#oc: time/maecetis

[the-whispers-of-death]

Crossroads

TW: Grief, Revenge Killing, Slight Gore

So I've decided that since I don't really have a masterlist of the Stone variants but rather just a list (because Tumblr search is too wonky for me to try and find everything I've ever posted about the Stone variants), I decided that I would just have a story post about a vital moment in each Stone variant's life.

This one's about Serial Killer!Stone and it's how he found out that his story ends in a tragedy. Well, sort of. He's not exactly told, per se.... It'll make sense when you're reading the rest of this.

So let me stop rambling!

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Stone stood at Kali's headstone, uncaring about how harsh the rain was pouring down onto him. His old Marine uniform was getting soaked along with his hair, it sticking to his skin and covering his view of the words he had memorized over the past few months.

In Loving Memory of

Ashok Manish Kumar

June 6, 1989 - November 13, 2018

A son, a veteran, and a soon-to-be fiancé. May he rest in peace.

Despite being the one to have had those words engraved on the headstone, they still made Stone's fists curl up as his chest felt heavy. His breaths came out in short, shaky puffs, his eyes prickling with tears that he could barely hold back.

It wasn't fair, he thought to himself. It wasn't fair that Kali wasn't here and it definitely wasn't fair that Kali's killer had been acquitted.

It had been two weeks since the trial for Kali's murderer had ended with the jury acquitting said killer and time did not soothe Stone's anger. He felt bitter at the judge, the jury, at the world.

And he just knew that the murderer had only been acquitted because the jury had been bribed, hell even the judge was bribed. Corruption and crime ran rampant in this city and everyone turned a blind eye to it.

No longer.

Stone took a deep, steady breath before turning on his heel and leaving the cemetery. Despite how odd he looked wearing his uniform and not having an umbrella, he blended in easily with the crowd, keeping his head down as he walked to his destination.

Fury and a sense of righteousness fueled every step he took as he neared the alley where he knew Kali's murderer, that damned Jacob Nelson, was getting high with his friends.

The same alley where Kali was murdered.

He reached over to grab his sidearm from its holster, his brown eyes dark with vengeance. He cocked the safety off and took a step into the alley.

Only, the alleyway changed into somewhere with strands of gold all around him. The energy in this place was charged, like he was at the source of everything in the universe. And he wasn't alone.

There was a very tall, brown-skinned woman—no, not a woman. Stone was in the presence of a goddess.

He could tell by the way her eyes are just two balls of light, the golden balls making it hard for him to look at her face. But what little he could see of her, he could make out that she looked ethereal. The golden strands around him were all connected to her, wrapped around her fingers and limbs.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice cold as always ever since Kali got killed. He lifted one hand to block out some of the light that was pouring out at of her.

The goddess smiled, her elongated canines showing and glinting in the natural light she exuded. "Mm, you should be careful whose names you ask for, Vikram. Names have meaning and you wouldn't want to give a dangerous deity more power than they already have," she said, her accent thick but indistinguishable.

It was like she was not even of this universe, which Stone didn't exactly think was possible. Especially since she knew his real name.

"But you have nothing to fear from me, though you would not be able to pronounce my name even if you tried," she continued, her head tilting in thought as to what Stone could call her. She thought for a while before humming in content. "You can call me... Time."

Stone narrowed his eyes at her, briefly wanting to roll them at the way she seemed to view herself so highly to call herself "Time".

"Alright, Time, what do you want with me?" His voice was laced with wariness, not trusting her in the slightest.

After all, he did have a murderer to kill.

Time didn't seem bothered by his wariness. "I know what you're about to do, Vikram. You're about to kill your beloved boyfriend's killer," she announced, like she was announcing the weather. "And I'm here to try and stop you."

"Stop me? Why?"

"Because, Vikram, if you do this..." She paused before stroking one of the golden strands attached to her and then letting it go. "If you do this, your future will be set into stone. You're at a crossroads, dear mortal. You have the power to turn away and to get a life of happiness again, or you can kill Jacob Nelson and cement your future as one that ends in tragedy."

"Why is this moment in particular special?" Stone asked, huffing at the notion. "Who's to say my fate can't change down the line?"

Time's power increased, causing the golden strands to get brighter. "Once you start killing in the name of justice, you won't stop. I've seen it, Vikram Mishra." Her voice was dark, full of anger and she tugged on the golden strands connected to her, drawing Stone's eyes to them.

"These golden strands are timelines and I see them all. Past, present, future of all every single universe. That is why I am Time. And all I have seen, in every variation of your universe that I can see, you will never stop killing in the name of justice once you start. And from then on, you will take the weight of the world on your shoulders, you will burden yourself with every guilt one could possibly place on themselves. You will be hunted for your crimes and you will die the way you've spent most of your life, alone."

Her power softened, bright but less so. "That is only if you kill Jacob Nelson," she murmured, her voice soft like her power. "You still have time to give yourself the happy ending you want. Do not let grief stand in the way of what Ashok wanted for you."

"Don't say his name like you knew him," Stone said with a growl. He tightened his hold on the gun in his hands. "He was everything to me, the ground I walked on. Life is already a tragedy without him."

"Don't do this," Time repeated, eyeing him with a stare so intense, Stone felt it in the core of his very being.

A pocket of space opened up, one that would send Stone back into that alleyway. A way for Stone to come back to what he was planning on doing, to get the justice he was itching for.

He had opened it, his grief too raw for the goddess to contain.

"Don't step through there, Vikram! Go home! Go home and get your happy ending."

Stone raised his gun, prepared to shoot as soon as he stepped through the pocket of space.

It was tempting to abandon his need for justice, to try and heal like Ashok probably wanted him to. But Ashok wasn't here to tell him to let go of his anger.

"I can't. Justice must be served."

With those words, Stone stepped through the pocket of space and as soon as he saw Jacob Nelson in his sights, he went for a headshot. The shot rang out and rang true.

Nelson's friends abandoned his corpse, scrambling when the blood splattered across their bodies. Curses filled the air, all of them not wanting to be the next one on Stone's list.

Soon, only Stone and Nelson's corpse were in the alleyway. Stone felt the air get heavy, like his fate was cementing and if Time was right, then it was. And Stone didn't have the will to care about it.

He cocked the safety back on the gun and waited for it to cool, watching the blood on the ground flow into the sewers with the rain. The air smelled like gunpowder mixed with the rain, but it calmed him nonetheless.

"For Ashok, I'll kill every criminal. I will be Justice and damn my own fate," he murmured into the night.

When the sirens sounded like they were coming closer, he disappeared, already planning his next kill.

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Did I also take this as an opportunity to insert one of the deities in the new pantheon/OCs I'm creating? Yes, yes I did.

So technically, Serial Killer!Stone wasn't just told about his fate, he also chose it. Also, he sounded a bit like the Dark Knight there at the end, whoops.

Reblogs are welcomed & appreciated! Asks are open, feel free to pop in and request something! (Check the rules in "Rules for Requesting NSFW" before requesting.)

[jupiter-reimagined]

Maecetis, what do you have to say to this?

Maecetis, looking up from the golden strands of time around her limbs: Oh, so now you remember I exist?

Me: Are you also mad that I haven't paid attention to you?

Maecetis: You were supposed to create the rest of my pantheon, my family. But no, you created several more COD OCs and a stupid, not-fleshed out fire fantasy OC.

Me: Look, can I kill SK!Stone in an alley or not?

Maecetis: No. It's not his time yet.

Okay, I guess you get your wish. SK!Stone gets to suffer alive and alone for now.

YIPEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

but rip time. i do keep thinking about her

[the-whispers-of-death]

i think sk!mārīte straight up just shut down in my head. shes disassociating so hard. shes not on the planet with us anymore lads

but shes also vaguely staring in the direction of maecetis like a kicked puppy and. girl. you were warned *by* her to not do this. what do you expect her to do now, huh?? sigh.

i think the mārīte next to me in the brain is just a husk. theres not a single thought behind those eyes and i mean that in a bad, scary way. shes scaring me a little, actually.

shes saying she wants to strangle me now for making her do this, but alas, shes the one who went out of her way to kill a man

Maecetis, after staring at Serial Killer!Mārīte's universe for a while: Alright, I can reverse time so you can change your decision, my dearest. But only if you actually change what you've done. You can do that, can't you? My beloved High Priestess is somewhere inside of you, even if you are a variant.

Serial Killer!Stone: You didn't do that for me!

Maecetis: You do not regret what you've done. In the end, you'd waste the offer of changing your decision.

Welp, Serial Killer!Māríte is now back at the moment Maecetis begged her not to kill Sylvester and Sammy's killer, but she maintained her old memories (which will be erased once she chooses not to kill the man) so that she knows what will happen if she goes down that path.

[the-whispers-of-death]

oh god have an even worse au offer: serial killer!stone except mārīte ends up staying alive. so. only kali and sylvester die there. god it'd be a mess

Serial Killer!Stone: Uhh, I don't think I'd turn to killing if Mārīte was still alive. I wouldn't want to make her go on the run or deal with law enforcement if she doesn't go on the run with me.

Serial Killer!Stone is being a party pooper.

Gasp, imagine that instead of Stone turning to killing, Mārīte does. There's so many more reasons for why Maecetis goes to Mārīte and tells her not to go down this route than a reason for why the goddess did it for Serial Killer!Stone.

Because Maecetis sees High Priestess!Mārīte in every Mārīte variant she sees and her heart hurts to see a reality where Mārīte's life will end in tragedy. So she comes to Mārīte, tells her what's in store if she goes through killing her father's killer, and literally begs her not to go down this path.

And her heart breaks when Mārīte doesn't heed her words and cements her fate in this universe.

[the-whispers-of-death]

high priestess!mārīte is complimenting her goddess so hard. shes saying maecetis looks so pretty, as always, and is currently making her something as an offering. someone as stunning and incredible and just godly as her deserves just the best, and the best, of course, is her own work <3

she might just crochet. shes saying she likes crochet, and is weaving in strands of gold. how, i dont know, but she's doing it.

guess maecetis is getting a headscarf <3 to match her other outfits <3

Maecetis is smiling so much and she (surprisingly) stumbles over her words as she compliments High Priestess!Mārīte back. She's like "Oh, I'm pretty? High praises coming from the most beautiful high priestess."

She's not used to offerings (because she never had a priestess before), but she cherishes each and every one Mārīter gives her. She's going to love that headscarf.

[the-whispers-of-death]

high priestess!mārīte is just sorta scooting forwards to maecetis. shes happy to see her :)

Maecetis hugs High Priestess!Mārīte, because her favorite (she's literally your only priestess, Maecetis) priestess deserves a hug. And Māríte gets a pat on the head too.

[the-whispers-of-death]

no thoughts just high priestess!mārīte again. shes moving into the brain room with me. uh. hey girl. i guess.

shes pulling up a little stool and sitting down next to me as i type this. shes saying hi to you. and i genuinely dont know what the hell she wants or what shes up to but shes here

Hi, High Priestess!Mārīte. OC thoughts aren't thinking, except Maecetis did push me out of the way and now she's sitting here.

So I guess her and High Priestess!Mārīte can sit together.

[the-whispers-of-death]

god!butcher, seeing serial killer!stone in god!sylvester's temple: YIKES. *thats* who you settled for in a different universe? yeesh. i dont know who i feel more sorry for

i... okay there was no need for all of *that*. wow.

its.. not like he'd be seeing much of high priestess!mārīte. she probably has to deal with maecetis having a major damn headache over the fact that a fellow god (who was supposed to be on her "side") took in that little rat man

i need to see god!stone interacting with serial killer!stone

... god!sylvester is asking sk!stone if he knows that he can never replace his au's sylvester. he has none of the memories.

god... imagining sk!stone going off and being like "oh, do you remember that time when we [x]" and.. its just something that god!sylvester wasnt there for. stone's mind is so muddled already, that he cant bare to be like "no... i dont." so he instead lets him go on with "ah? not quite. care to remind me?"

... hes treating serial killer stone like a pet methinks. sigh.

Maecetis, to God!Sylvester: What the fuck? You can't just keep Serial Killer!Stone.

God!Stone is avoiding God!Sylvester's temple because he has heard through the grapevine that Serial Killer!Stone's mind is fragile right now and he worries that since Serial Killer!Stone thinks he's home with Sylvester, then seeing a variant of himself would do damage to his already fraying mind. So he's going to avoid meeting his fellow variant for as long as he can.

Meanwhile, Serial Killer!Stone is just thinking that Sylvester has a bit of terrible memory right now and just "reminds" him of what he was talking about. He's fully immersed in his belief that everything's fine and he's even excused Mārīte's absence by being like "Oh, she's just working. She'll come home soon."

I'm staring at Serial Killer!Stone because I did not know his mind would fracture like this. He's gone to universes where Kali's alive and hasn't fractured like this, but I suppose since in this variation of his AU, he's lost three people and that was his breaking point. He seems more unstable than he usually is.

[the-whispers-of-death]

maecetis once again ruining scientist!sylvester's day. based. i support her

Maecetis is side-eyeing me because "These are the OCs who run around your head constantly? Seriously? Them?" And oof, Kali and Stone are catching strays.

[the-whispers-of-death]

scientsit!sylvester: oh shit fr? that was easy. well. who am i to look a gift horse in the mouth :)

kali. babes. hes neither a licenses scientist *nor* a doctor. but. he does have spare animal eyes in jars. so. this ones on you man

Kali: Okay—

Maecetis, grabbing Kali before he can walk over to Scientist!Sylvester and turns to me: Do I have to do everything around here?

Me: I couldn't stop him.

Maecetis, sighing: I guess it's up to me to keep the universe intact. Kali has become blind and he can't regain his sight, no matter how hard he may try.

Maecetis, my love, keeping universe intact is your job. However, yeah, I should've tried to stop Kali myself.

[the-whispers-of-death]

god!sylvester: ... sure. if you want to.

rip to the high priest. i dont know what his deal is and hes there. just staring at them blankly

i think the ocs can sense i was aboutta hornypost (hornydraw?)

anyways mārīte goes off with Time, if shes still offering the position of priestess

God!Stone is so happy to be kissing God!Sylvester and it definitely shows in his kissing. Please forgive him, Sylvester, you're the first being he's ever kissed.

Yeah, Maecetis' offer off high priestess still stands, so yay for Mārīte gaining immortality. Have fun in that very bright, very lonely realm, because it's just you and her there because you two are the only ones who will be able to survive in the realm.

[the-whispers-of-death]

quick! spray time with water too and resurrect serial killer!stone's kali while shes not looking! she cant stop us all! (<- she can 100% stop us but. imagine for the bit and it working dhfkgds)

Time, knowing this will end badly so she ends up playing along: Oh noo, you're overwhelming me! With water!

Oh look, Serial Killer!Stone's Kali is alive now. Serial Killer!Stone is quickly moving them both to an uninhabited universe so Time can't get them. (That won't work, but they don't know that yet.)

[the-whispers-of-death]

"Serial Killer!Stone wants to know what your problem with him is, he's not even doing anything" NUH UH???? im still salty over him fucking up the magic user!reader x criminal!stone x serial killer!stone x ghost!kali au. no im not taking any responsibility for making it crumble apart. its his fault and his alone /j ((,, but i liked that au. i think reader went to magic prison there and that was that lmao. get got bozo))

i dont trust him with crossover aus anymore because time is watching his ass too closely. so. woe water be upon thee, you prick

also considering i sleep like. really weirdly in beds, chances are im laying on top of both knight!kali and criminal!stone so. hope they have fun with that

((im not joking. i barely use pillows and half the time i wake up perpendicular to them and with my head hanging out of the bed. rip my neck cuz that shit hurts but we stay silly))

Serial Killer!Stone: Time is not watching my ass closely!

Time, staring at him from behind: Yes, I am.

Serial Killer!Stone: *screech*

Anyways, Criminal!Stone and Knight!Kali don't mind if you end up laying on top of them. They're just happy that you're sleeping. Also, your weight on them is nice. Please don't leave.

[the-whispers-of-death]

also. staring at this line still

is it like a proper prophecy she's giving mārīte, by just saying "yes you *will* be my high priestess, you dont have a choice in the matter"?? cuz. damn lady, if thats the case. well.. idk.

i do wonder if she says that to everyone she meets though... i wouldnt put it past her, even if that is a little fucked up

but as always. uh. immortality comes into question. i doubt that she'd be pleased that her (mostly) human priestess would die so soon, when she has always been around

and that also ropes in sylvester. cuz. uhh. excuse me ma'am, but youre giving him a midlife crisis and hes now even more painfully aware of his mortality than before

Haha, no, she's not giving a prophecy. She doesn't like to tell people what will happen to them because then they might try and change what happens and most times, it's a fixed point in time and thus can't be changed. She said it because she was hoping that was the way to get Mārīte to be her high priestess when she grows up. (Look, blame it on the lack of sleep Maecetis has had, okay.)

As for the immortality, or the lack of immortality, every high priest(ess) (except High Priest!Sarabi, since he was already immortal) is granted immortality by the deity they worship. It's because they were given the title high priest(ess) since they were so devoted and no deity wants to lose that. Unless of course the high priest(ess) they want is supposed to die at a certain time and place to ensure other events happen, then they don't get the title of high priest(ess) and the immortality.

But as of now, no one has ever had a potential high priest(ess) whose death was necessary for certain events to happen.

[the-whispers-of-death]

sylvester, seeing maecetis sleeping in the temple: ... okay does anyone wanna explain all of that real quick..? who is she, and why is high pries!sarabi being ultra levels of formal??

High Priest!Sarabi: Lady Maecetis is the Goddess of Time and Fate, actually she is Time herself. All of the timelines of every universe are wrapped around her because she's the one who keeps the universe balanced by ensuring some deaths aren't quicker than usual or that some deaths never pass for they would unbalance the universe and send it collapsing. She deserves every formality in the book.

God!Stone: As for why she's sleeping here, her home realm is very lonely and basically inhabitable for everyone except her so no one can really keep her company. She also doesn't get much sleep in her home realm with all of the strands of the timelines in the universes wrapped around her limbs. Very uncomfortable, apparently.

Love how High Priest!Sarabi is like "We should all be bowing down to her, she's the closest thing to the holy chasm that created the first ever living beings." And God!Stone's like "She's just a lonely goddess, okay?"

[the-whispers-of-death]

sylvester, staring at Time: hey chat, is this bad?

high priest!butcher: ... probably?

rip sylvester. he has no idea whats going on anymore

High Priest!Sarabi: I don't know what's wrong with Lady Maecetis.

God!Stone is just pulling Maecetis away from Mārīte and is like "Come, rest. Just... leave the girl alone. She doesn't know about the deities yet."

Maecetis is just suffering, all she hears and sees nowadays are variations of every timeline in every universe. She's lonely with only Fate to keep her company, let her be weird.

God!Vincent, your boyfriend (are you and God!Stone official? Fuck it) is having a goddess sleep in his temple. But you can't really complain because your boyfriend's the God of Sanctuary and she desperately needs a place to sleep. (Does she even usually sleep? Probably not.)