#marvin the mischievous

[christinered]

Star Wars Day. I Gotta Play.

May The Funky Fourth Be With US.

~Little Red

[geddy-leesbian]

start of my FE Serrennedy AU :3

Goddess, he was so stupid. What was he thinking, chasing a bandit down through a hole in a wall and then down a mysterious tunnel all by himself?

In his defense, what he did had made sense in the moment. If he'd stopped to call for the knights, the bandit would have slipped away. And it was just one thief! Leon would have easily struck him down in a one-on-one. No, the problem was that as soon as the tunnel opened up into a large open cavern, there was a demonic beast. Leon was not ready for that. Why would he have been? He's right under the church! Surely there should be some kind of magical protection keeping these nightmarish monsters away from the monastery. 

Or not. Definitely not, because he definitely did get his ass handed to him by a gigantic worm. He did put up a pretty valiant fight, giving the creature at least one gash in exchange for each bruise and bite wound it dealt to him. It didn't even kill him, it just left of its own accord after one well-timed thrash of its tail left Leon lying on his back with the wind knocked out of him. It could have been one hell of a story– the underdog Leon fighting a demonic beast all by himself and escaping with his life! And it would have been, if he wasn't down in some fucking cavern where no one would ever look for him. 

But he is. And a bite wound is bleeding heavily. He feels dizzy when he tries to get up. He'd survive this if he was anywhere else, with a light magic user able to heal him, or even just someone more run of the mill with a cloth to slow the bleeding and keep him stable until an actual doctor could get to him. 

All alone, goddess knows where, he just lies there and tries not to think about how much everything hurts and how cold he is until he finally slips out of consciousness. 

-

Somehow he wakes up. He's alive? There's still some pain, but he feels it fading, the hurt being replaced by the pleasant warmth of healing white magic. Someone else must have seen him enter the tunnel and got help before it was too late.

“Thanks…” Leon manages to open his eyes, and is shocked to see a tan stranger kneeling above him, mending his wounds with white magic. A stranger. Not a knight, not one of his magically gifted classmates. He panics and his right hand gropes at the… ground? Floor? trying to find his sword. “Who the hell are you?”

“I could say the same to you. Barging into someone else's home, swinging your sword around like you own the place… Bit rude, no? Tell me your name first, intruder, then maybe I'll tell you mine,” The stranger's face twists into a mischievous smile. “One of mine, at least.”

“If I'm a rude intruder, why are you healing me?” Leon gives up on trying to get his sword, it's not like this is a fight he could ever win. He doesn't even know where he is. Just that he's underground and can hear running water. “Could've left me to rot or finished the job yourself if you were impatient.”

“Because you don't seem like an intruder who came here with the intention of causing trouble for the inhabitants of Abyss. You seem like a garden variety idiot, not the type I kill if I can help it. And! Your uniform, you're a student at the Officers Academy. I might get myself a pretty penny for bringing back one of their precious students in one piece.”

“Fine. I'm Leon. Who are you and where am I?”

“Oh. Oh! I know you! Of you, at least. I'm Luis. You're Lord Marvin's adopted kid, right?”

“Yeah,” Leon stares at Luis's handsome face for a minute, until something clicks into place. “I think I saw you once. You're Spencer's adopted son, right? What are you doing down some horrible hole, Spencer must be worried sick about you! We should go back to the surface and get you home, with two of us we'll be fine even if we run into monsters.”

“Home? Spencer? I'd rather die than go back to him. This is my home. It's not a hole, and it's not horrible. This is Abyss. A hidden little city beneath the monastery, a refuge for those who can't live on the surface. Surely you've heard rumors? Maybe heard about the savage mockingbird, the handsome leader and protector of Abyss?”

“Uh, that does ring a bell. Isn't he like, a hardened criminal? Gang leader that's murdered a whole lot of people?”

“I suppose that isn't incorrect, I have done that.”

“You?! How did you go from a noble house, a student at the academy with a great future, to this?” Leon looks at Luis, completely appalled. “A criminal hanging out in a den of other criminals, even leading them.”

“It's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you someday. But for now, you feel like you can walk?” Despite Luis being prolific enough as a cruel murderer to have earned a reputation and a nickname, he helps Leon to his feet with all the gentleness and care of the monastery's kindest priests. When he looks down at himself, he sees the lighter wounds that weren't worth healing magically were still expertly bandaged. “We should get you back up to the surface before anyone notices you've been gone, I'm sure you'd be in a lot of trouble for sneaking off to explore–”

“I wasn't exploring!” Leon interjects. “I was chasing a thief. He got away when the monster attacked.”

“Ah, one of my lackeys. Still, even with your noble intentions I get the feeling your activities would earn you one hell of a lecture for doing something so reckless. I suggest you sneak back into your bed, hide your injuries, in the morning say you're tired because you didn't sleep well, so no one has to know what you were up to.”

“Doesn't that defeat the purpose of you saving me? If you want your reward, you'll have to tell someone about it.”

“Forget the reward. This is just… Some charity work.”

[huffle-dork]

Swap Beyond the Crystalverse Chapter 4: Paranormal Teens

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

Other Multiverse Stories: SITCV | SATCV | GITHV

Alt, JJ, and Marvin appear on a sidewalk. Across the street is an old-looking building with columns in front. No doubt that’s city hall. It used to have a lawn, a sort of courtyard type area, but now there’s just a wide pit marked off by posts with yellow tape around it. The front door of city hall is still accessible, but you’d have to walk a wide berth around it.

Can’t believe they still haven’t fixed that, JJ comments.

Alt blinks in surprise at the pit and glitches closer, crouching down next to it. “What caused this?”

“…Anti did? Kind of?” Marvin says slowly. “I mean, he didn’t mean to, but uh… yeah. There was a bunch of greenlight, it was crazy.”

“Oh yeah- guess that makes sense based on last time.” Alt comments as he stands back up.

“Anyway, we can wait for the others in here.” Marvin turns around and indicates the building behind him: a restaurant called Brenda’s that looks to be part of a fast food chain.

Jackie and the others are getting snacks, we don’t need food, JJ says.

“Whaaaat? I wasn’t suggesting that at all!”

Alt blinks then smirks, “Are you hungry then, Marvin? We can get food if you’d like- or like… a coffee.”

"I prefer tea, honestly," Marvin says. "Oooo, especially ones with strong flavors. You ever had mint tea? It's great. But, uh... I mean... we can get food if we want."

JJ rolls his eyes and laughs. Okay, we'll do that. But you're paying for the nuggets. He opens the front door and goes inside.

“Oh mint tea’s actually my favorite!” Alt laughs, “I could do either or- Bro’s more partial to coffee so we drink that more.” He follows after JJ, looking around the restaurant with curiosity.

The inside of this place looks exactly like the inside of a Wendy's. Even the logo is kind of similar, but with the word Brenda instead.

"Welcome to Brenda's, what can I--oh! Hey, it's the twins!" The worker behind the counter waves.

Marvin grins...somewhat mischievously. He glances at JJ, then back at the worker and waves. "Hey River! I didn't know you worked here!" JJ inhales sharply. Is his face turning a bit red?

"Yeah, it's just for the summer," the guy--a blonde kid around the twins' age--says, smiling. "Well, what can I get for you guys?"

Alt blinks a bit in confusion as he looks around then notices Marvin’s smirk and JJ’s flush. He hides a laugh behind his hand. “You guys get whatever you want, my treat.”

"Great!" Marvin says. "I'd like a ten-piece nuggets and a lemonade. JJ? What do you want?" JJ coughs a bit.

"Hey, I've been practicing BSL for an elective!" River says cheerfully. "Go on, hit me with something, I want to see if I can get it."

JJ nods and signs slowly. I would like a C-H-I-L-L-Y. A 'Chilly' seems to be the name of a chocolate shake-like thing... like a Frosty.

"Ooo, we'll get a small fries, too, then, to dip," Marvin says.

"Great, what size?" River asks.

Medium.

"Medium?" JJ nods.

"Sweet. And you, mister?"

Alt chuckles, “I’ll take a black coffee. And uh- a medium chilly and fries.” He says as he slings off his backpack and digs around for his wallet. He soon enough finds it and gives River his card.

"Awesome." River swipes the card, presses some buttons, and hands the card back along with a receipt. "I'll call out your name when it's time, Mr. uh..." He glances at the card. "Brody? You related to Chase Brody?"

Alt blinks and flushes a bit, “oh yeah uh- we’re… cousins. I’m visiting but he was uh- busy.” He grins sheepishly as he takes back his card.

Marvin leans forward. "He's on a date," he whispers.

"Oooo, with that Stacy girl? Stacy Seigel?"

"Yep!"

"Gotcha." River smiles. "Sit down wherever you guys like, I'll call your name."

JJ hurries over to a booth by the front door.

Alt laughs, “Thanks!” He goes after JJ and sits across from him. “…you good little dude?” He asks gently.

JJ kicks his feet a little. I... like River, he says. He then glares at Marvin as he sits down next to him. You knew, didn't you?

"That he works here? No, but like, it's a great coincidence, isn't it?"

Bastard.

Alt smiles, “Oh okay good I thought Marvin’s teasing got to you-“ He chuckles.

"Heh." Marvin grins. "You don't know he doesn't like guys. You've never talked to him about it. C'mon, man, it's been years, you gotta resolve this sometime."

Alt then leans forward and smiles knowingly at JJ. “…I like guys too, you know. Well and girls- anyone- but also not like… anyone it’s… weird. But, I have a boyfriend. It’s… really scary to like… let yourself out there. But… it’s also really great…” he holds his necklace fondly. “The scary part gets over quickly- then it’s just… amazing. I-If they feel the same way that is.”

JJ's eyes widen slightly. He nods slowly, not saying anything.

Marvin nudges his shoulder. "Yeah. He's right."

Oh, you've never liked anyone before, JJ comments. How do you know he's right?

"Cause I'm fucking smart."

JJ laughs a little. I guess... Mam and Dad won't let us date, anyway.

"Fuck them, though."

JJ laughs louder.

Alt laughs too, “It’s what makes you happy, dude. There’s lots of ways to go around your parents~” he says with a mischievous grin. “But seeing as you’re Marvin’s brother, seems like you might be well versed in that already.”

"Dude, I'm so fucking happy that JJ started going around them some more," Marvin says. "Fucking... grew some balls." JJ laughs again.

Alt grins, “Good! Every teenager needs a bit of rebellion I say~!” He then blinks and his smile drops. He sighs and touches his neck briefly. “Just… be careful. Don’t try to do… dangerous stuff, you know?”

JJ nods. Don't worry, I think we're being careful. It probably helps that Schneep and Jackie would get so mad at us if we got involved in something.

"Mad in a caring way," Marvin adds. "Y'know?"

Alt nods with a chuckle, “Oh I know- my friends are the same way.”

Marvin laughs. "Honestly I think the most exciting things we get up to are Caverns and Creatures games."

"Order for Mr. Brody!" River calls out.

Alt looks interested in that, “Oh? Is that like- Dungeons and Dragons?” He gets cut off before he can get his answer and he almost glitches before stopping himself. He quickly gets up to grab their food and bring it over.

When Alt comes back, Marvin immediately starts talking. "Uh, I've never heard of Dungeons and Dragons, but like, that might be a thing about other worlds, y'know? But yeah it's a tabletop roleplaying game that Jackie introduced us to! The whole group's been doing it since then, but don't ask Chase or Stacy about it they'll get all embarrassed about doing nerdy shit. It doesn't fit their images, yknow? But they really like it. Chase keeps making new characters but Stacy's been sticking with her one girl as often as possible, though it does make levels and balancing difficult, yknow?"

Meanwhile, JJ is enjoying dipping the fries in the chocolate chilly.

Alt laughs, “That’s just like dnd! I haven’t gotten to play yet but- Chase, my Chase, really wants to get a group together. I’ve always thought it looked fun but never really got a chance to play it, you know?” He says, following JJ’d lead.

"It's really fun!" Marvin says excitedly. "Oh, but the first time we played, some greenlight shit happened and we all got actually sucked into the game--Jackie had to GM to get us out but Anti kept trying to throw monsters at us--it was fucking insane! Kind of fun, but yknow, you don't want to do that all the time."

“Oh dude- not gonna lie that sounds insanely fun,” Alt giggles, “Then again one of mine and Chase’s favorite worlds we ever went to was a medieval one so… guess I’m biased!”

You went to a medieval world?! JJ gasps.

"Oh, that sounds so cool! Like going into a book!" Marvin's eyes light up.

Alt grins wide and nods, “Dude it was just like a book! It was a land called Glasúil and it’s kinda like an older Ireland but with magic and the camp we went to the first time was made out of dragon skeleton! We learned to sword fight and archery and fought a corrupt King! Last time was… hard but honestly? I can’t wait to go back and just have fun there- it’s really really cool.”

"Ohhhh that sounds so fucking fun," Marvin whispers.

And that's why you need your traveler fixed, so you can go back whenever you want. JJ nods. I hope we can help with that.

Alt laughs, “Yeah- and you know… to help other people and… well- to go on those other adventures you all remember that we don’t!” He grins. “…I’m glad we get to do more with you all… I wanted to visit so so bad-“

Not much time passes--just long enough for them to finish eating--when a silver car pulls up outside. "Oh! Hey, that's Jackie's car!" Marvin says. "You probably don't recognize it, he got it before going off to uni a couple years ago, but that's it!"

Alt blinks and looks outside and then grins, “Oh nice! Yeah he had a… green car before right?”

"He still does, it's his dad's," Marvin says. "The silver car is his though." He waves through the windows at the car. The door opens and Jack gets out, then Schneep. And then, suddely, Aodhan is sitting next to Alt. "Hi."

"Oh fucking hell!" Marvin jumps. JJ presses a hand to his chest, surprised.

Alt jumps a bit too, “Jesus man! You gotta be careful with that dude- you’ll scare the normal people around…!” He tries to whisper.

Aodhan looks around. "There's no one in the restaurant, though."

"It's the principle," Marvin says.

Alt chuckles, “Yeah dude- just in case- you don’t wanna accidentally glitch into a bad scene, you know?”

"Hmmm." Aodhan nods.

Outside, Bro hops out of the car, chewing on a long piece of gummy like it’s a piece of hay. He blinks at the windows then waves excitedly at the other boys.

"Oh! There's Bro! C'mon, let's go!" He gets up and heads out, the rest of the guys behind him.

"Anti, you gotta stop that," Jack says, mostly jokingly.

"Hello!" Schneep waves.

Jackie gets out of the car. "You guys got Brenda's? No fair!... Well, I guess we got a lot of snacks."

Bro grins wide as he sees Marvin and Jj, “Grown up twins!! Look at you two!!”

"Wow! You really look exactly the same!" Marvin laughs. "Alright, that settles it, weird time shit."

“Must be!” Bro laughs, “It’s been at least less than a year for us since we saw you last!”

It's so good to see you again! JJ beams.

Alt makes sure to take his fries and chilly and offers some of the fries to Bro then Jackie once they’re out.

Bro blinks then grins eagerly, taking some fries and leaning over to dip them in Alt’s Chilly.

Alt glares at him and pulls it away. “you could at least ask, asshole!”

“It’s big brother privilege!” Bro grins cheekily.

Schneep grins watching Alt and Bro. "Hah. Chase would do something like that with me all the time. So I suppose it is older cousin privilege too." He nods at Alt. "Frustrating, ja?"

Alt grumbles at Schneep, sipping the rest of his chilly.

"Alright, so where's your piece thing?" Jackie asks. "Somewhere around here, right?" He looks around. "You guys see anything weird?"

The guys all look around--and JJ suddenly gasps. He points across the street, where there's a van parked. A black van with a picture of an eye on it...just like the one on the card he got from the man.

Alt is about to reach in his pocket to check his tracker, but he freezes as he sees the van. He finds Aodhan’s shoulder and leans by Marvin too- “…alright guys- try your best to look normal while we search, got it? We can’t give them any reason to suspect us.” As he says this, he reaches into his pocket to properly check the tracker. The sooner they can find this other piece the better.

Meanwhile Bro is confused. “Huh? What’s wrong with a weird black van?”

"That's the symbol of the guy who stopped us," Aodhan says.

JJ reaches into his pocket and pulls out the card, handing it out to Bro.

"The... Department of Impossible Sciences, you said?" Jackie says.

Jack frowns. He takes a phone out of his pocket. "I'll stay back here and keep an eye on the van."

"Aw, you don't want to come?" Aodhan asks, sad. Jack laughs.

"Don't worry, I'll call you if anything happens."

The tracker tells Alt that the piece fell into the pit in front of city hall.

“Good idea, Jack-“ Alt says, then inhales sharply as he looks towards the city hall. “…we may have a problem though…”

“…what’s that?” Bro asks.

“…the piece fell into the giant fucking hole-“

“…ah.” Schneep says. “Well… the sides are not so steep. We should be able to climb in.”

“How deep is the pit again?” Jackie wonders. “It’s like… two stories or something, right? That’s not too deep.”

“But it’s gonna be a tiny little thing!” Marvin points out. “There’s probably a million rocks to look at!”

Aodhan blinks slowly. “Maybe… I can find it? I know where electrical stuff is. I like… feel it.”

“I mean… I can try too-“ Alt says, “I’m just worried about creepy van over there catching us. That suit guy got onto us for possibly stealing coins- they’re not gonna react well to us trying to scale the hole.”

Well... at least it's only the van, JJ says. It's in the city hall car lot, so maybe the person who drove it is inside?

"I'm gonna check if there's a person in the front," Aodhan says. He disappears for a moment, and then reappears a minute later. "I didn't see anyone."

"But that doesn't mean they're not gonna come out of city hall and bother us,"Jackie says.

Alt hums in thought, “Maybe…”

"We'll just have to be careful," Marvin says. "And fa--" He stops. "Hang on a moment... is that...?" A black car is driving down the street. It pulls to the side, parking right next to Jackie's... and out steps Chase and Stacy.

"Hey guys!" Chase waves.

Alt blinks in surprise though then smiles and waves, “Little Chase!”

Bro grins and waves wildly, “Little me!! Did you guys finish your date already??”

"Hey!" Chase waves at Alt--and then immediately becomes flustered upon hearing Bro's comment. "I, uh--yeah, we did."

"W-we could've stayed a bit longer, maybe, but we didn't want to be left out," Stacy says. She looks at Alt. "Hey, Alt! Apparently there's some weird time stuff going on so you don't know me. I'm Stacy!"

Alt blinks, “Oh uh- hi? Yeah we… haven’t met yet- nice to meet you?” He smiles sheepishly.

"You guys didn't have to stop for us," Jackie says.

"It's Schneep's fault for texting me everything you guys were doing!" Chase says.

"Wh--that did not mean you had to stop," Schneep says.

"No, it's chill," Chase shrugs.

Bro chuckles, “Well- this will make a great story for later regardless-“

"Uh, what're you guys doing?" Chase asks.

"The TRVLR part is in the pit somewhere," Marvin says, pointing. "But that van over there is suspicious. Jack's gonna keep an eye on it while the rest of us check out the pit."

Bro turns to look at the pit and hums. “Okay so… we need a good excuse for why we’re looking at the pit if we get caught… Alt and Aodhan could glitch down and the rest of us could just like- look around it to draw attention to us instead? Could that work? We could say you all are.. researching it for school or something-“

JJ nods. A school project is a good cover. It could be some sort of... environment thing. Or maybe about construction? Or city planning?

"Something like city planning, that'll make us look like goody-two-shoes," Marvin says.

"So you guys will have to be our, like, supervisors or something," Stacy says, looking at Bro and Jackie. "Cuz you're older, y'know? You wouldn't be in school."

"Hey, I mean... I'm uni age," Jackie says. "But yeah, I get where you're coming from."

“Yeah I’m like here to make sure you don’t get in trouble and shit!” Bro grins.

"We should go fast, then." Chase glances around. "The coast is clear now, we need to, uh, use that while it's like that."

Alt nods, “Okay good plan- Chase I’m using you for cover-“ He slips behind Bro and uses him to cover up as he glitches down in the pit. Bro hardly reacts- like he’s used to this.

Aodhan sees this and copies him, hiding behind Jack while he disappears.

Once that's done, the others all hurry across the street towards the edge of the pit. The pit is twenty feet deep at its lowest, fifteen feet deep on average. The walls slope downward. They and the floor of the pit are mostly dirt, with chunks of concrete and asphalt and lots of small rocks and pebbles. Some pipes and cables stick out of the side in places, but they're all deactivated. The pipes don't leak water, the wires don't spark, they're completely safe except for the tripping hazard they present.

Alt looks around the pit and whistles, “Damn- this is some impressive pit.” He whispers to Aodhan.

Aodhan blinks. "Thanks? I didn't expect it would, y'know... happen." He starts looking around, crouching close to the ground. "How do your powers work? I can just kinda... feel stuff when it's nearby. Like static electricity. I can also feel it when cameras look at me."

“Oh- that’s handy,” Alt says, “Uh- I could try that… learned a trick once about like- pulsing out my electricity to try to feel around me… but that might only work underwater… I can sometimes just sense magic too- you’re probably more useful here, dude.”

Aodhan grins proudly. "Yay!" He slowly walks around. "Does your magic thing help at all right now?"

Alt hums and tries to feel any magic lingering in the air, “Not sure… lemme see-“ He also starts walking around.

It's a big pit, so they're not having much luck at first. The group around the top isn't, either. But then...as Alt puts his hand in his pocket once, his hand brushes the pupil of the glass eye tracker, and he gets a vague sense that it's in the north part of the pit, closer to city hall. That divides the area to search by about four.

Alt startles a bit- and doesn’t expect to get the info. But he laughs and glitches over to the northern part, calling out to Aodhan, “It should be over here!”

"Oh cool!" Aodhan hadn't had much luck, so he quickly appears over there as well.

Alt grins and starts to feel around more for anything he can sense- or even see. It’s gotta be shiny right?

Up on the surface, the doors of city hall open, and out walk a man and a woman in grey suits, talking to each other. Marvin notices them first. He hurries over to Bro, nudging him. "Those guys are wearing the same thing the guy in the park was," he whispers.

Bro briefly glances at the man and woman as Marvin points them out and very subtly nods.

The two walk over to the van with the eye decal on it, disappearing from view for most of the guys.

But Jack, watching from the car, is able to see. He texts the others: Two guys are standing by the car now. Not getting in. Then a second later, The girl is walking towards the pit.

Bro reads over Marvin’s shoulder and nods, then calls out as he claps his hands. “alright kids! It’s hot so let’s get your research done quick! Get all the pictures and notes you need, alright?” He grins.

"All the smart guys get over here," Chase whispers. Schneep, JJ, and Stacy all cluster together as the woman in a gray suit walks over. Marvin takes out his phone and starts taking pictures. Jackie digs into his backpack and pulls out a digital camera, and Marvin mutters something about him being a show-off. Jackie chuckles.

"Oh, research?" The woman asks. "What is this? A school project?"

"Yes, ma'am," Stacy says.

Bro looks to the woman and smiles charmingly, “Sure is, ma’am! Keeping an eye on them while they get this done, you know! Researching city planning and all that-“

"Oooo, fascinating," the woman says. "City planning? How's the pit related?"

"Well, ah, you can see the infrastructure and such," Schneep says quickly. "So we are getting pictures for examples."

Tell her that we're doing research on how cities do a big project like filling this in, JJ says.

"Oh, I know sign language, young man, don't worry," the woman says. "How interesting. Though I hear there's been some difficulties filling this particular pit in? Has your research found anything about that?"

"Uh... not yet! But we might hear about it later!" Chase says.

Back in the pit, Aodhan picks up a couple objects from the ground. "Any of these look like your thing?" They all look vaguely techy.

Alt glitches to him and looks then over. He hums in thought then touches his tracker again- The tracker tells him that one of the objects, a long black bar made out of some matte material, is the piece they're looking for.

Alt looks over the objects then picks out the long black bar and grins, “this is it!”

Aodhan nods. "Alright, then!" He puts the rest of the stuff in his pocket, finding it cool enough to keep. Then he looks up. "Oh shit! They're talking with someone."

Alt blinks up and then sighs. “lucky you saw- I almost just glitched straight back up…”

Bro chuckles, “All part of their studies! I don’t know too much about it- just supervising, you know? Can’t have them around a big pit like this without a careful eye.” He smiles.

"Oh yes, I hear it's quite dangerous." The woman nods. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a card. "Say, I work for an organization that's helping out with this pit, as well as other things around town. So if you all need any help, here's our phone number." She holds out a card like the one the man from the park gave JJ.

Stacy takes it. "Thanks, ma'am. Now we have to get back to work."

"Of course, of course, I'll leave you to it." The woman smiles, and turns around, heading back to the van.

Bro smiles and waves after her. But he lets his smile drops as soon as she’s gone. “Phew…! Good acting there, team!” He grins at the kids.

Thank you! JJ beams.

"Acting is his passion," Schneep chuckles.

Alt glitches up towards the top of the hole and whispers out, “Coast clear yet??”

"Hold on," Jackie warns, looking back towards the van. Then a couple different text tones ring out, and everyone checks their phones.

"Jack says they're getting in the van," Chase reports. "So it's probably fine now."

Alt grins and glitches up all the way, showing off the piece, “Got it!”

Bro shares his grin and pats him on the back, “Nice!”

"Fuck yeah!" Marvin grins. "Man... these TRVLR parts look really ordinary. I can't believe this stuff lets you travel through worlds."

Alt blinks then laughs, “Well- it’s all like… bunch of tech stuff- then my magic! So I think that helps the normal parts work.”

"You should probably clean that off," Schneep says. "Here." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of cloth. "I use this for my glasses."

"You use an ordinary cloth for your glasses?" Stacy gasps.

"What am I supposed to use?"

"Something like this." Stacy pulls a bit of silky cloth out of her pocket. "It's designed for glasses!"

"Ah. Well, I think I had one like that, but I lost it."

Alt takes the cloth from Schneep and starts to clean it off, “you know, I used to think it only worked cuz I was giving it electricity but I think it works because I’m also like… a Glitch you know? Broke the rules of my world somehow so now- I can use that to fuel the TRVLR.”

Aodhan appears next to Alt, fading in slowly to be more considerate. "D'you think I'm a Glitch?" he asks. "D'you think any of the anomalies were glitches?"

"I think that you'd count, yeah," Marvin says.

Alt blinks then smiles at Aodhan, “Mmmm maybe? Usually other mes are to be honest- there’s a few exceptions though, like our friend Schneep we just saw.”

“He doesn’t glitch like Alt does- he kinda does like this worm-holey thingy- but he got told by another Glitch he was one so like- probably something others Glitches can sense or some shit.” Bro adds.

Alt's phone lets out some static. "I'm pretty sure that this kid would count," Anti says slowly. "At the very least, he's something very strange. Now, you have both parts?"

Alt very slightly jumps- getting more used to hearing Anti, “Yup-“ He says as he puts the now clean part in the bag.

"Oh... do you guys need to go now, then?" Chase asks. "I mean--seems like this is important, so go ahead, but like... sucks that it was so short, y'know?"

Bro looks super sad and looks towards Alt to talk towards Anti, “Yeah Anti! We can hang out for just a bit longer can’t we?? We’re just breezing through these worlds with all our friends!”

"Well, once you have your TRVLR back you can come back whenever you want," Anti says.

"Booooo," Marvin says. "Fuck offfff."

"Wha--" Anti doesn't seem to know how to respond to teenage rebellion.

"Yeah, it's been forever since we've seen these guys," Jackie agrees. "It'd be nice to hang out a little while longer. Hell, Chase and Stacy were gone for most of the time."

"We, uh, had a nice time, though," Stacy says.

"Y-yeah." Chase nods. "But like... you know. Been a while."

Anti pauses. "Once we leave this world, all the rest of them will be new to you two. So... if you want to stay... it's understandable. But--I'll just repeat what I said. You can come back whenever once you have your TRVLR."

“I mean… they did say that we come back in… our future, their past-“ Alt says quietly. “Even if I wanna stay… I’m sure you guys have some much to tell us- Marvin hadn’t even showed me his magic yet!”

"Oh, there's so much I could show you, it's almost too much." Marvin grins. He crouches low to the ground, then jumps into the air, and streaks and fireworks of green appear around him.

Alt’s eyes sparkle with excitement, “Dude!! That’s sick as hell!!”

Hey, we're in the middle of the street! JJ points out. People could see!

Bro pouts, “Mmmm… this is hard!! I know we gotta fix this but… we missed you guys… and you’re all growing up and-! Jack and Anti are here too and we barely got to meet them! Well, Anti of course before but- you know what I mean!!”

Schneep sighs. "It is very sad, isn't it? But... your thing is important, yes?"

Anti coughs for attention. "Also, I'll remind you that the other me is still looking for us. Do you want him to appear in this world?"

Bro and Alt stiffen as Anti mentions the other Anti. Bro sighs loudly, like a child who’s mom just made a good point to ruin their fun, “Noooo- of course not… I guess that… decides it. I don’t want you guys to be in danger.”

Alt sighs too and crosses his arms, “Yeah… l-longer we stay here… the more likely he is to find us…”

Aodhan blinks. "I guess that Anti is a really bad Anti, then."

"We're a lot more capable than we were three years ago, yknow," Chase says.

Jackie shakes his head. "No, I know we are, but still... just that tone of voice, it sounds like this guy is really bad news."

Alt smiles sadly at Chase, “I’m sure you guys are! You were already little badasses last time… but we don’t even know how to fight this guy. He’s not physical and scarily strong… plus he’s trying to delete other universes so… don’t want that happening here.”

Aodhan laughs a little. "You can't delete universes! There are so many!"

"I am not sure how those two things connect," Schneep mutters. "I mean... does seem really hard, to get rid of a whole universe," Chase says, frowning. "Like... think of how big the galaxy is. And there are like... billions of galaxies in the universe."

"I'm sure you guys will figure something out!" Marvin says, beaming at the Brody brothers. "You two are amazing."

Bro beams back at Marvin and lightly punches his arm with affection. “Thanks lil dude!”

Jackie smiles at Alt and Bro. "Well... it sucks, then, but sounds like you have to go. But hey, you can look forward to more visits with us! I mean, we'll be younger, but maybe you'll see us again when we're this old some time in the future."

Bro sighs, “Yeah I guess… though like- through all this time weirdness- we at least know now that we have more adventures! That’s a plus!”

JJ nods. Exactly! They were really fun... but no spoilers.

"I can't wait until you guys meet me for real," Stacy says. "Uh... I was probably a bit annoying at thirteen, though. Just ignore that."

Alt smiles warmly, “I can’t wait- it’ll be awesome for sure.”

"So... are you two ready?" Anti asks. "Should I contact Sam?"Alt brings out his phone officially to nod at Anti. “yeah… guess we are. Into uncharted waters now, huh?”

"Indeed." Anti nods back. "Though I think this first world will be kind of similar to what you're used to." The phone screen is briefly overcome with colored static. Then green lightning unzips a rift in midair.

"Oh, is that how you guys get around now?" Aodhan asks, fascinated. "Kinda looks like a Fissure."

Alt blinks and looks at the rift, “Huh? Really?” He grins, “Guess we can use that our advantage next time.”

Bro smiles sadly, “You lads take care of each other, okay?”

Alt nods then grabs Bro before he starts to cry cuz he knows he might. Bro yelps a bit then waves wildly as they walk through the rift. “Bye!! We’ll visit soon!!”

"Goodbye!" Aodhan waves.

"We'll see you again," Chase promises.

Jackie, JJ, Marvin, Schneep, and Stacy all wave as the two of them disappear.

[youvereachedthebadend]

Ooh I’m curious

“Heheheh, well you’ll have to wait like everyone else,” Chase says. “Someone make sure JJ is awake, he’ll want to be here for this.”

As Marvin shakes JJ, Sam flicks Their tail, moving slightly from Their position snuggled next to Jack. YOU KNOW, THE VOICES DON’T HAVE TO WAIT.

“Oh, good point, Sam!” Jackie says.

Jack nods, grinning mischievously. “Sam just pointed out the voices don’t have to wait.”

“Because they can just hop to Stacy to see!” Jackie adds.

“What?” Chase gasps. “Noooo the surprise!”

[docheros]

Forget me not

a full fleshed out jse fanfic from tae??? in our holy year 2024???? it's more likely than you think

anyways i tag (and blame /j) @the-pastel-kitsune for this. jasper your brain

janti are like. the original tragic yaoi

likes and comments appreciated!

========================

Waking up from a much too quiet nightmare, a silente scare. As if, after hours and hours of falling, finally feeling the real weight of gravity and, one second before brutally hitting the floor, feeling your body against the softness of the mattress. That was the feeling Jack felt when he woke up.

How much time had passed? One day? Two? One week? Months? Years?

Maybe, enough for a change.

He tried to open his eyes, they had been closed for a long time. The sudden flash blinded him, but not as much as his drifting memories, trying to swim back to his mind.

He got used to the flash and focused the image better in his vision; the ceiling in his room was still intact. With tense movements, he looked to one side, looked the other, concentrated to listen to something. Nothing. No “get better soon” cards, no familiar voices downstairs.

With some difficulty, he tried to get up. It took about 20 minutes to do this: first, he had to send the message to the rest of the body. Then, get his arms and legs used to movements again (it probably wasn't possible to do it this soon, but it's not like his dizzy mind could even rationalize it). He didn't even risk to remove the IV without the help of a professional, he had already lost tons of blood. He grabbed the IV and walked with shaky steps towards the door. He could already imagine the scolds that Henrik would give him, and already formulated mischievous responses, full of giggles, just like the old days. He opened the door.

And came face to face with a wide hallway, infinite on both sides. Was he still dreaming?

Apprehensive to actually leave the room, he held on to the edge of the door and tried to find some sign of life on the right side. Not long after, he heard someone calling him on the left side.

— Jack?

A familiar voice he had never heard before. He turned to look at who called him, finding a... man.

It was like as if he was looking at a broken mirror, all the similarities between them accentuated their differences: the man was a little taller, more curved, bearder and hairier. His eyes were black like an endless abyss, empty and deep. But also, full of emotion. Pure, wild emotion. Uncontrollable.

And his skin was red like blood, removing any shred of normality he might have had. Like someone Jack knew for a long time.

Some habits never change.

He smiled.

— Anti?

The being, head down, looked him up and down: his IV, his unmistakable friendly expression. The same man.

— Yeah... it's me.

His voice was now deep, firm, sure of himself and his purpose, different from the high-pitched and brittle voice he was used to.

— You’re different.

— And you remain the same.

— Where are the others? — he looked around — where are we?

Anti didn't answer. He lowered hie shoulders and looked down at the floor, as if resenting his very existence. Jack slowly opened his mouth.

— ...oh.

And the silence, the deafening silence. Jack turned back into the room, inviting his friend to enter as well.

— So — he sat on the bed — How long has it been?

— About six years. But for you, seven. You’re stuck in 2017.

— Do they still remember me?

— Henrik tries at all costs, but he’s slowly forgetting. Chase only has a vague memory. Jameson and Jackie... — he sighed — it's as if you never existed. The one that remembers most is Marvin, but I doubt it’ll be for long.

— Will I be completely forgotten, then?

— Not by everyone — he raised his face, smiling without showing his teeth — I won’t forget you. I'm your community, remember?

Jack laughed, turning his attention to the large window on the central wall of the room. The moon shone dimly.

— What happens if I climb out the window?

— Nothing much — he shrugged — that’s like cardboard.

— Anti. Will I die?

The answer took a few seconds to come out of Anti's dry mouth.

— I can't tell you. But... I hope not.

— Update me on what happened — he leaned against the wall, hugging his legs — I'm curious about the reason for this drastic change in appearance.

Anti told him about everything: from the kickoff that was the “CHASE” video to the “Void Silver” and “The somewhat incredible JackieBoy Man” comics.

— Wow... So I really missed a lot — Jack chuckled, still digesting I.R.I.S — I never thought it’d reach this level.

— And looks like there will be videogames, it's pretty crazy — he smiled — sometimes I still feel a little unqualified to be this Super Badass Villain. I mean, until a while ago, I was still...

— A boy? — he smiled fondly — Yeah, me too. I’d love to be able to follow the rest of your journey.

Anti swallowed hard, sitting down next to him.

— I'll miss you and annoying you — He looked at him, but his gaze dropped to his lips — I annoy Chase, but... it's not the same thing. It's more serious.

Jack held Anti's hand in his, stroking the back. Where he pressed, it turned green.

— I'll miss you annoying me too. Good times.

And they faced each other, for the first time in years. And they really did it, observing and studying the other's behavior. Jack admired those deep, dark eyes; entered them, there discovered a home. He found a boy behind that frightening and powerful shell, a boy with a mischievous smirk, excessive jealousy and a slit throat. His Anti. Waiting for him, with a wide smile and a decapitated teddy bear.

And in Jack's shiny blue eyes, Anti found a mature, accomplished man, satisfied with what he had achieved. They reminded him of Seán.

The creature just like the creator.

And that scared him.

— Jack. I need to tell you something. I... — he swallowed hard — I love you. I've always loved you.

— Do you love me as my community — he brushed back some dark hair from his red forehead — or as AntiSepticEye?

— As AntiSepticEye — he brought his pale hand to his mouth, leaving a kiss — as your creation, your alter ego. Your other half.

— The half that completes me — he smiled — Funny. You were here from the beginning. And it's here at the end too.

— I promise I’ll come visit you. And I'll bring gifts.

— Anti, just grant me one wish: give me a kiss.

There was no way to deny a request like that; not when it was something Anti had desired too, since he first laid eyes on Jack. From the moment he realized they were antagonistic forces, that they could never meet.

But now, for the first time, they could. For the first and last.

And he kissed him, two semi-identical faces united in a disharmonious tune. Two parallel lines intersecting. He kissed him as if his very life depended on it, exploring every corner of that mouth, so similar to his. He kissed him with a bitter and slightly salty taste.

He kissed him.

— Anti — Jack caressed his cheeks, wet with hot tears — I love you. I love you so much. I'm so very proud of what you have achieved. Who would have thought that a kid’s play would turn into the main villain of a complete story?

Anti laughed through tears, an ugly laugh.

— I promise I won't forget you. Never.

— You will end up forgetting — he kissed his forehead — and I'll be the happiest man in the world for having loved you.

[nanuk-dain]

"Actions speak louder than Words" for the ask meme? 🥲

Hello my dear friend! *hugs* Ohhh, I haven't thought about the RED fandom in ages. This is a good one!

Send me a fic of mine and I'll answer...

My favourite scene

Anything with smileys! Coming up with scenarios where smileys appeared on things/people was so much fun, and I loved establishing this very unusual kind of secret love language between Will and Frank. Of course that means that the end with the smiley pendant proposal was the culmination of the whole thing - how could I have them have wedding rings given the significance of the smiley in their relationship? XD

Hardest scene to write

Action scenes are always tons of work, so that scene with the car chase and the warehouse firefight took more work than the rest of the story. With action scenes you always have to make sure every action/reaction is coherent and plausible, and you have to give enough details to make the reader understand without getting too descriptive because the last thing you want is for an action scene to get boring. So, yeah, they demand careful planning and execution, but I really like writing action scenes, which might explain why I tend to have them in my fics.

Favourite character to write in the fic

Okay... Sarah. I love her mischievousness and it was so much fun to write her special brand of support of Frank and Will's relationship in this. On top of that I hate women bashing in slash fics and I love to write awesome female characters into my fics, and she's just so perfect already based on canon. And her good-natured scheming is just too much fun to resist, not to mention that I loved keeping her close friendship with Frank because those two have such an adorable connection. Just because I decided that Frank's in love with Will, doesn't mean that it'll end his relationship with Sarah. It just changed it a little. And showing how comfortably and affectionately she handles that was part of what I enjoyed about writing her in this fic. Not to forget her slowly becoming an active member of the gang and growing close to Victoria XD

Favourite dynamic to write in the fic

Actually, it's not the dynamic between two people in the case of this fic, but the dynamics within the gang. I think it's also part of what makes the movies so enjoyable, and I loved including it here. How the individuals grow into a found family, how you get sibling relationships and parental/mentor figures, how they get comfortable with each other. And strange as it may be, but writing the growing (sibling) relationship between Sarah and Will was very intriguing, not to mention so much fun. Same for Victoria and Will, and Ivan and Frank, and of course Frank and Sarah, not to forget Marvin being his unsociable self with everybody. There's just something that's so enjoyable about all of them, about the teasing and the humour and noticeable connections they build.

Why I chose that title

Well, in this specific case it's kinda the running gag that Frank and Will are not good at talking but quite in sophisticated showing what they think/feel. So yeah, this title was just predestined to be chosen. An expression has rarely fit a fic better than that XD

A fun fact about the fic

This was my first long fic for RED, and I was worried at first that it would be out of character with all the post-canon timeline/events, that it would be too cheesy with all the feelings and the smileys. But guess what, it turned out to be the most popular RED fic I've written so far ^_^

[missnancychavez]

I just wanna say, how much I loved this episode for Mateo, and for Mateo and Nancy's relationship. We haven't seen much of it since they began dating, (and while I respect that it is an ensemble show, I do want to see more of my babies) and what we have so far seen is very surface-level and happy-go-lucky. This shows that the two of them are more than that, that they have arguments and aren't always on the same page. It shows they have issues to work through as a couple and secrets to share, and I love that.

Mateo having accidentally lit a school on fire is pretty on brand to an extent, however I feel that Marvin was played too goody-goody cause while I know he was supposed to be the 'good child', be also was someone who still would've had a mischievous side as a kid.

I think the episode was a good one for us to learn about Mateo. And I can't wait for a Nancy episode.

Also, Judd baby! Your gonna be a Papa and that is fucking adorable. I love that. I can't wait for that. I'm also super stokef that Wyatt is back and seems to have a more permanent fixture on the show if they keep him in the acadamy.

All in all, I love myself a good Judd and Mateo episode.

7.5/10

[doctormarvello]

A particularly mischievous Marvin

[kalcifers-blog]

Thinking about SunSpell again and I'm thinking about how they would have their first kisses.

Technically speaking, their first kiss was when they were both younger, probably about 17 or something. They were probably up late, watching movies or playing games together at a sleepover and the topic of dating came up (it being long established between both of them they both knew they were queer). They probably both spill their grievances about how they both wish they had more dating experience and how neither of them have even kissed anyone before. Long story short they tried to help each other out by being each others first kiss- not realising that this will unlock a life time crush that wouldn't go away.

A few years later, they're both now new adults and navigating the world as adults. Both of them have had partners here and there but no one's really stuck. One night they decide to go to a party together, it's not their usual crowd or their thing really but you're only 23 once and they decide, fuck it, let's see what it's about. At some point in the evening they realise the party really isn't their thing. They don't know anybody and can't really click with anyone either. This sparks a mischievous idea between the pair to steal a bottle of vodka from the party and to get off before anyone notices. They end up in one of their gardens well past midnight sharing the bottle between them, and with all inhibitions lost they kiss again. Only for them to wake up the next morning blaming it on the alcohol and brushing it under the rug, to both of their dismays.

The first time Marvin confesses is again, many years later, they're both now in the Magic Circle and don't realise both of their memories are being fucked with. Marvin invites Sunday out to the park, it wasn't an odd request but Sunday could tell Marvin was being odd about it. Marvin's confession had none of his usual confidence, he was blushy and kept talking over his words and then apologising for stuttering, which if anything, was the thing that let Sunday know he was being serious. It was Marvin who invited Sunday out to the park but it was Sunday who kissed Marvin as their way of accepting Marvin's confession. If only they were allowed to remember it.

The second time either one of them tried to confess, was when Sunday attempted something of a romantic night out- a classic dinner and movie, there was a movie coming out they just knew Marvin would enjoy and they thought it looked great as well, followed by a reservation at a restaurant they had found about a year before hand and very quickly became their favourite spot- "dress nice" was their only request to Marvin he absolutely delivered- they almost couldn't pay attention to the movie at all.

Marvin was more sneaky about it but was absolutely feeling the exact same thing about Sunday at that moment, the fact that they'd gone out their way to treat him to such a nice night out was almost enough to marry them on the spot let alone kiss them. They do eventually confess their feelings on their walk home, the moment they've gotten through the door of Sunday's apartment they started kissing, promising each other that they'd have more nights like this one.

Marvin only rediscovered that memory, months later, due to how excessively he wrote about it in his journal the next day. He teared up trying to imagine it but broke at the realisation that they couldn't form the picture of it in his mind. He was trying to piece everything together in his mind when Sunday came over to check on him. The kiss they shared then wasn't anything show stopping or spectacular, it wasn't like a scene from a movie- it was a simple peck , one made to help reassure the other while they hugged and tried to figure out what to do. But it was theirs. And they both remembered it and that's what truly matters to them.

[mandalhoerian]

NO TIME TO DIE | leon kennedy x oc | 6

pairing: leon s. kennedy x oc word count: 10K~ warnings: TRIGGER WARNING for suicide and torture and racism summary: Leon doesn't know what to panic over, his morals and values being put on question by who his boss really is, or what that man can do to Vera - who thinks Leon is dead because of her. READ ON AO3 ! CH 7 ☆ NO TIME TO DIE MASTERPOST

Death comes to Marvin as a little girl in a loose white dress, black curls wild and unruly, with twinkling pale eyes — barefoot and giggling.

She looks the same as the day he took her home, to their home.

Her embrace is warm and happy, the boundless safety contained in the small arms circling around him lulls him into the kindness of the dark, fear drains away into solace, all his worries and all his sorrows melt away as if they never existed at all. It's not that terrible, she tells him, and it's the most important secret ever, shared with him during snack time with invisible, imaginary beverages in pink plastic tea cups. Not all darkness and tragedy.

She sounds childlike-wise and a bit mischievous as she always does, the wit of dozens of geniuses wrapped around her little finger, pulling on his sleeve instead of holding his hand, a habit of hers she never resolved. Come, there's nothing to be afraid of. We'll be together forever.

Light spills into the void, curls around him like a purring cat, he finds himself in Vera's old bedroom he had to close up after she moved out, but it’s not at all the lonely, desolate place it is. Everything’s back to how it used to be, messy and cozy just like how she liked it, metal parts she's taken apart scattered everywhere so dense he can't see the color of the rug anymore, a collection of cups decorating the nightstand, her mastic and clove scent is a blanket.

His daughter is tucked next to him, he's carried her away to bed after she fell asleep on the couch. He can hear the boisterous laughter of his coworkers coming from the next room, it's one of his cookouts.

He's never known serenity this all-encompassing, has never felt this weightless, it's the sweetest remedy on his aching, worn-out body. A honeyed, heavy slumber spirits him away, the merry noises fade and disappear altogether.

The last thing he sees is his child. She wakes him up at the crack of dawn to take him on a new adventure to that fishing trip they never ended up going.

The concrete was rugged and wet against Leon’s cheek, the chill penetrating his skin sending icy waves of a damp throb around his skull.

He could work with mildly uncomfortable.

It was bearable at worst compared to what the bullet carved into the back of his tactical vest had done to his body. That little point of impact from such little distance had knocked him out straight away; and no, he wasn’t harmed per se, his back was going to be extremely sore for a while really, but the bitter reminder of the familiarity with being made to lose consciousness and how scary it could be returning to him was a pesty relative he’d cut contact with long ago — untimely and uncalled for.

None of that disturbed his state of floating between frail consciousness and restive unconsciousness; Claire yelling at the top of her lungs, and slamming on the gate so hard the rattle traveling through the ground and reverberating in his bones did.

Leon startled awake, alarmed, disgustingly sweaty with a pounding heart and the dread of falling from a building, and the first thing he saw was Vera’s abandoned gear lying less than a couple meters away from him. The sight of blood striking red where he remembered her cuffing her last popping in color by the light shining on it from the headlights of the car beyond the gate disturbed him wretchedly deep in his core that he didn’t even register the pain in his back.

He put his hands on the ground, not caring that the material of the fingerless gloves got soaked with rainwater, to support his weight. An uncontrollable groan got fished out of him with the zap of pang that shocked his body; he lurched forward, cutting his fall with his forearms and hissing.

“Leon, holy shit!”

Claire was by his side in seconds, supporting Leon so that he could sit up on his knees and focus on breathing properly, he was searching around wildly the best he could, not hearing her speak (“Fuck! Thank god, I thought he killed you, oh thank god!”) — and his heart hammering against his chest more heavily and breathing accelerating with each second spent on not finding any traces of Vera or Sherry.

That man. That man. Brian Irons, his supposed boss. The Chief who was supposed to be the best of them all. How could he?

Leon knew the look on him. He knew that glint in his eyes, the reflection of the hidden intentions to hurt people putting its hands to the windows of the soul and peeking in for prey. Leon had seen it before. He knew instinctively when someone wanted to inflict pain on him, or anybody at all. If his childhood had taught him anything at all, it was this. The very gut feeling needed for survival, to run from real danger.

Brian Irons was perhaps the best police officer in this city and he was going around terrorizing innocents when the whole world had gone to shit? He’d taken an oath, he was supposed to be serving the people, he was a cop, one of the good guys, like Leon, they were supposed to work together, so why?

That man wasn’t acting as police, he wasn’t here to help anyone. He’d made Leon cuff Vera (entrap her like a pig for slaughter) whilst she begged him not to, and damn it, the way Sherry was silently crying to the side, him threatening everyone, his authority dangling over them, over Leon who’d made a massive mistake because he fucking hesitated again, torn between what he was told to do and what he knew was wrong. He had shut down. It was his first time encountering the kind of malevolence from one he was sharing the same occupation with — and…. and…

Leon had fucked up.

He’d chosen to obey orders the moment Vera was accused of crime, even though his gut screamed at him not to. Leon wasn’t entirely thinking it through, he couldn’t go against his superior no matter how wrong things were going down, genuinely lost at what to do, and everything was happening too fast for decision making. Chief Irons had taken advantage of his callowness, knowing Leon would hesitate long enough for him to establish control.

It was his first day in this job and he was already taught a lesson: duty didn’t always mean doing what was right. And he’d failed colossally.

His eyes found the crimson on the ground again. What had he done?

Leon was on the brink of hyperventilation. Vera and Sherry were gone. An innocent civilian and a kid. Jesus Christ, they —

“Leon! Hey,” Claire shook him by the shoulders, rough and urgent, squeezing all around his arms to get the blood flow going. “You’re okay, you’re okay.”

Leon shuddered as he tried to take control, leaning forward and clawing at his knees to ground himself, it wasn’t the time to be panicking. Count from 100 to down…

The fucking blood. Vera pleading with him like he’d never seen before. Sherry’s stifled weeping…

“Can you hear me? Can you see? How many fingers am I holding up?”

His trance was cut short when she shoved her fingers between him and where Vera’s stuff was lying around. “Three,” Leon said, out of it still, but mostly back in his body because of the stimulation Claire was providing. He winced. “Shit, my back…”

“You got fucking shot alright,” Claire took something out of her back pouch. “Here, some herbs… Should take care of that.”

Leon downed the plants in one go. “Sherry and Vera?”

She combed some hair away from her face that had gotten loose most likely because of the scuffle with Chief Irons, and wiped the corner of her chin with her knuckles. “Are you sure you’re—”

“I’m fine,” Leon said, curt, lips thinning and lines appearing on his brow with the strain on his back as he got up swiftly. “Tell me what happened.”

“He took them, Leon, I—” Claire stopped mid sentence, as if something got stuck in her windpipe, and swallowed it down, her hands flattening on her jeans as she wiped them. “I couldn’t stop him. He had me tied and I broke free too late. The gate closed before I could even go after them.”

“Outside?” Leon went up to the automated door to the garage and clasped the grids, squinting because of the light that directly shined in his eyes, somehow hoping it would remain unlocked after the man had apparently opened it, but things remained the same as they always were. They still needed a keycard for this. His hold on the bars tightened, the ice that was trapped in the metal bit into his fingers, and Leon let it hurt.

“I’m telling you we can’t let that asshole be. On paper, the police chief helping a girl get to her mom sounds great, and I’m sure it’ll be perfect in his hypothetical paperwork, but the way he held us at gunpoint — shooting you for no reason?” Getting shot while wearing a tactical bulletproof vest was the least of his worries. “You’re his employee and you were obeying his orders, there is no explanation for this! He told Vera it was her fault.”

Leon grimaced at that, shutting his eyes, this must have happened while he was out. The irrational anger to hit something bubbled up to the surface and he barely held it back.

Claire screamed out of frustration and kicked the gate once more, and then she was ranting again, without a coherent train of thought advancing to a certain destination, it was a word salad. “What the fuck? He kidnapped a child and instead of taking Vera, I don’t know, to jail? Like he was supposed to after arresting her or whatever, which is total bullshit by the way, — he literally hauled her over his shoulder like a fucking potato sack and abducted her, Leon. Technically I was arrested too, but he left me behind, all tied up at the mercy of zombies if I didn’t manage to break free. This isn’t something a cop would do! I mean, what could he want with a child? Family friend? Yeah, my ass! She was struggling to get away and he forcefully— god, and — and — ugh, he fully intended to kill you, Leon! There is something seriously wrong here. I don’t know about you, but I don’t care he’s the police chief, he clearly has some fucked up ulterior motives and I’ll make sure he’s gonna have what’s coming to him!”

What was coming to him, really?

Leon simply observed, deep in contemplation, he honestly didn’t know what came next. This was supposed to be about fighting for their lives from undead dangers without any moral complexity to their hunger, he’d finally come to make peace with the fact that he had to close his heart to every one of those things he put down being an innocent person before all this. He was too preoccupied with scraping through in these circumstances while shielding Claire and Vera, with the newest addition of a kid to their party, that the possibility of some people with nothing but blight in their hearts looking forward to taking advantage of this chaos and thriving in it to enact what they couldn’t when order was in place just hadn’t occurred to him.

Leon had adapted too fast and too eager, his mind translating this as having to survive during a natural disaster rather than something man-made, he’d ruled out any instance of becoming a victim of premeditated evil.

Sure, in a life or death situation, the self prioritized survival of their own above everything, he expected irrational selfishness to a degree. But this? This he knew better, intimately close than a knife on his carotid, a concentration of malice his soul had tasted so young in his life from the blood in his mouth that he recognized the flavor from the first sip. His back hurt. Whatever wound Chief Irons had inflicted on Vera must have been hurting even worse. And Sherry… God, he could only hope for the best and keep the worst out of his mind.

This is my fault. Why did I let this happen? First I failed Lt. Branagh and now—

“We’ll go get them, right?” Claire persisted. “Right? Don’t tell me you’re stuck on that fucker being your boss!”

“How can I not be?” Leon said, flabbergasted. “He’s supposed to be one of the good guys. I’m… I’m trying to make sense of everything, I don’t know what to do. You go to the police when shit right here happens, and what now when it’s my superior officer kidnapping people?”

Claire was accusatory, a biting flare to her tone. “What’s that supposed to mean? We can’t leave them behind!”

“That’s not what I’m saying—” All air was punched out of his lungs. “I don’t even understand what’s going on, I…”

“You’re getting cold feet? Now, out of all times? Leon, they need us!—”

“I know—”

“So what is the problem then?”

“When it’s a zombie you can shut it off,” Leon explained, the internal battle showing on his face, pitiful, weak, having entirely lost the reins of the situation, and it scared the daylights out of him for the very first time since he was dropped down into this hell. “You can think of them like some monsters from movies, right? And all of those creatures— you have to. You’ll go crazy if you don’t. We’ve faced people coming back from the dead and monsters from hell, I just didn’t think we’d have to defend ourselves from the living too. This is a person. A living, breathing person, who comes from authority, committing evil because he can right now in the midst of all this chaos. There’s nothing stopping him. No order anymore. I don’t know how to handle this, I wasn’t trained for this Claire.”

Claire scoffed in his face despite the understanding that settled in her relaxing body language first. “So what’s the verdict then? We just carry on?”

“No,” Leon tutted, exhaling, running a hand down his face. “No. He wants to hurt them, I saw it. I—” This was aggravating, there was only one choice to be made, but it was against all he had been taught, it entered vigilantism territory.

Claire was displeased with him, and he apologized to her with his eyes the best he could, but then, something on the ground distracted her, and she passed Leon to bend down and pick it up. “You’re thinking like a rule-following cop,” she said, holding up a pendant. He’d seen Sherry wear it before, and it caused him to look away. “What does Leon Kennedy want to do? What does he think is right?”

She threw him something else and he caught it at the last second.

Matilda.

The brutal, “Fuck,” he hissed between his teeth came from deep within his lungs as he gripped the gun until his fingers went bone-white, the leather glove making sound against the matte black handle of Matilda, he could only remember Vera with her terrified self at being handcuffed by him, the trust they’d built stone by stone crumbling because of that act alone right before his eyes.

He’d never been more conflicted on what was right and wrong, had never imagined the force he’d be signing his life on could foster villains before, considered everybody to be like him for the cause they would be serving together. When Vera spat camouflaged venom at Brian Irons’ name, he’d brushed it off as petty and refused to think much on it, all the things he’d read about him were nothing short of charitable and heroic.

Starry-eyed Officer Kennedy couldn’t be more wrong, and child Leon who had managed to survive where nobody was looking to protect him was right. He was always right, and he was identifying Chief Irons with his tormentors from the past, pulling on every single siren in Leon’s gut.

The man had called her Jane, and accused her of sending a rat (?) after him. She had pleaded with Leon to not believe him, that desperation had tasted like stress-sweat and metallic, not at all as mournful for Lt. Branagh. A deep-running, festered grudge was afoot here over something she’d done as a private investigator for sure, all the arrows were pointing at Vera going behind Chief Irons’ back and him being livid over whatever that was. The statistics of women falling victim to crimes of passion from men was something he couldn’t ignore even if he tried in this situation. He couldn’t just turn his back and let this play out.

And a child. His younger self was poking his sleeper of a bear paranoia about what the man could possibly want from Sherry, but his years at the academy immediately diagnosed it clinically clear. He was going to exchange her for something he wanted from Sherry’s mother. He was hasty, sloppy, impatient, could have acted harmless with them to get what he wanted, and Leon would have fallen for it the dutiful idiot that he was — but what happened instead was a shitshow, fear and irritation was pushing him. He was after something, and that gave him something lesser to worry about.

“They don’t have time Leon,” Claire said, taking a few steps back to the shallow stairway leading to some open door to the side of the garage gate. “I’m gonna go save them from that ACAB-proving son of a bitch and you’re welcome to come with me and I won’t blame you if you don’t want to, but if you try to stop me with hypocritical cop bullshit, my opinion of you will change irreversibly, got it?”

At the end of the day, Leon’s choice was obvious. His purpose was to help people, and if his superior officer had decided to expose himself to be eviler than the hell entrapping them to this nightmare, Leon’s duty was to put him to justice. That wasn’t exactly doable step-by-step at the moment, the city had fallen, so it was going to have to be the next best thing. Hostage rescue.

What came after that was entirely dependent on how cooperative the man was, but since incarceration was out of the question and there was basically nothing they could do about the quite literally collapsed justice system, Leon hoped it wouldn’t come to having to put him down.

He didn’t think he could hold it together any longer if he ended up killing a person.

“We should find another keycard first,” he said, the words were as faint as the puffs of mist his breathing created in the air before fading away, mixing with his prayers. Please stay safe. Please be safe. “We’ll get them back.”

“Yeah!” Claire’s whole face lit up, as angry as she was enthusiastic, shoulders and her back straightening in determined energy. “Damn right we will! Let’s go, he came from over there.”

Leon answered with a silent terse nod and holstered Matilda, and stopped Claire with a wave of his hand when it reminded him of something important. “I’m gonna take her stuff along with me.”

“Good thinking, Vera has a lot of loot in that bag. You’ll also have the magnum gun, now that it’s just the two of us, we’ll need any extra firepower we can get.”

“Ah, that’s—”

More practical than what he was thinking about.

“—right…” He completed, voice fizzling out as he shouldered the heavy backpack and rearranged his own inventory to work best with the new setup he had going on. Lightning Hawk went to his hip that was littered with grenades and flashbangs, shotgun to the very back, and Matilda ready in his hands. He couldn’t make eye contact with Claire the whole time.

Leon had attached a bit more sentimentality and meaning to not wanting to leave Vera’s backpack and weapons behind, and Claire’s approach left him somewhat embarrassed at himself. He couldn’t really voice that out loud though, and with his head down to hide his inappropriately flushed face, he followed her as they made their way to the unlocked north door just by the garage’s gate. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to have picked up on his rosy-cheeked silence.

A fallen barrel along with a car was blocking the way just to the right to another unlocked door signified by the green lighting above it, and if Vera were here, she would have informed them of where each door led to, the whole parking garage area was wild territory here and Leon was itching to scout first than to go headfirst into it, but he couldn’t waste any more time, each passing minute was crucial to Sherry and Vera’s wellbeing — first and foremost, inspecting the place the man had popped from was the priority.

They entered a concrete, dully gray walled hallway with a small wooden table at the end of it that continued to the left, which ended with an elevator similar to the one they had descended to the underground levels with, leaving Leon suspicious. The locked room just by the elevator had to be some sort of a control room for the elevator for it to have been made unavailable, getting his attention with the diamond shape on the metal door. The chief had either come from this room or the elevator, which would probably lead him to the blocked off wing of the station that they couldn’t access due to the shutters and the lack of the heart key.

This meant they had a way of going back to the station if the diamond key was around here.

Or. Or. He could just shoot the glass window to the control room. Leon, personally, had no patience or time to waste on going in circles about a hypothetical key that most likely wasn’t even on this level. They would have to get this done fast in case anything would be attracted by the noise.

“Get back,” he warned Claire, taking out Vera’s most prized Lightning Hawk out to one-shot this. The glass would surely be too thick for a normal handgun to bring it down in one go.

She quickly caught on what he intended to do. “I can use the submachine gun. Vera wouldn’t be too happy about us wasting the bullets she put her blood, sweat and tears into crafting.”

Leon made a flat noise at the back of his throat at that, stopping in his tracks that basically spelled. “Oh right,” above his head without putting it into words.

Lowering the magnum, “Alright,” he said, gesturing for her to take the stage. “Be careful.”

Claire glared at him softly, no vitriol behind it. “I know what I’m doing.”

He didn’t say anything back, hurrying to lock the door behind them just in case as the rapid firing and the ear-piercing shattering and glass raining down made him automatically flinch to crouch even though he wasn’t anywhere near it.

After all the noise died down, “I did it!” Claire called out to him, triumphant and out of breath.

“You okay?” Leon turned the corner. “You didn’t get glass on you or anything?”

“You worry too much, c’mon, help me up, I can’t hold on to the edges here.” Claire carefully stepped over the broken shards littered all over the floor. There really was no way of getting leverage from any part of the framing of the glass because of the spikes of shards that had remained after the assault of bullets just now, so Leon supported Claire to let her haul herself over to the other side. She had to knock over a fat pile of documents to get a better footing on the power control panel looking metal contraption. “I’ll look around, you stand there for now, we can get unexpected visitors.”

“Copy that,” he agreed, getting the hallway and the door he’d just locked to his twelve and giving his back to the wall with the table against it. He could hear the tinkling and crunching as Claire walked around on broken glass, but nothing from the other side of the door to the garage, no shuffling or zombies or anything throwing themselves on the door and banging on it to get in.

This area must be unbelievably big if nothing heard us, he thought.

When he was sure they wouldn’t be disturbed, Leon picked up the monthly magazine on top of the table, feeling weirded out why something like this was lying around in an isolated place like this.

Acid rose from his stomach when he noticed which page it was turned to, it was laying like that as if someone had flipped to that part specifically and had left it mid-reading. A photo of Chief Irons in uniform in the press room was spanning half the page. “Hey Claire, wanna know what I found?”

“What is it?”

“Check this out, the chief was featured in an article from a magazine. You don’t have to get over here, I’ll read it out loud.” He began upon the audible disgusted groan from Claire. “Who's the most feared, yet respected man in town? The answer should be obvious to any resident of our fair city. That's right! It's police chief Brian Irons: the man that scares the bejeezus out of criminals everywhere and stern father that loves every last one of us sinful citizens.”

“Oh my god, ew.”

“Chief Irons is known for his great charity work, including big contributions to the orphanage straight from his own pocket and the years and years spent as the director of it, support for abused women, art preservation, animal conservation — let us know if we've missed anything. Just when does our great hero sleep—-”

“Enough, I get the picture.” Leon could detect the repulsed shudder in her voice. “Someone must love sucking dick because none of that describes the piece of shit we just met. So not worth the money the author of this would have gotten in return. When does our great her sleep?— really? Really? More like, when is he working at all, because I’m positive he locks himself in his office and lets others do the work for him and pays off bootlickers like this idiot here to feed his ego.”

Leon of yesterday would have scoffed at that, trust fully placed in his boss he only knew from the acceptance letter written by him, and the plenty of articles he’d read prior to setting out for Raccoon City. Funny how things could change in a matter of minutes.

A blaring alarm resounded from the elevator thanks to something Claire had done, and he dropped the magazine he was looking at like some rotten food. She came out from the door right after, having unlocked it from the inside. “Our ride is ready.”

“Can’t wait,” Leon said flatly.

“Do you want to look around a bit more first or should we just—”

“This place is too huge for us to be done quickly. Isn’t it weird how all the noise we made didn’t attract anything?”

“Yeah, now that I think of it…”

“I don’t think it’s about us being lucky enough that none of those things made it down here, so it must be about how spread out this area is. Or that they’re locked up somehow, and spending time to find out is not a risk I’m willing to take when Vera and Sherry need us.” He pushed the button mounted to the right wall to the elevator, shifting on his feet anxiously and rolled his shoulders as he intently watched the cage door slid open. “Let’s get going.”

She was silent when they got inside and the gates closed, but asked, “Do you think Marvin’s turned?” as they started to ascend. “What do we do if he has?”

Leon flinched at that, he was desperately trying to focus on one thing at a time, and this question plunged him into the depths of guilt.

Albeit succumbing to silence on the matter, he knew why Marvin had chosen to be left behind, and it inspired admiration and respect in him the same way it did tragedy. This was one final sacrifice of a parent to spare his child from the trauma of a lifetime as much as it was to go out as a man and to not be seen as a monster, his one final act of defiance against what he couldn’t fight.

If Leon were to honor his wishes, he had to put a bullet in his brain the moment he came across him; but if he were to help Vera, he’d have to violate the dignity of a good man so she could have closure.

And he’d already chosen selfishly.

“I don’t know if I can put him down,” Leon admitted, in a moment of weakness. He didn’t even want to think about taking Vera back to her father in that state. Marvin’s wishes were clear as day, and he would stop her with all his strength for a chance to make up for failing the lieutenant. “I don’t think I have it in me.”

Claire’s silence was not of judgment, but unity — she thought the same too. Sure, they were desensitized and numb to horror by now, but it rendered their hearts more tender to tragedy. The skin may have formed calluses, yet it didn’t stretch to tear glands. “And if he’s still alive? How do we tell him his daughter was kidnapped? By the police chief, at that.”

That somehow sounded more complicated than the moral dilemma he was going through. Telling a dying man who had forced his daughter to abandon him for her own safety that she, in fact, was far from safe. Leon couldn’t imagine a passing more nightmarish than a flailing of helplessness, fear, and regret in a struggle to help someone precious but knowing death was devouring him alive. He couldn’t do that to Marvin.

Fuck, he hated this. Leon would rather go through a horde of zombies with limited ammo than do these mental and moral gymnastics.

“We have to lie to him,” Claire concluded, not waiting for Leon to answer, unable to take it anymore. “It’d be too cruel to tell him, he should at least have peace before… Before…”

There was no salvation in hollow mercies, but Leon would paint the lies a guiding white if it would lead Marvin to heaven. He owed his lieutenant that much.

Turns out, this was a personal shortcut to reach the parking garage faster, the balcony connecting the chief’s office to the elevator also belonged to him only too — an entire section in this station was designed for him and him only, and Leon didn’t know what to feel about it.

However, this criticism died down quickly when they got off the rain to the comfortably-heated mansion-room of a home office of his, one would think he actually lived here, that’s how luxuriously designed to his taste this office was. Mahogany adorned every corner, from the flooring to the cabinets, cupboards, and bookcases containing small art pieces and sculptures; as if to ignore the horrors outside of the room’s confines, a heavy musky and woody perfume fragrance stuck to the air, undisturbed in its elegance — and it dawned on him that nothing had stepped inside here except for Chief Irons, Claire and Leon.

It enraged the blond to no end that dozens of innocents were dying right under this man’s nose and he had willingly chosen to shut his door to their faces, let alone step outside of his little mancave here to care.

It simmered right below his skin, blistering his tongue from how close it was to erupting from him, and he made no sound of it, but one look from Claire to his anger-stained face having a staring contest with the taxidermied eagle on some table was enough for her to keep to her own examination around the room.

He had to breathe for a second and stop imagining his life, himself with this worthless garbage as a boss. Leon was in the wrong for automatically assuming he was someone to look up to just because of the hierarchy, he was so eager to expect the best of brothers and sisters in arms who were sharing the same occupation with him; and that naivete was a flaw, not a strength that he had prided himself in developing over time in to heal from what he had experienced.

For example, if Leon had maintained the status quo of a clueless graduate and was invited to his chief’s office for a pre-introduction lecture before tonight, he would have assumed the man just had other sources of income, side hustles, perhaps, or he simply came from old money, the taxidermied animals sure pointed at it — maybe he was into hunting rather than purchasing.

Leon wouldn’t question.

And now to think of it with a cooler head, all of this was beyond a mere police chief could hope to afford, the lone price of the giant oriental rug that laid underneath the opposing leather armchairs and the circular coffee table between them had to cover more than half his salary.

One quick look through his desk and the copy of emails sent to him by someone under the name W.B. proved the corruption and bribery, dollars to doughnuts.

Chilled to the marrow over the orders of killing anyone who got too close, Leon didn’t know he said, “G?” out loud until Claire made an inquiring sound. He raised the printed emails to wave at her, uncomfortable for other reasons than the cold sweat coating his back. “Found evidence I need for turning him in. He must have thought nobody could reach his office to leave these lying around in plain sight.”

“Turning him in.” Claire was about to laugh, closing the notebook she was flipping through with a thunk. “To whom? We’re on our own, Leon. He clearly knows this.”

“The station has a jail, I’ll take him there once we detain him. Surely this situation will die down soon, and it will get back to normal.” The annoyed, sharp undertone was not directed at Claire, but to himself. How embarrassing it was to have come to the conclusion right before his eyes, Leon had been too absorbed in self-pity to get it together when the lives of three people were depending on him, especially when one of them was being made to witness the loss of a parent, and a child was talking about her dead father like small talk over the grocery shop line — Leon had no right to think he had it hard.

Carefully stashing the documents in Vera’s backpack, he kept a stiff upper lip. “He will be taken to justice then.”

“You’re really convinced it’s only Raccoon?”

“If both of us were pretty uninformed and clueless coming in, I say it’s pretty contained,” Leon assured. “I don’t know how, but I have a feeling authorities will manage to keep it under control before it spreads. The farest it’s gotten has to be the gas station we met in. That’s something.”

“You’re really happy about that?”

“More like relieved.”

“I don’t know, Leon. There wasn’t any quarantine corridor around the city the last I checked.”

“Listen, we have to be optimistic, or what’s the point in staying alive? Why do we even fight? But we want to live, don’t we? I want to survive. I know you do, too. It’s not the primal instinct to fight for our lives that’s pushing us forward, it’s hope. Hope that somewhere out there is a safe place and we can get there, hope that Sherry and Vera are staying safe right now because that bastard wants something out of this — hope is all we have, but it’s no weaker than our weapons. If we abandon it right now, we’re not any more alive than the zombies out there.” Leon stopped to contemplate, blinking thrice in the short silence that hung heavier than the offending perfume of Irons sticking to the office’s walls. “In a way, to survive is to hope. For better days to come.”

“Jesus…” Claire was at a loss of words and Leon thought it could be the lack of any negative response left to say. “That was inspiring. Didn’t take you for a poet.”

And now Leon was shy. “I’m not a poet, I’m just someone who wants to help.”

Claire’s fragile smile dwindled at something he’d said, which in turn, got him worried. “Well, in regards to help, I’ve got none.” She threw the leather notebook in her hand dismissively on the coffee table, it made a slapping sound. “This is just a taxidermy log. I didn’t finish reading it, but I skimmed through. Nothing stuck out to me.”

“It’s still evidence,” Leon stated, buoyant, going over there and picking it back up regardless, wanting to see it for himself.

The format went with the name of the animal, the gender, how old it was at the time of capture, place of capture, and other statistics. Chief Irons had recorded everything down to the T.

“We don’t exactly have his license, so how else can we prove he is a taxidermist and connect it to the case of bribery?” He saw the one about the bear and his entire face fell to disbelief. “There are a couple of ways to prove this belongs to him, he can just deny it, y’know? But one of which is just to compare hand wri—”

Pig (Female, 22 years old)

Leon’s voice got snuffed out like a candle light as his breath hitched in a hiccup, jaw wavering a couple times, but not even a whistle could break through the gunshot of a trepidation that just numbed his brain.

Place of Capture: Raccoon City

There’s no way.

Length: 5'3" Weight: 110 lbs.

The further he read, the more icky and disgusting were the hot and cold chills that cascaded down his spine. He was ready to pray for this to not be the thing he thought it was.

The specimen's body is soft, sweet, and white all over. And it's all mine. Forever.

“Oh god,” he choked, beads of panic rolled down his temples and a couple black spots swam in his vision. Leon had never broken out in this amount of sweat in a matter of seconds before. The disgust had no room to coat his stomach, it didn’t even have time to — fear had kicked his abdominal cavity in like a reflex, his first thought was of Vera.

Claire’s uneasy question was coming from far away despite her standing right next to him. “What is it?”

And then it was anger that made his hands shake. He frantically flipped back, just to see any other red flags they might have missed, and grunted harshly when the pages wouldn’t slide under his fingers — until they didn’t anymore from the sweat his hands had started to generate.

I nearly came when I sliced its yellow belly open and its warm guts spilled out. I still smell of wild beast. This is the life.

What the fuck? What the actual fuck?

“We have to go,” Leon said, his ears starting to ring, pushing the notebook to Claire impatiently, not even waiting for her to finish reading the page that had hurled him to the edge of terror and disgust. “We have to get moving right fucking now.”

He was a paper and was being pulled from all four corners, and this was the ripping yank. There no longer was a more pressing matter to him than this — no worse horror he could conjure up.

And as usual, Leon was wrong.

Minutes later, they were standing before the corpse of Lieutenant Marvin Branagh with a hole in his skull and a gun in his loose, rigid hand; body in fetus position carefully snugged behind the goddess contraption like he wanted to hide.

To not be found.

As if it was the only place his last drops of strength could have afforded.

Even in his very last minutes he had thought of what his daughter would have to go through if she ever came back for him.

In Leon’s hand was the letter he left behind on the couch where they’d last seen him, it fluttered to the floor from his loose, shaking grip, and got soaked in the splotches of his blood. Claire put a hand over her mouth and turned away, sharp and loud breaths from her nose telltale signs of her holding back tears.

The man was the most peaceful and happy Leon had seen him.

Front hall of the orphanage had not changed one bit since the last time she was here a little over one decade ago, still the same wooden laminate floors and the colorful socializing tables, toys scattered everywhere, the receptionist’s table still the same mahogany to Irons’ nouveau riche taste, the smell of chalk and baby powder evident in the air. Even the scratches over the railing of the stairs from how much she and her friends liked to slide down had remained, and the repaired dent of the very first step from the accident where she had broken the whole wood in half was untouched.

Vera would be nostalgic to the point of tears if she wasn’t being held hostage with death definitely at the end of her journey right now. Her feet were duct taped to the legs of a chair, cuffed hands on her lap like she was in deep contemplation, and her torso also duct taped to the backrest of the said chair.

The only thing that’s changed was the “Doe-eyed Jane” exhibit covering the whole opposite wall that wasn’t there before. That was the reason Irons had her there like some audience in a theater, he was showing her how much he’d profited off of the legacy she chose to leave behind — that she hated.

The giant photo from top to bottom of her and the CEO of Umbrella Pharmaceuticals Oswell E. Spencer standing proud with one hand on her shoulder at some kind of formal award ceremony was right in the middle like some family portrait of royalty, and the trophies, her earlier creations in glass cages and countless articles of her at both sides of the photo creating a collage all seemed to belong to someone else. She couldn’t recognize the child as herself. Irons had shaped her entire personality to better fit the television back then, she barely remembered any of it in the first place.

Not that any of it mattered. Not anymore, at least.

This taunting would have worked one hour ago, when Leon was alive and she still had some fight left in her. A good, honest, brilliant young man was gone because of her — he was dutifully carrying out orders, hadn't even meant harm to anyone, and he would never, Leon didn't even have a mean bone in his body. A life was thrown away to prove a single point, that was the kind of person Brian Irons was. Someone who would lock a bunch of police officers that fully trusted in him and tell them they had to keep killing each other until one of them stood the victor to go free. Of course he'd shoot a promising rookie who was the glue holding their little survivors group together in a heartbeat to watch Vera crumble. It was the final Jenga piece to knock everything over.

And the world always took the best ones away, didn't it? Like you would pick the prettiest, most beautiful flowers out of a garden to be yours, Leon was gone with the wind just like that, along with her father. It was so unreal. She would do anything for all of this to be a dream, sit down and let all her teeth be ripped off her gums without making a peep by Irons if that’s what it took.

Vera thought she would have lost herself if the worst were to ever happen, thought she would end up crying blood from how she would yowl and scream like a wounded animal, that she’d lose herself from the pain, puke her insides out.

Yet, all loss left behind was nothingness, just as the word suggested. Vera wasn't even able to shed a single tear.

Someone had hit the lights off in her head, severing the connection her soul had to her body. She didn't know when she'd gotten that attached to the rookie cop to lose grip on the entire world after his death, and why this didn’t happen after accepting she’d lost Marvin for good. All emotions, all vitals in her body had simply flatlined after Leon.

Something stung and stung and trashed around somewhere trapped within, but Vera didn't feel it, not really. She was disconnected entirely, out of it the whole time, sanity having beaten down into a mush she couldn't shape back into the brain it used to be for a long while, and in that time period, Irons had apparently knocked her around like a violent kid playing with dolls before he'd given up due to what must have been the lack of reaction from her.

Which was an understatement, that's what she took out of it anyway, she was bound to this chair with a massive headache banging down on her other screaming injuries when her consciousness had fully emerged back to the surface.

In a fucked up turn of events, Vera had to thank her body for shutting down from all the emotional trauma because she sure wasn't a torture-trained soldier. Pain was crumpling her up and smoothing her over before beginning the cycle again right now, she could hardly remember how Irons had taken his anger out of her, but she sure felt she was some kind of violated playdough.

Her upper wisdom teeth were gone and still hadn't stopped bleeding, disgusting copper filling her mouth, she had to swallow over and over again so it wouldn't breach her lips. She was sure it was so bad at one point to have had spit a lot out, she'd found herself like a toddler that couldn't quite find her mouth with the spoon yet, heavy flows of blood had trickled down her chin to her neck and had ruined her pink top, making her look like she'd treated herself to some flesh like an undead. Her stomach was probably kicked, she could practically feel the purple, her lungs were being stabbed by her ribcage each time she inhaled.

Vera just hurt all over, and for the moment, it was her entire world, it didn’t leave room for other thoughts complicated in nature to occupy her mind, but the director's office opening still pierced through her haze, pattern recognition from the good old days springing back to life from its grave.

"Oh, you're awake? How wonderful." Proud as a playful, victorious predator playing with its food, his annoyingly slow footsteps stopped just behind the chair. "I'm glad everything seems to be in order."

Vera gulped down another mouthful of blood and spit. Her vision was swimming, blurry.

His hands came down on her shoulders, so fatherly it made her stomach churn, her body reacted to it the same way it would to an indigestible ingredient, she wanted to reel away from the touch. "I admit I've been a bit harsh, but you understand that, right? You have to understand, I mean, I cared about you, cared for you — treated you like a daughter, even. But the world outside of the orphanage has made you forget, obnoxious when I taught you better. What's there to not understand about why I'm doing this?"

Fucking hell, the roof her mouth was half the reason why the headache was about to split her skull open. Just nod your head. Just nod.

So Vera let him ramble on and have his moment, it wasn't as if she could do anything else, it was between provoking the bear or just waiting for it to strike in his own time.

"I've been nothing but supportive in the past, it was my personal objective that one of our unfortunate children would get to pursue their happiness and hobbies despite all the odds." His fingers thread through her wavy and blood-matted hair, pulling cruelly on the knots he found and jerking her head along. "I fed you, I clothed you, I prepared you for events, I've bought anything you could have ever wanted for your success. And even when you threw away your star spangled life and failed everybody around you to fucking play detective, I connected you to my station. I've given you everything. And what do I get in return?"

His hand fisted a handful of hair, bent her head back until it couldn't, and the bones holding her neck together constricted her breathing. This way, he could directly look her in the eye, but she couldn't — white stars were flying and bouncing around her field of vision, fresh blood swelled and bubbled down her locks from them wound his revolver had struck her in the parking garage. "The girl I dedicated my time and love to digging the ground under me like a fucking rat. I think I'm justified in my anger, wouldn't you say so? I've raised a turncoat."

It was at the tip of her tongue. He’d barely be in the orphanage anyway, even though her memory wasn’t the best, she knew it to be true, yet he took credit for everything, acted like he was her parent before Marvin, and that was the flame that lit up the life within her.

Irons saw that in her, interpreted it as success in bringing Vera to where he wanted, psychologically. He didn’t even hide the satisfaction. "I thought a walk down the memory lane would help. Look at that. I made that. I made all of that happen, how hard do you think I worked so that the people wouldn’t be apprehensive the moment they saw you? Even that posh fucker from the eighteenth century that probably gets his ass wiped by his servants flew to the states to see you because I made you."

Vera bit her tongue as he released her hair. She would gladly give him Doe-eyed Jane. It wasn’t her. It was true that he’d created, no, crafted that perfect little wonder child. All to his own benefit.

The only thing she couldn’t let go from Jane was the jabs that he made at her appearance, he constantly reminded her that nobody was able to look beyond it to take her real talent into consideration at first — insinuated that she deserved that until he got his way with her attitude, too. Jane had to be an angel to at least be accepted, nothing below that was tolerable for him.

He wanted so badly for Jane to be something else, it showed in the most harmless of ways: how he was peculiar about her makeup backstage to appear light-skinned and calling it normal procedure, for example. He’d never liked her for some kind of unknown reason she’d never figured out before being taken away by Marvin. The commentary about her from news anchors on TV mostly going, “She’s brilliant for a Middle Eastern child, isn’t she? I was surprised how sweet and intelligent she is,” had become more uncomfortable and less of something to celebrate over the years. Suddenly it was weird that she had been asked “Where are you really from?” in interviews one too many times for other reasons than the interviewer not knowing she was an orphan, the laughter when she would keep answering “Raccoon City” more sinister.

“Such a disappointment you’ve turned out to be. There wasn’t any news channel left in this country that didn’t feature you, the literal president of this country knew about you, and from that to having a basement apartment with nothing to your name? You’re that good at your work, huh? So good you fucking gave away your identity to a journalist who would obviously fucking snitch. Stupid bitch. Some genius you are.” The hatred hidden behind weaponized reasoning seeped into her skin, the gaze sizing her up from head to toe brought the contents of her stomach up her throat. “Should’ve believed my gut in the first place.”

He was going on and on about the same subject to hurt her, thinking he got the armored dragon right from her vulnerable soft belly, when she couldn’t care less.

“...didn’t hav’ to kill ‘im,” she croaked, liquid bubbling at the back of her throat. It surprised her that the first thought her body desired to voice was of Leon.

“Are you a shy elementary school girl? Raise your fucking voice.”

The words were a gurgle. “You didn’t. Have to kill him.”

“The rookie? Come on, I didn’t kill him, it was you.” Of course he wouldn’t give her a straight answer. There wasn’t one in the first place. He’d done it because he simply wanted to. “I have to applaud you there, he had it coming. You know what I hate the most? Goody-two-shoeses yammering on about justice but going against me, their own superior, over and over again — it’s horse shit. I point at where justice is, so they just have to listen. But do they? No. They have to be heroes. You know what happens to heroes? You just have to take a look at Greek mythology…” He snorted, degrading. “Not that you would know. You’d rather play with oil than read something once in your life.”

Leon had died for this. The sweetest, kindest boy she’d ever met. His life had been cut short just because Irons was in the mood for it.

Her blood boiled to a lava that could melt her skin right off, it brought her back to the cruel, pitiless hands of life.

“And your sorry excuse of a father encouraged it,” he said, delighted. “Visionless, both of you. Absolutely uncultured, uneducated… Hah. I should have blown him up like the others when I had the chance. Maybe I could have made you watch him scramble to save his friends.”

Something shifted in her, lit the spark of a forest fire, the hurt licked at her insides but she didn’t make a sound, just focused her unblinking gaze at one of her pictures on the wall in deep, consuming resentment, fashioning a gravestone for him at the back of her mind.

“Not even a little bit bothered by that?” A full-blown belly laugh ricocheted off the walls. “Poor Branagh. I don’t know what to be sad about. A daughter who doesn’t care about him the slightest, or a daughter who won’t be angry for her father.”

He and men like him thought of rage as an unfit clothing on women, claiming it for themselves, and it had to be nothing short of how they expressed it to be taken seriously. From that point of view, anger in women didn’t quite translate well, it either flowed in endless tears like the red shade of sadness, or simple hysteria so that they would make fun of it to invalidate.

Rage was so cold it burned. It was calculating. Lethal quiet.

Vera didn’t look angry, she was simply staring.

The way he took her father’s name in his mouth and chewed it around like it was molded food — she couldn’t stand that. This bird caca baboon could say anything about her and Vera wouldn’t bat an eye, she knew the truth, none of the guilt-tripping manipulation tactics could work on her ever, but her dad? Vera wanted to rip his tongue off for that before he eventually took her out of this world, just for that she wanted to live a bit longer and look for an opportunity to teach him a lesson about fuck around and find out.

Everything had gone to shit anyway, nothing was left anymore — nothing left to hold her back.

No time to die, Leon reminded her, as if he was right beside her.

No time to die for Vera until she made sure Irons got what he deserved. They were in hell. It was time he received his punishment.

“Sülalesini siktiğim göt lalesi bir susmadı ya. Anladık tamam amına koyayım, villain konuşması yan çarı işte. Kafam şişti dır dır dır, öff.” (1)

“What?” That got him to stop. If cursing in Turkish was going to agitate him so much that he’d step in front of her and glare her right in the eye, Vera would have done it right from the start. “This is the United States of America, girl, none of that Arabian bullshit. Speak English.”

“Orospu çocuğu!” She lurched forward with all her might, eyes maniacally wide open. “Yok, orospuya hakaret olur ya bir dakika.” Oh, how cathartic and therapeutic it was, nothing topped how creative you could be when cursing in Turkish. “Götünün suyunu emen minderinin fabrikasının müdürünü kulağından sikeyim lan amına bacağımı sokup yarım vole attığımın genetik artığı!” (2)

He backhanded her across the face for that, her head snapping to the right and neck popping from the force of the impact, she’d spit out the blood in her mouth in the process too, but all she did was laugh a little too much with a cackle to it like someone several bricks shy of a full road, her exposed teeth dark pink with spit full in view.

“Crazy bitch,” he recoiled back, visibly appalled by Vera. That’s right. There was a saying in Turkish about this. When a madman sees another, he hides his own weapon could be one translation of it. If her crazy topped Irons’, he’d be thrown off for sure, scared even. He was already breaking.

And for some reason, he checked the clock on his wrist. “I’m not done with you. Just you wait, I’ll wring every little drop of that sass out of you.”

Interesting, she thought. “Why not now? Going somewhere?”

“None of your—”

“Or waiting for someone?”

He caught her by the chin, squeezing so hard his nails left crescent marks on her cheeks. “I’d worry about myself if I were you. I still haven’t finished thanking you for Bertolucci.”

She smiled up at him, wanting so badly to spit all the blood in her mouth in his face, but that momentary anger release would have consequences that’d get in the way of her newly budding plans. So Vera abstained, and it took all of her willpower to do so, all limbs ramrod straight until he was back in his office, a knife-sharp scream of fury pressing up at her vocal cords. The classical music that had begun right after wouldn’t be enough to cover it if she wasn’t able to swallow it down, feeling like a cactus was going down her esophagus.

Vera wasn’t left alone with her thoughts for long, however. The pitter-patter of light steps made her look up to the second floor, thinking she was having hallucinative flashbacks to her childhood, but it was Sherry who appeared at the mouth of the stairwell.

She’d forgotten about the little girl.

The duct tape squeezed her torso painfully with her big inhale of surprise. She still thought she was seeing things until the terrified blonde stopped right in front of her and knocked some sense into her with a trembling hug.

Even though any contact with her body hurt and the little girl was squeezing her too much, Vera could only sigh in pity. She must have been above them all along, witnessing the slap and everything before it. “Oh, Sherry…”

“I’m sorry,” the girl sniffled, taking a few steps back, her widened, glistening, watery eyes all the more blue with the reddish tint because of crying. She didn’t know where to put her hands, and the amount of blood she saw was obviously scaring her. But not a strand of hair was out of place, not one crease in her outfit. She was untouched, thank goodness. It was easy to figure out the man had something he wanted from her, or her parents—“Are you okay? He hurt you so much, I’m so sorry.”

Vera cut her train of thought short at that. Sherry had nothing to apologize for. But the brunette knew this child had to keep apologizing a lot in her life to make things better, mostly for the things out of her control or weren’t her fault at all.

“I’m alright honey, better now that I see you’re okay too.” Her mind was racing, not able to hold on to one single coherent thought — if Leon was here, he’d be able to console the kid much better than she could. “He shouldn’t see you roaming around. How did you even sneak out?”

“I found scissors and—”

“What?” Excitement was a balloon in the pit of her stomach. “Do you still have the scissors?”

“Yeah!” Sherry took it out of her pocket, catching on quickly. “I can cut you free!”

Something about not running with scissors.

Vera’s smile could split her head open, she couldn’t stop it even though she was aware it could be disturbing for Sherry. “Attagirl,” she said, keeping an ear on the classical music. “Let’s do it.”

The holdback was that Sherry’s hands were shaking as she clamped the blades in the open curving space between where her back met the chair. When she managed to cut through the tape wrapping around Vera’s arms and ribs, the young woman gently took the scissors from the girl, the handcuffs around her wrists jingling, and squeezed her hands, grateful. “Thank you so much Sherry, you saved me, I can take it from here.” The girl was so fragile, so hesitant. Vera had to keep insisting. “I would have had to waste so much time ripping it with my fingernails if it weren’t for you.”

“I wish I could help more.”

Ripping the tape from her torso in one layer and finally being able to lean down to work on her legs, she said, “Trust me, you’ve been the best help I could have had here.”

Standing up proved to be harder than she initially thought, pain washing over her like a waterfall, and Sherry had to support her from the waist to keep Vera from falling. Her head had started to pound with a different kind of hurt, she was careful not to prod the pudding-soft flesh her ripped teeth had left behind their place, but the accidental brush from her stagger had made her see white for a few seconds, only capable of taking hollow, tiny breaths.

Calm it, she told herself. Calm it down, easy.

Sherry’s worry was drenching her voice. “Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?”

Her hands found the kid’s head, careful so the handcuffs wouldn’t scrape her, and pet her as gently as she could, not able to answer her verbally at first.

“Vera?”

“I’m good, I’m good.” She straightened, mentally trying to assess the damage done. I can do this. “It’s fine, Sherry. I just need a moment.”

“I’ll look out for you!”

Vera pursed her lips to stop a smile. “Thank you for that.” But Irons could be back any second, and the probability had to be the priority even when she knew he’d gone away for a reason. A lot of possibilities came to mind, but she really couldn’t afford stopping to weigh every single one. It wasn’t just her and Irons anymore, she had Sherry to worry about, Leon and Marvin would never forgive her if she let something happen to this child.

Once the ground wasn’t wobbly under her feet, and the breathing stopped hurting as much, she removed her cuffed hands from Sherry’s hair and made her look at her. “But I need you to hide, okay, honey? Do you see that table over there?”

She meant the receptionist’s desk resting crooked against the wall just before the Doe-Eyed Jane exhibition, creating a cavity Sherry could easily drop down into.

“Yeah.”

“You can come out when I say sesame. Anything besides that, you continue hiding and ignore me if you ever hear me say come out.”

“Okay, got it!” She hesitated. “What will you be doing?”

“I’ve got a monster to fell.”

For Leon.

Vera's Turkish cursing very poorly translated to English below:

"asshat i'll fuck your entire bloodline, stfu omg. ok we get it, walmart villain monologue or whatever, blah blah blah ffs my head's gonna explode" (1)

"Son of a bitch" "No, it'd be an insult to bitches. I'll fuck the director of the company that makes the chair pillows that your ass sweat soaks right in the ear, you genetic leftover - i'll put my entire leg in your cunt and throw a half volley" (2)

tagging: @ocappreciationtag

[babybutlerarthur]

Here are some headcannons to go with my series of mood baords

CGS:

Chase:

.One of Jackie's and JJ's cgs

.Jackie calls him Papa

.In a queer platonic relationship with Marvin

.Calls Jackie Little Man and JJ Dapper Dan

.He physically cannot be the stern one.  The Littles give him puppy dog eyes and he melts every time

.Having the Little around has actually helped with his mental health.  He's even been allowed to visit his own kids!

.Whenever Jackie comes over with a knew scrape or cut, he puts on a mock serious face and (in his best doctor voice that he got from watching House MD multiple times on repaeat) goes "what's the damage?" Upon which Jackie will giggle and request the superhero of the day. 

.Absolutely spoils his boys (in both affection and gifts)

.Whenever JJ wants to have a tea party, he'll let the little dress him up in all sorts of crazy outfits.  Anything to make the baby smile. He even makes some tea before hand (with the help of marvin) so it's cool enough for the baby to drink out of his special tea party bottle

Marvin:

.One of Jackie's and JJ's cgs.  Jackie calls him Dada

.In a Queer platonic relationship with Chase

.Laid back mostly, but has to be the stern one in their little family

.Uses his magic mostly to intertain the Littles, but he has been known to use his magic to drag Jackie into the tub. 

.Despite being the "iron" firs tof the family, the iron is more like brittle chocolate made to look like iron.  He'll do anything to see his boys happy.

.He has a strong distrust of Anti.  But, he trusts Henrik.  So, for now, he'll allow Anti to have playdates with Jackie.  But he'll be keeping an eye on him.

.Loves to play pretend with the kiddos.  The get the dress up trunk out and (ever the creative souls) he and Jackie will come up with stories for the two, three, or four of them to play together

.he makes pretend better by making illusions for the kids.

Henrik:

.He is the cg of Anti

.Possibly the only one who can handle Anti

.Gentle parent with a stern voice.

.His favorite show that Anti watches is Doc Mcstuffins.  He regularly sits down with the toddler to watch it.

.He tries to find better ways to let Anti vent his more destructive tendencies, like tearing paper into shapes or eating cherry jello with his fingers

.Has a tendency to mutter to himself in German while getting a sleepy toddler either down for a nap or up from one.

.He hardly ever looses his temper with the little, even when he's throwing a tantrum.  He just makes sure there's nothing around the little could use to hurt himself or others, let's him scream it out, then scoops him in his arms so they can talk about it.  This almost always ends up in the toddler falling asleep against him, having tired himself out both from the tantrum, and the big talk afterwards.

.He loves to spend time with Anti.  Whether that be reading, playing, teaching him things, or watching TV together.

LITTLES

Jackie

.One of Marvin and Chase's Littles

.Usually sits at around 4-6 years old

.He always has scraped knees and elbows, but he almost never cries.  Just runs over to his Dada and Papa with a big grin asking for a superhero bandaid.

.He adores his baby brother, and does everything he can to help with him (even at the expense of his parents.  They never stay mad at him though, since he was trying to help).

.Hates getting into the tub, hates getting out of the tub. 

.Tends to forget to pick up his toys, but his cgs are there to help him out.

.A very affectionate little boy. 

.He and Anti don't really get along, but not for his lack of trying!  (And he will continue to try until the toddler likes him!)

.He loves playing pretend! He normally plays a super hero (because they're the coolest), but sometimes he'll be the knight. Or, if JJ wants to be the knight, he'll be the princess!

Anti:

.Henrik's little, Calls him Vatti

.Usually sits around 2-3 years old

.Likes to cause problems on purpose, especially at the expense of others. 

.He's mischievous by nature.

.Add in teolportatiin powers and you've got a recipe for disaster.

.At first, he tried to push Henrik away by being extra mean to him, but the doctor didn't budge. 

.He has so many dark, menacing, and down right unsettling toys.  But his favorite is his Lambie plushy from Doc McStuffins. 

.If he looses her, he wails and the meanness crumbles and he wails until his Vatti gives him Lambie and lots of hugs.

.affectionate to one (1) person, and that person is Henrik.

.Jackie's cheerful energy and warm personality unnerve him, so he plays extra pranks on him.

.He likes squishing jello between his fingers, but he hates the clean up that happens afterward. 

.Throws tantrums.  Henrik just let's him get it all out before going to talk calmly with the little.

JJ:

.Chase and Marvin's youngest little

.usually around 0-1 year old

.he doesn't talk.  Usually opting to make graby hands or pat his cgs when he wants attention or wants something. 

.depending on where his headspace falls, he'll sometimes sign what he wants.  .Absolutely adores his baby dolls.  He likes to push them around in the little carriage.  It's a great way for him to get exercise.  She put him infront of the carraige and hand him a baby and he's entertained for hours

.loves bath time!  He likes splashing around in the water (bonus points for the fact he isnt the one who has to clean the bathroom after bath time)

.he doesn't throw tantrums.  Instead, he hiccups and cries (though, this is fairly uncommon.  He's usually pretty happy).

[youvereachedthebadend]

Are you already moving in with her?

"Hah... y-yes." Schneep smiles slightly, still looking a bit nervous.

"It's a big day!" Jack says encouragingly.

"The day is mostly over now," Schneep points out, gesturing at the evening sky outside.

"Hm... yeah, I guess it is."

How are you feeling, Henrik? JJ asks. You're very clearly nervous. Are you worried about things? Maybe getting cold feet?

Marvin grins mischievously. "You make it sound like he's getting married to her."

Well, they WERE about to get married before all this started, JJ points out.

"I-it's not like the wedding was coming up any day," Schneep says. "We had agreed we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, but we were only in the barest hints of the early days of planning the ceremony. I... I have a vague memory of us talking about only doing a courthouse wedding? And then having it be a big party?"

"Yeah, you guys were considering that just before, uh... everything," Chase confirms.

[iamfruitie]

A Fun Night Part 3 of 3

Part 1: Link

Part 2: Link

Chapter 3

Anti was casually strolling down the halls of the Hunters Headquarters, recognized at this point as not a threat, along with some other Demons that had Human mates, so he was left alone for the most part. He was heading to find Dark and drag him away for the day for some plans. 

“Hey, Host.” Anti greeted the leader of the Hunters. 

“Morning.” Host greeted back, his usual stride looking slightly off, and when Anti sniffed as he passed, he immediately knew what had happened the previous night. 

“Oh? Oh~!” Anti giggled and had the most wicked grin as he took off to do something that he did best.

Gossip. 

He started with most of the Demons, deciding he’d save telling JJ for when he told the Hunters. Anti snatched Henrik away from his work, got Marvin and Chase to follow him, and had Bing drag Google, and they all were at Mare and Phantom’s usual meeting place. 

“What is so important that you could not tell me in my office?” Henrik asked when they all settled. 

“Must be something big for Anti to be patient about spilling the tea.” Marvin giggled.

“I didn’t think Anti and patient could be two words in the same sentence.” Mare chuckled.

“Host had sex last night!” Anti blurted, grinning brightly despite the other Demons just looking at him. 

“And?” Google said flatly. 

“Host. You know. The Host. The Human mate of Night.” Anti waited and still didn’t get the reaction he wanted. “Host and Night fucked!” 

“How do you know?” Phantom asked. 

“I smelled him earlier, and his scent reeked of Night like usual but with that extra flair.” Anti danced his fingers in the air to add to his point. 

“Well shit, they actually did it,” Chase said. 

“We should send a card.” Marvin did a little shimmy. 

“Congrats on fucking?” Bing asked with a laugh. 

“They had sex, it’s not a big deal.” Google shrugged. 

“No, wait, we should send a card and gift baskets filled with anything they’d need.” Anti’s grin went from bright to mischievous. 

“Are you suggesting we send lube to our creator?” Mare asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m in.” 

x~x~x

Anti waited until later that day before finding the Hunters at Wilford’s bar. Mad had joined as well after Mare suggested going, not explaining why he should, but Mad’s curiosity got him there regardless. While Anti was busy with the Hunters, the Demons continued their work on the gifts.

“Did Host seem off to anyone else today?” Edward asked. “I tried speaking to him, but he just brushed me off.

“Everyone has an off day, especially when you’re in love with a Demon.” Dark softly chuckled. “But I did notice he wasn’t on his feet as much as usual. He’s normally one to get who he wants rather than calling.” 

“I swear I saw him wincing when he sat in his chair,” Jackie said.

“He better not have hurt himself and is stubborn about not being seen for it.” Edward huffed. 

“Oh, I’m sure if it was a problem, he’d come talk to you.” Wilford sat a fresh glass of beer in front of Edward. “You’re his favorite doc, after all.”  

“I can easily answer your questions~” Anti said with a purr, popping up in Dark’s lap and smiling at feeling Dark’s arms immediately wrapping around his waist in a hug to keep him up. 

“Usually, when you know the cause of something, it’s not a good thing,” Mad said. 

“Rude. But I will say it’s a good thing. A very good thing for Host and Night.” 

“Night? What does he have to do with it?” Dark asked. 

“Let’s just say that Host’s scent changed, and that tells me he and Night had some fun together.” Anti knew most of the Hunters would catch what he meant. 

“Oh!” Edward’s eyes widened. 

“Took them long enough.” Wilford chuckled as JJ came in from the back room. 

“I don’t get it,” Mad said.

“Were they playing games or something?” Jackie asked, not catching on at first, and took a drink.

“What did I miss?” JJ asked, having his voice project to everyone in the group. 

“Host and Night had sex.” Dark decided to answer very bluntly so Mad could catch on as well. Jackie spat his drink like in a cartoon and started coughing, punching at his chest to get air back in his lungs.

“They what?” He asked in a wheeze.

“Oh, I knew they were going to,” Mad said casually, taking a sip of his drink and lowering it when everyone looked at him. “What?” 

“How did you know about that?” Wilford asked. 

“Well-I-uh…” Mad cleared his throat and looked at Anti. “How could you tell that happened? Did one of them tell you?” 

“Fun fact about Demons is we can smell changes in scent, including sex scents. We can tell when someone’s had it, if someone’s had it, and who they had it with.” Anti explained, deciding to be nice and help Mad shift away from Wilford’s question. 

“You can…You can smell that?” Mad’s voice softened.

“We can, and I know you and Mare had your own fun last night as well~” Anti giggled at seeing Mad stiffening and going red in the face. His niceness could only last for so long.

“Alright, alright, enough teasing,” Dark said, tightening his hug on Anti slightly. “And you need to leave Host and Night alone about this. I know how you are, and the last thing you need is both of them pissed at you.” 

“But Darky~” 

“No, don’t ‘but Darky’ me, I’m serious.” 

“Ugh, fine.” Anti pouted, but he still had no plans on stopping the gifts that were going to be appearing at Host’s front door later that night. 

x~x~x

Night appeared in Host’s home and found his favorite Human sitting on the couch, relaxing with his head tilted back as he listened to the TV. 

“Has today been odd for you as well?” Night asked. 

“How do you mean by odd?” Host lifted his head and rocked it to stretch out his neck. 

“Some looks and soft laughter? I could feel eyes on me and not in the usual ‘fearing for their lives’ way.” 

“I felt eyes and could hear whispers. I had assumed some gossip was going around. Despite how chaotic and eventful our lives are, even Hunters get caught up when there’s some exciting news.” 

“I can’t get over the feeling the gossip is about us.” Night clicked his tongue. 

“Why would that be?” Host didn’t get a verbal answer as there was a knock on the door. 

“Gossip ranges in a vast variety.” Night said as he opened the door, brow raising at not seeing anyone there, and when he glanced down, he was not expecting to see several colorful wrapped baskets. “Is there a Human holiday today that I’m missing?” 

“No. It’s just an average day. Why?” 

“There are gifts.” 

“Gifts?” Host stood as Night gathered the baskets and carried them in, using his foot to close the door before taking them into the kitchen and placing them on the table. 

“There’s several baskets. Some roses sticking out of them, but I can’t see what’s inside them with all this wrapping.” Night explained as he started pulling off the basket’s covering. “It smells of the Demons your Hunters are infatuated with.”

“Are there any cards?” Host asked. 

“There’s one.” Night hummed and took the single envelope. He opened it and unfolded the card. “It’s just says ‘congratulations’?” 

“Congratulations? For what?” Host started helping with removing the wrapping. There was almost an endless amount of layers of paper and plastic. 

“Maybe there’s-you have to be kidding me.” Night tensed up when he saw what the actual gifts were. 

“What? What’s in…” Host’s voice trailed off when he found one of the items. “Is that a…” 

“A dildo.” Night finished with an annoyed grunt. “And lube and handcuffs and rope and other sex toys.” Host couldn’t find words yet and just cleared his throat. “I am so killing all of them.” 

“All of who?” Host had to clear his throat again before speaking. 

“Whoever decided to share what we did and everyone they told.” Night couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed or pissed, so it became a combination of both. 

“I mean, they would have figured out eventually. But…” Host chewed his lip as he reached around and found one of the lube bottles. “Maybe we could take advantage of our new supplies?” He heard Night’s breath hitch a little at the offer.

“You’re saying that to distract me from hunting down the others, aren’t you?” 

“Yes and no.”

“I’m okay with that.” Night grabbed Host with one arm and one of the baskets with the other and carried both to the bedroom. 

[youngeditor1999]

I feel like a spiritual sequel to “80 for Brady” would be “Draft Dodgers for Rodgers” in which 4 ancient hippies from the Vietnam era (Steve Buscemi, Geoffrey Rush, Al Pacino, John Goodman) sneak across the border from Canada in an attempt to watch fellow hippie Aaron Rodgers get to his second Super Bowl at age 54. Martin Kove plays a hard nosed yet incompetent cop trying to catch them. Bakh and Cobb are there too. Christopher Walken makes an appearance because it’s that kind of movie. There’s at least 1 extended ayahuasca hallucination scene. Everybody ends up getting covid

Alright, anon, here I am, ✨FINALLY✨ publishing your amazing and funny idea!!!

It took me a minute (ok, a few days...👀🤭😜💓) because I wanted to find clips and pictures for all of everything you have describe. 😊🌟💯🔥

First and foremost, I would so go see this movie if it were real. (For context, I saw 80 for Brady the weekend it was released because of course I did 😅💞)

This idea overall sounds silly, entertaining a.f. and all around like a good time!!

To add onto your idea:

It would at least have to be rated PG-13, especially because of the ayahuasca hallucination scene. I also suspect that there will be a bit of swearing, heavy partying and drinking, too. PLUS not to mention that they are on the run from the law and that will provide a whole 'nother set of mischievous/dubious acts. 😏😉😝

Real quick, for those who might not know, this is what Google says the definition of "ayahuasca" is:

"A South American psychoactive and entheogenic brewed drink traditionally used both socially and as a ceremonial or shamanic spiritual medicine among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin, and more recently in North America and Europe."

(In other words, hippie tea 😅☮️🫖🍵)

Now, as for who's gonna direct this amazing monstrosity, I have pulled together three options.

There's Kyle Marvin, who directed 80 for Brady.

Then I have Peter Segal, who directed two of my personal favorites, Tommy Boy and 50 First Dates.

Last but not least, there's Dennie Gordon as an option. Dennie was the director of the first Joe Dirt movie (comedy writer Fred Wolf directed the second).

Either one of these three would be wonderful and would understand that there is a more deeper heart and soul in the middle of this otherwise goofy flick. (:

Next:

Anon, you and I seem to understand each other, so I'm gonna go ahead and say that we can be co-screenwriters and executive producers for this!!!

If we really were out to make this, that is. 🤭😊🤓

ALSO!!! Draft Dodgers for Rodgers is an EXCELLENT title; I love it a lot and am really proud of you for coming up with this title (and the idea in general, of course!!)!!

Now, before moving on to everything else, I must discuss this film's soundtrack.

Clearly there's gonna be a lot of classic rock and older country tunes because that's the era that these men are from.

The classic rock is not gonna be anything too rough/screamy/meataly, though...I'm primarily thinking about stuff from the mid 60's and most of the 70's. Cover songs from and during this era are absolutely acceptable. 😌

Also, because this is an Aaron Rodgers movie, there has got to be a few Taylor Swift songs mixed in as well!!

I don't know if he can, but Aaron can try to pick put his top three tracks from each album/era as songs to possibly put into the overall end product.

And you know what, while we're at it...

Dolly Parton recorded a new, original song specifically for 80 for Brady so whose to say that Taylor couldn't do the same for this movie?!

Her fans, Aaron included, would be very likely to love it, no matter what it sounds like. (:

Now, to address all of your points...!!

I'd like to take a moment to share the other ask you sent me after I wrote this (the first post, hehe).

Replacing Geoffrey Rush with Jeff Bridges was a really great call; I'm so glad that you remembered Aaron's obsession with The Big Lebowski and the exact sweater that he copied from that movie!!! For everyone's viewing pleasure, here is Aaron wearing said sweater next to a still of Jeff's character (named The Dude) wearing the sweater.

Also, I wouldn't be me if I didn't find pictures of the rest of this hypothetical cast, just so that everyone knows for sure what these guys look like.

Top Left: Jeff Bridges

Top Right: Al Pacino

Middle Left: Steve Buscemi

Middle Middle: John Goodman

Middle Right: Martin Kove

Bottom Left: Christopher Walken

(And yes, that is a picture of Geoffrey Rush (bottom right) because even though Jeff Bridges replaced him, people still deserve to know he looks like in case they don't!!)

Additionally, saying that Weird Al should perform his Jeopardy Song was brilliant!! Fans of Aaron know that he loves Jeopardy and even got the chance to participate in some game, as seen here and here. (He also had the opportunity to host once, but the only clip that I could find of that was this. 😩)

P.S.-Here is the Jeopardy song for those who don't know it 🙂

THIS IS PART ONE!!!

I'm gonna reblog for Part Two because I have a few more pictures to share but for some reason, Tumblr won't let me add any more photos to this current post. 😒🙄☹️

[the-haunted-office]

"Hey Marvin what is the meaning of life?"

Katsuko says with a mischievous grin

@katsuko-rp-blog

"Oh, we went on a whole adventure to answer that one. The answer was 42. That's not by my calculations either - that was provided by the super computer called Deep Thought, so if you have any further questions you might want to consult them."

[franklyshipping]

Neeext masterpost update!

A Ticklish Reunion ~ SFW, Platonic Yancy, Illinois and other prisoners. When Illinois starts telling Yancy’s prison family embarrassing stories about him, Yancy shows him just what happens to cheeky little shits in their prison. Ticklish Illinois.

Dinner Is Served ~ SFW, Romantic Marvin and Jackie + Platonic Dark and Silver. Jackie, Dark and Silver are flattered when Marvin invites them to a special dinner... but when their meals have a unique effect on them, they realise that Marvin’s intentions were a tad more mischievous than they first thought. Ticklish Jackie, Dark and Silver. 

Tickling His Guard Down ~ SFW, Platonic FNAF Guard and Wilford. Upon spontaneously discovering Guard’s residence in the manor, Wilford decides to get the guy out of shell with a slightly hands-on method. Ticklish FNAF Guard.

There Is Warmth In The Cold (Code Cold Part 2) ~ SFW, Platonic Dark and Eric. In a manor-wide game of hide and seek, Eric becomes the first to fall prey to the icy-fingered seeker (and verified tickle monster)… Darkiplier. Ticklish Eric.