#it's not like it would have been hard for him to hide something from gavin

[hellceo]

ok but what if crowley actually lied about the whole sold his soul for 3 inches thing to gavin and has just gone with it when people "found out" later because it was less embarrassing than the actual truth ——

[airbendertendou]

a small compilation of moments between autistic!reader + connor happy disability pride month <3

anon requested : hi! i was wondering if you could do something with connor and the autistic reader and like them going nonverbal and how he would handle that? You don’t have to do it if you don’t wanna! :)

please do not use this as a way to self-diagnose. having one thing in common does not necessarily mean you are autistic. im not a therapist or doctor, if you think you’re on the spectrum, talk to them. <3

if you have a blank blog [no bio, no user, no header or profile pic, nothing reblogged, etc] do not interact with my content. you will be blocked.

temperature irregulation ♥︎

hank was a firm believer in a cold house. when the summer season came and brought a heatwave with it, the older man wouldn’t allow anything other than a brisk, chilly living room.

it was often you’d come over to go over old cases and study with hank. interning with the detroit police department was fun — the academy, however, you could live without. you’d learned to dress warm when visiting hank’s house, having a hard time warming up once you were cold.

“here,” a thicker sweater is placed over the couch, the sleeve laying on your shoulder. you take it without thought, swapping your thinner one for the new one. connor smiles at the pattern on your fuzzy socks, the sight of your toes curling in delight at the warmth bringing something tender to his brain. “better?”

you nod with a hum, “thanks, detective.”

hank rolls his eyes, hiding the curl of his lips at your obliviousness. “anyways, as i was saying—”

[interrupted] routine ♥︎

every day at 12:10 pm, you’d wander into the breakroom for a snack and drink refill. connor didn’t mean to memorize your specific regimen — but after watching you do the same thing for a week straight, it stuck to his mind.

you loitered in the doorway to the breakroom, peeking in occassionally to see if it’d emptied out any. gavin caught your gaze, rolling his eyes at your hesitance. it was then you spotted the mug in his hands — your mug, the one you always used. your frown deepened.

connor budged his way into the crowd, bumping into gavin and causing his drink to spill. every curse leaving the human’s mouth went ignored — connor only watched as you cowered away from gavin’s angry steps as he left. grabbing the dropped mug, connor rinsed it four times before holding it out to you shyly.

you crept into the breakroom, grabbing the handle of the mug and shooting the android a thankful grin.

stimming with pressure ♥︎

hank opened the door to his house with a sigh. connor’s eyebrows furrowed as he tilted his head, questioning the elder silently. hank leans against the door, “[name]’s been here a while, s’all. won’t leave my bathtub.”

a safe zone, connor concludes, somewhere small and compact ; where you could see every corner and every threat. he makes his way to the bathroom without another thought, pausing at the sight of you.

your eyes are closed, face crumpled in displeasure as you clench and unclench your fists in a pattern. connor knocks on the door, announcing his presence without startling you. your eyes fly open, “hello, detective.”

“you can call me connor, if you’d like.” the android steps further into the bathroom slowly, allowing you to object if you need to. your eyes stay on him — his thirium pump stutters in his chest. “anything i can do to help?”

taking in a deep breath, you puff your cheeks as you release the air. “maybe. if you don’t think it’s weird.”

connor stares down at you, his upper lip curled in hesitance as you lay in hank’s bed. you adjust yourself, wiggling around until you’ve splayed your limbs where you want them. you blink up at him, “well?”

“it is a little... strange.” connor tries to be nice, he really does. but asking an android to lay on you — to put their full weight on you — he’s concered. “i will crush you.”

you roll your eyes, “i have a weighted blanket at home ; it’s no different.”

“i weigh quite a bit more than—”

“are you going to lay on me or not, connor?”

maybe it was the sound of you saying his name for the first time ; maybe it was the way you looked so defeated. whatever it was, connor found himself laying on you as gently as he could. the relaxation was immediate — he could feel the breath of relief you let out ; the way your body sagged.

you fell asleep that way — with connor holding his breath and tensing up the closer you got.

sensory overload ♥︎

the scene you were going to was a lot. it was nighttime now, the sirens and flashing lights bringing everyone’s attention this way. hank leaves the car first, grumbling as he goes. the sound that leaks through his open door causes you to whimper.

connor turns his head to you, “everything alright?”

your gaze hasn’t left the window as you squint, blinking at all of the lights. you gulp before biting your lip. “i’ll be fine. this is what i signed up for.”

you’re barely out of the car and already wincing at the noise and the lights. you can’t see hank ; can’t hear or understand anything being said around you. the world is blinking in hues of red and blue, wailing sirens going off with every flash of the lights.

the sound grows muffled as soft and sturdy hands cup your ears. a thumb moves from your ear briefly, just long enough for you to hear a whisper. “close your eyes and i’ll lead you into the house. that’s where the lieutenant is.”

trusting connor’s words — a little too easily — you squeeze your eyes shut. your hands go up to cover his, sealing your ears from the harsh sounds around you. stumbling a little here and there, you eventually feel a difference in temperature as you enter the house.

letting out a sigh, your shoulders moving with the motion, slowly your eyes peel open. you glance at connor, ignoring the tenderness of his gaze. “thanks, connor.”

he lets out a deep breath, ignoring the sly grin hank sends his way. “no problem, [name].” 

verbal shutdown ♥︎

it happened so quick. your safe foods had vanished from their designated cabinet ; your chair’s wheel was squeaking incessently ; hank hadn’t shown up today. everything was piling on and you finally exploded.

the evidence locker was empty as you shakily typed in hank’s password. you hit the wrong button a few times, squeezing your eyes together at the little beeps. your breathing picks up — you hold it in your chest and shake your hands, releasing the tension built inside you.

you all but crawl into the secure room, your back hitting the wall as you sit down. your eyes squeeze shut again and you go through the motions, choosing the less destructive ways to calm yourself down.

none of them work.

when connor finds you, you’re drawing shapes on the floor with your finger. you’ve curled into yourself, not making a sound ; your usual means of comfort absent from your lips. he walks to you cautiously, “[name]? hank has returned. he’s asking to see you.”

you don’t move ; not a sound falls from your lips. connor sits in front of you, crossing his legs as he waits. from his suit pocket comes a ring of multicolored notecards — your eyes flash to his at the sight of them. connor holds them out further so that you can see them properly. “want to use these?”

a miniscule nod, but it’s enough to make him smile. “alright,” he flicks through the blue cards — feelings. stopping at your set of upset verbs, he slides the ring your way. “any of these describe how you’re feeling?”

a shaky finger hits the word overstimulated before dragging over to panic. connor nods, flipping to the pink set — solutions. “what do you want to do? go home ; nap ; have a snack ; get your puzzle book ; coloring book...” connor holds them up to you, reading out each one until you nod — except you don’t. pausing, connor speaks up again, “want me to leave?”

you shake your head. slowly, your hand crawls across the floor until it meets his. you nudge his hand, curling your fingers under his. connor holds his breath, adjusting your fingers until you’re holding hands properly. his eyes stay to the floor, “this is okay, too. let me know when you’re ready to leave.”

emotional regulation ft. lots of crying ♥︎

“connor,” your voice brings him out of his work. standing beside his desk, connor watches as you sway side to side. he tilts his head and it makes your eyes water. “i’m going to cry.”

that was his cue to take you into his arms. connor stands to do so, gathering your body against his and rocking you side to side slowly. your body hiccups a few times, sniffles leaving your nose occassionally. you seem to calm down even more as he rubs your back soothingly — connor’s led light flashes yellow as he stores that information for later.

you pull away with a deep breath, rubbing your face with the hoodie you’re wearing. connor frowns, “better?”

you nod, “needed that. thank you.”

“want to tell me what upset you? only if you want to.”

connor never knew what to expect your answer to be. sometimes you just shook your head and snuggled close to him again. other times, you did talk about why you were crying and it made connor realize the extent of human emotions. 

“no more chocolate in the snack cabinet.”

“had a nice dream.”

“hank is wearing yellow.”

“it’s such a pretty day today!”

“too much noise.”

“gavin cut his hair.”

you let out another sniffle, lips pouting in thought. “not too sure this time. jus’ felt like i needed to cry.”

connor nods to himself, his led light whirring yellow once more. “i’m glad you feel comfortable with me, [name]. i’ll be here if you need another cry.”

you grin, meeting his eyes for a brisk second before reaching out to hold his hand. you swing your entwined hands lightly, grin softening into something gentle. “i know. thanks, con.”

the detective was sure he’d implode because of you soon. just not yet — not when you’re still holding his hand.

——♥︎—— for some reason my brain tells me to only write autistic readers n pair them w connor. like?? work w me here!! anyways. i hope this was okay, remember to take your meds, drink some water and have a nice snack!! airbendertendou © do not copy, plagiarize, repost, or translate my content on any platform. if you see my content under any other name than my own, let me know. i only have this tumblr and an ao3 account under the same name.

[tobbotobbs]

Yandere DBH RK800 Connor x male (deviant or human) reader

Connors mission is to find and obtain the reader, a deviant/human on the run. However when searching the house he finds reader hiding and doesn’t warn Hank. Instead he sneaks the reader out and takes him for himself. He was just such a pretty model/boy that he had to take him home for himself.

Maybe he imbeds a chip into the reader to know where he is at all times?

Either human or deviant reader, just make Yandere Conner please and thanks.

Never wrote yandere stuff before so I hope this is okay :(

It was dark outside when M/n finally found an abandoned house where he could rest and hide for now. He had been running from the police and the dogs for what seemed like an eternity. And the fact that they were shooting after him as well, because he apperiantly couldn't feel pain and was just scrap metal with a voice, did not really made the running easier. He had to dodge thise bullets because he, in fact, did feel everytime something punctured his model. He in fact had feelings. Which was the start of all his problems actually. He had started to show some interest in his Mistress, Alina, which led her to question him what was happening and if his database was broken or needed a new update. Of course he declined and actually told her, as stupid as he was, that he had those feelings in him. They just suddenly started to appear someday and since a few days he broke through his data wall and finally acted on his own completely. After hearing her bodyguard android telling her all this, Alina of course chose to be careful and tell the android company about this situation she was in. And in no time they came and wanted to get rid of M/n. It was devastating, he had thought Alina felt something for him as well. The way she always made sure he was all cleaned up, had enough power or would be in good condition after a hard day of keeping creeps away from her on festivals or meetings. Oh, how naive the android had been. Thinking back to all this, he really shouldn't have been surprised. As long as he had no boiling blood, a beating heart and the life ik his eyes when being looked at he was worth nothing to noone.

A loud creek from one of the molting woodplanks took his interest. Slowly, M/n made his way over to the next room where he assumed the sound had come from. At closer inspection he found a few pigeons on the floor who just seemed to be sitting there and resting, just like he did. Smiling he went closer and sat down next to them, the animals not bothered by the androids appearance and deciding to just stay where they were seated, sharing the nice quietness of the room in the dark room which was slightly alighted by the moons presence outside. ,,You guys seem so peaceful...I wish I could just fly away as well. That must be a relieving feeling, go just...go", he whispered more to himself than the pigeons who only looked at him from the side in a weird manner. He only chuckled lightly. ,,Yeah...Yeah I must look a little mad right now I guess...", still talking to himself, M/n decided to call it a day and maybe dwell in the comfort of old memories on his database.

Meanwhile in the dpd, Hank Anderson and his Android partner Connor were sitting at their desks and waiting for something to come up so they could finally get away from Gavin and rk900 yelling at eachother in the office. It was literal hell for them. These idiots weren't even getting any punishment which made Hank more annoyed than he already was. It was just awful watching those two argue about some little inconvenience of their case when the real reason they've been so frustrated with eachother was in fact not the case but the sexual tension going on between them. Everyone saw it, even Connor who mostly didn't understand social clues and other things that had to do with human emotions. But really, for an Android that smart rk900 also seemed to not get it. And Gavin probably just felt too ashamed and proud to let the thought of him liking an Android slide. Poor guys, Hank thought to himself. He then proceeded to turn around in his seat and took a look at his partner who, instead of still looking at the arguing cops, stared at the wall, deep in thoughts. His little LED flickered between blue and yellow, showing that he was thinking or more like processing something which got the older man interested.

,,Connor, what's going on in that little head of yours?", he had asked smugly, already awaiting Connors dismissing reply that he actually had no real head and mind but just his servers to go through, though it seemed the Android was so deep in whatever he was doing, that he didn't even noticed Hanks question. ,,Hank, Connor! Come up here, I got a mission for you two!", the loud voice of their boss suddenly rang through the office which also bought Connor out of his processing procedure. The both of them stood up and quickly went up the stairs to the bureau of the captain of the dpd to see what he had for them. Seated in the bureau they waited for their orders. Which came quickly. A the Android of a higher ranked woman among society turned Deviant and was missed. He was classified as very dangerous because he was a bodyguard and still has weapons on him. And Hank and Connor needed to search for clues on where he was or best, find him right away and take him in. It seemed like a good and easy start into the operation, as they had already a clue on where he was last seen.

And easy it was, as it seemed. The Deviant hasn't left the area since yesterday and they just needed to check in which of all the abandoned buildings he was hiding. For that Hank and Connor decided to split up to cover more grounds. Connor, alone in an old factory building, fell into a spiral of thoughts. He was thinking about what exactly happened to the Android to suddenly turn Deviant. Captain didn't tell them any details because they needed to hurry things. He also wondered if he could ask the Deviant a few questions, personal ones, before they need to take him in and interrogate him. Perhaps he could befriend him as well to make things go easier. He threw that thought away as fast as it came. Androids don't make friends. That's what Deviants do. He was no Deviant. Suddenly he heard something. A little humming, coming from the room next to him. Slowly and carefully, Connor peaked around the corner. There, next to a lot of pigeons, the Deviant they were searching for stood and hummed a melody while dancing around a little, or more like jumping around. At the sight Connor forgot why they were here. This Deviant was dangerous? That sweet looking, humming and jumping Android in front of him? That couldn't be. He was too precious. He couldn't possibly hurt a fly now, could he? As Connor watched M/n for a while longer some confusing feelings made their way up into his system which caused to constantly show the words Software Instability in the right corner of his vision. He ignored those though. More focused on the heavenly creation in front of him. He wanted M/n. The feelings in his system were want and desire, he finally figured out.

He walked into the room, M/n still not noticing his presence as he was having fun humming and jumping around. Just as he was about to turn around, Connor grabbed the other Android from behind and held him still. He quickly searched for the deactivation button on the model to turn him off and when he did found it, he pressed it. M/n suddenly stood still and his LED blinked red for a few more seconds before it turned off. ,,I got you...now I just have to bring you home. Hopefully Hank won't notice I just left now...", Connor talked to himself as he pulled M/n into his arms and carried him away. His legs carried him to his apartment which he got while he worked in the dpd with Hank. He hadn't want to stay at the older man's home all the time so he got his own place. The way back to Connors place wasn't too long and nobody seemed to be out on the streets at this time of the day so he could easily take M/n with him. In his apartment he laid the h/c android down onto his couch and just looked at him for a little while. Then he got to work.

He searched up what to do in a situation like this and he came across some dark looking sites on the internet that told him to lock the person up, bondage them and keep them quiet somehow and be careful to not let them leave too many handprints over his place. He was confused at first but didn't look to much into it, humans were confusing to him anyways. He even got into a little discussion on one of those dark illegal site where one person recommended him, if he wanted to keep the person in control and know where they were at all times, he should put a tracker on them. That gave Connor a idea. He smiled to himself after he planned out what he would do to keep this Android, his Android, at his side. It was getting overwhelming, those feelings he had. The want grew and grew, he needed M/n at his side forever, somehow. He would do anything to accomplish that. He pulled a few arrangements over the next day, he had turned M/n's model on again which needed a little bit to restart after the abrupt deactivation, which gave him enough time to go and get the little chip he had bought online. When he came back from his little shopping spree, he had also rather impulsively bought a collar and a leash after walking along a pet store, he opened the door to his apartment slowly. The place was totally quiet, which made the Android think that M/n's model was still restarting.

Well he had thought wrong. Just when Connor rounded the cornor into the living room, the Deviant jumped at him. They both fell to the floor, Connors contents he had bought flew a few metres away thanks to the force of M/n crashing into him. ,,Who the fuck are you?! And why did you take me?!?!", the h/c Android asked, his voice shaking with anger as well as anxiety. Defensively, Connor held his hands up. ,,I'm Connor. I'm an Android, just like you. Well. Nearly like you. I saw you yesterday and...I took you. I have this feeling in me and it makes me crave for you since I saw you and now that I have you, we can live together! You don't have to worry about getting captured, tortured or even destroyed by humans! And you can jump around and hum how much you like here with me! You'll have such a kice life here with me, I promise!", he kind of maniacally smiled up at M/n. Everything he had said caught the ex bodyguard off guard. ,,Crave...me? What do you mean?", more anxious and confused now, M/n stood up and backed away from Connor a little. ,,You belong to me now M/n! I can and will give you everything yeah? This is your new home, trust me this is going to be perfect!", he stood up as well and walked closer to M/n. ,,I even got my little Deviant something~", it nearly sounded like Connor was purring those words as he grabbed the stuff from the floor. ,,Now, be good and let me put this around you yes? It will make you look so much better!", he exclaimed. His cold hands took the collar and the leash, opening it while putting it around M/n's neck, who was still shocked and couldn't really react or do anything. After it was put comfortably around the neck and closed, Connor clipped the leash onto a little hook at the frond of the collar and tugged slightly at it which made the Deviant fall forward a little and his mouth escaped a choked gasp at the sudden pressure around his throat, which turned a little white at the irritation.

Snickering, Connor tugged a little more until M/n was right in front of him. If he could breath, the other Android would've been able to feel it on his skin. ,,So good for me darling...now to my last little gift. God you look so obedient and good in this collar and leash! If I tugg you a little closer...like...this!", he pulled and M/n finally fell fully into his chest. That gave Connor the perfect position of putting the chip into back of M/n's head. ,,Darling stay still for a second. I've got to put something into you...for your safety yes? It could hurt a little but please, remember I love you and I am doing this so you'll be able to have a better life yes?", he sugar coated what he was about to do. Panicking about what was about to happen, M/n started to free himself from Connors grip, but the other had him perfectly captured between his arms. M/n felt one cold hand travel to the back of his head, where he pushed a little around before he found what he was looking for. A little plate of metal that wasn't really connected to the rest of the other parts. So he could pull it of, with force. Which he did. Agonizing pain went through the Deviants body. His eyes were opened wide while his mout let out an silently painful scream. If he could, he would fall unconscious. He wished he could fall unconscious. He didn't want to be here in the arms of some weird Android model that has gone mad. M/n didn't even care about the pain when the chip was put into his model. He just accepted it and afterwards, when the little plate was put onto it's place again, he didn't dare to look Connor in the eyes. He was scared, confused and stressed. He should've stayed with Mistress Alina, should've not told her how he felt. Oh what he would give to just be in her presence right now and get to speak a few words with her. He missed her. So much. It made him feel even worse, now that some creepy stranger took a liking on him and decided to creepy him and make him his. He didn't want that, all he wanted was to be left alone, to fly like the pigeons did.

So aorry this is actually so fucking bad I didn't know what to write exactly 'cause I've never written or really read any yandere stuff! I'm so sorry, hope you guys still kinda enjoyed it (:

[randoimago]

howdy! could i request apollo, ema and klavier realizing their crush on the reader just when they're about to go out with someone else? bonus if they help them get ready for that date!

Helping Their Crush Prepare for a Date With Someone Else

Fandom: Ace Attorney

Character(s): Apollo Justice, Ema Skye, Klavier Gavin

Type of Request: Headcanons, Slight Angst

Note(s): Anon you're amazing, thank you for requesting the boys (and ema, I love ema ❤️)

Apollo

He feels his throat constricting as you try on your latest outfit, seeing if he thinks it's a good choice. A hesitant smile crosses his lips as he gives you yet another thumbs up, not being helpful at all.

Apollo had initially been reluctant to help you prep for your date because he wanted to do some actual work - and then he realized that his work was cleaning the toilets again and decided to help you instead. He didn't realize as your outfits switched up that he thought that you're really amazing.

You asked him what's wrong and he replies with, "I'm fine!" like he always does. He has no reason to stop you from going on this date. Yeah, looking at you makes his heart race and he can feel his palms getting a tad sweaty. But it'd be selfish of him to say anything this late, especially when you're putting in so much effort.

So he's fine just "helping" you with your outfits and being supportive. There's a tad bit of guilt as he secretly hopes the date doesn't go well so he can have his chance to say something later.

Ema

"They're not worth you trying so hard." Ema would bluntly say as she snacks on some chips and you put up a different shirt to your body, asking if she thinks it'd look better than the one you currently have on.

The disinterest in helping you prepare for this date is obvious on Ema's face. Initially she had shrugged and thought it'd be fun to help out, making jokes and giggling about what could possibly happen on this date. And then she realized how she really doesn't want you going on said date and wants you to stay in and watch a movie with her.

It wouldn't be far fetched to think that an argument would break out between you two. You finally getting fed up with her attitude and her trying to hide that she's actually jealous, but she does feel guilty.

Ema will apologize for her behavior because you really don't deserve her acting this way. You asked for help and she should've said no initially. She didn't and so she should get over it and actually help you, no matter how much she wants to tell you to not go.

Klavier

He's oddly silent as he watches you try to decide on what outfit to wear for your date. He's told you that he's fine, just thinking really hard on how he feels about your outfit. Which is true, but he's really thinking about how much he'd like you to wear it on a date with him.

Honestly, Klavier might give you a smile as he takes his necklace off, telling you it's a great accessory to wear on your date. It might be a bit petty of him, you going on a date with something that belongs to him.

Out of these three, Klavier might be the one to actually tell you to cancel the date. It confuses you especially since he is still hesitant on if he should tell you his feelings towards you or not. It would be very out of the blue for him to suddenly confess when he just now realized.

If he decides not to say anything about you not going on the date, then he'll offer to go with you but be in disguise in the background. He says it's to keep an eye on your date and make sure they don't do anything when you go to the bathroom or something. He will do that, but it also feels like he's punishing himself for being an idiot by seeing you happy with someone that's not him because he was too late.

[popgoesthesneaselreturns]

Stuart : The Fifth Equinox

The next soul Camil felt was very dark, not as dark as the monster but there was a deep conflict within this soul and it was connected strongly to Marie. She sadly couldn't ask Marie any questions since her soul along with Gavin's were now part of her. She took them within herself to protect them from the monster's control.

Marie's story was already very harrowing to go through. Camil dreaded to think how bad the others would be. Gavin truly had been blessed to suffer so little. Yet, this was no contest each one of these people weren't any less or more tragic than one another. Each one played a part in the monster gaining the power it had now. Each one was manipulated into playing a part in some twisted plan it made.

So, she followed the emotions she felt up to the next floor. This floor unlike the one before it was filled to the brim with entertainment spaces. There were games around every corner, as well as an ice rink, theatre, ballroom, everything you would expect from a space that rich person would have within the house. So why was it up here?

This certainly felt like the space where guests would spend the most time should they come here. There were even a few guest rooms. It was within one of these rooms that she felt the emotions.

Music

"Why hello there, ya here to take in the sights? This place got it all baby! This here is the floor of wonders! Where all your dreams and wishes come true! So stay a while take a load off!"

A Shuppet appeared from the shadows of the room zooming around with a powerful energy. Dancing around with Camil despite having no hands all the while smiling. Camil was rather shocked by this response the other souls before acted very hostile or dismissive towards her yet this one had a very welcoming aura. He clearly knew how to talk to people, or give off a good mood to those he spoke to.

Yet, this would mirthful nature soon faded. As the Shuppet looked directly into Camil's eyes. It looked rather scary, and if Camil wasn't as strong willed as she was she would have been intimadated.

"I also got some words for you. You better quit while you're ahead. You are playing a dangerous game here. You may think you're winning, but trust me the one who controls this place is a bastard even more so than yours truly. Getting Gav and Ma outta here would be a good thing to do...I certainly would miss them...but they don't belong here. They should get out...and you should too...pretty little things don't belong here...in the house of hell..."

Despite the harshness of the voice, Camil got the feeling this soul wasn't being entirely honest. Though, he said the things he did it almost felt like he was goading her to fight back. Like deep down he wanted her to fight. Wanted her to save him and the others. What was this then? A test of her resolve? Or maybe a game?

"I can't do that, the people here need help. I would be failing my duty if I didn't offer them salvation. I cannot flee from this until I'm done!"

"Ya shouldn't waste your time trying to save me or any of the others. We all messed up hard you know? And unlike those two you have. We had plenty more freedom than they did and we still got no where. Besides, why would some random Sneasel bother saving people she doesn't know? You almost remind me of the other Sneasel that was around here once. Poor bastard..."

"Wait, other Sneasel?! Who are you talking about?! Where are they?! Are they still around?! Are they dead?! Are they alive?!"

The Shuppet then smirked like he got what he wanted. This caused Camil to get mad. This had all been a trick! Damn it! She let slip something she had been trying to hide so strongly. Now, this soul had something over her which wasn't a good postion to be in.

"Sorry, old habits die hard. I had to know what you were really here for. Come on, no one is truly selfless. Everyone has their own agendas, their own selfish desires they want. You're no different, and the fact you acted the way you did makes me know you might be the gal to do it. The one to beat...that thing..."

"So you will tell me what you know about the other Sneasel?"

"Sure will, poor kid was the most recent addition to this house of horrors. Quite odd since before that the rest of us were human. But, I never could understand anything that monster did. He was here a number of years, doing different tasks. I got no idea why, the beast kept us all away from him. We'd get punished if we refused."

"So, he was a him? A brother...I had a brother here the whole time..."

Camil felt her mask drop in that moment as she almost started tearing up however, she soon composed herself once more.

"Don't know too much more I'm afraid, he never came to this floor that much other than to dance. He liked to dance a lot. Also do these strange acts in the theatre all by himself. I saw him do them...it was very hard to watch..."

"Where is he now?"

"Gone, he got ran outta this place ages ago."

"So, he's free! Oh thank the moon! Ahh...I was so worried...thank you so much for telling me...I was thinking about my sibling for so long."

"I don't deserve your thanks...I truly don't...if you saw what kind of a s*it person I was you'll see...that I deserve this...that I deserved to lose the game...to become a pawn to that thing..."

"No one deserves this! I don't care what you say...you clearly feel remorse for whatever it was you did. So, please tell me your story."

The ghost floats this way and that unsure, he didn't seem to trust the Sneasel much. Then again, it felt like he was a distrustful person by nature. Still, Camil was sure this soul was filled with guilt. And the best way to appeal to guilt is to tell them what they want to hear.

"No matter what happened, I will still save you."

"Forgive me if I don't believe you...but fine...if Ma trusted you...I can try trusting you too...if you do this though you gotta promise me. You are in this to win it! Don't chicken out! Hurt that bastard for all he did to me and the others! It deserves the worst pain imaginable!"

"You have my word, I will see that justice is done for you all."

That answer seemed to satisfy the ghost as Camil drew her sigils and called forth her spell once more to delve into the past of this soul.

Music Change

Stuart despite having art in his name wasn't as interested within such subjects as the other Equinoxs before him were. He was someone who was raised spoiled by his white haired mother. She gave him everything he could ever want. Yet, that never seemed to be enough. Stuart wanted it all! He wanted to win! He had an obsession with the high he got from winning! The only one who ever beat him was his mother. And it made sense since she was who taught him this mentality. Stuart learned from his mother that winning in life was all that mattered. And that standing above everything made you king.

I mean, she won hadn't she? She had this nice house, this place that was bigger than one person ever needed. But, she was all alone here. How can a lady of such class be content with that? What good was having all this if you weren't going to show off right? How else would people know how worthless they were by comparison? So Stuart decided he would show them! Show the entire world the house that had raised a winner like him! So when he was old enough he did that.

It was Stuart who put the mansion on the map of the art world. He was a master of spreading wealth around in the right ways. He was also good at forming connections, good at picking out good deals while lowering the amount of money he payed out for said deals. If Stuart did have an art he excelled at it was the art of negotiation.

He was a natural born leader of men, few could out do him in a war of words. He could read people like books, see their weaknesses, how to avoid their strengths, but most of all how to hit them where it hurt. Stuart could do all of this without ever having to draw a weapon. And it made him feel good to do it, he enjoyed crushing anyone who got in his way. Whether they be law men, gangsters, art collectors, reporters, Stuart had them all of them eat from the palm of his hand.

However, there was one person who still stood above him. The same woman that had always stood above him. And she hadn't taken kindly to the kind of man Stuart had become much to his shock. She hadn't liked all these people wandering the halls of the house. She often got angry beyond belief glaring at Stuart with a deep hate.

It was on such day that their fates became sealed.

Music Change

"Such a wretched child, you are not beloved at all. Looking at you makes me sick. You have turned the house that I have built and cultivated over the years into a tourist trap. This is not what I taught you! Greed has turned you ugly beyond belief! You have broken my heart! I am truly sad Stuart! How could you do this to me? How could you do this to the other Equinoxs?"

"Eh, who the f**k cares? With all the money we're making the region is our oyster. I've got deals with all the major publishers, buyers for the plants, collectors for the statues and editors for the paintings. With all that I've gained the Equinox's works will become the biggest moneymakers the world ever saw. You gotta trust me ma. I'm doing the right thing here. You just go back to your books."

"Money is nothing but a social construct, it has no place in the world of art. It does not bring balance not ugly or beauty just corruption. You have been corrupted! You have turned the art of your elders into fabrications that are not worth anything! I cannot let this stand! I will have not let you ruin my house or the artworks any longer! Not anymore Stuart! I will not allow it! You are a failure!"

"Excuse me?! What the hell did you say to me?! I am an inovator! Before I came along not one person even heard of the Equinox Mansion. Yet, because of me everyone and their pokemon have heard of us. They are begging to come here to sample everything this place had to offer. I did it for you ma! To provide for you!"

"No! You did it for your own ego! And because of this weak body I could do nothing to stop you! Stuart you are beyond disgusting! You are no child of mine! I will not accept you as worthy of the name Equinox any longer! You are nothing you hear me? NOTHING!"

"Are you disowning me? You old hag! You ungrateful piece of..."

The two shared rage filled words until eventually a gun was pulled by Stuart. There was an ugly expression upon his face. His mother looked back with the same level of anger back towards him. Any sense of love they ever shared was gone. The forth Equinox Marie with her mask upon her face looked truly heartbroken by this. How much of that emotion was the monster? How much of it was Marie?

"Now you listen here, you even think of trying to throw me out you're going to be sorry. All those artists of the past are long dead. What good does holding onto this worthless junk do? You're too wrapped up in the old traditions to see the future. I am taking us to a brighter tomorrow! One where we can have everything we could ever want! Why would I ever want to stay here? When there's a whole world out there waiting to me? A world ready for me to take as my own?"

The mother turned away, she said nothing more outloud but Stuart could have sworn on the wind he heard the words:

"Enjoy your worthless pieces of paper, your power, your connections, your everything for as long as it lasts. For soon I will take it from you. There is nothing more I ever want to say to you."

And like that she was gone, leaving Stuart with all the wealth he had gained from his many ventures. Dirty deals, gambling, art auctions, pokemon battle rigging, you name it Stuart didn't care so long as he gained more dollars for his wallet. No amount was ever enough for him he wanted to drown in money. But, as time went on everything began to feel hollow. As the years went on Stuart began to enjoy this life he built up less and less. His success became more and more empty. The people around him were all leeches that were only around to take what he had. He realised he missed his mother.

He missed the days when the two were together. Those days had been worth something, yet all he had now felt like nothing. So, he went back to mansion to make amends with his mother say sorry for all that he had done. It might be too late, he certainly knew he was a bastard but he still loved his mother. He had to say what he wanted to say to her before it was too late. That was all that mattered to him.

But, when he got to her all he found was a lady dead in her chair. She died of a broken heart, a heart broken by the son she raised. Yet, what scared Stuart the most was the sight made him feel nothing. It was in this moment he realised how messed up he truly was. And, that no matter what he could never say what he wanted to say to the mother who gave him everything. What he had truly wanted to say!

"Ma...I wanted to make you happy...I did it all for you...all this wealth...this power...I wanted to take care of you...without you...what was it all for? What do I have left?"

"Farewell you disgusting child it is time I take everything you thoughtlessly destroyed back. It might take time but I will undo the damage you have done. To the abyss with you!"

And with that the mask upon his mother's face shot off and latched onto Stuart's face causing the world to go dark. All that remained was an intense sense of emptiness. Of words never said and miscommunicated emotions that never reached the intended ears.

Camil wasn't sure what to say to that outcome, in this story the villain was the soul of Stuart. He had sold precious works of the mansion, then created forged copies of those works then sold them too. He had then taken part in evil dealings, but Camil could see the nuance. It might have ended up that way but to begin with Stuart had been a child who simply enjoyed playing games with his mother. The monster had spoiled him rotten with too much love then chose to give him none. The way this happened felt like another experiment.

"You blamed him for being corrupted by the allure of ritches. But, you were the one to plant that seed within him! You made him into this creature of insatiable greed! He became that way because he thought it would please you! And when he did become that way and you pushed him away obviously he broke! It took time but he still broke like you wanted him to! All of this was your fault!"

Camil's mother would never give salvation to a tainted soul like Stuart's she would say he brought this fate upon himself. Camil however, intended to still offer salvation for Stuart. Despite all he had done his soul still shouldn't remain trapped here. He was still a victim just the same as the others. So she sang her song allowing the soul of Stuart to enter her as Marie and Gavin had done before him.

"I will save all of them no matter what sins they may have committed. In the end it all comes back to you! You still ruined their lives! This won't be over till I save all of them. Then, I am coming for you!"

[the-bar-sinister]

Lucifer Was an Angel As Well (52743 words) by thesavagesabretooth

Summary: A sheltered young artist with a tragic past finds herself caught in the web of dark affection by a beautiful and sinister murderer, and his carefree rockstar brother.

catch up here

-

September 05, 2028– 10:15 am

 Move in day. 

Mr. Edegworth had initially volunteered, of course, to help ferry her and her new things to her new dorm, but the day before, she'd gotten a text from him, saying that Klavier had offered, and if she would mind the switch.

As much as she was happy with Edgeworth’s help, she took Klavier up on his offer, promising to meet with Edgeworth and tell him all about it later. With a quick text to Klavier as well, she began putting her things by the door with an eager smile.

It was going to be a hard few months– brutal and testing of every faculty she had, but she refused to give up.

As she finished her preparations, the letter she had received the afternoon before, after coming home from her therapy session with Simon Blackquill, was fresh in her mind.

Funny to think this is the last letter I'll be sending to this address for a while. Thank you for making sure that I have the correct one for your dorm. I'd ask if perhaps we should pause our correspondence until you're finished with your training, but I admit it would be a bit lonely for me, even if I thought it was prudent.

She hummed cheerfully as she threw some of her last minute things– her precious nail polish, her brush, a fresh sketch pad and pen and a number of other things she’d used only just that morning– into a smaller bag to set upon the others.

In her reply, she’d told him that prudency was well and good but she had no intention of stopping their letters. Taking Simon’s advice she signed it with a heart, to hell with whoever may object. 

It was a simple little flourish. Out of context, almost nothing. But how much would it change the context of her letter? How would her guardian angel take the change?

She hoped– prayed even– that he’d understand. That he’d notice and apply it retroactively. If not…she would simply have to be bolder with her next letter.

She grabbed the letter in question, looking over his words once more as she carried it to the bag with the rest of her essentials.

His letter, like all of her guardian angel's letters, was warm, encouraging and cordial.

After signing the heart, Vera suddenly found herself second guessing if that was all it was. She'd confessed to Klavier Gavin that she wanted his brother's affection; and she'd confessed now to Simon Blackquill that she was in love.

But how did he feel about her?

It was something they’d never been able to talk about through the ambiguity of letters. Through the polite, warm, florally scented written word, they’d only ever been innocent exchanges. Hopes, dreams, discussions of their past and encouragement for the future.

She knew her heart, and the way it beat for Kristoph Gavin– but she wouldn’t lie to herself. She couldn’t. There was a solid chance that for all her hopes and affections Kristoph only saw her as a student. A young woman to help guide into the next phase of her life. A friend.

She bit her lip and held the letter to her chest.

Nothing in Kristoph's letters indicated he wanted to be anything more than her mentor and her friend. Nor had their brief interaction in his prison cell.

But there was one thing she could hold on to that indicated that the cordiality of his letters was possibly– or even likely to be– a false veneer.

Twisted as it was– it was Klavier Gavin's reaction to the whole thing.

Her face burned as she thought of it. Klavier– he’d been so certain from the little she’d told him at first. He took one look and he seemed to know. 

Yes…it was twisted, but it was that very thing that gave her hope that there between the written lines was the love and affection she craved.

Klavier knew better than anyone the way Kristoph could hide intent behind a false veneer. And what exactly he might be hiding.

From the sound of it, once prying eyes were away, Kristoph Gavin was not exactly a man who withheld his affections. Of some variety, at least.

Vera packed the letter carefully away with her bottle of perfume, her eyes lingering on it a moment more.

When prying eyes closed or averted— it was possible she would have to see for herself just how true that was. 

A knock on her door brought her back from her reverie to reality. Speaking of Klavier…

She looked up and opened it with a smile , her eyes darting for any helpers or unexpected visitors before her greeting.

It was just Klavier though, however, on his lonesome– a little more conservatively dressed than she's seen him so far, with a t-shirt that actually covered his stomach, and a button down shirt unbuttoned over it.

"Fraulein! Good morning! I got up early to help you with your move, ja?" He grinned widely, clearly aware that 'getting up early' at 10 in the morning was 'early'.

Vera grinned playfully.

“Good morning, big brother. Thank you so much for coming! You look like you’re ready to carry some of my heavier bags…” She laughed into her hand. “you’re lucky…there’s no room in the dorm for my drafting table…so it’s mostly essentials and clothes for my leave days.” 

Klavier made a muscle jokingly. "I could carry it easy, little sister, I promise. But a little birdy told me that your dorm was already furnished and you would only need help with some boxes and bags."

“Exactly!” she gestured to the admittedly small pile of boxes and bags by the door, even a she slung her bag of ‘essentials’ over her shoulder. “Maybe if I ever get the chance to move for real, I’ll put t-that to the test, though.” 

"Ahhh, liebling, if you do, I will have to assemble a little army of worker bees to make our work shorter– while I carry all the heaviest things, of course." He strode into her apartment, and started grabbing boxes.

“Worker bees?” Vera laughed quietly “...you don’t mean Miss Skye do you?” 

She bent down to grab a rolling suitcase herself. She selfishly took a minute to watch him bend down to grab a box with a flush. His jeans were tight and hugged his form, giving her a good view of the rockstar's ass that a tabloid would have killed for.

"Ja, fraulein! Frau Skye would be one! Oh and perhaps Athena Cykes as well– she's got quite an arm!"

He started hauling her boxes toward her door, which he propped open with another box.

“I’ve noticed. She’s shockingly strong.” she said with a satisfied smile as she started rolling her case out the door. “Would…would we have to pay Miss Skye in Snackoos?”

"And she would complain the whole time even so," he nodded, "Enchanting, isn't she?"

There was a small truck parked outside at the curb, and Klavier started loading the boxes into it smoothly.

She worked right alongside him. She wasn’t the strongest but she’d been working to improve that even over the last two years. Running, morning exercise– anything to heal from the ravages of the poison.

“Honestly, she’s very enchanting…heh. And kind of an inspiration. She’s why I specifically want to go into forensics.” 

"She inspired you, liebling? Have you told her? She'll be very flattered, even if she doesn't say so." He smiled, leaning on the truck for a moment and tossing his hair.

Vera tossed her bag up and into the truck with a soft laugh, looking at him appreciatively for a moment. 

“Back during the trial for my life her forensic investigation techniques were decisive evidence of my innocence. If it wasn’t for her and her work, they might have executed me already.” She smiled gently “I haven’t had the chance to really tell her though…I’m hoping that I might now that I’ve promised to be a little more…e-emotionally honest.”

Klavier put his hand warmly on her shoulder, leaning close to her. "Oh yes, liebling? I am thrilled to hear that. Perhaps I can set up a little meeting for the two of you! We could go to lunch, the three of us if you like."

She chuckled softly as she leaned into his touch.

“I had a talk with mr. Blackquill. ...he thinks I need to have a late stage ‘teenage rebellion’ and commitment to opening up even if I’m a bit past the usual age range.” She looked up at him “if you could I’d be over the moon, big brother~. You’ll get to see her face when she t-takes a little flattery.” 

"I'll make a date, fraulein, I can't wait to see her face!" Klavier's fingers played with her hair for a moment. "So, you spoke to herr Samurai. He's surprisingly wise in things like that for such a forbidding man, ja?"

Catlike, Vera gently rubbed against his touch with a half smile.

 “Uh huh…I can’t wait either.” She closed her eyes thoughtfully. “he is…when I saw him I wasn’t sure what sort of advice he’d give but…ah. he..he seemed to see through everything I said and gave me some pretty great advice. I think he’s got experience with it..” 

"A surprisingly experienced man, too." He chuckled and after a moment grabbed her shoulder again gently to lead her back for more boxes. "I have often seen him in his bold and public flirtations."

She followed along, even as her face heated a deep pink. “...he may have given me some advice on that too.” 

"Oh did he now? Was it bold and flirtatious?" He scooped down for a couple of her suitcases, still grinning his wide, easy grin. 

“You could probably call it that.” She said with an awkward chuckle, bending down to grab one herself and hefting it with a huff. “...I guess he has experience with… ah, sneaking– moments– with people who aren’t supposed to have moments to sneak.” 

"Ahhh, yes I see what you mean," Klavier nodded, amused. "From when he was a prisoner himself, sneaking time with his own detective. I'm sure he was eager to share tips."

She snorted softly, her smile as flustered as she felt. 

“He hasn’t shared them yet but he promised that if things worked out…he..he’d give them.” She bit her lip “I mean, I don’t even know for sure that they will, big brother.” She dropped the box in the truck..

Klavier carefully put her suitcases in the truck and promptly cocked his head like a lost dog. "What do you mean?"

Vera rubbed the back of her neck with a smile. 

“...I don’t know if I’ll wash out of the Academy despite my best efforts..and…” She hesitated, putting her fingertips to her lips. 

His bold smile fading into a worried expression, he slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Tell me what's on your mind, fraulein."

Vera leaned into him with a gentle hum. “You know my letters with Kristoph…I tried to be a little bolder with my reply today..”

His voice dropped a little quieter and curiously he goaded her. "Oh yes?"

“It wasn’t much! But I put a little heart at the end.” she laughed quietly. Despite her smile, her eyes were wide with worry. “and then I started…worrying.” 

He leaned his cheek against the top of her head. "Worrying? About what? That you overstepped something?"

She nodded quietly. 

“I had the sudden worry that I’d read too much into things because of my own …adoration.” She bit her lip “and that there was a chance he only saw it as…as…you know…” 

Klavier's eyebrows raised dubiously and he cocked his head again, looking confused.

“I don’t think it’s the case!” she protested with a shaky smile “..but i thought of the worst case scenario where he…he just thought of me as a student or…something.” 

Klavier made a choked noise. "Ah– fraulein– let us go inside for the rest of this conversation, ja?"

She offered her arm to him with a sheepish smile. “alright..”

Once they were safely inside, Klavier pushed the box he'd used to prop open the door away and leaned on it. He ran his fingers through it nervously, playing and toying with the strands.

"Fraulein, little sister— I think perhaps you are under a misconception about Kristoph."

Vera nodded quietly, her brow knit in worry. “...yes? What do you mean, b-big brother?” 

He kept toying with his hair, looking off away from her. "You say that you worry he might think of you as a student. When you say that, what exactly do you think you will be missing from him if it's so?"

“Not a student…I know there’s some of that in his letters.” she held her hands up “I’m not entirely sure. I just worried my…overt display may surprise him, or maybe he won’t b-be happy with my…” Her voice dropped quiet “need for affection.” 

To her surprise, Klavier laughed and shook his head. "Fraulein, if he didn't want to show you affection, he wouldn't bother to take you on as a student. For Kristoph– brother, student, friend– they are all the same. Lover. Either he pays attention to you, or he does not. And it seems like he's been paying a lot of attention to you."

Vera’s eyes widened, and her hand covered her lips. 

“He either pays attention to you…or he does not…” she repeated.

Over 500 letters stood in evidence only just to her right in her drawers and table. One burned a hole in the bag currently sitting in the truck.

“He…has been. Every week, twice a week, he’s never missed a letter…he remembers the things we say , and notices little details…” She bit her lip with a deepened flush “They’re all…lovers…to him?” 

Klavier tossed his hand dismissively. "My brother is very polite and sociable to everyone. But I've never known him to actually pay attention to or get close to anyone he did not intend to take to bed– more than that– I have never known him to get close to anyone he did not intend to, in his own way, romance. I'm sure that Phoenix Wright was surprised when their weekly dinners turned into dates. But I was not surprised."

“Because you know him…and his unique way of seeing the world and romance…” Vera mused thoughtfully. She bit her lip, face flushed red. “He only gets close to those he intends to romance in one form or another…meaning the fact he’s kept up these letters, even…even if it’s been unsaid directly…” 

"He sees you as an intended target of his physical affections," Klavier nodded. "Or he wouldn't have bothered. And he's already so completely ensnared you, it's all but guaranteed, ja, fraulein? That is why I call you little sister so quickly."

Vera bit her thumb quietly, turning it over in her head.

Kristoph’s mere act of continuing their relationship– of initiating it and never letting it lapse– was a sign of his intention. His intent to ensnare her and draw her closer to share his physical affection, and maybe more.

She nibbled at the pad of her thumb with a flustered half smile. It was guaranteed, as Klavier said.

She truly was accepted into the ‘family’. Into his life, so soon and so completely. 

“Thank you…” she grabbed him suddenly in a hug, looking up at him with genuine warmth in her slight smile. “I didn’t know, but it makes so much sense when you explain it, big brother. No wonder you call me it so quickly…and accepted me so quickly.” 

He hugged her back as she grabbed him suddenly and smiled as she flushed against him.

"Ja, liebling," he chuckled, and petted her hair. "I am certain that my brother intends to keep you as close as it is possible for him to do. And so, knowing his intentions, it is my job to keep you close when he cannot.'

Vera nuzzled her head against his hand with a flustered laugh. 

“I can already tell you’ll do a wonderful job, Klavier…” she looked up at him with a teasing smile “so what’s my job?”

He chuckled and lay a finger on her nose. "Oh, a dangerous question, fraulein, I could answer that in many ways!"

Vera gently brushed the tip of her nose against his fingertip with as innocent a look as she could manage in her quiet and muted affect. 

“I’m used to danger.” 

"What a shame," he purred, smiling. He cupped her cheek with his hand."I can't say for sure what my brother intends for your 'job' to be, but for the past two years I think you have been a comfort, and a companion to him. I would like it if you would be that for me as well."

Vera tilted her head into his hand with a shy smile as she leaned her body against his.

“I’m glad…glad to be a comfort and companion to my guardian angel,” she started with a quiet stammer. “and I would love..absolutely love it…if I could be the same to you, big brother Klavier.” 

"That makes me happy, little sister. I have been lonely for a while, I have to admit." He leaned in and he kissed her forehead.

Vera closed her eyes, his hug and the affectionate kiss warming her heart. He’d been as lonely as she had been, she believed him when he said it. Despite the crowds of ‘friends’ at the club, and his easy smiles, she believed it with all her heart.

“Me too.” she murmured against him “not anymore?” 

He gathered her close to him and nodded. "You've done much already to ease my lonely heart, fraulein. There's something about you that fills a comforting space. I suspect that's how my brother feels too."

Vera snuggled against him, letting him draw her close with a pleasant and happy hum. Something about me that fills a comforting space.

The thought brought her joy. The idea that, as lonely and isolated she’d been for so long, there was still something about her that could comfort and ease…once she found where she fit.

“You’re probably right,” she closed her eyes “easing both our lonely hearts…and Mr. Kristoph’s too.” 

"So tell me, liebling, does that ease your worry?" he asked. "I'm sure your little heart flourish will be well received. In fact, it may easy my brother's own worries, that he has not sufficiently conveyed his intentions to you, or that you harbored no interest in him outside of as a mentor."

She nodded against him with a happy hum “no more worry…it’s very eased.” she chuckled softly “...good. That’s what I wanted. I wanted him to see how I felt.” 

"I am sure he will be thrilled, liebling." Klavier smiled. "So– let's get the rest of these boxes moved and get you into your dorm, ja? So you can start your detective's path."

“My detective’s path…“Thanks for helping me take my first steps, big brother.” She leaned up to give him a peck on the lips and then she looked at the boxes with a half smile. “We should hurry before Pearl starts thinking I’ve chickened out.” 

September 05, 2028– 12:20 pm

By the time Vera and Klavier had reached the academy dormitories and started bringing boxes in Pearl Fey seemed to have been already moved in.

As they scooted the first round of Vera's things in the door, they spotted her and her companion– Iris Fey– sitting at a little folding table drinking tea.

Vera tried to wave…only to nearly fumble the box in her arms and have to right herself with a soft squeak. 

“H-hey Pearl! Hey Miss Iris!”

Iris Fey looked up from her tea with a quiet smile and a nod “We were wondering if you’d gotten lost.” 

Pearl, meanwhile, had hopped up to run over and help Vera with her box, short hair bouncing around her ears.

Klavier laughed. "Nein, nein, it was my fault, I'm afraid. I was terribly late in picking Ms. Vera up. She has graciously forgiven me for my terrible manners, ja, fraulein?"

Klavier was lying to make Vera look better…

She glanced at him with a tilt of her head as she handed the box to Pearl. 

“Ah..t-thank you Pearl!” He didn’t have to lie for her– especially on something so small– but she smiled with a nod. The die was cast, she wouldn’t contradict him., and it was sweet of him in a way “I’d forgive you for a lot, Mr. Klavier, and it's not like there was much of a rush.”

Iris tipped back the rest of her tea and stood with a stretch of her lithe body. The battered old military coat she wore slipped down over one shoulder. She was wearing some sort of tank top under it, baring enough skin that Vera could see the main body of her floral tattoo.

“Don’t worry too much about it.” She winked at Klavier “...lemme see what I can do about those boxes, ok.” 

"Ja, Frau Iris, we would be overjoyed to have some of your muscle helping us schlep the rest of these!" He grinned broadly, tossing his hair.

With the team effort, getting all of her belongings into the dorm took less than half the time it had to get them out of her apartment.

As they carried the last boxes up– well after Klavier and Iris were inside– Pearl grinned at her. "I can't believe you got Klavier to come help you move!"

Vera laughed, quiet and shy as she grinned. 

“You can’t? Really?” She hefted the box in her hand “I know he’s a rock star and everything..” 

"Yeah, and he's kinda lazy!" Pearl teased. "he's super nice though so maybe it's not that surprising."

She lingered by the half open door before they entered the dorm proper.

Vera gave Pearl a wink. 

“Big brother Klavier is incredibly nice…did you know he took me out drinking the other day to celebrate?” She chuckled quietly. It immediately t dawned on her that she’d slipped up with the ‘big brother’ addition, but she continued as if it were nothing. “I think he’s excited to hear that we’re going into law too.” 

"I guess he is!" she chirped. She dropped her voice low. "Big brother, huh?"

Vera turned a vivid pink, and nearly dropped her box. 

“uh…” She gave her a flustered smile “....turn of phrase?” 

Pearl grinned. "Let's talk about it later."

She held the door open for Vera as they brought the rest of the boxes in, and that was that.

September 05, 2028– 2:10 pm

Klavier and Iris stayed for another cup of tea, and chatted eagerly with Vera and Pearl about the move and the beginning of their training, but eventually they'd both left, to let the two of them get started on their unpacking. Klavier had left her with a gentle touch on her head, and a promise that he'd be keeping in touch.

And so, she and Pearl had gotten to work unpacking.

Vera’s excitement beat in her chest as she worked to unload her clothes and essentials first , box by box. Seeing Klavier and Miss Iris was nice– exciting even– but there was something amazing about unloading her things in a new room.

It felt real, this first major step in her detective’s path, when she finally placed an old and hand-stitched stuffed cat on the bed she’d chosen. 

Fey hovered over her shoulder, having less to unpack than Vera did. "Oh, he's so cute! Or she?"

Vera blinked over her shoulder at her with a smile. 

“She. I made her myself so I’d have a friend. Of course…she’s a copy of someone’s toy I saw at the Gramarye show.” 

"You made her yourself?" Pearl gasped, covering her mouth. "That's so amazing! Of course, I should have expected you could."

Vera picked her back up again and wiggled her at Pearl with a shy smile. 

“Thank you…I could make one for you too, if..if you wanted something specific. I’m sure I could find the time.” 

"That's so sweet!" she cooed. "Maybe! But I think we'll both be pretty busy, huh?"

Vera hefted her bag of essentials onto the bed…unpacking her perfume, her nail polish, the latest letter and other daily needs.

“They’re not going to go easy on us one bit, so I think we’ll wind up being pretty aggressively busy, Pearl.” She chuckled quietly “..but we can tough it out…”

Pearl made a muscle. "Darn right we can! We gotta– with all the people rooting for us, right? Speaking of which…"

Her smile took on a teasing edge as she looked at Vera.

Vera tilted her head with a smile. Part of her had a vague idea of where this might go, Pearl’s ‘we’ll talk about it later’ rising back to the forefront of her thoughts.

“Y-yeah Pearl?” 

"You and Klavier– I had no idea you were close!" Pearl hopped onto her bed and looked at her curiously, hands in her lap like she was expecting a story.

Vera turned a deeper pink as she moved to put her cosmetics on her night stand, smiling a little shyly at Pearl with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Well…back during the trial , my trial, he was the head prosecutor…and for a long time he used to visit me every now and again to take me out and see how I was doing…” She bit her lip “..I’m about 80% sure that Mr. Edgeworth started looking out for me because Klavier asked him too. Even if we didn’t spend a ton of time together back then.” 

"Aw! That makes him sound almost like a guardian angel!"

Vera sputtered , grabbing the letter off her bed and shoving it into her pocket with a tilt of her head. 

“...something close to it. Perhaps. Recently …recently we started getting a lot closer because of some stuff.” 

Pearl chewed on her thumb thoughtfully. "When we talked when you came over, you mentioned you had a guardian angel. I wondered if that was who you were talking about!"

Vera stared down at the nail polish by her bedside for a moment. Simon had told her– told her that she had to be more open. And she’d been thinking of telling Pearl back when she’d first brought it up when they were talking about the future.

The world didn’t work like her father had always told her…

She ducked her head with a deep breath before she said “he’s close to my guardian angel…he’s done so much for me, and has promised to be there for me…but the person I was talking about is someone else.”

She bent down to grab another box , before setting it by her pillow. “...my Guardian Angel is my demon as well. Kristoph Gavin.” 

[alcamcat]

Coming home Part 1

Gavin is on his way home after a long mission, but he never imagined what awaited him...

Pairing: Gavin x female

Warning: smut implied – Minors DNI

This is my first fic I post on here, hope you guys like it…

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

The sound of the rotors pounded in his ears even through the headset he was wearing, and Gavin felt his whole-body tremble with the helicopter's vibrations. But he was too tired to really notice, too exhausted to care. The headset creaked unpleasantly, followed by the pilot's voice, who kept in touch with the other two machines, occasionally exchanging jokes and pointless small talk, which Gavin ignored out of disinterest. 

Beside him, in the uncomfortable seats behind the cockpit, sat Eli and two other high-profile members of the Special Unit. Eli had been asleep for an hour while Gavin, despite his tiredness, inexplicably failed to fall asleep.

The mission had been one hell of a trip, almost five weeks of constant stress, surveillance and hard fighting that had taken a toll on the bodies and psyches of all the members. Gavin had two bruised ribs and more bruises, scrapes and contusion than he could count, according to the local doctor. His left shoulder blade was bandaged, a memento of an explosion that had threw him against a stone wall. He didn't even want to imagine how much more would have happened if his Evol hadn't cushioned him.

But it wasn't that bad, he thought, not sure if she would see it the same way. Gavin's mouth twisted slightly as he considered how she would react if she could see him now and vividly imagine the scowl on her face. She just always worried too much about him. That was one of those moments when he almost appreciated not being able to carry his private cell phone with him during such operations - a video call in this condition would certainly do more harm than good.

Gavin closed his eyes and imagined her face - something he liked to do at moments like this. It had been far too long for his liking since he had seen her smile, felt her skin, or smelled her perfume. He missed her, missed falling asleep next to her, making her laugh or just doing everyday things with her. Living with the woman of his dreams was great, but his job often took him out of the relaxed, sheltered life he was building with her.

And no matter how many times he told her not to worry, Gavin was sure that when he was on missions it was hard on her too. Especially since he more often than not came home with injuries that were not life-threatening, but still showed how dangerous his job could be.

In the beginning he had always tried to hide his injuries, but even if she wasn't an agent, she had a sixth sense to locate injuries on him and after several serious conversations and one or two small arguments he had given up trying. And he had to admit that it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling to know that she wanted to take care of him.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Two and a half hours, an initial brief conversation with his supervisor and a hot shower later, Gavin sat on the bench in one of the head office changing rooms and pulled his bag out of the locker. It was the moment he'd been looking forward to since their helicopter touched the ground in Loveland. His phone felt cold in his hand as he turned it on, impatiently waiting for it to start up.

With a whirr, his phone was ready, and seconds later it began to vibrate. A grin formed on his face as the messages from his girlfriend appeared on his display one after the other. Even though she knew he couldn't take his phone with him, she'd texted him at least one message almost every day.

Some messages were short "good morning" messages, others told him about her day. A few began with "You won't believe it..." or "Do you remember...", while in others she talked about her work or other activities. And almost all of them included an "I love you". The "I miss you" messages made his heart clench.

Even though she always said it was okay that she understood how much he loved his job, things like this were the reason why he kept doubting if it was right to be with her. He loved her, no question, and he was happy that she returned his feelings. But with someone else she could live a life where she wouldn't be alone as often, someone she didn't have to worry about getting hurt while fighting for his life. But at the same time, he also knew that he was too selfish to ever let her go again. Not if she wanted to stay with him.

As he read the messages, he absentmindedly fished in his bag for the small, dark green box that contained the ring that would - hopefully - seal his future for good.

He had the ring made in a small jeweler a while ago, small ginkgo leaves were set in a supple band of rose gold, with a small emerald in the middle, the color which mirrored the green of her eyes perfectly.

All she would have to do would be to say yes if he would finally dare to ask. If he would know how or when. But what if she says no? What would happen if she would not want to marry him? They'd already talked about getting married and having kids a few times while daydreaming about their future together, but it's possible that her mind had changed.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

 Coming home never really meant much to Gavin. When he lived alone, all he came home to was a small cactus and a fine, almost invisible layer of dust in the sparsely furnished apartment.

But now he felt his body almost relax as he unlocked the front door and pushed the door open.

He tried to be as quiet as possible, as he took off his shoes and put the key in the small box next to the cloakroom as it was well past midnight. Gavin expected her to be asleep but entering the living room he saw a completely different picture than what he had expected.

A bottle of wine sat on the dining table, next to it were two empty plates and burned-out candles. He discovered two wine glasses on the table next to the couch, one of which was still half full of red wine. The smell in the apartment was a mixture of wine, expensive food, and a perfume Gavin couldn't place.

But the worst were the noises he heard from the adjoining bedroom.

Gavin felt his blood freeze before boiling like lava. There was no doubt it was her voice. The voice of his girlfriend, the love of his life, giggling, purring and softly moaning. Gavin was stunned for several heartbeats, then he felt the cold breeze of his Evol carrying him slowly, against his will, to the bedroom door.

The closer he got to the room, the more clearly he could make out her voice. And now he also heard the dark baritone of a male voice that sounded quite familiar to him. Not a breath later he had pushed the door open, but nothing could have prepared him for the picture that presented itself to him.

In the bed—the bed they shared—was his girlfriend. She was naked, her hair spread untidily on the pillow as she moaned. Her arms encircled a man's muscular torso, her nails digging into his shoulder blades as he braced his hands beside her shoulders and thrust into her like a beast gone berserk.

Oh thank God, a dream... it was only a dream... But what would really await him back home?

She was actually lying there getting fucked by another man that Gavin now realized was more than familiar.

Before logic could form the scene into an overall picture, Gavin reacted. The wind rattling the shutters was the only warning Victor got before Gavin used his Evol to lunge at him. With a growl, the other was pushed off of her, while she screamed and pulled the blanket over her naked body.

Gavin's fist hit him in the face, and within seconds a fight erupted. Then her pleading voice came from the bed

"Gavin, stop! What's wrong with you? Stop it! Now! You're killing him!" But he couldn't stop himself, only when he caught a glimpse of her naked silhouette as she jumped off the bed and rushed over to the two of them, he stopped.

With a snarl, Gavin slumped back against the closet and watched helplessly as she wrapped the blanket around the other man while she glared at him, stunned, almost angry. That look made him freeze. As if she had a reason to blame him for the whole thing.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Her high-pitched, angry voice rang in his ears, and even though Gavin wanted to yell, confront her, or turn the whole world into a burning inferno, he sat there motionless. He couldn't take his eyes off his girlfriend, his voice didn't obey him, words formed on his tongue and faded into nothing.

He watched impassively as she averted her gaze, kissed the other man’s shoulder and snuggled into him as if seeking protection in his arms. In the arms of the man, she cheated with, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"There will be consequences..." the dark baritone voice brought Gavin out of his trance, he looked at the man who - with a split lip and a cut eyelid - was hugging his girlfriend "...permission has been granted."

"What?" Gavin murmured before the scene began to blur before his eyes as if he was about to faint.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

"Permission to land granted.", the raspy voice of the tower tore him out of his dream. Gavin flinched as his eyes widened, it took him a few seconds to comprehend what had happened, to realize he was still in the helicopter, Eli stirring beside him as they made their approach to land.

[fableworld]

image to my fanfic "Loyalty of an Android"

archiveofourown.org/works/3356…

He heard Gavin's gun begin firing. GJ500 and TR400 attacked him again. Ronan barely managed to dodge them and grab the smaller GJ500 around the arm and threw him onto the TR400 chest. It made the bigger android stagger, and Ronan kicked TR400 hard in the chest to make him stay down for a minute. GJ500 jumped him and managed to force his fingers through his skin and rib a small piece of his arm off him. Ronan roared in pain and picked up the smaller android and threw him at the other Goons. They fell to the ground of the impact of the thrown android. There was blue blood around the now still GJ500. They must have by accident shot their own android. Ronan tried to scan his damaged arm, but then he was hit by something very big and fast. At first, he thought it was the TR400, but the roaring motor told him it was something else. He hit a wall with a great impact, and he felt his good arm and shoulder shatter. He has been hit by a car. Driven by a manic-looking Jack. He has a head injury after forgetting the seat belt and has apparently hit his head on the steering wheel. Jack was still disoriented after the car crash. I don't want to die. Ronan pulled out his own gun. There had been hidden behind his back all the time. I don't want to die Jack's face froze in horror when he realized Ronan was carrying a gun and still able to move. He tried to get out of the care. I don't want to die Ronan pulled the trigger. Jack died of a gunshot to the head. “NINES!” he looked up and saw Gavin was pinned down. His hiding spot was at risk. Ronan groaned and pulled the damaged car away from him. His damaged arm only hangs in two cables. It was too damaged to be repaired. He ripped his shattered arm off him. He could also feel part of his face and chest were highly damaged. cored and metal was hanging from him and thirium were covering his shoulder and chest. 20 minutes before eminent shutdown.

I don't want to die TR400 walked confidently over to him “Not so tough now, huh, deviant hunter?” he grinned. Ronan looked right at him. He was not Ronan Anderson at the moment. he was RK900, the deviant killer. “I can still kill you.” he jumped the TR400 and punched his arm right through his stomach plate. There was a soft spot and ripped a fist full of cord and metal out of the TR400. TR400 staggered and held himself around the stomach with fear in his eyes. Ronan ignored how much this android looked like Luther. Right now... he needed to survive. The TR400 got a hold of his face to push him away, and he nearly took Ronan's eye.  If he were at full capacity, he would not have that much trouble fighting the other android. He was built to withstand attacks from other models, but at the moment, it was the TR400 that had the upper hand, with him only having one arm. A damaged chest and part of his face were ripped to shreds. 17 minutes before eminent shutdown. He needed to end this battle quickly. He jumped into the air and kicked the TR400 right in the neck there making him stagger before he tackled him to the ground. The TR400 pushed him off, but he got a second kick at the neck by Ronan on the ground. He felt the TR400's neck crack under the kicks. He was immobilized for the moment. He stepped on the other androids' neck, and the TR400 tried to get him off, but the kick Ronan had done to the neck made him weaker. “wait! I don't want to die!” the TR400 cried under him. “Me either,” Ronan said coldly and stepped hard onto his neck. It cracked under him, and the TR400 stopped moving when his head and body were separated. Ronan staggered over to Gavin, who had just handcuffed the last human there was still alive. He fell to the ground before he could reach the human. “Holy shit...Nines!” he heard Gavin cry out. He felt his arms on him “hey hey hey, hang on. Just hang on.” “I'm going to die in 10 minutes....” Ronan informed Gavin. “Don't say that! Fuck fuck fuck” Gavin swore and looked horrified at his broken body. He quickly took his phone up to his ear. His hands were shaking and blue “I need an android ambulance. Ronan is really badly injured” Ronan guessed he called the stations since he also gave them his location. He set the phone down and looked at him with panic “right... we can get you fixed. We can get you back.” “I don't want to die.” “I know, I know. Just... hang on” he looked lost at his mangled body. 8 minutes before eminent shutdown. “is there anything I can do? Something to stop the bleeding?” “Call Connor... call Hank... I want to … talk to them.” “Don't talk like that! We're going to get you back!” “No... no more... no more,” Ronan begged. He couldn't do it again. He couldn't take it anymore. “I'm tired...” “You can't leave me!” Gavin yelled at him with tears in his eyes, “you fucking android, you can't!” “...I can't do it anymore... I'm scared of going back.” “Phck...” Gavin swore and lay his head against his chest. He was scared, lost, and frustrated. He picked up the phone again. “Connor? I... I need your help...” 6 minutes before eminent shutdown

[elijahtheghostof]

Johnny Toast Vs Gavin Toast and Jimmy Casket

Fanfic!

In those days, all Johnny Toast really did was watch the news…

He could only observe helplessly from his couch, downing his third glass of whiskey, as Jimmy Casket rose to be the world’s most renowned murderer. He couldn’t even recognize Ghost in the blurry pictures that flashed across his screen.

This was all his fault, he should have never left Ghost alone. Not with his…condition, and not when Gavin could so easily sweep him up.

They had both gone through hard changes those past few years, but he thought that Ghost was doing well! He had been finishing high school in the states, he was working at McDonald’s, and he’d send Toast logs and videos from little cases he went on all the time!

When his parents first told him that he was going back to London for college, and he couldn’t bring Ghost along with him, he should have fought harder. There was absolutely no reason why he should have had to leave Ghost behind. He could have moved to London with him, the palace had plenty of space. But, Toast unfortunately knew the reality of the situation, he knew that no one liked the strange, bossy American boy who always followed him around. He knew that his family was trying to put distance between him and his childhood companion. But, Ghost was so much more than that…

Of course Johnny Toast was a push over. Of course he had to be the good son, Gavin had already claimed the bad one. What more, he had to be the model child to soften the blow of another upcoming royal family scandal. His dear little sister, Jenny, a few years behind them, had confided in him that she wanted to go to an American police academy once she graduated. A British princess, a police officer. Toast had to be the child who upheld their parent’s expectations. He had to listen, he had to go back to London.

He had never seen Ghost look more like a kicked puppy than when he told him he had to leave.

Of course, Ghost tried to recover quickly, tried to regain his confidence before he announced,

“I’ll go to college with you then!”

“Sir…you can’t read.”

“That’s what text to speech is for!”

“College costs a lot of money…”

“Alright, how much? I’ve been saving up from work, maybe I could take some cool classes in paranormal investigations!”

“It’s…50 thousand dollars”

“Oh…”

“A semester….”

“*oh*…”

When months still protected them from Toast’s departure, Ghost ranted and complained and whined about him leaving like it was a far away evil. However, during the weeks leading up to it, he practically clung to Toast’s side.

Ghost cried at the airport, Toast cried when he got on the plane.

A new normal eventually settled over the two of them. They used to call each other on the phone all the time, despite the ocean of a distance separating them…He had told Ghost that he was taking night classes because that was the only time slot he could get, but in reality, he took them so they would be awake at the same time to talk…

But. all of their communication stopped when Ghost went missing for good. No one could find hide nor hair of him, but once the killings started, Toast knew exactly what had happened. Gavin had got to him. And eventually, that spiraled to where they were now.

No one could find the world’s most renowned criminals, or at least, live to tell the tale. Johnny suspected that this was Gavin’s doing. It would have been easier to find Ghost, help Ghost, if his twin brother wasn’t accompanying him. On his own, Jimmy Casket was a feral animal, incapable of thought. But with Gavin…the two of them were a force to be reckoned with.

But one day, Toast realized something…Ghost and himself had been hunting entities down their entire lives. Literally, they were solving cases at the ages of six and eight respectively. Even if the police couldn’t locate the world’s most prolific serial killer and criminal, surely he could. Surely, he could save the love of his life from this madness. Surely, he could at least try.

And on that day, Toast sobered up.

He began research immediately. He investigated every crime, deadly bank robberies that caught the two on camera, to the most tangentially related cold cases. Toast went over every case file, no matter how difficult it was to imagine Ghost doing such terrible things. It only reinforced just how dangerous Jimmy was. One such case indicated how he had managed to murder three high profile creepypastas completely on his own. Toast traveled to each and every town the two struck. He felt like he was running after them, as fast as he possibly could, but he could never catch up to them…

And while Toast searched, he spent his time wisely. He trained his body for the fight that he knew was inevitable. Any moment of freedom or leisure was spent doing push ups or pull ups, learning how to fight. He had even cut out the whiskey for this, and strictly ate foods that made him stronger.

Despite all of this, however, the usually so proper and refined gentleman was fraying at the seams.

Any place he stayed in as he chased the criminals across the country quickly became littered in newspaper clippings, articles of all of Jimmy and Gavin’s possible appearances around the world. Tangles of red thread connected it all together as Toast tried to figure out where they would be next.

But finally, after years of grueling research, Toast had finally managed to track down what he believed was the two’s current hideout.

It was so strange, seeing Ghost again, after all of this time. Only…it wasn’t Ghost. It was Jimmy Casket. He looked exactly like Ghost, and also nothing like him at all. There were the obvious parts, beautiful brown eyes replaced by blood red ones. The uncanny, maniacal expression that took over features Toast was so familiar with. But there were more subtle signs as well. He was without the hoodie that Ghost always wore (Toast had found it when Ghost first went missing.) And, unlike Ghost, Jimmy didn’t bother to hide his body. The pretty, girly figure he always tried to cover up, that Toast used to lovingly make fun of him for. Ghost was incredibly self conscious about it, but Jimmy didn’t seem to care. He wore a red shirt that was so tattered, it had ripped into a crop top, a pair of old jeans, no shoes.

Gavin gave Toast a look of absolute disdain.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Casket stared at him hungrily, licking his smiling lips. Laughter escaped him in his bloodlust.

“Look, JimJam! There’s someone else you can kill!!” Gavin almost sounded as maniacal as Jimmy Casket as he sicked the wild dog on him.

Knife between his grinning teeth, Jimmy Casket got on all fours. And with a sickening laughter, he pounced. But Toast was prepared. Jimmy may have had a supernatural strength and speed, but, Toast knew Ghost’s body better than anyone. He knew that, despite how he tried to hide it, Ghost was frail. He just had to over power the killer.

He dodged a fatal blow, instead only managing to get grazed on the shoulder. Toast gritted his teeth and winced as blood blossomed to the surface, staining his white sleeves.

Meanwhile, Jimmy whined, stomped his foot on the ground, and pouted like a petulant child, “Awww!!! I missed! But don’t you worry, Toaster Strudel! I won’t miss next time!”

Jimmy made a clumsy, careless blow, giving Toast an opening to grab Jimmy’s thin wrist, and attempted to wrestle the knife out of his hands.

The scary thing about Jimmy Casket, was that there was no reasoning with him. But, maybe he could reason with his wayward brother. Still fighting for the knife, Toast called out to his twin,

“Gavin, please! It doesn’t have to be like this! Just give me Ghost back, we can go back home, settle things with the fam—“

“HA!! Like I’d go *ANYWHERE* with you!!”

“I don’t understand why you hate me so much!!“

The knife clambered away from the both of them, and landed on the floor by Gavin’s feet. And before either of them could grab it, the green eyed man had snagged it.

“You—you don’t understand?!” Gavin let out a sarcastic, airy sort of laugh. “You took *EVERYTHING* away from me, just by being born!! There's no way I’m giving you the *ONE* thing I have, the *ONLY* thing you don’t! As long as I have Jimmy, you’re never getting your precious Ghost back!!”

“He’s not some toy to fight over, Gavin!! Ghost is a *real* person and he doesn’t want to be doing any of this!!”

Gavin laughed, “Oh! You’d be surprised what little JimJohn wants!”

Jimmy was overjoyed as Gavin threw the knife to him, like tossing a dog a bone.

“Yeah!! Y-y-you’d be surprised what I want!!” Jimmy reiterated, “Which is blood and knives and stabbing and stuff!!!”

Jimmy ran for him again, and as much as he didn’t want to, Toast knew that he had to pull out the gun he had been carrying.

He shot three rounds at Jimmy’s feet, all of which missed, and only caused the killer to laugh and wildly exclaim, “Is we dancin?!?!”

As Toast fended Jimmy off, Gavin continued to rant, “You know it’s *FUNNY* that our dear, *dear* family considers you the GOOD kid, you’re literally a ghost hunting macaroni dealer!! I guess I must have set the bar low!”

It was at that moment that Toast spun around, and hit Gavin in the face with the butt of his gun. Blood spattered out of his twin's mouth, hitting the floor. “You keep feeling sorry for yourself, but you’re the one doing all of these bad things! Do you know how much Jenny worries about you?! She’d take you back in a heartbeat!!”

Toast felt two things next, a hard punch, square in the jaw, and Jimmy’s knife grazing his ear as it buzzed past his head. Inadvertently, his brother might have saved his life, that punch snapping his head out of the way and stopping the knife from embedding in his brain.

“Oooooh! I’m NOT like a Legolas today!” Jimmy laughed, seemingly completely oblivious to the brotherly conflict.

“*DON’T* talk about my sister! I *HATE* you!!” Gavin snapped

Toast had the advantage here. He was armed, and Gavin wasn’t. If he was, he would have already pulled out his gun and shot him dead. But instead, Toast could see the way his brother’s eyes were scanning the room, likely mapping out whichever hidden weapon that he was going to pull out, stashed somewhere in the house.

And before Toast could let that happen, he shot his brother in the leg.

There was a reverberating bang that Toast felt bounce up to his elbows, blood shot out from his twin’s thigh. He heard Gavin curse loudly before he fell to the floor, hopefully incapacitated.

“GAVVVY!!” Jimmy cried out in distress, suddenly dropping everything he was doing and scampering to Gavin’s side.

“Behind you, idiot!” Gavin called out to his accomplice. But it was too late. While Jimmy was distracted, Toast tackled the killer. Using his much larger, much more muscular body, Toast tightly wrapped his arms and legs around Jimmy, trapping him in a hug-like restraint.

“I’m—really sorry about this, sir!!”

“NO!! N-NO!!!” Jimmy thrashed in his arms, “I DON’T WANT TO BE GREGORY!!! GAVVYY!!!”

Toast knew that Ghost, and by extension, Jimmy, was physically weak. So he was able to get the chloroform out of his pocket without letting Jimmy escape. And finally, after what seemed like forever of smothering him with it, Jimmy went limp in his arms.

Toast was left panting for breath. For a moment, all he could do was just lay on the ground in the carnage, shocked by everything that had just transpired, even with the sound of his brother cussing him out filling his ears. He was just too exhausted, and Gavin looked seconds away from losing consciousness as well.

Even still, Toast wasn’t done yet. Worried for his twin, he tied a tourniquet around his rapidly bleeding thigh. After that, He cuffed Gavin to a pole, called the police, and gave them an anonymous tip on the criminal’s location. He had taken Ghost’s unconscious body, loaded him up in his pink car, and left the scene before they arrived. Toast had very mixed feelings about his brother’s impending life sentence. Toast was just glad that Ghost was finally safe from him. But his mind raced with thoughts of his wayward twin being shipped off to the Tower of London. But rationally, he knew that Gavin was going to be treated well. A member of the British royal family, in jail, for a life of crime, aiding a murderer. The tabloids were going to have more of a feast with Gavin than they already did…

He took Ghost back to the nearby Airbnb he had rented out. In the very likely occurrence that it wasn’t Ghost who came back to him, Toast unfortunately had to put Ghost in a straight jacket. He placed him on the bed so he would be comfortable, he had to chain his ankle to the post, however…In all actuality, when faced with Jimmy Casket, Toast should have had more security measures. But, he couldn’t bear doing that to Ghost.

While Ghost was asleep, he treated his partner’s wounds before treating his own. He felt a deep sense of guilt for inflicting them, even if he was Jimmy Casket he had been dealing with, deep down in there, it was still Ghost. He looked down at his calmly sleeping form. Ghost had so many more scars now, it had been so long since he had seen his partner…

But the eyes that opened were red. “Gavy….?” Jimmy Casket asked groggily, as if he were a child who had just woken from sleep. It was strange, to see the world’s most renowned murderer, the man who had ruined his partner’s life, look so helpless.

“No…I’m Johnny” Toast answered slowly.

Jimmy Casket looked confused. “Where’s Gavy?!” He cried. He tried to get up, but the restraints prevented him.

“He is in jail.” Johnny Toast replied calmly.

Jimmy just stared at him for a moment. Wide, blood red eyes unblinking. Then suddenly, tears began to overflow from them. Within the limitations of his restraints, Jimmy rolled around, kicked his feet, and ugly sobbed, like a child having a meltdown.

Toast watched the scene unfold, saw how Jimmy Casket was completely unable to regulate his emotions, much less understand them. He felt a strange sense of pity for this creature that had taken over Ghost’s body.

Toast wasn’t quite sure how to bring Ghost back. But nevertheless, he felt the instinctive urge to pacify Jimmy in the meantime.

He slowly ran a gentle hand up and down Jimmy’s back in an attempt to soothe the killer. “Sshhh, sshhh,” Toast hushed the mad man, “I know it’s hard…I’m upset that it’s come to this as well…”

Jimmy seemed unresponsive. He only continued to scream, cry, and kick. An unattractive stream of snot was dripping down his nose. It was so strange, he seemed so small, fragile, and breakable, just like Ghost.

Toast let out a sigh, pulled the fancy handkerchief out of his pocket, and used it to clean up the world’s most renowned murderer’s face. His only semblance of an idea next was to pull out his thermos of hot tea. He gently pushed it against Jimmy’s lips, making him drink the calming substance.

“I hate you!!” Casket slurred out between the mouthful of tea and his sobs.

“That’s…alright?” Was all Toast could think to say in response. He thought it helped the strange man child, a little bit?

The two of them stayed like that for a while. It was strange for Toast to see what he thought was an emotionless psychopath cry over his brother, of all people. And it was with a heavy heart that he realized, they must have really loved each other…Toast continued to rub Jimmy’s back as the killer sobbed, occasionally having him drink some of the calming tea. (All of this crying was probably dehydrating him.) He would listen to Jimmy helplessly scream things at him like, “I—I’m gonna show you my S-S-SECRET, TOASTER! And after I do, I’m gonna get Gavy back!!” He sounded more like a desperate child rather than a threatening serial killer, and Toast wasn’t sure how to humor it.

Eventually, Jimmy Casket cried himself out, and fell asleep.

Toast could only stare down at the man. He rubbed his stubble covered chin thoughtfully as he pondered what to do. After Jimmy had been in control for so long, he wasn’t sure what to do to help break Ghost to the surface. A part of him was terrified that it wasn’t even possible anymore…but he didn’t dwell on such a thought.

Eventually, Toast realized that all he could really do in the meantime was make Ghost as comfortable as possible. And so, he stayed worriedly by his side for what felt like hours.

And then, Finally, beautiful brown eyes opened for the first time in a long time. Years, maybe.

At first, Ghost looked confused and disoriented. However, once that began to wear off, he started to look scared. His brown eyes were as wide as a deer in the headlights. And, instead of being happy to see Toast, he screamed bloody murder. He tried to scramble off of the bed, but due to the restraints, he only fell.

“Sir!!” Toast exclaimed, trying to help Ghost up, worried that he had hurt himself.

“Please! Gavin, just let me go!!” Ghost sobbed, trying his best to fight back.

Toast just froze, locking eyes with the man beneath him. Of course… “Sir…it’s me…Johnny…”

It was only then that Ghost stopped hyperventilating, and his tears of fear turned into tears of relief. “Johnny…Johnny, hug me! Johnny!!” He cried, unable to do it himself.

And so, Toast complied, the two of them cried, and he never wanted to let go.

[casspurrjoybell-27]

Claimed by the Beast - Chapter 49

*Warning Adult Content*

Cease To Exist - Everett

With his mind completely tuned out of the conversation, Everett sits at the kitchen table staring off into space while Josie and a few other women cackle and gossip.

It doesn't matter that he'd rather be anywhere else but here, it's best to keep up appearances around the clubhouse instead of hiding in Knox's bedroom.

Anything is better than being forced to relive all the memories that were created in there.

"He's going to be okay, Everett."

Josie touches his arm, making him flinch.

"Knox, I mean. I know you've been worried sick about him since he got locked up. We all are even if the boys are too macho to show it."

Everett doesn't have it in him to fake a smile, barely has it in him to speak, so he simply nods and resumes ignoring the plate of food growing cold in front of him.

Stealing back The Jackals USB has proved to be more difficult than he initially thought.

He's tried twice to get into Mason's bedroom... the only person apart from Gavin who would have the USB in their possession and both times he's been greeted with a locked door.

He's running out of options, time and energy, more and more, his poker face slips.

If anyone figures out what he's up to, then it's game over and his parents are dead.

The Jackals won't have to worry about offing him because Gavin will certainly do it himself once he discovers Everett's betrayal.

"Emergency church meeting," Gavin storms past the kitchen on his cell phone.

Urgency is loud in his steps, his posture stiffer than a board.

"Yeah, another one... Never mind all that and get your ass down here."

"Do you think he has an update on Knox?"

Everett's chest tightens and his body reacts before his mind can catch up.

"It's been hours since the cops took him. Gavin has to know something new by now."

"I really wouldn't bother him right now... Everett, wait," Josie protests but Everett is already pushing back his chair so fast that it scrapes the floor.

"Gavin," he shouts, rushing after the man.

"Gavin, hey, hold up."

Catching up in the nearby hallway, he grabs Gavin's arm, demanding his attention.

"Can we talk for a second? Please?"

"Yeah, listen. I'll meet you down there. Hang tight."

Gavin ends the phone-call and turns around, his eyes are hard but weary.

"Hey, kid. I'm a bit busy. Can this wait..."

"It can't. What's been happening with Knox?" Everett asks.

"It's been hours since the cops took him in. I know he'll use his one phone call on you, so has there been an update yet? Have you heard from him?"

"Actually, I haven't received a call as of yet but I'm sure he's doing fine," Gavin replies.

"Forgive me for not keeping you updated. It's been a while since we've had a fuck up like this, so my mind is all over the place."

Everett blinks, confused.

"A fuck up where someone ended up in a jail? Or a different kind of fuck up?"

"Doesn't matter."

Gavin sighs, purposefully skipping an explanation.

"But I do have good news."

"You do? Tell me."

"I spoke with our club lawyer and she's been in contact with Knox. It's like I suspected earlier. The pigs are trying to nail Knox for some shit he didn't do. They're holding him in hopes they'll break him for a confession."

A humorless chuckle rumbles from Gavin's broad chest.

"Which won't ever fucking happen."

"A confession? What is it they think he did?"

Gavin shakes his head.

"Club business, kid. Sorry."

"Right. Club business."

Relief doesn't linger long with Everett.

"So, he's not being charged with anything?"

"Not yet at least, so he should be released soon."

Gavin's cell-phone rings again, he takes a step back before answering.

"Sorry, kid. Gotta take this."

Everett nods and watches him walk away, frustration festering beneath his skin.

He has even more questions than he did prior to stopping Gavin.

Questions he knows he won't get any answers to unless he seeks them out for himself.

So, he returns to the kitchen and crafts another plan.

"Hey, I'm going to head upstairs to lie down for a bit. Can you keep an eye on Bear for me?" he asks Josie.

"I know it's selfish but I want to be alone."

"Of course."

Josie's concerned gaze meets his.

"Everything okay? Apart from the obvious."

"Yeah. All good."

This time, he forces a reassuring smile.

"It's just a small headache."

He leans down to scratch behind Bear's floppy ears, muttering cute gibberish that gifts him sloppy kisses in return.

Josie gives the dog a piece of meat off her plate as a distraction for Everett to exit the kitchen.

After making sure no eyes are on him, he avoids the stairs that will take him to Knox's bedroom and instead sticks to the shadows while following one of Knox's brothers to the basement where The Fallen Angels hold their club meetings.

Thankfully, the door shuts softly behind him.

Pressing himself flat against the wall, Everett's heart pounds as Gavin's voice rises above the others.

"Got another update. Fucking pigs finally let Knox have his one phone call a few minutes ago," Gavin announces.

"He couldn't tell me much since the calls are recorded but from what he was able to tell the lawyer, he said they're trying to pin him for Hayes' death."

"How?" Finn exclaims.

"We were careful as fuck that night. The prospects, too."

"Not careful enough," Gavin grumbles.

"Hayes had a pet camera set up in the house that captured everything but the audio of what happened that night. That's you and Knox's only saving grace but if the pigs get a warrant for his cell-phone records and finds out he was were there that night, then we're all fucked."

"This doesn't make any sense," Finn mutters.

"We had on masks and everything. Why did the pigs only pick up Knox and not me? We should both be in jail right now."

"Still trying to figure that part out myself," Gavin replies.

"The only thing I can think of and it's a reach is that Knox's truck was spotted in Hayes neighborhood at the time but without his license plate being caught clearly on camera, the pigs won't have much of a case to work on."

Everett covers his mouth with one hand to keep from making a sound as his stomach twists in on itself.

Not only did Gavin lie to his face about not speaking to Knox today but apparently, Knox is in deep shit because he and Finn... allegedly... killed Hayes?

Must be the same Hayes that got his ass beat by Knox for flirting with Everett during the cookout Gavin had hosted at the clubhouse a while back.

Everett isn't clueless, not anymore, he witnessed the evil within Knox more than once, saw how it manifested into a tangible being that will kill without mercy.

Knox and his beast can be cruel, sure but not cruel enough to kill a man over innocent flirting, right?

"I thought you were in good with the chief of police?" a club-member questions.

"Can't he pull some strings, to take the heat off us and Knox?"

"No. He's pulled too many strings as it is, especially after the shootout when we captured Ghost," Gavin says.

"He's fucking useless now. I'm tempted to kill him once this shit-storm blows over because he knows too much."

"Back to Knox," Finn interjects.

"What are we going to do to keep the pigs off him once he gets out of jail? It doesn't help that we have that dead-fuck's dog living here. We need to move it someplace else in case shit doesn't go our way and the pigs actually obtain a search warrant to come search Knox's room."

"You're right," Gavin sighs.

"The dog has to find another home. The kid will probably throw a fit but I'll mention it to Knox when he gets out tomorrow."

'Wait. Are they talking about. Oh, God.' Feeling dizzy, Everett quietly sinks down to the ground. 'Bear belonged to Hayes. Knox and Finn, they... they stole Bear after they killed Hayes? No. This can't be right. This is all a bad dream. Why would they...'

"I can help with the cell-phone records issue," Mason adds.

"Those companies are easy to hack into. It'll be nothing for me to corrupt a few files which coincidentally will destroy Finn and Knox's data in the process."

"Good. Get to work on that as soon as we're done here," Gavin orders.

"Something else to mention. 'The Jackals' have sent us another message."

"What the fuck is it, this time?" a club-member asks.

"Couple of hours ago, the security cameras caught some dumb kid spray painting 'Give them up' across the front of the funeral home," Gavin says.

"I managed to track him down and verified he was paid off by a Jackal to do the tagging."

'If it really was a couple of hours ago, then it'd be around the same time I received that threatening text' Everett pieces together. 'Fuck. This keeps getting worse.'

"I suspect Russell is crashing out now more than ever," Gavin says.

"He's desperate about wanting Everett and Finn to pay for Ghost and Shaun's deaths. I'm waiting to hear back from the men I sent to check out Russell's cabin. No matter what, we need to get that club footage back and out of Russell's possession."

The members begin to brainstorm ideas, all of which consist of not handing over Everett or Finn.

"The answer is obvious. We need to do what we did to trap Ghost," Finn's voice breaks through the tension.

"You guys have to use me as bait again. No Everett this time. Just me."

"Finn..." Gavin starts.

"Just hear me out, Pres," Finn interrupts.

"Who knows why he wants Everett but more than anything, Russell wants me to pay for Shaun's death. I'm on camera killing his son. A man like that will want to off me himself, so the chances of me being taken to his cabin, 'where the footage is'... is high, right?"

"No," Gavin objects.

"The risk's too extreme. I'm not gambling with your life like that. Not again."

"And who's to say if this all goes according to plan and you do end up going to the cabin that you'll be able to escape long enough to find the footage and destroy it?" someone asks.

"You're fucked if we don't make it in time to rescue you before he kills your ass."

The meeting drags on, filled with heated debates and more desperate ideas, none of which seem viable.

Eventually, exhaustion wins over curiosity,and Everett carefully sneaks away to head upstairs to Knox's bedroom.

As soon as he shuts the door behind him, everything he's learned crashes down on him at once, Knox and Finn killed Hayes, why?

Fuck it, he doesn't even want to know at this point and Bear... the dog he has grown to love and what was once his peace in this madness... was in fact stolen from his dead master.

The poor pup was never meant to be a gift, he's God-damn evidence.

Knox's darkness truly has no limit, it knows no bounds and it will only grow more sinister as the time passes.

The man is 'incapable' of change, Everett accepts that now.

He finally sees it... that if he continues to walk by Knox's side, his future will dim rather than brighten.

Hell, at this rate, Everett will be lucky enough to make it to his next birthday.

'Think, think,' he whispers to himself, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his heart.

The stakes have never been higher and every decision feels like he's taking a deeper step into quicksand.

To keep his family safe, he has to betray the very men who took him in and helped him stay alive.

He has to steal The Jackals' USB back from Mason, the hacker genius who surely has it somewhere in his bedroom locked up tighter than Fort Knox but where there is a will, there is always a way.

Everett stumbles into Knox's bathroom and he yanks open the medicine cabinet with trembling hands.

His fingers are numb as they push aside half-empty containers and over-the-counter medications.

'This is so ridiculous it might actually work.'

His eyes land on a small bottle tucked away in the corner of the cabinet.

He reaches for it, the label reading 'Liquid Sleep Aid' in bold letters.

Another wave of nausea rolls through him and he leans against the sink for support, momentarily glancing up to meet his own reflection in the mirror.

The man staring back at him looks haunted, his eyes shadowed and hollow.

The result of keeping in too many secrets and lies.

'This won't kill him,' he tells himself, trying to steady his breathing.

'But I have to do this. I have to try, for my family.'

The bathroom suddenly feels too small but anxiety drives him forward, leaving him no room for second guessing.

Mason won't be easy to fool and once he realizes the USB is missing, Everett's temporary home here at The Fallen Angels' club-house will 'cease to exist'.

His relationship with Knox will 'cease to exist'.

Everett wipes the tears from his face before exiting the bathroom.

He finds the previous note that he left for Knox and trashes it, then writes him a new one.

He leaves it on Knox's pillow and turns out the lights in the bedroom, then leaves in search of Mason.

[roman-cates]

As soon as Roman's asleep, Bryce uses his free hand to write to Jean on his phone. He knows Jean was working this weekend, but they need to talk. Privately. He explains how hard that will be in text, and adds his heartfelt desire to do it anyway.

Then he puts down his phone, throws the arm that's not holding Roman over his eyes, and falls asleep. The conversation earlier today replays in his mind. Even leaving aside his actions once Roman got here, he wasn't good to Roman…

Bryce sneaks down the stairs, gun drawn and ready. The door to the basement was padlocked, so there's probably something down here. There's something off about this whole place, although he can't put his finger on what exactly it is. He doesn't think Jordan is hiding down here, but if they are down here, they would have heard Mal and Bryce, and will be ready for him. He rounds the corner--

This is not the sight he was expecting to see. There's a person lying on the floor, ankle shackled to a chain that's attached to the wall. They're wearing badly fitting clothing: a shirt and pants that are practically more stain than cloth. There's a large bowl with a little water on it well within reach of the captive.

On the far wall from the captive there's a long thin table that has seems to have all the tools Bryce would expect in a set up like this. And a few guns. Hanging above the table are more tools, not that Bryce really thinks more are needed. Jordan's an amateur, then.

The captive's been here a while, it looks like. If Jordan had someone in their basement, what the hell did they need to kill Gavin for?

Behind the person, on the wall, there are arm shackles, although those aren't attached to the captive. The floor isn't quite flat under Bryce's feet, and he sees a drain embedded in the floor. Lovely. Looking around, there's what looks like an outdoor spigot on a wall, well out of the captive's reach.

The captive starts a little, and moves to sit up. He -- probably he -- looks over at Bryce and it's very obvious when he notices the gun in Bryce's hand. He slides back a bit until he's against the wall, the farthest he can get from Bryce.

Bryce has no idea who this is. He's very young, though, and scarily skinny. There are only two cuts on his face, but his leg is very clearly broken. At the least. Bryce opens his mouth to question the captive, then closes it. He glances up at the ceiling, trying to determine where Mal is standing and how much of this she'll hear.

His voice is low but fierce when he speaks, "What do you know about Jordan?"

"I don't… wh-who..?" The captive flinches back, as though expecting Bryce to strike him for answering the question. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about— wh-who's Jordan..?"

Well, Jordan isn't here, apparently. Bryce lowers his gun as he tries to think of an explanation for the enigma that is Jordan. He smirks when he comes up with a good one.

"Jordan? They're the loser who's been staying here. One of the losers, anyway." Bryce tilts his head and very, very obviously looks over the captive. At a glance, only the leg stands out as particularly badly injured. Oh, there's cuts and scrapes and burns covering his body, but nothing that couldn't be mostly fixed in a month or two. If he can get him out of here without Mal noticing, he can probably just make a threat or two and dump him at the local police station. Maybe with a note explaining how bad of an idea going into the house is.

Fine, probably with a note. Boss has good enough relations with the local police force that killing several of them would be frowned on, as nice as the idea is.

Either way, he needs to get the information before he can do anything. That, and confirm the kid's not a danger to either the populace or Boss's people.

"Jordan's probably not their real name," he clarifies.

"Jor… Jordan..? Th-the only person who's… who's here besides me calls themself J… I-I don't know anything about them… except… except that they come down and… a-and hurt me…" The captive closes his eyes. What's he think that will do? Make Bryce go away? "Wh-why are you looking for them..? What did they do..?"

Exactly who does he think he is? Bryce doesn't answer to nobodies. And he's clearly not anybody important, although maybe he has a useful skill. Maybe he's somebody's son, or lover, or close friend, and is being held as leverage.

"Nuh-uh, I'm pretty sure the person with the gun gets to ask the questions, kid."

Bryce wanders over the table and pokes through the items on it. All the guns here are clearly unloaded, but the array of implements is dizzying. And totally unneeded. Bryce could replicate ninety-five percent of this with one whip and three or four cheap items from the hardware store. The restraints are interesting, but Jordan should just have learned to tie a good knot.

"How long has J had you here? Where'd they pick you up?" It's possible there's some trafficking that Boss hasn't caught on to yet, in which case his summer just got a lot more interesting.

Above them, Mal moves a crate towards the door.

"S-sorry…" The captive answers, and Bryce turns to look at him. "I… I don't know how long I've been here… I don't know what… what day it is…" The captive tries to pull his knees up to his chest, make himself small. It doesn't seem to work well. "Th-they tricked me into coming here… I… I w-walked in on my own…" And the captive covers his face.

Well, that's somewhat unexpected. Bryce didn't like Jordan before, but this…This is very disturbing. And far less exciting than the narrative he dreamed up. Bryce snorts a little, both at himself and at Jordan's capabilities.

"Didn't think they had it in them," he mutters, and then answers the unasked question: "Today's July 18th, 2023." And then, because it seems so unlikely, and yet not out of line of what he knows of Jordan: "They really just took you off the street and locked you down here to torture you? You don't have some special skill they were making use of?"

The captive's hands fall from his face when Bryce gives the date. He pales -- rather a lot, which is somewhat scary, given how pale he was to start with. He doesn't seem to hear the rest of Bryce's question.

It's been a while, then. Six months? Maybe more? Bryce finds a gag and takes a step toward him, mostly decided. He'll keep the kid quiet, pocket the guns, and tell Mal the only thing interesting down here were the guns. He'll hang behind when Mal leaves and take the boy to the police. As much as he hates cops, they're probably the right solution here.

"Kid?" The young man seems to still be in his own world, processing the date. "Kid, I need you to stay here."

The captive looks up at him, but then down at his hand. His eyes are huge, and he covers his mouth with his hands."

"Please— please don't— you don't have to— I'll be quiet—" The kid's eyes flick from Bryce's face to his hand -- the gag in his hand -- and back. Unshed tears make the eyes look even bigger than they did a minute ago, and Bryce feels a moment of pure compassion. He doesn't let it stay long, blanking his face and walking forward.

Above them, the basement door slams and Mal yells down, asking what's taking him so long.

And here the dream diverges from his memories. Here, he yells back at Mal, and her footsteps recede back up the stairs. Here, he tells Roman that he better be quiet, and grabs the gun. Follows the skeleton of a plan he came up with on the fly, getting paper from upstairs and making Roman scrawl out a note (handwriting analysis is crap science, but why give them anything to go on at all?). Here, he drops Roman off with the note, reports privately to Boss, and goes his merry way.

Here, he never learns Roman's name. Never gets to see his incredibly brave -- if stupid -- actions on the day of the meeting. Never has to threaten him, but also never touches his hair, never gets schooled in the kitchen, never has heartfelt conversations -- with Roman or with Jean. Here, he's perfectly content to keep being half-alive.

Previous

Asleep, Roman actually has pleasant dreams. He dreams of the warm sun on his face and of fruit. He dreams of a cool breeze on a warm day. And Bryce is there. And it's good.

Roman isn't quite sure what wakes him— it might be the movement next to him. Bryce is still asleep, but... as Roman watches, a tear slips down Bryce's cheek.

"Bryce?" Roman whispers, shaking him a little.

[aurorabayrpg]

We have five new wanted connections!

[AYLIN CARRIGAN-SIDAK (ÖZGE YAGIZ)] is looking for their [HUSBAND]. They are [32-35], and look an awful lot like [UTP]. Muns [DO] have to contact mun before applying. Aylin and her husband met while studying at University of Washington. They got married after a year in a whirlwind romance, he is her first everything. After graduation, they moved out to Los Angeles to build a life together but he got a massive promotion that required a lot of travel. Her life in Aurora bay is lonely with a lot of empty promises from him. They’ve been back and forth about having kids for years but Aylin is not willing to do it all herself and her husband is not willing to give up his career. This kind of tension haunts their relationship, even if they don’t outwardly discuss it all the time.

[THEA BEATY (DAKOTA JOHNSON)] is looking for their [ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND]. They are [32-45], and look an awful lot like [AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON, OLIVER JACKSON-COHEN, ALEXANDER SKARSDARD, DANIEL KALUUYA]. Muns [DO] have to contact mun before applying. tw: drug use Thea and this character met during her time on the East Coast (open to where/when) and fell hard and fast for each other. They were partiers, drinking and doing drugs recreationally, and one night they had a little too much fun in Vegas and ended up getting married. The next morning there was much talk of annulling the marriage and deciding not to stay together, but they ended up procrastinating so much they stayed married. The two tried to make it work and were actually doing a good job until Thea's family secrets got out and she fled the East Coast in the middle of the night. She cut everyone off, him included, and has been hiding ever since. Open to how he found her, how they feel about each other, what the plan is moving forward re: staying together or divorcing. 

[GAVIN CARRIGAN(SAM CLAFLIN)] is looking for their [ BEST FRIEND/LOVE INTEREST]. They are [32- 34], and look an awful lot like [SUKI WATERHOUSE, MONICA BARBARO, JURNEE SMOLLETT, BELLA HEATHCOTE, UTP]. Muns [DO] have to contact mun before applying. Gavin and this person have always seemed to connect at the wrong times. They’ve been best friends and yet for as long as he can remember Gavin had been in love with them. There was just never a right time to say. Whenever he was about to admit to his feelings something got in the way. Whether it was his obligations to his band, finding out he was gonna be a dad, his best friends wedding/or possible wedding; nothing ever clicked. The closest he got was asking her to move to LA with him but it never but even that had fallen through. Now that he’s getting divorced Gavin hopes he can finally build up the courage to confess finally. He might have a lot going on romantically but this is the person he wants to be with at the end of the day.

[KALINA SLATER HORNE (TAYLOR RUSSELL )] is looking for their [ STEP SIBLING]. They are [25-28], and look an awful lot like [UTP]. Muns [DO] have to contact mun before applying. Tw: murder When Kalina met the person who was going to end up her step sibling , she wasn’t particularly excited at first. She hadn’t been in the best place and never really got over her own mothers murder, so the very idea who father was actually starting to move on (despite it being years since) had started to affect her. However it wasn’t until she got to know them that she realized this person was more an ally than an enemy. When people considered Kalina weird, the step sibling would always interject and step in. Since then this person has sort of become the friend she had always looked for growing up and have a strong bond.

[THEA BEATY (DAKOTA JOHNSON)] is looking for their [FORMER FLAME/FORMER BEST FRIEND]. They are [33-37], and look an awful lot like [OLIVER JACKSON-COHEN, AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON, JAMIE DORNAN]. Muns [DO] have to contact mun before applying. Thea and this character are from the East Coast originally (up for discussion as to exactly where). They grew up next door to one another and became quick friends. They didn't attend the same school (or if they're a differing age, they weren't in the same grade) but any chance they got to spend time together out of school they did. The two were inseparable as they grew up and eventually started to closer to one another. They started a casual relationship toward the end of Thea's senior year, but were always careful not to define what they were to one another.  Thea was bright and bubbly before she found out the truth about her real mother (the woman who she believed to be her older sister) but she pulled away from all of her loved ones (this character included) when the truth came out. When she moved after her mother's death, she seemingly disappeared, cutting off everyone from her hometown because it was too hard to deal with her feelings. This character and Thea haven't seen each other in at least 5 years, but their reason for coming to Aurora Bay is UTP 

[ohpollenpowder]

7 and 8!

7] What is an NPC that they're not necessarily enemies with, but they just can't stand?

Gavin | Trahearne. He can see why everyone seems to love the guy, honestly, he does. He just hates how Trahearne fosters all the work off on him. Like. Yeah, you're the brains of the operation, but he (Gavin) didn't sign up to be the brawn. He didn't want to sign up at all. Being "voluntold" pisses him off.

Izar | Braham. They butt heads so very often. Most of the time for the way initially how he treated Eir, Izar's mentor. And while he can understand the anger when she died… Yeah, he still butts heads with Braham over this. There's a healthy way to mourn and a not so healthy way to mourn. Since he's died in the past (ignoring Balthazar nonsense) he's had to mourn himself, the person he had been. And it's hard to let go of that idea. But you have to. (Sun's Refuge was the closest he saw of Braham doing it healthy-like.)

Eona | lmao Gonna get some probable 'how dares' for this one. But Rama. Just in the sense that they nitpick at each other a little bit more than the traditional story has it. Almost like siblings, but they both have the 'I know better than you' sort of air.

Trahäym | He doesn't really interact with the guy, but he's met him, and it's enough to creep him out. Scholar Josir. There's just something about the guy, and so Trahäym often tries to avoid the guy like the plague.

Bloomër | Even though he bickers the most with Canach, it's more of a sibling sort of thing, he's not really annoyed at the older plant. His true irritation lies with Faren. Mostly because how can you be that dense. Sure, Bloomër plays at that part himself often, but that's different than Faren; so he's often very short with the guy. Doesn't have much patience for him. And as he is, Faren doesn't really take note of it or plays it off in his normal ways. Irritating Bloomër more.

Oighrig | Weh. Honestly, I can't think of anyone that Oighrig would have an issue with right at the moment. He's one of the more charismatic Commanders that I have. Not to mention, his situation is horribly unique. Possibly he'd have some beef with the Exalted? Just more so with things that were out of their control, so he can't really be annoyed with them, either. They still had the ability to do something and didn't. So there's that.

Nicoletta | Anise. She doesn't agree at all with the woman and never will. Not to mention how she's done things to "help" Kryta… Yeah, no. She's vowed to become the most powerful Mesmer in the world and someday put that "lady" (and she uses that term lightly) in her place. Not going to touch upon the fact she had a very brief crush on the lady, either.

Ryon | There's not any…one NPC that irritates him. It's more so the occupation as a whole? Any human priest that is adamant about the Six still being about. He knows better. Even now, when he gets thrown into the Mists when he dies, it's more of a barrier that bounces him back into the living. He knows that Grenth along with the others are gone. Like Gavin, he doesn't correct anyone, but unlike Gavin, he quickly distances himself from them. Refuses to associate with them, even hides his past occupation.

8] Are there any juicy rumors about them floating around Tyria?

Will list this mostly as those that do, if you don't see their name here, then they don't have any rumors of note.

Eona | Mostly that she and Canach are a thing, which they…semi-are? But she doesn't really want to bring it out publicly, neither does he.

Gavin | Pfft. That he's making money on the side at Canach's Club as a stripper. Or an escort.

Oighrig | I wouldn't call it "juicy" in so far as most gossip might go. It has some basis of truth to it. But the rumor is… Trahearne is now his necromantic minion. (I feel like by EoD we'd have gotten him somewhat back alive and not really out and about yet, but mobile.)

Nicoletta | She and her twin are either actually the same person, and they're just a very shy Mesmer trying to hide with their clones. Or they're actually Lyssa (Llya & Lyss) returned.

[cyber-phobia]

Detroit Become Human fic recs [Connor centric]

The Conduit For Change 120k

When given the option to change a future where all androids have been destroyed, Connor, the one who caused it, accepts the burden and is sent to the past. Markus/Connor.

The Dad!Hank Chronicles 7k

Hank & Connor one-shot series

march of progress 60k

Connor could fill a book with the things he doesn't know. One of Hank’s big, thick paperbacks, pages worn with age, covers creased and coffee-stained.

"What?" Hank grouses once, when he catches him looking. "They’re well-loved, at least." Connor looks at himself, smooth plastic and pressed clothes. No creases, no stains.

Detective Connor Mason: Doing His Best at Deviating, Investigating, and Living 100k

Connor goes deviant early and wakes up in a junkyard. He decides to pretend to be human and become a detective anyway. Complete.

Random Acts of Deviance 9k

Following the incident at Cyberlife Tower, Hank is having a hard time trusting that Connor is always Connor. Cue what Connor calls "Random Acts of Deviance". Complete.

the weight of living 11k

It was created to hunt deviants and now it is looking after a human child. It is a killer and it is dangerous. But Alice trusts it. Alice & Connor.

Holding a Gun 25k

Markus decides not to trust Connor in the church, and the androids of Jericho don't take too kindly to that

Kid! Connor:

When the Bough Breaks 5k

Connor's RK800 model gets too severely damaged and because Cyberlife is now owned once again by Elijah Kamski, he is transferred to a child model, leaving Hank to care for a toddler Connor until the RK800 model is fixed.

Survivors 50k

Connor wakes up in an android junkyard with no memories of how he got there. When he breaks into a certain Lieutenant’s home searching for thirium, things go very awry, very quickly.

RK900:

Bear the Imprint of the Workman 4k

Following his reluctant conversion, RK900 finds himself burdened with bad memories that aren't his. When Connor seeks him out, RK900 tries something new: asking for help.

A Different Number 50k

RK900 is ready to carve his place in the DPD, but everyone keeps calling him Connor, Gavin Reed is an asshole, his plant is in danger, and he may have possibly contracted a virus.

Family 180k

AU where RK900 was part of the story from the beginning, and both he and Connor are put on the case right after "The Hostage." Complete.

The Kids Are Alright 4k

Hank is at home, lounging on his couch in his underwear, when the telltale click of the safety on a gun comes from behind him. RK900 & Hank. Complete.

We Are RK 30k

If they repaired Nines, and he left for help, Connor would die. If they repaired Connor, and he left for help, Nines would die. RK900 and Connor share a body. Complete.

(standing on my) Own Two Feet 40k

Connor and Nines are two detectives who have been partners since they started at the DPD. One day, their captain separates them and pairs them up with an Android each; although a new case means they have to work together again to find a kidnapped child, and maybe accidentally start a revolution in the process…

Android! Gavin:

Feel The Sun 2.5k

From the handful of pets Connor tries to hide in his room, Hank always did say that the 9-year-old had a bad habit of picking up strays. Apparently this also included androids. Complete.

sometimes it's really just like a movie 5k

GV200 really wishes Connor wasn't so damn reckless. Maybe then he wouldn't be gunning down red ice runners like he's in a God-damn action movie.

[write-like-wright]

Your First Kiss With Them: Prosecutors Edition

A lovely anon requested first kiss headcanons with both defense lawyers and prosecutors, so I'm just gonna do it in two parts.

Miles Edgeworth

It happens spontaneously with Miles.

You'd gone on a few dates already and he always walks you to your door, like the gentleman he is. When it's time to say goodbye, he lingers for a moment, as if unsure how to proceed. He always flakes in the end, leaving you after an awkward hug and a face that matches the colour of his suit.

One day you're just at his place. It's one of those lazy days when you order takeout and sit at home binging Steel Samurai. A funny scene comes on, something that leaves you both in stitches. It's such a sweet thing, seeing him laugh so earnestly, some colour rising to his face. You lean over and press a kiss to his lips almost instinctively and he freezes for a second and so do you once you realise what you'd done. You apologise awkwardly, fearing you'd crossed a line.

"What are you sorry for? I quite liked that," Miles laughs. "At least one of us has enough courage to act."

Franziska von Karma

Happens in the middle of an argument, most likely. Nothing serious, of course. You're just bickering over something silly and Franziska gets a bit too smug with her comebacks. It annoys you to no end, seeing that smarmy grin on her lovely face. You stand there for a second, feeling an overwhelming urge to-

"Why are you glaring at me like that? Just because I'm right doesn't give you the excuse to act like a f-"

Silence. Cut off by a kiss.

She's completely dumbfounded when you part. It takes her a moment to regain her composure.

"Well," she says eventually. "How foolish of you. Trying to win an argument through such underhanded tactics."

You keep on bickering.

She kisses you not two minutes later when she realises her argument makes no sense and you gain the upper hand.

Diego Armando/Godot

It's the classic scenario with him.

He takes you out for a cup of coffee one rainy afternoon. You sit at the coffee shop for hours, talking and laughing, enjoying each other's company. It's dark outside before you even realise it and he offers to walk you home. The conversation keeps flowing on your way to your place and you feel a pang of sadness when it's time to say your goodbyes. You tell him how much you enjoyed your date and he just casually leans in for a kiss that lasts a bit longer than you'd expected. There's no way your neighbours won't gossip about it tomorrow.

Klavier Gavin

He texts you to wear something warm before your date. You're confused but oblige.

Klav shows up on his bike to pick you up and it all makes sense suddenly. "Come on, Schatzi, I'll show you what a real adrenaline rush feels like."

He's true to his word. He drives you around the city, the cool twilight air rushing past you and you feel more alive than ever.

Eventually, he takes you to his favourite spot, a clearing overlooking the entire city. It feels surreal seeing all the city lights intertwine with the stars above. You sit on his bike while he stands in front of you, talking about something or another. It's hard to say who leans in first, but soon enough you're kissing. It's your first kiss together, then the second and third and fourth...

Simon Blackquill

You're just fooling around at his place.

Simon is a massive tease when he drops his twisted persona. He picks little fights and picks on you just to get you worked up. It's a mixture of endearing and annoying.

He puts on some stupid show you're not interested in one bit. Neither is he, but he'd rather tease you about it than change the channel.

"Give me the remote, Simon."

"Come get it, *insert dumb nickname*"

You try and fail spectacularly. It's just play wrestling, but that doesn't change the fact he's twice your size and can pin you down with one-fifth of his weight. Not that you mind.

You're both giggling breathlessly at this point. "Do you yield, miscreant?" He asks in his scariest prosecutor voice. Dumbass. "I yield, I yield! Just let me go!"

"You must pay the toll first," he deadpans, crossing his arms.

"And what is the toll?"

"A kiss, if I recall correctly."

You buy your freedom and he lets you up, handing you the remote and letting you curl up against him on the sofa.

You pay his toll a few more times during the evening.

Nahyuta Sahdmadhi

You're very hesitant to kiss Yuti.

He's a monk. You're not even sure it's allowed.

You start wondering if you'd perhaps been misunderstanding your outings. They were clearly dates, you thought, but then again he could merely see them as you acting as his tour guide to introduce him to your culture. You're very torn on the matter.

On your way home from dinner, you pick up some dessert. Nothing fancy, just cupcakes from a local bakery. You eat them at your place while trying to explain the concept of Netflix and chill to him. It's hard to say if he's scandalized or intrigued.

"These are so good! Would you like a taste?" You ask with your mouth full, perhaps overexaggerating your food-induced moaning.

He gives you one of those sweet, gentle looks he's known for. "Certainly," he says, bridging the gap between you, pressing the softest of kisses to your lips. You're confused by his actions but you'd be lying if you said you minded.

"What was that about?"

"Hm? Oh, that was a pick-up line, was it not? I've heard about those. Although I hear that one is usually used with flavoured lipgloss."

"Yuti, I was just offering you some of my cupcakes."

"Oh," he seems a bit embarrassed now. "Do forgive me then."

"I didn't say I minded. But you can't just go around kissing people like that."

"I'll jot that down in my 'How to act like a native' notebook."

Barok van Zieks

(Heavily inspired by my incessant bugging of @bailey-reaper from my main)

It happens during his University days.

Barok approaches you at a gathering, completely red-faced while Klint and Albert snicker within earshot. He asks you to dance with him in the most roundabout way possible, to the point where you're not quite sure what he's asking of you.

You agree and are surprised at how good of a dancer he is in spite of his initial and apparent awkwardness. Must be those long, elegant legs.

He takes you on a stroll after and you end up alone on a balcony. His initial nervous demeanour slowly melts away, although he's still more than a little shy. You chat away and you even get a laugh out of him at some point. It's one of your personal victories.

It's almost midnight when you are interrupted. "Ah, brother, there you are!" Klint van Zieks suddenly joins you on the balcony. His lips curl in a knowing smirk as he turns to greet you. "Mother has sent me to get you aeons ago! I've been looking for you all over. It's time to leave. Say your goodbyes, and be quick." He leaves then, giving you a moment of privacy.

"I-I, hm, I have really enjoyed your company tonight. Thank you for the dance. I fear I must be going now."

"Wait," you say placing your hand on his arm, half expecting him to recoil. He doesn't. You get on your tip-toes and you can still barely reach his face. Thankfully, he's already slouching. You press a quick, chaste kiss to his lips, hoping no one saw you. "Surely, you wouldn't have left me without a kiss goodnight?"

His face is burning now and he swallows. "Pray, forgive the discourtesy. How careless I am. I'll bear it in mind for next time." With that, he turns and leaves you.

Kazuma Asogi

He walks up to you one day right as you're about to head to your next class, looking pensive and excited at once. You know why, you'd heard the news. Kazuma had been selected for the student exchange and you were thrilled for him - no one deserved it more than he did. You just hoped you did a good job of hiding how sad you were to see him leave regardless.

"I can't leave you here without a proper goodbye. Leave your books, come on." He convinces you to skip the rest of your classes and drags you away on an adventure as he calls it.

You spend the day together, joking around, getting food and window shopping. Finally, you settle under the shade of a tree where you usually met up in secret. He babbles away about the law, the British Empire, his plans for the future.

When he runs out of topics to talk about, he goes quiet, dark eyes searching your face. "Do you know why I stole you away today?" Stole? He's so dramatic. You shake your head. "I don't want you to forget me when I'm gone. Remember this day, and me and this." With that, he gently takes your face in his hands and leans in, claiming your lips in a heated kiss. It's so intense, you feel yourself burning under his touch. Tears prickle your eyes when you part. "I hate to so you go," you whisper weakly and he gives you a sad, understanding smile. "I know. I'm so sorry." You pull him into another kiss, lying down on the grass, hidden by the shade of the tree. You're not about to let him forget you either.

[lvllns]

ma la paura è di tuffarsi e non volare

redacted asmr | gavin x freelancer. gender neutral. ~2.2k words. rated m for the end which gets a tiny bit spicy.

Freelancer is standing on the opposite side of the room, eyes a little wide. “Hi,” they whisper, voice gentle. He swallows hard. “Hey.” (or: but the fear is to dive and not fly)

[read on ao3]

—

“This,” Gavin says, “is fucking ridiculous.”

It had seemed like a good idea up until thirty seconds ago when he felt the first licks of heat off Freelancer’s aura, their key sliding into the lock of their apartment and sending nerves—(nerves!)—skittering up his spine. He strains to listen. Strains to catch the thunk of the lock. The scuff of their boots on the concrete of the building’s hallway before—

“Gav?”

—their voice rings clear from the door.

He’s not proud but he has half a mind to phase somewhere else. The only thing keeping him sprawled out on their couch is that he knows they know he’s here. Their aura has gone bright, swirls of emotions and sensations and Gavin can hardly catch any of them except happy. That cool, pale pink that always makes his throat catch.

“In the living room.”

His voice shakes. Is his voice shaking? He can’t really tell, he thinks it is. Mile a minute thoughts racing through his head and he can’t quiet them and fuck, fuck, he could fix this. In the time it takes for Freelancer to get into the living room, he could erase everything and pretend it was never going to happen and that he was, in fact, not going to reveal a piece of himself he’s kept hidden for so long he almost forgot what they looked like.

Gavin swallows.

Sits up and braces his forearms on his thighs, the material of his jeans scratching at his skin. He takes a deep breath. Runs a hand over his face, up, up towards his hair until his fingers rest along his temples. Gavin exhales slowly.

He’s been thinking about this for a little bit now. Showing Freelancer a piece of himself that he prefers to keep close to his chest. Freelancer had been studying with Damien today, and Gavin had spent most of it pacing around their apartment. The one they share together. Where he told them he loves them and they said it back, making his heart feel like it was trying to rip out of the base of his throat. Freelancer had asked him, once, if he had horns like Caelum, and he had shrugged. Played it off with a vague not quite before letting his teeth find their throat, effectively shutting them up for the next twenty minutes. They never brought it up again. He still isn’t sure if he loves them more for it, for reading his discomfort, or if he wishes they had pushed him a little.

Maybe they would have reached this point before now.

It was twenty minutes ago when he threw himself onto the couch dramatically even though nobody was home to see it. He whipped his shirt off. Let his jeans hang low on his hips. And eased some of his magic away from his head. The cloaking, the hiding, the magic that makes him able to feed freely without breaking covert because even though memory modification is something he can do, and has done, sometimes it’s just easier to let someone remember they’ve been fucked senseless by him. And maybe on occasion, the sex had been so good he would have felt bad depriving them of that particular memory.

So, he’s kept his magic close. Kept pieces of himself hidden, and really, it’s not like he cares that much. He’s much happier on Elegy. His astral form is just what it is, a side of himself he wears when he goes to Aria for whatever reason before shedding it like snakeskin as he slips back to this plane.

Now, now though. He wants to share this with his Freelancer. His deviant.

After the inversion, after all of that…Gavin knows they know he loves them, he just wants to show them how fucking deeply it runs.

It feels like a breaking. Like his ribs have been twisted and split. Pulled away from his chest to expose the blood-soaked heart of him that beats steadily within. He doesn’t do this. He doesn’t give parts of himself away like this, but he also never thought he’d ever tell someone he loved them so, first time for everything he guesses. Gavin’s magic pulls back and his horns glitter into existence. His hands are shaking, he can tell that much when he touches them. Swallowing, he drops his hands back into his lap and looks up.

Freelancer is standing on the opposite side of the room, eyes a little wide.

“Hi,” they whisper, voice gentle.

He swallows hard. “Hey.”

They take a step closer, head tilting. Gavin fights back a wince. He knew this was going to be kind of a thing. That they were going to want to look and probably touch, definitely touch actually he knows how tactile they are, and he has to remind himself it’s not the gawking kind of attention. It’s not open mouth poking and prodding and what else can you change do you have a tail too what about hooves like he’s some kind of caricature.

What he absolutely didn’t expect is:

“I bought cupcakes.”

Gavin blinks. “I. What?”

Freelancer holds out a small white box, the name of that little bakery they insist on dragging him into every week scrawled along the top of it. “Cupcakes.”

“Okay,” he says, drawing the word out.

A grin crawls across their face, crooked and warm. “Feels kind of appropriate now. This,” they say, eyes moving pointedly to his visible horns, “feels special.”

His throat is dry. No, his mouth is dry. Everything is dry except his skin which he soaked in lotion this morning. Tongue thick in his mouth, he nods slowly. “It—I don’t—“

“I know Gav.” They set the cupcakes down on the coffee table. Moving to sit next to him, legs tucked up. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he asks, voice hoarse and he is absolutely not playing this off like he wanted. He should have known they wouldn’t treat him like an object to be examined. They never have, why would they start now? “They’re just—“

“Don’t,” they say. “Don’t lie, we both know they’re more than that.” Freelancer holds their hand out, palm up and fingers spread. Gavin slips his hand into theirs. Soaks up the slight chill of their skin against his hotter temperature. They curl their fingers, wrap them around his with a soft squeeze. “I love you.”

There is honey in his throat. Thick, gold honey that sits on his tongue and runs down. Swallowing up his words. He opens his mouth only to close it and shake his head, his grip going vice tight where their hands are tangled together. Another deep breath, another moment to gather himself. To find his footing on this uneven ground. The mountain trail is long and narrow but he can see where it opens up in front of him. Where all of these steps will get easier. “I love you too,” he says, voice stronger than he thought it was going to be and steady, so steady. He’s so fucking sure, he’s never been so fucking sure of anything in his entire life. “I love you so, so much.”

He catches their eyes, finds them glossy with tears but before he can do anything, they’re laughing. Wiping roughly at their cheeks with their freehand and laughing. “Fuck, you make me so fucking happy Gavin.” Smiling, wide and honest, they catch his gaze. He realizes, suddenly, that aside from the initial moment they saw him, they haven’t even looked at his horns. “So yeah, thank you for this. It’s a gift.”

They make a soft little sound, something he can’t remember ever hearing, and then, without warning, their thumb is wiping along his cheeks. Brushing…brushing tears off of his face. Gavin blinks. “Oh.”

“Are you okay?” they ask, frowning hard enough that the little knot between their eyebrows becomes visible.

He smooths that away with his thumb. “I’m fine.” The look they give him could be described as dubious disbelief, at best. He smiles. “Really, my love, I’m…I’m wonderful. Perfect, even.” He forces himself to breathe a little more slowly. What had Caelum called it that one time he was helping Freelancer? Resonant breathing? Something like that. Gavin exhales and reaches up to cup their face. “This was just a bit more than I was expecting, I think.”

“Good more?”

“Yes, good more.” He clears his throat. Swallows the honey down until his tongue is free once more. “I haven’t done this,” he says, eyes flicking up towards where his horns sit, “in so long. It’s easier to keep them hidden, and the last time I decided I wanted to let my magic rest a little bit was at an empowered club which went…poorly.” Gavin grimaces. Freelancer gives his hand another reassuring squeeze. He glances at them. Finds them attentively listening to him like he knew they would be, and fuck, fuck, his heart is going to leave his fucking body. “Aside from when I’m in Aria, which is very rarely, they’re hidden.”

Freelancer hums, considering, and cocks their head to the right. “I think they suit you.”

Gavin laughs, a sharp thing that melts into something softer as it trails off. “Do you now?”

They nod. “Yep.”

“Maybe…maybe I’ll show them off a bit more.”

Their expression shifts, just a little, and then, “Whatever you’re comfortable with, love.”

He can’t help the goofy smile that immediately takes over his face. “Can I kiss you?” he asks, leaning closer and watching delightedly as their pupils dilate, breath hitching.

“Always,” they whisper, words washing across his mouth like a promise.

“Thank you,” he says.

And then he kisses them. Their lips are cool, tasting like the chapstick they keep in their bag, and he presses closer. Pulls his hand from theirs, reluctantly, and catches their hip, moving them enough that he can push them against the sofa. They gasp underneath him and he slips his tongue into their mouth, ripping a moan from them. One hand grabs the back of his neck, blunt nails pricking at his skin, and the other sweeps up to his forehead. Smooths his hair from his face, avoiding touching his horns and they’re being so, so fucking careful.

Gavin pulls away, panting for air. “You can touch them.”

They blink a few times, chest erratic as they try to catch their breath. “Are you sure? I don’t want to, I don’t know, hurt you? Overstep?”

He didn’t think it was possible to love them more than he already does but it is.

With a soft groan, he ducks his mouth to kiss their throat. “I love you,” he says against their skin. “Touch if you want, I don’t mind.”

Tentatively, they brush a few fingers along the base of one of his horns. Gavin shivers.

“Oh fuck,” he says, hips twitching. “Fuck, I forgot how—”

“They’re sensitive?” they ask and oh no. Oh no. He knows that tone. That’s the voice they use when they’re thinking about something, plotting and planning, and usually that’s fine except this time it’s directed at him with this bit of knowledge. Gavin opens his mouth to respond but they press their thumb along the base, where skin meets horn, and drag their touch around, and all he manages is a broken moan. “Interesting.”

He pulls back. Glares at them but they’re just grinning at him. “Devious little—” Gavin kisses them. Kisses the words off his tongue and out of their mouth. Their touch drifts up, up along the actual bit of his horn they can reach, and the sensation fades to something more pleasant and less overwhelmingly sensitive. He hums against their lips, pleased when they buck their hips up as his nails scratch along their back, near their spine. “Bedroom?” he asks, lips moving along their jaw.

Freelancer nods, quick and shaky. “Yes, Gavin, yes.”

It’s easy enough to step away, to ignore the high pitched whine that they make, and scoop them up. Their legs wrap around his waist immediately, hands holding his face steady so they can kiss him. They’ve already moved on from the horns, from this new aspect of him, and it makes something settle in his chest. He has no doubt they’ll exploit their sensitivity, and the thought makes him shudder as he walks down the hall to their bedroom, but an ache he didn’t realize he was holding washes away. A quick examination, one done after they’re laid out on the bed, bare, with his teeth pressing against their sternum, reveals that he had been concerned that this would change something irrevocably between them. Nail the fact that he’s an incubus home so hard that their opinion of him would change, and how could he have ever thought they would be so shallow?

He knows how, though. A sea of shitty experiences, of hands that grope and mouths that bite without thinking, coloring his world view enough that they’re still able to place doubt where there should be none.

As Freelancer wraps a thigh around his hips, hitching it up when he grabs it, one hand on his shoulder and the other weaving through his hair to hold him against their chest, he lets go of a part of himself. Lets go of that doubt, that little spot that he had been holding onto for so, so long, and opens it up. Opens it wide enough that they can get in now. He has nothing left of himself to keep in the dark, not anymore.

They sigh softly beneath him and Gavin wipes his attention of anything except them.