#until they can dubiously get my consent

[ant-diary]

I think I have maybe decided to tell someone I no longer want to be friends with them, but I'm wondering if I should give it a few more days before I commit to it

[girlnadian]

evilkenfies collaring dubiously in the same verse as corruption begins with the mouth. you could consider it canon or you could consider it not canon. i dont know. i just like writing these dynamics </3

obligatory consent issues / "evilfies is a creep" warning

732 words // divider

Wifies is so, so touchy. Ken flinches every time Wifies pets at his ears, no matter how much he tries not to, and amusement lights up Wifies' eyes every time in a way that makes Ken's skin crawl. If Ken said he hates it here, it would be the understatement of the century, but he would remind himself in the same breath that he doesn't have a choice.

His Wifies is safe. That's all that matters. Ken is allowed to check on him once a day—not talk, but he's safe. Ken knows it's calculated: every time he sees his Wifies, he loses whatever budding will he had to resist. It's mechanical, like repowering a redstone signal. He doesn't care; it's working.

It's directly after these visits that the other Wifies gets bold. Ken remembers why he's here and becomes pliant, if only briefly. Wifies puts his hand on Ken's lower back and leads him into his office, and Ken goes without the usual tensed-up shoulders and folded-back ears. Ken should know something is coming. The collar Wifies pulls out still nearly makes him choke.

"You can't be serious," Ken says. His voice rises a pitch, almost cracking. Wifies smiles.

"I am," he laughs. "Why wouldn't I put a collar on my cat?"

Ken feels heat rising to his cheeks in anger and humiliation and what he hopes is nothing else. He– he's dealt with people like this, before, and maybe he should have expected it. It happens when you're a hybrid, and it happens to cats especially, but he didn't think…

It's a deep, pretty purple leather, like the color of Wifies' headband. The iconic yin-yang hangs as a charm on the front, and it's so degrading to even think about. Ken has been suffocated by those colors ever since he got to the factory. The room he sleeps in is a lifeless gray and the covers he sleeps under are that same violet, but he's been spared it on his own person until now.

Ken has given a lot for this. He doesn't know how much he has left in him. Wifies clicks his tongue and steps forward.

Ken locks up. "I can't–"

Wifies says, "I'll do it for you." as if that's at all the problem, but Ken squeezes his eyes shut and fights down the growl in his throat as Wifies' hands encircle his neck. He feels cold, and he doesn't know if it's the collar or Wifies' hands.

"There," Wifies murmurs, right into Ken's ear. He's done, but he doesn't so much as lean back. "Is that so bad?"

It is. It feels like lead against his neck—Ken feels like his stomach is vibrating. It feels worse than every restraint he's ever been in and every set of iron bars he's ever been trapped behind combined. It's worse than just being trapped, it's being owned. It is a horrible, horrible revulsion against everything Ken has even been and ever stood for. Ken has no idea how he stands there without slitting his own throat—his claws twitch like he means to—but he stands there and shakes and sweats until Wifies hums and takes a step back. Still, Ken doesn't open his eyes. He is keenly aware of every individual organ in his body, and the fact that if he meets Wifies' eyes right now, he will throw up.

A finger hooks under the collar. Ken intakes a struggling breath.

"I should get you some new clothes," Wifies muses. Ken doesn't even process it. It's hard to imagine feeling worse than he does right now, but being stripped (figuratively and literally) would probably do it. "You'll get used to it."

Wifies leans in to kiss him, then, and at least that's a familiar hell. He knows to open his mouth so Wifies can lick over his fangs, and to push his tongue forward because Wifies likes the rough texture of it. The surface-level pain is a welcome relief, so much so that Ken chases it. He lets Wifies huff a laugh into his mouth and grab his waist to lead him back until Ken bumps into the unforgiving wood of Wifies' desk.

He will have plenty of time to tear his own skin off about it later—they both know Ken isn't going anywhere. For now, his mind is dreadfully, uncharacteristically, blessedly blank as Wifies lays him out on the wood.

[strixcattus]

One of the things that's so great about Severance is that the female characters just cannot stop winning. Gemma manages to be the Motivating Dead Wife while also retaining her personhood and her presence as a character—there's just as much mystery in What Did She Do as there is in What Did They Do To Her. Devon is the most reasonable and competent person in any room she's in and even in season 1 where the focus only occasionally skipped onto her she was still Doing Things and catching onto leads that none of the other characters managed to pick up on. Helly/Helena have a deeply intriguing dynamic that I'm not really able to speak on yet but I need to pore over them with a magnifying glass when I rewatch this show. Cobel was by no means my favourite character up until s2e8 but what an episode that was. She has History and Knowledge and watching her and Devon actually put their heads together is going to be the best part of this season. I don't really speak on Reghabi because I've been against the whole "experimental basement brain surgery that by its nature is almost literally impossible to get informed consent for" thing but I can still see why people love her. She is allowed to be exactly as unhinged as she wants. Go girl do your dubiously safe/ethical medical experiments just not on Devon's brother

[toppamplemousse]

may i request a fic where Pierre or Seb takes advantage of Charles? like when he's high or sleepy. there are not many somno fics.

ok FIRSTLY ... hard to articulate but while we love our fans and fic requests, we can't just like, churn stuff out, ya know? and with that being said, i did write over 1k words for this! LOL

got carried away with (as a friend so nicely put it): seb is just this lecherous late 30s dubiously moral gay….. finding this blushy giggly naïve little fem twink…. who embarrasses easily and is prone to humiliating himself….. better than his wildest dreams

so anyway. cw: somnophilia, highly dubious consent, exhibitionism (i suppose), seb making fun of charles, feminization. mild rancid vibes. oh and its chussy. idc if thats you wanted.

It was truly as though Charles had been forged right out of one of Sebastian’s wettest dreams. It took a while for him to open up properly, always so nervous and blushing and uncomfortable in front of other people, especially Sebastian’s friends. Sebastian had an inkling it was a facade, that Charles wanted them all to be looking at him, leering at him, thinking about cheating on their wives for him and living out their wildest, dirtiest fantasies. 

And it drove Sebastian wild. To have a pretty, young thing like Charles always flushed bright red, big doe eyes the essence of innocence. Sebastian’s friends always had something to say about it, too, about how Charles was too pretty, how feminine he was without trying, a little plaything to keep around and entertain and embarrass. 

Sebastian felt bad about it, at first, until he realized how much Charles liked it. 

He’d beg Seb to stop and he’d plead with shame spread so beautifully across his features, and then he’d get on his knees and let Sebastian use his pretty little mouth and then beg for more. 

Charles was insatiable; ravenous and animalistic. Sebastian could pull on his pretty hair and slap his pretty ass and fuck his pretty little cunt while pressed against the wall until Charles was blotchy and teary-eyed, hungry for more.

–

They sit in the back of a taxi that winds through the streets on the way back to Sebastian’s apartment. Charles had a fair amount to drink for his small frame, stumbling out of the bar as they left. It was cute, Sebastian’s friends all jeered at him, wolf-whistling at the way Seb had to maneuver Charles’ skirt to get him into the car, knowingly flashing them a glimpse of the lacy pair of painties underneath. 

Sebastian thinks it was one of the first times Charles had smoked, too, based on the way he coughed after his first hit. It was adorable, his pink lips spluttering and his ever-present blush spreading across his neck. Sebastian had rubbed a hand against his back, soothing, before squeezing his ass briefly, and his friends had merely laughed. 

“Is your little girlfriend alright?” They had said, and Charles retreated into the crook of Seb’s neck. Not a girl, Charles had whispered against Seb’s ear, and Seb had just laughed at him, hand resting dangerously near the top of Charles’ thigh and responded, but you are my good little girl, no? All dressed up so pretty in her little outfit? And Seb had felt the way Charles’ thighs squeezed together.

But now, Charles rests his head against the door of the taxi, eyes fluttering closed every so often. Seb’s hand rests on his thigh, stroking the soft, pale skin there. Charles looks angelic, almost, so serene in his tipsy state, unable to keep his head up properly. Sebastian slides his hands slightly further up, and watches how Charles’ breath hitches slightly, but he doesn’t move. 

He wonders how far he can go. 

When Sebastian’s hand slips under the hem of the skirt and sits in the crease of Charles’ hips and thighs, Charles fidgets briefly, his head lolling back onto the seat, and Sebastian just leaves it there for a moment. His finger just toys with the lace of Charles’ panties, slowly pushing back and forth, feeling the way the smooth silk rubs against his skin. 

Sebastian just wants a taste, the mere thought of Charles’ panties making his cock strain painfully against his jeans. His finger slips underneath, and Charles flinches, mumbling something of incoherence. Sebastian continues, sliding his hand down until he feels the hot, wet folds of Charles’ cunt, already dampening his underwear. 

“Fuck, baby.” Seb scoots slightly closer, eyes darting to the cab driver to ensure they are somewhat subtle, and moves his hand back and forth lightly along Charles’ cunt. A whimper escapes his mouth, Charles’ eyebrows furrowed slightly, but his eyes stay closed. 

It feels – Seb has to count to ten and take a deep breath. It’s so wet, sticky on his fingertips and Seb just wants to overpay the taxi driver to stay quiet and bounce Charles on his cock then and there. He moves his hand, rubbing it over the sensitive bump of Charles’ clit and watches how his whole body twitches in response. Charles is always so sensitive, every delicate touch causing him to moan and shudder, and it’s no different now. 

Sebastian stifles a moan, lip catching between his teeth, and as he goes to press a finger into Charles, the taxi driver announces that they have reached their destination. Seb immediately yanks his hand away, hands the cash over to the driver, and helps Charles get out of the car. It’s cute – like a baby giraffe, or something – the way he can barely walk on his two legs, murmuring into Sebastian’s neck as he walks them into his apartment. 

They finally get to the apartment, Charles has a glass of water and can at least open his eyes, and Sebastian pushes him onto the bed, letting the skirt fall open above his panties, jerks himself off hot and fast into his fist, and comes all over Charles’ stomach and cunt.

–

Sebastian knows Charles is young, much younger than himself. And Charles is so small. Seb’s shorter, only by a little, but Charles is just…small. He has a little waist and dainty fingers and slender legs, and all to say, he just never manages to hold his alcohol. The lightest of lightweights Sebastian has ever met. 

It’s cute, in the same way a child misspelling a word might be cute. Always so bright-eyed and eager to hang out with Sebastian and his friends, to keep pace with them, until he’s wobbly in the knees and bumping into tables as he walks. A permanent stain of red on his cheeks. 

So it’s a surprise to no one, that Charles has curled up, snoring lightly on the couch half way through the night. His legs are tucked into himself, leaning against the armrest with his face curled into his arms. Seb had been rubbing soothing circles into Charles’ back when they sat down, knowing that there was no way Charles could stay awake. It doesn’t matter what music is playing, or how much raucous laughter echoes throughout the apartment – a few glasses of wine, and Charles can stay sleeping. 

Sebastian’s hand now just rests on the small of Charles’ back as he talks to Mark on his left. He is playing with the waistband of Charles’ skirt, a little pleated thing he wore with a sweater for the party. It suits him quite well, the paler skin of Charles’ thighs just peeking out from the hem. Sebastian’s not really paying attention to what Mark is saying, too focused on the curve of Charles’ hips, his soft breathing pattern, the eyelashes fanning his cheeks. 

Slowly, he slides his hand down Charles’ ass, squeezing slightly as he goes. Everything about Charles is so pliant, so willing. Under the hem of the skirt, Charles’ ass is covered by a set of panties – nothing too crazy, just a thong of sorts. He had been nervous, earlier, to wear it, but Sebastian assured him it was okay. And now, when Sebastian lightly kneads at the meat of Charles’ ass, he can feel the material under his fingertips. 

Mark has long stopped talking to Sebastian, focused on something else. Sebastian just can’t draw his eyes away from Charles’ beautiful sleeping figure. The soft press of his skin under Sebastian’s thumb feels electric. And if he were to just…move so slightly, if he were to just push the lace of the thong to the side, he could slide one of his fingers into Charles’ hot, wet cunt. 

Fuck. It’s always better than he remembers. No one else can really see, although Sebastian is long past the point of caring too much, and Sebastian just leaves his finger there, remaining still against Charles’ walls. It’s like a lesson in self-restraint, a cruel test, where all he really wants to do is climb right between Charles’ toned legs and dive right in with his tongue. Feel the way Charles would shiver and convulse under his mouth. 

He resumes talking to Mark, not even a flinch from Charles during any of this, and just as the one finger becomes comfortable, he slides another in next to it. It’s so tight, and he wriggles his fingers just slightly to make some room. Charles twitches in his sleep, but his face remains calm, a perfect little picture of serenity, and Sebastian turns away. 

The party ends eventually, Charles sleeping through the last few hours, and Seb with two fingers inside Charles for the final hour. His friends leave, Seb washes his hands before saying goodbye, and then he gently wakes Charles up. 

[chellyfishing]

So I’m on the last book in the villains & virtues trilogy by AK Caggiano which I am absolutely loving and I just real quick wanted to talk about something the author has been doing that I think is so cool and I’m putting it under a cut mostly because it’s sexual in nature (oblique references to SA also):

The conceit of the book is that we have our villainous bad boy, “Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne” (these books are VERY self-aware) and a good girl named Amma, and they are forced together by The Circumstance and despite initially clashing they end up developing feelings for each other.

In the first two books we learn about a villain Amma knew in her previous life before meeting Damien, and while it’s never discussed explicitly or any amount of detail, the two had a sexual relationship that was dubiously consensual at absolute best (that’s the “person who treated her like an object” mentioned above), and there’s a scene in which he outright attempts to force himself on her. That guy is from the jump unequivocally a villain. He is charming to others but in private he is cruel and violent with Amma and we want him gone.

With Damien, however, she’ll frequently find herself in situations where he has to boss her around or tie her up (honestly one of my favorite scenes, it’s so funny) and she realizes she’s actually super into it. And here finally the author really highlights why this is surprising and puzzling to Amma: why is it okay with Damien when it wasn’t before?

And the reason is because by the time Amma has become attracted to Damien, she knows she is safe. She knows, for example, that when he ties her up he’s not really tying her up, she’s not in real danger, but illusion of it is there, and that’s what she finds thrilling. A man actually being controlling and domineering, a man who disregards her boundaries and lack of consent, is terrifying and horrible. A man she knows by this point is actually kind, will not hurt her (…not like that anyway), will not force himself on her, is actually very appealing even (especially) when he’s being a little rough with her.

Damien has the ability to literally force (via magic) Amma to do things but when he does this, it’s a violation. She doesn’t like it at all and the closer they get the less and less he uses it until he stops all together. But if he tells her what to do without the magic word, with her knowing she can refuse without being retaliated against, then it becomes fun and sexy.

Anyway I’ve just never seen an author really do something so deliberate and pointed like this before when it comes to ideas of danger and control in romance! She likes being dominated but in a safe and consensual way and when it’s not those things it’s portrayed as bad and horrible because it is! I love it!!

I recommend these books very much, they are so fun and funny, but I hasten to add that you shouldn’t expect explicit sex. Just as The Circumstance brought them together, it also keeps them arm’s length apart. The tension is real but there’s very little acting on it, though they get close occasionally. Mostly it’s just been a little kissing. I guess it would be classified as a slow burn? But I’m just realizing maybe I don’t know what that means? They haven’t smashed by the beginning of the third book is what I’m getting at, just a little kissing and some PG-13 tension and longing. He did say the word cock and where he’d like to put it at one point.

[couldntbedamned]

Goodbye Grey Sky, Hello Blue - 26

Summary: In an alternate universe where trains and zeppelins are still common forms of travel and the internet and cell phones exist, nineteen year old Peter Parker has few options left after he’s swindled out of his inheritance. Unable to pay for college, let alone keep the house left to him by his deceased aunt, he’s running out of time before he’s out on the streets. Desperate, Peter signs his life over to the Bureau of Civic Spousal Selections to take his chances as the selected husband of a complete stranger. After all, he only has to make it through a year and then he can choose to annul.

Dr. Stephen Strange has little interest in marriage, preferring to focus on his career. When his career is threatened by what a nosy board of directors considers a “lack of personal fulfillment and settling down,” he opts to select a spouse through the BCSS and chooses Peter Parker. The young man’s profile he’d briefly skimmed suggests intelligence and compatibility. It’s not ideal, but if after a year it’s not working out, he can always annul the marriage and send Peter on his way.

It’s a marriage neither truly wants, with sharp learning curves for both. It’s either going to be forever or it’s going to go down in flames.

Warnings/AO3 Tags: 18+ MINORS DNI, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1950s/Modern Fusion, Doctor Stephen Strange, Jewish Peter Parker, Peter Parker is an Adult, Marriage of Convenience, Marriage Contracts, Government Sanctioned Marriages, Domestic Discipline, Dubiously Consensual Spanking, Spanking, Aftercare, Mildly Dubious Consent, Dubious Morals, Dubious Ethics, Asshole Stephen Strange, Smartass Peter Parker, Passive Aggressive Canned Soup, Two Morons Trying to Try Their Best

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Chapter 26

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Three days after their six-month anniversary, Peter was a mess of nerves. He'd woken up much earlier than he'd wanted, even though the night before Stephen had said they could have a lie-in until at least seven-thirty and they'd stop at the local coffee shop for donuts prior to their appointment at the BCSS office.

"Peter," Stephen said, taking the tie he'd worried into a wrinkled mess and setting it aside. "Everything is going to be fine." He picked another tie after looking at what Peter was wearing and after positioning Peter just so, went about tying it for him.

"I know, I know," Peter fussed. "I can't help that I'm nervous."

"We'll get through this and then we'll enjoy the rest of our day, hmm?" Stephen adjusted the tie with a critical look. "There's a new exhibit at the natural history museum in Upper York."

That got Peter's attention. "Really?"

"Yes. It's based on the latest findings from deep sea explorations."

"That sounds both exhilarating and potentially terrifying," Peter said.

"Agreed." Stephen looked at his Kang watch. "We should get going."

"And my tie looks good?" Peter asked.

"I tied it," Stephen said with a smirk. "Of course it looks good."

"Who are we talking with, again?" Peter asked as they waited in the lobby of the satellite office.

"I'm meeting with Mr. Fury and you're meeting with Ms. Hill," Stephen said after consulting the confirmation message he'd received when making their appointment.

"Okay, good."

"Do you know them?"

Peter shifted uncomfortably. "Kind of. Fury was the head custodian and assessor of my dorm while I was here. He didn't like me. Well, he didn't like any of us, really, but especially me."

Stephen's eyes narrowed. "What was his problem?" Who on earth would dislike Peter?

"I wasn't submissive enough, I guess." Peter shrugged. "I wasn't humble enough, either, and didn't know my place."

"And Hill?"

"She's mostly okay. She's kind of a hard-ass but she was always fair." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I wasn't here all that long, right? I was here for less than a month."

It was an incredible thought.

Less than a month and in that time Stephen had visited to inquire about selecting a spouse. He’d happened to catch a glimpse of Peter playing chess in their recreation hall and his decision had been made.

Foolhardy, sure.

But Peter was beautiful. Stephen had barely even skimmed over the profile the Assessor had reluctantly given him, claiming that Peter wasn’t “as gracefully settled into his place here as we’d prefer our potential spouses to be.” He'd ignored the stack of profiles that the Assessor had laid out ready for his review.

But what was done was done.

He hadn’t wanted a spouse, at all. But he had wanted Peter.

Now he had Peter and he'd be damned if anyone but Peter ended their marriage.

They'd sat waiting for close to twenty minutes before someone approached them.

"Appointment for Strange?" At Stephen's nod, the woman and her companion offered them a brief smile. "Good morning," the older woman said. "I'm Agent Melinda May. For this part of your Sixth-Month Assessment, you'll be interviewed separately." She motioned to the other woman. "This is Agent Kara Palamas. She'll escort Mr. Strange and Dr. Strange, you can follow me."

Peter reluctantly followed Assessor Palamas at Stephen's nod. "How long will the first part take?" He asked.

"It usually lasts for about two hours," the woman said. "It may go longer if your Assessor feels there's a need to dig deeper."

That didn't reassure Peter at all. He didn't know why it would need to be that long. Just what were they expecting from him?

Peter was shown into a bright office that he unfortunately recognized from roughly seven months prior.

Why was he in Fury's office? He was supposed to be meeting with Hill!

"Just have a seat and Nick will be with you shortly."

Peter wanted to protest and insist there had been a mistake. But he wanted the Assessment over more.

He plopped himself in a chair and did his best to relax. It was just a few hours in total. Just a few hours and then he and Stephen would go to Upper York and have a nice rest of their day.

"Mr. Parker," came a smooth voice. "Welcome back."

"It's Mr. Strange," Peter corrected, looking at the man.

Nick Fury was a tall black man who always seemed to know something everyone else didn't. He was suspicious by nature and rarely amused. He'd run Peter's dormitory with an iron fist and Peter, for some reason, had been the subject of his ire and disdain from the moment the BCSS had moved him to Sanctum Heights.

"Ah, yes. Your Selecting spouse is the renowned Dr. Strange. You did well for yourself, landing a doctor. I'd have never believed it if I hadn't seen the contract with my own eyes."

"I wasn't trying to land anyone," Peter said. And he hadn't been. He'd just been trying to keep out of jail and off the streets. He knew he'd lucked out with Stephen.

"We had a slew of candidates hand-picked for Dr. Strange," Fury told him, sitting down behind his giant desk. "We'd chosen the best candidate profiles to present to him. Each one was educated, accomplished in a variety of ways, and exactly the kind of person who could move with ease in a top-surgeon's privileged world. But instead he insisted on you."

Peter shrugged. "I can't speak for my husband." But Stephen wanted me, Peter thought. He thought I was beautiful and he picked me. He didn't see the fuss himself, but apparently Stephen did.

"No, no you can't. I'm glad you've retained some of the education we tried to provide you. You weren't exactly receptive to self-improvement."

Peter bit his tongue. No, he hadn't been receptive to Fury's attempts to browbeat him into submission. He wasn't going to act like he was some lesser person just because he was a selected spouse. The other custodians hadn't expected it of him; why did Fury?

"We might as well get started," Fury said. "There's quite a list to get through." He motioned to a thick packet. "And I'll be recording this."

"Did Stephen sign off on that?" Peter asked. He knew Stephen would need to.

"He did," Fury said.

"I want to see it," Peter insisted.

With a put-upon sigh, Fury printed off a document from his computer.

Peter reviewed it carefully and sure enough, there was Stephen's signature - he recognized it well. "Okay, then."

Fury started to ask Peter questions.

"How was your first day as spouses?"

Peter considered. "Long, kind of a blur, looking back. We had a nice dinner and then went home."

"And did you allow your Selecting spouse to assert his rights?"

Peter fought the blush that wanted to creep up on his neck and face. He succeeded, even! "I did," he said evenly. "I don't deny him."

"And to your knowledge, is he satisfied with your performance?"

"I enjoy sex with you Peter, very much, and as you've experienced, I have no problem indulging."

"Yes."

"How can you be sure?"

Really? That was important for them to know? "If Stephen is unhappy with something, he has no problem making it known."

Eventually Fury started back on the packet and went down the list of questions. Peter gave simple answers, much to Fury's annoyance.

Do you have any concerns regarding your marriage?

No, I don't have any concerns regarding my marriage.

Peter really didn't, not after the progress they'd made. It wasn't something he'd exactly wanted, but he was content now.

Do you have any concerns regarding your Selecting Spouse?

No, I don't have any concerns regarding my Selecting Spouse.

Stephen was a good husband and very fair. For the first few weeks, he'd been very concerned, but he and Stephen had found their rhythm soon enough. Now, he knew that Stephen at least cared about him. His biggest concern was how lonely Stephen seemed to be, sometimes.

Are you afraid to express your thoughts and emotions to your Selecting Spouse?

No, I'm not afraid to express my thoughts and emotions to my Selecting Spouse.

Peter felt that he and Stephen were in a good place. Peter knew that Stephen found his smart mouth amusing most of the time. And the times Stephen didn't... well, Peter's ass paid for it. He had a much better idea of where the line was.

Do you feel alone?

No, I don't feel alone.

He didn't, not really. Stephen wasn't the most outgoing of people but they spent plenty of time together. Stephen went out of his way to keep their date nights on Friday evenings.

What communication obstacles do you face?

Our biggest obstacle to communication is that neither of us are big on sharing, let along oversharing.

He and Stephen were both private people. But they'd gotten better about it, for sure.

On and on the questions went. Peter answered truthfully to the best of his ability, even though some questions, like Do you feel sexually satisfied in your marriage? were embarrassing enough that even keeping his answers short and to the point, he couldn't control his blushing, much to Fury's amusement.

Every so often Peter would give an answer and that would prompt Fury to ask more questions. Peter had no idea just what the man was looking for.

As the clock showed the two hour mark approaching, Fury finished up with his packet.

"Wait right here while I go check in with Ms. Hill," Fury said. "Then you'll move into the next phase of this assessment."

Left alone in the office, Peter stood and started pacing. It was stupid, to let this room have any kind of power over him when he was so clearly out of the man's grasp. It was just another office, occupied by just another man who for some reason, felt that Peter was an easy mark.

Had Fury even read the books on the shelves? And just who was he friends with that he'd take a picture with?

Peter stepped closer to look at the photo.

His heart went cold.

It was a photo of Fury... with Quentin Beck.

Stephen followed Assessor May to an office where she bid him to sit.

"They'll be right with you," she said.

He sat, hoping Peter was doing okay. His young husband had been a nervous wreck; it hadn't mattered how many times Stephen tried to reassure him. He'd have to treat him that afternoon - maybe something in addition to their trip to the natural history museum.

"Dr. Strange, I'm Assessor Maria Hill."

He studied the woman who entered the office and frowned. "I thought I was going to be speaking with Assessor Nick Fury."

Hill checked the packet she carried. "Nope. Must have been an error. Sometimes the system puts assessors in the wrong order." He very much doubted that. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?"

"No, thank you." He held up his bottle of water and briefly wondered if Fury was extending Peter the same offer.

"We'll be going over some basic questions, all routine. And as you've previously approved, we'll be recording this visit."

"That's fine with me."

"Tell me about your first day as a married couple."

Oh, hell. This was a mistake.

"It was busy, what with the time spent here signing the contract, meeting, and then marrying Peter. We had a nice dinner out and then went home. It was pleasant enough, if awkward."

He'd been ecstatic that Peter was his and determined to not let any of that show. He hadn't lied when he told Peter that day that he hadn't wanted a spouse; he still resented having his hand forced. But oh, he could hardly bring himself to do much talking over dinner because he couldn't quite believe that it was actually real.

"And did Peter allow you to assert your rights at his Selecting Spouse?"

"He did, yes."

It hadn't been a smooth night, certainly. Peter had been emotionally wrought and defaulted to angry words in an attempt to push the inevitable back. Stephen had tried to give him some time to clear his head and when that hadn't worked... Well, he'd had to put Peter over his knee and inform him exactly how things were going to be.

It was nothing like how he'd wanted their first night to go, but he couldn't bring himself to regret it.

"Is there anything you'd like to add to that?" Hill asked, looking amused.

"No," he said flatly. It was none of their business.

"Are you satisfied with Peter's performance?"

What the hell kind of question was that?

"I don't understand the question," he answered.

"Was Peter's submission that night acceptable to you?" Hill rephrased.

"Yes."

Peter had submitted so beautifully to him in bed later that night and knowing that he was Peter's first still gave him a rush of euphoria he didn't think would ever fade. If things worked out the way he wanted them to he'd be Peter's only.

Hill wrote something down on her packet and then started going through the questions. He kept his answers simple and to the point. They didn't need to know the inner-workings of his marriage to Peter. Peter was his husband and what they thought didn't matter.

Do you have any concerns regarding your marriage?

I do not.

He and Peter were in a good place, he thought. They'd struggled some the first couple of months but overall he felt they were doing well.

Do you have any concerns regarding your Selecting Spouse?

No, Peter is wonderful and I have no concerns regarding him.

Peter was a bratty little smartass who was almost too clever for his own good and still too quick to brush off his own needs. He was funny, kind, generous, and just so... good it nearly hurt to be around him sometimes. But oh, he adored Peter.

Are you afraid to express your thoughts and emotions to your Selecting Spouse?

I'm not, no.

Well, he was getting better at it, at least. And Peter, whether he knew it or not, was helping with that tremendously. He still preferred to keep his own council, but he couldn't exactly expect Peter to do one thing while he himself did the opposite.

Do you feel alone?

I do not.

Stephen had never been the most outgoing of people and he'd often found connecting with others difficult. There were rare exceptions for people he found himself perfectly comfortable around, like with Tony and Sharon. There were others whose company he enjoyed and whom he admired, like Clea and Ava, Ben, Misty, and hell, even cantankerous Len. Nic was even growing on him.

He'd had a group of close friends and confidants two years ago, before they'd committed what he considered to be a massive betrayal and he'd found himself adrift and determined to bury his loneliness in his work.

Until Peter he hadn't realized how lonely he'd been.

It was hard to stay so closed off when Peter was just so open and friendly.

What communication obstacles do you face?

I can't discuss much about my work but otherwise we're fine.

He was a private person in general, and so, it seemed, was Peter. But they were getting better.

Everything with Peter was just... better.

He was relieved when they worked their way through the packet of questions.

"You know, I wasn't working at this particular satellite office when you approached us, but I've read up on your case. It's kind of funny; when you first inquired about selecting a spouse, the Bureau here bent over backwards to choose profiles they thought would be compatible. They were some of our most educated and accomplished candidates and you barely looked at them. Instead you insisted on a poor young man who'd barely settled in here. Why Peter?"

He hadn't wanted their profiles or their recommendations. Not after he'd caught that glimpse of Peter in the rec room playing chess.

"Call it a gut feeling," he said.

Peter had never been so glad to see Stephen in his life. He needed that cool, calming and protective presence of his like never before. With Stephen, he was safe.

Stephen wouldn't let anything happen to him, not ever.

In a separate waiting room, they sat and waited for the next phase of their assessment.

"Did everything go okay?" Stephen asked him quietly, when Peter's knee wouldn't stop jumping and he took Stephen's hand.

"Yeah, I'm just ready for this to be over," Peter said. It wasn't an outright lie.

"Did Fury upset you?"

Peter sighed and leaned into Stephen. "He always upsets me."

"Well, after today, I doubt you'll ever have to deal with him again," Stephen soothed. "We'll be done with this place."

"You're probably right," Peter agreed. Peter certainly hoped Stephen was right. Knowing what he knew now, he could never risk coming back to the BCSS.

It wasn't long before Assessor Palamas came and escorted them to yet another room.

How many rooms does this damned place have? Peter wondered.

It was the most welcoming space Peter had seen thus far in the entire center. It was light and open, with a cozy little couch across from a dark navy leather armchair. Nothing about it felt sinister, stiff, or overly bureaucratic. It was simply comfortable.

The man who entered - carrying yet another packet, of course - seemed pleasant enough. He smiled at them and following Stephen's lead, Peter rose to shake his hand.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," he said. "I'm Agent Triplett. Please, have a seat. I'm sure you've had a long morning so I'll do my best to keep this moving along."

"We appreciate it," Stephen said.

The setting this time didn't leave Peter feeling uncomfortable and Triplett was much nicer than Fury had ever been. There didn't seem to be any artifice in the man, though Peter's radar for that was, he would freely admit, terribly unreliable.

"Overall, how would you describe the current state of your marriage?"

Peter looked to Stephen before answering. When he got the nod to go ahead, he did. "I think we're in a good place," he said. "It was a little rough the first couple of months but we figured it out."

"And do you agree with that assessment, Dr. Strange?"

"I do," Stephen answered.

"Well, you might be relieved to know that that sentiment is fairly common in these marriages. It's when couples say they haven't had any rough spots that we start to worry."

He asked them more questions along the lines of "Do you feel the Bureau did an adequate job in preparing you both for your marriage?" and "Have either of you encountered any resistance from others regarding your marriage?" and "What feedback would you like to provide us?"

Peter followed Stephen's lead in answering and as he did so, felt much better about the day's events than he had prior to speaking to Triplett. Stephen keeping a hold of his hand had helped as well.

"Alright then," Triplett said. "That wraps us up for today. You'll receive a letter in the mail summarizing today's check-in and in five months, additional instructions as you approach the year-end mark. If you have any questions, please, don't hesitate to reach out to me personally." He gave Stephen a business card before shaking their hands again and personally escorting them to the front door.

Six months ago, Peter would have given anything to avoid getting in Stephen's Buick. Now, he wanted to dive into the front seat and beg Stephen to never bring them back.

Now, he'd give anything to stay with Stephen, where he was safe.

---------

[kenobster]

📝🗣️

please i just love u talking abt ur fics

From this ask game.

Ahhhh thanks so much, anon!!! I'm super flattered. :D

I'm still sloooowly working my way through the asks I have in my inbox, but this one luckily had great timing so I'm doing this one before the others. (Though maybe this isn't what you wanted, anon... in which case, my deepest condolences. XD)

🗣️ Talk about your favorite WIP

We are using this question as an excuse to talk about the Vader Mpreg AU, which is, in fact, my favorite AU, but also is convenient for another post I was gonna make today, haha.

For context, there are a few things you should know about me:

I did not watch The Rise of Skywalker until literally three or four weeks ago.

I have never written an mpreg in my life. (It's true that lizard brain craves noncon in a way that compels me to read the occasional mpreg... But while writing my own fic, I do try to keep lizard brain's demands as realistic and in character as humanly possible.)

Perhaps the most important thing to note: lizard brain always wins.

Anyway... this all started when I happened upon the RoS spoiler: "Rey is Palpatine's granddaughter" in the year of 2022. Having not watched the movie, I immediately wondered who the fuck the grandmother is (a question to which my actual RL mother ceaselessly chants "Mommy Mothmama" every time; do not ask me why.) Of course, lizard brain, being lizard brain, immediately headcanoned a dubiously consenting Darth Vader somehow being this elusive grandmother person. (The "somehow" was not important to lizard brain.)

For a year or so, I actually put off watching RoS — in small part because lizard brain didn't want its headcanons to be refuted. Fortunately for lizard brain, I have amazingly supportive friends who informed me that Rey is actually the daughter of a strand (aka a special Force clone) which was cast into the world only to hook up with some unknown female. Unfortunately for my friends, lizard brain realized that this information didn't refute its grandma!Vader headcanons at all. Quite the opposite in fact. 🙄

Thus, began the saga of lizard brain's precious Vader Mpreg AU.

In summary, Palpatine creates a synthetic uterus to host an ordinary clone of himself. Then, he implants the uterus into Vader's abdomen and fucks the shit out of him to get some perverse dark-sided Force magic going. Why, you ask? :) Well, dear anon, in order to transform this regular clone baby into a strand of course, lizard brain replies. :) :) :) To be clear, there is no creation of a vagina nor any other method to give birth. Instead, this strand baby, once ripe for the picking, is simply plucked from Vader's abdomen via c-section, and a newly prepped uterus is inserted in its place. After that, Palpatine repeats this process and all of its trial-and-error glory every nine months for the rest of Vader's life. (But don't worry; Vader will eventually flee to Obi-Wan, who is horrified to find his once-Padawan eight months pregnant.)

Honestly, excepting dubcon/noncon, this actually isn't that weird for me. Lizard brain already possesses a plethora of headcanons in which Palpatine modifies Vader's body. The uterus implanting kinda just feels like an extension of that. (For an example of these headcanons, urinary and intrarectal catheters have been installed into Vader's body, not out of medical necessity, but because it would be inconvenient for Vader to have to pee and poop while dressed in the suit. For another, maybe Palpatine put in a full-blown mechno spine replacement to eliminate bothersome nervous-system functions such as the registration of pain.)

In fact, while this body-modifying headcanoning won't enable live births or lactating breasts (for now.... please don't tempt my lizard brain), it will go beyond the uterus. :) For example... prepping Vader for sex sounds like an incredibly tiresome task, and it's not like anyone else can do it. Vader doesn't have any limbs, after all. Instead, Palpatine wonders, why not have Vader's anus be self-lubricating in way similar to that of a vagina? Why not scifi-gene-splice the shit out of that butt canal? Why the fuck not?

📝Share a snippet of an unposted WIP, with or without context.

I feel like the above AU description is pretty clinical, so I thought it would be fun to bring some emotion back to it via the use of a snippet. So, enjoy the wildly inappropriate noncon of a pregnant male villain:

At some point, he realizes the truth—that it isn't him being fucked into the mattress, face down, ass hooked on his Master's cock. Sidious isn't fucking Darth Vader or even his body. Sidious isn't even fucking Anakin Skywalker. In actuality, Sidious is fucking the uterus. The womb. The fetus. The uncast strand, the unborn infant. In actuality, Sidious is fucking himself. The truth of it has him choking on the respirator, on a dry and tearless sob, because this isn't about him, none of this was ever about him, it's about what Sidious wants, what Sidious likes, what Sidious craves. Vader is only the conduit of this ritual—far less than a pet or even a slave. Once, yes, he may have been an object of Sidious's obsession, and maybe he liked that, maybe he liked the way that Sidious took pride in what was once his greatest creation, in twisting Anakin Skywalker into this charred and rotten beast of a Sith. Because, even loveless, Sidious's pride burns value into Vader's flesh. Makes Vader feel as if he matters, as if he's worth something, as if he can live up to the magnitude of the pressure smothering him from the inside out. Punishment, after all, and pain and strife and sorrow, are their own kind of affection, ideal for the swollen carcass of need festering within his chest, and often better than the shame that blooms with praise.  Right now, as his sphincter clenches around the cock inside him, as the base of his spine shoots overwhelming pleasure upward, as a fetus kicks at its shrinking walls pressed against the mattress, Vader finds that he is being neglected. The absence of Sidious's intimacy leaves his furnace-heart chilly and black and hollow, and he chokes and sobs and chokes and sobs, and the monotonous blue-blue-blue of this bedroom becomes half-blurred and dizzy as a torrent of tears spills from his right eye's still-functioning tear duct. The thrusting crests, and tapers out. Sidious's breathing evens, but Vader's choked sobs just won't die.

I would say I'm sorry, but I am who I am lmao.

[toxic-ship-tournament]

ROUND 1 / SIDE B / POLL 1

Ve’Qren x Lohl ( @zillastar13 ) vs Res x Leo ( @adanaac )

who makes up your ship?:

Ve'Qren x Lohl

why does your ship deserve to be considered the most toxic?:

Ve'Qren is a vampyr posing as an ancient pagan god to take advantage of the human sacrifices being preformed by the society he's deceiving. He's a manipulative and charismatic false god. Within two nights in his role, he has murdered a willing sacrifice, tortured a doubtful priest to set an example, and had highly dubiously consensual sex with Lohl. Lohl is the human high priest and wants nothing more than to serve to gods. He's utterly loyal, the sweetest thing, and easy to control. If Ve'Qren wants to drain someone of their blood, Lohl will find someone eager. If Ve'Qren wants to torture a priest, Lohl will watch reverently. If Ve'Qren wants to violate Lohl's celibacy vows, who is Lohl to stop him? They are a shining example of toxic relationships, and it's only a matter of time until Ve'Qren does something to keep Lohl, the object of his intense obsession, to himself. (Maybe even turning Lohl and letting him in on the ruse)

ship tags/playlists/pinterest boards?:

They're characters in my ongoing whump series. All of the chapters are linked in my pinned, but to start: Chapter one: https://www.tumblr.com/zillastar13/709917930705551360/blood-sacrifices The chapter where they get together: https://www.tumblr.com/zillastar13/713262473598386176/blood-sacrifices-part-five

****

who makes up your ship?:

Res and Leo.

why does your ship deserve to be considered the most toxic?:

Leo can’t remember anything that has happened to him before the age of twelve. All anyone knows is that he was in an accident that should have killed him, then he returned with an indestructible body and a void where his personality should be. He cannot comprehend good or evil, does not understand the concept known as ‘choice’, and cannot envision an existence where Res isn’t his Master. He imprinted onto Res the moment he met the other man and pushed himself into Res’ life without considering whether or not Res might want it. His first Master did not pass, he simply changed how he looked, and what he looks like now is Res. Period. He has nothing to offer, nothing to say, no emotions and no heart to give. All he knows are the facts, and the facts tell him that there is no Leo without Res. So he’ll make sure that there’s no Res without Leo. Res has always been very into science, but he isn’t too fond of how there are a bit too many restrictions on the experiments he can perform, and he’s even less fond of how they die whenever he tries some of his more ‘exciting’ stuff. Thankfully he has Leo, his little obedient puppy who will obey his every word and donate his body for research. Of course, he’s never asked him whether he was okay with that, but signing a consent form is so old school. He believes that we should be doers, not dreamers, and he’s always wanted to see what the insides of Leo’s body looked like. And all the resistance it’s putting up just makes it all the more exciting. Leo spells unending excitement, and that’s all the reason Res needs to make sure no one else has him. Res is life, but he is not Leo’s purpose for living, because Leo has not questioned whether or not life has a purpose. He doesn’t need to. Res is Leo’s Master, and Leo’s Master is the very concept of life itself. Without his Master, the earth does not spin, and the sun does not shine. Why would it be anything else? Leo is not a person, he is Res’ dream. The dream of a creature that would do nothing but obey his every word, and the dream of an anomaly that he could endlessly explore without an expiration date. A thing that Res will never get bored of. To Res, Leo is just an adorable lab rat who happens to be the only one in the world who can fulfill his dreams. He does not care for Leo, the person, because Leo is not a person, but he does care about Leo, the humanoid playground that belongs to Res, and Res alone. This is love, because love is when someone makes your heart race, and love is when someone makes you feel like you’re free-falling into obsession. Res loves him, loves him, loves him loves him loves himloveshim. Just as we don’t get emotionally attached to the oxygen that keeps our heart beating, Leo does not get emotionally attached to Res, and he doesn’t need to. This isn’t love, it’s something more than that. Love can change, fade and evolve- it’s fickle, fleeting and easily manipulated. What Leo and Res have is a constant. Res belongs with Leo, and Leo belongs with Res. Don’t argue with the facts. Because you’re wrong, and Leo will make sure you know you’re wrong, no matter who you are. It’s a good thing they’re with each other, and no one else. (Leo is Uno's oc, Res is Canada's oc. Above description written by Uno. Canada's description below) They're basically like those AITA stories where both are the asshole and its a good thing they're together and making each other worse. btw Res is the short pink one and Leo is the tall one.

ship tags/playlists/pinterest boards?:

[keybladespirit]

I agree, though I still feel a need to mention that, at least in my head, for this to work as a general rule, there has a to be an explicit distinction between how a writer portrays specific characters vs larger classes of characters, and a lot of that has to do with patterns and context.

Like, obviously one trans character getting killed off as part of the plot isn't a big deal, but if if that's how most or all trans characters that writer writes get treated, then it starts to seem like they might have something against trans people. And similarly if it is just the one time, but comes with a background of writing trans people and gender nonconformity in an explicitly negative light, I'm gonna make that same assumption about the author. As the very least, if that author later turns out to be transphobic, I'm gonna point out their treatment of trans characters as reasons why I'm not surprised. And similarly if there's some other ideological bent to the work that suggests the author would be positive about trans people, I'm willing to let one or two transphobic portrayals slide until it starts to seem like a pattern.

And just as a side note, even though it doesn't make you a bad person to have interests in these kinds of things, I definitely think it's a worthwhile exercise to examine why we like certain things. Like, I have a particular kink that is not particularly "dark" or even uncommon, but dubiousness of consent kinda comes with the territory on it. Examining that for myself taught me a lot about what I value in relationships in ways that have made me better able to communicate my needs and concerns. Similarly, examining a pattern in portrayals of trans characters that I liked led me to be a lot less transphobic and wow look I'm even trans now.

This isn't fully what you're talking about in your posts, but I think understanding these distinctions is the key to this discourse. Just to restate, I absolutely think that portrayals of characters and their actions in fiction can be problematic, but the problems lie in context and patterns, rather than individual happenings.

I really think everyone needs to truly internalize this:

Fictional characters are objects.

They are not people. You cannot "objectify" them, because they have no personhood to be deprived of. They have no humanity to be erased. You cannot "disrespect" them, because they are not real.

[brainrot-yumm]

i think my springtrap x matt (into the flesh guy) fanfic is so . . . like funny isn't at all the right word, but somewhere between that and interesting. Cause the way I write fanfic is that I have a general idea of what should happen, but ultimately the characters control everything that's going on. So if a character Wouldn't Fucking Say That then it's not that I manhandle them into saying it, it's that I am then forced to rebound and try to scrap together coherency like a GM with a free range party. Normally it's fun as fuck because having the characters naturally progress like that often leads to scenarios that are a lot more interesting/funny than anything I had planned and it's a blessing that I have to change future events to accommodate.

my original plan was with this crack Springtrap fic was that it'd be a little dubious at first but ultimately be very much a consensual escapade for funsies. Just a little thing about Matt going a bit through the ringer but after a few minutes he'd speedrun an awakening and be So Into It.

But then I kept writing and after a while it became extremely clear that in no way would Springtrap be any kind of loving or kind or supportive in any way that would remove the dubiousness. At all. And in fact he would only worsen the dubiousness until there was no consent left. And now I'm left with an Oh Shit scenario. Like Matt is gonna be put through the ringer so hard it's gonna de-gut him, and now I have to make the big choice of whether I actually write it out or not.

TLDR Agony soul-pilled Springtrap is so much of an asshole that it's ruined my fun crack-taken-seriously romp and idk what to do about it

UPDATE: I talked to my gf about it and she pointed out a part in the story where Matt is allowed to make a choice (the only choice he ever gets) and basically said "what if he matched the freak right there" and she's so right I can write my crazy gay terrible animatronic porn without shame <3 yay <3

Still keeping the evil version cause sometimes that's what people want. But. I have the happy ending now. All is well

[couldntbedamned]

Goodbye Grey Sky, Hello Blue - 29

Summary: In an alternate universe where trains and zeppelins are still common forms of travel and the internet and cell phones exist, nineteen year old Peter Parker has few options left after he’s swindled out of his inheritance. Unable to pay for college, let alone keep the house left to him by his deceased aunt, he’s running out of time before he’s out on the streets. Desperate, Peter signs his life over to the Bureau of Civic Spousal Selections to take his chances as the selected husband of a complete stranger. After all, he only has to make it through a year and then he can choose to annul.

Dr. Stephen Strange has little interest in marriage, preferring to focus on his career. When his career is threatened by what a nosy board of directors considers a “lack of personal fulfillment and settling down,” he opts to select a spouse through the BCSS and chooses Peter Parker. The young man’s profile he’d briefly skimmed suggests intelligence and compatibility. It’s not ideal, but if after a year it’s not working out, he can always annul the marriage and send Peter on his way.

It’s a marriage neither truly wants, with sharp learning curves for both. It’s either going to be forever or it’s going to go down in flames.

Warnings/AO3 Tags: 18+ MINORS DNI, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1950s/Modern Fusion, Doctor Stephen Strange, Jewish Peter Parker, Peter Parker is an Adult, Marriage of Convenience, Marriage Contracts, Government Sanctioned Marriages, Domestic Discipline, Dubiously Consensual Spanking, Spanking, Aftercare, Mildly Dubious Consent, Dubious Morals, Dubious Ethics, Asshole Stephen Strange, Smartass Peter Parker, Passive Aggressive Canned Soup, Two Morons Trying to Try Their Best, Borrowing Characters

_______

Chapter 29

_______

Around Three Years Ago

"How was the trip to Grand Orleans?"

Stephen grinned at Reed. "It was a great time. The surgery went off without any problems. Working with Dr. Jericho Drumm was such an honor and he was kind enough to show me the city. We spent the weekend doing so. You should have seen it, Reed, there was dancing and music everywhere. And the food? My god the food was incredible. The whole city was just alive in a way I've never seen before. It was the best trip."

Reed smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Sue and I have discussed a family trip there but we want to wait until the children are older... and in the hopes that Johnny will grow up a bit and not immediately get arrested."

Stephen winced sympathetically. Sue's younger brother hadn't had an easy go of it, though Sue and Reed were doing their best to guide him. He wasn't a bad young man, just hotheaded and prone to rash decisions.

They kept up their conversation as they made their rounds in the ER, parting to check on patients and then returning to continue speaking.

"HELP! SHE NEEDS HELP!"

A dark-haired man was rushing into the ER carrying a woman so battered and bleeding Stephen's initial thought was that she was a goner.

Stephen signaled for a stretcher and raced over to the man as the head nurse of ER joined them and they carefully transferred the bloodied woman onto it. "What happened?"

"Her husband, her selected spouse, he was beating the crap out of her! He was punching her and kicking her; he got her in the damn head." The man looked at Stephen with wild blue eyes. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"OR 2 is yours, Strange!" The charge nurse said.

"She should be scanned before heading over," Reed said. "We don't know what her most pressing injuries are."

"There's not time!" Stephen looked at the nurse. "Call Billy and tell him and the others to prep and page McCoy!"

"Help her, please," the man entreated.

"We'll do everything we can."

The woman was was wheeled away and he went to go scrub in.

Billy was already set up with two other nurses, including Dr. McCoy's right-hand-woman, Nurse Chapel when Stephen entered. Surgical Orderlies were running diagnostic scans using the mobile equipment that had cost the hospital a fortune but Stephen, McCoy, and Dr. Palmer had argued vehemently for.

"Status?"

"It's not good," Billy answered. "There's so much bleeding. Intracranial, internal, everywhere."

"Where the hell is McCoy?"

"I'm right here," the man said walking in. He read the tablet one of the orderlies presented. "My god."

Stephen took in the breadth of damage the scans were showing - much of it too healed to have been caused by the day's attack but too recent to have been done even a year previously.

"God had nothing to do with this."

Though he'd told Peter earlier he didn't want to discuss anything that night, he realized that if he didn't finally get it over with, he'd continue to find ways to put it off and that wasn't fair to Peter.

They'd gone ahead and changed into their pajamas and while he'd been undressing, he messaged Sharon.

Do I have your permission to tell Peter about what happened?

When they went down to the den, his mobile pinged with her response.

Of course you may tell him.

Stephen frowned when Peter forewent seating in the other armchair and planted himself at his feet, between his legs.

"Playing with my hair relaxes you," he said. "And I thought it might be easier for you to talk if you don't have to actually face me."

Stephen had no idea what he had done to deserve someone as wonderful as Peter in his life. He did enjoy running his hands though Peter's hair. He hadn't even realized it was something he often did, but Peter had.

"Richards and the others were already well-established at Sanctum General when I joined. They were all close but they welcomed me in and made me a part of their circle," he finally started. "I hadn't encountered that kind of openness before. Apart from Tony, I never really had close friends."

That's a shame," Peter said. "You're a lot better at it than you think."

"I've had some good examples to follow, especially recently," he admitted. "We all got along so well and from the way we talked, anyone would be convinced that we were going to change the world. We celebrated holidays together," He added with a scoff. "But things changed as they always do. Reed and Bolt became fathers, Xavier and Rambeau were promoted, Mordo got married, and Carter found herself courted by the Bureau to join as one of their consulting psychologists. Meanwhile, I was content to keep to my passion which is neurosurgery.

"I still remember the day Sergeant Barnes ran into the ER carrying Sharon in his arms and screaming for help." He took a breath, surprised at how shaky it was. "I thought she was a lost cause for sure but we raced her into the OR and Len and I spent twelve hours saving her life."

"You did," Peter said. "You saved her life and now she's happy and married and going to be a mother."

"It was touch and go for a few days; we kept her in a medical coma to take the strain off of her body so she could heal. And it was after she woke up and was questioned that I found out exactly what had happened." His grip tightened and when Peter yelped he instantly relaxed his hand. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, go on."

"As her attending physician I was entitled to be in the room when Constable Sousa and a representative from the BCSS spoke with her. I could tell that they didn't want me in there but..."

"But you didn't care what they wanted because she was your patient and you're you."

"I'm me. And Sharon asked me to stay, so of course I did."

"Sharon told them everything, including who was the BCSS psychologist on their case." He snorted. "Can you believe that bitch had the audacity to stand out in the waiting room after Sharon's surgery, asking if she'd pull through?"

"She's a piece of work," Peter said, leaning his head against Stephen's knee.

"Anyways, myself, Len, and a doctor from the BCSS were tasked with comparing her scans from that day to her medical scans when she'd been officially discharged from the CSB." He scoffed. "It turns out that had been Ms. Rambeau's suggestion, because surely Sharon was exaggerating how bad her time with Rogers had been."

"Did they know?" Peter asked, craning his neck to look at him. "Did they know what Carter did?"

"Yes, but they didn't want to believe it." He sighed. "Once her old injuries had been ruled out, there was a clear pattern of abuse and when the BCSS had another psychologist review Dr. Carter's files and notes, it was obvious just how much she'd lied."

"She lied to a government agency and isn't in jail?" Peter exclaimed. "And she's still a doctor? What the hell?"

"She had some powerful people arguing on her behalf," Stephen said. "Including Sharon's uncle, who at the time was a hopeful for state governor of East Virginia."

"There wasn't a scandal, though."

"No, the BCSS stepped in and sorted things, as did the CSB." He let his thumb rub circles on the back of Peter's neck. "That agency is fiercely protective of its agents, retired or not."

"I'm glad she had someone on her side."

"There were a handful of us, yes. But when Dr. Carter's case went before the state board, some of us at Sanctum General were asked to offer recommendations on allowing her to keep her license. I was asked along with Dr. Richards, Dr. Xavier, and Dr. Mordo. I was the only one to vote no."

"And you'll never forgive them for that," Peter said, understanding.

"There was so much documentation of malpractice. Her patient was suffering from the most severe case of shell shock any of us had ever seen and instead of helping him like she should have done, she allowed him into an environment where he was a danger to himself and others. An innocent woman - her own cousin - nearly died. All she could say for herself was 'I let my emotions cloud my judgment.' when asked." He ran a hand over his face, still so angry at what his colleagues had done. "No was the only acceptable answer but they said yes, let her keep her license and go on to ruin more people's lives."

"They weren't answering as doctors," Peter said, turning around to face him, still on his knees. "They were answering as her friends. What you did was so much harder, and Stephen, I'm so proud of you for that."

"Everything seemed to change, after that. She was suspended for two years. I could hardly stand to be in that place and I thought the loneliness was going to end me." He smiled down at Peter. "It did get better; Dr. Grimm joined and became a friend, as did Dr. Knight. Clea and Ava moved next door and that helped. And the others mostly stayed away from me for about half a year. Then they started coming around as if nothing ever happened, apparently taken with the brilliant idea that I was working too much and would burn out if I didn't settle down. It became insufferable, really."

"Was that when you decided to visit the BCSS?"

"I held out until it was strongly implied that it could cost me my career at Sanctum General," he admitted. "I could have just left, of course. Tony's been trying to convince me to move to Malibu for years, harps on about knowing people who know people." He smirked. "As if I need his connections when any hospital in country would bend over backwards to sign me on."

"So why stay?"

He considered. "Pride plays a role, I suppose. I do like some of the people here, like Ben Grimm and Len. I'd hate to leave behind Clea and Ava as well. But mostly? A sense of responsibility, because if they could brush off what happened so easily, then how can I ever trust that they won't do it again?"

"Do you really think they'd let another doctor get away with what she pulled?"

"No, they'd come on that person and hard."

"She's not with the BCSS anymore, right?"

"No, they got rid of her and every other consulting psychologist. There was an announcement that they were realigning due to feedback and that anyone involved in medical matters would be employed by the Bureau outright."

Peter snorted and stood up before sitting on his lap, much the way they'd once seen Sharon sit on Tony's all those nights ago. "All that pain and upheaval just because she was jealous she wasn't the one marrying Captain Rogers."

He could see the moment his words sunk in.

"You think so?" Stephen asked skeptically. "I knew she thought the man was attractive, but wanting to marry him?"

"Oh yeah. I'm almost one hundred percent sure that she did everything she did because she wanted to be the one marrying him." He rolled his eyes. "Which would have never happened. BCSS employees aren't allowed to be selecting spouses to anyone in the local pool and I'd bet money that the consultants weren't allowed either. The BCSS doesn't get enough credit for the steps they take to protect us selected spouses."

"Fury aside, they treated you well?"

"Yes. Sometimes we had instructors who were a little zealous in their belief that we were lesser for being in the pool and that our only concern should be pleasing whoever ended up selecting us, but we were housed, clothed, fed, and we had recreation time that was actually relaxing."

"Then I showed up," Stephen said wryly.

"Which has worked out pretty well," Peter admitted. "I wasn't at sure it would, because I was terrified of how fast my life had changed, but I settled in." He sighed and leaned into Stephen. "What happens now that you've faced the dinner party you've been dreading and survived?"

"I truly don't know," Stephen said. "I've never let myself imagine getting through it."

"Maybe we should take day or two away from here," he suggested. "I know we have the trip to California coming up but you did say you have more vacation time banked than the next five hospital employees combined."

"That's... not a bad idea," Stephen said. "Where would we go?"

"Where have you wanted to go that you haven't had a chance to visit?"

"I wouldn't mind going back down to Grand Orleans," he answered. "It's an incredible place. I think you'd enjoy it."

"I've heard it's essentially one big party," Peter said. "And the culture is supposed to be amazing."

"It is."

Later that night, when they were lying in bed, Peter asked him a question he himself had pondered more than once.

"Why her? What made Sharon's case so personal?"

"I told you once that my father was not a kind man," he said quietly. "He was also not content to merely use words to make his displeasure known."

"He hit you?" Peter sounded horrified.

"Yes. I'd step in front of my mother and take whatever blow was coming. I also made sure that his attention never made it to Victor or Donna when he was in a bad mood. I was able to protect them for the most part and that made it worth it somehow. Seeing her, though... she had no one and I wanted to make sure she never had to face anything like that again."

"Did your siblings know what you did for them?"

"I can't say for certain but honestly, I hope not."

"Your mother knew, though."

"She was a kind woman, but never took care of herself and was ultimately very weak. After losing Donna and then Victor, she let herself fade away. When she fell sick with pneumonia she didn't even try to fight it. Her husband was always off with his mistress and her two youngest children were gone; she was done."

"How did-"

"Donna drowned when we were on a rare trip to the beach when I was sixteen. Father had some business partners who had property in the fancier part of the Hamptons. I asked her to wait before swimming out further because I was helping Victor with his sunscreen but she just rolled her eyes and insisted she knew how to swim. Donna was caught in the undertow. I must have done CPR on her for twenty minutes before it finally sunk in that she was gone." He shifted and sat up, turning on the nightstand's lamp.

"It was my fault, of course," he said sardonically. "I was supposed to be watching them both and I'd failed miserably."

"You didn't!" Peter said fiercely. "You were just a kid yourself! No one should blame you for that, not even you!"

How well Peter knew him, he thought.

"Perhaps. Victor died during my sophomore year of college. He'd fallen in with a disreputable crowd and found himself on the wrong end of a knife after a dispute over drugs. My mother went a year later and my father unfortunately didn't pass away until the first year of my residency. He'd gotten liquored up per usual and drove head-on into a brick wall."

"I'm so sorry," Peter said. "I really am. No one should have to go through any of that."

"Like I've said, I've done my grieving, such as it is." It still hurt from time to time, but he was, for the most part, at peace with the loss of his family.

"You know, I won't visit the beach in Malibu if you don't want me to. I don't want you to have to worry about me."

He really did have the most wonderful spouse, Stephen thought. He hoped he'd get to keep him.

"No, that's not necessary. I don't want to deprive you of it." He arched a brow at Peter. "And I've no plans to let you out of my sight the entire time we're on the beach."

"And you'll help me with my sunscreen?"

He laughed. "Yes, you'll be well covered."

As Stephen slept next to him, chest rising and falling evenly, Peter contemplated what he'd learned.

So much about his selecting spouse made sense to him now.

He wanted Peter to take care of himself, because he'd seen what happened when his mother hadn't. He didn't want Peter to drink or smoke or do any kind of recreational drugs, because his father had been a violent alcoholic and his brother's drug habit had gotten him killed. He wasn't supposed to be disobedient or reckless because his sister had been and it had cost her her life. The not swearing or being disrespectful was probably a holdover from his childhood and father with a temper.

Stephen, he'd bet anything, had become a doctor to save lives in the hopes he could make up for not being able to save his sister. He took his job so seriously because in his mind, whether he realized it or not, he was saving his sister over and over again.

All things considered, he was so lucky to have Stephen as his selecting spouse. Peter honestly couldn't imagine being married to anyone else, let alone going back to the life he'd had planned.

He'd always told himself that he just had to make it the one year. One year and then he was free.

Life with Stephen was so much better than he'd imagined it would be that day when Peter had called into Agent Morita's office, introduced to Stephen, and told they'd be marrying the next day. "You should get your things packed up, Peter. Your new life will be starting tomorrow." Stephen hadn't said much other than a polite greeting and that he'd return the next afternoon. He hadn't felt particularly reassured and even less so on their "wedding day" and the week following.

As the months had passed, Peter had gotten to know Stephen and Stephen had gotten to know him. He'd been laid low with the influenza and Stephen had cared for him without a single word of protest. Stephen even went out of his way to ensure that Peter would be comfortable in any social situation they were in... apart from the time when Tony and Sharon were visiting and Stephen didn't see that as any sort of impediment to asserting his selecting spousal rights. (And Peter had thoroughly enjoyed it, truth be told.)

Now, the thought that Stephen might annul at the end of their twelve months worried him.

He'd have to work out some sort of clever plan and make sure that didn't happen.

_______

[keptin-indy]

Indy plays Legends: Arceus

I haven't played Diamond/Pearl for a lot of years, but it's possibly my favorite game of the bunch. I've watched my roommate play some of the remake, and I hate the art style and also that you can't meaningfully decorate your base anymore. All this to say that I'm sure there are D/P references that I'm not going to get because it's been so long.

I have spent an ungodly amount of time playing the DLCs for Sword/Shield lately. I put more time into them than the base game itself. So I am very excited about an entire open world game.

Everything specific below the cut

It is sending me that Arceus speaks like the King James Bible

The fact that it speaks at all, like many legendaries and psychic types, once more drives home how much of a dick Calryrex in the Isle of Armor is for hijacking an entire human without their consent or knowledge just because he couldn't be arsed to do his own talking

I really hate the "modern kid wakes up in a fantasy setting" trope, but I'm interested in the wrinkle that a direct visitation from god means this kid is kind of a prophet. I did not expect to contact god via my cell phone, I must say.

The professor's hat looks so stupid. It would be fine if it didn't go all the way under his chin, but just hung open like a winter hat. Also why Laventon instead of Lavender? At least it'd be a plant, if not a tree.

I'm pretty sure that if all pokemon could shrink this would have come up A LOT before now. I can only assume that either a) this is a side game like Mystery Dungeon and therefore things work differently and are dubiously canon, or the much funnier b) the study of pokemon is new and Laventon believes all pokemon can shrink because the alternative - that one particular species of nut is just wild - is too out there for his modern science yet.

This looks to my uneducated eye like the fantasy Meiji Era and I am running around in basically my underwear by those standards. Professor, would it kill you to give me some clothes before teaching me how to imprison the wildlife?

I'm so glad the villagers are as wigged out by my clothes as they should be

I see a Galarian Weezing-shaped thing. Could it be that the British-sounding people really are Galarian rather than Galar being relatively newly connected to the rest of the world? I just want to know all about the history of this world and its regions.

Wow, I hate Beni's awful green mustache/chinstrap and grey beard combo

15! Not the tiniest of children! Hurray! Unfortunately, this qualifies me for indentured servitude. If I knew I was going to be a prophet pressed into a foreign power's service, I'd've named myself Joseph.

"Hey 15 year old, if you fuck up we are explicitly booting you out to die in the wilderness and get eaten by pokemon."

I want to eat a potato mochi. I had no idea these existed until I googled it just now, but I want them in my face.

I want to decorate my quarters but I don't think you can.

You people are sending a child out in the wilderness in basically underwear.

Putting so much emphasis on how you can and probably will die alone in the wild is hilarious for a series that is normally marketed for kids. I feel like they know the people most excited about this specific game in the series are the ones who've been hoping for open world pokemon since the late 90s/early 00s.

Laventon's camera is absurdly small for this time period expy. Cowards, not going for the huge tripod-mounted ones. It doesn't even have a big ol' flash!

Like in A Knight's Tale, the key to excelling in this story is to be too stupid to know when you're in mortal peril.

Finally someone has clothed me! And it's the person who's repeatedly said she'd leave me to die in the wilderness!

Not that I'm complaining, but why did you specially give me a hat, ma'am?

PLEASE DON'T SUPPLEX ME, SIR

The tutorial for this game lasts forever. I know there are a bunch of new things to learn, but I want to run around the wilds like a gremlin already.

WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR HOUSE YOUR SHOES AUTOMATICALLY DISAPPEAR, THAT'S SO CUTE

I know I said I wanted to wander around outside but now I have to explore every single door in this town. And there are many.

A very serious young trainer and, unfortunately, his pokemon.

I will exclusively take pictures with the old timey lens.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: You DO take falling damage and you CAN drown.

I have learned how to roll and now I will Link my way across this entire landscape

Oh no, inventory management

I am very bad about keeping track of which buttons do what in any video game, but I'm mad that they arbitrarily changed the controls from what they were for doing the exact same things in the Wild Areas in Sword/Shield. Now I have to retrain my muscle memory for no good reason.

I am also very bad at keeping track of whether I'm throwing a pokeball or a pokemon. And I keep pressing LR instead of ZLZR because I'm really a PC gamer and not used to two whole sets of triggers back there.

[beholdme]

All the Many Shades of Gerry - Chapter 8

Chapters: 8/19

Fandom: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Gerard Keay/Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood/Gerard Keay, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist, Gerard Keay/Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist

Characters: Martin Blackwood, Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist, Gerard Keay, Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), Sasha James, Gertrude Robinson, Elias Bouchard

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Library AU, Librarian Jon, Artist Gerry, Trans Male Character, Trans Martin Blackwood, Canon Asexual Character, Asexual Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist, Ace Subtype - Sex Positive, Polyamory, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Romantic Fluff, Falling In Love, Boys in Skirts, Kissing, Demisexual Gerard Keay, Minor Character Death, Past Character Death, Canon-Typical Child Neglect, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Flirting, Minor Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist/Tim Stoker, Adventures in Hair Dying, Happy Ending, Banter, Gerry has a lot of sass, Gerard Keay is Morticia Adams, Jon is a very grumpy Librarian, Martin adores them anyway.

Summary: In which Gerry is a kaleidoscope and Jon and Martin can’t help falling in love with him.

He happens to love them back.

Find it on Ao3

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

“We shouldn’t go in,” Jon tells his giggling partners very firmly, but they pay him no mind, and he gets dragged by the hand into the storefront.

The girl working the front desk looks up with a vaguely alarmed look on her face, probably because Gerry and Martin look drunk, despite it being 11 A.M. on a Sunday. They are not, although Jon can understand why someone would think that, as they march right up to the desk, faces flushed, still laughing boisterously.

“Is Melanie in? She’s a good mate of mine.” Gerry tells the receptionist.

“Yes, I’ll check with her if she has a second for you.” And she scuttles off to the back.

“It’s Gerry!” He calls off behind her, before turning to grin at Jon. “Don’t hover in the doorway, babe, Melanie doesn’t bite.”

“Melanie is in fact, perfectly capable of biting,” Jon mutters petulantly, as he moves further into the room to eye the art on the walls. “Especially when you used to date her girlfriend.”

“Oh look, my favorite emo goth boy!” Melanie yells, exploding out the back of the store, all 5 feet of her filled with frenzied energy. Her face immediately sours when she catches sight of Jon, hiding behind Martin. “And my least favourite douche bag.”

“Now, now firecracker, be nice to my boyfriend.” Gerry pulls her into a hug, which leads to a headlock and a swift jab to his ribs.

“I’m very happy to be nice to Martin,” She responds sweetly, blowing him a kiss. “What brings you lot over to darken my doorstep?”

“Piercings,” Gerry tells her with an unnatural amount of glee.

“Jon agreed to let me pierce him?” Melanie asks, perking right up at the idea of causing Jon pain.

“No!” Jon exclaims.

At the same time, Gerry says, “Nah, he’s not interested, but Martin and I were wanting something each.”

“Martin?” Melanie asks dubiously, eyeing up sweet-looking, pink-haired, cardigan-clad Martin.

“Yes,” Martin confirms with false solemnity. “Boyfriends who bleed together stay together.”

“You know,” Melanie remarks, grinning at them, “I have heard about that Pagan ritual.”

Jon has slunk over to a wall of healed artwork and concept designs, managing to avoid Melanie's barbs. As far as he is concerned, the art isn’t as interesting as Gerry’s work. Although, he supposes that what you can make beautiful on a canvas is very different from what you can make beautiful on someone's skin.

“I’ve got a bit of an opening now, what do you want to get?” She asks Gerry.

“Well, you know I’ve been wanting to have my nipples done.” He offers, teal eyes looking slightly wild.

“Yeah?” She grins in triumph, “I’ve been waiting for this day.”

“Yup and Martin has been considering something for his ears.”

“Hmmm,” She wanders over to Martin to examine him. “Open for suggestions?”

“Maybe.”

“They’re a good shape. Double helix?” She looks to Gerry for affirmation.

“Definitely.” He smirks, eyes lighting up with satisfaction.

"Two?" Martin looks slightly dubious.

"If you do them together, the pain is only a tiny bit more, and the healing time is two-for-one," Melanie reassures him, and Jon thinks it's the nicest she's ever sounded. "It's up to you though, of course."

Jon steals himself to brave the fray, going over to take Martin's hand. It's slightly clammy with the nerves that Gerry's enthusiasm has prevented up until this point.

"It won't be so bad, love." He presses a kiss to Martin's cheek, offering his support. "Just a small jab, then it's done."

"Let's do it."

***

There's a brief fuss with consent forms, aftercare instructions, and payment.

"I don't know what you lot," Melanie instructs Gerry firmly, gesturing between them, "get up to in the bedroom, but no twisting, no pulling, no biting, no sucking your nipples for 12 weeks."

Jon blushes, but Gerry and Martin aren't bothered. "Yeah, firecracker, I know the drill. This isn't my first circus."

"Kinky little shit," Jon mutters under his breath, but the goth only winks at him.

Martin's care instructions are less suggestive, and Gerry and Jon both promise to help him with it.

“Martin should go first,” Melanie pronounces, patting the piercing chair as she disinfects her hands and gloves up.

“Me?” Martin asks.

“Yup, yours will be a lot simpler, and I don’t want to traumatise you by making you watch nipple piercings before your turn.”

Martin climbs on the chair, looking a little pale, but resolute. Jon stands on the side not occupied by Melanie, gripping his hand reassuringly. Gerry stands slightly behind the chair, hand on Martin's shoulder.

The ear piercings are almost comically quick and easy. Two quick pinches, less painful than bee stings, and then Martin's ear is pierced and adorned with small hoops.

He sighs with relief and oh's with delight when Gerry hands him a mirror to check them out.

"I love it!" He exclaims, beaming at Jon and Gerry. They smile back at him, each taking a turn to kiss him on the cheek or forehead, their own relief palpable.

"It's just you and me now," Melanie grins at Gerry and gestures for him to strip.

He shucks off his trench coat and black t-shirt, and stands in front of her, completely at ease.

Jon takes a moment to wonder if he has managed to get himself into a relationship with a masochist. Not because of the piercings, but because Gerry seems to genuinely enjoy being friends with Melanie.

The nipple piercings seem to be a much more complicated process, with markings and adjustments, but several rounds of cleaning and disinfecting later, Melanie runs a metal piercing bar through first one nipple and then the other. Gerry hisses with discomfort but stands carefully steady.

She steps back to make sure they look straight and even, before declaring it a success.

"Nice," Gerry says succinctly, looking in the large upright mirror, nodding his head enthusiastically. He and Melanie high five, and she condescends to grip him in a firm hug from the side.

"You sure I can't tempt you, Jon?" Melanie asks him sweetly as she starts to clean up her station, Gerry putting his clothes back on close by.

Knowing she just wants to cause him pain, Jon tells her firmly, "No, thank you."

He is over by the wall again, looking at different art this time, including a picture of a tattoo that catches his focus. It's a playing card amid a complex arm sleeve, an Ace of diamonds, and despite a lifelong disinterest in tattoos, it speaks to him.

"I think you'd look better with a spade, love.” Gerry manages to startle Jon slightly, appearing beside him and wrapping an arm around his waist. Jon marvels at his apparent ability to read his mind.

“You think so?” Jon queries, softly. Gerry hums his affirmation. “It's a bit much though, don't you think?”

"You don't need the whole card, for what you want. Just the A and the spade. Small and bold." He picks up Jon's hand, indicating the spot below his thumb on his wrist.

Gently releasing it, Gerry grabs a pen and scrap of paper and rapidly draws out a solid, simple design.

Jon glances over at Melanie, extremely dubious. "Maybe we can go somewhere else to get it?" He whispers.

Gerry laughs warmly, tapping the small piece of paper. "I could do it for you myself."

Jon blinks at him, rather owlishly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I can give you the tattoo. I'm probably a bit rusty, but I did survive a full tattoo apprenticeship. I’ve done about a million over the years, although I had to give up my machine when I moved to London."

"You did a tattoo apprenticeship?" Martin asks from nearby, tone skeptical.

"Yup, when I was living in Edinburgh. All three years." Gerry tells them casually. "That's where I met Melanie, actually."

Jon and Martin exchange a baffled look, but choose to simply file it under 'Things Gerry tells us out of order.'

“Well, if you can do it...” Jon sounds a bit floaty but he is staring at the design yearningly, which Gerry knows is a good sign.

"Firecracker," Gerry yells over to Melanie, "Can I borrow your machine?"

***

Melanie makes the stencil while Gerry reacquaints himself with the tattoo gun, setting everything up and getting used to the weight of it in his hand again. The rhythm is always the same with tattooing and he feels himself fall into the past a bit.

When everything is ready, he gestures Jon over to sit in the chair, smiling beatifically.

Jon is shaking a little as he slides up onto it, and Gerry presses a reassuring kiss to his hand before he starts the prep.

"You ready?"

Jon gulps. "Yes."

Martin comes over to take Jon's other hand and Melanie hovers nearby, wanting to watch Gerry like a hawk the entire time he's handling her machine. ("It's the true love of her life," Gerry had confessed to Martin earlier. "Don't tell Georgie.")

Gerry follows the same procedure with any tattoo: cleanse, shave, cleanse again. Numbing cream, in this case, to prevent nerve twitches, then alcohol rub down. Eventually, he applies the stencil carefully, making sure to get it straight and in the correct place.

He checks with Jon, making sure that it is where he wants it. Jon confirms, smiling to see the design on his skin for the very first time.

As the buzz of the machine fills the space, Jon and Gerry make eye contact for a moment. Jon's earthy green eyes are wide, and Gerry can almost see where his pulse pounds through his jaguar vein. He stills a moment, really checking Jon's energy.

He's nervous, it's obvious to see, but Gerry can also see the real desire in him, and with a wink, turns to look down at his new canvas. He sets to work, the buzzing of the needle filling the air.

***

"I love it," Jon whispers to Gerry later, lying in the circle of his arms, Martin's warm weight at his back.

"I love it too." Gerry kisses his forehead sweetly, almost asleep. "Martin, what do you think of your ear?"

"I think boyfriends who commit to pain together stay together," Martin mutters drowsily, repeating his sentiment from earlier.

"Ah, yes," Jon mutters, "The great cosmic bond of suffering."

They laugh easily, the hot excitement of the day echoing within them, yet another thread in the colourful tapestry of their relationship.

[fragmentedink-archived]

Hell to Pay: Part Forty-Seven

I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, IX, IX, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XVIIII, XXX, XXXI, XXXII, XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVII, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XL, XLI, XLII, XLIII, XLIV, XLV, XLVI

cowritten by @lux-scriptum

After scrubbing his face a few times, Cyrus pushed himself up into a seated position. “You want me to what?” Cyrus asked. “You’re kidding, right?”

Cameron stared at him blankly. “Why would I do something like that? I have better things to do with my time.”

Cyrus let out a small sigh, bracing one arm across his knee. “Who do you want me to bring back?” He finally said. “And why risk it? We still don’t know what that spell did to Lev.”

This time Cameron hesitated, ever so slightly. “A spirit Lev has been seeing.”

Cyrus blinked slowly. “Just a random spirit,” he replied dubiously.

“Will you help or not?”

Cyrus hesitated. “I want to talk to the spirit first,” he said. “Before I agree to anything.”

“Alright.” Cameron said simply. “Whatever you need.”

Cyrus nodded, and started pushing himself upright. “Okay,” he said, sighing softly. “I’ll see what I can do.” After standing, he rubbed his face. “Give me a moment to get something to eat.”

“Can you even walk?” Cameron asked, raising a brow.

“In theory,” Cyrus muttered. He didn’t fall over while he made his way to the kitchen, so he considered that a success. Sorin was at his side in a heartbeat. Rather than wave him off, Cyrus let himself be herded to the table. “Do you want anything?” he asked Cameron, as Sorin poured him a mug of coffee. Decaf, as usual.

“That’s not necessary,” Cameron replied.

“Hm.” Cyrus looked him over, before adding, “I didn’t ask if you needed anything.” He waved Cameron off, however. He wasn’t going to get more than a blank stare and he knew it.

Sorin was quiet, but he wouldn’t let Cyrus get up again until Cyrus had eaten more than his fill of scrambled eggs and toast.

“Come along,” Cyrus eventually said, moving past Cameron, who had been standing there almost awkwardly. Cyrus settled slowly on the floor of his study. Sorin set up the candles for him while Cyrus looked at Cameron. “Do I have any direction when it comes to summoning this ghost or am I flying blind? It’ll take me longer, but-” Cyrus didn’t want to explain just how low he was on magic.

“What kind of direction are you looking for?”

Cyrus rubbed his face. “A name?” He said. “I should have clarified. I have no idea who I’m looking for.”

Cameron looked very tired, but Cyrus was tired too. “Darius,” Cameron finally said. “His name is Darius.”

“Okay,” Cyrus said. He blinked at the ground for a few moments. “I’m going to need help,” he finally said. He reached out, intending to take Sorin’s hand, but when he realized Cameron had taken it instead, he didn’t comment.

After a few minutes, he opened his eyes. There was a slender man standing there. His long black hair was swept to the side, and his bright gold eyes, contrasting starkly with his brown skin, were startlingly similar to Lev’s. Cyrus looked at Cameron for just a moment, before looking to Darius again.

“Hello,” Cyrus said quietly. “I assume you’re Darius?”

The ghost didn’t even look in Cyrus’ direction. Instead he stared at Cameron. “You really should eat more,” the ghost said, sadness dripping from his tone. Eventually he flicked a look at Cyrus. “I’m sorry,” he said. “My name is Darius, yes. You must be Cyrus. It's nice to meet you.”

Cyrus managed a smile. “Nice to meet you, too,” Cyrus replied. “Cameron says you’re a spirit Lev met. Someone he’s asking for.”

“I have met Lev,” Darius confirmed.

Cyrus lifted an eyebrow.

“How can I help?”

Well, Darius was dodging... something. But Cyrus just nodded slowly. “Cameron wants to bring you back,” he said gently. “But I will not if you don’t want to.”

Darius looked back to Cameron. “Do you really?”

Cameron stared right back at Darius. He somehow looked younger and older at the same time; his eyes suspiciously bright. “Lev needs you,” he said, after nearly half a minute.

“That isn’t what I asked you, Cameron.” Darius said. “Do not lie to me.”

Claws poked at the meat of Cyrus’ hand. “I should not have killed you.”

“Again,” Darius said, patiently. “That is not what I asked.”

Cameron’s eyes closed and a tick worked through his jaw. “Yes,” he bit out. “I want you alive. Lev needs you and I should not have killed you. I will make sure you have everything you need and you will not have to see me again. But yes. I want you alive.”

Cyrus tried not to stare. This whole thing was a bit more than he’d expected. In the end he bit back a sigh, and said, “Darius, do you even want to come back? I won’t perform the spell without verbal consent from you, and only you.”

Even though he did not take his eyes off of Cameron Darius did not hesitate to say, “Yes.”

Cyrus nodded. “Okay. I’ll do my best,” he said tiredly. After a moment, he added, “Do you two need some time?”

“No. We’re done,” Cameron said, reticently.

Cyrus blinked at Darius. “I might have questions for you later,” he said quietly, “But for now, I have to end the connection.”

Darius gave him a small smile. “Whatever you need.”

Cyrus broke the connection and let go of Cameron’s hand. He flexed his own, but didn’t really get a good look before Sorin took it and started looking it over. Cyrus put up with that patiently, and instead addressed Cameron.

“We’re going to need a good exchange, or Nature isn’t going to accept this resurrection.” Cyrus leaned into Sorin, who by this point had knelt on the floor beside him. “I’m going to need more time to recharge, as well. I was trying to do so naturally, but- I’ll find a way.”

“Take your time. I don’t need you to perform it wrong. He’s been dead for a lot longer than Lev was.”

Cyrus nodded slowly. “Anything else?”

“What do you need from me?”

A good question. “Not that I can think of right now. I have a lot I need to figure out. The spell I used- It won’t work for Darius the same way.” Because that would require Cameron’s death, apparently, and Cyrus wasn’t going to say that. He was not going to take Cameron away from the omega he just brought back.

After nodding and reminding Cyrus he had Cameron’s number, he was gone.

“I don’t like him,” Sorin muttered.

“Most people don’t,” Cyrus sighed. “Help me to bed?”

---

It hadn’t taken Ash much to find where Amara’s new house was located. It was on the edge of the woods with a yard far larger than Ash would have expected. He took the rustic cabin home in on his way up the steps, only for the front door to swing open. Amara looked Ash up and down. “Hi,” she said, quietly. “We’re still unpacking. So.”

Ash nodded, more to himself than anything else, and folded his arms over his chest. “Do you want me to come some other time? If you’re too busy.”

Amara shook her head. “No. You came all the way out here and I need a break.”

“Alright,” Ash said. “Then let’s talk.”

“Come in,” she said. “And shut the door behind you.”

Ash did as instructed, and followed her voice back towards the living room where he planted himself on a couch. She sat somewhere near him.

“So Lev’s doing better,” he said, since she clearly wasn’t going to say anything. “I thought you’d want to know. His fever broke and he’s stable.”

“Good,” Amara said, relief coating her voice.

Ash picked at his nails. “You still wanting my help?”

“Yes please,” Amara said, quietly.

“You know I’m not going to just say yes,” Ash said. “And it’s nothing to do with you. But I do want to make sure you’re ready and not using a kid as a coping mechanism since your sister is now out of your house. Even if she did turn out pretty alright.”

“What do you want?” She asked, tiredly. “What do you want to know?”

“Well first,” he said, “I want to know if you’re going to do everything I ask without complaint. And second, I am going to need your medical history, Mar. All of it.”

“When it comes to my health, sure.”

“Oh? Is that right?” Ash asked, settling deep into the couch. “You’re going to do everything I ask?”

“Yes.”

Ash dug the list from his pocket and held it out in her direction. “Here.”

She was quiet while reading it over. “You want me to get a job?” she asked, incredulously.

“Something like that,” he said. “Thinking maybe a job as a barista or a sales clerk. I don’t know just yet.”

“I’d point out we’re not tight on money, though I think this is more of a humiliation tactic and not concern over my finances.”

“Well when you put it like that,” Ash said, “You make it sound like I’m not taking my job seriously.”

He could feel her stare at him for a solid minute. “I think you’re a petty bastard,” she finally said. “But you’re the best bastard at this sort of thing.”

Ash gave her a tight smile. “I want you at that job for five months, no fighting, no alcohol or drugs or whatever.” He held up a hand before she could argue with him. “I am aware you are clean at this current moment in time, but consider a minimum wage job dealing with idiotic customers your test.”

“I think dealing with a neurotic Cameron and you for the last four months would be test enough,” she muttered. “But fine.”

Ash snorted. “Get back to me when you want to gut four different Karens for even breathing.”

“I already agreed,” she said, tersely. “You don’t need to rub it in.”

“Mm. I think I do.” Ash said, thrumming his fingers along the back of the couch. “But back to my previous questions that you did not answer. Medical history. I need to know so I can decide what I’m dealing with.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to a doctor, Ash.” she said, sounding confused. “I just heal. Eventually.”

Ash considered that.; thought on that. “Would you be willing to let me give you a full body physical back at my office in a few days? That way I can see everything for myself?”

“Of course.”

“Good,” Ash said. “I want to help. And I’ll do my best to get you what you want. But I am going to wait for the next few months. I need to recharge and you need to as well. It’ll be safer for everyone.”

“I miscarried last week,” Amara said after a beat. Her voice was quiet, and unusually steady. “It’s not the first time. Honestly? Waiting is probably good for me.”

“Probably,” Ash agreed. “You really should be resting more, as well. Especially these last few days if you just miscarried,” he added pointedly. “I’m sure your boyfriend can afford a few movers while you recuperate.”

“I suppose letting movers get everything settled sure does free up my time for that job you want me to get,” she snipped, before going quiet. “Sorry,” she said, all frustration easing from her tone just as quickly. “Been a few years since I’ve been sober this long. And you’re annoying.”

Ash just lifted a brow. “Imagine being around you stone cold sober,” he said, dryly. “Besides. You’re not touching anything until after I give you that physical. Until then you are going to rest because there is a high probability that you’re going to be on bedrest for a good deal of your pregnancy and if you cannot handle a few days of not doing anything it’s going to be a lot harder for the both of us.”

Amara let out a sigh. “I can rest. I will rest. Doctors orders, right?”

“Yeah,” Ash said, “doctor’s orders.”

---

Lev had managed to get to the point Nik wasn’t swallowing panic like he had been for the last four days. He was eating, sleeping, a lil cooler but he was on the mend. And nik used that to wander around just a bit while Lev was napping.

He was itching to move, and to think and he couldn’t just drag Lev with him. He couldn’t help but feel like the sentries were watching his every move, like they just knew that Nik was keeping a secret for Cameron and was waiting for the opportunity to put him on a spike.

That didn’t stop him from wandering, though.

Nik found himself searching this house top to bottom, not really looking for anything, though he did get himself lost a few times. This house was far larger than Nik thought it was.

He decided to make his final destination the basement for some reason. It was far too enclosed, but he was apparently a glutton for punishment lately. Even with the sweat coating his skin he still descended the steps from the basement to the dungeon.

He pushed open the heavy door and flicked the lights on. He blinked in surprise at the thing writhing in the bolted chair in the middle of the room. “I- well. I cannot say I was expecting this.”

He wandered closer and yanked the demon’s greasy and dirty hair back so he was staring down into violet eyes. “Sage?” he asked, bewildered. “What the hell are you doing down here? Wait. Don’t tell me, you showed up late to work one time too many and Cameron’s been torturing you ever since.”

“Please,” he rasped, hoarsely. “Just kill me.”

“Hmm.” Nik looked down at his grimy fingers and frowned. “No, I don’t think I will. I’m sure whatever you did was worth however long Cam has kept you rotting down here. And I have no interest in getting on his bad side at this current moment in time. I’m afraid all my good graces with my very pale boyfriend are nonexistent.” Or at least they will be.

Sage’s head dropped back against the back of the chair in defeat. “Fine,” he swallowed. “Fine.”

“So what did you do?” Nik asked, circling the chair. “How long, exactly, have you been rotting away in here. See, I’ve been a little out of commission as of late, and apparently Cameron didn’t want to invite me to play time, so. I’m afraid I’m a bit out of the loop.”

Sage merely stared numbly at him, not saying a single damned word about his current predicament as to why he was on Cameron’s shit list.

“Well go on then,” said Cameron’s bored voice. “Tell him.”

Sage whimpered and Nik nearly jumped out of his skin, whirling to face Cameron who was, of course, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded easily over his chest.

His face matched exactly his tone and of course he also looked completely unsurprised and unfazed that Nik was down here. “Well? What did he do?”

Cameron pushed off the doorframe and crossed the room with ease. Nik only lifted his brows as Cameron placed a hand on the back of the chair when Sage shrunk back into the chair. “He spied,” Cameron said, indifferently. “So I killed his family and let him rot down here to torture in my free time.”

Nik blinked. “On...us? Because I honestly can’t see what he could be spying on unless it was watching you cook every day.”

Cameron cut him an irritable look. “To my brother.”

“...oh,” Nik said, in a faint voice, returning his attention back to Sage. “I- why? We’ve done? Literally nothing to him? I don’t- why?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Cameron said, straightening. “The spineless will always bend one way or another, and he chose to bend for Destris.”

Nik wrinkled his nose. “Pathetic.”

“Indeed,” Cameron said, motioning for Nik to follow. They shut Sage in the darkness before returning upstairs to the kitchen. Nik was going for the counter to sit while Cameron went to the fridge.

Nik put his head on the counter and scrubbed his face. He looked up when he felt a plate being settled in front of him. He blinked blankly at the plate and then at Cameron. He absently touched his stomach. He hadn’t even realized he was hungry, and when he looked questioningly at Cameron, the alpha said, “I could hear your stomach across the house. Eat something.”

Nik wrinkled his nose, but crunched into a red pepper anyways. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

“Hm.”

Cameron fixed himself a drink before sitting across from him, watching him steadily. They sat in silence; Cameron nursing his whiskey and Nik munching on red peppers for nearly an hour before a sentry decided to break their comfortable quiet time. “Sir?”

Cameron flicked his cool gaze to the sentry, watching and waiting. Anxiety and fear was radiating from the sentry.

Nik clicked his tongue. “I see we’re the type to learn from example,” he noted. “And clearly Sage is example enough, yes?”

The sentry only looked even more uncomfortable. Cameron cut in. “What do you want?”

“Your angel is awake. Sir.” He ducked back out of the kitchen as soon as the last word was uttered.

Cameron looked unimpressed, but satisfied, as he rose from the stool and started back for his bedroom. Nik snagged a couple pepper slices and trailed after Cameron, munching quietly.

He immediately crawled up behind Lev when he made grabby hands at them. Snuggling into his side, Nik offered him a pepper. “They’re crunchy,” he said, poking Lev’s nose with hte pepper.

“Anything’s better than broth,” he muttered, taking it and nibbling at it. He held his hand out for Cameron when Cameron didn’t move from his spot at the end of the bed. Cameron must have not moved fast enought for Lev’s liking, because Lev said, “Sit with us?”

Cameron seemed wary, though just slightly, before sitting on the bed next to them. “How are you feeling?” he asked, mildly, pressing the back of his fingers to Lev’s forehead and cheeks. “Not hallucinating still, are you?”

“...I was hallucinating?”

“Mm,” Nik said, crunching on his pepper. “Been talking to someone not as interesting as me. Granted, not possible, but you know.”

“I- who?”

“Well, you see-”

“It doesn’t matter,” Cameron cut in, sharply. “There is no use dwelling.” He looked at his watch and then said, “I’m sure you’re hungry for an actual meal, since you’ve been sleeping all day.”

Neither Lev nor Nik had the option of answering before Cameron was up and out of the room a second later. Nik looked at Lev, bewildered, and crunched on his pepper. “I see we have struck a rather icy nerve, Levant.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Lev said, sounding even more confused.

Nik patted his cheek. “I know.”

----

Amara fidged as she sat on the edge of Ash’s exam table. “Well, Doc? Am I dying?” she joked, just to break the damn silence.

Ash pulled off his gloves to dispose of them. “You look healthy. A lot of scar tissue.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Amara muttered. “If I were any less vain...”

After leaning against the counter, Ash said, “It looks like a lot of cosmetic scarring, but if you made some changes to your lifestyle, your chances will probably increase. Which means you need to stop getting into fights with everyone.”

“I already cut out drinking,” Amara retorted. “Drugs are more Nik’s scene, and I’m semi-retired anway. What else is there?”

“How about eating a vegetable? Just a singulare vegetable? For once in your life?”

“There were olives on pur pizza last night?” She tried.

Ash looked unamused. “Try again.”

“Look, Ash,” Amara said, trying not to sound defensive. “Best I can cook is a bowl of cereal. I don’t know what you expect of me... that’s actually in my realm of capabilities.”

“Are you saying eating healthy is not in your realm of capabilities?”

“I’m just- I don’t know how,” she muttered. “I know how to feed two people cheaply on twenty bucks a month, but that isn’t exactly... healthy.”

Ash’s face was stern. “I do hope your not planning on feeding an infant on twenty dollars a month.”

“No,” she replied sulkily. “Cin’s in charge of the groceries.”

“Good,” Ash said. “I want you all taken care of.”

“Cin can’t cook anything any more than I can,” she warned.

“And what do you plan on doing about that?” Ash replied.

“Learn how to make grilled cheese?” She looked down. “I don’t know, Ash. If I burn enough things Cin will probably hire a chef or some shit.” A mangled grimace crossed her face. “I haven’t let him spoil me the entire time we’ve been dating. He’ll jump at the opportunity.”

“Well. I mean. I could teach you a few recipes that not even you could fuck up. If you want, of course.”

Amara blinked. “You’d do that?” she asked, startled.

He looked pained this time. “If I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have offered.”

“Usually someone is only nice when they want something,” she replied.

“I think the last four months is proof enough that I do not always act nice when I want something,” Ash said dryly.

“Yes well, I wasn’t saying you had to act nice to get what you want, just that there’s no other reason to be nice.”

“Do you want my help or not?”

Amara rubbed her face. “I do,” she said tiredly. “Sorry.”

“You should be,” he mumbled, before louder, “When do you want to start?”

“I suppose there’s no time like the present,” Amara muttered back. “Unless you’re busy.”

Ash pushed off from the counter, and said briskly, “Well, no time like the present.”

“Delightful.”

Tagging:  @incandescent-creativity @idreamonpaper @lil-mis-red @ @solangelo3088 @halstudies @littleyellowdinosaur @caelisis

[ghostmartyr]

(1/3)Hi, Immi! I’m sorry it will be a long-read, but I can’t keep it bottled anymore. When you say you feel tired about Historia’s situation I can easily relate because I feel the same, exhausted and irritated. It’s just exhausting to keep looking for some positive signs when it becomes more and more obvious that Isayama just made her irrelevant because she’d turn into an obstacle to his plot as an active character. I believe the main reason for him to not explain her situation is that he wasn't

(2/3)able to come up with logical reasons for Historia to follow Eren’s plan and to have a child so he just forced that into the plot. The same way Survey Corps guys just miraculously met Annie eating the pie. We don’t see Historia, her words and her thoughts because it’d destroy the flimsy screen Isayama have draped over her. ... The other Historia-related thing which bothers me a lot is that quite a lot of people argue – in relation to the pregnancy – that she isn’t exactly a lesbian.

(3/3)Like it’d somehow make everything better! They completely miss the point. Even if we’d replace Historia with a random 101% hetero girl she’d still have a kid with a person she doesn’t love, with a person who abused her during her childhood, and this child would be created ONLY to allow Eren to enact global genocide. Wow, what a great improvement! … I’m really sorry for being such an aggressive pessimist but I’m just tired of being optimistic for 25 months straight to no avail. I guess.

Yo.

Put politely, some of the things this particular plot point inspired people to say is why I do my level best to avoid the fandom outside of close friends. It was... not good.

For a quick note, since everything you said has been on my mind for over two years, and ah yes, how it festers:

Coercive sex has nothing to do with preference.

I’m bolding that because hell, did it need to be said when 107 dropped, and as far as I’m aware, it still needs to be said. Instead of people being upset and hurt, the conversation turned into how much of a right people even had to those feelings, because why ever would lack of consent bother someone unless they had a stake in an interpretation of canon.

But in any case, yeah. The fact that Historia’s sexuality became the debate topic it did after 107 is -- hell. I know why it came about, and I could draw a very neat logic tree, and honestly, some of it did come from legitimate places of grievance.

Watching fandom feed like locusts on the discussion of what type of queer had been trapped in a dubiously consensual sexual relationship was still painful. Watching her entire relationship with Ymir be invalidated every other post, when that had limited relevance, was a twist to the knife.

We have a character whose arc revolves around finding herself and reclaiming her agency. The very next arc she is a participant in cheats her out of that agency. She’s nineteen, and everyone around her might not actively pressure her to breed children, but the situation is outlined so that she knows if she doesn’t, everyone will suffer.

This character has routinely protected children, and knows the suffering of being born unwanted.

It’s a disgusting story, and it doesn’t even get to be her story. It exists to make Eren upset. As if he really needs help with that. And after two years, the only addition we have to her role is that she might have gone along with it to help global genocide happen.

I have been waiting for this story to explain itself for a while. Each month, it doesn’t. Each month, I very carefully do not shout to the rafters exactly what I feel about this, because I’ve chosen to wait and trust that the story is not actually being this stupid. Each month, it seems less and less likely that this is ever getting fixed, and I feel like an idiot for going along with it.

However much I think there’s room for a reveal, each month, we’re a tick closer to the end, and nothing crops up. My argument has always been that for something kept off the stage for so long, it’s going to stay off the stage until it’s ready to blow us away. Great, awesome, but in the meantime, by all appearances, one of our main characters agreed to get knocked up by a guy she doesn’t like with a child she doesn’t want for the sake of a global genocide she doesn’t support.

When our actual main character is murdering literally everyone on the planet over how intolerable he finds that practice.

This does not make sense. This does not work on a thematic level, it doesn’t work on a logical level, it doesn’t work on a character level, and yet I’m here, stuck putting up with it for those exact reasons. This is the exact type of thing that got Sherlock fans so much mockery. “No guys, it’s bad on purpose for the secret extra season!”

I’m tired of being optimistic, too. Being optimistic often feels like letting it go unsaid how fucked every part of this is. Loads of characters die, or don’t show up for months at a time, but having a character’s emotional consistency actively dismantled to serve another character’s arc is something that basically never happens in this series. Unless you’re Ymir or Historia. Nice.

Because of how good the character work has been, I am optimistic. Still.

At the same time, the things I love most about the series have been fucked over worse and more completely than anything else going on in the story, and sometimes, I would like a little room to be pissed.

Where is my fucking wall scene, WIT?

[naruwitch]

Code Geass: Paladins of Voltron Chapter 34: The Royal Declaration

"Incoming!" Kallen's voice warned just as the Black and Green Lions exited Earth's atmosphere. Blurs colored in yellow, red, purple, orange, and blue met them halfway.

"Hey, hey! You're alive after all!" Rivalz greeted from Polaris.

"Yeah, we are," Lelouch nodded, "Are the rest of you all right?"

"Yeah… I can't believe three more Knights of the Round showed up!" Shirley exclaimed.

"I know," Lelouch acknowledged, "Head back to the castle and meet in Zen's hanger. We have some things to discuss."

"Roger!" Suzaku said before the other Lions whipped back towards the castle.

"Wait! Was that-"

"You'll see in a minute, Euphie," Lelouch smiled and winked.

Smoothly but quickly, Lelouch glided Zen back into her bay with Zerith right behind them.

"Stay here until I call for you, okay?" Lelouch told Euphie. He knew the other Paladins would have questions once they saw her, but he had to make a few things clear first.

Euphemia nodded, anxiously glancing out Zen's eyes as her brother disappeared outside.

Stepping out into the bay, another surprise met Lelouch as he saw Rai lead none other than Nonette Enneagram out of Zerith. His stunned look was shared by several of the other Paladins and crew too. Zerith must have scooped her up with Rai by accident.

The Knight of the Round had her hands raised and was glancing around at the other people present. Lelouch was sure she was shocked to see that the enemy she was fighting was a ragtag group of Japanese and Britannian rebels, plus aliens.

Kallen looked like she was about to say something when Rai stopped her.

"It's fine. She…" he stopped trying to find the right words, "She's coming quietly."

This statement caused several reactions from surprise to skepticism, especially from Kallen and Allura.

"Um… okay then," Suzaku eventually said.

This snapped Lelouch back to attention, and he gestured for Sugiyama and Sayoko. Coran fumbled for a pair of Altean cuffs before tossing them to the ninja maid, who caught them quickly. No one else spoke as the two handcuffed the knight.

"Looks like you'll be seeing Cornelia a little earlier than you thought," Lelouch quipped, though there was little malice in his tone.

"I'll tell her you said hi!" Nonette shot back. The knight nearly stopped in her tracks when she spotted Nunnally, though, standing with the help of some advanced crutches. She huffed out a laugh as she was led out of the room. If her hunch about Zero's identity was right, his request to tweak her terms made sense.

Well played. Well played indeed.

"Um… Lelouch, do you still have...?" Rai asked, glancing anxiously at the Black Paladin.

"Yes, she's inside," he answered, taking his helmet off.

"Who?" Shirley asked.

"Before you see, I need to make something clear," Lelouch said authoritatively, "I expect our other… stowaway to be treated as a guest. If I hear that anyone has done less than that, they'll answer to me. Am I clear?"

There was silence for a good three ticks before everyone murmured their consent and understanding.

"Good," Lelouch's tone turned pleasant again. He then turned to Suzaku, "Would you mind going to grab them, Suzaku?"

"Huh? Why me?" he asked, blinking dubiously.

"Trust me; you'll understand when you see who it is," Lelouch said, barely hiding a grin.

Suzaku's expression didn't change, but he calmly strode towards Zen's open mouth, his footsteps echoing in the chamber. It was silent for a beat, only to be followed by a delighted squeal and squawk of surprise and laughter. Several seconds of babble followed before everyone finally spotted Suzaku's faint shadow reappear in Zen's jaws, along with someone else's.

Once the unknown passenger appeared, another round of gasps filled the room, and Princess Euphemia raised her free hand, the other Suzaku was firmly grasping, giving a small wave in greeting.

"EUPHIE!" Nunnally shrieked, her crutches clattering to the floor as she bolted towards her sister. In response, Euphemia gasped and rushed to meet her, catching Nunnally before she could trip on her still slightly unsteady legs. Her arms wrapped around her sister whipcord tight, tears forming as they both embraced.

"Aw!" Shirley cooed, feeling her own eyes getting wet as she watched the princess' reunion. Rivalz struggled to hide a sniffle next to her and failing miserably.

"Nunnally, it's-" Euphemia gasped, stepping back slightly to fully take her sister in, "-and you're walking...running! And you can see…!"

"I know!" Nunnally exclaimed, hugging Euphemia again.

Euphemia gladly returned the embrace as she looked in her brother's direction, "Why didn't you…?"

Lelouch just shrugged, his lips curved upwards, "It was a surprise."

While mostly everyone else enjoyed watching the reunion, Milly's eyes lingered on Lelouch. That smile… It was one that she hadn't seen on the Black Paladin's face for years. Sure, Lelouch smiled, especially around Nunnally, but she could tell it was almost always just a front. A model smile to hide the intense pain and anguish that he felt nearly every day since Lady Marianne's death.

Now though, she observed with a little beam of her own, that smile wasn't fake at all.

"Lelouch, why is she here?" Allura asked, eyeing Euphemia suspiciously. From her appearance, the Altean guessed that this was Cornelia's sister, and while Lelouch had only said good things about Euphemia, the princess couldn't help but be cautious.

Lelouch's smile soon turned into a grimace, "I didn't have a choice."

"What do you mean?" Suzaku asked, glancing at the team leader. Sure, he was glad to see Euphemia again, but he wouldn't deny that this seemed relatively sudden too, as he waited patiently for his friend to answer.

The answer was not one he was expecting, nor wanted.

"Haggar's on Earth."

"WHAT?!" Kallen exclaimed, voicing everyone's thoughts as they all stared at Lelouch in horror, faces begging him to deny or start laughing because it was his twisted version of a joke.

Noticing the sudden change in the room, Nunnally and Euphemia glanced up and looked around in concern. Euphemia was especially worried when she saw the terror-struck expression Suzaku wore.

"You're absolutely certain, Number One?" Coran asked urgently.

"Yeah, L-Lelouch, are you sure?" Shirley stuttered, looking nearly panicked. Shirley still remained the only paladin besides Lelouch to actually see the frightening witch. The image of her bearing down on Lelouch still haunted her.

"Yes," the Black Paladin confirmed, "Both Rai and I saw her."

Rai bobbed his head, skin an unusual puce color.

"Hold on," Suzaku said, shaking out of his stupor, "If you saw Haggar, and she's Zarkon's right hand, how come a whole Galra fleet isn't raining down on Earth right now?"

"Yeah… yeah, I mean, wouldn't we know if the Galra were on Earth already?" Kallen asked, "And if not, why did she come by herself?"

"I don't know," Lelouch shook his head, but his frown remained, "But when we saw her, she was disguised as a Britannian soldier. At least until I attacked her. If she's really the only one from Zarkon's forces on Earth, there must be a reason for that."

"Come to think of it, Lelouch," Rivalz said, a sheen of sweat on his forehead, "Didn't Ulaz say that we were being tracked? That's why it was such a huge risk coming to Earth in the first place."

"Yeah, if that's true, about the tracking part, wouldn't Zarkon have found by now?" Shirley asked.

"...Maybe that's why Haggar here," C.C. mumbled. All heads immediately snapped in her direction.

"What do you mean, C.C.?" Allura asked sternly.

"I'm not a hundred percent certain myself, and there's no way to test my hypothesis, but there could be something here on Earth that's blocking whatever Zarkon's using to track us. Perhaps that witch came here to investigate it before bringing any other forces."

"And that would be?" Suzaku asked, pressing further.

"As I said, it's only a theory, and since we have no way to prove it, we shouldn't dwell on it," the immortal said in finality, "All we do know is that that witch is on Earth, and if she is, then Zarkon is likely not far behind, especially now that she's aware that we're aware of her. Preparing for their arrival should be our top priority right now."

Lelouch's gaze lingered on C.C. for a few more ticks. He also had a theory he knew what Haggar was investigating, but the immortal was right. Haggar had lost the element of surprise, and that could cause her to call for reinforcements (and Lelouch had a feeling that Zarkon himself would be among them) sooner than she originally planned.

"Coran," he addressed authoritatively, "What's the research team's status on our space Knightmares?"

Straightening, Coran responded, "Structural, weapon, and mobility-wise, they're good to go. But we're still running into one small snag that's keeping us from announcing their completion."

"And that would be?" Lelouch pressed.

"Fuel supplies," Coran answered.

"Fuel supplies? What do you mean? I thought Kyoto was smuggling us more than enough Sakuradite?" Kallen asked.

"And we do have vast stores of them," Coran assured, "The problem is, a single energy filler of this material simply burns through the Knightmares too quickly. Not to say we can't use the Knightmares in battle, but using them for long, drawn-out ones would be rather foolish unless we had a way to either replenish the fuel quickly or make it last longer."

Suzaku's face looked thoughtful, "That… makes some sense. I remember hearing Lloyd talking about a similar problem with the airborne Knightmares on Earth. During the Kyushu mission, he warned me that my fuel would burn out quickly during flight, so I wouldn't have much power to fight with melee weapons. It's why I was only the starting attack. They knew I would run out before I could retake the base."

Coran nodded in understanding, "Yes. I believe the reason for that is due to gravity. Because both ours and Britannia's Knightmares are airborne, they're expelling extra energy just to stay in the air and maneuver. Space further increases the amount of fuel they need to use since there's no gravity in open space. The Knightmares have to produce their own inertia just to maneuver properly. Nothing's stopping the machines from going in one direction forever unless an opposite pressure is applied."

"Right, right, Newton's First Law and all that jazz," Rai muttered, his scientific brain spitting out the info as he listened to Coran's report.

Lelouch grasped his chin, eyebrows furrowing, "So we either need to find a way to make the Knightmares more efficient with their fuel usage, somehow figure how to make the Knightmares store more or extra fuel on them, or we can only use them for guerrilla warfare tactics or quick hit-and-run attacks."

"Or we find another fuel source either on Earth or elsewhere that can work better than the Sakuradite," Milly added.

"Milly, as tempting as that option sounds, we don't have time for that," Lelouch said, "Developing another power source that's better than Sakuradite can take months or years on Earth, and we simply don't have enough technologically advanced races as allies yet. We'll just have to deal with what we have and pray that Rakshata's team eventually comes up with a solution."

At the mention of allies, something tickled in the back of Rivalz's mind, his memory strangely flashing back to when Sendak ambushed the castle back on Arus. Sure, he had been unconscious for most of it, but he could still pick up flashes of colors and whispers of voices.

 "Without a crystal, the castle has no power…"

  "...get a new crystal to get the castle working again…"

"...Why don't we just use the same thing that's powering the castle?" he blurted out before he could stop himself.

Any further conversation abruptly halted as all eyes shifted to the Blue Paladin.

Squirming a little under everyone's gazes he continued, not sounding so sure anymore. "Well, I mean, the Balmera crystals, we're already using one huge one to power this entire Castleship, plus the old one before it blew up was being used for 10,000 years just to keep these two," he gestured to Allura and Coran, "alive. So if a giant one can power a spaceship like this, even dormant, for that long, there shouldn't be any problem using it for smaller stuff. Right? Right?"

There was silence for about a dobash as everyone thought over Rivalz's reasoning, Coran stroking his bushy mustache thoughtfully.

"...I think you might just be onto something there, Number Seven!" Coran exclaimed.

"It's at least worth a shot," Rai said, nodding in agreement.

"Rivalz! You little genius, you!" Milly grinned, giving him a good-natured noogie in the process.

"How long will it take to get those crystals?" Lelouch asked seriously, but no one missed the layer of eagerness in his tone.

"Not long," Coran answered confidently.

"All right, then take Rakshata and her team and head to the Balmera we liberated. Get those crystals."

"Righty-o!" Coran jovially exclaimed.

"Can I go too, Lelouch?" Shirley asked, "I can take them in Zinnia, plus if there's an emergency, we can get back to the castle faster and have a way to defend ourselves if something attacks us out there."

"You just want to see you BAFF Shay again!" Milly teased.

"BAFF?" Kallen asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"'Best Alien Friend Forever' duh!" Milly translated.

"Well, that too," Shirley admitted, rubbing her elbow with a blush.

"I'll allow it," Lelouch says. It made sense on a tactical level as well. Zinnia being the most heavily armored meant that if they were attacked, they had the best chance of defending their prize until they returned to the Castleship. Plus, considering the Orange Lion's close relationship with land and earth made it the most suitable for a place like a Balmera.

Then the Black Paladin's eyes wandered to his sisters, who had been standing near the center of the room listening to the conversation, eyes flickering back and forth between speakers like a tennis match.

"...Take Nunnally with you too."

"Wha?!" Rivalz squawked, looking at Lelouch like he had just opened a third eye on his forehead. Most of the other Paladins shared similar expressions.

"Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Lelouch Lamperouge?" Milly accused, pointing at their leader.

"You mean it, big brother?" Nunnally asked, sounding a little shocked herself.

"This'll let you get out of the castle for a while," Lelouch smiled, "Plus, I think you'll enjoy the scenery… as long as Sayoko goes with you as well."

"False alarm, he's back," Kallen quipped, causing the occupants to both sigh and groan at the familiar condition.

"Well, if that's settled, I'm going to head for the lab and let Rakshata know our plan," Coran said, "Shirley, why don't you and Nunnally look for Sayoko so that you three can prep for the trip?"

"Sure thing," Shirley nodded before picking up Nunnally's crutches and passing them over to the young princess, "Come on, Nunna!"

"Okay!" she nodded before following after the Orange Paladin. She waved over her shoulder towards Euphie one more time, "I'm glad you're here, Euphie! I'll see you later!"

"Have fun, Nunnally!" Euphemia waved back with a bright smile.

"Okay, so that's done," Kallen said, "What now? I mean, we can't do much until they get back with the crystals."

"There are still some things we need to discuss," C.C. said, "And now that the immediate problem's out of the way, this may be our best chance to do so."

"Is this about that theory you mentioned about Haggar?" Allura asked.

"Partially," C.C. replied, "but now that certain factors have come into play, I feel there are a few more things you must be aware of."

Back on Earth in the Viceroy's Palace, Schneizel was having a discussion with the present Knights of the Round along with Darlton and Guilford. With the loss of Nonette and the destruction of the Thought Elevator device, as well as the appearance of that strange individual, there was much to talk about.

"Thank you again for your assistance on Shikine Island, Lord Bismark. Yours as well, Anya and Gino. I'm impressed how quickly you were able to get over here on such short notice."

"You flatter us, but just be grateful that the Emperor answered your summons. It's thanks to his orders that made our arrival so prompt," Bismarck said dismissively.

"Speaking of orders, you still never answered my question. We were told to help capture that lion, but nowhere in our orders did it say that we'd be throwing Nonette to the wolves in the process!" Gino exclaimed in frustration.

"Weinburg, silence yourself!" Bismarck barked.

Gino scowled but shut his mouth, knowing that anything he said would be meaningless.

"Nothing can be done about it now," Anya said in her usual monotonous voice, "However, the fact that Voltron now has three members of royalty in custody is concerning."

"Yes," Schneizel bowed his head, "It's unfortunate that Euphemia got caught in the middle of all of this, but understand, I had no way of predicting that she would attempt something so rash."

"So then, now what?" Darlton asked, "If this was a plan to get Princess Cornelia and Nunnally back, it's failed! Surely you've thought of another way to retrieve them!"

"Unfortunately, until further data is gathered on this enemy, I'm afraid it may be too risky to attempt another operation like this."

Guilford gasped, "What are you saying?! You're not just giving up on them, are you?"

"How dare you-"

Schneizel held his hand up before Bismark could chastise the knight, "I understand your feelings, Guilford, but even with the information we have, Voltron remains a major wildcard. It would be best to withdraw and observe for now instead of wasting resources on attacks that will likely fail."

"But the Knights of the Round are with us now!" Darlton protested, "Back on the island, they fought those lions to a near standstill!"

"Yes, but only to a standstill. Am I correct?" Schneizel glanced at the knights.

"Indeed," Anya frowned, "From the data that we gathered, despite the lions' size and armor, most of the attacks weren't nearly as refined."

"You telling me the pilots of those lions are rookies?" Gino asked.

"No, but it seems most haven't been in as many battles and lack experience," Anya amended, "if that black lion had managed to enter the fray, however, they likely would have been the victors of that fight, not us."

"Then… how exactly are you planning to retrieve data to analyze then?" Darlton asked after absorbing this information.

"We already have a small piece of alien equipment in custody. Bartley's group has been observing and studying its properties since we managed to retrieve it. It's thanks to that research that we were able to find a way to disable the Black Lion."

"Yeah, by once again putting Nonette in direct danger!" Gino said again.

"Weinburg! One more word from and I will be forced to-"

"No, Bismark," Schneizel said, "Lord Weinburg has every right to be upset. Believe when I say that sacrificing comrades is not something I wish to resort to often, but I wouldn't have put her in that situation if there had not been a chance for us to save her. It was a gamble, one that cost us, but it had to be done."

Gino still frowned but accepted the explanation with a frown.

"In any case, while Voltron still remains a threat to our people, we still have other affairs that must be dealt with on our planet as well. We're still working through negotiations with the Chinese Federation. We'll have to play our cards carefully, or we may risk further conflict both on and off our world."

A light flickered in the atmosphere above the Balmera as the wormhole closed behind the Orange Lion. Even from high above the creature's surface, the sparkle of its crystals twinkled almost majestically.

"There it is, Nunna!" Shirley exclaimed, pointing out the window with a grin.

Nunnally gasped in wonder as she looked at the beautiful pla-no, not planet she reminded herself. This was a giant animal! And it was still alive too!

"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"Indeed!" Coran smiled, "In my opinion, the sparkling surface of a Balmera is one of the greatest sights one can see."

"And you mentioned that this one used to be under Galra control?" Rakshata asked.

"Yes," Coran grimaced for a moment, "Oh, when Shirley and I first saw it in the state the Galra had left it in, I was afraid that we wouldn't be able to save it. However, as you can see that while it still has a ways to go in recovery, the fact that we can see the crystals so far out is a good sign that it's at least healthy."

"I'm glad it's feeling better now," Nunnally said sincerely.

"Yeah, so am I," Shirley said with a smile, one that matched Sayoko's.

"So, may I ask how exactly these crystals work?" Rakshata inquired as they slowly descended into the atmosphere.

"Well, you see, the crystals themselves aren't ordinary minerals. They're petrified pieces of the Balmera's quintessence. Quintessence itself is considered the purest form of energy in the universe, holding the highest known energy per unit volume. Not only that, but it's also a self-generating one, which would answer your question earlier about how the castle lived off of a single crystal for 10,000 years."

"So, unlike other energy sources, this quintessence can recharge and reproduce naturally, all on its own?" Sayoko asked.

"Exactly, but the keyword being 'natually' there," Coran explained, "When we first came across this Balmera, the Galra had practically stripped the beast dry of all of its crystals, not giving it enough time to recover and rejuvenate its energy. Without either sufficient time to build up its stores again or a rejuvenation ceremony, the Galra were slowly killing it."

"Speaking of which, considering Allura's the only one that can perform that ceremony, is it even safe for us to be doing this?" Shirley asked, glancing over her shoulder.

"No, this one shouldn't cause much damage. The size of the crystals for the Knightmares are nothing compared to a battle-class crystal like the one for the castle. Of course, I'm not just going to wrench it out of the beast, either. You should understand what I'm talking about, right Shirley?"

Shirley thought for a moment, then remembered, "Oh yeah. You didn't perform the ceremony, but you still… talked to it, right? Using your own quintessence?"

"Correct," Coran nodded, "Plus, we'll have the other Balmerans there to help as well. Since they're born and raised here, they can naturally communicate with the creature, and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to assist us."

Shirley landed the Orange Lion lightly on the Balmera's firm surface, and before exiting, she could already see several Balmerans rushing to greet them, spotting several familiar faces already.

"Shirley!" Shay exclaimed in excitement as she and her family greeted the group as they exited the lion.

"Shay, it's good to see you again!" Shirley waved back happily.

Shay returned the smile before looking at the new faces, "Who's this?"

"Allow us to introduce Rakshata, Sayoko, and Lelouch's sister, Nunnally," Coran said, gesturing to each human in question.

"Pleasure," Rakshata nodded, and Sayoko gave a short bow in greeting.

"Nice to meet you!" Nunnally said, her eyes lingering on Shay's ear hoops, "I like your earrings."

"Oh, thank you," Shay said, her hand swiping over one.

"We welcome all of you to the Balmera," Shay's grandmother stated, "what brings you here?"

As Coran and Rakshata began discussing the crystals they needed, Nunnally's eyes wandered across the Balmera's surface. The crystals looked even more pretty up close and-

Nunnally gasped softly as her eyes landed on a large crystallized structure in the distance. Unlike the other crystals, though, she could see something was inside of it.

"Um, Shirley," Nunnally asked nervousness, "What's that over there?"

Shirley blinked before following Nunnally's line of sight and gasping herself. She quickly regained her composure, though, "Oh, that's a monster, we called them Ro-Beasts, that the Galra sent to fight us when we first liberated this place. The Balmera was the one that trapped it in the crystals like that. From the looks of it, it hasn't moved since, which is a relief."

Despite the insistence that it couldn't hurt them, Nunnally couldn't shake the small pit forming in her stomach. Even stuck frozen like that, the Ro-Beast looked scary.

"Are you all right, Nunnally?" Sayoko asked, noticing the princess's expression.

"I'm fine," Nunnally reassured her, "I guess seeing that thing is making me nervous."

"Well, there's nothing that you need to worry about Nunnally," Coran said confidently, "When the Balmera trapped that ro-beast in the crystals, it was crystallized both inside and out. There's very little chance that it's still alive at all."

"You said that the Galra created that?" Rakshata asked, eyeing the beast with a calculating expression. "I certainly wouldn't mind taking a peek inside of it if they're capable of making readily made Voltron-sized roots like that. Perhaps we can create a countermeasure for them other than Voltron itself."

"Yes, that would be a wise decision, but I believe we discuss it in length later back at the castle," Coran said before leading everyone towards the tunnel ladders.

Just before Nunnally was helped down the first ladder, she took one last look at the frozen monster. The pit in her stomach didn't fade.

After a brief tour of the ship, courtesy of Suzaku, Euphemia anxiously waited for the elevator to reach the floor that was currently holder both Nonette and her sister as captives. Of course, Euphie had no way, nor intention of releasing them. And even if she wanted to, she didn't know the code to open the cell. Plus, based on the suspicious glances she had seen the female Altean (Allura her brain supplied) shooting her as Suzaku lead her around, she had a feeling the only reason they were trusting her was on her brother's word alone.

She understood. According to Suzaku, Allura and Cornelia didn't exactly have the most cordial of introductions, so it was natural for one to assume that any immediate family would act similarly. She hoped she'd be able to change Allura's mind eventually.

According to the castle's time, which was set to Earth hours for the Paladins' benefit, it was around dinner time, and someone would typically be taking food to Cornelia's cell. Since she was heading down there herself, Euphemia volunteered to take it. She smiled in pity when she saw that the food was the same strange green goo that she and Lelouch had eaten on the island. She had been able to stomach it by eating it along with the berries she found, but her sister had likely been eating it with nothing else. This was probably torture all on its own in Cornelia's eyes. After all, unless she wanted to starve to death, she'd have to eat it eventually. Even Lelouch admitted that it still wasn't his most favorite thing to eat, and he and the other castle occupants had been living off of it for the past few months!

Finally, the elevator slowed to a stop and opened with a slight hiss. Her heart picked up when she spotted her sister and Nonette in the cell at the end of the runway. Lelouch had assured her that Cornelia was fine, but she wanted to see for herself to reassure herself as well.

The sound of her steps must have alerted the two women as they looked up from their conversation.

"Euphie!" Cornelia exclaimed, both in alarm and relief leaping to her feet.

Seeing that Cornelia was all right, Euphemia picked up speed, "Cornelia! I'm so glad you're okay!"

The sheet of glass kept them apart, but their hands easier aligned from both sides. Euphie was quite shocked to see tears in Cornelia's eyes.

"Nonette told me what happened… Schneizel…" her tone soon turned dangerous, "...I will never forgive him for this! You could've been killed!"

"But I'm not, sister!" Euphie assured her, "I'm fine. Lelouch kept me safe while we were on that island."

Cornelia could only nod; her emotions still jumbled between relief and fury.

Her thoughts were interrupted at the untimely sound of her stomach growling.

Euphemia giggled as her sister blushed and scowled in disgust when she saw the goo on the plate she had.

"You… have been eating, right, Nelly?" Nonette suddenly asked carefully. Cornelia had been held captive for about three weeks, so she certainly hoped so. Then again, if these Alteans were advanced enough to cure Nunnally of her blindness and paralysis, she wouldn't be surprised if they had a unique way of keeping prisoners healthy without food as well.

"...Only when I had to," Cornelia admitted. Truthfully, the viceroy managed to refuse about twelve meal offerings of that goop (deciding to count the days that passed based on the number of meals), but by the time the fifth day started, she forced herself to eat a little of it, if only to ease her stomach from ripping itself apart. It was only through sheer willpower that she didn't barf it back up. The only bright side was that the water she was given was completely normal (demonstrated when the Black Knight who brought it to her took a sip of it), so it quelled the feeling of hunger just slightly. No water, no life after all.

Euphemia smiled sympathetically before finding the button to open the meal slot. "It's not that bad, Cornelia," she said in a tone that she hoped sounded encouraging, "and if Lelouch was able to stomach it the past few months, I'm sure you can tolerate it a little longer."

Cornelia seemed to pout as she eyed the goo like it was cow droppings before she finally picked up the spork and scooped up a small amount, her revolted grimace still plastered on her face.

Still not used to the slimy texture, Cornelia almost immediately upchucked it but stubbornly kept her mouth closed and forcing it back down. She felt Nonette patting her back behind her.

From outside, Euphemia winced in sympathy. She wished she could get her sister something else, but the plants in the greenhouse weren't ready to be harvested yet, and the indoor rice field still had about three months to go before it was ready. According to what Suzaku told her, the green onions and radishes were getting close since they grew the quickest, but there weren't many dishes that could be made with those alone. They had about a couple dozen chickens now, so the crew had started throwing eggs into their diets, and they were in the process of trying to smuggle a couple of cows and some goats up the ship. There was also talk of possible plans for some fish farms.

"All Milly's idea," Suzaku had informed her.

"I'm sorry, sister," was all Euphie could say, "Hopefully, this won't last too much longer…"

She hoped so anyway. The information that Lelouch shared with her on the island, about Voltron, the Galra, what they'd been up to the last few months.

"Sister, how much has Lelouch told you about what's going on?" she asked after Cornelia managed to choke down another couple of bites, "About the Galra, I mean?"

Pushing the goo away, looking relieved for a change in subject, Cornelia admitted, "Lelouch hasn't told me much. Nunnally was the one that filled me in on the situation."

This caught Euphemia by surprise. Did Lelouch still not fully trust Cornelia, even after learning that the two of them had nothing to do with his mother's death? It wasn't too surprising… all of that distrust and suspicion wasn't going to fade after one conversation, and he was likely remaining cautious because up until now, Cornelia had technically been his enemy. Either way, she was glad that Nunnally was at least willing to trust her, and as she listened to her sister summarize what she was told, she realized it was about the same amount of information that Lelouch had told her.

Everything except…

"Did Nunnally mention anything about a witch when she came to see you?" Euphemia asked.

Cornelia blinked dubiously, "A witch? What do you mean?"

"I suppose that's a 'no' then," Euphie sighed.

"Wait, are you talking about that cloaked woman that Ze-I mean, Lelouch attacked?" Nonette asked.

As Euphemia nodded, Cornelia raised a skeptical eyebrow. Aliens? Okay, maybe she'd believe that. A literal witch, though? She wasn't so sure about that.

"After you were led out of the room, Nonette, Lelouch talked about her, and Suzaku mentioned that she's Zarkon's right hand. I don't know much else besides that, but… even just talking about her, Lelouch and Rai, they were terrified."

"If that's true with them just talking about her, she must be a big threat considering their reactions to physically seeing her on the island," Nonette observed.

Cornelia sat in shocked silence. Even as a young boy, not many things scared Lelouch, the sole exception being their father. So the fact that both her friend and sister were insisting that her brother was terrified of this witch person was deeply troubling.

"Lelouch… just who exactly have you been fighting?" she wondered softly, aloud.

C.C. frowned in concern as her hands lifted from Lelouch and Rai's heads. Once again gathered in the lounge, the two Paladins gave a quick summary of the events that transpired on the island to Allura and the other Paladins (though Shirley was absent). The moment they mentioned that the island's structure had done something to their Geasses, C.C. insisted on checking them.

"So?" Lelouch asked expectantly.

"Both your Geass have grown significantly, but not by natural means," she explained, "V.V. likely had a hand in this."

This caught everyone's attention.

"That other Code-bearer you mentioned?" Kallen asked.

"The same," she confirmed, "He likely triggered the Thought Elevator in an attempt to make one of your Geass go out of control."

"Thought Elevator?" Lelouch asked, "Is that what that structure is called?"

"Yes. Those structures have captured your father's interest in for a while now." If C.C. didn't have Lelouch's full attention before, she did now. "I don't know much about its origin, though. No one really does."

"Wait, 'structures'? So there are more of these things?" Rai asked urgently.

C.C. nodded, "Not counting the one that was destroyed on the island, there seven others all over the world. I don't know the exact locations of them, but I do believe they are connected to Geass somehow."

"So, even you do not know how this power came to be?" Allura asked.

"Well, I wasn't always immortal," C.C. reminded them, "I used to be a normal human too until a Code-bearer granted me my own Geass. But it happened so long ago that's lost count of how many years it's been."

"Oh… sorry," Rivalz said sympathetically. It was hard to imagine the pain C.C. had to go through, watching people that she had come to care for other the years grow old and die without her.

C.C. sighed before continuing, "As I said, Charles and V.V. have been studying these structures for years. Decades even. I don't know much about what they're planning with them, but it seems their knowledge has grown since I left. V.V. likely used them to transport Lelouch, Rai, Nonette, Euphemia, and the Black and Green Lions to that island to spring his trap."

"And yet Zen destroyed it, and she did it all on her own," Lelouch noted, "It wasn't via my orders."

"So basically, V.V. brought Lelouch and Rai to that island specifically to trap them?" Suzaku asked.

"It was likely an attempt to increase their Geass power to a point where they couldn't control it anymore," C.C. added.

"Like with Mao?" Milly asked. C.C. nodded in confirmation.

"Do you believe he acted alone on this plan?" Allura questioned, "It's clear from how you've talked about them that this V.V. and the emperor are close. And if that's the case, they're likely aware that Lelouch has this Geass… but why bring Rai to the island as well? Was it coincidental because he landed in the area first, or was Lelouch his only target?"

"I think I know…" Rai said, shoulders sagging and gazing at the ground.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Rivalz asked, leaning towards him.

Rai knew that his team wouldn't leave him alone until they found out what was wrong, so he spoke, "My memories. I got them back… all of them."

Everyone at first was taken by surprise, but then Milly smiled, "Well, that's great, Rai! Congratulations!"

"Yeah! Totally!" Rivalz nodded and gave a thumbs up.

However, Rai seemed to curl in on himself slightly, "Now that I have them back though… I wish I didn't."

This extinguished any further praises as everyone stared at him, stunned.

"What do you mean?" Milly asked, "Ever since we found you, getting your memories back was your top priority! Now you don't want them? Why?"

"If you really remembered everything… that means your time as a prisoner too, huh?" Kallen asked.

"Oh…" Rivalz grimaced, realizing how messed up this was becoming.

Allura looked down before approaching the Green Paladin and placing a hand on his shoulder, "I know this may sound hypocritical of me, Rai, but if you're willing to tell us what you remembered, we can help you get through it. But you can only do it if you let us."

Rai bit his lip, not sure where to start, so he just started talking.

"Well, first of all, my name isn't Rai. It is Zephyr. Zephyr zar Britannia."

Though Lelouch had been suspicious ever since Nonette said it, he couldn't help the shock he felt at what it being confirmed. Before Lelouch could say anything, though, his half-brother continued.

"And my mom… her name was Erina Kururgui."

Suzaku choked and had to take a step back to steady himself, "...Aunt Erina?"

"Do you know her Suzaku?" Milly asked.

"Only by name, I never met her directly," Suzaku explained, "She was my father's little sister, but he never liked to talk about her, and I think now I understand why."

"Yeah… you can probably guess who my dad is," Rai said sarcastically.

"Charles zi Britannia…" Kallen scowled, though her ire wasn't aimed at the Green Paladin.

He nodded, "He and my mom never got married. They had a secret affair, but her brother, Suzaku's dad, eventually found out. When the rest of the family learned what she did, they disowned her and threw her out of the Kururugui clan."

"Makes sense," Suzaku nodded, his expression pained, "people that have been disowned from families like mine usually aren't spoken very highly of after."

"That's so cruel!" Allura exclaimed, horrified.

Kallen shrugged helplessly, "That's just how some families work, unfortunately. Reputation is everything in their eyes. Why do you think Kyoto covered up the fact that Genbu Kururugui was killed by his own son?"

Suzuku covered his face with his hands before glaring at Kallen, "You had to bring that up?"

Kallen cringed a little, blushing in embarrassment, "Sorry…"

"Considering I never knew about you, I'm guessing the emperor kept you and your family a secret from the Royal Family too?" Lelouch queried.

"Yeah," Rai confirmed, "It was just me, my mom, and Sophronia. She gave my sister and me non-Japanese names if Charles ever decided to take us to the homeland. She probably thought other members wouldn't target us as much."

Lelouch hummed thoughtfully. He wasn't sure if that would have worked, but he could understand Erina's line of reasoning.

"So, not only are you half-Japanese and half-Britannian, but you're Lelouch's half-brother and Suzaku's cousin?" Rivalz summed up. He leaned back from his position on the lounge's sofa, whistling low, "Talk about a bombshell."

"Rivalz," Milly elbowed the Blue Paladin, "be more sensitive!"

Rivalz muttered an apology, rubbing the area the elbow hit.

"So… wait, if your family was supposed to be a secret, where did you live? And how does Nonette know you?"

"Nonette was my personal knight, assigned to keep an eye on us," Rai answered, "We were moved to an island called Fiji. Well enough out of Britannian territory so no one would know about us, but not a part of any of the other major superpowers to look suspicious."

"That makes sense," Lelouch nodded, "Even now, Fiji is still seen as an independent nation and has remained fairly neutral from other countries' squabbles."

"Okay… so you lived on an island, and nobody knew about you, neither from Japan nor Britannia… So how did the Galra capture you?" Kallen asked.

"I was getting to that," Rai said, "Nonette had been called away to deal with some uprisings in the Philippines. One of Sophie's favorite things to do was climb up to the roof of our home and stargaze. She loved looking for constellations because of how clear the sky was. I would join her from time to time. Nonette would too. Whenever Sophie would show us a constellation, she'd tell us why it was called what it was. Her favorite constellation story was about Orion the Hunter."

Rai was rambling, but no one interrupted him. It was nice to hear him talk about his sister. They could all tell they had been close.

"Anyway, one night while we were stargazing, we saw what looked like a falling star, but it passed right over our house and landed further into the island. Sophie thought it was a meteorite and wanted to go see," Rai chuckled ruefully, "She's super stubborn at times. Once she decides to do something, nothing will stop her, so I went with her."

"Five guesses on what that 'shooting star' was," Kallen muttered, "and the first four don't count."

Everyone chuckled slightly at the joke but quickly sobered up when Rai continued.

"It was about a half-hour hike up the forest when we finally found what it was. Now I know it was a Galra ship."

"Knew it," Suzaku muttered, confirming everyone's suspicions.

"At that point, I wanted to get out of there, but Sophie wanted to check it out. Before we could move, though, our mom came up behind us. She must have seen us leaving and followed us… and a Galra had her at gunpoint."

Everyone gasped, horrified.

Rai bit his lip, hands clasped on his knees, shaking, "Sophie screamed when she saw him… and he laughed. Said how we were naughty kids in a place we shouldn't be. I think that's when the second one turned up. He covered our mouths… asked if we should be shot. The first one said that they didn't have… specimens from our planet yet."

"Oh, quiznack…" Milly muttered, looking horror-struck.

"Mom was begging them to let us go and just to take her, but they said the younger ones had more potential than older ones…"

"They took you," Lelouch stated.

Rai nodded, some tears escaping his eyes, "Cuffed us and shoved us into the back of the ship. Sophie wouldn't stop crying. She kept saying it was all her fault, even though mom and I insisted that it wasn't. And then…"

Rai tried to say more, but his tongue felt like lead, and his breathing became heavy.

"He's having a panic attack," C.C. said calmly but urgently.

"Rai! Calm down! You're safe!" Milly exclaimed, shifting to lay a hand lightly on his knee.

"Deep breaths, in," Suzaku inhaled loudly, "and out," he exhaled just as loudly. The entire group joined in until the Green Paladin calmed again.

"Sorry… I can't share anymore… not now," he stuttered out.

"That is fine," Allura said gently, "You can tell us more when you're ready to… I'm so sorry that this happened to you and your family."

Rai took another breath in, "Thank you. I just wish I knew if they were alive now or not. I need to know to find out. I have to find them."

"And you will!" Kallen declared, "We already said we'd help you look, and that promise still stands!"

"Totally!" Rivalz agreed.

"All the way!" Milly confidently clenched her fist.

"...Thanks," Rai gave a small smile before frowning again, "...oh, and Haggar…" he winced, as if in pain, "It's still a little fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure she gave me my Geass. We didn't form a contract, though."

"Was it through an experiment?" Lelouch guessed.

"I think so…" Rai looked nauseous for a moment, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his wrist, a puncture scar from where an IV (or the Galra equivalent of one) had pierced his skin so many times, "...they did so many things to me."

"When you're ready," Allura reminded him.

"Yeah…" he nodded.

"Speaking of Haggar," Kallen said, changing the subject once Rai had regained his composure, "What exactly are we going to do about her? She's been on earth for who-knows-how-long, and if she was disguised as a Britannian soldier, she was likely interested in that Thought Elevator thing too. And if there's more of them..."

"She clearly seems to know something about Geass. The fact that Zarkon has some twisted version of it is proof enough of that," Lelouch said.

"She must have been here long enough for Mao to have gotten that black Geass," Suzaku concluded, "she must have evolved it or twisted it somehow."

"Okay, but why that psycho?" Milly asked, "Doesn't exactly seem like a guy to follow orders."

"Great," Rivalz threw his hands in the air, "Once again, we got more questions without than answers."

C.C. had been quiet for a while, her eyes closed, as if calculating a decision she was about to make before she opened them, answer clear.

"Well, with the information we now have, especially about Rai," she said, drawing everyone's attention again, "I think there's something else I must inform you of."

"And that would be…?" Kallen asked fiercely. She was starting to get really tired of all of C.C.'s secrets.

"V.V.'s real name… is Victor zi Britannia, brother of Charles zi Britannia."

And there it was. Both Lelouch and Rai looked stupified while Milly and Rivalz shouted in shock. Suzaku's face was hard to read, and Allura looked horrified.

"Must I ask why you decided to wait until now to tell that?" Kallen exclaimed, just looking completely fed up.

"Because it didn't seem necessary," C.C. insisted, "Once I realized who Rai really was, however, I believed it would be best to inform you now."

"Okay, but how does this change anything besides knowing his full name?" Rivalz asked, "I mean… I guess this makes it more personal for Lelouch and Rai, but…"

"Officially, Victor zi Britannia is deceased. No one within the Royal Family knows of his existence. At a young age, Victor received a Geass of his own and eventually a Code as well."

"I'm guessing you knew him?" Lelouch asked.

"I worked alongside Charles and V.V. for many years, but I left when they asked me to do something I wanted no part in," C.C. said, though she didn't divulge what this request was.

"You mentioned that V.V. gave the emperor his Geass power. Is he the only one that he granted this power to?" Allura asked.

"No," C.C. answered, "V.V. is the head of an organization called 'The Geass Order'. It's an organization that not even the Empire is aware of. Almost everyone in it holds a Geass."

"Great! Now we got an army of freaky eye-power power people!" Rivalz groaned again.

"Was Mao a member of this order?" Lelouch asked.

"No, he wasn't. I made a contract with him after I left the order-and before you ask why I didn't mention this before," C.C. stressed, seeing the expression on Kallen's face, "is because when I left, the order only consisted of myself, Charles, V.V. and a handful of other people. I don't know how big it's grown since I've left. But considering how obsessedV.V. and Charles are with Geass already…"

Only then did it sink how much more dire this situation was becoming.

"Is that the last one?" Shirley asked as the final extendable bag was hoisted into Zinnia's mouth.

"I believe so," Coran chirped, "These bags have enough mini-crystals to power an entire army of Knightmares from the looks of it."

Rakshata'seyes sparkled as she had just opened a chest full of gold and treasure, "I am going to have a lot of fun trying these out on my children!"

"Awesome," Shirley said with a smile before rejoining the crowd of Balmeras outside the Lion.

"Thank you for your help again, Shay," Shirley said to her friend, "We owe you one."

"There's no need for thanks," Shay insisted, "we're just glad we were able to help."

"You were all amazing!" Nunnally praised. It was so incredible to watch the Balmerians communicate with their home, the small crystals falling like raindrops from the tunnel walls and ceiling.

"We are grateful for all your help," Sayoko said.

A shift at the corner of Nunnally's drew her attention. It was Balmeran that had stuck close to Shay for the whole time. Rex or something? It reminded her of her brother.

"Are you all right?" Nunnally asked him in concern.

The Balmeran jumped, looking a little embarrassed.

"Rax?" Shay asked, looking at her brother.

Rax frowned, before sighing, "It is just, I've never reconciled my folly to you when you first came here. My actions put my family and you in danger. And for that, I am sorry. But I understand if you can't forgive me."

Shirley was stunned for a moment. She honestly never expected an apology because she could understand why he did it. He was trying to protect the family he still had. It reminded her of how Lelouch had been before they found the Blue Lion.

"Rax, it's okay," Shirley assured him, "I never blamed you for that. It was a bad situation, and you were just trying to Shay and your family safe. I get it."

"But-"

"I get it too," Nunnally said before Rax could protest, "My brother, Lelouch, he's the same way. He's overprotective and has taken it to the extreme before, but I know he's only doing it to protect me and because he loves me. And sometimes he makes mistakes too, but our mistakes aren't what define us if we're willing to fix them."

Rax was silent, but he finally nodded, "I understand, and thank you. I will not doubt Voltron again."

With a smile, Shirley held her hand out to Rax, hoping that he understood what the gesture meant. Fortunately, she was proven correct when the young Balmeran grasped it firmly.

"Well, we got to get moving! Everyone's expecting back at the Castleship soon!" Shirley said, pulling away and going to hug Shay once more, "I'm glad I got to see you again, Shay!"

"You as well, Shirley," the Balmeran smiled.

With one final wave to the cheering Balmerans, everyone boarded onto the Orange Lion and flew off, soon disappearing into the sky.

Three varga later, Zinnia returned to her bay, carrying her Paladin, crew, and precious cargo back at the castle. Rakshata immediately ordered the scientists under her to take the crystal bags down to the lab and begin testing them on the Knightmares immediately. She informed Lelouch, who had been waiting in the Orange Lion's bay with the rest of the Paladins, that he'd be notified the moment they had a successful test. They would need to begin human test runs immediately afterward, now that the urgency of an attack had heightened significantly.

"Actually, Rakshata, if all of you could follow us to the bridge, we must discuss our next move immediately."

Rakshata whined a little, a little peeved that she'd have to wait even longer to see the results of those crystal tests, but eventually nodded, "Fine? Can we try to make it quick, though?"

Lelouch shook his head lightly, "We will dismiss you the moment we can afford to."

"Fair enough," the scientist consented as they were all led out of the room.

"What's going on, Lelouch?" Nunnally asked anxiously, Sayoko helping her catch up with her brother.

"Nothing yet, Nunnally," he told her calmly, "We just need to discuss some things with all core members. You can tell me all about your trip afterward, okay?"

"Okay," Nunnally gave a small smile, accepting the answer.

"Did something happen while we were gone?" Shirley asked, her question directed at all the Paladins, not just Lelouch.

"You can say that," Milly said, passing the Orange Paladin a tablet. All of the details of the conversation they had while she was gone jotted down.

Milly then quickly pulled it away for a second, whispering in Shirley's ear, "Please don't ask questions now. If you want to talk to Rai about it, save it for after this."

"Okay…?" Shirley asked, the confusion only adding to her growing concern as Milly gave her the tablet. What did Rai have to do with anything?

Even if the information was in summary, Shirley couldn't help but gasp and glance in the Green Paladin's direction. She couldn't believe that this was what happened; what had been buried in his memories.

"Shirley?" Nunnally asked, noticing the Orange Paladin's face.

"Um…" the Orange Paladin gulped, whether this was appropriate to share with the younger girl. Noticing the ninja maid walking right next to them, she passed the tablet to Sayoko instead.

Sayoko's face remained stoic as her eyes swept over the points. Her expression grew pained, turning the tablet off.

"Your brother will talk to you about it later, Nunnally," Sayoko said softly.

Many questions formed in Nunnally's head, but she just nodded, understanding that this wasn't the time for this.

The doors to the bridge hissed open. Inside, Allura stood on the teludav. Surrounding her, waiting for the Paladins' arrival was C.C., Kaguya, Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords, Ohgi, Tamaki, the rest of Naoto's old team, and Euphemia.

"How was the retrieval from the Balmera? Successful I hope?" Allura questioned.

"Extremely princess," Coran reported, "the scientists under Rakshata are taking the crystals down the lab for testing as we speak."

"Excellent," the princess nodded with a pleased smile before becoming solemn again, "Now… onto the more pressing issues now that everyone's assembled. Does everyone here know what happened while Lelouch and Rai were stranded on Kamine Island?"

"I thought that was what we were here to talk about?" Tamaki asked, quirking an eyebrow, hands on his hips.

"That's a 'no' then," Lelouch himself spoke, "Then for the benefit for all who aren't aware, I will summarize," Lelouch explained how he, Rai, Princess Euphemia, and Nonette Enneagram, along with the Black and Green Lion had been transported to the island when Schneizel attacked with his new airship. Both Lions had lost power, which prevented the Paladins from leaving. All four of the stranded met up the next day, and a structure called a Thought Elevator activated in an attempt to affect their Geass. He reassured everyone that at the moment, neither Paladin was feeling ill-effects of the attempt, but shortly after, the Britannian military nearly cornered them. It was only due to the timely rescue of Zen and Zerith that they managed to escape while accidentally kidnapping Nonette and Euphemia in the process.

"Which brings me to the reason for this emergency meeting," Lelouch explained, "While we were facing the Britannian military, someone else was spotted among their numbers. Princess?"

With a nod, Allura pressed some buttons on the holopad, and a familiar figure appeared on the screens of the bridge.

"This is Haggar," Allura informed calmly, but if one listened closely, they could hear the thin veil of hatred in her tone, "From what Lelouch and Rai have informed us, they spotted her in disguise among the Britannian ranks."

"Wait, is this that witch you were telling us about when we first came here?" Ohgi asked, remembering asking Coran about her during a session with the gladiator.

"The very same," Coran confirmed, picking up where Allura left off, "And as I'm sure we've mentioned before, we don't know much about her personal history, but these things we do know. She's a powerful foe, as well as the leader of the druids, and personal adviser and second in command to Zarkon himself, despite not being Galran herself."

"We also believe that she gave Zarkon a Geass of his own. We confirmed that he has one during Voltron's brief attack on the Galra's Central Command," C.C. added, "We still aren't aware of what exactly his Geass does, or if it holds any other powers."

"Wait, wait, the leader of the Galra has one of those too?!" Minami exclaimed.

"Yes, but as C.C. said, we don't know what power he has specifically. We do know that she has given Geass to other people as well. One of them being our own Green Paladin through personal experimentation she performed on his person while he was in their captivity."

Lelouch felt it was a bit cruel to reveal this, but Rai had consented to it should it be necessary. He spotted several people shoot Rai sympathetic looks, especially Shirley and Nunnally.

"Lelouch, can I assume the reason you called this meeting to inform us of this is that you believe the Galra may be arriving even sooner now?" Tohdoh questioned.

This elicited gasps from most Black Knights present before turning to their leader for an answer.

"You caught on, I see, Colonel," Lelouch said, practically confirming this theory, "but yes. It's a high possibility. We don't know how long Haggar has been on Earth or what she's been doing coming alone. But up until this point, she's kept her activity completely undetected until she blew her cover on that island. That means she can likely call for Galran forces at any time. For all we know, she's doing it now."

"By now, we've informed and educated all of you on the Galra's strategies and weaponry," Allura spoke again, "and while improvements have been made to your Knightmare devices, that doesn't change the fact that we are still heavily outnumbered and outgunned. The fight we have ahead, which will likely happen soon, will not be easy."

There was a strained silence as everyone let the information sink in.

"Are you saying that we need more help, Lelouch?" Euphemia piped up, all attention now on the princess, "Because if that is the case, I may have an idea if you're willing to listen?"

"Lelouch," Chiba spoke, "I'm not a racist, but may I ask why a member of the Britannian royalty is a part of this meeting?"

"And must I remind you, Nagisa Chiba, that both myself and Nunnally are still officially members of that same royalty that you speak of?" He glanced around at everyone else, still noticing a few distrustful expressions, and had he turned around, he would have seen a similar face on Allura as well. "Must I also remind all that one of our ultimate goals is for Britannia to join us in this fight? We can not afford to exercise prejudice or mistrust among our ranks if we have any hope of successfully cooperating with Britannia when the time comes to do so."

"We should at least hear her out," Suzaku added, "I can vouch for Euphemia myself."

A couple of people still looked uncertain, but when no one else spoke up to object, Lelouch nodded towards his half-sister.

Euphemia took a breath, gathering her thoughts before she spoke.

"Well… this is an idea I planned to present to our brother Schneizel, to try and stop the fighting and to try and bring a peaceful solution between Britannia and Voltron."

"And that would be?" Kallen asked impatiently.

"It was called the Special Administrative Zone of Japan," Euphemia explained.

"A 'Special Administrative Zone'? What's that?" Rivalz asked.

"Well, within the Specially Administrated Zone of Japan, it would permit Elevens to call themselves Japanese. Any restrictions against Elevens and special rights for Britannians wouldn't be permitted within the zone. Basically, it's a place where anyone, whether a number or Britannian, could live side-by-side as equals."

There was a stunned silence for several seconds before Rai was the first to speak, "Euphemia, I don't mean to sound offensive here, but you don't seriously think that that would work, do you? Even if Schneizel cleared it, there would be no way that the Emperor would permit something like this!"

"I agree as well," Allura said, "Considering that man banished two of his children just because one of them spoke up against him and forced another to live in exile despite it being a neutral territory, I highly doubt he would have allowed you to enact this plan. Especially since it involves needed to recognize a land that he has already conquered as a part of his empire."

"Yeah… it's not that we don't think it was a nice idea, Princess, but considering how much the empire has done to our land already, I don't think he would have let this slide," Ohgi agreed, many of the other Black Knights sharing similar opinions.

Euphemia was about to say more when Lelouch himself spoke, "Ohgi's right, Euphie. I understand your heart was in the right place when you thought of this, but I've run through this scenario in my head too, and a man like the Emperor wouldn't take something like that lying down. He would retaliate in one way or another, whether by attacking you, Cornelia, or even launching another attack on Japan again."

"I know that!" Euphemia protested, "But, I also wanted to use it to try and bring the world together, and that's something you need more than ever now, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Inoue questioned.

"Well, Lelouch told me about the Galra while we were on that island, and I think it's only fair if the rest of the world was aware of them as well! If they knew there was a larger threat, bigger than even Britannia, it could at least force the other world leaders to listen to you! Isn't that what you said you're trying to achieve? You want the other nations to stand with Voltron? Well, this could give them a reason to do so. The rest of the Royal Family won't be able to turn a blind eye. It could bring more people to your side, like Marrybell or Odysseus!"

"It could work!" Nunnally exclaimed, "Plus if we can prove that Voltron isn't hostile, that could help too! I can show them how the Alteans healed me. We just have to show them that working with Voltron was much more beneficial than working against it!"

"Display the pros and cons," Suzaku said with, "I'm sure once all the facts are laid out, they'll at least hear us out!"

"And so far, there are way more pros to working with us than cons. And vice versa for working against us," Rivalz pointed out.

"Well, not many people can say that they miraculous healed a crippled and blind little girl in such a short amount of time," Milly pointed out.

"Yeah, the medical advances would be a huge advantage on its own!" Shirley agreed.

A murmur of positive agreement seemed to shift in the group before Lelouch cleared his throat, expression still grave.

"As optimistic as that sounds, we already discussed this very situation when we were first departing Arus. Even if Earth and Voltron manage to repel the Galra, and it is possible if plan strategically and carefully, it isn't what happens during the alliance that matters the most. It what will happen after."

"Yeah," Kallen nodded, eyeing her fellow Paladins, especially, "Don't you remember what Lelouch said? Sure, say we succeed, and we repel the Galra? Whoo-hoo yea for us! But what's to stop any of the superpowers, especially Britannia, from simply back-stabbing us and going right back to square-one after it's all over?"

"Yes, I agree," Tohdoh spoke matter-of-factly, "once the overall threat has been dealt with, there would be no reason to keep an already shaky alliance together. It would take one misstep for it to all fall apart again."

"I understand, and… I know what kind of man the Britannian Emperor is," Euphemia acknowledged, "but think about what else we'd be doing besides fighting together? Voltron could also work to change the system from the inside. I'm not naive enough to think it can be changed overnight, but the more Voltron and the Black Knights push the Galra back, that will garner more support for change from both the other nations and Britannia."

"Lelouch, I told you I spoke with Cornelia shortly after what happened with Mao," Nunnally said, "She told me that she would be willing to fight with us too if we gave her a chance! She even said she knew people in the military that would join us too if she asked them to."

"What about Nonette?" Rai exclaimed, "She's a Knight of the Round, and on Kamine Island, she told me point blank that if she had to choose between my family or Britannia, she'd side with me. Us. She's bound to have a lot of influence in the military too, maybe even with her colleagues. If we can convince some of the other knights, that would greatly increase our battle prowess."

"Yeah, sure, say that your dickwad dad does try to backstab us when the Galra leave," Rivalz said, "but if we have most of the rest of the world, and even the Britannian people on our side, we'd be at a huge advantage, wouldn't we? I mean, even he can't fight the entire world and Voltron and hope to win! Right?"

"It's a lot of moving pieces," Coran stroked his chin, "but I can see this result coming to fruition if all goes accordingly."

"Yes, it would be strategically sound," Lelouch admitted, "but as you said, Coran, there are a lot of unknowns and what-ifs that can still go wrong."

"Lelouch," Suzaku cried, "I know you're the kind of guy that wants to make sure that everything is planned out the way you want it, but we… we don't have time for that! You yourself said that if Haggar's on Earth, Zarkon's not far behind. He's probably on his way here now with dozens of fleets at his beck and call!"

Silence once again filled the bridge, a silent debate communicating with everyone in the room before they all looked back at Lelouch and the two Alteans at the center.

Allura breathed out, "I am reluctant to move forward, but Suzaku is right. As of now, with the little time we have, this may be our only option. At the very least, we can warn Earth as a whole about the Galra and the threat that they pose. Let's just pray that this brings your planet together instead of tear it apart further."

Lelouch let out a breath, "...Let's go."

"Viceroy!" a guard nearly tripped over his feet as he sprang into Schneizel el Britannia's office.

"What is it?" he asked calmly, but he could see the evident distress on the soldier's face.

"It-it's Princess Euphemia!"

"What?!" Bartley exclaimed, having been in the office to discuss something with the prince when the guard entered, "Did you find her?"

"No! Well… I mean… not exactly…"

Schneizel frowned, "What do you mean 'not exactly'?"

"The princess, she… She's on international television right now," Schneizel's eyes widened, "You have see this!"

Schneizel cleared whatever had been on his screen previous and pulled up the news app. Just as the guard said, there was Euphemia. He couldn't make out where she was from the background, but it was clear it wasn't on Earth.

"This is live?" Bartley asked.

"Yes, and it's being broadcast world-wide, not just Britannia!"

Schniezel's frown deepened as he turned up the volume.

 "I am Euphemia, sub-viceroy of Area Eleven of the Holy Britannian Empire. There is something of great consequence that I wish to tell you all today! I, Euphemia li Britannia, hereby declare an immediate ceasefire between Britannia and Voltron!"

"WHAT?!" Bartley gasped, mouth gaping in horror.

"I also order for the immediate halt of all Britannia expansion. Not just in Area Eleven, but all other occupied areas as well."

"Sh-she can't do that! She doesn't have the-the authority to order that! What on Earth is that girl thinking?!" Bartley protested further.

Schneizel didn't respond; his focus solely on his sister on the screen.

"Um… is that something she can do?" Gino asked, glancing at Bismark and Anya.

"She does have some control over Area Eleven's activities due to her status as sub-viceroy," Bismark acknowledged, "but ordering it in other areas is completely out of her jurisdiction."

"And yet she's ordering it anyway… this may become troublesome," Anya observed.

 "I, Euphemia li Britannia, also hereby declare the formation of the Specially Administrated Zone of Japan in the area surrounding Mt. Fuji!"

"What?! Britannia has-?!"

"They're recognizing… Japan?!"

Her audience had several mixed reactions from all over Area Eleven. Several Japanese citizens and even Britannians looked in surprise in amazement. Nina especially, from within her dorm at Ashford, looked terrified and even repulsed at such a thought.

"Hear me, people of the world! Britannia and beyond!" Euphemia continued to announce, "Voltron is not a threat! They are not the true enemy we face! So please, join me in not only protecting this world but ensuring where it has a peaceful future! Not under Britannian subjugation, but a place where freedom is the right for all people!"

"LONG LIVE PRINCESS EUPHEMIA!" a loud cry could be heard even from outside the Viceroy's palace. People from not just the ghetto but even within the settlement rejoiced for the princess.

"..."

"...You know we can't just let this slide Victor," Charles argued, glaring at his older twin.

"Watch your tone with me, Charles!" Victor practically thundered, "This SAZ is the least of our problems! One of the Thought Elevators was destroyed!"

"And whose fault is that?" Charles hissed. V.V. stepped back, eyes bulging, "If you hadn't sent my sons to that island with their Lions, that likely wouldn't have happened!"

"I only intended to send those two sons of yours there," he spat the word out like poison, "But somehow the Lions went with them! Even when I tried to separate them! It was like… like an unbreakable cord was connecting them together!"

Charles frowned, thinking over this information, before shaking his head, "Regardless, there was no need to send them to that island in the first place! Now that they've seen the Thought Elevator, there's no stopping C.C. from telling them about the rest!"

V.V. reeled back, "She wouldn't!"

"Considering my… source," Charles had to stop himself from saying her name for her safety, "has been unable to contact her, nor have you, for the last several months, nothing stopping her from doing so! If that Black Lion was strong enough to destroy a Thought Elevator with one blast, the other Lions could easily demolish the others!"

"H-Hold on!" V.V. gasped, "Yes, perhaps C.C. will tell them, but she still doesn't know where they're located! That will take time! We still have a chance to recapture her before that happens!"

"And how to plan to find her. It's clear she's with Voltron, but now of our forces have been a match for them!" Charles argued, "Even sending three Knights of the Round to battle them it resulted in a draw at best!"

There was silence between the quarreling brothers as Charles clenched his fists. Lelouch, his son, had changed. He had no clue what sort of ideas this Voltron had been feeding him, but it was clearly rubbing off on him. Forgetting his roots, forgetting who his true father was! And now, even if it was ignorantly, he was destroying the very dream they had vowed to make come true.

"Destroying the dream me, you, and Marianne all shared," Charles muttered softly. Back turned to the code-bearer, Charles failed to notice the brief scowl on his brother's face at the mention of Marianne.

"So, this is the source of this world's power…"

This new voice made the two brothers jump. Twisting around, the pair spotted a hunched cloaked figure, female from the sound of its voice, slowly advancing towards them.

"Interesting."

"Who are you?" Charles shouted, "How did you get in?!"

'Guards! I request you-' suddenly, V.V. gasped as he felt something not only block his telepathic link but grasp his entire body as if in the hold of a giant's hand. Off to the side, Charles gapped in horror as a violet aura surrounded his brother before being thrown to the other end of the platform with a sickening thud.

"Now, now, there's no need for rudeness," the woman sneered, hand still raised, "Although, I will say, I'm surprised to find another like that female Earthling so soon."

"Are you talking about C.C.?!" Charles demanded before he could stop himself, "How do you know her."

The figure cackled, "Let's just say we've met once. Though I wished it had been under more… appropriate circumstances."

Charles seemed to freeze in a shocked stupor as the woman looked him up and down curiously.

"So, you are Charles Zi Britannia... the father of Zero."

This seemed to snap the Emperor out of it as he growled, "I don't know who you are... but you've made a terrible mistake!" he declared, his eyes flashing red.

To his shock, though, the woman just laughed, "Don't waste your time. Geass does not affect me whatsoever."

Despite the warning, Charles attempted to use it anyway, but to his growing horror, it had no effect. The woman's smile seemed to grow larger as the realization slowly made itself clear on the Emperor's face.

"Are you… are you like C.C.? And my brother?" he stuttered out.

She hummed thoughtfully before shrugging aloofly, "Who can say? But, if you're so eager to compare our power… let me give you a taste of mine."

The woman lifted her hand, and a globe of dark, twisting energy formed from it.

Suddenly, Charles and V.V.-who had finally started to regain consciousness- felt themselves being thrown forwards into a familiar place.

"Wha-" a shrill scream interrupted Charles, followed by a crash. Whipping around, the twins stood in horror at the sight that began their crusade so long ago. The corpse of their freshly murdered mother laying nearly decapitated under a carriage.

"No!" V.V. gasped, "This is… This is just a memory!"

Soon more scenes followed, of the hell the two boys faced in childhood, but it soon shifted to more recent events.

Another crash sounded behind them, and Charles gasped when he saw a bloodied corpse of his son, Lelouch, impaled through the stomach on a mounted pike. All around him were the dead bodies of the rest of the royal family. Nunnally, Euphemia, Clovis, Cornelia, Marrybell, Schneizel, even siblings he wasn't as close to, like Carine and Guinevere.

"Y-You," Lelouch gagged on his own blood, but his eyes glared at his father with hatred, "You… did this!"

"NO!" Charles bellowed as Lelouch finally slumped on the pike, eyes forever staring into nothingness.

"Enough!" Charles cried before suddenly snapping back to reality. He realized he was on his knees, clutching his head, and V.V. was in the same position not too far away.

"I will admit," the woman said callously, pacing around the two brothers like a snake stalking prey, "I am impressed with how far you've come with such limited power, but you are barely even penetrating the surface. To compare what you call 'Geass' to what I have experienced is the equivalent of comparing a single raindrop to a vast ocean. But still... there is great power and potential in this primitive world…"

Though physically exhausted, both brothers glared up at the witch (because what else could she possibly be?) though neither made a move against her.

"What do you want?" Charles said through gritted teeth.

The witch scoffed, "If I intended to kill you, I already would have," she turned a looked directly at V.V., "And don't think your so-called immortality can save you. I'm quite certain I can find a chink in that supposedly impenetrable armor of yours. Nothing is ever truly invincible."

V.V. growled, "You still didn't answer... what do you want from my brother and I?"

To their surprise, the witch smiled, "I have an offer for the both of you."