic, they just don’t want to see that shit. Frank takes it as a personal challenge. 13k

I died laughing like 17 times.

Just A Spoonful - It’s actually something of a relief when Frank walks onto the bus to find Gerard learning how to sabotage a car. It’s better than the last time, anyway, when he was trying to snort coke through a rolled-up condom wrapper. Or the time before, when he was passed out in a pile of glass shards. All things considered, wrecking random cars would be a step up for him. 1k

When I Think About You (I Touch Myself) - Van!era bodyswap. Gerard is a narcissist. 2k

You’re so cute when you’re slurring your speech - If this is what Frank wants, then fuck it. Just fucking fuck it. Frank can have it.(Or, Frank wants to bone Gerard. So he does. A lot.) 8k

Ride - This is the coolest place the band has ever stayed at. 15k

jerseymisery wrote this description: ​okay this is an ULTRA FAVE!! the whole fic has such a dreamlike sort of quality to it? it gives me such great vibes of like summer and transience and SHIT LIKE THAT.. it’s set during bullets i’m pretty sure which is. COOL. it just feels like a snapshot, a moment in time.. i really like it. go read it! it’s frank x gerard and mikey x an oc. 

ierohero's write-up: https://ierohero.tumblr.com/post/188897569757/im-reading-ride-again-theres-literally-no

Link to author (they also wrote some fics below)

Sick - It was sort of sick, since Frank was, like, younger than his little brother, but Gerard had wanted to kiss him from the very first second he saw him standing up on stage and smirking into the microphone.

“Who’s that?” he asked Mikey.“That’s Frank,” Mikey whispered back, like it was some big secret or something, hissing the words into Gerard’s ear. “That’s the guy I want you to meet.”

“Figures,” Gerard muttered. It just fuckin’ figured that the first guy he’d wanted to fuck in, like, a semester would be the one Mikey wanted for the band. 5k

Broke - Frank is sick. A companion piece to Sick. 5k

Fucked Up - It’s hard to describe the multitude of ways in which Frankie is fucked up, although Gerard keeps trying. He lies in his bunk at night listening to the other members of the band breathing, soft radiator hisses, the occasional snore, and tries to enumerate to himself what’s wrong with Frankie. He thinks that maybe if he can figure out what the problem is, he can fix it. He’s always been sort of an optimist. 1k

Reasons We Don’t - “Why don’t we fuck?” Frank asks, tipping his head back to blow smoke at the sky. 7k

subterfuge of tiny proportions - It usually takes Gerard hours to wind down from a show. He has this crazy wired look in his eyes when they come offstage, all sweaty and flushed and jittery. He touches people more, talks a little louder, a little faster. Even now, even after all this time, it still gets to him. The nervous energy, the screams of the crowd, the music. Frank watches him every night, because when he is like that, he’s beautiful. And because when the stage buzz wears off, he crashes, hard and fast. 1k

He Told Me I Could Never Go Back - Everything was fine until Frank disappeared. 2k

this broke my heart.

Up Against Your Will (HERE is the chapter index) - Stepping into a world so different from their own, Frank and Gerard struggle to survive. 18 chapters

this was amazing, but also hard to read in some parts, bc of the non con and gore :/ not my cup of tea, but I did love the word building and the fic overall.

When I Was a Little Girl - Frank is a dyke. Period. She doesn't like boys. At all. But if you squint (or you're drunk enough) sometimes Gerard totally looks like a girl. 26k

Silken - Gerard can't help but notice the way Frank bites his lip and shifts in his seat when an interviewer brings up his day in drag. Frank's almost normal when he nudges Gerard with his shoulder, raising his hands in the air and laughing, "Oh, yeah. Man, you should have seen him - like Christina Ricci, you know?" but Gerard can still see the imprint of his teeth on his lower lip and files that away while he relates the story about how the conductor was really nice to him and how he'd managed figure out how to sit without crushing anything vital by the end of the day. <1k

Pushy Little Fuck - "Anyone ever tell you, Iero, that you're a pushy little fuck?" Gerard says, rearranging Frank against his side. 

Frank just grins at him and says, "S'my middle name." Frank Pushy Little Fuck Iero. There's a song in there somewhere. 1k

The Kind They'd Like to Flaunt - When Frank first meets Gee, officially, it's because Ray saw Frank from across the room and put him into a headlock to get him over to his booth. 1k

How Dirty Boys Get Clean - Gerard stinks. Frank convinces him that bath time can be such fun. 1k i think?? maybe 2k

Under My Skin - "Maybe," Gerard had said one night, scratching idly at Frank's scalp, "it was something you ate?" "Maybe," Ray said, "it was some kind of sex pollen." Frank growled and said, "maybe if you don't shut up right now I'm going to kick your ass." 1k

Body of a Venus (lord, imagine my surprise) - Gerard is dressed like a girl and decides to pay Frank a visit. 1k

​Never Looked Better And You Can’t Stand It - For once, Frank is the self-conscious one. 1k

In the Dark - The problem wasn’t that Gerard was stupid; the problem was that he wasn’t always the most observant guy around. Sometimes he just misses things that maybe he should have noticed. He hadn’t thought anything of it the first time Frank had pushed his hands out from under his shirt and said, “I’d rather touch you.”

(Or the one where chubby!Frank is really self-conscious and avoids having sex with Gerard with the lights on.) 2k

Jane Doe - Frank meets a mystery girl at a party. When she turns out to be not such a mystery (and not such a girl), he’s forced to make some hard choices. Set in fall 2000. This isn’t an AU, but some details have been changed. 9 chapters

This fic, man… this fic… An amazing read (though unfinished). Really shows how unbalanced affection and care can be, and leaves you uncertain yet hopeful for their relationship. Here’s an excerpt:

”The heat’s on as high as it goes,“ Gerard said, glancing over with concern. Frank wondered if Gerard would have noticed his trembling if they hadn’t been making out feverishly just a few hours beforehand.

Edit 22/10/2019: I just found out there was a ninth chapter?? Holy shit okay lets go.

Moonlight Model - Frank's a photographer. Gerard's a model. Only not really. 1k

Pack - Frank's a very playful werewolf. 1k

I Wish I Were A Ghost - Halloween is Frank Iero's birthday. It's also the day when the veil between the world of the living and the dead is at it's thinnest.

A ghost-story. Short and sweet. 1k

Immutable - Frank and Gerard are sitting in bed, talking about frank's tattoos, and it's beautiful. 1k​

Curl - Gerard finds Frank tied to the seatbelt in the back of their tour van. Sexytimes ensue. 2k

no sleep - Gerard looked terrible, hollow-eyed and sweaty, and it was still only just after midnight. <1k

the second time the band saves gerard's life - ​soberty fic. 1k

Half the Battle - People tend to assume Gerard is an alpha. Frank knows better. 1k

Afresh - As much as Frank tells him there's never been a time he didn't love Gerard, Gerard knows Frank definitely doesn't miss the days when he could sometimes smell him from the other room. 1k

Just Because - By the time Gerard asked Frank to join the band, the only answer Frank had left for him was yes. 4k

Holding Out For An Iero - When Frank gets his chestpiece, he doesn't have sex for a week. 5k

An Inexplicable Occurrence of Angels - 35k

This was on my Fics-I-Can’t-Find-list, and since this one doesn’t have a description, I’ll just paste in what I could remember from reading it last year: ​

My Chem (minus Frank) broke up after Revenge. One day Frank kinda shows up (can't remember how). Frank's an angel with big wings and is hopelessly clueless about the world, so the rest or My Chem have to help him. They take him on walks and it looks like he has a hunchback bc of his wings. I think Frank doesn't even know any words in the beginning, but he learns english quickly. Loves watching movies. Everyone in My Chem basically crash at ray's place bc of Frank. And they're all Hey... maybe we should pick up the band again...? 

UPDATE: okay i just reread it and it’s sooooo good holy shit. especially the last chapter. there was a comment on AO3 about how they would come back and reread the last chapter over and over again because it made them so happy. that’s probably what i’m gonna do from now on.

A Necessary Requirement - description by jerseymisery ... i think: ​it’s like a warped tour fic i believe, god it’s so fucking funny, the dialogue is gr8.. basically the whole fic is frank wanting to know what gerard’s dick looks like okay dhgvjsdghg. 3k

Twenty Percent Down - We're rock stars," Frank says firmly. "We're not moving back to live in our parents' basements." 7k

House hunting!

"What's your credit rating like?" he pants out. "I - what?" Gerard stops mouthing Frank's skin and lifts his head up. ^ Never fails to crack me up.

One Hundred Percent - (Almost. Maybe.) - Frank sighed. "I'm playing tonight," he said, firmly. "It is a fucking sore throat. Luckily, I am not the lead singer. I can play my fucking guitar with a sore throat. I can play it with my eyes closed. I am fine." (11,400 words of, you know, Frank being sick. A LOT.) 11k

Raspberry Swirl - The time that the whole band woke up as girls was maybe the weirdest. 16k

Away With The Boys In The Band - Behind the Music: My Chemical Romance, in the world where Mikey has always been a girl. 69k

Ship(s): Mikey Way/Otter, Mikey Way/Gabe Saporta, Mikey Way/Pete Wentz, Mikey Way/Alicia Simmons

^ I could not put this down. The writing is so so so spectacular, and the dialog is both interesting and realistic. A lot of angst, but still hilarious at parts. Please read.

Update because I need to add some things: Listen! Words can not express how obsessed with this fic I am. I made a mixtape for it. Fanart. Currently working on a ebook version of it so I can print it out. Guys. You do not understand how fucking fantastic this fic is. Don’t scroll away from me, I’m serious! Fucking click the link dammit. Click it. C’mon. I’m waiting–click iiiiit. You back yet? Yeah? What did I tell you! I know, it is amazing! You okay? Got tissues? Good. Okay now go wash your face and eat a snack. No, no, no need to thank me, the pleasure was all mine.

Any Way You Want - ​Gee Way is fronting early MCR when Frank spots them in a shitty bar and immediately finds himself immersed in the energy of the music; not to mention the addictive personality of the lead singer. 18k

​Sucker Bet - Since Frank's currently got a sloppy handful of Gerard's hard-and-getting-harder cock, oops kinda seems like an understatement. But Frank's a practical kinda guy. 2k

A Helping Hand - Frank just wants to be able to jerk off. He doesn't think that's too much to ask. 6k

Frank the Failiest Vampire - Frank's a vampire, and he's finally ready to let the world know. 0.9

a not!fic

Three Sharp Bites - When Frank had imagined the joy of finally finding a helpless thrall who would tilt back his neck for him, displaying the jugular with a undertone of love and utter submission, he didn't really expect it to include the joy of being bent almost in two while his mate fucked the living shit out of him. 0.7k

part two of Frank the Failiest Vampire. This isn’t a not!fic though.

Fantasy Book - This was really, really not normal behavior for Gerard - not for real, normal Gerard, and it was even a little abrupt for the imaginary Gerard who lived in Frank's head and came out during his Special Alone Times with his dick. 16k

The Year of Living Safely - Post-sobriety MCR. This is as much about me and my own brother as it is about the Way boys, and Christ was it hard to write; it brought a lot of painful things to the surface. 12k

Incredibly painful but worth a read. Or ten. One-sided Frank/Gerard.

second word, one syllable - Prompt #60. Frank loses his voice and has to use notes, texts, charades, etc. to communicate. 4k

More Than He Can Say - Frank doesn't know what it is about tonight. 2k

I've Got Friends in Closed Spaces - Written for the no_tags challenge for the prompt of 'accidental frottage.' Set in the middle of a tour, vaguely 2004. 4k

it’s the hide-and-seek fic! i’ve been looking for this for an eternity.

​First Class - Gerard is totally disturbed, because he's sort of obsessed with making Frank drool. 1.6k

Party Games (Eureka!) - Gerard has awesome ideas. 2k

MCR: untitled no.1 - Gerard plays piano in the loosest sense of the word - plays, with fingers stuttering a little in the air above the white keys and even more over the black ones; body hunched over and shoulders tucked in as soft lines form between his eyebrows. Zero-point-something k. 

and here’s another piano drabble by the same author!

just like it was - Basically, I had this really urgent desire to write about Gerard's high school reunion. <1k

love on the webways - As a writer, Grant supposes he could have considerably worse habits than trolling his own message boards.

A totally ridiculous AU vaguely inspired by You've Got Mail. 32k Grant/Gerard

This was so fun to read! It’s a what-if-they-broke-up-after-tbp fic btw.

you weaseled your way into my heart (and ferreted out my feelings) - You gotta watch out for those bands with umlauts. 5k

Reverberation - Frank feels like he just fell off the stage, staggered directly from the lights and out into the long hallway backstage, tipping over into the momentary quiet. 1.5k

Not a Pretty Girl - 28k

Gen. Always-been-a-girl fic featuring kick ass female drummer, Bob Bryar. The story is a series of shorter fics all about her life before MCR, growing up as a woman in the Chicago scene, touring with The Used, joining MCR and everything that comes with that. It's awesome. + art!

I Am a Patient Boy - So this is an AU about Gerard being a girl named Helen (after her...grandmother?) and Frank being sort of, head over heels. 5k

“He goes to the next show alone. It’s in this basement club, red-lit and smoky. Frank stands on a chair at the back of the room. Over everyone’s head so he can get a good look.”

This fic follows Frank as he leaves Pencey Prep and joins My Chem in 2001. The author changed a lot of details though, so I recommend thinking of it as an AU in how the band formed. Unless you want to yell at your screen at 1am for it getting the timeline wrong (like I did).

Not Smashing Windows - In the beginning, they were the scene. An origin story. 32k

From Gabe’s POV, and it’s done flawlessly. It somehow emulates the same feeling one gets from stumbling across an overlooked short film at three a.m. on youtube. The one you can’t help but wonder about, how it is that you’ve never heard about it before. Like it is in its own bubble of existence. Feeling afraid to even breathe or look away, afraid that it’ll disappear at any time, that it was too good to be true. Something you shouldn’t be able to hold in your hands. This fic feels incredibly personal to read. Gabe’s longings of intimacy, the hopelessness at parts. I could feel my fondness for the characters grow enormously in this fic. The wording and conversations and scenes paint a brilliant picture that will stay with you for a long time. I know it will for me at least. Ship: Gabe Saporta/Mikey Way

For a Different View - AU. Ray Toro is a girl, Rae, but MCR is still just MCR. 49k

The first time they went over to Mikey's house, Mikey tossed her a beer and said, "My brother might come up. Maybe not, though. He gets weird in the middle of projects." She found out what he meant halfway through Dawn of the Dead, when a bundle of black fabric barreled from the basement door to the refrigerator and back down to the basement without saying a word to either of them.

I need to finish this!!! But –gah. Such awesome awesomeness. Ship: Ray/Mikey

Double Exposure - “The worst part was the confession. Well, the explanation sucked too.” Written for prompt 38. Frank/Mikey - Frank and Mikey bodyswap during tour and have to play shows as each other. 2.5k

Frank isn’t part italian in this fic. He’s part alien! :D Ship: Frank/Mikey

Anti-Sex (It Comes Around remix) - The first time Frank ever really talked to Mikey's brother it was at a house party somewhere in the shitty part of the Oranges. Before that, Gerard was just Mikey's weird older brother. In Frank's mind, their interactions were always relative to Mikey, spinning out from him, Mikey first, Gerard a trailing but connected afterthought. At that party, though, Mikey's brother was a little buzzed and cheerful with it, talking with a charisma and charm Frank hadn't seen before. 

Here’s a v 2018 relevant part: “Hey, you bring me my voter's registration, I swear I'll turn it in." "You're not even registered to vote?" Gerard said, and brought a hand up to run his pinky across his eyebrow like it was all just too much, and Frank laughed. 

Crooked Crown - There's always a voice in the back of Frank's head, tiny and barely registering after years of shrugging it off, but still present nonetheless. It says things like, this is a bad idea, and it's satisfying now, but there'll be consequences later. Or, this is the line and you're about to cross it. Someone had once said that Frank had no conscience, which wasn't true because hi, voice in his head. He totally did have a conscience - it was just that he wasn't much of a slave to it.

In any case, the voice dampens out even quicker than usual this time and he's then free to scribble 'BALLS' in Sharpie over each page of Gerard's brand new issue of Hellboy before stuffing it back underneath the seat to be discovered later on. 4k

“The next day they're in Austin, and it feels like an armpit. Mikey walks around with his fingers splayed out, trying to prevent any part of his body from touching another”

^ Ah Mikey, never stop being so relatable. Anyway, this was hilarious. I love how petty both of them were. Poor Ray with his head in his hands!

Rappelling Down Mount Vesuvius - 1k | Gen

I love reading little snippets of their lives like this. Just the right amount of fluff and backstory for something bittersweet and hopeful.

down to the water - Things were better than they were a month ago, hell, a week ago, but that wasn't saying much. A week ago, Gee was stumbling drunk on a stage in Japan and puking so much Frank had honestly been afraid she was going to die. So, while her over-caffeinated, white-faced sobriety of today was a welcome change, Frank still felt like they were all on the edge of disaster, that everything they'd worked so hard for could still collapse around them. 10k

New Rule - Pitch-black basement sex. 2k

Frank is jammed in between Gerard and the wall. He made Gerard check the entire basement for spiders before they turned off the crazy-bright fluorescent strip light, but he’s still wrapped himself up in the blankets like a burrito, jamming the edges under his body until he’s fucking airtight. “If you stretch you’ll pull the blankets out,” he says, muffled because his face is pressed under Gerard’s chin. “And then the spiders will get in, and then I’ll have to kill you.”

Oooh nooo, they have to share the bed. [cackles loudly]

Kiss The Bottle - A drunk wizard slips Frank a love potion while the band is in between tour dates. Chaos and mischief ensues. 35k

An impeccable casting of the wizard, I must say. lol

Don't Fear the Reaper - Gerard's not the greatest with faces but there's one that keeps crossing his path that he can't ignore. 4k

THE SCENE IS DEAD - 20k

Can’t remember who wrote this description (it’s on my to-do list) (was it disenchanted?) but THEY PUT IT INTO WORDS: “I don't know how to begin to describe this one... It's written in an unusual format - ie. a lot of it is told through newspaper articles and webpages but it's one of those super haunting fics that stays with you for days. I don't think there are any triggers listed so be warned there are character deaths and supernatural stuff.”

And I really don’t have more to add. I don’t even want to say anything more because honestly for this fic, the less you know the better. For me the experience of reading it was made a hundred times better just by the emotional rollercoasters I was put through. Lol. Trying to figure out what was going on/going to happen next was really fun.

Candy Cane Vodka - "Yeah, Mikey, you accidentally made fucking peppermint Everclear. Congratulations and all, but Jesus Christ."

Mikey gets an idea on the road after finding a bargain bin book on homemade infusions. Experimentation follows, and Yuletide chaos ensues.

ngl... i’m tempted to make that vodka mixture

Ships: Mikey/Ray, Frank/Gerard

[lawlightfan42069]

iyo when you write non-straight characters should you specify their sexuality/gender? I mean I'm personally a very 'not into labels at all' person for my own sexuality but support ppl who do find comfort in labels. but when I write I also tend to go toward the 'he just loves who he loves !!!' that sounded stupid but idk how to explain it.. so... like I was wondering why you feel strongly about explicitly stating someone's queerness instead of it being implied (at least u come off as that sorta)

i do definitely feel like that so!! i happen to have a lot of feelings about this so get ready for a Long Ramble. this is a precaution before ive even started typing i just know im gonna write a lot

i think before we start saying anything, we’ve got to acknowledge the difference between people who say that they dont like labels, and writing characters who Don’t Like Labels™. pointing out the problems of the latter is not a condemnation of the former. if someone rly doesnt feel like labeling their sexuality or gender, thats totally alright. the difference between these two is the person is a nuanced, multifaceted human being who may have lots of personal reasons for feeling that way, while the second is a fictional character that is Created and informed by cultural views of the creator. a person is not “created” by one single author and characters arent like…real living agents that have their Own Free Will, they are what their creators make of them. anyway i just feel like this is a rly important distinction that gets lost often!! i’m also more willing to look favorably on someone who self describes that way writing characters based on their own experiences, bc this perspective is inherently different from a straight person writing these sorts of characters. but moving on. 

whats also important to understand, beyond writing characters, is how being openly not straight is shunned. queer people are not allowed to Exist as openly queer and they have not been allowed historically. even these days among people who consider themselves progressive, you’ll often hear that “its alright if someone is gay but do they have to shove it in my face all the time.” this attitude isnt somehow formed in vacuum, but created in a society that treats been openly queer as a taboo. we aren’t allowed to be open about our sexualities the way straight people are. we can’t acknowledge that we’re queer lest someone tells us to Stop Shoving It In Their Face (not missing the irony as we’re surrounded by 400 billboards of hetero couples everywhere). i dont wan’t to delve into other aspects of discrimination and get too off track here, i just want to focus on how being Openly queer is treated as a taboo, particularly among people who still want to call themselves ‘accepting.’ the only way society allows queer people to exist is if they never remind anyone, Ever that they are not straight.

this is Integral to understanding why the i Don’t Like Labels characters are so frustrating. the unwillingness to Explicitly talk about queer people carries over quite handily to media. the same faux progressive people that demand queer people never talk about being queer bc its Too Much Information, will praise queer coded characters that hint at their sexuality but never confirm it. the reason these characters are written is not to genuinely explore why someone might feel uncomfortable with applying labels to themselves, but to appease people who will accept queerness as long as they never have to acknowledge it. this way, u can court queer people interested in representation And people who might like the story but will be uncomfortable with explicit queerness. its an attempt for writers to cash in on peoples desires for interesting queer characters without ever actually fully committing to representing them. you dont get to claim to support queer people if ur also out there providing comfort for peoples homophobia. you cant have a foot in both doors. 

describing queer experiences without calling them queer means that youre okay with this story as long as u dont acknowledge it as something Explicitly not straight and like…why?? why is it suddenly not okay when u take that bundle of experiences and use the word that theyre defining?? theres Weight behind using words like bi, gay, lesbian and if u reject them are u Really okay with lgbtq people? or are you okay with them Despite the fact that theyre lgbtq and not because you take into account theyre lgbtq. acceptance is not tolerating people Despite something, its acknowledging it and validating it as an okay thing to be. especially when it is something that historically Not been validated as okay. dismantling structural systems of queerphobia does not go about by ignoring queerphobia…shit this doesnt just fade away by chance, it takes active work. and part of this active work is Acknowledging Peoples Queerness As Something that is okay Out In The Open. the You in this isnt directed at you anon, just people who have these sentiments. 

throwing vague statements like ‘they just love who they love’ Also creates this level of ambiguity. you might say “well why do u need the certainty when ur describing what is at the very least, something obviously very not straight” and to that i say youd be fucking surprised at how goddamn hard straight people will try to erase the queerness out of a character. like i’m going to use a game called life is strange as a example. i’ll give some background: in the game, the main character max can romance both chloe and warren. note that max is not one of those blank state wholly customisable bioware-esque player characters, she has a personality outside of the choices u make. anyway, the conclusion that is Logically drawn from this is that she is most likely bisexual. or at the very least in some way, not straight. and Yet i have seen discussions that say “she doesnt have a set sexuality it just depends on the playthrough so shes not rly a Queer Character.” even more than that, ive seen people that saw “well even in the chloe one shes not necessarily gay or bi maybe shes just Making an Exception for chloe bc their relationship transcends sexuality” and like ??? Why??? why cant she just be bi?? even when given a queer romance, why do u try and interpret it in a way that sets her up as straight?? ive seen people say “its not a romance its just something that Transcends Words” as if this is… mutually exclusive from being a romance. like… Why doesnt this happen when hetero relationships are depicted?? ive literally never seen someone say “u know, maybe hes not attracted to women and just Making an Exception so hes not straight” why dont u see people try to erase the romance aspect out of hetero romances by claiming their relationship is “Beyond Words.” this treatment is 1000% only ever afforded to queer characters. this attempt to play off romance as not rly romantic is only done to queer characters, even if its done subconsciously. people will Refuse to accept a character is queer as fuck if you dodge around it, because heteronormativity is so ingrained in every interaction that even obviously queer characters get filtered through this lens. the problem with this isnt necessarily apparent until u look at it within historical context, where queer people are repeatedly not allowed to be openly queer. these arent isolated incidents, but manifestations of the idea that queer people shouldnt ever be open about their sexuality. youve got to tackle the discomfort that people have with words like gay/lesbian/bi/etc

i think this particular character trope wouldnt bother me so much if it wasnt like… the only narrative ever present. time and time again, i have to see characters proclaim that they dont like labels while never once even hearing people breathe the word bisexual. if it existed alongside characters who were explicitly queer it would be less frustrating But its literally one of the few ways (semi positive attempts at least) queer characters are ever portrayed. this is particularly true for bisexual characters lmao like… yes…theres people who dont like labels…but theres also millions of bi people that just wanna see a fucking bi character Talk about being bi and all we ever get is a vague “i dont like labels” (that is often never explored further than that and treated as a throwaway line anyway). is creating characters who say that a genuine attempt to characterize someones struggles with labels or is it just a way to avoid saying the word Bisexual.

same with queer romance in media. its only ever Okay if u just hint at it- see dumbledore being gay. see- the korrasami thing (though i dont fault the writers for this bc they pushed hard for what they got, its issues with the network). why are queer people relegated to drawn out stares that May imply something while straight characters are allowed to get into explicit relationships. when u create ambiguous characters that May be interpreted as straight (even if youve really gotta stretch) ur prefer to maintain the negative “neutral” of the heteronormative status quo and allow homophobes to live with their views unchallenged more than u care about addressing queerness in characters. 

 its not a coincidence that we dont do this to straight romance or straight characters. this is particularly important for queer kids!! its good to see queer characters out there being openly queer. while me and u can often pick up on queer themes and narratives, a 8 year old is not going to get that. especially when theyve been conditioned to see straight romance as the only feasible choice. they wont realize the character youre writing is gay or bi or whatever Because they havent been exposed to the connotations we associate w certain phrases. its so important for queer kids to see queer characters Owning that theyre queer. its especially importantly to normalize words like gay or bi or pan. being gay is often Extremely hypersexualized (which is why so many people will tell u they dont care what u do in the bedroom bc they can only picture queerness is a sexual context) so when u Dont treat these words as things only adults can say, u help get rid of the stigma surrounding them. u help remove the idea that being queer is inappropriate for kids to hear about and that the only possible aspect to being queer is sexual. 

anyway this has been Quite the Ramble but the point is that yes, we need to write more characters who are absolutely explicit about their sexuality and move away from the expectation that queer people need to create euphemisms to comfort homophobes desires to never hear about queerness.

[gulescamisade]

MN, Ground:  Day 22, Concert Broadcast

DIRK: -tonight is the night of the concert... but he's been stuck in bed, having run out of mindless tasks to occupy himself with. somebody can probably roll him to the living room later... for now, he turns the pendant around between his fingers over and over while staring up at the ceiling.-

RUFIOH: -large wing swoops by the window. Somebody's taking a flight outside, it looks like.-

KANKRI: -Is he leaving forever?-

DIRK: -stares out the window then. look at him go.-

RUFIOH: -lands in some tree and kicks back. Casually lighting himself some nip... before raising it to acknowledge that he DOES see Dirk.-

DIRK: .... -looks back up at the ceiling for a second, then crawls out of bed to open up the window and peep at rufioh-

DIRK: Hey.

RUFIOH: -takes his time with the hit before breathing out.- sup, man... long t1me, no see.

DIRK: No joke. I was expecting it to be longer.

DIRK: How did you even get here?

RUFIOH: mm.

RUFIOH: 1t's got to do w1th mak1ng we1rd acqua1ntances on avalon... and some portal hopp1ng? that sh1t was pretty scary...

RUFIOH: but next th1ng 1 knew, 1 was on the sh1p. and then breach1ng the atmosphere on one of those... emergency pods...

RUFIOH: flew the rest of the way. fast, h1gh, qu1et to myself so nobody saw me.

RUFIOH: met up w1th the folks 1n earth canada... now 1'm here.

DIRK: -raises brows- Damn. You've had one hell of a journey.

DIRK: It's good to see you again. Just a shame it has to be under these conditions. -leans a little heavily on the window frame-

RUFIOH: yeah... -eyeballs him a lil, flicking the cig.- some scar that's gonna be.

DIRK: -grunts- Pretty cool, huh? -barely even trying to sound like he believes that-

RUFIOH: looks pa1nful. -rises to stand on the branch again.- wanna hang?

DIRK: -pauses for a second. he wasn't really expecting to be asked that.- Uh... -but he wants to lay in bed all day???-

DIRK: Yeah. Sure.

RUFIOH: -gestures for him to follow and then flaps all the way up to the lake house roof. Bird perch.-

ARADIA: -standing in the doorway of the room dirk is in. like a normal person does for long periods of time-

DIRK: -he definitely doesn't have the energy to scale the house right now.... THOUGH HE IS FULLY CAPABLE... anyway, he turns so he can make his way to the stairs that lead to the roof's terrace, only to see aradia.-

DIRK: -JUMPS- Shit-- How long have you been standing there?

ARADIA: a while

DIRK: -makes a face-

DIRK: Well, I'm heading up to the roof to hang out with Rufioh. You wanna join? -starts shuffling around her-

ARADIA: -lets him shuffle around her without moving out of the way before turning to follow him- okay

DIRK: -geez, aradia... well, there he goes, ascending to the floor and looking around for rufioh-

RUFIOH: -just sitting up there, cross-legged and having himself a smoke. It just so happens that it's also been a while since Rufioh saw Aradia around. He eyes her, surprised but also not surprised to see her.- sup meg1do.... been a wh1le.

ARADIA: -follows behind dirk and smiles at rufioh, waving- ill say

ARADIA: its about time you got here :D

RUFIOH: 1 was tak1ng 1t easy, 1 guess... but not too easy. -Join him. Sit with him.- 1 have a wr1ggler.

TAVROS & GAMZEE: =They are a ways from the safehouse people are in, in apparent conversation. Tavros' shoulders are slouched, head turned away from the other troll while they talk. Gamzee stands taller, and is using his hands while he speaks. Sometimes Tavros looks back at him, at the hands, fidgets, and looks away. Gamzee's body language seemingly growing more frustrated, hands waving a bit in the air while struggling on what to say. Then placing a finger to his own temple. It makes Tavros look back at him, and they both stand still. More fidgeting from Tavros, and he rubs the back of his neck. Whatever they are talking about don't seem particularly comfortable for either party.=

RUFIOH: -peeks from the roof... concerned.- }:(

DIRK: -glances over at them as well, brows furrowed, but takes a seat with rufioh for now.- You do?

ARADIA: -she plops down next to rufioh- tell me everything

RUFIOH: oh yeah... he's th1s egg 1 found when a y1pbeast tr1ed gett1ng away w1th 1t for lunch... 1 guess from the hatch1ng caverns on avalon.

RUFIOH: d1dn't know what else to do w1th h1m except... keep h1m unt1l he hatched? 1 d1dn't th1nk he would anyway.

RUFIOH: now he's just k1nd of... eat1ng everyth1ng 1n s1ght, haha.

RUFIOH: h1s name 1s em1let... l1l egg bro. }:)

ARADIA: thats great! where is he now

ARADIA: on the ship?

TAVROS & GAMZEE: =Tavros' mouth is moving, and whatever he is saying is making Gamzee's hands drag down his face. Drags, then a rub, and he shakes his head. He waves his hands around again, and Tavros' shoulders grow tense. The bull troll makes a vauge handgesture to all of Gamzee, then inclines his head to the side before shaking it. A brief laughter, uncomfortable and uncertain. Gamzee lets out a frustrated noise followed by a loud "ain't you a fucking doctor or no?" that sounds both angry and confused. He's turning away and motions to move, but Tavros grabs his shoulder before he can. There's silence again, then Tavros speaking with his head ducked. Gamzee still appears stressed, hands in tight fists, but then easing.=

RUFIOH: yeah, he's... safe. -eyes this conversation with more concern.- }:((

ARADIA: -also watches in front of them. that looks about right- im glad you could join us

DIRK: ...

DIRK: -glances at rufioh- Do you know what's up with all that? -gestures to tavros and gamzee talking-

RUFIOH: -looks off, avoiding his eye. Dragging the cig more.- not sure...

TAVROS & GAMZEE: =They're standing close, Tavros doing most of the talking by the looks of it. No doubt rambling by the way his mouth moves. The hand holding Gamzee's shoulder is gradually tightening until Gamzee has placed his on top of it, gently prying it off. He pats it, and Tavros withdraws his hand. Gamzee watches him while Tavros avoids his eye, looking down and shrugging. The capricorn rubs one eye with his palm as they both continue to stand there in silence, then reaches out to unfittingly give Tavros a playful shove to the shoulder. It makes Tavros take a step back, surprised, but he's looking up again. Gamzee says something, Tavros lets out a faint laugh, but at least it has a twinge of humor to it even if it's half hearted. He says something back, taking a step to return the shove, then the two of them walk further away from the house together.=

MEULIN: -She's watching this herself from inside, tail swishing contemplatively. She should talk to Gamzee later...-

ARADIA: -it's always a relief to be completely sure that they're in the right place, and even little things like this are enough evidence. she watches them walk off, her wings fluttering while she sits- guessing in order to fill in the blanks sometimes feels better than just not knowing

ARADIA: but it can also be completely wrong and steer you away from your original purpose -aradia tf you talking about-

DIRK: -watches them walk away, relieved they seem to have worked out whatever was going on with them, before looking at aradia.- ...

DIRK: I see.

RUFIOH: -side eyes her before frowning.- ...

RUFIOH: 1'd rather not... be left to f1ll the gaps. but that's just me.

ARADIA: i think most people feel that way

DIRK: -goes quiet after that. unfortunately, he's got too many unfilled blanks in his thoughts right now, and his mind can't help but guess. he just wishes it did make him feel better.-

RUFIOH: -passes dirk the blunt. He feels him thinking.-

DIRK: -hey, maybe that will make him feel better.- Thanks.

DIRK: -accepts it and takes a hit, staring off at the landscape.-

ARADIA: theres something about earth that feels worth saving

ARADIA: and i dont know what makes the distinction

DIRK: -stares at her- Was that ever a question?

ARADIA: -shakes her head- ARADIA: i mean that theres something

ARADIA: special about it

ROSE: -She's down in the lower floor, having set up some kind of large whiteboard with some dry-erase markers. Some kind of chart, at a glance, though no one's going to see the details til later, when they come back down.-

RUFIOH: what k1nd of spec1al? 1 mean... -brings his knees up to rest his chin on.-

RUFIOH: 1f you're go1ng out of your way to ment1on 1t... the spec1alness.

RUFIOH: compared to every other place people have tr1ed sav1ng.

ARADIA: thats what im wondering

ARADIA: it seems to have something the other planets dont

ARADIA: given the extent of the conquest

RUFIOH: not sure 1f that makes me feel better... -sighs-

ARADIA: -looks over at rufioh- doesnt have to

ARADIA: i just notice it you know?

RUFIOH: yeah... 1 know.

ARADIA: -softens her expression and just lightly touches his arm, silent.-

RUFIOH: -rumble rumble chirrs. A comforting sound.-

DIRK: -he has some ideas, but he already feels like enough of a downer, so he just glances off, exhaling smoke.-

ARADIA: -chirrs softly in response, only momentarily, hand still on his arm. sadness. pain. it's all inevitable at one point or another. but she will gladly sit with both of them for as long as they feel alone. now, she watches dirk-

DIRK: -the gaze seems to pressure him to speak and he huffs, passing the blunt back to rufioh.-

DIRK: I don't think special is the right word to describe Earth's role in all this.

DIRK: It implies there's some big cosmic scheme, putting this planet at the center of some kind of turning point in this war.

DIRK: But here's what makes it different from Beforus and Europa -- The Condesce already had control of it.

DIRK: Both of those planets were once a part of the Empire, or founded by former Alternians. Which means they seperated from the Condesce's regime, and at no point was she able to dig her claws into their government.

DIRK: She destroyed them to teach them a lesson. That they should've taken her side a long time ago.

DIRK: -sighs- Earth and humankind thought they had the upperhand after the War of Alternian Repression, but I wouldn't be fucking surprised if the empress "disappearing" was all just a ploy for her to give them a false sense of security, lure them into forming T.U.M.U.T. and then using her connections to Skaianet and Crocker Corp. to hallow Earth out from the inside while fucking up as much of the galaxy as possible through stooges like us who actually believed we were repairing the damages she had done.

ARADIA: youve thought this over a lot

ARADIA: youre doubting yourself again

DIRK: Doubting what? Those are just the facts. -seems irritated now...-

ARADIA: through stooges like us who actually believed we were repairing the damages she had done

ARADIA: what you said was full of facts and truth but thats what im talking about

MEULIN: -She's leaning out the window below them, just reading what's on her glasses. She doesn't want to climb up and interrupt... but listening is something she can do. Maybe it's mostly all she ever does. It's hard to have the power to help. Maybe that's what Dirk means, too.-

MEULIN: -She leans on the sill and sighs. She keeps telling herself that it doesn't matter how she feels, that she's here for everyone regardless... but being here isn't enough, either, and maybe it does matter how she feels. It matters enough to get in the way, after all.-

DIRK: I hate to break it to you, but that's as factual as anything else I said.

DIRK: We were used and we've been floundering to get back on our feet since then. Even with all this divine fucking intervention, we're as useless as we ever were. I shouldn't have believed there was any point in fighting.

DIRK: -he immediately regrets the words coming out of his mouth, if only because he doesn't want anyone to know he's thinking these things. he definitely doesn't want anyone to feel that way, too, so he gets up quickly so he can make his way back into the house.-

DIRK: ... Forget I said that.

ARADIA: -she's still trying to do her job, trying to keep them on track, but something in what he says stirs something that makes her eyes water even though she doesn't look sad in the slightest-

RUFIOH: -looks between Dirk and Aradia... not saying anything. He's not especially good at these things in the moment. Hell. He's notorious for making bad decisions on the subject if left to his own devices.-

RUFIOH: -but he does hold Aradia's hand. Just wordless about it.-

---

DIRK: -there he goes, DESCENDING THE STAIRS. he's upset, but instead of retreating back to his room, he paces through the house until he happens upon rose's white board.-

ROSE: -She seems to be sorting out members of the crew based on injury and ability...-

ROSE: -maybe not necessarily the BEST source of inspiration for a cause here-

ARADIA: -it's confusing sometimes, when she thinks she's entirely positive and certain of the route they take only to be reminded of all of the bad routes, the wrong ones. it's hard to remember. it's hard to cycle between feeling numb to it and not numb at all. she's not sure what part is making her feel to this extent, but her fingers intertwine with rufioh's and she tries to ground herself by focusing on the physical connection.-

RUFIOH: -He breathes out. Not knowing what's on her mind exactly... but hoping that even for a minute, reality will make sense if he just holds her hand. As they sit quietly, a breeze comes to ruffle their hair. It's nice.-

DIRK: -just kinda hovers there, reading over everything she has written down. he's awfully overwhelmed, but hey, he's here so he should get involved in the planning probably.-

SOLLUX: -He's inside, in a room on his own. Right now, it's where he wants to be. He doesn't think he can handle the thoughts and feelings of anyone else right now.-

JOEY: =she's downstairs with a mug of coffee in hand and slouching lazily in a chair near the whiteboard as she reads it over, ankles crossed.=

ROSE: -She glances at Dirk as he arrives.-

ROSE: Hello.

ROSE: I didn't want to sit around too long.

ROSE: I'm growing restless.

ROSE: I think this might be useful.

ROSE: At least. I know not everyone is in a strong enough condition to fight, when it comes down to it.

[[Out of nowhere, a wrapped sandwich hurtles from the minifridge and slaps Sollux on the side of his head. A water bottle also falls from the counter, rolling across the floor until it came to a stop at his foot.]]

ROSE: -She pays the sandwich NO MIND.- ROSE: Most of the crew presently stranded in Alaska-- though I believe they're on the move-- we are going to want to keep away from the action.

ROSE: We lost two up there. They've faced the harshest conditions out of anyone.

ARADIA: -it would be pretty difficult for anyone to guess what's on her mind--it's so complex and vast and endless--but rufioh's right in thinking that any sort of physical sensation is making everything feel that much more real. the breeze does. the sound of his breath. the way her palm feels pressed up against his. tension she didn't know was there in the first place starts to ease-

DIRK: -nods slowly- Right.

ROSE: -TAPS HER WAND AGAINST THE BOARD.-

ROSE: We can probably look them over individually when they arrive, and I'm certain Dave is going to want to be involved, but we are going to have to hedge our bets.

RUFIOH: -It's as easy as breathing out. When he catches her eye again, he manages a lopsided smile.-

RUFIOH: -ruffles her hair with his hand now.- heh.

ROSE: -She takes a deep breath..-

ROSE: My implants burned out and I'm not going to be able to do much of anything with my abilities in a fight. Everyone else here in our group is in decent enough health, though.

ROSE: Physically speaking.

ARADIA: -she gently laughs and uses her free hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks- sorry ARADIA: not sure what happened there

RUFIOH: someth1ng crazy... but uh...

RUFIOH: 1mportant, 1 th1nk. 1t's 1mportant to talk about th1s sh1t... even 1f 1t's bad.

RUFIOH: to try... and a1r 1t out so 1t doesn't st1nk up your th1nkpan.

DIRK: -rolls his shoulders and finds a chair to pull over, taking a seat next to joey.- In case I forgot to mention, we're kinda holding an officer of the Alternian army hostage here.

DIRK: Her name is Lucana. She might be able to help us with infiltration or... something.

ROSE: Good to know.

ROSE: For what it's worth, of course. She's probably not anyone important—

ROSE: -pauses to glance at him.-

ROSE: At least, no one they'd hesitate killing alongside the rest of us if given the opportunity.

ROSE: -She sighs again, going back to the board.-

ROSE: Our two other assumptions are that we're going to have to work a goal within a timeframe.

ROSE: Freeing Jane and Jade. Orchestrating a prison break. If there's time, destroying the entire facility, but that's in the ideal scenario where we're all able-bodied and unobstructed by an army of drones and soldiers.

ARADIA: you think so? ARADIA: even when people wont understand?

ROSE: -She's starting to pace now, a little bit.-

ROSE: They don't know you have her, so... maybe you can use her clearance to get inside and find information.

ROSE: And the rest of us can... fuck, I don't know. Hold out. Until Hal can get the ship back to us, or... something.

DIRK: Sounds solid to me. -its ok, rose, his leg is bouncing and he's wondering why he bothered to sit down.-

JOEY: =Wordlessly turns her cup around and offers it to Dirk.=

ROSE: -nods a little bit...-

ROSE: I, um.

ROSE: Feel like I may be obligated to tell you that Jane offered...

ROSE: ...

ROSE: For me to join her. ROSE: It may be exploitable, tactically. ROSE: At least for the sake of isolating her from the facility.

DIRK: -takes the cup, perfectly timed to sip it at rose with raised brows-

DIRK: She contacted you specifically with an offer to join her?

ROSE: Yes.

JOEY: you didn't decline outright, did you? =tilts her head towards dirk= he's right, we could use something like this, but how do we know that they won't do the same funky headspace thing that happened to jane and jade. =she waved a hand around her head=

JOEY: jane wasnt ever like that in the time that i knew her. they did something to her that made her do all those things, i know it.

ROSE: Yes, I...

ROSE: Suppose.

ROSE: And the answer being, we don't really know that.

ROSE: It's a calculated risk. If they could have done it to more than just her and Jade, then why wouldn't they have?

JOEY: well not everyone is an heiress or has zappy powers

ROSE: Of course not. But there's got to be more to it than that. ROSE: They captured Jake and Roxy, but the two seem to be under their own power. If they're going to use them, why not use them?

ROSE: Unless they can't.

JUDE: -creeps up on this conversation- I can't say for certain about jade

JUDE: but jane? she's always carrying around crocker corp tech... I kept TELLING her to throw it away but of course she didn't

JUDE: -points to his head- the tiara top, specifically... I'm sure it's a mind control device that they could hack into directly and control her

JUDE: who's to say they haven't done that with their prisoners by this point? I'm not sure why they captured them but maybe they're using them for something we just don't know about... something they're doing privately at the facility while jade and jane do the dirty work...

ROSE: Well.

ROSE: I wouldn't doubt that.

ROSE: Even if it's somewhat of a stretch to think that everyone is entirely enthralled.

DIRK: -grunts- She's probably usin' them for their abilities. Roxy can make shit outta nothingness. Jake can pretty much manipulate anything so long as he believes it's true.

DIRK: I figure she just doesn't need the rest of us. That's what makes Jane's proposal so strange to me.

DIRK: It might suggest she still has her own agency despite the mind control, if she wants to recruit folks from our crew. It must not have been in the empress' plan.

SOLLUX: -belated but WTF SANDWICH AND WATER OUTTA NOWHERE.-

SOLLUX: -his head jerks up almost immediately as it plaps him- g0d damn it t—

SOLLUX: ...

ROSE: ...

ROSE: Well, uh.

ROSE: Yes.

ROSE: I think that was definitely a part of it.

JOEY: =just...absorbs all of this before mumbling to herself= (how did my original timeline turn into one with teenage mutant ninja turtles?)

DIRK: - ... 👁️ 👁️-

ROSE: -stop....-

DIRK: -SIPS MORE- Cool.

DIRK: So we get Rose to seduce Jane.

MEULIN: -peeks in at this- OH???

MEULIN: 👁️ 👁️

ROSE: -NO-

ROSE: That.

ROSE: Really won't be necessary.

ROSE: I'm just going to take her up on her offer.

ROSE: And she'll know that something is up, because of a familiarity with me.

ROSE: ...

ROSE: And on account of that, I already know that she knows.

ROSE: Which gives me an advantage.

JOEY: =snickers=

ROSE: And. Is not seduction.

RUFIOH: -also peeking from a window to gaze.- 👁️ 👁️

JOEY: if you decide to go undercover, you might have to do things undercover

JOEY: you know

JOEY: to prove youre one of them

JOEY: =takes her coffee from dirk to sip it before handing it back to him=

ROSE: I think this was the exact reason I didn't want to share this potentially significant information in the first place.

ROSE: No.

DIRK: -😏-

JOEY: no ones gonna judge you, if you were worried

MEULIN: -while they keep talking, she's sniffing around the room... and then lifts open the window if it's not already open-

JOEY: ;)

ROSE: Oh mygod.

MEULIN: -HUP. She jumps out of the window. She's gone.-

ROSE: -looks out the window-

ROSE: -...why.......-

RUFIOH: -Meu why.-

MEULIN: -DONT WORRY. She's just heading for the lake!!-

JOEY: =she looked up from her device and crossed the room, turning on the TV. Glancing down at her phone once more, she flipped to the channel shown. It appears to be a concert.=

DIRK: -YES IT'S TIME-

DIRK: -he was waiting for this-

TYRENA: -She's been scarce for most of the time they've been here... except now, with the TV on. She's still laying flat on the ground but she's listening closely.-

DIRK: -WATCHING TAKODA LIFTED HIS SPIRITS A LITTLE... that and teasing rose earlier. but hey.-

JOLENE: -SQUINTS AT THIS CLOWN ON THE TV-

SUMMONER: =He's out and about somewhere, doing god's knows what, but he has a feeling his kismesis is doing something that makes him feel human homosexual down in his soul. Clenches fist mid flight.=

JOEY: =holy shit who is that cute little carapacian?=

DIRK: - 👀 -

DIRK: -it's snans undertale-

DIRK: ...

DIRK: Holy shit.

DIRK: -BAFFLED BY THE MAYOR'S VOICE???-

JOEY: =Actually jumps in her seat when the VOICE happens.=

DIRK: -smiles softly at qirin with her drum... gosh-

SOLLUX: -just listening to this in the bg-

TYRENA: -still on the floor like a mummy, but she appreciates this. quietly.-

JUDE: -lurks when he hears penny's voice on the tv... wowee, there she is. he's a little starry eyed.-

DIRK: -watching this is getting him so hype??? it's nice to have something positive between the anxiety and the numbness whoo boy-

DIRK: -dammit... his parents are cute...-

DIRK: -somewhere out there, he knows dave is crying. haha wimp.-

DIRK: -wait fuck he's crying too-

JOEY: =sliiiiiiiiides over a tissue box=

DIRK: -ffffffff.... takes the whole tissue box. but he's trying to hold it in. ffs.-

DIRK: -he's getting chills... yes, this is exactly what he needed to lift his spirits. but it's getting late... he should probably rest if he wants to be useful at all... but he's so hype.-

EQUIUS: -There's the sound of gentle, but heavy, steps-

EQUIUS: D --> I heard a ruckus. Is everything okay -His veins are deep blue, clearly from the poison, however, he is looking better.-

JOEY: you're looking lively

JOEY: your crewmates have blatantly challenged aych eye see

JOEY: it was glorious

EQUIUS: D --> Dirk, who the heck is this tiny human

JOEY: excuse me, i'm above average height for human women

JOEY: you're just abnormally tall

DIRK: -looks back at equius- This is Joey Claire.

JOEY: :)

EQUIUS: D --> One of the human refugees we were transported for

DIRK: -nods- That's right.

EQUIUS: D --> Okay. I surmise we are in Minnesota now, I seem to remember hearing that

JOEY: yup! it's a state.