#feels like walking into a weird parallel universe

[sojirosteacup]

just found out the korean dub of the anime localized the names of the characters but they are completely different names from the ones used in the kdrama many years later and my mind is so???confused??? Like, Who tf is Jin Chowon?? Kwon Sehyun??? Han Rui?? JINU???? HYEONSU???? What??? Who are those people??????

[what-even-is-thiss]

I feel like when it comes to the stardew valley spouses Sebastian would be the one I settle down with but Elliot is the one I think about at night.

He shines too brightly. He’s a little too loud. But he still makes my gay little heart jump the same way it did the first time. Every time.

But Sebastian is more stable. Sebastian loves you but can still have his own life separate from you. And he’s there. Quiet, but he’s there.

But Elliot alone in his cabin side eyes me every time I walk down to the beach. I meet his eyes a bit too long at festivals. We both know. We both know if one of us asked we would. But we won’t. It seems that he’s destined to be lonely and I am destined to be trapped. If not in my corporate job then there on that farm with that cozy safe husband and children, crops that need tending to, animals that need feeding.

Is anyone unhappy? No. Elliot has his modest success. He can live modestly off of his book sales. In time he grows old on that beach just as he feared, but it’s not so bad. He’s the town eccentric. He’s the local writer. He writes a new novel every year. A cheap little thing bought at an airport bookstore. A romance writer whose books are eaten and discarded within a week. And he’s happy.

And I sell my little artisan goods. Cheese and wine mostly these days. We put a little skull and crossbones on the wine bottles, just to be edgy. Just because we can. Children grow up in a stable and happy home with all the space in the world to run through the blueberry fields, their adoption papers framed on the wall, their slightly weird alternative dads taking them on motorcycle rides through the mountains. We’re quiet. We only get out on Fridays. Everyone knows us but we don’t hold hands at the store.

Elliot and I sit at the same table in the bar that Leah does. I know her slightly less than I know him. This town has become weirder. That’s good. We chat. Elliot is a messy drunk. Sometimes he gets a little too close to my face when he’s tipsy but he always stops himself. Everyone knows I wouldn’t stop him if he leaned in. Including my husband. We’ve never spoken about it but he’s not dumb. Everyone knows. Everyone also knows that nothing has happened. But it always could.

But Elliot doesn’t lean in. Maybe it’s the smell of dirt on me that breaks the image of me he has in his mind. Maybe it’s the public space. Maybe it’s Sebastian playing pool in the corner. Maybe if he was drunk in a private space everything would come apart. Both of our perfect on paper little lives.

Maybe if this were one of Elliot’s books we would run away together, abandon everything in the middle of the night. But neither of us would like that, really. Both of us are a one person at a time kind of guy. And we both know I made the right choice.

I still have dreams though. Of him and I on a rowboat in the middle of the ocean. He cannot contain himself and kisses me in a fit of passion. Like a vision from another universe where I’m just as happy as I am now. A parallel mirror world where I never climbed onto the back of that motorcycle and ran down the hill to the beach instead, where everything lasted for more than just that one summer.

[lycheeloving]

a non-platonic yandere!Bruce thought this time, with some multiverse stuff, because that's all I could think about today.

I imagine this is at a point where you've been with him for some time & have mostly gotten used to your situation (having been kidnapped and forced into a relationship with a billionaire who happens to be Batman)

a small allusion to nsfw stuff, minors dni

You're bored, sitting in the bedroom you share with Bruce (who's currently patrolling, so you can't even annoy him for entertainment), so you decide that you at least want a change of scenery, and what better place for that than the batcave? So you take a book, a drink and a blanket with you as you venture down into the cave.

Bruce doesn't like it when you're down there, especially not while he's out, but it doesn't concern him enough to install anything that would keep you from going down there. If you're lucky, this will piss him off just enough to make the inevitable post-patrol sex with him more interesting tonight, so a win-win situation, really! You sit down in his comfy chair in front of his bat-computer, snuggle into your blanket so you don't freeze to death and start reading.

After some time you stand up to stretch and notice Bruce in the reflection on the computer. Weird, you didn't hear the batmobile returning! Well, you must have just been really immersed in the book.

"Bruce? You're back early, I thought you said you'd take longer today because of some Arkham emergency?"

No response.

"Ok, look, I know you don't like it when I'm down here, but I was getting sick of the manor!"

Still no response.

You turn around to look at him more closely, his expression might look like his usual stony facade, but you've spent enough time with him by now to be able to read him a bit and you're pretty sure he looks... confused?

"Hello? Are you ok? Did you hit your head? Did you drive with a head injury?? Wait, no, of course not, the batmobile can drive home all by itself-"

As you say that, you look at where the batmobile should be. should be, because it's not there. You look back at Bruce. Did his batsuit always look like that? You could swear that the ears are usually a bit smaller, and the color is wrong. Huh. You take a step back. "You're.. not Bruce, are you?"

He finally opens up his mouth to explain that he's from a parallel universe, that he and the Bruce from your universe have been helping each other with cases for a while now, he just came here to see if your Bruce was available, but if he's not here right now he's going to leave again. He gestures to a portal in the wall that you missed because from your angle it just looks like the wall of the cave, but when you take a step forward you can see into what looks like the batcave you're in right now but slightly to the left. A bit uncanny.

"You looked confused earlier, did Bruce not tell you about me? Or did you just not expect to see me down here?"

"...I was not aware that he is in a relationship."

"I mean, yeah, I guess if I was him I wouldn't go around telling people I kidnapped someone and keep them locked in my mansion, either. Even if they looked exactly like me, I mean, you never know if they think exactly like you as well. Um. Anyways, it was nice to meet you?" You wave awkwardly while he looks shocked (in his stoic way).

"...Why didn't you try to escape through the portal, then, if you're kept here against your will?"

"Oh, um, my bracelet is designed to shock me as soon as I leave. Like, really painful electric shocks. I'm not trying that again." More shock and guilt on other-Bruce's face.

"I'm sure I could disable it. Come with me."

"...And then what? Bruce will come after me. He'll attack you and be really, really mad at me for running away. Really mad. He said he'd break my legs if I ever tried to run again, I'm not risking that. And he'll keep me chained up in the bedroom for months." You shudder. "I like my walking around the house privileges, thank you very much."

You feel uncomfortable when he doesn't react and instead keeps staring at you. "I think you should leave. Now. ...Please."

He takes a step towards you. "I can keep you safe. I wouldn't feel right, knowing I left you here. Come with me."

You take a step back. "Look, thank you for offering, but I don't think this will end well for either of us. I'm gonna go now."

You turn to leave, but he's faster than you. He grabs your wrist, stopping you from getting away. You squirm in his hold while he inspects your bracelet. He then pulls something out of his utility belt with which he's able to remove the bracelet without it shocking you, throws you over his shoulder and carries you through the portal, not at all bothered by your kicking and scratching. He puts you down and closes the portal behind him. It all happened faster than you could wrap your head around.

"...I think it would be best if you stayed in the manor until I figure out how to resolve this.", he says, an unnerving glint in his eyes.

Did you just get kidnapped by a second Batman? Will he really let you go? You doubt that, somehow. You think you would have preferred to stay with your Batman, at least with him you knew what to expect...

[macabremadness]

fiddleford mcgucket is so AUUUUGHFHSHSGFJ like he is crazy he is a silly goose. just a guy from tennessee who knows how to build literally anything and wanted to make tech to improve peoples lives first like mf built the first portable laptop and cell phone and got NO credit. he wanted to make robot legs cuz he didn't wanna walk but imagine if he was able to actually make some as mobility aid anyways i think about that a lot

that one time ford suggested to gather the cute little living minerals to help them lead them out the cave tunnels while fiddleford instead just picked them up and banged them together to relight the lantern and they all just scattered and one bit ford. he's so smart <3

weird cows producing weird milk that might be dangerous for human consumption? fidds fuckin drank that shit straight out the bucket. and i think he took it with him the rest of the way cuz he dramatically spit it out upon seeing cso

hes like a chihuahua to me he just stands there and pathetically shakes but then he also gets really feisty and bites. he canonically growls as an old man

how many gifts has fiddleford given ford at this point? like hes given him an axolotl, handmade gloves, a handmade snow globe, a custom laptop, squash with a human face, essentially his life. "hey what is the universe was a hologram" had the trajectory of his life changed forever. LIKE BEFORE BACKUPSMORE HE NEVER EVEN DRANK COFFEE and then ford is just "oh yeah i gave him like 15 cups or something"

AUGH THE GLOVES AND THE SNOW GLOBE..... "gee ford how come you get TWO presents" says emma may with nothing. LIKE HIM AND FORD HAD SUCH A GREAT CHRISTMAS AFTER THE KRAMPUS THING BUT LIKE I FEEL BAD FOR TATE MAN AND YALL ALREADY KNOW MCGUCKET CARES ABOUT HIS SON SO GODDAMN MUCH

(violently cries)

his ass is NOT afraid to use the memory gun on people like hes made people build the portal and the bunker for free and wiped their memories and hasnt been afraid to wipe ford's too like damn man. hes a little too trigger happy. he also made an entire cult because of it and then forgot he made an entire cult

he made the bunker security room. he decided it would be a good idea to crush intruders to death. not to mention all the destructive robots hes made in his crazy old man era. i love him at his best and his worst your honor

we salute 45th president mcgucket, gave out free robot spiders. and he prevented the entire covid pandemic. it's so funny to me cuz he took over northwest manor first and then the white house. i would be fine if the whole world had one ruler and it was mcgucket and you know he would find a way to turn himself into an immortal robot he will NEVER die

he's married to a racoon. has not even questioned his marriage once. that racoon is tate's step mom and i don't even think he questions it at this point either. we salute first lady of the united states raccoon wife

also give it up for parallel fiddleford!! literally from the canon "everything went right" au. portal wouldn't exist without our fidds and the quantum destabilizer wouldn't exist without parallel fidds give it up for all two canon fiddlefords carrying ford 🙏 anyways where's all the au content of that specific universe—

not to mention mcgucket's entire story arc which i really cannot put into words rn in this dumb post because its so AAUUUGH you feel me?

anyways yeah. this post is absolutely not coherent but i just think fiddleford mcgucket is neat and underrated (and as much as i love fiddauthor/fiddleauthor/fordsquared/fordford/banjoportal/etc. i feel like he's getting stuck solely in shipping LET HIM BE HIS OWN GUY PLEASE). also thank you book of bill for existing because it made me remember gravity falls was a thing i was obsessed with as a kid and looking back at everything as an adult is CRAZYYY

okay peace out love you mcgucket stans

[scaryanneee]

VEILPUNK 9:52 ⚡️

Narrative parallels between [and MAJOR SPOILERS for] Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Cyberpunk 2077

Wake up, Samurai, we have a Thedas to burn. Let’s play a game:

Meet [V]/[Rook]. She is living her life as a [nomad/streetkid/corpo]/[Dragon/Crow/Lord/Watcher/Warden] when circumstances (aka, some kind of fuck-up) lead her to begin a new adventure with her friend [Jackie Welles]/[Varric Tethras]. 

The pair embark on a mission that involves a history lesson about a mercurial and rebellious [rockerboy]/[ancient elven mage] who made a questionable choice [50]/[8000] years ago when he [detonated a nuclear bomb]/[created the Veil]. That decision had dire consequences, but was done with good intentions: to take down a corrupt and powerful group – the [Arasakas]/[Evanuris]. 

Anyway, the job that [V]/[Rook] is on goes really, really bad: needless to say, we won't be working with [Jackie]/[Varric] anymore. [V]/[Rook] finds herself injured but alive… and the previously mentioned grumpy old [rockerboy]/[elven god] is now living in her head, somehow?! 

[Jackie]/[Varric]’s fate is not the only consequence of [V]/[Rook]’s actions. In fact, the clock is ticking: if [V]/[Rook] does not find a way to fix her mistake soon, she faces certain death. Not to mention, she promised [Jackie]/[Varric] that she would take care of the [biochip]/[team] for him. 

As she works to undo what she has done, [V]/[Rook] either bonds with the [Johnny Silverhand]/[Solas] living in her head, or hates him, or something in between. There’s lots of snarky jabs traded between mind-resident and host, but also moments of genuine understanding that build over time. 

It is kind of weird walking around the world, though, because you see symbols of [Johnny]/[Solas]’s legacy in the form of [Samurai memorabilia]/[Fen’Harel statues] pretty much everywhere... anyway.

In an optional questline, [V]/[Rook] can watch some of [Johnny]/[Solas]’s memories. She learns that his [nuclear bomb]/[creating the Veil] was about more than just fighting [corpo]/[godly] corruption. It was also about avenging the death of a woman he cared for deeply: [Alt]/[Mythal], who was killed by the [Arasakas]/[Evanuris]. [Alt]/[Mythal] and [Johnny]/[Solas] may have had a complicated and at times turbulent relationship, but there was no doubt he loved her. There’s also no doubt that [Johnny]/[Solas] feels, in part, personally responsible for her death.

[V]/[Rook] also gets to meet some of [Johnny]/[Solas]’s old friends: [Kerry]/[Dorian] and [Nancy]/[Morrigan], who both worked alongside him in [Samurai]/[the Inquisition], and [Rogue]/[Inquisitor Lavellan], a highly competent woman who [Johnny]/[Solas] had a romantic relationship with at one point (and who [Johnny]/[Solas] regrets not having treated better). [V]/[Rook] also meets some of [Johnny]/[Solas]’s greatest enemies from his past – like [Adam Smasher]/[Elgar’nan] – and gets to make [Johnny]/[Solas] proud by kicking their asses on his behalf. 

Finally, at the very end of the game, [V]/[Rook] can choose to either redeem [Johnny]/[Solas] or condemn him. They can even get help from a version of [Alt]/[Mythal] to do so!

Roll credits.

This is all to say: I love both of these franchises very much and, so it is very delightful to find all of these parallels between them. To be very clear, this is not an accusation of stealing or anything – stories echo, history rhymes, etc. – just an affectionate observation.

BUT.

It also highlights, for me at least, a few things Cyberpunk did well that Veilguard would have benefitted from incorporating. Namely:

A prologue based on character origin, where Rook meets/bonds with Varric, like V does with Jackie

More interaction between Protagonist and Guy Living in the Protagonist’s Head

Deeper engagement with the universe’s lore, particularly the setting and its impact on our protagonist. Night City feels like another character in Cyberpunk in a way that Veilguard's Thedas really does not.

The protagonist having a smaller scale, more personal investment in the outcome of events – V’s race against the biochip is instantly understandable, and her tenacity and strong will to survive make her very easy to relate to and like. I never quite felt the same level of investment in Rook, and I think that’s in part because her fight against the gods is so enormous in scale that it feels quite impersonal at times. 

Story parallels aside, these two games are also both examples of games that were rushed through development and suffered for it. For Cyberpunk, that meant infamous technical failures; for Veilguard, that apparently means writing that is inconsistent at best and baffling at worst.

Fortunately, CD Projekt Red was able to add tons of post-release updates (and the excellent Phantom Liberty DLC) to Cyberpunk, that really helped it ultimately evolve into the game it was intended to be. 

Unfortunately, I think it is extremely unlikely that EA/Bioware will ever give Veilguard the same treatment.

But if I’m looking for something to hope for about this franchise (despite the long odds)... I think that would be it. 

Anyway, if you read this far: thanks, [chooms]/[lethallen]! 🖤

[incomingalbatross]

I finished the TV show so here is the Dresden Files/Dresden Files crossover fic I have been revolving in my head and am unlikely to ever write in full

Starts with Book!Harry (around White Night? certainly pre-Changes), having a nightmare about fighting Justin -- but in the dream Justin is somehow his uncle and also killed his father

He wakes up and is like "that was weird"

Continues with him going about his daily life but feeling a lot of weird disorientation at weird moments

He has split seconds where he doesn't recognize his friends and loved ones, he walks past the Beetle while looking for his car... little things keep taking him by surprise when they should be normal

He consults with Bob about it (also very disorienting) and Bob suggests it could either be a magical influence OR a possible brain injury

It DOES seem to be decreasing over time, though, so Harry doesn't get around to an MRI or magical equivalent...

And then he gets a call from Murphy that there's a weirdo with a sword at the SI offices who wants Harry. Please get him out of her space, Harry

He shows up. There is, in fact, a man with a sword who says he's Morgan. He's not. More importantly, he's holding a skull, and this fills Harry with a visceral urge to get the skull back from him even though he's never seen it before

A second man materializes out of the skull. At that point, Harry's brain just whites out, because someone inside it, who isn't him, has just leapt into control in order to go "Bob??" with his voice

There is some degree of turmoil and drawn weapons all around

Eventually they straighten things out enough to realize that, surprise! Chicago's favorite wizard PI currently has TWO Harry Dresdens in his head for the price of one

Somebody was trying to toss TV!Harry's soul into the outer darkness, but he slipped sideways and ended up in another universe. Was drawn to Book!Harry's body as the closest thing to his own, and Book!Harry's been getting bleedover from his mind/memories

...However. The bleedover has been getting weaker. TV!Harry's been getting assimilated, without anyone even knowing he was there

Ghost Bob (so named by Harry to differentiate him from Skull Bob) essentially has to go in there to pull him out

Room here for fun explorations of all the differences in the two Harrys' lives -- Bob struggles to detach his Harry because the problem is, even with all the apocalypses, Book!Harry is kind of a nicer person to be. He has a clearer self-image. He has more loved ones. He likes his family background. That's hard to give up.

(The key turns out to be that Book!Harry does NOT have anyone who is even a clean parallel to Ghost Bob. TV!Harry remains sensitive to that difference, and it's a gateway to considering the other ways his own life matters to him)

They pull his soul out, Book!Harry gets to offer some life advice like "watch Star Wars at a drive-in" and "look up Ebenezar McCoy" and "get a license to carry," and the TV contingent goes home to put their Harry back in his body

Reunion with Connie Murphy (and other supporting cast?) when Harry "wakes up from his coma." Ends with him appreciating his life but also making plans to use the lessons he learned from the other place.

[mod-doodles]

Carmy’s fumble vs Marcus’ fumble 

Adding to my reasons I think Sydney is in love/strong like with Carmy.

Firstly as it has been addressed on here, the parallel between how they film Carmy and Syd vs Carmy/Syd and Claire/Marcus. We get lotsssss of cuts when its CarmClaire or SydMarcus; it's like the camera is doing the job of turning your head, side to side with really close shots of their faces, its kind of jarring. Alternatively when its Syd and Carmy; we enter their own little universe and there’s little effort to feel peace and calm, the music slows and the external noise quiets. They are almost exclusively in the same frame when its just them, it was more pronounced in s02 than s01. It reads as they are other and we are the same.

Sydney’s reaction to Carmy

When he asked her what she was going to do since there was nothing left for them to do at the restaurant she says she doesn’t know and uno reverses the question to Carmy. She’s open to suggestion, he could have recommended the dumbest thing and she’d have been down for whatever…the pregnant pauseeeee come on.

Sydney’s reaction to Marcus

She immediately shuts him down, anxiety flares up, stumbling over her words. Why would it be weird Sydney lmao? I’m sorry she just does not want that man. This also perfectly depicts how easy it is for Syd with Carmy, there’s like three cringy moments with Sydney and Marcus; him walking in in first episode, the FaceTime call and the ask out. I don’t know what it is but there’s always his awkward energy. 

Why are they so awkward…….ahhhhh, you feed a man one time and they fall in love.

[endgamelukola]

thoughts on the shape of things (2023)

But first, a quote from Luke Newton's Vanity Fair interview (2024)

When discussing the ways art imitated life, Newton resists the urge to navel-gaze. “There are always weird things that kind of seep in, and I hate that it does, because it sounds just a bit lame,” he says with a sheepish smile. “It just sounds like an actor-y thing to say, but he came back with a sense of confidence and swagger, and I started to feel more confident in myself.”

“The flip side of that,” he says, “is that I then did a play immediately afterwards”—Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things in London—“and played a really insecure, nerdy library guard. Immediately, that started trickling into my day-to-day life, and I was tripping over things and being awkward when I saw friends. And I was like, ‘God, what’s going on?’ So I need to learn to get better at the detachment there. But it’s also what I love about the job.”

TSOT spoilers below:

In The Shape of Things, Luke Newton plays Adam, a library guard who struggles with his confidence and self-image. One evening, while working a shift at the museum, he meets Evelyn, whom he asks out and with whom he enters a relationship. Evelyn's influence in Adam's life sees him alter his appearance and the way he approaches the world, only with the revelation at the end that Evelyn manipulated Adam for her senior thesis project.

As she explains her thesis project to a crowd of attendees, with Adam in the audience, Evelyn says:

"This was a simple matter of 'Can I instill X amount of change in this creature using only manipulation as my palette knife?' I made sure that nothing was ever forced during our sessions or 'sittings' together. [...] the illusion of 'dating' was imperative and that his free will was always at the forefront of each decision. I coaxed. I made suggestions. I created the illusion of interest and desire, but I never said, 'You must do this.'"

"I found that with the right coaxing of my materials, [...] I was able to hone the inside of my sculpture as well as the surface. I found myself suddenly creating strong moral ambiguity where I had detected the slightest traces before, often...in direct proportion to the amount of external change. This means, as my subject became handsome and firmer and more confident, his actions became more and more questionable. [...] He also started to deceive his friends and myself with greater abandon during this period whilst showing increased interest in other women. Indeed, he had relations with his best friend's fiance and continues to harbor details about the incident from us to this day. Moreover, he was willing to give up those friends when asked, walk away without any further explanation, leading me to an assumption of further wrongdoing with the young woman in question. And, as stated earlier, these universal corrections culminated in an offer of marriage to me. [...] He has then, as I see it, been utterly and totally refashioned as a person. And yet, open any fashion magazine, turn on any television, and the world will you tell you that he's only gotten more interesting, more desirable, more normal. In a word, better.

He is a living, breathing example of our obsession with the surface of things, the shape of them."

Aside from the obvious Biblical allegory going on in the play that I'm still personally chewing on, I think there's a lot to be said here about the Lukola fandom, its percentage of female members, and their perception of Luke Newton as a person offscreen and outside of the Bridgerton sphere.

There's some really interesting parallels here to the way female fans critique Luke for his actions after altering his appearance, as if, with a slimmer body and higher profile, he's suddenly gaining attention of women they don't want to see him with and that makes him a bad guy. But is he, really? Since none of us truly know Luke as an individual, the projection of who the fandom thinks Luke is is a look inside the female mind, in my opinion.

It's all just really fascinating to me.

[anteroom-of-death]

Teacher's Pet part 17

Synopsis: The Doctor muses on the nature of what he could do, the reader is a willing accomplice to her own life.

A/n: first off, I'd like to thank @queerconfusionthings on the slightly darker tone of this chapter and our long talks about 12, it changed this chapter. You get me in a way precious others do...and to all my readers, yall are best. To my mutuals, I'd die for you. Especially those who don't share my needs here. Love u.

It started to border on experimental. So many untapped valleys and choices he could make now that his pet fawn was solidly by his side, and now bound to leave him, no matter how dire the situation or how many red flags or fears the ghosts of his past could bequeath to her. (Y/N) was firmly in his grasp. Perhaps indefinitely.

There were certain thought experiments that were hypothetical that he was taught at the academy. How to not just bind a weaker species to your mind not just in mind, but in blood. The facets of addiction was the singular universal trait of all sentient life in the cosmos. He admitted that he was becoming as addicted to her as she was to him, and those nasty substances she would take.

He was of half a mind to remove their influence on her body and substitute them for him. As they walked through Kew Gardens, he mused on that. Take the urge that crippled her for drinks and cigarettes to the point of clouding her thoughts at times, bind those starved out brain cells to the idea of him. The swap from nicotine and ethyl alcohol to the Doctor would he fairly easy to do.

Ultimately, after she flashed him a smile and kissed him on the cheek before heading to the loo, he decided against it. For now.

She was getting beyond handsy…almost to the point of him being begged to fuck her in public. Maybe the switch was happening naturally. The addiction to the physical was clearly getting stronger…

Wouldn’t he be so lucky?

He’d have another full-scale rifle in her mind soon to assess the current situation!

Maybe he was more like the Rani than he’d previously assessed…

Wouldn’t that just choke the life from Missy? Her precious parallels dashed in the face if him ending up much more like their estranged friend turned mutual foe.

Whatever the case in this poorly-plotted and infinitely nailed-out love story he was crafting, the Doctor was sure of one thing. His reputation as the universe’s biggest savior, it’s self-inserted martyr needed to stay intact. Missy knew to some extent. Missy could feel and reveled in his own self-corruption at the hands of this mere human.

Missy would, even if she wanted to escape, keep this secret. Their rivalry and comrades and millennia-long bond, despite how fucked up it was, or how many times they’d kill or fight one another was iron-clad.

Honor among thieves or something…

The idea of some sort of vivisection briefly clouded his vision as he saw her exit the toilets. She was beaming. She held her jacket in her hand and her teeth caught in the light.

He decided against that idea.

There were opportunities endlessly flowing out.

“Hey, I’m absolutely starving!” She pulled him by the ties on his hoodie. “Do you want to go to a pub after this? There’s got to be a really good one that does a lovely roast dinner or something.”

Totally clueless, totally obvious to the danger she was in. So fine-tuned to weird shadows and knew when a human man on the street was up to no good. She didn’t know that the real predator was getting the aglets of his hoodie flicked around.

Poor her. Poor little fawn. Fully in the wolf’s maw and her neck was already snapped. Lost in the too-dark woods, separated from her herd. Only the guidance of that would come had made a meal of her. And was toying her corpse out further…

He felt his cock stiffen.

Maybe he would take her tonight. Just until bleeding. See how far her dependence on her would go. Maybe degrade her a bit.

If he could, he would. Wasn’t it his right?

He did own her, after all. Everyone from the team at UNIT to that last scrappy remnant of Torchwood saw her over-the-moon, fully-tethered ache for him…

They all picked up on something far more grasping than mere companion in their relationship. He wasn’t risking her life and breaking her spirit on planets far outside her home solar system. A dark, full-bodied compatriot. An equal lover. Perhaps they would arrive at the conclusion of his idea of settling down on Earth.

Not like their human opinions mattered in the end…

“Yes, of course.” He returned her eager, lavish smile with one of his own.

He slammed these thoughts back in the dark chest that was his mind. For now he’d just play with her hormones and her mind. Just put them at maximum. Continue this charade.

Keep everyone and everyone in the dark…

It was a great rest of the day, a butterfly landed on her arm. She delicately picked it up to rest on her finger and it stayed put as if she was her own form of magic. The little insect crawled around and she led it to rest on his jacket.

“He’s probably picking up the sugar scrub I used last night.” She rationalized.

“Or you’re just preternaturally sweet.” He let out the cheesy line as it flicked itself off his being and flew into the air. She shot him a bemused sideways glance. When she finally got it off her finger and it was firmly on his being she slightly shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Obviously, it didn’t take a liking to him.

It’s instincts were far better tuned.

He took her to the closest pub. It wasn’t doing a roast dinner that night. She was put out, but ordered chips with a gin and tonic and some little sandwich thing.

His Earth girls really loved their chips.

Maybe that was his type? Little, bold Earth girls with loud minds that could devour nothing but chips for all eternity and be perfectly happy doing so.

He could live with that…

She went out for a cigarette and he mentally made contact with Missy.

She ‘picked up’ the mental receiver.

‘How goes London, you filthy old man?’ The words shot into his mind like an icicle from a roof.

‘Fine, just curious, how much attention did you pay to Professor Hedflonhorzthenethar’s lessons on groove-making in lesser species?’

‘Rapt, Doccy. Why?’

‘Send me your memories, I’ll Amazon a tuba to my office.’

Another betrayal of the morals he started this regeneration with…

‘Let me see you do it. I’ll only do it if you do it now and let me look through your eyes!’ It was sharp, it felt like she was beside him shouting it.

He gave her permission to see through his eyes. He sighed and whipped out his phone, ordered a tuba and closed up the connect to his eyes.

The entirety of her memories regarding the lessons pinged into his brain like an email or perhaps a text notification…

His little fawn slid back onto the barstool next to him as Missy closed the line…

‘Don’t break her yet! I want to be her friend! I’m so lonely!’

He could still feel her teasing pout lingering in his brain. Perhaps she left it as a taste of his own medicine.

“The night’s getting cooler.” (Y/N) informed.

“Pity, you’ll need to cover up.”

Her mind was clearly projecting images of her taking him to the toilets and fucking him in the stall. Loudly.

Her mind was wandering, she kept admiring the line of his brow and the way his fingers crossed over as he held the glass of Fanta he was slowly sipping. She needed him in ways that would shock perhaps even Captain Jack Harkness or perhaps that smaller, dark shadow that used to follow him around, John Hart was his name?

A pathetic kicked dog that craved the Captain’s attention…

Just like him and Missy.

He shook his head at that particular parallel.

Probably the advantage of dating someone in her profession. She knew what was avant-garde in sex!

Or at least for a human of her time period that had never been off-planet…

The Doctor let his mind wander into hers. Despite her clear projection, he wanted to see exactly what the damage of the last night was. She was chattering on about a philosophy book she picked up for between clients and for downtime at work. She completed it and wanted to share her critiques of it and her ways she’d probably improve upon the messages. As well as what she liked from it- she wasn’t all kvetching, no appreciation, after all.

In all honesty, he loved the wild tangential spin she loved. He felt some remorse about how deeply he had rummaged in her brain. She still was, in a sense, her own. Just now permanently entangled in his web. Like a rat in a glue trap, but only she didn’t grasp how sticky the glue was…. She was fully mentally tethered. He’d have to be more careful, he didn’t want to lose her, or push these experiences too deep. Losing this spark of ingenuity and tired vivaciousness would be a sin worse than anything else.

He swallowed another sip of his Fanta.

It seemed a bit shaken, but he swept those away. Kept them as salacious afterthought. Bonded the memories from today that were pleasant to her already aching neurotransmitters. Amped up her hormones a tad bit.

Anyone around her, even a stupid human could probably hear her mind now. It was both very intrigued by the subject matter of the book but also so desperately needy for her Doctor. He could feel her aching cunt and body responding from here. Anybody with a pulse could probably get her drift.

He'd probably, if anyone was sensitive enough, have to start beating them off with a stick!

That could be fun, lure her further. Let her know that she was only safe with him…

He ran the possibilities and scanned the bar, seeing if he could play any games.

Sadly not.

He decided against that for the moment.

Especially since something told him that she’d have precious little trouble fighting for herself. Unless he purposefully put her mind in a state of freeze, he doubted that a pub brawl based on her appearance would faze her. She, like most human girls, had been numbed to that sort of violence.

She’d probably have to come in and save him, by the looks of a few of the other patrons here…

He dissolved that idea. He couldn’t risk breaking his promise to her and regenerating on the spot if she was frozen, meant to witness. His superior genetics and all that may come with was no match for a gone-to-seed ex-rugby player nor someone who clearly worked security. As he finished his assessment of the crowd in the pub.

His mind games would have to play out in other ways still…

Just adjust the plans that he had. And take in the information Missy had pinged him.

The illusion of free will still reflected true, right?

His old pal, Plato did some allegory with a cave…sadly he wasn’t paying attention when the man was speaking. Missed the point, invented a self-lubricating spatula for flapjacks.

Oops.

He’d never say he was depriving her of that outright, no too controversial. Too salacious. Guidance, yes. A dual corruption arc? Definitely.

Daddy knows best, rung through his skull. An old line he told Kate about the poison to kill the Zygons…

Paternalistic? Yes.

How could he not be? A human is so young and weak compared to most species out there. Let alone him and his!

After all, he was her teacher. Her educator.

These thoughts, mixed with how strong she was fantasizing about fucking him, and her natural allure…he was shocked that he wasn’t bursting through his trousers, exposing himself to all to see.

He'd fuck her tonight. Not only did she clearly need it, but if he didn’t give in, he would probably act out.

He had fully surrendered himself to current path he was on. Yes.

He’d not destroy her entirely. Take away what enchanted him to her. That would be a sin graver than killing her outright. She had goals and dreams. They had discussed at such at length. He’d let her have those. So long as she’d never stray from his clingy side.

He half-wished he could summon a past version of himself, or perhaps a future without risking too much. Just to confer and pass back ideas.

All he had was Missy.

Or to sneak off and search for the Rani.

And they’d destroy him with zealous help.

No! He was alone in this path. Only solace was Missy and her enjoyment of his fawn and petty need to be good and please reform for her release. He walked his path utterly alone.

The evening wound itself up. The Doctor had to pounce. To claim what little of his fawn lay left unclaimed. Ruin her forever. Claim her indefinitely…

He paid their bill and ventured into the night.

A pep laid in his step, his cock still semi-stiff. He’d destroy her to rebuild her.

Teacher’s Pet.

He’d have his fun next term. Make her into a professor’s aide. Push her servile nature to him into a possibly public place. Show her off, perhaps even.

But for now? He was about ready to explode. His balls ached, and his hearts were full.

All in the name of love, right?

Or obsession…

Either way, still to have someone as alluring with such a firm form like (insert a description of your body, reader…) and a mind as hard in her ideals, but so easy to toy with?

Ecstasy…

[armpirate]

Soundleasure | Choi San || CH. 1

Pairings: Soft!San x fem!reader || Strangers to lovers, fake dating

Genre: smut, angst, fluff, online sex, ghosting

Warnings: inexperienced!San, fem!reader, masturbation, online sex, camboy, first times.

Summary: You can do whatever you please and be whoever you want on the Internet. And San knew that a little bit too well.

After finally following all the signs the universe was throwing at him, he started living a double life that no one was aware of. Everyone in his daily life knew him as Choi San, the reserved and quiet boy who wouldn't raise his voice, and would barely communicate with anyone outside of his comfort group. But only a few knew him as Soundleasure, the man with a sexy voice and a filthy mind that had their toes curling just with his narrations.

He never thought of the possibility of those two lives ever meeting, he had always tried for them to follow a parallel route and had always played safe to keep his friends from ever suspecting that side even existed. But his plans will start to crumble when he gets a little too close with one of his subscribers and she invades his real-self and altergo's universes without being able to stop it.

Y/n will not only help him to keep his secret from his circle, but will also show him there's more of Soundleasure in him than he'd like to admit. 

Next >>

MASTERLIST

Aprox. time of reading: 12 minutes

Chapter warnings: Audio porn, camboy, female masturbation, explicit talk

He looked at her with a weird smirk, that far from being cute and attractive made him look like an even bigger asshole. It wasn't like she was too into him when they started texting, but at least she wasn't disgusted by him like she was then.

She didn't care about picking him up at the station, when it was late at night, mainly because he had previously told her he was new in the city and he still didn't know how to move well around. And she also was able to laugh it off when he whistled at her from afar when she walked past him, instead of just calling out her name. Y/n could shrug it off, and blame it on him being new on dating apps and just meeting new people in general.

But there was something off around his vibes.

And she should've run when he started mentioning how desperate people in those dating apps were, and how lonely they should feel in their lives to recur to meeting strangers and trusting them. He had a point there. She shouldn't have trusted his nice talk at all, because that way she wouldn't have been in the uncomfortable moment she was in.

They both were walking next to each other, while Y/n grasped the fabric inside the pockets of her jacket while trying to hold herself back from giving a bad look or a bad response. Maybe he was just nervous, and he was just trying to break the ice between them.

—Shall we get in somewhere? —he suggested, walking past the line of several restaurants.

—I'm not really hungry —she shook her head, dropping a small nervous smile.

—Me neither —Jordan scoffed—. Let's just get something to drink somewhere. It's too cold to be walking around.

When his lips curved, and she was able to see his crooked teeth with a gentle smile, she chose to give it another chance. He was cute looking, with his tanned skin and his gleaming green eyes. She was being too harsh on him after just fifteen minutes.

Y/n insisted on going somewhere else when he stopped in front of an establishment with wide crystal walls that allowed to see the decoration inside. Although it seemed like a pub at first glance, she spotted some people sitting on the tables having pizzas and pasta. And even the empty tables had the cutlery placed in front of each chair, for the moment someone would take those seats. Despite her mentioning it probably wasn't the type of place they were looking for, Jordan carried on, convincing her that they'd be allowed to only have a drink.

Five minutes later after sitting and being handed the menu, she moved her eyes up at him.

—Let's get something to eat. We can share a pizza if you like —he closed his menu, pointing at hers with his chin—. Pick whatever you like.

—Are you sure? —she asked, eyeing the different types of pizzas they were offering— Is there something you don't like?

Her question was genuine. Because even though Jordan already said it was her choice, she wanted to pick something he'd be fine with eating.

He shook his head, and assured her he ate anything that was served in front of him. Still, she went for something safe and asked for a Pepperoni pizza when the waiter stopped by their table to take their order. Although Y/n would've hoped he had stayed for a bit longer when silence knocked at their table.

The darkness outside didn't allow her to see further than her own reflection on the window, but it was better than looking at Jordan's uncomfortable face as he found nothing to talk about. And it'd have been like that on the way to the bay if she hadn't brought up random topics, like asking for how long he had been in Boston and what was the reason that took him there. She wasn't the outgoing type, but she still found the way to build a conversation to fill the silence. She was showing some type of interest.

She couldn't say the same about him, when she found the lighting of his phone illuminating his face, after she turned to him.

She still gave it a pass. There was no point in discarding someone only because he was shy.

Jordan was also weird. After saying he didn't have a problem with any type of food, she found him taking the slices of pepperoni from his half of the pizza, and even poked into the cheese with his fork to take the remaining. And seeing him struggling with his food made her feel bad, because maybe she should've opted for a more basic option so his dinner wouldn't be ruined.

She regretted those thoughts three seconds later.

—I thought you said you weren't hungry —he commented, after she was done with her half.

Biting her tongue, she held back any type of rude response. Her eyebrows frowned slightly though, confused by the comment, and unable to know what she should answer to that.

They'd pay for that food anyway, was she expected to take a slice and then leave the rest of her half there?

She just giggled the comment away, moving her eyes over the restaurant and stopping at the TV placed at the corner where the counter ended. She had never been interested in football, but that day it seemed like the best entertainment for the night. Only moving her eyes back to her table when Jordan called her attention, after hearing two of the waiters speaking in Italian.

—You said you spoke Italian, right? —he hurriedly asked.

During one of their late night conversations, she did mention she spoke Italian. Not a big amount though. Just enough to keep a simple conversation, after being able to learn some words and understand the way their grammar worked after her ex-boyfriend explained it to her. Not like it was useful though, because when they went to Milan to meet his grandparents she barely used the language. Mattia adopted the role of the translator without giving her a chance to speak once.

—Well, I said I knew some words —she nervously smiled—. That's quite different.

—Why don't you ask for the bill in Italian? I bet they'll think it's pretty cool.

Or they'll think she's a dumbass mocking them.

She had nothing to lose though. She could give it a try, and not step inside that restaurant a single time again in her life.

Her pronunciation was poor, and she struggled with the words when the pressure of having all those eyes on her finally kicked her. And, while the waiter smiled gently and nodded after she was done, she heard a chuckle on her right that activated the last nerve.

—You tried, at least —he kept scoffing, shaking his head and drinking.

Her lips were pressed tight against each other, dying to set free all the mischievous words going through her head, but avoiding to make a scene.

She didn't fight to split the bill, she didn't comment on anything, Y/n just wanted to get back home, delete the dating app and forget that date ever happened.

—I'm not the type to fight. I really don't like violence. But if you're being an asshole, I have to bring you back to reality, you know?

Wow.

What was she even supposed to answer?

Y/n just nodded, seeing the light when she was able to spot her building from afar. But peace wasn't reaching her that easily yet.

She was ready to say goodbye, open the door and never see him again, but he sat at the small stairs that led to her door, lighting a cigarette and keeping the monologue while looking into the distance.

Maybe her skin was way too thin, but she couldn't find the way to feel interested about anything that was coming out of his mouth after what happened in the restaurant. Maybe she had been so hopeless about love after so many failing dates, that she found herself bothered at the slightest thing.

—I guess we'll meet again —he threw the cigarette to the road in between the two vehicles parked in front—. Next time you're the one paying —he reminded her.

—Sure, sure.

Before Jordan was able to hook her in a hug, she walked up the steps, looking for her keys in her bag and opening the door before she finally said goodbye to him.

—Get home safely.

If he expected to get in her bed that night, he'd have a shocking reality check.

A loud sigh and the keys tingling when she dropped them over the green sideboard at the entrance informed of her way back home, having Julius -a black cat with a bit of overweight-, peeking his head over the corner to confirm it was its owner uninterestedly.

After closing the door, she saw the golden hooks she bothered herself to hang so she wouldn't be leaving her keys anywhere. It was cute, and it went perfectly well with the style of the house, but she was so upset over the evening she had, that she couldn't find herself picking up the keys and hanging them there.

She could only pray Julius wouldn't jump over the sideboard and drag her keys to the floor, so he could play until he pushed them under the couch like the last time.

On her way to her room, where she was looking forward to hiding once she reached her bed, she felt her phone buzzing in her hand. Her head fell back with an exasperation moan when she saw the dickpic blasting on her screen.

What was even the reason for that bullshit?

Loverboy6577 shot higher than what he could reach. Well, at least he was straightforward and he wasn't wasting her time.

She snuggled inside her bed, finally taking the decision of deleting her profile and letting go of any possible hook up, or relationship, that could come with it. She wasn't going to be delusional anymore.

Boys just weren't worthy of her time.

At least not any that were at her reach, or realistic to her. That was what she convinced herself of when she found herself smiling excitedly when a notification popped up at the top of her screen over her social media.

*Soundleasure has just posted a video*

Reaching for her earpods inside the drawer of her nightstand, she lied on her back, clicking on the notification to be redirected to his page.

If someone in her circle knew she was wasting money on content like that, she'd probably be judged and dragged to shreds. Fuck, she was the type to laugh at people paying to consume that type of content before she found him through a random video in a porn site -after another failed date, unsurprisingly.

Dating was difficult, love was non-existent for the possible partners she had met. What was the point of wasting money and time going out with them, in exchange of some lame sex, when she could enjoy herself with a sexy voice and her own imagination?

When she first met him, it was cheaper. And it wasn't like he had many subscribers either. But his exposure increased with the passing of time, having her little secret increasing the pricing in subscriptions.

When she played the video, she was met with a completely dark screen -something usual from him. It was one of the things that attracted her the most, not being distracted by some random nudes or sex scenes, and being allowed to let the arousal properly build up.

—Was it a hard day today? —he asked.

Y/n's head instantly nodded to his question, feeling like he posted that video purposely for her and her mood, trying to make up for what the rest of the irky males around her made her go through. Although she probably would've been okay with his rough side as well, like some other times. She would've been happy with whatever was the mood of his audio.

—Hmm, does my baby want me to make her feel better? —he rustled softly, caressing her ears so gently that she moved her head to the side, as if he was actually next to her.

His breathing was light, before the sound of his pecks came. At some point she swore she could even feel his lips against her skin, washing the tension away with every kiss.

—I'll make it better, babe —he assured through the mic—. Let me kiss you.

She loved his content, but that part always took her out, turning her into a giggling ball while cringing over the sound of his lips trying to mimic the sound of a wet kiss, gasping for air with every move. It helped her to get an idea of what his lips looked like though. They probably were a pale pink, adopting a darker tone after a make out session that could suck their souls.

He proceeded to describe how he moved down her neck, worshiping every centimeter of exposed skin in her body until he reached the elastic of her panties. She could perfectly picture a pair of fierce eyes looking over her mount, before he asked:

—Can I take it off?

Along with his audio, her pants and panties were long gone under the sheets, going in sync with his voice.

—Look at you, so wet already —he groaned.

The mix of his heavy breathing, mixed to the wet sounds coming from her core when she slipped her fingers through her slit, almost made her back arch.

All her hairs raised when she heard his breathing cutting off before he sucked on something, skillfully moving his tongue and sucking his lips onto her hard button -that was trapped in the slow circles two of her fingers kept tracing.

—You taste so good —his words were followed by another open-mouthed kiss—. I'll make you feel alright. I gotcha, babe.

He spitted, making her tiptoes curl when she imagined his spit rolling down her folds before he sank his face into her core again. Her fingers kept moving over her clit, mimicking the twirls of his tongue, wishing for the millionth time that it wasn't only an audio, but a reality.

—Cum on my tongue. I'll make you cum on my cock after.

Along with his voice and his sounds, her back arched and her pussy clenched around nothing as she allowed the pleasure to invade her after he motioned her to cum.

She still went on with the audio, touching herself to mimic the situation he was settling for her, trying to make it as real and vivid as possible while she heard his groans and moans when he slipped his cock in her. It was insane for her how he was able to have her moaning, pressing her thighs together when she finger fucked herself while listening to his whimperings and praises.

There was only one problem there, and it was that she bet her moans would sound perfectly mixed with his in that audio, while they did in real life what he was promising in the video.

Maybe it was her low self-esteem for the night acting up, or maybe her brain was still fried by the two orgasms he helped her having, but she only felt encouraged to enter his profile while she was still recovering, unstable breathing while she tried to type a message for him.

Usually, he just seemed so out of reach. Soundleasure was a thing, she forgot he was even a person after cumming. He was just content that she consumed, because she felt lonely and needy, and no real man would make her reach her high the way he did with his voice only. But it didn't seem like she thought like that that night.

"Good video... But maybe next time you could have my moans in it" she wrote in his private message.

Y/n didn't want to think about it too deeply after sending it. If he answered, good. If he didn't, then he'd keep being that content she consumed randomly at night when loneliness knocked at her door. 

[saber-monet]

Hey I came across your post about embracing the “manifestation coincidences”, and one about making sure to not be unfazed by how well things play out. I’d like to ask how you make peace with the ‘insanity’ of it? Bc I think I’ve shifted to a higher timeline and now am living a better reality. But I spent the last 2 days looking up parallel universes on reddit & now I’m scared I’m going to run into my doppelganger and get killed or that I’m actually supposed to have died in my actual universe.. I’m scared and I can’t talk about it with anyone in fear of them suddenly turning into a demon just like in horror films.

Hey! First of all, everything you’re experiencing is more common than you might think, especially for people who, like me, grew up skeptical or secular about spirituality and are only just now exploring it. Shifting your mindset and embracing manifestation can feel so surreal at first—like you’re stepping into something “forbidden” just by allowing yourself to believe that things can work out in your favor.

I went through the exact same thing when I started three years ago; I felt paranoid, like I was breaking some unspoken rule just by thinking positively. I promise—you’re not going to run into a doppelgänger or anything bad. That’s just your mind processing a huge new perspective.

One thing that’s helped me is thinking of the “surrealness” you’re describing as an emotion, like anxiety or sadness. It can feel jarring, but it’s temporary and will pass. When I feel that surrealness creeping in, I just acknowledge it: “Yeah, this feels weird right now, but it’s going to end soon.” I know my mind will eventually latch onto a less intense thought process, and things will go back to ‘normal’, and so will yours—sometimes in 30 seconds, other times in a couple of minutes. but you will feel fine again.

Also, if affirmations work for you, lean into those! Remind yourself that you’re safe and fully capable of handling these new feelings. It’s all part of the process, and you’re going to get more and more comfortable with it.

And honestly, one tip? Steer clear of Reddit or anything that brings up new fears. I stay away from things that make me question my safety and, instead, focus on what feels grounding and calming, whether that was music, a walk, cooking, talking out loud or even talking to chatgpt helps me (there's a voice call option on the app so you can talk to it like a real person)—anything to keep me from overthinking.

i treat myself like a worried child, what would you say/do to a worried child to make them feel better? You would tell them everything's gonna be OK, put on their favorite comforting TV show/movie/musical, give them a snack, you remind them that you're here for them and that eventually they will laugh about this moment in the future etc.

Watching Abraham Hicks Workshop Excerpt videos helped me so much too (she talks a lot about exactly this topic, and if you’re interested, I can DM you a link, just message me). And these videos, she speaking to people who have gone through the exact same thing that you're going through and had the exact same questions/ concerns/ stories about reality creation.

Her seminars really put into perspective that I wasn’t alone, and neither are you. You will make sense of this experience. You'll know what works for you and what doesn't. It's a personalized journey.

You’re in good company, and there’s an entire global community of people who get exactly what you’re going through. Trust that you’re okay, you're being properly guided each step of the way and give yourself permission to enjoy the experience. You're not the first person or the last person to go through stuff like this.

There's a lot of older people who have gone through the " awakening process" and have reacted differently to it. Some become monks/teachers, others use it to grow their business and achieve their goals, others just use it here and there to get the things that they want and live a relatively normal life, and some never use it again . Don't feel overwhelmed by it, you have the choice on how you wish to proceed .

(also I'm going to dive into this topic in another post im currently working on: but you can ask for less synchronicity and for things to go back to “normal”. Just because you've learned this new information and this new way of interacting with reality doesn't mean that you have to continue if you don't want to. ( Yes, you have lifted the metaphorical "veil" but you can also put it back down)

Also, please reach out , or anybody reading this post, if you wanna chat. I did this alone, I got to this place of balance, reassurance and comfort alone, and I would have really like to have somebody to talk to so I'm here if you need me.

[spacingoutforever]

i was watching TWD edits and a thought struck me i had to post it here in honor of ghoulcy week!!!!

***POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE WALKING DEAD***

if you're not a walking dead fan im sorry bare with me lolol

BUT i couldnt help but feel that theres parallels between daryl and beth's arc and ghoulcy LIKE !!!! DO WE REMEMBER THISSS

beth was this soft sunshiney personality and had to quickly adapt to the harshness of surviving as soon as she left her family's farm (like lucy living in the safety of her vault her whole life) so beth never got the chance to experience the raw horrors that loomed outside that. she was young, naive, SO kind to a fault. but when her and daryl were in closer proximity, i remember how much chemistry they had!!!!

they drank together, had heated arguments. but taught each other something. exchanging their views on humanity. daryl goes out of his way to disgust her and prove how much he doesnt deserve affection, kindness or love.

WHICH IMO parallels how the ghoul pokes & prods at lucy to test her resilience, to maintain this image of him being a monster. an effort that seems like hes proving to himself that kindness is useless. a disgarded luxury of the past. that if you have any of those qualities theyd be snuffed out in an instant. or worse... get you killed.

daryl and the ghoul have some similarities that i find kinda endearing, because i love both of them - their gruffness, endurance, loner qualities, the list goes on. their pasts are different but their approaches to a post apocalyptic world are similar (daryl takes himself more seriously ofc).

it was hinted very strongly that they were more than just friends - to this day i believe had beth survived, theyd be a romantic pairing. but i know why she didnt, unlike fallout, TWD had to prove that the world WAS indeed dark and hopeless for the sake of that universe. its why i love it.

fallout, rather, has enough satire and weirdness to allow this kind of dynamic to flourish. i mean just look at how the game allows sole survivor to flirt/romance the companions 😭

anyways, call me delusional, but i am holding out hope for s2 so badly & cannot wait to see how the story unfolds x

happy ghoulcy week!!!!!

[blindbatalex]

a little marcheron au for your sunday

Brad wakes up to the smell of fresh coffee.  

For a moment still lost in half-sleep, he wonders whether and when he bought a magical coffee machine that brews coffee all by itself, before his present reality comes crashing back to him.  

Patrice.  

Right.

He rolls out of bed and pads his way to the kitchen, stretching, and sure enough, there Patrice is by the stove.  He is wearing basketball shorts and the same gray t-shirt he had on last night before he bid Brad good night and went to sleep in the guest bedroom.  The line of his shoulders is unfamiliar.  He is still an athletic guy, obviously, but don’t play pro hockey for four years and your body will broadcast the fact to the world, all on its own.

He must sense Brad’s presence because he turns around, a disheveled, domestic look on his face, which soon enough, is adorned by a smile. 

“Morning.”

Man, that still feels weird.  Like, really fucking weird.

Then again, it does appear to mean that Brad is getting breakfast out of it in addition to coffee.  Something sweet is sizzling on the stove and the kitchen smells wonderful.

“Morning,” Brad greets back, making his way over to see what Patrice is making for himself.  Pancakes…judging by the smell? 

No, not pancakes.  Crepes.  

“Bergy,” Brad says, his voice pitched low.  He can’t help himself, he is only human, and fuck him, these are some serious crepes.  Some put any French chef to shame, prepare to die of happiness and reach heaven level crepes.

All of this must show on his face too, because Patrice snickers, practically beaming with pride.  

“Thought a treat might be in order.”

Happiness looks good on him, in any universe.  He reaches with a hand to brush back his hair and the wedding band on his finger catches the morning light.

It’s too much.  All of this–    

Brad runs a hand through his own hair, taking in the jar of Nutella sitting on the counter, the box of powdered sugar and the bowl of strawberries.  

He pops one into his mouth.

Patrice cooking – who would have thought?

“Okay, I don’t mean to be like, offensive, but last I remember you could barely crack an egg without setting the kitchen on fire,” he says, watching Patrice open the jar.  “How did this…happen?”

Patrice gives him a pained look – one he quickly folds away.  This must be just as weird for him.  One moment you are watching your…husband suffer a nasty head injury on the ice; an hour later, he has no memory of the last four years of his life.  Which is of course, not exactly true, Brad remembers those years alright – it’s just that he didn’t think telling the doctors ‘oh yeah I guess I have been thrown into a parallel universe or something’ would make them want to let him go back on the ice any time soon.

“I had time on my hands.”

That’s just– fuck.  He had time on his hands.  Of course he had time on his hands.  He had to stop playing hockey at 28 because he got hurt so badly he almost died.  Brad’s been here for a few days now and it still makes him furious.  Still feels fucking illegal.

He reaches for another strawberry to distract himself but Patrice swats his hand away with a tut.

“Patience, babe.”

Patience.  Somebody should have told him that that has never been among Brad’s virtues.

“I’m gonna get the coffees,” Brad declares, trying not to feel like there is a hive of bees under his skin doing their level best to burst out.

He opens a cupboard and is faced with plates and bowls.  He does not know this house.  He opens another and finds the mugs.  Specifically, in the first row, are two matching mugs – navy blue with a golden looping B inscribed on one and an M on the other.

Jesus Christ.

He takes them out.  Pours them coffee just as Patrice starts walking to the kitchen table with the two plates in his hand.

They sit down.

“How did you sleep?”

Patrice shrugs.  He looks tired – and there is only one person to blame.

“Comme ci comme ça.  You?”

French?  Is that who they are?  Does Patrice sprinkle in the occasional French into their conversation these days?  Has Brad – this place’s Brad – been learning it for him?  Then again, what does he know what Bergy was like in his romantic relationships, in his own universe?

And–

It is kind of cute.

“Oui monsieur, s’il te plaît, ooh lala,” he replies, drawing a groan from Patrice, but it’s okay because he is laughing too, just a little bit.  His laughter sounds like music.  It always has.

“Eat your food – before I divorce you.”

Brad gasps.

“You would never.  You love me.”

The moment the words leave his mouth, Brad regrets them.  Bergy sighs.  It carries zero heat, betrayed by a crooked, fond, unbearable smile.  

Still, there is nothing for it – he takes a bite of his crepes.  They are perfect.  Crisp but still somehow soft and just the right amount of chewy.

He sets his fork down, forces himself to take a long, slow but discrete breath.  

“Did I threaten to break up with you unless you learned how to feed me or what?” 

He aims for a teasing tone and fails completely.  Patrice’s smile turns strained.  He always could sense when something was wrong.

“No, of course not,” Patrice replies, instinctively covering Brad’s hand on the table with his.  “I was um– I wanted to thank you, I suppose.”

Brad has to look away.

“For what?”

Not that he doesn’t know the answer.  It’s just–

“Brad, we don’t have to talk about this right now.  Let’s just eat.”

Yeah, probably because Brad must look like a pathetic child, ready to break down in tears any moment now.  But he needs to know.  He needs to hear it.  He forces himself to meet Bergy’s eyes again.

“Please.”

Patrice is still looking back at him like he thinks this is a monumentally bad idea, but he never could say no to Brad, not when Brad asks it like that.

“When I had to stop playing hockey, you were there for me,” Patrice says evenly.  “You were sort of, the only reason I made it out of that year alive, if I’m honest.  I wanted to–  I know you like crepes.”

Because apparently, that’s how they got together.  Brad made it his life’s mission to be there for Bergy when Bergy got hurt.  In the process they got close.  In the process Bergy fell in love.  

And the thing is, they are really good crepes.  Exactly how Brad likes them.  He has dreamt about this actually.  Patrice making breakfast for him.  Patrice doting on him, kissing him.  A life they would get to share.

And now that he has it, he wants to smash it all into pieces.  

He is just not worth the price.  He never was.

[ianthesmells]

ok like... i talked shit abt how they couldn't give jinx a decent, fulfilling ending but let me at least try and come up with a possibility off the top of my head so im not just talkin the talk and not walkin the walk.

i think that maybe vi and jinx could've reunited and have tried to help with the tensions between piltover and the undercity, in a thematic parallel to how vander and silco originally wanted to (and since they're both dead, it's like their aspirations are living on through them). this would bring the piltover/undercity tensions back to focus in the story, considering it was completely ignored for season 2, and would be satisfying bc the sisters are reunited (you don't even have to ship them to feel it'd be fulfilling for them to be reunited considering half the show is them getting together and falling apart over and over.)

jinx is already viewed as a person of the undercity people (which was weird writing to me but whatever we'll stick with it) and vi has ties with piltover, so it's sort of a meeting in the middle with the two of them and they have many arguments and disagreements about how it should be done because of the different lives they've lived and the different ties they have.

...but the story ends on a note that there IS hope for the future and that, while you can't just snap and decades long conflict is solved, it IS possible that things can start to get better . credits roll the end and then there's a stupid marvel post-credits scene setting up season 3 of the LCU (league cinematic universe)

[bread52487]

This is an idea I had, so. Enjoy ig? It's probably gonna be a one shot unless ppl like it and I get more ideas. Uhm, in this universe I'm writing in for plot reasons the rifts from the end of season 4 didn't happen as bad. They still happened, and it still shook things up enough. A pretty decent earthquake basically. But it didn't split the town like a bad relationship.

There are still some sizeable rifts, but basically it's a universe where they either killed vecna or just hurt him enough he went crawling into a hole somewhere before he could finish doing his big bad things and split the earth open totally. Just some bigger than normal hellportals.

Also I have no clue what to call this lol.

⚠️ warning for relatively cannon typical blood and violence and bullying. Also descriptions including kinda gross sounding words lol. ⚠️

Tags: fix-it, steddie, pre-steddie, humor (?. Idk am I funny?), cannon divergence, vampire Eddie (sorta), kas Eddie (also sorta), weird Demobat hybrid Eddie (yeah mostly that)

~~~

The Upside Down was the same as it had been last time Steve was here, and the time before that. It was still and quiet, like a photograph of the town from the day the first gate had opened. A snapshot of Hawkins through some fucked up filter. The ash still rained as it always did, and the sky was red and angry as it always was. Your shoes still stuck to the ground just enough that it was difficult when you walked.

Steve didn't want to be back here. But, Dustin had insisted.

The Kid had come racing into Family Video that way he'd done a month prior, kicking off the start of the latest season of "What's The Hell Dimension Under Ours Gonna Spit At Us This Time?" His bike was left abandoned on the sidewalk, back wheel spinning idly and kickstand forgotten.

The first thing Steve had noticed was the guitar slung across Dustin's back. It was a Warlock. Eddie's Warlock.

One of the thinner strings was snapped and curling, bouncing as Dustin hunched over trying to catch his breath and talk at the same time. His words were incoherent, but he kept trying until Robin finally stopped him.

"Breathe first. Then speak." She rolled a water bottle to Dustin across the counter, and glanced at Steve. A wordless look that was aimed right to Steve's crossed arms and narrowed eyes. Asking him is he was really going to scold Dustin.

He was.

Steve waited till Dustin was done drinking-- Because yes, Steve Harrington is a decent human being and isn't gonna yell at the kid when he's got a mouthful of water and can't defend himself-- and then bore down on him. A glare directly at the ash still settled in Dustin's hair.

"Didn't I tell all of you to stay away from The Gates? Because I'm pretty sure I did."

"But-"

"You could have gotten stuck! Or attacked by something in there. Not to mention you could've brought back something. How would you feel if someone else's cat got eaten because of some hitchhiker you brought from Hell?"

"I had to bring back something! Before I couldn't anymore." Dustin huffed, struggling with the guitars strap for a second before sliding it gently onto the counter.

It was covered in dust and ash, minus the spots Dustin had grabbed it, but otherwise it looked the same. Just like it had when it's owner left it in the parallel trailer park a month ago.

Robin warily eyed a spattering of... something across the body of the Warlock. "Dude. That thing is probably covered in all sorts of diseases.

"It's- Well, actually it might be. But... it's also all I- we have left..."

Some of the tension bled from Steves shoulders. He understood. He still woke up every night with a sour taste in his mouth and his eyes burning, a memory painted behind his eyelids of having to pry Dustin, broken eyes and going voice, from the body of someone Steve wished he'd known sooner. That hadn't gotten wrapped up in this. That might be here if he were luckier. Of telling Dustin they had to leave the body, because they were running out of time. Because they couldn't grieve yet, because they had to go. And leave Eddie behind.

Robin though, turned her skeptical look to Dustin. "And that's all you brought back. Right?"

"Wh- Yes!" Robin raised her eyebrow, "... Okay. I did go down for him originally but... I couldn't find him..."

"...Are you sure you were looking in the right spot?"

"You think I would forget where he was?" Dustin spat, and Robin held her hands up.

"Hey, I'm just saying"

"Well, yes. I was. I'm sure. His blood was there, but... he and the dead Demobats were all gone."

Silence. Then Robin looked at Steve, eyes wider and jaw clenched. Steve gave her the same look, already shedding his uniform vest.

He and Robin had already talked about this. About going down and bringing Eddie back. They'd been planning since El had walked into Family Video about a week after the earthquake. She'd told them that the Gates were closing. That she had already told the rest of The Party. That her and Dustin had already been tracking it, but there wasn't any consistency in the speed at which they closed only that they were closing, and it was unpredictable and unstoppable.

El had then rented a movie, because apparently Max had suggested she watch Carrie and she was already at the video store, and then left. Leaving Steve and Robin with partially eaten sandwiches from the Subway down the street and the same thing on both of their minds.

From then Steve had declared that none of the kids were to go near the gates. For fear it might draw something out. But it was mostly an unnecessary rule, since most of them weren't at any risk of trying to jump back into The Upside Down. Most of them.

After, he and Robin and started to plan. To think of a way to, before the Gates were too small and when they were ready enough to go back, bring Eddie back topside.

To give themselves, the kids, and Eddie's Uncle the closure they deserved.

To end the gossiping, the people that talked like they knew for sure Eddie had done it. That they were sure Hellfire Club was responsible for the Earthquake. The whispers whoever Wayne Munson was around. And the kids at school that seemed more brutal than ever towards those like Dustin who still wore their Hellfire shirts proudly.

And, to keep Dustin out of trouble.

The first Steve had heard of Dustin's misbehaving was from Claudia. She had called him one day, nearly in tears out of concern for her baby. Asking Steve to look out for him. She told Steve about how Dustins first day back at school, when it reopened two weeks after the 'earthquake', was spent in the Dean's office.

Apparently, some kids had decided to take a sharpie to Eddie's locker. They had already blotted out a good deal of the drawings Eddie himself had done, vandalizing them and, when Dustin had seen them, they'd been writing something across the metal that Dustin refused to repeat.

Dustin had retaliated in a way that would have made Steve laugh proudly. If it weren't so uncharacteristic for Dustin to retaliate at all.

He had picked the locks of the vandals lockers, a skill Steve remembered Dustin mentioning Eddie had taught him after they'd been locked out of the Drama room, and attached the parts from Shock Gum he had gotten from the gift shop back at Camp Know Where to the insides of the doors.

The only reason Dustin was caught was because the lockers were right outside the gym. The PE Teacher had seen Dustin and called to him, and in trying to run away Dustin had tweaked his bad ankle. The PE teacher caught up and marched Dustin all the way to the Dean's office to explain what he'd done.

Since then, Claudia had brought up more things she was concerned about. Dustin's grades were slipping, and he was spending more time locked up in his room than was probably normal for a teenage boy. After this Steve had a sneaking suspicion that the other kids weren't fairing any better.

This was the last straw. Dustin had gone back into The Upside Down. Put himself in danger. So Steve decided it was time. Time to put his and Robins, still admittedly half baked, plan into action. "Rob. Stay here with Dustin. He's not allowed to follow me. No matter what he says."

"What, why?!" Dustin straightened, glaring at Steve.

Steve glared right back, hands on his hips, "Because. You've already been down there for who knows how long once today, I'm stronger so I'll be able to carry him, and I know your ankle is messed up again. You were limping on your way in... I also don't want to have to explain to Claudia if you go missing."

Dustin deflated. It was clear that he hadn't wanted to go back, his hands were still shaking, but he still seemed disappointed. "Fine. But you have to bring him back. And Robin and I are watching The Holy Grail while you're gone."

"Sounds like a plan to me Dusty-Bun!" Robin smiled, just a little too tight, and pressed her palm to the top of Dustin's head. Steve relaxed as Dustin shoved her off with a squawk, like none of this had happened. Like there wasn't a hell dimension under their own. Like Steve wasn't about to hop into it to drag their friends dead body back to reality.

Now, Steve grimaced as he looked across the landscape. Bat in hand, he had jumped into the one where Fred had died. It was close enough to the trailer park it wouldn't be too far of a walk, but far enough that it wasn't swarming with people from the lab.

It was almost the same. Down to the gross squish when he stepped. Except... there was something missing. A pressure in the air was gone. The feeling of the place, like you were being judged. Watched. Hunted. Gone, along with seemingly all the beasts that roamed it.

Not a single bat, no unfurling faceless faces. Not even a screech of something Seve never wants to see.

Nothing.

And so he walks, stopping occasionally at imaginary sounds or to look at the ash falling from the clouds. It was almost like snow, except with the stench of rot.

The feeling Steve had come to associate with The Upside Down and the beings within it finally made its presence known the closer he got to the trailer park. Yet despite the uncomfortable yet familiar weight on his shoulders, he still saw and heard nothing.

It was pretty clear the closer he got that Dustin was right, that the bats were noticeably gone. But, when Steve could finally see the amps atop the trailer in the distance, he stopped. Because he could see it again. See him again.

He could see Eddie, torn to ribbons by those bats. The same as he had looked a month ago. See someone that could have lived if he had been there. Had been quicker.

Steve blinked away the burning behind his eyes and forced down the limp in his throat, and at a second glance Eddie's broken body on the ground was in fact gone.

So Steve crept closer.

Dustin was right, all that remained was the tan dirt stained a red-brown.

But what Dustin hadn't mentioned, or maybe hadnt seen, was the footprints. Maybe Steve had been too busy trying to not die last time he was here to notice them either. But, now he could see footprints in the ashy dirt.

There were fresh smaller ones, Dustin's probably. And some more, various sizes and a bit filled in with ash and dirt. Probably from a month ago. And, there was set going around the area, the blood and the trailer, and then off to somewhere that he knew none of them had traveled. And those same footprints seemed to return and leave to and from the same direction.

So, like the totally sane adult he was, Steve followed them. Off into the twisted, skeletal afterimage of the woods behind the trailer park.

The ash seemed to fall thicker despite the gnarled branches overhead, and the ground turned spongey with wet, rotting underbrush as Steve walked. The trees were draped with... something. Something stringy and slimy that Steve would rather not touch.

He wasn't too far in when he heard something. The first sound he'd heard since he'd come through the gate.

It wasn't identifiable. Not as the low, chest rattling chitters of a Demogorgon, nor the rolling screech of the Demobats. But rather something in between. Something he didn't want to meet.

It was too low to be a Demobat, but too high and hoarse to be a Demogorgon. And it sounded like a call to hunt.

In response to the demonic starting pistol, the trees came alive. Steve ran.

Wings. So many wings. The slimy, leathery wings that plauged his nightmares. All behind him, chasing him.

Steve ran faster.

And then he fell.

A tendril, shriveled and solid, dead and twisted like a comically placed tree root right in his path sent Steve sprawling onto his hands and knees, nail bat flying to his left.

The wings got closer, and the Demobats dropped to the ground. They surrounded him, hobbling closer on wings and tentacles, segmented mouths snapping when Steve tried to reach his bat. There were more in the air, he could hear them. They were calling. Calling for the something that called them to action.

Membrane covered branches broke with wet snaps and the underbrush squelched as the Something got closer and closer.

A flash of huge leathery wings and needle sharp teeth set in a too wide mouth through the dark and the thought of 'I really hope if I live this doesn't give me another concussion' was all Steve got before he was pinned to the ground, hand still reaching for his bat and eyes squeezed closed.

But, nothing happened. The claws digging into his shoulders didn't let up, but the Something didn't move. Steve could hear the Demobats rustling. They sounded annoyed, or confused. But none of them were flying anymore. Then something happened, because the Something was no longer dripping saliva onto Steve's neck.

So, he opened his eyes. And looked straight into the eyes of someone he was so sure had died, far more human looking, a month prior.

Eddie. Eddie. With shoes long gone, Hellfire shirt torn to shreds, covered in what was probably his own dried blood. With wings and claws and a mouth that was closing at the seams to a more normal width than before around too sharp and too white teeth. With big doe eyes and curls matted and dirty. Eddie was pinning Steve to the ground.

Steve stared for a good few seconds, and Eddie stared back before seeming to realize what he was doing and sit back on Steve's legs.

"Thank fuck you're here. I can't find my baby and I'm losing my calluses! See?" He shoved his clawed fingers into Steve's face, "Oh, well I guess your probably can't... there's a lotta dirt. And blood. Well, I don't really think it's actually blood? Do the things here bleed?"

[huffle-dork]

Swap Beyond the Crystalverse Chapter 5: Shift AU

Co-written with @crystalninjaphoenix Read Swapboys | Read Crystal’s AUs

Other Multiverse Stories: SITCV | SATCV | GITHV

Alt feels that short fall, and arrives in a familiar location. This is a hospital hallway. But not the section of the hospital devoted to wards where patients stay. This is the part you visit if you need a checkup. There's a nice waiting room visible at one end of the hallway. The floor is covered in short gray carpet and the walls are painted white on the upper half and wooden wainscotting on the bottom half. 

Alt shudders a bit seeing the hospital- even if it looks nice. So does the lobby of Hope Water… in the brief moments he’s been in the lobby. 

Anti speaks from his phone. "I looked at the IRIS database. They call this world UA-1027019SF. I'm making a note of it in your Notes app in case you want to visit here some other time. Or in case you don't."

Alt blinks down at Anti and pulls out his phone to snicker, “Thanks, personal assistant, Anti.”

"Ha ha," Anti says in a deadpan tone.

Alt laughs, “C’mon man you gotta admit you sounded just like one!” 

The nearest door opens up, and a man walks out--walking backwards, still looking into the room. "Next time either of you come here, I'm knocking you out, strapping you to a gurney, and wheeling you down to a doctor who can actually help," the man snaps. 

"Oh, c'mon, don't be like that!" A voice says from the inside of the room. The man rolls his eyes. 

Alt blinks up at the conversation, chuckling at the playful violence of the doctors threat. “Woah-“ he whispers to himself.

The man glances at Alt, noticing he's there. "Hey." Then he looks away again--only to comically snap back to staring at Alt. "What the...?" This man is wearing a white coat over a black button-up shirt. He has brown hair that sticks up in natural spikes, blue eyes... and a faint white scar across his neck.

Alt stares back at the doctor as he does a double take and his eyes widen. “Oh woah-“

"Uh. You looking for someone?" The doctor turns to face him fully. Weird, the pupil of his right eye is shaped strangely. Like a keyhole, not a circle. 

"Someone show up?" Another man leans out of the doorway. He's wearing a red vest and a button-up with a popped collar and rolled up sleeves. There's a bruise forming on his face and a brace on his left wrist. "Oh, hullo. Are you one of Anti's relatives?"

 "I don't have family," the doctor says.

“Uhhh-“ Alt says- very weirded out. Never thought he’d find a world where’s he’s a doctor. “Not exactly? I’m uh- lost- trying to find my way around.”

"Right. D'you have an appointment with someone?" Dr. Anti asks. "I can probably point you in their general direction." 

The man in red walks out. "Don't be business as usual, Anti! This guy looks just like you! Except younger, and not permanently grumpy. Don't tell me you're going t'brush that off!" He smiles and waves. "Name's Jackie, Jackie West." 

Another man appears in the doorway, looking back and forth between Alt and Dr. Anti. He has neat brown hair and a mustache, and is wearing a blue t-shirt hoodie over a long-sleeved white shirt. 

Alt is- getting increasingly more weirded out. “uhhhhh- nice to meet ya? This is… so weird-“ He coughs then shakes his head, “Might as well just rip off the bandaid then- uh hi- I’m Alt Brody- but I’m also known as Anti… which is why I look like you. I’mmm from a parallel universe. One where I’m a magician.” He opens up his palm and lets a few green electric sparks rise into the air.

The other three all stare at him as he says this. 

"...huh." Dr. Anti blinks, unsure how to react to this. 

Jackie looks excited. "Oh that's wicked! You're like Chase! But you're Anti!" He reaches out to touch the sparks. 

"Hey. Don't be a moron." Dr. Anti grabs his hand before he can get too close. "That could be dangerous. And this could be a trick." 

The man with the mustache--oh, might as well call him by his name, he's obviously a Jameson--shakes his head slowly. I think he's telling the truth, he says in sign language. 

"Why?" Dr. Anti asks. 

Because if he was trying to trick us, he'd come up with something more believable. 

Alt barks out a laugh at Jameson’s reply. “yeah I- truly can’t make this shit up!”

Dr. Anti looks at Jameson. "You're serious, Jackson? You're really going to trust him?" 

Jameson nods. He looks at Alt and smiles. You can understand me? That makes this easy. Call me JJ.

Alt blinks at JJ and smiles, “Yeah I know sign! One of my best mates is deaf- another goes non-verbal sometimes. Nice to meet ya, JJ.”

Alt then looks down and processes, “…wait a second did you say like Chase?? When talking about my magic??” He emphasizes as he looks at Jackie with wide eyes. “…there’s no fucking way-“

"Yeah, Chase is a magic man!" Jackie says cheerfully. "It's fucking amazing, mate. He does all sorts of light shows." 

Dr. Anti nudges him. "Jackie. Seriously." 

Alt makes a concerned face, blinking slowly at Jackie. “…that is one of the most unbelievable things I’ve encountered so far… right up there with me being a doctor-“ 

"Heh." Dr. Anti smiles, a bit smugly. "I'm not just a doctor. I am an anesthesiologist. It's a highly specialized field." 

“Oh- so I’m a smug ass here too-“ Alt makes a face at Dr. Anti. 

"It's a deserved smugness, though," Dr. Anti says, unbothered. 

JJ rolls his eyes and shoves him lightly, then looks at Alt and smiles. Don't mind him. He's always like this. Do you need help with anything? We're happy to help... even Anti here.

Alt blinks at JJ then smiles, “Uh well- I need to look for something here… our multiverse traveling device got broken and one of the pieces fell into this universe. I have a way to find it just- gonna be kinda hard not knowing where stuff is.”

"Huh." Jackie blinks. "A world traveling device? That's fucking wild." He looks around. "Do, uh, those exist?" 

Not that I know of, not in here. JJ frowns, thinking. 

"Well, you're in Blue Lake Hospital right now," Anti says. "City's called Mirton. The hospital's near the center. Jackson knows the city really well, if that'll help." 

JJ nods. Like the back of my hand.

Alt grins, “Convenient! Sick- here lemme check where it could be…” He pulls out the tracker and touches the pupil quickly.

In this world, the TRVLR piece is in a building at the address 223 South Project Street. 

"Oh, more magic!" Jackie gasps. "That's a glass eye of some kind, right?"

“It’s a tracker actually- kinda like a scrying orb.” Alt replies before stuffing it back in his pocket. “You all know what’s at 223 South Project Street?”

Dr. Anti stiffens and narrows his eyes. "Why do you want to know?" 

Obviously because the thing he's looking for is there, JJ says. But he also looks troubled. 

A moment passes, and Dr. Anti slowly says, "That's an old office building. It used to be owned by PUPIL. But not anymore. They cleared it out. You're not going to find whatever you're fucking looking for there."

Alt narrows his eyes back at Dr. Anti, “PUPIL huh? Dealing with a lot of SCLERA shit aren’t we?” He mutters to himself then shakes his head. “well this thing hasn’t steered me wrong- I know it’s there. So if you wanna be all pissy about it- I’ll just go find it on my own. I gotta find my brother anyways-“ He snorts, glaring a bit at Dr. Anti before he starts to glitch further down the hall. This guy was even worse then eyepatch Anti was when they first met! Just being around him made his skin prickle.

Jackie gasps and hurries after Alt. "Wait! Hang on! Oh, that's amazing." 

JJ gives Dr. Anti a disapproving glare and also runs to catch up. 

After a moment, Anti goes as well, trailing behind. 

They reach the waiting room, and Jackie reaches out, putting a hand on Alt's shoulder. "If you're looking for something, we can totally help! We're quite tough, you know? Skin thick as steel." He grins. 

Alt blinks as the others follow him. He turns to look at Jackie properly, though he does roll his shoulder to get Jackie off. Not unkindly though- just a little nudge. “I mean- only if you wanna. Don’t wanna interrupt… whatever it is you were doing.” 

You have a brother?" JJ asks, curious.

Alt looks at JJ then smiles, “Yeah, my older brother, Chase Brody. Back home though, he’s a superhero called Bro Fantastic. He came here with me- we usually travel to other worlds together.”

JJ blinks. He smiles. A superhero, you say? Sounds fun. Do you have any way of contacting him? Or knowing where he would be?

Alt blinks at JJ then pulls out his phone, “oh yeah lemme see if I can call him… it’s really hit or miss if our phones work sometimes-“

JJ chuckles. Yes, calling would be a good idea. 

"Oh, also you aren’t interrupting! I was just getting my wrist checked out by the doc here." Jackie points at his wrist brace. "It's been feeling weird for a couple days, must've yanked something out of place during the last shoot. I'm up for anything!" 

"S'long as you don't sprain your wrist some more," Dr. Anti mutters, standing a bit apart from the group. 

“A shoot? Oh! Do you do YouTube?? That’s just like my Jackie!” Alt grins. “Ha he’s pretty clumsy too-“ 

"YouTube? Ah, so you have that video webbedsite where you're from too!" Jackie laughs. "No, I do small films, mostly independent studios, mostly local stuff. I'm no actor, but I can do the stunts." 

“…oooh! You’re like Henny!” Alt grins, “Neat-! God- he’d love to meet you.” He says as he puts the phone up to his ear.

The other end of the phone is ringing... 

 —————

Bro feels that slight jolt, and when the darkness clears he's standing in an apartment living room. There's a kitchenette by the front door, pale wood and white appliances. Three doors to the left of that, all ajar to show glimpses of a closet, a tiny bathroom, and a bedroom. The walls are painted an off-yellow, and the carpet is short and gray. But there's a nice fuzzy white rug to make up for the carpet's shortcomings. 

"What the hell?" 

"Whoa!" 

There are two men in the room. Bro has appeared right between the two of them, next to a coffee table. One of them was sitting on the sagging sofa in the living room and now shoots to his feet. "Where did you come from?! I thought my wards were good!" He's wearing a long-sleeved pale yellow shirt (sort of matching the walls), a pair of ripped jeans, and a snapback cap. 

"Uh--don't--please leave?" the other man stammers. He's standing in front of one of those wheel-able cork boards, which seems to have been pulled in front of a TV stand. His long wavy hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail, and he's wearing a brown leather jacket over a blue t-shirt.

Bro blinks at the bright setting then yells in surprise as the two men exclaim, jumping into and then floating in the air. He blinks rapidly then waves at them from above, “uhhh hi! Didn’t mean to intrude on… whatever this is-! Didn’t meannn to come here at all actually! Total accident! Sorry!!”

The man in the cap blinks. He points. "Wait a moment! You're—you look like me! But you're flying?!" 

"The fuck is this?!" the other man shouts, looking a bit freaked out. "Are you trying to trick us?!" 

"Y'know, I don't think we know anyone who can both imitate people and fly," the first one comments. "But—but—I thought the wards were good???" He leans over to the coffee table and picks something up. A white mask in the shape of some sort of animal with pointed ears—not a cat, the snout is too long. There are green and yellow designs on it, and a drawing of a sun in the middle of the forehead.

Bro blinks even more, “Ohhh! Other me!!” He quickly lands next to the man in the cap and tilts his head, “…wards? Ha- you’re talking like you’re a magician or something-“ he laughs like that’s the craziest thing he’s ever heard.

The other him blinks. “I… am? Are you not? You just fucking flew into the air!” 

“Chaaase, what’s happening?” The other man says, looking at Bro warily. 

“I dunno Marv, but I don’t think it’s him.” The other Chase tilts his head back, eyes flashing yellow for a moment. “He doesn’t have that weird signature.”

“I’m not magic- no matter what Alt tries to tell me,” Bro huffs, crossing his arms, “I’m a superhero! And also- I’m you from another universe, surprise!” He grins. 

“ …From another universe?” Chase says slowly. 

“Is that possible?” asks the other man—a Marvin, evidently. 

Then, Bro lets his expression fall to something more serious, “…who did you guys think I was?”

“I don’t know for sure. But I guess it’s not the weirdest thing we’ve seen?” Chase shakes his head. “I’d ask for proof but I don’t think that’s easy to come up with.

As for who we though you were… could be a couple things. Some PUPIL shit, the Magic Circle looking for me… I still haven’t ruled either of those things out, but at least you’re not Shattered.” 

“Unless he decided to pull someone else out of time,” Marvin grumbles.

Bro blinks at the two of them and tilts his head, “…PUPIL..? Shattered? …god everything is all shifted around here huh…?” Then he laughs. “I think the proof is kinda staring at you in the face, dude. But alright- To prove it- I’m Chase Brody, also known as Bro Fantastic. I can show you my ID if you’d like,” he jokes. 

“An ID wouldn’t be that helpful, actually, that could be faked,” Chase says. “But you offering is a good sign.” 

“Unless he’s just really prepared for this deception,” Marvin says. 

“For fuck’s sake, Marv, you’re being paranoid. Honestly, you’re less trusting than Anti lately.” 

“Oh really?! Hmm I wonder if there’s a reason for that, hmm?!” Marvin stares at Chase with wide eyes. Actually, he looks a bit frazzled, with some dark shadows under his eyes. 

Chase sighs, and softens. “Sorry.” 

Bro looks between Marvin and Chase with wide eyes, “…are you all in trouble? Or someone giving you trouble? This.. shattered guy? Which must not be Anti since you guys said his name like that-“

“Anti’s fine, a bit,uh… abrasive but good when you get to know him,” Marvin says. “You’re right, it’s the Shattered guy who’s clearly to blame. He—” Before Marvin can continue, Bro’s phone starts to ring.

Bro jumps a bit and blinks in confusion, “Oh uh sorry mate- it’s my brother… he’s also here-“ he answers the phone and puts it on speaker. “Yello?” 

“Oh my god you nerd,” Alt snickers. “But good to know our phones work! Who did you end up by?” 

“A Marvin and other me- dude he’s a magician??” Bro stage whispers, like Chase can’t hear him. 

“I heard- super weird. Almost as weird as other me here being a doctor-“ Alt replies. 

“What the hell?!” 

“Anyways I’m at the hospital with bizzaro me, a JJ and a Jackie- …not sure what their deals are exactly but Jackie is giving off Henny vibes-“

“Henny vibes?” Jackie repeats, loud enough that Bro can hear him through the other end of the phone line. “What’s that?” 

Dr. Anti nudges him. “Volume control. This is a hospital.” 

“Oh sorry,” Jackie whispers. 

“Oh Henny’s our friend-“ Alt says before giving Anti a look.

“I can hear you, by the way,” Chase says to Bro. 

“So you’re this other Chase’s brother?” Marvin asks. “You sound like Anti with more life in his voice.” 

Alt barks out a laugh at Marvin’s comment. “Ha! I’ll take that as a compliment~” he giggles. 

“He used to sound more dead inside,” Bro snickers. 

“Hey! …anyways, Yeah I’m Alt, where you at bro?” 

“I think it’s one of these guys’ house…?” Bro says looking around. 

"Yeah, this is my flat," Chase says, gesturing around. 

“How ‘bout you?” Bro continues. 

“Hospital, called Blue Lake. The TRVLR piece is at 223 South Project Street. The guys here say that this… PUPIL company used to be there.” Alt says. 

“Hmm… PUPIL seems like this world’s IRIS or SCLERA-“ Bro muses. 

“Seems like it- what’s with all these creepy companies calling themselves stuff after eyes?? Real TMA shit if I’ve ever seen it-“ Alt mumbles. 

“You can’t make that reference with me alt I haven’t listened yet-“ 

“Well you should! Jay and I loved it!” 

Marvin inhales sharply. "What's a TRVLR piece? Why do you have to go to a PUPIL place to find it?" He looks visibly nervous.

“That’s why we’re here actually,” Bro explains, “We used to go to other worlds with the TRVLR- it’s like this little iPhone thing that helps us travel around. But it got broken and the pieces were scattered across other dimensions so now we gotta find them.” 

Alt sighs, “Believe me if we could just skip going to this obviously sketchy science bullshit we would but… not getting these pieces could cause… so many more problems down the line.”

"Hey, uh..." Dr. Anti clears his throat. "If Marvin's freaking out, tell him that PUPIL isn't there anymore. That should help reassure him." 

JJ nods. I can imagine why that would cause problems... well, like I said, we'd love to help. 

"Yeah!" Jackie grins. "These PUPIL guys are huge arseholes, anything we can do to fuck them up will be grand." 

Alt blinks at Dr. Anti then smiles, “Yeah… can do. Hey Marvin, Anti says don’t worry- PUPIL isn’t there anymore.” 

“Oh! Well that’s good,” Bro says. 

Alt grins at Jackie and Jj, “Jackie and JJ say they wanna help too.” 

“Sick!”

Marvin visibly relaxes. "Oh... good." 

Chase pats his shoulder sympathetically. "Yeah, we can help, too," Chase says. "I can, uh, use my magic. It's of some help." 

"Some help?! You're a great magician!" Marvin reassures him. "It'll be a big help!" 

"Hah." Chase smiles a little. "And you can help, too." 

"I can?" 

"Yeah. You can drive us." Marvin rolls his eyes. "Oh ha ha. Okay fine. If your brother and our friends can get here, I can drive everyone to this... address."

Alt looks at JJ, Jackie and Dr. Anti, “Have you guys been to Chase’s flat before.” 

All three of them nod. All the time, JJ adds. 

Alt grins wickedly. “We’ll be right there, Chase,” and hangs up. 

After Alt hangs up Bro sighs and puts his phone away- “You guys might wanna brace yourselves.” He tells Chase and Marvin. 

“Lemme guess—he’s gonna appear out of nowhere just like you did,” Marvin says. 

“Sounds like it,” Chase agrees. 

At the Hospital, Alt offers his hand to Jackie and Jj, and glances at Dr. Anti. “If you all wanna come with- grab on. I can take us to his flat-“ 

Jackie immediately takes hold of Alt’s hand. “More magic?” He says excitedly. 

One second, I left my backpack in the room, JJ says, hurrying back towards the room. 

“Is your—” Dr. Anti glances at Alt, “—spare set of clothes in there?” JJ nods before going down the hall. 

“Seems important to keep that with you, then,” Jackie comments. 

Luckily, JJ soon returns, a dark blue backpack sling over his shoulder. 

Thanks for waiting, he says, and then takes Alt’s other hand. Dr. Anti quickly grabs onto Jackie, looking a bit hesitant about all this.

Alt nods, “Yup!” He smirks. He blinks after JJ and tilts his head a bit. Then he shrugs. Honestly he’d do the same. He raises an eyebrow a bit at Dr. Anti joining up but- heh. It’ll be fun to see him react to this. “Alright, picture the flat for me please!” 

In the meantime, back at the flat, Bro blinks at Marvin, “…what do you do Marvin? The Marvin’s we know… usually are magic somehow-“

"Oh, I mean... I do magic tricks," Marvin says. "In a way. I have this YouTube channel, I-I post videos where I use editing to make stuff look magic. You know... I, uh... don't know how to describe it. But that's how we met Chase, actually. Magic interests. Relatable."

“Oooh! That’s neat! And just like how I met my mate Jackie! He does superhero moves for his parkour channel- almost broke his neck but I saved him.” Bro grins. 

Then in a sharp burst of pixels and light- Alt glitches all 4 of them into Chase’s flat. Glitching feels like- pop rocks under their skin and makes their blood feel electric. The ones actually holding onto Alt feel him break into a bunch of pixels that snap back together like magnets as they appear in the flat in a burst of green light.

“Whoa!” Dr. Anti let’s go, shaking his head. “Fucking weird.” He looks around. “Handy, though.” 

“Oh hey!” Chase laughs. “Yep, appearing out of nowhere!” 

Alt smirks and waves at Marvin and Chase, “Hey there!”

"Sup?" Chase waves. 

Jackie does a little bounce on his heels. “That felt like breaking apart, but better.”

Bro laughs, “Kinda yeah!” He waves at the new people. “I’m Chase by the way but you all can call me Bro! Less confusing!” He grins. 

Alt grins at Jackie and nods, “Technically I do when I glitch- but I don’t think you all do though? Something about what happened to me when I became a Glitch-“ He shrugs.

"A glitch?" Jackie blinks. "Huh?" 

"That's a sort of mistake in a digital thing," Marvin explains. "Or when it doesn't work right, yknow? Never heard it applied to a person, though." Marvin looks at Alt. "Well... nice to meet you, then." 

Alt blinks and tilts his head at Jackie, “…ohhh you’re really like Henny huh? Like.. out of time.”

"Oh, so you know!" Jackie says. "Yeah, it was bloody confusing. One minute the year was 1927, the next it was 2017! I've been here four years now and I still find it overwhelming sometimes." 

"I can't believe you've never heard the word 'glitch' in all those four years," Dr. Anti mutters.

 "Maybe I have, but I don't remember." Jackie shrugs. 

Alt blinks then smiles knowingly, “Our friend Henrik was pulled out of time by our villain Magnificent… around the same time as you I think. About 90 years. He’s been adapting well though! I think he likes the future a lot.” 

"I really gotta double-check my wards if everyone can just fucking... teleport through them." Chase sighs.

If these two are really from another world, they might have abilities that surpass that, JJ says. Don't put yourself down too much.

Alt smiles softly at Chase, “Yeah- JJ is right. My magic is different and my ability as a Glitch also makes things a bit fucky. Like… how there’s a mistake in tech… I’m like a mistake in our world? Kinda? I broke some boundaries and now can… glitch and stuff.” He shrugs. 

"Ah." Chase nods slowly, laughing a bit. "Yeah, that does make me feel a bit better." 

JJ smiles at Bro. So... I heard you're a superhero?

Bro grins more and nods, hopping into the air to hover a bit. “Sure am!”

JJ looks up at Bro excitedly. Impressive! I've never seen anyone who can fly! 

"Well... some magicians can hover, I think," Chase says. "But that's not the same." 

Bro lands and grins, “I can do other stuff too but they’re a bit more dangerous. The usual like super speed, super strength and I can kinda shoot lightning?” 

There’s a slight pause.

"Sssso," Marvin says slowly. "We... have to go to an old PUPIL place, then?"

Alt blinks at Marvin then shrugs, “You guys don’t need to join us if you’re worried- we have a way to find these things pretty easily.” 

“But It’d be nice to learn more about you all though, if you’re open to share!” Bro says. 

"No no, it's fine, I--I want to help," Marvin says. "But we should... probably explain some things. Other Chase--Bro was asking about that before you called." 

Dr. Anti stares at the corkboard. "What fucking... conspiracy nut stuff is this?" 

"It's justified conspiracy nut stuff!" Marvin says defensively. 

"Not saying it's not." 

JJ walks over to the board and pulls off a sticky note, holding it up to Bro and Alt. On it is a drawing of an eye with a symbol in the center that sort of looks like the club suit in cards, but without the stem. This is the symbol of PUPIL. They've been causing trouble around town lately. Marvin got caught up with them. 

Marvin nods slowly.

Alt and Bro look at the symbol and both of their eyes widen. Then, Alt’s eyes darken and spark dangerously. “…just like SCLERA.” Alt looks to Marvin with sympathy, “…we get it, Marvin. We’ve been caught by our own company, SCLERA. And… others-“ He shudders.

"Hah... thanks." Marvin smiles weakly. "SCLERA, huh? What's that?" 

"It's the white part of your eye." Dr. Anti indicates his own eye, holding open the eyelids of his right eye and drawing attention to the misshapen pupil. "The protective tissue that covers everything but the cornea." 

"Eye symbolism persists between universes, then," Chase says. 

“Seems like it- freaking weird and creepy…” Bro mumbles.

"Um... course, it's not just PUPIL we're dealing with," Marvin continues hesitantly. "There's also the Magic Circle--Chase can tell you about that--and the shattered man. Normally we just call him Shattered, for convenience." He points at the corkboard again, where there's a series of blurry photographs.

Alt tilts his head and furrows his eyebrows, “mmm the magic circle is no fun to deal with sure… but the shattered man…?” He glitches over to look at the photos.

All the pictures are out of focus, like either the photographer or the subject are moving too much to get a good shot. The details are hard to see, but it's clearly a man, with bright blue glowing eyes, wearing some sort of long coat. One picture shows something metallic shining as well, thin and spindly. 

"He doesn't photograph well," Jackie comments.

Alt looks confused but… those eyes and the coat… the only one missing here is… “o-oh god…” he whispers, covering his mouth. 

Bro comes over and puts a hand on Alt’s shoulder. “Alt what-?” 

Alt grabs him and whispers into his ear, “Their villain is Schneep-!” 

Bro’s eyes widen. 

"None of us know what his deal is, but he's been harassing us for a couple years now," Marvin says while the brothers whisper. "And... recently, he--" his voice cracks, so he clears his throat. "He... I-I don't know this for sure, but he has to be the one who--" 

JJ takes something else off the corkboard. Another photograph, folded and crinkled like it's been held often. It's a picture of Marvin... and a little girl with curly brown hair and big brown eyes. She... looks a lot like him.

The brothers look at JJ and Alt takes the picture. His stomach drops. He looks up at Marvin with a heartbroken expression, “… you have a daughter…?”

Marvin nods slowly. "Her name is Skyler. She's eight. And she... went missing a while ago. S-some of the police think I..." 

They're wrong, JJ signs fiercely. And they're not very good at their jobs anyway. 

That makes Marvin laugh for a bit, but he quickly becomes serious again. "It... must have been Shattered. He's been after me in particular for a while. And then, when PUPIL took me, he fucking showed up and--got me out of there? But wouldn't explain anything about Skyler when I-I shouted at him about it." 

"My tracking spells aren't working," Chase mutters. "She has to be somewhere protected."

Alt’s eyes flash brightly with green and blue light as he grits his teeth. “…fuck finding the piece.” He growls. 

“What??” Bro gasps. 

“Fuck finding the piece!” Alt shouts, whirling around, “We’re helping find Skylar!” He says fiercely, determination burning in his eyes. “We have magic and knowledge this Shattered can’t be prepared for I'm sure- I’m not leaving a child here in danger…!”

Marvin blinks. "You... you guys would do that?" 

"Hey well--if you all have knowledge to help find where she is, we'll take you up on that anytime," Chase says. "Skyler's great, she's the sweetest little girl." 

"Shattered has this little pocket world, but we're not sure how to get there," Jackie says, running a hand through his hair. "He seems t'be the only one with a handle on it. If he has her, she's got to be in there."

Bro slowly nods, “…as much as I’m worried we’re getting in too deep into this… I couldn’t leave when a kid is lost with some dangerous villain…” 

Alt pulls out his phone and taps the screen, “Anti! Do you think there’s a way I can get into a pocket dimension? Or can you?”

The guys from this world all cluster around Alt's phone. 

"...what the fuck?" Dr. Anti whispers. 

Anti nods at him. "Long story. I'm also from another world, but a different one than these guys. But onto the question. All pocket dimensions have to connect to a world somehow. The entrance might shift, but there has to be at least one place. Or at least, that's how it works in this branch of the multiverse. There's guaranteed to be a place where this Shattered's world branches off from the main universe. I... might be able to sense where it is, but with my powers reduced like this we'd need to get close." 

"So... what, do I just drive you all around the city?" Marvin looks at the others.

“…maybe-“ Alt says, “Or… I could try glitching around but I could drain myself really fast that way…” 

Bro sighs and ruffles his hair before replacing his hat, “I take it flying isn’t a common occurrence here? So I couldn’t just.. fly Anti around-“

JJ blinks. Well... it wouldn't be the strangest thing the citizens see everyday, he signs. 

"But it still might not be the best idea," Dr. Anti says. 

Bro sighs heavily, “Yeahhhh probably. Damn.”

"Hey, uh... phone version of me.” Dr. Anti continues. “Would there be any other signs of a pocket dimension thing? Something detectable?" 

"I don't know your technology capabilities here," Anti states. 

If you're going to ask if Shawn can help, he's already looking, JJ says. He already knows it's a pocket dimension. I don't see how anything this Anti knows would help.

Alt tilts his head at JJ, “Who’s Shawn? …our J has a brother named that but- I’m assuming this guy is someone different.” 

JJ blinks. Then laughs. No, actually! Shawn is my brother--or, half-brother. 

"He's JJ's guy in the chair," Chase says. "Helps out with a lot of tech stuff. Good artist, too."

Alt and Bro blinks then Bro grins, “Yooo! It’s rare we actually get that right!” 

Alt purses his lips, “Guy in the chair? Ha- are you saying JJ is like… James Bond or something? A spy?” He laughs.

The others all look over at JJ. "Up to you," Dr. Anti says. "I wouldn't, but I'm not you." 

JJ grins widely. He takes his backpack off and reaches inside, pulling something out. And he slips it over his face. A purple hero mask--just like Bro's.

Bro makes a Pog face and points wildly at JJ, “YOOOOO?!?!?” He digs into his utility belt and pulls out his pink mask, putting it on so his hair flares to yellow green. “Same hat! Or… mask!! But instead of a hero- you’re a spy?!? That’s metal as fuck!!!”

JJ laughs. I don't know if it really counts as being a "spy" when it's just me and Shawn. But yes, I'm good at getting into places and finding information. 

"He has powers, too!" Chase says excitedly. 

"Why are you so excited? You have fucking magic!" Marvin laughs. 

It's nothing flashy, JJ says. And it's hard to demonstrate, too. Think of it like... ESP.

“Oh!! You can just like pick up on stuff!? That’s so cool! Sometimes that’s more useful than being good at punching stuff like me.” Bro laughs. 

Exactly! JJ nods. I pick up on the ~vibes~ The others smile. 

Alt grins, “That’s so fucking cool.” Then he shakes out his head, “Okay- focusing on Skyler though… you guys haven’t found anything yet so- I guess driving around is our best bet. I’m sure me or Anti can pick up something right?”

"Yep, sounds like it." Marvin nods. "I know it might take a while, but it's the best bet we have. To the van, then!" 

"Great." Chase takes off his cap and puts on his mask instead. "JJ, wanna put on your suit?" 

Can I change in your bathroom? 

"Of course." 

JJ nods. I'll just be a minute, then. And he heads to the bathroom, closing the door.

“Supersuit!! Nice!!” Bro grins, “Man- kinda wish I brought mine!” 

Alt rolls his eyes, “You’d just be showing off more than you already are-“ 

“Heyyy! I’m not showing off!” Bro pouts.

Jackie laughs. "Hey, I think it's wicked, man. Show off all you want!" 

JJ changes quickly, coming out of the bathroom in a purple-and-blue suit. The outfit is sort of reminiscent of an old-fashioned suit, but more practical, something of a classic superhero suit in its design. There's a brace-like thing on his wrist with a keyboard sort of device on it. 

"There's the Dapper Man!" Marivn says cheerfully.

 JJ rolls his eyes. I didn't choose that name, you know. 

"But it's so fitting!" 

“I can’t deny you do look very Dapper!” Bro laughs.

 Alt grins, “Looking Slick dude- we all good to go?”

"Yep." Chase nods. "Marvin?" 

"I've never been more glad that I got that van," Marvin says. "It'll make transporting you all so much easier. Good deal." 

"Great." Chase walks over to the apartment front door and opens it up. "And I've never been more glad that my flat is next to the stairwell. C'mon." 

The group goes down two sets of stairs--Chase's apartment is on the third floor from the ground, the second floor according to the numbering--and out into an attached car lot. Marvin leads the whole group to a parked van, silver in color, a little bit of rust around the edges but it's clearly taken care of.

Bro whistles as they see the van. “Nice ride! I keep telling Jackie he should get a van but he said it would make him an old man.” He laughs.

Alt glitches a bit, frowning at the car. “…this is gonna be rough-“ He grumbles to himself.

"I'm pretty sure you can all fit," Marvin says, opening up the driver's side door. "Who's getting the front seat?" 

It should probably be Alt, since he has the phone with that other Anti, JJ says. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Anti slides open the back door. "First three in have to go in the back."

Alt nods and glitches into the front seat. “Don’t mind Alt- he hates driving around- finds it’s too slow.” Bro chuckles, as he climbs into the van, okay with taking the back.

"I mean--that's fair," Chase says. 

"You all have to appreciate your autos more," Jackie says as he climbs in after Bro. "I'm all for a good walk, but it's so much easier to get everyone around." 

“Okay, grandpa,” Bro snickers. “We appreciate them! But when you can fly and glitch a car seems way slower.”

JJ climbs in next, taking the final spot, wedging in between Bro and Jackie. Then Dr. Anti gets in, and finally Chase. 

"Buckle up everyone," Marvin says, starting the car and pulling out into the street. 

As they drive, Jackie leans forward, looking at Bro and Alt. "So--what's your world like? Anything really odd out here to you?"

Alt blinks back at Jackie then laughs, “Oh… just everything is odd here for us. Like back home? Our Jackie is a dad- has 3 kids. Sweetest things in the world. He also runs a YouTube channel where he does superhero moves but like parkour. It’s pretty cool. Our Jameson is a hypnotherapist but is taking some time to learn some nursing things. And uh- we have a fellow actor friend- Henny, he’s from…1933? 90ish years. And he’s deaf which is how we know sign. And our …villain. His name is Magnificent.” He trails off after this, squeezing his necklace. 

"Oh, that is very odd." Jackie nods. "I can't picture myself raising kids or making short films like that--well, it is what I do now, but I don't do any of the filming." 

I've never heard of that hypnosis therapy, JJ says, interested. 

"It's pretty fascinating, if you ask me," Dr. Anti says. "Supposedly it can help people with sleep problems like insomnia." 

Bro nods, “Yeah Dr. J helps Jackie with his insomnia! That’s actually how they got back into each others lives! We all were in uni together-“ 

"We don't know anyone named Henny, I think," Chase says. "Unless you guys do and I don't." 

"Nope." Marvin shakes his head. 

Bro smiles sadly, “Yeah uh… I’m not sure you guys would- his full name is Henrik von Schneeplestein. Henny is his nickname.” 

"Oh? Interesting name," Dr. Anti says. "German or something, right?" 

“Yup! German and British- but he spoke more German as a lad so he still has a bit of an accent.” Bro says. 

Marvin looks a bit troubled. "Magnificent, huh...? That's uh... what my channel is called. MagnificentMagics."

Alt nods slowly, “…he used to be a Marvin… Marvin Mcloughlin… he’s not anymore. He’s been corrupted by black magic to become a… a monster. An evil puppet master who tries to steal as much magic as he can.” 

"...that's...fun," Marvin says slowly. He's gripping the steering wheel tightly. 

“I’m sorry-“ Alt says quickly to Marvin, “…it’s awful finding out you’re … so far from how you think you are in other universes. I know… just- trust me… the evil Marvin’s out there are far fewer than the evil Mes…” he sighs and curls up his legs a bit in the seat. “… but we’re different. We’re all different people. I don’t see Mag in you at all- and through all this? I think me and Chase have become pretty good judges of character.” He laughs a bit bitterly, “…that probably doesn’t mean much.. I just… I get it. God… I get it.” 

Marvin relaxes slightly. "Yeah... It's... weird to hear about. I mean, I-I can't even picture it, you know?" He glances at him and smiles. "Thanks. I... It's good to hear that." 

Dr. Anti leans forward a bit at the mention of evil Antis, but doesn't say anything. He only looks vaguely troubled. 

Alt smiles tightly, “I’m glad…” he glances back at Dr. Anti and looks- troubled too. He’s not sure he wants to get too into it. He shakes his head. “…we just have to remember we’re our own people… we write our own stories.” 

Chase shudders. "Black magic. I-I don't like that shit at all. Reminds me of the Magic Circle--though I don't think they would steal people's magic."

Bro nods to his other self, “Yeah it’s real freaky shit. Burns like hell too- made him all… not human. He’s a freaky motherfucker and I’m sooo glad he’s been leaving these last trips alone.” 

"You mean he's come with you to other worlds before?!" Chase blinks. "I sure hope he never shows up here!"

Bro laughs, “I hope so too! He’s a pain in the ass to deal with in these worlds! Gotta make sure in the future he can’t hitchhike with us- but… when we’re dealing with these rifts… he hasn’t been around.” 

“Maybe we finally found something he’s scared of,” Alt smirks.

Anti's voice comes from the phone. "Well, there's also the fact that I don't think Sam's rifts can be tracked as easily as your TRVLR use can be--to Magnificent, at least. That other me, the one following us, is probably able to detect both. Speaking of the TRVLR, by the way, I'm getting a feeling. I think it's from the next street over." 

Marvin blinks. "Are you sure?" 

"Yes. Something wrong with that?" 

"Well... we're approaching Project Street."

Alt pulls out his phone to look at Anti and furrows his eyebrows together. “You feel the TRVLR piece or the pocket world?” He asks.

"The pocket dimension," Anti confirms. "I can't sense the TRVLR piece, not by itself. It'd need to be the whole device, powered." 

JJ frowns. Perhaps... it's no coincidence. 

"We do suspect that the Shattered man has some... at the very least, some fascination with PUPIL," Dr. Anti says. "Maybe he linked up his dimension to this old building of theirs."

“…maybe both of them are in the same place,” Alt says quietly. 

Bro blinks, “That would very convenient-“

"Well, it would mean we spend less time in one world, and that's better if you ask me," Anti says. 

“Yeah… I want to save Skyler but I don’t want to lead the other Anti here..,” Alt mumbles.

Marvin turns onto Project Street, driving for a while. This area is filled with taller office buildings for various businesses. And... there's one with that symbol, the PUPIL logo. 

"...well, I think you guys are right, it is very convenient," Anti says. "Because I'm definitely getting a pocket dimension feeling from that building with the eye logo."

 Bro blinks then throws up his hands, “awesome! We save the kid and get the piece! Let’s go!” 

Alt pulls out the tracker- maybe he can see if the piece is in that building or… whatever is in this pocket dimension.The tracker tells him that the TRVLR piece is on the fifth floor of the building. 

Marvin pulls to the side of the street in front of the building. "I don't like seeing that logo again," he mutters. 

"Me neither," Dr. Anti agrees, quickly getting out of the car. "Let's get this over with."

Alt glitches out of the car and squints at the building. “Tracker says the piece is on the 5th floor. …Skyler comes first though.”

Chase gets out of the car next, and then JJ and Jackie. "well, if we know where your thing is, we can stop by after we find her," Chase says. 

Bro climbs out last and nods, “Sounds good.” 

"JJ, can you like... sense anything?" Chase asks.

JJ pauses, closing his eyes for a moment. We'll have to be careful. I think Shattered is already here. 

Dr. Anti walks up to the front door and tries it, but it's locked. There's a small card reader next to it. "Other me, Alt. Can your glitches get you in to unlock it from the inside?"

Alt looks at the key reader and hums, “if PUPIL left… why is this still on?” 

"Shattered probably has something to do with it," Jackie says, frowning. "He's smart like that." 

Alt puts a hand on the card reader and pumps it full of electricity.

The red light on the card reader suddenly disappears. Dr. Anti blinks. "I was thinking that you'd teleport to the other side and open it from there, but that works." 

Alt shrugs, “This seemed easier!” 

Dr. Anti tries the door again, and it opens up. The interior of the building is dim, lit only by the light coming in through windows. They walk into a small lobby, with a bland corporate-looking waiting area with a reception desk. Behind the desk is a directory, but many letters are missing, making it impossible to tell what departments were originally here. There's a hallway that branches off to the back and a glass door to an office-looking space to the left. 

Alt glitches inside, looking around.

"Hang on." Marvin darts back to his car, grabs something, and returns. It's a small handgun. 

Where did you get that?! JJ asks in surprise. 

"Picked it up from the PUPIL compound I got stuck in."

Bro jumps a bit as Marvin shows the gun, “Oh woah! …I mean- this is your daughter in there… I guess this is justified.” He laughs a bit nervously. 

Marvin nods. "Honestly, I think this won't do much damage to Shattered anyway. But better safe than sorry." 

The inside is quiet. The rest of the group files in, looking around. Chase holds out his hand and conjures an orb of golden light, a miniature sun the size of a golf ball. "Creepy," he mutters. 

JJ nods in agreement. He reaches into his backpack and pulls out a collapsible staff, which he extends to its full length. 

Looks like down the hallway is an elevator and set of stairs, along with a couple ajar doors that seem to be storage for files and cleaning supplies. 

Alt holds out his phone, “Anti… can you tell what floor the pocket world is on or is it just.. a general feeling?” He asks quietly, eyes darting around.

Anti pauses, static crackling from the phone speaker. "Upstairs, I think. I can't tell you specifically, though." 

"Lift or stairs, then?" Jackie asks. 

Never take the lift in an emergency, JJ says.

Alt nods, “Stairs then-“ He’s gotten pretty serious now as he glitches on and off- towards the stairs. 

“Oh Jesus- Alt! You gotta wait for the rest of us!” Bro hisses after him, quickly moving to follow.The others run after Bro as well. 

The staircase here is U-shaped, steps going up to a landing, and then another set of steps turning around and going up to another landing, that one having a door with the number 1 painted on the wall next to it--the entrance to the first floor after the ground. As the group heads up the staircase, the door swings shut behind them... and there's a strange cracking sound. Like ice in warm water. 

Jackie's eyes widen. "Watch ou--!" 

Then the wall seems to break, shards of a glass-like material flying out towards everyone. A figure lunges towards Marvin.

JJ throws his arms out, blocking the glass from Jackie and Anti but getting cut himself, one bit lodging in his shoulder. Chase tries to throw up a magical shield but the glass is too fast and slices past him, making him gasp in pain. Alt glitches quickly and slides back away from the wall, eyes wide. Bro dodges the glass with a hint of his super speed then looks bewildered. “the fuck was that?!” 

Marvin cries out as the figure grabs onto him, pushing him up against the bannister of the stairs. "You came! I knew you would come find her!" a voice says, a strange crackling sound underneath every word, like someone using a bad microphone on a video call.

“Marvin!” Alt calls and quickly glitches to try to tackle the figure away from him.

Alt hits the figure and knocks him to the side, down onto the first landing. He's looking down at a familiar face, now distorted. The figure has messy brown hair and pale skin. His irises glow bright blue, and the sclera of his right eye is black. They stare at Alt from behind a set of glasses with shattered lenses. And... the face is... cracked. Like it's made of porcelain that was broken and clumsily put back together. 

Alt growls dangerously at first as he pushes the man to the ground, lightning and magic sparking around him. Then, he takes in his face and he can’t help but gasp. It’s… awful- seeing his friend’s face distorted and cracked and full of madness. Reminding him both of Henny and stitched Schneep.

The man grins madly. "Oh? Who are you? You're not supposed to be here." He laughs. "Get off me." Something grabs onto Alt's left shoulder, squeezing tight. 

"Alt, watch out for his hand!" Chase shouts.

Alt feels the thing grabbing his shoulder become sharp, piercing through his hoodie into his skin. He’s so unnerved that he doesn’t fully process Chase’s warning until it’s too late. He screams and crashes somewhat to his side as he tries to process what the hell just happened. 

“Alt!” Bro cries out and then bares his teeth and flies down to try to punch the new man in the face.

The stranger starts to sit up, only to have his head snapped back again as Bro punches him solidly. There's a loud, disturbing CRAK! sound, like the handle snapping off a ceramic mug. The Shattered man laughs again. "You're not supposed to be here, either." 

Bro recoils back in horror at the sound, looking scared. 

There's another one of those cracking sounds, and suddenly the man is standing at the top of the other staircase, on the second landing. He's wearing a long black cloak over a blue shirt and pants, with tall black boots. The cracks on his face seem deeper now, and more cracks cover the rest of his body. In fact, his right shoulder ends in shards, a broken-off piece. His right arm has been replaced by a skeletal metal prosthetic. The fingers of the hand are long, thin, and sharp at the end... dripping with Alt's blood. "You cannot bring more people, that is not how this should be! No, no." 

Bro looks behind him quickly as Shattered appears on the other staircase with wide eyes and a slacked jaw. “H-Hen…!” He whispers in terror.

Shattered tilts his head. "Hen? Like a chicken? You are so funny, stranger!" 

"Where the hell is my daughter?!" Marvin demands, aiming his handgun at Shattered.

Alt bites back groans of pain as he pushes himself up and stares up, “W-what the hell…?” He breathes. He then grits his teeth and glitches up, getting behind Shattered and building up a giant ball of electricity to throw at him.

But then Shattered notices how Alt disappears, and he quickly vanishes from sight, barely dodging the magic blast. He reappears even higher in the stairwell, leaning over the bannister to look down at all the others. "I was expecting you to bring friends, Marvin, but not strangers! In any case, I am only opening it up for you. Don't you want to see her?" 

"O-of course I do!" Marvin stammers. 

Chase adjusts the mask on his face and throws something up into the air--a cloud of glowing gold magic. The cloud reaches Shattered and suddenly solidifies and pulls him down over the edge of the banister. He shrieks in surprise as he falls, landing on the banister around the landing Alt's on with another CRAK! But he quickly recovers and slides smoothly to his feet. "Much more vicious than last I saw you, Magician!"

Bro staggers back, eyes wide. Alt yells in rage and glitches to try to grab Shattered again, “I can show you fucking vicious!” He snarls, building up more electric magic in his hand.

Shattered's eyes widen as he's grabbed, and then he yelps, shocked, as the magic hits him. But then he laughs. "Another Magician! How unexpected! And so angry, too." His metal hand grabs onto Alt's wrist, and the smile disappears. "Be careful, Magician. If I do not clear the way, the way will not be found." 

"H-he's right, Alt!" Jackie shouts. "He's the only one who can get people in and out of his pocket world!" 

"Hmm?" Shattered's head rolls over to look at Jackie. "Ah, how have you been, Doll?" 

Jackie flinches. "Sh-shut your fucking mouth!"

Alt bares his teeth at Shattered, his skin prickling wildly with glitches. But, Jackie’s warning does get him to loosen up a bit- until Shattered calls Jackie a doll. He yells and goes to cup his hand over Shattered’s mouth, magic sparking like he’s threatening to zap him, “S̸h̶u̴t̵ ̷u̵p̵!” He spits, “You wanna be a bitch? I’ll make you open the way then! I’m pretty good at finding what makes things like you scared.” 

“A-Alt!” Bro cries out, worried to see Alt so angry. “L-Listen to everyone else!” 

"Y-yeah!" Marvin shouts, voice cracking. "I-if something happens--w-we won't get her back!"

The Shattered man doesn't look scared as Alt threatens him. If anything, he looks fascinated. 

Alt’s eyes spark with even more anger as he recognizes the look in Shattered’s eyes. He bends down so all he can see is his furious face and sparking eyes. “I hate things like you- tearing everything apart to try to see how it works- I know that fucking look in your eyes-! You only did this to find more fucking subjects didn’t you? I’ll tear you f̷u̷c̵k̴i̷n̶g̷ ̷a̸p̴a̴r̴t̴-̵!̶” 

“ALT!” Bro yells and zips over to grab Alt off of Shattered and pull him away, breathing heavy and looking down at him with wide eyes. 

Alt screeches in protest and tries to fight out of Bro’s grip- but the older brother holds firm. “Let me go, C̸h̷a̴s̸e̶!̵” 

“Listen man I know this is fucked up but you gotta calm down!” Bro pleads. 

Alt just lets out a glitchy cry of anger, any words he’s saying crackling incoherently. 

As soon as Alt has let go of him, Shattered disappears and reappears farther up the staircase, accompanied by that same cracking sound. He doesn't say anything, just sits on a stair and looks down at the others. 

The rest of the group rushes up the stairs, joining Bro's side. JJ steps in front of Alt so he can see his signs. A-L-T, please, I know this must be hitting a nerve, but take a step back. We can't fight him now. Not while he has Marvin's daughter.

Alt breathes heavily through gritted teeth, magic sparking wildly around him as he glares at Shattered. 

Bro holds him tight and mutters calming words to him, his arms shaking, “I know… I know little bro… just- we need to find Skyler first…!” 

"We'll kill him after," Dr. Anti promises, glaring up at Shattered. 

Marvin looks up at him as well. "W-where is she?" he asks again, voice cracking. 

"Where do you think?" Shattered says in a quieter voice.

“Just answer the f̶u̵c̶k̴i̴n̷g̸ ̸ question!” Alt screeches out to Shattered. “Stop playing with us, you fuck!”

"She's in my workplace," Shattered says calmly. "Doll called it my pocket world. But I was not planning on letting anyone through but Marvin. Not Doctor, not Hero, not Magician, not Doll, and not an angry Magician and his less angry Hero." 

Marvin frowns. "I-I'm not going to be stupid enough to walk into your pocket dimension by myself." 

"Then maybe I can be convinced to let one or two others come. Not the angry Magician, though."

“B̶a̵s̷t̷a̷r̷d̶!” Alt bites out, fighting in Bro’s grip again, “Is it cuz you’re fucking scared, pussy?!”

“Alt, c-c’mon dude! Breathe!” Bro hisses, surprised he’s been able to hold back Alt this long.

"I don't like angry people," Shattered says, frowning at Alt. "They get upset and break things and things are fragile enough in there." 

"L-let's think about this calmly," Chase says. "I-if Marvin goes in there alone, h-he might not come out again. We need a couple people to go in and make sure everything works out." 

Jackie shakes his head. "I... I-I'll stay out here." 

"Aw." Shattered frowns, looking vaguely disappointed. "But I miss you." 

"It's not mutual," Jackie hisses. 

“I’ll break your F̶U̶C̷K̷I̸N̸G̵ ̴F̴A̴C̷E̸-” Alt screams, “You’re a sick psychopath for kidnapping a little girl!! I don’t care if you look like my friend I̸’̶L̸L̷ ̸K̴I̴L̵L̴ ̵Y̵O̴U̶!̸” 

“ANTI!!” Bro raises his voice then lets him go for long enough to grab his shoulders and turn him around. “Anti please- listen to me.” He says quietly, trying to meet Alt’s furious eyes, “I know this is hard- I know this is bringing up bad memories and you’re feeling so angry right now- but y-you don’t want Skyler getting hurt right? Your anger isn’t gonna save her- not with this guy.” 

Alt looks away, fists balled up so tight he’s shaking. “…I-I can’t sit here and do nothing-“ 

“You’re gonna have to now- cuz you can’t hold back your emotions.” Bro says sternly. “I know why… but now you g-gotta stay out here.. with Jackie, okay?” 

Alt opens his mouth to argue, but Bro’s eyes spark with anger too as he growls, “Okay?”

"You're not going to be doing nothing," Dr. Anti says. "We're going to find your TRVLR piece so we can get out of here as soon as possible." 

Jackie raises an eyebrow. "You're staying out here, too?" 

"I'm not leaving you al--I mean, this is clearly the most efficient way to go about it," Dr. Anti says.

Marvin laughs. "Right. Sure." 

Alt still looks furious about this and rips his arm away from Bro, anger still bright in his eyes as the brothers glare each other down. He spares one more glance at everyone else before he glitches away into the upper floors in a burst of power like a lightning bolt. 

“Alt!” Bro yells after him then he growls under his breath, “Goddamnit!” 

Marvin nods at Dr. Anti. "You go be efficient, then. I'm guessing Bro is coming with me, what about you, Chase? JJ?" 

Well of course we're going with you, JJ says. 

"Ah, three with Marvin is pushing it." Shattered stands up. "So will you choose two Heroes or a Hero and Magician?"

Bro blinks at Shattered’s ultimatum and smiles sadly at Marvin, “…it’s up to you dude- I’ll help if I can but… you all know Skyler better.”

Marvin stares back at Bro and nods. "Chase? Do you mind?" 

"Oh! Y-yeah, of course, anything to help." Chase says. He glances at JJ. "Is that okay?" 

It's fine. JJ looks up towards the upper floors. I get the feeling I'll be more helpful here right now. 

"Excellent!" Shattered grins. He moves to the side, and the air behind him seems to... well, shatter. Like it was a pane of glass the whole time, and now a hole has opened up in it, big enough for a person to walk through. The other side of the new hole is hard to see, but it's definitely black, blue, and chrome. "Careful of the sharp edges of space!" 

Marvin goes a bit pale, but his grip on his gun tightens. He takes a deep breath. "Well... let's go, then."

Bro watches this with wide eyes. He glances upwards with worry for a second before he shuts his eyes and smiles with determination at Marvin. “Let’s go save your daughter.”

Marvin nods at him. "L-let's all go together." 

"No, it's not big enough," Chase says. "I'll go first." He braces himself, and walks forward through the portal. As soon as Marvin and Bro are through, Shattered grins at the others and steps through as well. The opening immediately snaps shut. 

JJ, Jackie, and Dr. Anti all look at each other. "Well... let's go find Alt, then," Jackie says. 

I think I know where he is, JJ says, and starts up the stairs.