#we need more space aus for false

[arisveah]

yk this has been stuck in my head for days now. bc i think false would win, like. immeadiatly. and if she does, what do we call her??? i mean we could call her Falcon if we start allowing satellites and rockets to enter the celestial theme. she kinda gives off astronaut vibes- like, if she entered the games she would definitely feel like someone who got issekaid. we could call her the astronaut.

the false essay is going well

[spectralreplica]

Uhhhhhhhh Sburb AU!! This was more of an excuse to classpect and make sprites, so don’t ask me questions about plot details because I put like zero thought into it. Tsumugi probably had something to do with setting up the session, and she’s hiding her real title and the fact it’s not her first session. Baby Kiibo is a robot baby because I thought that was the funniest option.

Drawing with anti-aliasing off really brings me back...

Classpect thoughts under the cut if you really want:

Immediate caveat: I mention speculative stuff here like unconfirmed active/passive class pairs and inversion theory. If you don’t like those things or otherwise disagree with the titles I gave people that’s fine but just know I’m not super interested in debating about it and won’t reply.

So, to start out with I wanted to make the 8 of them a session, so I needed no overlaps in class or aspect and one Time + one Space. I also wanted to have Kaito and Kokichi as opposing aspects. In general, I think of a Title as kind of the end of your assigned character arc, so depending on your level of maturity/introspection at the start, it can seem either really obvious or really unintuitive. I tried to base them off of the hypothetical chapter 6/survivor versions of characters, since those (plus maybe the chapter 5 deaths) of the ones that get a full arc in DR canon.

Immediately Tsumugi seemed like a deadringer for Space, not so much because of the literal physics-related stuff but because of its associations with creation/narratives and setting things up for other people to act. I made her Sylph of Space here, but that's a facade. She's actually a Muse of Space who participated in past session(s) and wants to watch how things play out.

Based on the Extended Zodiac description, Kaito or Kaede has to be time, but Kokichi CANNOT be Space by any stretch of the imagination. I made her Heir of Time with the interpretation of Heir as someone who invites change/influences of/through their aspect. Time is also associated with music and death, which is both fitting and a little mean. (I can also see Kaede as Breath outside of having to have someone be Time.)

So moving onto Kaito and Kokichi, I was considering Hope vs Rage (belief vs doubt, possibility vs restrictions), but 1) Rage is defined partially by hatred of lies despite otherwise sounding Kokichi-ish (that alone could be interesting, with the possibility of a negative/reverse title or else giving him Hope and Kaito Rage for the unexpected swerve........) 2) I really wanted to give Hope to Kiibo. So instead I went with Heart and Mind (emotion vs logic, intuition vs planning, identity/motivation vs action/decisiveness).

Kokichi is Thief of Mind for taking away other people's decisions for his own purposes but also for generally "stealing" things (e.g., the Mastermind Role, narrative importance in general, along with literal items) through his own cleverness. Vs Kaito, a Knight of Heart, who uses his constructed identity as a weapon to face challenges. I'm also a fan of inversion theory, so I think at low points they'd both trend towards Page of Heart (grows powerful late in the narrative based on his own ego/identity) and Rogue of Mind (taking choices/agency/logic away from people for their own good), respectively.

I always wanted Kiibo to be Hope since 1) Ult. Hope Robot 2) big on possibilities/faith but can be a little self-centered. I went with Bard at least partially to make a "guess we know whether he has a dick or not now!" joke, but I also think "inviting destruction through Hope, inviting destruction of (false) hope" is pretty spot on for chapter 6 Kiibo. Like, as the camera/audience surrogate, he's been forced into passively leading the others to despair, not to mention how the audience takes him over to destroy the hope of ending the show. But Kiibo ends up reversing this and helping destroy the audience's faith in Danganronpa, destroying the whole academy in accordance with the vote. (Sidenote: I wonder if Kiibo gets taken over by Horrorterrors and goes grimdark? Or if he's just really, really susceptible to orders from his Exile)

Shuichi, Page of Void, was another one that immediately came to mind. Like, "starts off weak but becomes really strong/important by the end" is Shuichi's thing! Also, counterpart to Kaito's Knight. And Void is all about secrets, mystery, etc. From the Extended Zodiac: "Where others might be compelled to go out and seek answers, the Void-bound lean more toward casting doubt on what is already considered understood. They don't take much on faith and would rather live in a state of confusion- than believe something that might be untrue or bow to intellectual authority... At their best, Void-bound are wise, intuitive, and vibrant. At their worst, they can be dismissive, indecisive and apathetic." 

I had considering Light, for seeking out knowledge/truth, but Shuichi's character arc ends on "fuck you, I refuse to play. You all get nothing more from us" and learning to live with ambiguity, so I think he's way more Void. But, again, inversion would be Thief of Light, so selfishly taking away knowledge/importance from others.

Speaking of Light, I made Miu Mage of Light. Mage is like, active Seer, seeking out knowledge for yourself (vs advising others) and Light is luck, knowledge, and also importance/plot relevance. As an inventor, Miu keeps innovating and figuring things out, plus she's very motivated by her own importance to the world. She wants to be seen more than anything else and loves being smarter than those around her. Also: "At their best, the Light-bound are resourceful and driven. At their worst they can be fussy, pedantic, and insensitive." Inversion is Heir of Void, so "inviting change via hiding things" or "changing what's kept secret", which suits Miu when plotting murder.

Finally, Maki is Prince of Blood. Blood is trust, bonds, relationships, stubbornness, duty, obligation (vs freedom, change, choices) so "someone who breaks bonds/destroys relationships" but also "someone who destroys using/motivated by duty/relationships". Like, Maki is inherently a fracture point in the group because of her talent and then directly breaks the group apart and sabotages her relationships with the others in chapter 5, but also she's deeply motivated by her bonds to others in all of her destructive actions (protectiveness for orphanage/friend, love for Kaito). This sound super negative, but I think this is also the Maki who commits to destroying the institution of Danganronpa in chapter 6. Sometimes you have to be decisive and cut bad relationships out of your life.

Inversion would be Sylph of Breath, so "healing via change" or "encouraging growth towards freedom", which you can argue is sort of the way Kaito wants her to go? But she just doesn't. Idk, for better or worse, I think Maki is very aware of who she is and how people related to her, so even at her worst she's true to herself, vs, say, Kaito or Kokichi, who act "ooc".

[tgmsunmontue]

You found me - one-shot (complete)

13k Explicit Hangster AU - Soulmates first words are on your skin. Started for the Bingo. Jake is a singer and Bradley is the newly arrived member of his security detail. Tooth-rotting FLUFF and SMUT.

YOU FOUND ME

                Why can you not stay where we fucking tell you to?

                Jake hadn’t ever intended to make music his career. His sister definitely had, and he’d just been dragged along to drive her around, and because he was already there he’d often help out with either singing or playing one of the instruments. They’d both grown up surrounded by music, and now she’s his most fiercely-loyal supporter, but also never lets him forget that he’d never be where he is if it hadn’t been for her. He loves it most of the time, but the touring starts to drag, although meeting fans around the world and getting to travel is amazing. He just gets homesick sometimes.

                Also the fame is double-edged. He’s glad his words are where they are, a small cramped script right in the curve of his inner left thigh right beside his groin. Almost impossible for anyone to see or get a photo of, even when he’s done nude photo shoots. Of course, it had started the rumors that he’s mark-less, which is a rumor he’s okay with being out there. It stops the people trying to match with him at least, but it doesn’t stop the people who simply want to try and be with him because of the fame.

                However his words are pretty damned specific; he’s had a variation of them said to him a number of times over the years, which always makes him give a double take. Always false alarms though. Kind of embarrassing when he thinks about the potential meaning behind them, like he’s a child being scolded for wandering off. Like right now. The concert is over, he’s done the glad-handing with the fans that had the money to burn to buy VIP backstage passes, has had too many photos taken, his cheeks hurt from smiling the fake media smile too much. He’s tired and lonely and he just wants to sleep for days. Three more concerts to go and then he gets to go home.

                The crunch of gravel underfoot has him turning his head and he lets out a quiet sigh and closes his eyes. Caught again. Not by fans or anyone dangerous, but definitely someone who isn’t pleased to find him out here alone. It’s the new guy. He can’t remember his name, other than it starting with a b, because he’d automatically gone with the alliteration with bodyguard. So B-something. He should really try and pay more attention, but the guy had been brought in late, in the last Australasian stretch of the tour because Javy’s dad had had a heart-attack and had needed to get home ASAP. So this guy had been brought in and the introductions had happened during sound testing a couple of days ago and Jake doesn’t think the guy likes him very much, doesn’t think they’ve exchanged a single word to each other.

                However Jake thinks B-something might feel about him, he’s sure he’s a professional. He certainly looks the part, fucking built, taller than Jake by only an inch, but broader, and fridge-like comes to mind, his pants clearly straining against the thick muscles in his thighs as he stalks toward Jake, clearly angry and he sighs internally, an apology already forming on his lips, because he doesn’t like to make other’s jobs more difficult. He doesn’t intentionally wander off, but sometimes he just really misses the peace and quiet of wide-open spaces.

                “Ugh, yeah, you found me,” Jake mutters, the words slipping out and he’s aware it makes him sound like a petulant spoiled kid but he can work on his image later. Maybe when he’s not surviving on adrenaline and caffeine, dead on his feet. He is ready for this tour to be over.

                “Why can you not stay where we fucking tell you to?”

                “I’m sorry, wait, shit, what did you say?”

                B-something is looking at him in shock, eyes and mouth all wide circles and okay, that makes all the tiredness he’s been feeling turn to fizzing energy in his veins. Holy shit. He just found his soul mate.

                “You… you said my words.”

                “And you said mine. If that wasn’t already obvious.”

                “You really need to not wander off, I can’t keep you safe if I don’t know where you are,” B-something says, his tone softer, gentler and Jake laughs silently; privately thinks his days wandering off are now gone, not with a soul mate to get to know. However he’s going to have to admit he doesn’t remember his name. Ugh. What a way to seem even more like an asshole.

                “I’m sorry, I know we were introduced only a couple of days ago, but I don’t remember your name…”

                “Bradley Bradshaw.”

                “Bs… lots of bs, that did stick in my head. The alliteration.”

                “Some of my friends call me Bradbrad.”

                “Well, I’m Jake. Uh. Call me Jake.”

                “Not Mr Seresin?”

                “No!” Jake responds instantly, vehement.

                “So, what do you think we’re working with here?” Bradley asks, and it’s going to take Jake a while to get used to using his name. His mind is offering up potentially ridiculous lines Bradley Bradshaw the bodyguard built of beautiful bricks I want to lick. God he definitely needs some sleep. And proper food. Not necessarily in that order.

                “Huh?”

                “What kind of bond do you think we’re working with?”

                “Oh. Uh,” he swallows roughly, because he’s an out and proud not-straight man, and soulmates generally get a free pass anyway. Except… “Hopefully not platonic,” Jake provides, and the slow smile Bradley gives him makes his skin prickle and he’s suddenly feeling a lot more awake.

                “Okay. Well I guess we’re going to go one a few dates and see where they take us…”

                “What do you mean?”

                “Well, it’s a potential. Not a guarantee right? Only fifty percent chance it’s romantic.”

                “You want to date me?”

                “How else am I going to get to know you?” Jake opens and closes his mouth, because he has a good point, instead just nods his head. “Come on. Let me get you back to the hotel.”

…            …            …

                Bradley hadn’t known what to expect when he’d been asked to urgently take over the security detail for Jake Seresin. Finding his soulmate had not been anywhere near the list of things to expect. The very tired man who is half-walking, half-stumbling as if drunk is somehow meant to complete him in ways he doesn’t know yet, and okay, Bradley’s open to the possibilities. First though, the guy needs sleep. And maybe food.

                He sends a quick message through to the other two, Rueben and Lee, lets them know he’s found him and taking him back to the hotel room. That some room service wouldn’t go amiss, although he fully expects Seresin’s, no, Jake’s PR manager Natasha to be there waiting for them, no doubt ready to rip him a new one. That woman is terrifying. He pushes open the door and sure enough she’s there, pausing in her pacing and she turns to them.

                “Jesus Jake! What were you –”

                “He’s hungry and tired and he won’t go wandering off again. At least not without me.”

                “Well great, that’s another six days. Perfect,” Natasha says, her eyes rolling so hard Bradley’s surprised they stay in her head.

                “It’ll be the last time. Promise…” Jake says, but he’s swaying and Bradley pushes him down into a chair at a table, leaves a hand on his shoulder where he just rubs gently.

                “I’ve heard that before,” Natasha says.

                “I mean it this time Nat,” Jake mumbles and Bradley glances at his. Probably another ten to fifteen before food gets here, and he needs to keep Jake awake enough to get food into him.

                “You think you can stay awake long enough to have a quick shower?” Bradley asks, crouching beside him.

                Natasha is frowning at them and Bradley looks to her, eyebrows raised. He’s going to have to tell everyone else in the team that he and Jake are soulmates, but he also thinks it can maybe wait a couple of days. At least until after he and Jake have had a proper conversation, which necessitates Jake being well-rested and fed. And the sweat from tonight’s show rinsed from his body. He can take care of his most basic needs at least. It’s not what he signed up for when he took on the job to act as bodyguard, but it’s definitely something he’d do for a close friend, and that’s something Jake Seresin will become to him, at a bare minimum.

                Jake is nodding and mumbling under his breath that he can manage a shower, and Bradley holds back the offer to help, or hold him up. He’s not one to rush into things when people aren’t his soulmate, he’s not about to do anything rash with the man who is. He does start the shower and get everything gathered for Jake to change into, tells him he’s leaving the door cracked and that he’s only giving him ten minutes before he sends Natasha in to get him out.

                “That seems a little over and above the job requirements,” Natasha says, expression shrewd and Bradley just shakes his head, refusing to say anything. If necessary he’ll send Rueben in, doesn’t want to encroach on Jake’s space and mind any more than he already is with their soulmate revelation.

                “He really needs a decent night’s sleep and a break.”

                “Well, we have a ten o’clock flight to Wellington tomorrow morning. He has his third to last show there. He’s got three radio segments to do, but they’re short. He can do something touristy and have a break in the afternoon.”

                “He’ll probably need to nap in the afternoon. He’s dead on his feet.”

                “He has the following day and night off, then the last two concerts in Auckland.”

                Bradley is better at hiding his eyeroll than Natasha is, sounds like a whole day off Is a luxury. Screw that. Not much he can do about it now though, he’s not been in charge of this itinerary at all. He might get input in future ones though.

                “Where is he spending his day off?”

                “Well, he originally wanted to go mountain biking and zip lining, but Javy vetoed it.”

                Bradley snorts, because he’s well aware of what Javy thinks of heights. The mountain biking is maybe a little risky while on tour, but he’ll look through it. With Logan and Rueben onboard he’s certain they can manage to figure something out. He hears the shower shut off and glances at his watch again. Eight minutes. There’s a knock and Bradley goes to go and open the door; Rueben there with a bag of items but also a covered tray and he can smell something warm and cheesy and with garlic and his own mouth is watering and he meets Rueben’s eyes.

                “Perks of being the star I guess…” Rueben says, grinning and Bradley gives him a what are you going to do look back, because this is their job right now. His job is to keep Jake safe and secure. It’s not to ensure he has fun on his day-off, but…

                “You’re good with zip-lining and mountain biking, right?”

                Rueben’s eyes light up, and that’s his answer right there.

                “Yeah man! Javy vetoed it…”

                “Javy’s not here anymore. I am. We’ll discuss and make plans tomorrow.”

                “Cool.”

                He takes the bag and tray, snorts in amusement at Rueben’s little salute and waits for the door to click closed and lock to engage before turning back to see Jake standing there, towel wrapped around his hips and he’s glad Jake has already said that he doesn’t think it’s a platonic bond, makes him feel a little less guilty about where his mind is going.

                “I left you clothes to change into,” Bradley states and Jake smirks at him, clearly still tired, expression soft but clearly unapologetic.

                “Did you? I must have missed them.”

                “Go and get dressed Jake.”

                “You spoil all my fun…”

                Bradley rolls his eyes but Jake goes back into the bathroom to get dressed. Natasha is looking thunderous though and Bradley is pretty sure she’s about to metaphorically put his balls in a vice.

                ���Do not fuck the talent Bradshaw,” she hisses, stepping close and lowering her voice.

                “I don’t intend to,” Bradley states, just as quietly, keeping an eye on the bathroom door. He’s not lying either. He’s here for work, and yes, Jake is his soul mate, but once the tour is over and Jake is back on American soil his usual security team will take over and Bradley can just… do whatever he wants. Won’t have to listen to Natasha Trace for a start. He and Jake can hopefully get to know each other properly, slowly. As soulmates, not as security detail and the talent to be protected. Not that Bradley’s not going to start treating Jake right from now, but Trace doesn’t need to know that until after he’s spoken with Jake. Knows how he wants to have this play out.

                Jake comes back on of the bathroom again, this time wearing the loose sweatpants and t-shirt Bradley had pulled from his bag, not really knowing if it was what Jake might want or not, but figured he could change into something else easily enough if he was already dressed.

                “It smells good.”

                “Yeah it does. Come on Jake, sit down so you can eat something…” Bradley says, and Jake settles back at the table, looking a little more alert now that he’s had a shower.

                “Mr Seresin,” Trace corrects and Bradley rolls his eyes, although he also makes sure she can’t see him.

                “I told him to call me Jake, Nat. Would be a bit weird otherwise.”

                “He arrived two days ago.”

                “And he’s my soulmate. So you can stop worrying. I’m tired. Not deaf,” he says, and he’s cutting the potato dish and forking it into his mouth. Bradley blinks. Okay then. Telling her now when Jake can barely walk in a straight line is apparently the timing they’re going with.

                “Are… Is he serious? Are you two…?”

                “Yeah. Bit of a surprise when I found him. Wasn’t exactly expecting it.”

                “What are your words?”

                “This isn’t a PR story Nat…”

                “No, of course not. Just… I’m happy for you Jake. Truly.”

                “My words are Ugh, yeah, you found me.”

                “Oh… that… did you not talk to each other when I introduced you to each other?”

                “Nope,” they reply at the same time and Bradley shares a grin with Jake, because he’s glad they didn’t, because otherwise their words would be very different. What they have is unique and there isn’t any room for doubt.

                “So, we’ve found the person who asks you why you can’t do what we ask. And it’s his job to make sure you do. I hope you appreciate the poetry of that Jake.”

                “Yeah yeah, I will. When I’m not about to fall asleep in my food…”

                “Okay. I’ll leave you both to it. I guess what I said earlier doesn’t exactly apply anymore.”

                Bradley shakes his head.

                “He’s tired and hungry and we have our whole lives ahead of us.”

                The smile Trace gives him is soft and Bradley is pretty sure he might be blushing and when he glances over at Jake he sees a similar look on his face, like Bradley is being sweet somehow simply be ensuring Jake’s basic needs are met. It does make him wonder about the kind of people Jake’s been with before if the bar is legitimately that low. Trace leaves, closing the door behind her and when he looks back Jake is definitely struggling to keep his eyes open, and he pulls him to his feet and starts shuffling him gently toward the bed. He pulls the blankets back and Jake pretty much falls into it. He tucks the blankets in around him, effectively making a cocoon around him, but Jake wiggles, arm reaching out and hand making a grabby motion.

                “What? What do you need?”

                “Join me?” Jake asks, but his voice is already slurring with sleep and Bradley can’t believe how fond of him he already feels.

                “You’re dead on your feet. Go to sleep.”

                “Oh. Uh… do you, could you…”

                “Go to sleep Jake. I’m not going anywhere.”

                He dims all the lights and heads back to the living room part of the suite, realizes that he’s probably going to get used to this type of luxury with Jake as his soulmate. That will take some getting used to. He tidies up the dishes and takes it to the door, opens it to find Rueben standing there, waiting. With Jake having told Trace he’s going to tell Rueben.

                “Hey man, you can head back to your room. I’m going to stay with him.”

                The look Rueben gives him is incredulous.

                “What the fuck man? I just lost twenty bucks. Natasha said you were going to do that.”

                “She played you, and had insider knowledge. Turns out Jake Seresin and I are soul mates. I’ve got him for the rest of the night.”

                “Holy shit… that’s cool. And you’ve got him for the rest of your life, tonight is a drop in the bucket.”

                “Yeah, I guess it is. I’m going to try and make sure he gets a fun day off after the show in Wellington. Can you help with that?”

                “Hell yeah. Just because Javy wasn’t keen doesn’t mean I was going to pass it up. I was ditching you and Logan for the day, but I can totally bring everything back together.”

                “Great. Thanks man.”

…            …            …

                He wakes up slowly, which is unusual by itself, usually he has an alarm or Natasha is shaking him awake and telling him he has to get up, while pushing a breakfast smoothie into his hands. None of that is happening this morning, instead he’s firmly wrapped in blankets and there is an arm around him, he can feel now the weight of Bradley’s body beside him, but he’s clearly slept on top of the blankets because he’s a fucking gentleman or something. He wiggles and shifts, wants to see his face and the arm around him loosens.

                “Morning…”

                “Morning.”

                “You stayed.”

                “Said I would,” Bradley says, and his smile is slow, his eyes searching Jake’s face like he’s trying to take in every little detail. “You feel better for the sleep?”

                “Yeah, so much better.”

                “Mmm. Good. Next time maybe just go straight to bed rather than running off hmm?”

                “You going to stick around and make sure?”

                “If that’s what it takes…”

                “Yeah? Just going to travel with me from now on?”

                “Think it’ll make everyone’s lives easier if I do.”

                Jake grins, huffs out a quiet laugh, but he’s not wrong.

…            …            …

                “So, can I know where my words are?” Bradley asks, because he has to admit he’s curious. Jake is his soulmate after all.

                “You want to see them?”

                “I don’t know… you’re looking very eager suddenly. Wait. Are they on your dick?”

                Jake bursts into laughter, his smile wide and free and he’s so fucking gorgeous Bradley can’t help but watch and just soak it in.

                “Close. Not quite though. They’re right on the inside crease of my thigh, against my dick and balls.”

                “I’ll have to save having a look for later then.”

                “Yeah? You don’t want to have a look now?”

                “I’m good with waiting. Always find the payoff is better with a little anticipation.”

                “We’re soulmates, meant to be good anyway.”

                “So we get a double whammy.”

                “Ugh. Fine,” Jake mutters, mouth screwing up into a displeased pout and Bradley wants to kiss it so badly, but…

                “At least let me take you on a date first.”

                “But I don’t have free time until we get home…” Jake says, and he’s definitely whining now and Bradley knew he had a reputation for being a bit of a brat, but he can’t help but find it cute and endearing and yeah, it’s definitely shaping into something that is decidedly not platonic in nature.

                “How about you let me worry about that.”

                “Oh. Really?”

                “Yeah. Really.”

                Then he bullies Jake out of bed and into another shower, flicking a couple of messages to both Natasha and Rueben to let them know Jake is awake and moving. He needs to go and shower and change as well, and everything is back in the room he’s sharing with Rueben. Which Rueben will no doubt suddenly enjoy having to himself seeing as he doesn’t imagine either he nor Jake will want to spend much time apart.

                By the time Jake is out of the shower there is food waiting, Natasha is packing his things and Rueben has turned up with Bradley’s own things. He pushes Jake toward the food and steps toward the bathroom with his bag and sees the realization hit Jake that he’s not even leaving his room to go and have a shower. The relief and joy and yeah, there’s definitely something to be said for making your soulmate look like that.

…            …            …

                For all the fact that he’s at the tail end of a world tour, he’s exhausted and he has a bone-deep ache for the comfort of his own bed it feels weirdly domestic in the hotel room when Bradley comes out of the shower looking all put together in a clean clothes; navy pants and light-blue button down, the staid uniform that every single member of his security detail wear and he doesn’t like the reminder that right now Bradley is effectively one of his employees.

                “Just a few more days…” Bradley says, giving him a quick side-hug and Jake has to bite his lip, because clearly Bradley could tell what he was thinking, and he’s not used to being so easy to read. It’s going to take some getting used to.

                The flight to Wellington is short, but the landing is not something he ever wants to relive. The wind makes the plane tilt wildly from side to side and when Jake looks out the window he can’t even see a runway, which is a little alarming considering he can see the white tips of the waves of the ocean below them. Then he’s being rushed off to do some radio segments and the crew are leaving to set up and Bradley is just close-by, always within touching distance, although his eyes are constantly moving and assessing for threats. Rueben is doing the same, but he’s also on the phone a bit and then checking something with Bradley and he’s watching them through the glass of the studio window, distracted when the radio-host asks the next question.

                It’s why he fucks up.

…            …            …

                Natasha is furious.

                He didn’t ever think he’d have to protect Jake from his own people, but he stands there, arms folded and watches as she rants about controlling the narrative and making sure Jake’s private life remains private, because blurting it out on radio that he’d found his soul mate in New Zealand wasn’t keeping it very private. He doesn’t think Jake has any regrets other than making Natasha’s job more difficult, and maybe his job.

                A popstar doing a tour isn’t newsworthy. However said famous popstar finding their soulmate in some far-flung part of the world is definitely more newsworthy and Natasha’s phone hasn’t stopped ringing. However, for Bradley, New Zealand is considered low-threat, and Jake has three concerts left and no-one bar Natasha, Rueben, Logan and himself know exactly what Jake’s plans are for his time off. Even Jake doesn’t know, which is maybe just as well given his sudden propensity to simply blurt things out.

…            …            …

                Once she’s finished yelling at him she tells him to get some rest and he looks to Bradley helplessly. Logan is slapping Bradley on the arm and following Natasha out of the hotel room.

                “I’m sorry. I wasn’t… I didn’t…”

                “Jake. I don’t mind. You’re the one in the spotlight. You get to decide what you share.”

                “Except I didn’t mean to share it, I was just… watching you and not paying attention to the question and it was something about my favorite part of being here in New Zealand, or the highlight of the tour…”

         ��      “And you were looking at me,” Bradley says, and he’s smirking.

                “Yeah well… you’re nice to look at. Shut up.”

                “Not too shabby yourself.”

                “Don’t’ feel very hot right now. Nap with me?”

                “Yeah. Just let me check in with Rueben, then yeah, nap sounds good.”

…            …            …

                He doesn’t know which version of Jake he likes the most. Soft just-awake Jake with creases on his face from the pillow case, slightly pissy Jake when Bradley won’t do anything more than hold his hand or place a chaste kiss to his cheek or forehead, or right now, watching Jake perform on stage, his energy and showmanship getting the audience completely buzzing and singing along. He puts absolutely everything into his show and it’s no wonder he crashes so abruptly afterwards, coming down from the high. He’s pretty sure he’ll be able to help with that, eventually. Once he’s off Jake’s books as an employee. God, he’s really going to have to rethink his whole career if he means to follow Jake rather than taking security details for different people around the world. He knows what he wants though, and he hasn’t even kissed Jake properly yet, but that is not because he doesn’t want to.

                Jakes goes out for two encores, meets with some of the fans who won a competition and carefully deflects questions about his soulmate. Says he’s protecting their privacy. Then he signs things for nearly an hour; Bradley just stands off to the side and keeps a close eye on everyone. Rueben and Logan are also there because it’s meant to be his night off. He takes the bottle of water Natasha hands him and makes Jake drink it, then hands him a protein bar, raises an eyebrow when Jake pulls a face but he dutifully opens it and crunches down on it while scowling at him. Bradley just smiles and brushes a kiss against his cheek while it’s still busy chewing.

                “Holy shit. I just realized our jobs are like, a hundred times easier now…” Rueben says and Bradley looks up to find him watching Jake and him.

                “Mine too,” Natasha agrees and Bradley smiles, pulls Jake into his arms despite how sweaty he is, hooks his chin over his shoulder.

                “Mmm. Well, we’ve still got a schedule to stick to.”

                “Wait, what? Are we not staying here tonight?”

                “Nope. Sorry. I know it’s fucking awful, but we’re taking a very quick flight and then all day tomorrow, tomorrow night and then a lazy sleep in… all in one place, okay?”

                “One place for two nights?”

                “Well, what’s left of tonight once we get there, and then tomorrow night. Come on.”

                He gets Jake to shower and change into soft comfortable clothes, assures him no one will see him travelling. It’s easy because Jake didn’t even unpack, and Bradley just has him tucked up beside him as they get driven to the airport. The flight between Wellington and Rotorua is only a little over an hour. There are cars waiting for them and Jake is drowsy and easy enough to direct. He’s adorably snuggly and his heart twists with warmth as he runs his fingers through his hair.

…            …            …

                He’s sitting at the table, dressed and ready for the day ahead, reading through further information Ice and Mav have sent him, none of which really impacts his actions when it comes to Jake’s safety, when Jake finally stirs and blinks sleepily at him.

                “Where am I?”

                “How specific do I need to be?” Bradley asks and Jake pulls a face.

                “I preferred yesterday when I woke up and you were still in bed with me.”

                “Well, I did spend the night in bed with you. I just got up early, did a workout, then showered and got dressed…”

                “I missed watching you work out…”

                Bradley laughs, walks over to the bed and settles down beside Jake and takes in the fluffy hair, squinty eyes as he clearly protests being awake.

                “You want to see me get hot and sweaty?”

                “Well, I’d prefer other activities to get your hot and sweaty, but until you get off your high horse… it’s fine by the way. I respect it. But I just… I’m going to go and have a shower.”

                “Okay. I’ll have breakfast and coffee waiting for you.”

                Jake makes no effort to hide his morning erection, straining against his sleeping pants, and if he thinks it’s going to embarrass him he’s sorely mistaken. He just watches and when Jake glances back he just raises an eyebrow and smirks, amused when Jake blushes and then closes the bathroom door with an emphatic thump.

…            …            …

                Jake re-enters the room, showered and looking much more put together and rested, although he’s still wearing the clothes he slept in. He settles in the chair opposite and promptly hooks his ankle around Bradley’s.

                “Okay, so you never answered. Where am I? Where are we?”

                “Rotorua.”

                “Okay. That sounds familiar but I have no idea why. Care to explain?”

                “Well, thought I’d take you on a date.”

                “Yeah? What have you got planned?”

                “Well, I have to say I do feel like I got a playbook and cheated a little, but it’s still happening…”

                Jake waves an impatient hand, clearly wanting him to get to the point.

                “Ziplining. Then an afternoon mountain biking…”

                “Wait. Seriously? Javy said no to that…”

                “I’m not Javy.”

                “Oh my god. I want to kiss you…”

                “After our date.”

                “An all-day date?”

                “Yep. Still have Rueben and Logan with us though. Natasha is in Auckland having a pamper afternoon after she deals with the, uh, aftermath of yesterday.” Jake groans and Bradley laughs. “It’s fine, but there were some fans who had the super-pass and were standing on the stage and the media are convinced that one of them is your soulmate.”

                “Oh.”

                “Yeah. No one thinks it’s one of your security detail at least, who as far as most of the media knows has been the same for most of the tour. No one new you could possibly be trading first words with.”

                “Oh.”

                “And no press or media today or tomorrow. Two whole days where you can just… not think about it.”

                “Thank you.”

                “Thank Natasha. But I’ll be sure to pass it on… So I’m going to try and make today feel as normal and fun as I can. For all that we’re doing a whole bunch of touristy things.”

                “Yeah, a little touristy but also I’m just dying to do something different,” Jake says, and Bradley suddenly feels a lot more confident about the other things he’s tacked on to the day.

                “Well, it’s not quite an original date idea, seeing as you put it on your planned day off, but I thought that I could make it happen…”

                “Are you serious?”

                “Yep. Told you I wanted to treat you right.”

                The look Jake gives him feels charged with electricity, heavy, a little intense and a challenge all rolled into one. Bradley simply holds his gaze, reminds himself that he has four days of work, then the flight home and then he’s officially off the books. His restraint is being tested though and he really does want to kiss Jake.

                “Well, what are we waiting for?”

                “You to get dressed. For a start.”

…            …            …

                The four of them are fastened into harnesses and he resists the urge to check that they’ve got them all done correctly. Obviously if things go badly it’ll reflect on them, they’re probably being extra careful with Jake there. The safety briefing is quick but thorough, and soon he’s soaring through the treetops. He can hear Rueben whooping up ahead and grins, hears Jake’s shout of joy and then his own stomach swoops as he glides effortlessly from one platform to another. The forest is lush and green, rushing water below them is picturesque. The rush of wind, coupled with the views and the adrenaline it’s pretty exhilarating. He gets to the end and Rueban and Jake are both waiting and then Logan is joining them and he catches the look they share. Getting paid to do this kind of stuff is pretty amazing.

                Jake takes the obligatory photos with the staff, Rueben does the job of asking them to hold off mentioning anything on social media channels for at least twenty-four hours, ideally forty-eight. They happily agree when Jake mentions giving them a shoutout on his account when he gets to Auckland, that he’s currently avoiding social media. It doesn’t stop him taking plenty of photos though, and he notes Rueben and Logan are taking plenty of the two of them and he’ll have to thank them later. After getting them to send him the best ones.

                The café they’re heading to for lunch is apparently famous for their grilled cheese, winning national competitions, and Rueben had already done the research so he follows his lead. Rueben’s also the one driving them and Bradley’s not complaining that he gets to sit in the back of a car and get driven around, all while holding Jake’s hand as he looks through pictures. Fortunately it’s the middle of the week, which means it’s maybe a little quieter. Still people approach and ask for photos when they realize exactly who Jake is. Again they’re asked to hold fire on posting anything to social media but Bradley knows that with every photo taken the chance of their location being made known increases. Jake talks to them about enjoying his day off and he’s definitely a people pleaser, his fans are pretty understanding, wishing him well, although they’re also clearly looking around for who might be with them and also Jake’s soulmate.

                Then they’re on the way to mountain biking and he’s arranged hiring four bikes, Logan and Rueben taking the front. Rueben, with his experience, has arranged lifts back to the top each time, although both he and Logan give him shit for being lazy. It does make for a more pleasurable experience though, navigating their way through a network of trails through a forest. He’s never done mountain biking before, and he’s glad that he and Jake stick to the beginner trails, because even those have tree roots and drops that make him wonder if Rueben and Logan are going to come away with broken limbs. By the time they finish up his quads are burning and he’s regretting working out that morning, not realizing quite how active the day was going to be. At least they can all enjoy the next part.

…            …            …

                He catches Jake looking at him, eyebrow quirked and he just grins. Rueben pulls into a parking area and then hops out, making a call to let them know they’ve arrived. Then someone is there, then they’re all being escorted to a side door and ushered through softly-carpeted hallways and into luxurious bathrooms. Rueben and Logan disappear to their own, he was intent on them getting their own and letting him and Jake just have this together.

                “What are we doing here?”

                “Massage. Hopefully something relaxing. With mud.”

                “Um. What?”

                “I’ve been assured you’ll like it.”

                “Natasha.”

                “Natasha,” Bradley agrees with a grin, and he nods toward the shower cubicle.

                “Not going to shower with me?” Jake asks.

                “Nope… I’ve got my own cubicle.”

                “Well, that ruins some of my fun… wait. Is this like, a couples massage?

                “Yeah.”

                “Oh…”

                He never thought Jake Seresin would get embarrassed, not by being shown a little softness but it seems like he is, little streaks of pink appearing on the crest of his cheeks and Bradley doesn’t resist the urge to reach out and just squeeze his hand.

                “Go on. There should be a fluffy robe and sexy disposable underwear for after your washed off the dirt and sweat from the ride…”

                He’s also packed a change of clothes and some other essentials for later. Once they’re both showered and wrapped in matching robes Bradley presses the call button, an attendant appears to lead them to another room. It’s warm, dimly lit, calming and quiet music set the mood. He and Jake are led to tables side by side, where they can look at each other if they want to, although he notes Jake decides to instead shove his head in the hole and hide his face. That’s okay, Bradley can understand him feeling a little overwhelmed. He didn’t warn him about this part of the date and he wonders if he should maybe mention the next parts.

                Then they’re asked if they’re ready to start, then he’s being covered in warm… mud. It has to be mud. It feels odd, but the person massaging him though is good, the pressure of their hands soothing the aches in his tired muscles and he lets himself relax. He opens his eyes a little while later to find Jake watching him and he smiles softly, gets a slow sleepy smile in return which makes his heart kick in his chest. The sluice of warm water over his legs startles him and then he realizes they’re washing the mud off.

                They’re both rinsed clean and then towel dried, then the robes are there and they’re back in the bathrooms showering to get the last little remnants of mud off. Jake definitely looks more relaxed, and he somehow looks better, and he already looked good.

                “So, where are we going next?”

                “Private hot tub soak in the forest…”

                “Seriously?”

                “Yep. And then dinner and a walk…”

                “Wow. Thank you for this. All of it. Today.”

                “Want to give you every experience that you want,” Bradley says, because it’s the truth but also this wasn’t even difficult or original. He simply took what Jake wanted already and added to it. He thinks he’s going to find Jake surprisingly easy to please.

…            …            …

                “Here, got you some trunks.”

                “Thanks.”

                Then Bradley is turning away and he can see his words across Bradley’s left shoulder blade, writing messy and scrawling and definitely his and he lets out a little laugh, which has Bradley turning back to look at him.

                “What?”

                “Just… saw my words. Feel like I should apologize for my handwriting.”

                The smile Bradley gives him reminds him of the one they’d exchanged when they’d just been looking at each other while getting massages. He’s never felt this relaxed at the end of a tour before, and he knows, hopes, that it’s because Bradley is there. He’s sleeping rather than lying awake, feeling settled and grounded despite being miles from home.

                “Come on, get changed. We can cuddle and talk while sitting in the hot tub…”

                “Oh my god, that sounds amazing…”

                He changes quickly, tries not to focus on the fact that he’s very briefly naked and in the same room as Bradley. Then he’s following him out and it’s quiet, and he can see a few people but there a fair way away and it obvious that care has been taken to make the most of the surrounding forest to provide privacy. They walk down a boardwalk to a tub, and there is steam rising from the surface of the water, and also a nearby stream. Right. Geothermal waters. The steam gives an illusion of even more privacy, almost like it’s a different world and he drops his towel on the bench and steps over the edge of the tub and into the warm water, Bradley following hi,

                “Come here…” Bradley states, and then he finds himself nestled between Bradley’s thighs as his arms and legs wrap around Jake and he hooks his head over Jake’s shoulder and places a soft kiss to the side of his neck.

                “What if I want to cuddle you?”

                “Then we take turns. Just let me hold you for a bit.”

                “Yeah, okay with me,” Jake murmurs, settling relaxing further. He can see a jug of water with glasses off to the side, along with a platter of fruit and hums appreciatively. It feels like it’s been a while since his grilled cheese at lunch, but he doesn’t reach for anything, he has a question he wants to ask. “What did you think, about your words I mean?”

                “I thought I was either going to play a lot of games of hide and seek, or maybe be a member of a search and rescue team. Although, I did think the person would be more appreciative of being found if I was in search and rescue. What about you? Are your words why you have a reputation for trying to escape from your security detail?”

                “Not intentionally,” Jake muses. Thinks about it. “Maybe? I don’t know. I always finish a show and need some time to…”

                “Decompress?”

                “Yeah,” Jake agrees quietly, and he’s grateful that Bradley apparently understand that part of him already. Not the high-energy performer that his public image hangs from, but the quieter edges of him that ache for the comforts of home after. That Bradley might become that home now… it’s equal parts terrifying as it is exciting.

                “Just… can I have a kiss?” Jake asks, turning in the water to face him. He knows Bradley has his line drawn in the invisible sand, and he’s glad in the moment that it’s there, the knowledge that it can’t, or won’t, go any further.

                “Yeah. Of course you can have a kiss now…”

                Bradley has been affectionate and pressed so many kisses to his forehead and cheek, let his hands rest where they fall on Jake’s body when standing side-by-side, or guiding him through crowds. It’s been casual and easy, comforting in how easy Bradley had just offered the new level of affection.

                Bradley’s hand cups Jake’s face and it’s soft, slow and exploratory. He lets the water buoy him and he straddles Bradley’s thighs, loops his arms around his neck and lets himself press into it, firmer but not hard, just wanting to convey that he’s here, with Bradley and not thinking about anything else in the moment other than them together. He can feel Bradley’s hands on his hips beneath the water, a steady presence just holding him and he can’t get his head around feeling so settled and grounded while also feeling like he’s flying.

…            …            …

                Bradley meets up with Rueben and Lee, goes over the last few plans for the rest of the day. They’re both still on the high that they’re both getting paid to effectively have the best day off and if he can have them form part of Jake’s permanent security detail he’s going to do it. Jake comes out of the bathroom and grins at them all, but it’s his hand he reaches for, linking their fingers together and he doesn’t even bother to try hiding his grin.

                “What next? I’m starting to get a little hungry, so I hope you’re going to say food…”

                “Yeah, it’s food. Come on.”

                He lets Rueben and Logan take care of everything, the driving and security checks. His own eyes don’t stop moving, not until they all pile into one gondola and then slowly travel up the hillside, to where the restaurant sits. They’ll have the best view of the scenery and while Rueben and Logan are there, they’re also not sitting at the same table as them, a small private dining area set off just to the side. He has no idea what he eats, not even sure he does considering he doesn’t seem to have let go of Jake’s hand. Then they’re watching the sky turn dark, shots of pink and gold filling the sky over the lake and okay, it’s a pretty fucking perfect first date and it’s not over yet.

                They take the luge down the hill, racing each other and Jake laughs and it is unplanned and Bradley is very fucking grateful that none of them break anything, even if Rueben and Logan both look like they want to do it again if Jake suggests it. He doesn’t give him a chance to, takes Jake’s hand in his again and tugs him towards the car.

                “Come on… one more thing to do.”

                “What?”

                “Nighttime canopy walk through the redwood trees…”

                The look on Jake’s face is gratifying, the squeeze of his hand and grin that clearly indicates he’s more than happy that their date is not yet over. They’re not very far away, but it’s dark by the time they get out of the car. There’s another short safety briefing, and Jake smiles, signs an autograph but then they’re left alone to make their way through the canopy, suspended on purpose built walkways. There are lanterns casting shadows and it feels like the rest of the world has just slipped away from existence, leaving just the two of them.

                They need their hands free for holding on a lot of the time, some of the passages too narrow to consider holding hands anyway, but he stops them at every platform, wraps his arms around Jake and lets himself drop gentle kisses on Jake’s face, his lips, his neck. As the walk progresses the kisses become a bit longer, a little more heated, and he’s glad that while it might feel like they’re alone, there are people waiting for them. He has his resolve and ethics and he’s going to trying his level fucking best to stick to them. Kissing Jake is his compromise.

                The compromise is unfairly tested when they get back to the ground, Jake smiling and grateful, but his fingers gripping Bradley’s hand so hard it’s almost painful as they thank the operators for letting them book the entire evening. Then he’s being pulled along a little path, the light down here even less than it had been up in the canopy. Then he’s being pushed up against one of the trees and Jake is kissing him fiercely, hard and bruising, breath gasping out of him and he’s pressing his groin against Bradley’s thigh and grinding –

                “Jesus Jake…” Bradley groans, letting himself just enjoy it for a moment, he’ll stop. Soon.

                “God, can we… please… I… fuck. Sorry…”

                “Just… kind of like the idea of our first time being in your bed. Or my bed.”

                Jake groans, but it’s not one of pleasure, more of frustration and Bradley forces himself to stop, to just rest his forehead against Jake’s shoulder and breathe, and Jake mirrors the posture, his forehead on Bradley’s shoulder.

                “Oh my god, you’re a romantic.”

                “Yeah. Little bit.”

                “Ugh. Why me…”

                “You deserve to be romanced… also I don’t want us to have to hurry or have to be somewhere. I’ve waited my whole life for this, what’s a couple more days?”

                “You can’t be sweet and look so fucking hot. My brain can’t cope…”

                “You want me to apologize?”

                “No. Never. Just… give me a minute.”

                “Of course.”

…            …            …

                “Oh god, what is that smell?”

                “Sulfur. Active volcanic zone remember?”

                “And the whole town smells like this?”

                “Apparently you get used to it. We’ve been on the outskirts of the town mostly, so it’s… not as intense.”

                “Our first date, I’ll remember it every time I get a whiff of sulfur or rotten eggs… Great.”

                “Hopefully other things make you remember it too. Now come on, we have a flight to Auckland pretty early tomorrow.”

                “How early is early?”

                “Nine.”

                “Oh… that’s actually humane.”

                “It’s only a forty-five minute flight, so yeah, no early morning wake up.”

                Like the previous two nights they fall asleep together.

…            …            …

                The next three days and final two concerts whip past in a blur; apart from sleeping with Jake tucked carefully in his arms at night he’s the epitome of a professional, although both Rueben and Logan keep smirking at him. He subtly gives them the finger when he catches them, but he’s counting down the hours to hand-over now. Jake has had multiple interviews, fielded endless questions about his soul bond which he’s deflected by simply saying that his soul mate deserves their privacy. There has been no hint of gender or nationality, and Bradley is pretty sure Jake is treating it like a challenge now, to keep it a secret after letting it slip in the first place. He doesn’t mind either way, but does appreciate not being under the same scrutiny as Jake himself.

                Then they’re finally on their final flight home, they’ve spent a lot of time conversing, mostly through messages on their phones, exchanging dirtier and dirtier information and it’s been good, having such a serious conversation almost silently. If their phones ever get hacked then they’ll be in trouble but they’ve managed to get through some pretty meaningful and important discussions with minimal awkwardness, which has been an unintended benefit. Although he’s well aware it’s once again crossing over the now incredibly blurred line in the sand regarding his professionalism. However he’s pretty sure Jake isn’t going to allow time for any type of actual conversation before they end up having sex, so again this is something he’s prepared to compromise on.

                “You two are weird… Tour has finally finished. We’re on our way home. You finally have some privacy and you’re both sitting there, not even touching, staring intently at your phones.”

                “We’re communicating plenty,” Jake says darkly, shifting in his seat and Bradley grins, looks at the ceiling of the plane to avoid looking at Jake. He’d just shared that he really likes eating guys out, but that some guys don’t like his moustache because it makes all the sensitive skin just that little bit more sensitive. He’s pretty sure Jake is sporting a semi in his sweats, hiding it with a blanket draped over and he glances to him. Sure enough, Jake is glaring at him and Bradley raises an eyebrow, knows Jake can’t do anything about it right now.

                “Bathroom,” Jake spits out, and then he’s gone toward the back of the plane.

                Bradley feels smug until he receives the photo, Jake’s hand around his cock and he bites back a groan.

                Yeah, he guesses he deserved that.

…            …            …

                “Fucking finally… come on.”

                “You sure you don’t want to sleep?”

                “I’ve waited fucking long enough.”

                “Come on then, shower first… get clean hmm?”

                “No. Take too long. Just… something else first?”

                “You trying to give orders now?" Bradley teases, thrusting against him hard enough to almost knock him off his feet and Jake makes grabby hands, his fingers curling in the fabric of Bradley’s shirt and holding tight as they kiss and grind against each other.

                “Yes, I am if you don't want me to come in my fucking pants," Jake gasps and Bradley makes a considering look, because the idea of it, the accompanying visual is definitely something that turns him on. Stepping back, gentler and more careful than before, he slips a couple of fingers into the waistband of Jake’s sweats and pushes them down, leaving the underwear for now, because he’s going to see his words on Jake soon, up close and very personal.

                "Tempting. Another time," he promises, and then he drops to his knees and the way Jake’s eyes go darker is gratifying.

…            …            …

                Jake has to squeeze the base of his cock through the fabric of his underwear to keep from losing it right there. God, this is going to be over alarmingly quickly but it’s okay, he reminds himself, Bradley won’t care or judge and it’s going to be one of many times together, but he can’t help the small part of him that wants it to be perfect. God, maybe rutting against the thick expanse of Bradley’s thigh might have been perfect, seeing him on his knees right now definitely is, but maybe anything would be perfect right now and he needs to stop worrying about any of it and all of it. But he does want his hands on him and he holds a hand out, makes Bradley stand up and then leads him to his bedroom.

                “You did say you wanted to have a bed…”

                “I say a lot of things…”

                He watches as Bradley kicks his pants off. It's not the first time Jake's seen him naked, but it’s the first time he’s allowed to look. To touch. He's gorgeous all over, thick and strong in a way that makes him look bigger than he really is. When he reaches for the waistband of his boxers, Jake does the same, kicks his underwear off and then Bradley is there, fully naked, touching him everywhere, pressing their bodies together. Their cocks are bobbing around ridiculously but then Bradley’s hand is there, just catching and holding them both, more to guide than anything else and Jake groans.

                “Bed, come on. Want you on me…”

                It’s something he’d mentioned in their silent text exchange, that he likes feeling blanketed and pinned down, held and grounded. Bradley is walking him backwards toward his own bed and he lets himself fall back and then shuffles up, his eyes not leaving Bradley’s. Then he lets his legs fall open, runs a finger along the crease of his thigh and Bradley’s eyes track the movement.

                “Oh…” Bradley murmurs under his breath. Then he’s licking over the words and Jake almost jackknifes back up at the sudden ticklish sensation. “Mmm… stay where I tell you to huh?”

                “Asshole.”

                “Yep. Proud of it too.”

                Then Bradley shifts and moves Jake, so he can staddle Jake’s thighs and his hands are free to roam and touch everywhere; suddenly Jake can do the touching he so badly wanted to do and he grips Bradley’s thighs, and, God, Jake feels like he’s waited forever for this. Then Bradley shifts again and he’s close enough that Jake can get his hand on his cock, although Bradley is leaning down to kiss him. He thumbs the thick vein under the head of Bradley's cock, smiles when he feels Bradley's mouth open against his neck, feels smug. Tightening his grip and stroking in earnest, Jake angles his head down to watch his hand working between them. Bradley has a nice cock, thick and shiny pink where the head pokes through Jake's fist. Jake knows he's an asshole for feeling relieved about it. It's not like he would want Bradley any less if he had a tiny dick or anything, but it's nice not to have to worry about it.

                "Thought about this," Jake tells him. He licks his palm messily before reaching down to stroke him again, grip tight and slick with saliva, likes the fact that all he can see and feel is Bradley.

                It's been a while since Jake last did this for someone, and even then it was mostly just a step to get to the good stuff. Touching Bradley is different; Jake wants to know what he likes. He strokes faster and slower, tighter and looser, shorter and with a twist of his wrist at the end just to see what reactions he can get. Playing with Bradley's foreskin makes him hiss through his teeth, so Jake quickly gives up on that in favor of the long, tight strokes that seem to illicit the best response. He is rewarded with shifting hips and low, throaty groans.

                "God, Jake," Bradley murmurs drunkenly, tipping his head forward to mouth at Jake's clavicle.

                The way Bradley gasps out his name makes Jake's heart feel too big for his chest. Clamping his eyes shot Jake works his hand steadily, focusses on the little hitching sounds that Bradley makes on each upstroke. Everything is slick with spit and precum now, Jake's own cock leaking between them steadily. He's so hard it hurts, but it's easy enough to ignore when he feels Bradley's muscles twitch and shudder above him. Then Bradley shifts again, grabbing for Jake’s wrists, pinning him to the mattress. Wiggling a little, Jake's heart pounds when Bradley doesn't budge. Jake stares up at him, eyes wide.

                "I'm so into this. So into you," he tells Bradley in amazement.

                Bradley laughs, eyes crinkling fondly. He's lovely, he's so lovely, it drives Jake completely crazy.

                "You’re much too coherent," Bradley states, pushing Jake's wrists up above his head and stretching him out beneath him with a heated gaze. All the fantasies in the world have nothing on the way Bradley looks perched above him, eyes dark as he transfers both of Jake's wrists into one hand and runs the other down his chest. He touches him everywhere but where he wants, dragging a palm down Jake's throat, over his pecs and stomach then back up. Jake pushes his heels into the mattress as thick fingers rub against his left nipple, sending a shiver of electricity to his crotch.

                "Bradley," he gasps. "I don't need... I don't need much. Please."

                "Mmm," Bradley agrees, dropping his head to suck the abused nipple into his mouth. Squirming against his hold, Jake whines weakly. It's too much.

                He wants more. Needs more.

                "You're so easy for me," Bradley murmurs wonderingly, stubble scratching against sensitive skin as he talks. It's been long enough since Jake fucked a guy that he can't remember if stubble-burn always turned him on or if it's a Bradley-specific thing, the moustache is softer than he thought it would be though.

                "Yeah. Just for you," Jake breathes, because it's pretty obvious what buttons to push with Bradley. As he suspected would happen the illusion of control breaks, and Bradley shudders, pushing up to kiss him. Sucking messily at Bradley's tongue, Jake wants to pull his legs up to wrap around his hips, wants to be able to chase more friction against his body. His cock feels heavy and painfully hard between his legs, and Bradley is still hovering above him, infuriatingly out of reach.

                "Please, come on," Jake insists between kisses. "I need you. Come on, Bradley."

                Bradley makes a wounded noise into his mouth, hand fumbling as it slides between their bodies to finally wrap around Jake's cock. It's embarrassing how close he is already. Little choking sounds escape his mouth with every shift of Bradley's hand over the swollen head of his cock, the sensation almost too much. Thrusting messily into the circle of Bradley's fist, Jake's too far gone to care how desperate he might look.

                He wants to drag this out, wants Bradley touching him forever, but he's been ready to go off since Bradley kissed him three days ago. The hot, tight slide of Bradley's hand over him now is too much. His balls tighten and his entire body is jerking like his entire body is crying out for touch despite having it nearly everywhere. Bradley releases his wrists suddenly, collapsing forward onto his forearm and jerking Jake hard and fast.

                "I've got you, I've got you," he murmurs over and over into Jake's neck. The familiar rumble of his voice tips Jake over the edge, muscles seizing. Pleasure crashes into him as he jerks and spills, hot and messy all over Bradley's hand and his own stomach. Bradley whispers nonsense as he wrings him out, yeah baby, that's it, so fucking gorgeous, so good. Jake whines weakly as he spasms through the aftershocks, too blissed-out to care how dumb he might sound or look.

                He slumps and goes boneless, Bradley kissing messily along his neck and jaw. Still panting, Jake strokes clumsily up and down his back, trying to regain his wits. Bradley's cock is pressing insistently against his hip, so Jake slides his hands down to grab the flesh of his ass, pulling him forward. Moaning gratefully, Bradley thrusts through the mess Jake made of his own stomach, cock head smearing wetness up his abs.

                "Yeah," Jake breathes, encourages. He feels sluggish and come-stupid, but he wants to make Bradley feel good. He can’t wait to find all the ways  to make Bradley feel good, once he has a functioning brain again and he’s regained his hand-eye coordination.

                Turning his head, he nudges Bradley's mouth up for a kiss, simultaneously digging his nails into his ass. Bradley's hips stutter then thrust hard against Jake's belly, hand sliding down to grip his hip. Even half out of his mind, he's bossy, angling Jake's hips how he wants them and rutting against him. Jake leans back, reveling in how wrecked Bradley looks as he jerks harder and harder against him, mouth wet and open and eyes lidded.

                "Come on. Come on, baby," Jake whispers, rolling his hips with each thrust. He's so oversensitive it almost hurts, but he doesn't care. Bradley looks close. Licking his lips, Jake kisses him on the corner of his slack mouth. "I want it. I want it, Bradley. Come for me. Want everyone to know I'm yours. Come on."

                It's mostly nonsensical, but it seems to do the trick. Bradley scrambles for leverage, shoves Jake up the bed with two hard thrusts before going rigid and coming in long, groaning bursts over his chest and stomach. Jake gentles him through it, stroking his hair and shoulders and murmuring encouragingly as he shudders, trying to memorize the way Bradley's face looks all screwed-up and euphoric. Jake did that, made him look that way, and he knows he doesn’t need to commit it to memory because they’ll be doing this again, but he still wants to remember it. Bradley collapses to the side with an arm slung over Jake's stomach. Honestly, Jake would have kind of liked being squashed, but he appreciates that Bradley is as much of a gentleman about this as he is about everything else. It's part of his charm.

                "You good?" he asks.

                Bradley grunts in response, obviously still out of it, and Jake smiles. It's disgusting, really, how gone he is on him. Shifting closer, Jake turns his head towards Bradley and closes his eyes, happy to just lie there and enjoy the moment. It's almost too good to take in all at once and he suspects that’s partially due to the exhaustion catching up with him, feels himself drift in and out of consciousness. He feels the mattress shift and Bradley's arm slide carefully off his waist. There is a split second when Jake thinks maybe he's just rolling over, but then Bradley's weight is gone and he's alone in bed. He's not sure how much time passes before something warm and wet swipes over his stomach, startling him back into consciousness and he grumbles quietly about almost being asleep.

                "It’s this or a shower…" Bradley whispers, and he’s definitely looking smug when Jake blinks up at him. He's leaning over the bed, washcloth in hand, still completely naked, hair a complete disaster.

                "Shower… " Jake mumbles, because he’s pretty sure it won’t be alone. Not anymore, not when Bradley is around.

                “You think you can stand?” Bradley asks, and Jake immediately feels a surge of needing to prove that he can. Although…

                “You can make sure I don’t fall over.”

                And he gets Bradley’s arms around him, pulling him up which is what he was angling for.

…            …            …

                Bradley knows Jake has a stubborn streak, and a level of self-discipline that keeps him going despite how exhausted he might get. But he doesn’t have to draw on those reserves right now, he’d hoped Jake would fall asleep and they could revisit everything in the morning and yet here he is in the shower, a naked half-asleep Jake Seresin insisting he’s good for another round. Bradley would like to differ, but that seems to make Jake do nothing but dig his heels in so he’s going along with it for now.

                It’s nice, quietly soft, having just come he’s not really angling for anything more, just lets himself enjoy the warm and slippery feel of Jake against him, his tongue and lips and little hums of happy pleasure. Then he feels Jake’s hand grab his ass, fingers brushing over his hole and he grins into the curve of Jake’s shoulder, mirrors the exact same thing and is surprised when Jake pushes back against his fingers.

                “It’s not a race Jake. We don’t have to do everything in one night…”

                Jake whines against his neck, hips jerking.

                “I want to though…”

                “We have time.”

                He does try to make them they take their time, part of him wonders if they should maybe be waiting a bit longer, Jake’s been on tour for six months, was dead on his feet less than a week ago and was almost asleep no less than fifteen minutes ago. As much as he looks and acts like he’s bounced back Bradley is fairly certain that nothing but a couple of weeks rest is going to truly bring him back to his equilibrium. Despite all that Jake is going through the motions of washing his hair and body, and Bradley is doing his best to ensure he stays upright and doesn’t fall asleep and brain himself.

                “I’m just… don’t be too long… want you to fuck me,” Jake says and Bradley can’t help but raise a disbelieving eyebrow as Jake steps out of the shower and starts drying himself off.

                “I’ll be right there…” Bradley says, amused beyond belief because he’s not even hard, glad that Jake has such faith in his refractory period. He takes his time, pays attention to getting clean himself and lets himself think about the fact that there will definitely be more sex with Jake in the very near future. He dries himself off and walks back into the bedroom and has to bite back a laugh, because Jake has passed out cold, but also clearly had some serious intent. He’s gotten the lube out, his fingers are shiny with it, as is his ass crack and Bradley picks up the tube and places it on the bedside table safely out of the way, uses his damp towel to wipe Jake’s fingers and presses a soft kiss to his bicep.

                “Sleep well Jake.”

…            …            …

                He wakes up the next morning and he doesn’t think Jake has moved, still completely sacked out but still the most gorgeous sight Bradley has ever woken up to. And he’s certain he’s going to think that every morning he wakes up with Jake beside him. As he watches Jake shifts a little, just a little grind of his hips and Bradley bites his lip, an idea forming as he reaches for the lube and a couple of condoms. Then he slides a finger into himself, is generous with the lube although a little impatient with the actual stretching, his cock getting harder the more he thinks about Jake fucking him. He’d been very thorough last night, not really expecting Jake to be able to stay awake but still not cutting any corners. It does mean that he doesn’t have to take his time this morning, and he knows from his experience the last few mornings that Jake is going to wake fairly soon and he’d like to wake him up. No alarm needed.

                Wiping his fingers on the same towel he used on Jake’s fingers last night, he drops it, then leans forward to kiss Jake's throat, then the underside of his jaw before moving up to run his nose against the side of Jake's stubbly cheek. Bradley's lips graze the corner of Jake's mouth as he smiles again. Up close his dimples are deeper and his eyelashes are darker, and he’s so gorgeous and he’s all Bradley’s. Jake makes little sleepy grunts, his body stretching out to press against Bradley as he wakes and then he’s kissing him properly, shifting to press his hard cock against Bradley’s own.

                “Morning.”

                “Is it morning?”

                “Sure is…” Bradley says, rolling his hips to provide friction for them both, feels Jake shift in response to add to it. Maybe they could just rut against each other like this. Jake is groaning, muttering something which he can’t make sense of, too quiet.

                “How do you like it? Want to fuck me?” Bradley asks, which isn’t actually what he wanted to ask, but he’s getting a little distracted by how Jake’s body feels and he’s not actually fussy but he had an idea and he’d like to at least try it…

                “Yes yes yes.”

                “Or can I fuck you?”

                “I don’t fucking care right now… Just… did I fall asleep last night?”

                “Yep. While I was finishing up in the shower.”

                “God, I am so sorry. That is not sexy.”

                “Oh, it was okay… came in to find you passed out cold and had started fingering yourself without even waiting for me to watch…”

                “Oh my god, it gets worse…”

                “Going to let me open you up? Pretty sure you won’t fall asleep this time.”

                Jake doesn’t answer with words, just shifts and stretches, opens the drawer and then looks confused and Bradley holds out the lube.

                “Looking for this?”

                Jake glares at him, but it’s got no heat and Bradley feels his mouth go dry as Jake shifts again, legs spreading and shoving a pillow under his hips, challenge broadcasted in every movement and Bradley feels smug, thinking about his idea with what he knows Jake has said he likes in bed and what he knows about his own body. He was going to let Jake in on his idea, but he decides not to, his little sulking attitude should not be this hot.

                Jake’s ass crack is tacky with the lube he used the night before and Bradley ignores the sensation, just coats his finger and goes to town, his eyes not leaving Jake’s face, watching for discomfit although the expression on Jake’s face is almost belligerent. Bradley can’t help but lean forward and kiss him, catches each of Jake’s little gasps with his own mouth and works him open slowly and steadily.

                “I’m good, come on…”

                He takes him at his word, presses a kiss to each of Jake’s knees, wipes his hands and then reaches for the condom. Lets Jake take it from him and open it up, rolls it down his cock and then falls back again and shoves his ass in Bradley’s direction.

                “Subtle.”

                “Come on…” Jake snaps and then Bradley’s pushing inside, one long slow push and Jake moans, low and deep and Bradley shakes a little.

                “Fuck,” Bradley says against the side of Jake’s neck, breath humid and hot. He keeps his hips carefully still, waiting for Jake to give him the go-ahead.

                “Yeah, yeah… come on.”

                Bradley tightens his hand on Jake’s hip and then he’s pulling out, letting Jake feel every inch of him, before thrusting back in. He takes it nice and slow, knows he has time. Jake is shifting, trying to get closer, maybe wanting it harder. Regardless, he’s not using any words and Bradley just lets his hips roll in and out, picking up the pace in response to Jake’s breathing picking up speed. His own breath is coming in pants and he can feel his orgasm building, bends down to kiss Jake.

                “I’m not, I… I said…”

                “Shh… It’s okay. I got you. Think we’re made for each other…”

                “You feel good.”

                “Mmm. So do you,” Bradley says, his hips snapping now, thinks about Jake admitting via a message sent not even two days ago that he hardly ever comes when he’s getting fucked. It’s fine, Bradley’s not about to try and prove himself, but it does mean he can just chase his own orgasm and come as quickly as possible. Then he can focus on Jake and his pleasure. He jerks as he comes, his teeth pressing into Jake’s neck and god he hopes that doesn’t mark, that would be a little embarrassing. He gives himself twenty seconds, his thrusts slowing and he finally pulls out all the way, kisses away the expression on Jake’s face as he reaches for another condom and the lube.

                “Wait, what… what are you doing?” Jake asks, and his eyes are glazed and intense and Bradley feels a little shaky but he can do this, rolls the condom down Jake’s cock, strokes him a couple of times with lube before he shifts up so he’s straddling Jake’s stomach.

                “Told you I like being fucked after I’ve come.”

                “Oh Jesus fucking Christ…” Jake breathes as Bradley sinks down on his cock, his thighs trembling but then Jake’s hips are raising up to meet him and he lets gravity take over, groan into the shivery-shake of over stimulation that he likes. Sometimes he can come again, wonders if this’ll be one of those times.

                “Fucking hell… you…” Jake starts and Bradley has no idea what his internal thought process is right now but he’s looking up at Bradley like he’s everything and he feels pretty satisfied with himself.

                “Yeah. Fuck,” Bradley says, rotating his hips in a tight circle

                “Bradley…”

                “Come on. Want you to fuck me now…”

                “What?”

                “Want you to fucking rail me. Just… come on.”

                “Are you sure?”

                “Jake. Trust me. I’m more than sure.”

                Despite Bradley’s hasty encouragement and slight disgruntlement that Jake won’t just take his word for it, part of him is glad that Jake cares enough, although he’ll soon learn that when Bradley tells him he’s ready to be fucked, he really does mean it. Then Jake is pushing him off, the muscles in his arms and shoulders flexing as he moves Bradley around to where he wants him and Bradley realizes that those messages went both ways. Jake is remembering his own admissions about favorite position and he groans, lets his shoulders sink down to bear his weight, his ass in the air and Jake’s hands on his cheeks, pulling them apart and then he’s pressing his cock in and yeah, yeah, it’s going to be one of those times.

                Jake sets a brutal pace and Bradley reassess his consideration that Jake maybe didn’t take him at his word. His entire body feels electrified, nerves twanging and he manages to get a hand on himself, hears Jake’s startled intake of breath, his hips somehow picking up the pace and Bradley grunts, pushes back as he works his hand on his cock. It never really went soft, is feeling overstimulated but he knows from experience that pushing through that will make the second orgasm even better, will have an even sharper edge of relief when he comes.

                Jake knows this, his fingers digging into his hips as he fucks into him, their combined pants the only noises in the room and then he feels Jake’s hands slip a little, their bodies getting slicker with sweat and god it’s so good. This is likely it for them, not just here in Jake’s bed, but beds all over the world, but finding and making a home with each other. Jake had been right when he’d accused him of being a romantic, because he’ll follow Jake anywhere. Right now that’s leading him to a second orgasm within thirty minutes and he shudders and shakes, eyes clenched shut against the burst of white pain-pleasure from working his cock so roughly. Jake makes an unintelligible sound and Bradley is certain he’s also coming but he’s too lost in the haze of his own pleasure again and fuck, his idea to make it all about Jake completely backfired.

                He slumps to the side, gasps at the sudden loss of Jake’s cock inside him, his body feeling even more jittery as he comes down. Then Jake is there, pressing kisses over his back and shoulders, using the towel to wipe up the worst of the mess and he really doesn’t care much about anything right now, just wants to be held and feel the warmth of Jake close to him; which he’s definitely getting, being tugged over to the unused and drier half of the bed, encouraged to lie on top of Jake like a human blanket. He can do that.

                “So glad you found me…” Jake says, his voice quiet.

                “So am I.”

…            …            …

     Jake Seresin married his long-term boyfriend, Bradley Bradshaw, this weekend, in an exclusive and highly secretive event. No word on whether Seresin’s soulmate was there or not, but we can probably assume that it is a platonic bond if he is marrying someone else. Bradshaw was very briefly a member of Seresin’s security detail before they -

                Kaysie looks at the words and starts digging, going back through Instagram accounts and the social medias of different places. There’s plenty of photos of Seresin and Bradshaw, their day in Rotorua incredibly well documented considering it was ostensibly a day-off for Jake rather than a PR exercise. The day after he’d unintentionally declared to the world that he’d found his soulmate, but a lot of the business posts and other posts are a day or two after the actual scheduled day off. Which was a few days after Bradley Bradshaw had joined the security detail. Her eyes narrow. That’s a hell of a coincidence, but there’s zero actual proof either way.

                She looks at the photos again, sees the joy and soft smiles and hopes that whether they’re soulmates or not, that they’re happy together and remain that way.

THE END

[the-s1lly-corner]

Master of Me

Not totally sold on the name for the fic maybe I'll change it midway through typing this and forget to take this sentence out haha! Short little fic because TADC is on my mind, probably only going to be slightly longer than my other posts... we will see! Notes: Reader is GN, Gummigoo and the reader are not dating but they are close friends, AU where Gummi was allowed to stay at the circus, comfort fic, limited dialogue, reader doesn't remember anything about their life before joining the circus. like nothing at all. not proof read we die like kaufmo CWs: Gummigoo is still struggling to fully come to terms with the fact that he is just an NPC- really it's just some angst Word count: 1.3k

No one ever said it was going to be easy, and he didn't expect it to be easy. Nor did he expect it to come fast... but he had hoped that within the weeks after joining the circus it would become more bearable. It.. had.. but he wasn't making as much progress as he had hoped. Some days were better than others, where the thought that everything he knew was a lie didn't cross his mind. Other days it hit him hard enough to keep him holed up in bed.

You had been kind enough to share your room with him, Caine had yet to make a room for the new circus member- whether he didn't want to or he couldn't you weren't sure. You tried your best to give the gator some room so he can gather himself on his own time, opting to wander around the circus until it was time to go to bed. Sometimes he would even join you, allowing you to show him the grounds. It was all so different from what he knew in the desert, though... those were all false memories too, weren't they?

Today had been one of those days, that left him too shaken to get up and join the others during the day's adventure. You told the others to go along without you. Everyone but Zooble left, but it's not like they were going to step in to help you pull Gummigoo out of his mind- though they did surprise you by showing some level of support through the form of wishing you luck.

He didn't have the key to your room, so he couldn't lock himself in. Not that he would if he could- he was grateful that you had given him the space, but he would feel terrible for taking it a step too far.

The lights were dimmed, you could just barely see his form sat at the edge of your bed. You noted how the lights looked against the material of his body. If you squinted, you could see small specks of sugar within his lemon lime body. He had noticed you, but didn't say much aside from a short apology- did you need something? Was he in the way? He was about to get up before you stopped him and sat next to him.

"What's going on with you," You asked, though as soon as the words had left your mouth you felt stupid for asking. You knew exactly what was going on, sure you may not know what set him off in particular or what part he's focusing on... but you still knew enough. You watched his white eyes narrow at the floor, as if it was the most interesting thing to him. He sighed after a moment, and lifted his head to stare at you. He was missing his mother today, or at least his idea of her.

"Nothing really happened, did it?" He muttered, referencing everything he could gather from his memories. That seemed to only make things worse, though, seeing as they were all so... limited. Artificial. False. "Oh god, none of it happened, did it?" He added after a few more struggled words clawed their way through his teeth. You sucked on your teeth as you tried to find the right words to say. For a terrifying moment you wondered if NPCs would abstract- what if you said the wrong thing and triggered it?

The words fell out of your mouth before you could stop yourself.

"It was real to you, wasn't it?"

Silence, and he whipped his head to stare at you before pulling his eyes back down.

"It may not have been... real... but they're still your memories, it's still... who you were originally meant to be- you know?" You added, but that didn't seem to help. "I wasn't supposed to find out, I know that much," He said lowly. He sounded angry, but it didn't sound like it directed at you exactly.

Suddenly he looked at you, with enough speed and intensity to make you jump just a bit and scoot back to avoid his snout. "But you don't remember anything from before you came to this... place.."

You only nodded, when you had joined the circus you actually remembered less than the other members- you didn't even remember putting on the headset that brought you here. To you, it was like you simply spawned into existence. You remembered how terrifying that was, how you seemingly came to and had to build everything up with what you were given.

"Just like you... kind of..." You whispered, and with a look he urged you to continue. "You don't remember much of anything from before you... tried to steal the syrup. You hit a.. block.. when you try to remember anything before that. You had... nothing, not to sound like what's happening to you doesn't matter any less.." You trailed off, then attempted to regain yourself. "You..." but your words failed.

"How did you make it work, didn't you ever want to return back to what you had before.. Before.." He stopped. "I almost want to go back, wouldn't that be easier?" He stared down at his hands, a habit you noticed that he picked up. He bunched his fingers together before relaxing them, before tensing them again.

"It was hard at first, for me too.. but," You chewed your tongue. It felt like it was plastic. "I got to make new memories," You managed to spit out. Gummigoo went silent, looking you in the eyes for a long moment before seeming to understand.

"You can't change what's happening, what's.. happened.. or what you were before- regardless of if it actually happened. You're in control now, and you're free to make your own choices now!" You offered a half smiling, hoping you had said the right thing. "It's not exactly like what I went through, I'm not from the digital world, and you are.. but, we were both new to this at some point,"

Quiet.

Then he laughed. He actually laughed, albeit weakly and airily. He shook his head lightly, tugging his hat down before taking a deep breath through his nose. "You're not wrong about that, (Reader)," He let his body relax. He was far from okay, but he was seeming to even out now.

He looked at you again, once more in the eyes. You forced yourself to maintain the contact, before he pulled his face away. His eyes scanned over the room, taking in everything they could see. "I'm in control now, am I?" He said to himself, his hand relaxing as he spoke. He lowered his head a little, before his mouth stretched into a smile. "If I'm going to carve my own path, I'm glad that you've given me the tools," He flicked a glance to you, "I'd be happy if you stuck around,"

You only smiled, before nodding. "Bit hard, since you've stolen my bed! We're stuck together already!"

You pulled another laugh out of him, this time it was a little stronger. "I can't argue with that, I do get rather sticky do I?" He smirked. "You don't have a choice of helping me, if you even think of stepping away I'm going to glue you to me," He joked. He was returning to his usual self, slowly.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," You shot back earning a third laugh.

You could hear the sounds of the rest of the circus returning from their adventure. Had you both been talking for that long? Had that much time passed. You looked to Gummigoo, it didn't feel right leaving him here alone after the conversation you had just had together... so you had decided to stay.

At least for now, for as long as he needed you to stick around.

[emeraldsandamethyst]

Inspired by this post by @nerdpoe thank you

AN: a whole new au. Danny is not the ghost king. He is running errands for the ancients. He is unaware but he's a baby ancient himself. The new ancient of space. Though he's not there yet.

Tim is going by Cardinal in this. Jason is still Red Hood, and also the prince that Danny is talking about. Jason and the bats have no idea he's a prince or what it means. I had originally planned on making this dead on main but now it might be dead tired. Unsure. If it is Tim is polyam and already dating Bernard for sure and maybe Kon too idk.

***

Tim, as Cardinal, landed on the rooftop across from the unknown potential rogue. They were glowing weakly and floating just off the gravel on the roof. Their hair was white and mid length. It moved more like smoke than hair. They were wearing a simple black suit with white gloves, boots and belt. They had no face covering.

"Oh, you're here! Awesome! You ready?" They asked cheerfully. He'd been expected. Or if not Cardinal then at least someone from The Colony.

Tim hummed noncommittally. The guy looked confused then disappointed.

"You don't know why you're here, do you?" The guy said, both his shoulders and floating hair drooping in disappointment. Curious.

"Why don't you tell me what you think I'm here for and we can compare notes." Tim said with bland politeness. He didn't do anything so stupid as relax, but he wasn't in the mood to fight. So de-escalate it was. Hopefully the unknown would agree.

"Right. Okay. At least you're definitely her knight so you're the right guy." He said, apparently to himself, then he straightened his posture and pulled out a scroll from somewhere, making it look like it came from his suit. "Ahem ahem." He actually said instead of clearing his throat. He began to read. "It has come to the attention of the Council of Ancients that one of our peoples is claiming their haunt in the Living world under false pretenses and with malicious intent beyond reasonable expectations of the Dead. 

"Recognizing the great disruption that the Living would experience at Our collective presence We, the Council of Ancients, send in our stead a champion, known to the living as Danny Phantom, to enforce Our decree. 

"It has been reported by the Dead victims that the Living have been unable to otherwise mitigate or contain or banish this criminal from their world. The wrongs done are so numerous and so horrific and the Victims so plentiful that We, The Council of Ancients, condemn this man, known to the Living as 'The Joker', to eternal imprisonment. This judgment is to be enforced forthwith. Once apprehend and safely contained We, The Council of Ancients, shall provide a means by which the Living can file their own grievances against The Joker to seek redress.

"Danny Phantom-" Danny stopped reciting and looked over at Cardinal with a disgruntled expression, "that's me. I'm Danny Phantom, I have to read it exactly." Then he went back to reading the document. "Danny Phantom is hereby charged to speak with the Ghost whose haunt has been so grossly violated and follow their demands that do not conflict with Realm law."

Danny waited, holding the scroll open for a few more moments before he offered it, rolled back up, to Tim.

"And that's why I'm here with you, by the way, Lady Gotham told me her knights and Prince would help me and you're her knight, so, yeah! That's why I'm here! Got my warrant and everything Mister Birdman, Sir!"

"... It's Cardinal, actually." Tim said. He took the glowing paper with some concern and opened it himself. The words were not in English or any other language Tim knew. Except as he looked the document translated itself into English.

This was, indeed, a very strange but official seeming document that could be called a warrant. Calling for the detainment of The Joker. In another dimension.

An excuse to get The Joker gone forever? Tim wanted to accept this right now, immediately. But Bruce would need more than a scroll from an unknown government and the words of their supposed representative as proof.

Tim breathed in for four, held it then exhaled for six. "How exactly am I to determine this is a legitimate warrant from a legitimate governing body with actual jurisdiction in Gotham, New Jersey, The United States of America, North America, Earth, third planet in the Sol system, the Milky Way and not some wackos with big ideas and more power than sense." 

"But, it is legit?" Danny Phantom looked confused, as if the concept of this situation being faked had never even occurred to him. Tim stared at him. Phantom stared back.

"Sure, okay, you're telling me it is. But how do I make sure you're actually who you say you are. Anyone can put on a costume and claim whatever they want. Doesn't make it true." Tim said with patience he didn't feel.

"Huh. Uh, I guess?" Phantom said, somehow looking even more confused now. "Um, usually your patron would be here to introduce us, well she is here but she's not able to be seen by the Living. Not even her knights. She's supposed to be able to show herself to you guys but can't because this The Joker guy is messing with her. Taking her power and junk.

"What?" Phantom's eyes lost focus, like he was communicating telepathically.  Since it was a total non sequitur Tim figured it likely was telepathy, or something like it.

Tim waited, mentally rifling through his memories to find ways to vet this guy that would satisfy Bruce. Because honestly? Tim was tempted to just let him go and watch what happened.

"Oh! Well, why isn't your prince here, Lady? That should make everything easy— wait, seriously? Of course not, that would be easy. How can they even function? Ugh."

"Excuse me? Who exactly is this prince that I'm supposedly following the orders of?" Tim interjected. He didn't need this unknown likely meta going off on irrelevant tangents. Definitely not now.

"It's- ugh. I'm not allowed to say anything? He's a dude that… you know." Danny flinched and hissed. He glared at nothing, sulking.

"Uh-huh." Tim said. "The prince of Gotham is 'a dude' that 'I know' right. Sure. I know Brucie Wayne is the media's prince of Gotham but he's not actually an actual prince. That's just hyperbole. We don't actually have royalty here."

"I'm from Ohio! Of course I know that's not your Lady's real prince!" Danny scoffed and looked offended. 

"Condolences on being Ohian."

"Oh come on! You're from New Jersey!"

"Your point?" Tim asked.

"Look. Just. I am trying to do my job and help you and your patron and your people." Danny snapped.

"And what do you need from me, exactly? You never actually explained. You just read me your warrant." Tim pointed out.

"Oh. Uh. Sorry Cardinal." Danny said, embarrassed. "I just need your okay for me to get him or for you to come with."

Tim hummed and thought. That was it? Tim technically didn't even need to go with him? Tim was, of course. He was much too untrusting to just let this stranger run off in Gotham unsupervised.

"Yeah alright. I'll escort you, don't run off."

"Aw yeah!" Phantom said, immediately flying off. He did at least come back and look embarrassed, staying close to Tim. "Um, sorry. Got excited. Lead the way Sir Cardinal!"

***

That's all I've got so far. Just kinda wrote this to get back into writing. No idea if I'm gonna continue it.

Thank you.

[riacte]

Space Opera AU dashboard simulator 2 (but there's plot if you squint) (probably worse than its predecessor)

🚀 renthepilot

HAPPY BITRHDAY TO ME!! I TURN 7!!! :D :D :D <3 <3 <3 RD

❤️ falsewell

Happy 7th birthday Ren! :)

🚀 renthepilot

Thank u FalsE!!!!!! :DDDDDD >.< RD

🍵 cinnamontea Follow

... Why is my 17yo ET1blr mutual talking to a 7yo on Sunblr. I came here for analysis posts but apparently she's babysitting her cousin or perhaps a strangely intelligent dog??

❤️ falsewell

I mean, I would be worried if a 7yo was piloting the glider I race in 🤨

🍵 cinnamontea Follow

WDYM THAT GUY IS YOUR RACE PARTNER? OMFG I AM SO SORRY

🍀 et1vision Follow

Chat do you remember when we found RK and QoH's Sunblr accounts from when they weren't famous and were just two kids in illegal races. Because it was hysterical. Hands up if you thought falsewell was someone's canon url and not QoH herself.

🪓 handoftheking

That interaction was pretty cute to be honest. Ren's still 7 the last I checked.

🪸 hoes4redking Follow

[deep sigh] littlewood at the scene of the crime as always

#WHYYYYYYY is he chronically online #he needs to be stopped and locked up #i bet he scrolls through the treebark tag every day #he knows Too Much #do you think he brings up sunblr during dinner #and etho and bigb look at him like hes insane

7,207 notes

🔥 yaoihell Follow

save me queen of hearts

🔥 yaoihell Follow

queen of hearts

🔥 yaoihell Follow

queen of hearts save me

🏐 apollos-dodgeball 🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀 Follow

Congratulations on the prophecy!

[Beep boop, this is a gimmick blog!]

🔥 yaoihell Follow

what the actual fuck.

🌼 fast-and-bifurious Follow

i think i hauve the plague

47,981 notes

🫐 toxicblueberry Follow

hi babes the demons in my head won so new fic!!

i'm your biggest fan, i'll follow you until you love me, pa-pa paparazzi

pairing: the red king x blue stalker (they/them) (exterra 1 rpf)

summary: why are you as a bounty hunter so intent on hunting ren down? what do you want to do with him? pin him against a wall and kiss him until he's breathless and melting like putty in your hands?

word count: 10.1k

tags: enemies to lovers, angst, hurt no comfort, whump, ust, no actual smut, making out, blood, slight knifeplay, submissive rk, open ending

Keep reading

🏹 queenofheartsfanclub Follow

Listen, I don't do RPF, I can handle Treebark (because I have eyes), but this is crossing a line. Especially after the accusations by RK. I think his evidence is pretty compelling.

🫐 toxicblueberry Follow

dead dove do not eat. i am aware this is a fucked up dynamic but it's fictional. it's not like the real blue stalker has a toxic codependent attraction to the guy they're assigned to kill (btw i mained qoh so i completely understand where you're coming from)

🫐 toxicblueberry Follow

oh.

🏹 queenofheartsfanclub Follow

hey

so do you wanna kiss before the haters get to you?

🫐 toxicblueberry Follow

of course. can we get married

#love can be found on the battlefield in more ways than one #fave post #annoying treebark fans fuck off!!!!!!

1109 notes

🌹 fyeahroseduo Follow

Coming out as a falsedog shipper is harder than coming out as gay

🦇 starshipspachelbel Follow

TEN YEARS????

Time is not real

🌃 nightpatrols Follow

I had vivid flashbacks. I feel faint. This post caused so much drama omfg. I need a treebark equivalent on my desk by 8am sharp next morning

🪓 handoftheking

Coming out as a Treebark shipper is harder than coming out as bi

🌃 nightpatrols Follow

WHAT THE FUFHUBFBFUOUOFFUCK

#HES IN OUR WALLS #HE STARTED THE SHIP #this is gonna sweep the next unhinged moment poll #??!?1!?!???!?!?! #HATE THIS LUMIAN GLOWY ASS #btw for non et1 mutuals: this man is literally bi #yeah hes really gay for his pilot. yeah we all know #theyre always holding hands and shit #edit: DID HE REBLOG THIS AT 7:30AM #IDK HOW PLANETZONES CONVERSATION WORKS #*conversion #listen i failed school 2 years in a row ok 😭

19,626 notes

🎵 daily-music Follow

Music video of the day is: R8cer Boi by Avril Lavigne!

🎵 daily-music Follow

who the fuck is renn dog

🎵 daily-music Follow

who has little wood

🎵 daily-music Follow

why are y'alls twink racers larping as royals from medieval era planet earth

🎵 daily-music Follow

sorry for calling the queen of hearts a twink. im sorry women

#im so done with yalls bullshit #who are these people #why do they show up in my tags

898 notes

[gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan]

Light Leaves

Author's notes: Alpharius in Living Water AU. Thank you for @egrets-not-regrets for letting me borrow Mara. Thank you for @sleepyfan-blog for letting me borrow Cedric.

Past =-= Next

Warnings: None that I can think of, let me know If I need to add anything.

Summary: More talking continues. The Baby Space Marines make Rude Faces at the Alpha Legion.

Tagged: @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @egrets-not-regrets, @kit-williams,

Tagged continued: @sleepyfan-blog, @whorety-k, @ms--lobotomy @bispecsual @thevoidscreams

Tagged continued: @i-am-a-dragon34, @gra93fruit-blog

Orlys stares and blinks at her, he wonders why it is that things go to shit on his shift. He’s the second youngest of the squad of Alpha Legion run by Apothecary Zariel. Who is not going to be happy about this new development.

“We are cautious of mers- your kind and ours can fight over resources and have killed one another before,” Mara states, “We take poorly to liars and those who could harm our Colony.”

“I mean you and your Colony do no harm,” Orlys says honestly. 

He is sending an urgent text vox message to the rest of the about the developing situation and tries to think of what it is he should do next. Mara tilts her head in a bird-like fashion, eyeing him, judging his words for the truth within them, and if she believes that or not.

“Hm,” Mara says unconvinced of his honesty, “You will remain here, some of the other mer-space marines are arriving soon and we have wanted you to meet them for some time. Somehow you and whoever else is with you, never seem to meet.”

Orlys tries not to visibly blanch as he mentally swears and runs through the different scenarios he could figure out on what to do next and he asks, “Who’s arriving?”

“Jophie, Cedric, and Claude,” Mara says, “As a start, Catius and Ramiel will be arriving in a few days. If we need to have some of the older of your kindred here, I can and will ask Lenora if her Erriox is available to help. Or- Ramiel and Cedric will ask their older brothers Roland and Arnault to help us deal with you.”

“That seems a little… excessive,” Orlys says as he tries not to swear out loud as he reads the responses from the rest of his squad.

“I think,” A scout aged voice calls out, “it’s entirely necessary.”

Orlys turns to look and spots a scowling Scout-aged Blood Angel Space Marine with wings, not in the white of the Great Angel, but in the colors and patterning of Osprey. Next, swimming from different angles, the other little shits, trying to flank him in a pincer move is one of the Black Templar Primaris Marines and a… Raven Guard? He thinks the other Scout is a Raven Guard… possibly a young Night Lord.

What Orlys did not know is that the little ‘Raven Guard’ had noticed him first and spotted the teal hiding underneath the Black and White of the colors that he was falsely wearing and had warned the other two in advance.

“IMPOSTER!” Orlys hears and tries to argue, and whirls around trying to say or do something when he gets hit by something very large and very fast.

“By the Throne,” Orlys yelps as he gets a good look at his attacker. 

It’s the out-of-armor, Apothecary Black Templary doing his best to try and chew on his fins and trying to attack him. He uses a couple of moves and gets out of the hold as he says, “Scouts stop.”

“Heretic!” is angry response that he gets from the Scout-ling. 

“I am not a Heretic,” Orlys says, trying to say something else, but is interrupted by the fiercely scowling Baby Apothecary Black Templar.

“Traitor! Liar!” He snarls in response, “Alpha Legion.”

“Now that’s not a nice thing to accuse someone of without proof,” Orlys says as the rest of the Scouts start to descend and ascend and swirl around him.

There is a clapping sound, and all of the space marines turn towards the Harpies. Mara called out, “Fledglings, please don’t attack him yet.”

The squad of terrors stops their hostile movements and they chirp up at her all cute and sweet, the little brats, a, “yes ma’am!”

“I informed Erriox that there is an Alpha legionnaire… possibly a squad that’s been pestering the Colony,” Jophiel reports to Mara after a few moments of quiet.

“Now why did you have to inflict a Loyalist Iron Warrior on me?” Orlys says indignant, “I haven’t done anything to you all to deserve that.”

“You are Alpha legion,” They all hissed in angry unison at him with angry baby space marine scowls at him. 

Oh great, the Baby Ultramarine was nearby as well. Just what was fracking needed. Where by the Throne is the rest of the squad of Ultramarines (because Scout aged Ultramarines never, unless the circumstances are dire, go anywhere in less than a pack of five, with a Veteran Sergeant to watch them carefully).

“What is an Alpha legion?” Mara asks, “And why does potentially being one make you boys so upset?”

They snap to attention briefly and explain an, entirely unfair and very unflattering description of what the Alpha Legion is and what they do. Makes them sound like face stealing bastards that ruined perfectly good people for shits and giggles and for their own mysterious missions that tended to run counter to whatever it was that everyone else was doing. Chaos, Renegade, Loyalist, all were fucked over by the Alpha Legion.

“Our legion does more than that,” Zariel calls out, giving the signal and Orlys sighs and relaxing a little.

All of them are now in their true colors of teal, rather than in the Black and White that they had approached the Gannet harpies in originally. The Primars Marines are still eyeing the, and looking half ready to lunge at and try to attack the lot of them.

“Why did you approach us?” Mara asks Zariel, as he was the one to speak, and is the one in front, while the rest of his squad are in a loose semi-circle behind him, quietly watching what is going on.

“... Our legion collects knowledge,” Zariel explains.

He knows that if he isn’t truthful, that they could lose the bond they have with Lana. Among other things, he does not want to have the Bond break. Despite the massive discomfort he’s feeling at revealing truths to so many. 

Half of the colony is watching and listening in, and the fact that a mixed squad of baby scouts were watching them and likely recording this to immediately send to their superiors was going to make things more… complicated for them in the future.

[eagna-eilis]

Depending on how S2 shakes out, if IWTV gets a Season 3, and I really hope it does, the writers are going to have such a difficult task squaring the circle with Lestat. Especially with casual non-book fans, and the understandable contingent of nonwhite fans who are delighted to have a supernatural show with protagonists of colour.

The writers can't just have a white guy flounce in and "well ACTUALLY" Louis and Armand as things stand now after S2E3. Even if the book girlies are all pretty convinced that Armand is a big lying liar in his telling of 1700s shenanigans, they're going to need to earn any correction of the record which Lestat might issue. Otherwise, it will alienate a part of the fandom that was brought on board by the fantastic changes made for the show if they don't handle it right. I don't think that introducing moral complexity and narrative duplicity to Black and Brown characters should automatically be considered a negative, surely everybody deserves to occupy every character archetype (including emotionally complex anti heroes), but it is going to need to be handled gracefully and thoughtfully.

They definitely have space to do this. Judging by the names on some of the Talamasca files on Daniel's laptop, Armand's extremely tragic backstory is in play. Assad plays Armand with incredible pathos, and infuses the character with something that is on the page in the books but which I never personally felt until seeing him onscreen. This will hopefully help in making sure the show isn't seen to be, or indeed actually, demonising its characters of colour in favour of Anne Rice's specialest blonde boy.

There's a traumatised desperation in many of these characters as they exist in the books. Lestat has a void in him that even the love of thousands seemingly cannot fill until towards the "wish-fulfilment AU" style ending of Blood Communion. Armand has extremely intense abandonment and control issues and a heartbreaking relationship with his own compulsive cruelty - he doesn't want to be awful, but he lashes out in his desperation. Louis in the books is the least developed of the three in this regard, and his traumas are very much the creation of the show so we shall see.

The show is going to have to maintain the pathos and sympathetic elements of all three men, to explore why they hurt one another and lie about one another. I think Lestat is going to have to go on a major redemption arc, too, though. Getting his POV isn't going to be enough, I don't think, even if we establish the extent to which Louis and Armand present him with false negativity.

In a different media landscape, perhaps one more comfortable with ambiguity and existing in a less fraught moment for social politics, this wouldn't be such a challenge. As it stands, though, a challenge it will be.

[hirik0]

False Reality part 3

Ghost/Soap | Si-Fi AU

Subject Lieutenant Simon Riley Human space forece

Days in simulation: 6 SGD

Days till asserting: 6 SGD

The first time something relay strange happend since he passed out is when he listens to some really old song from the 2000s while doing push ups, still a very frustrating low amount of push ups.

Can't count the years on one hand

That we've been together

I need the other one to hold you

Make you feel, make you feel better

It's not a walk in the park

To love each other

But when our fingers interlock

Can't deny, can't deny you're worth it

They just came back from a mission where things gone to shit. Since Soap broke up with Sergeant Marvin Schneider he made it a habit again to stargaze from on of their favourite hidden spots of the HSS Churchill. He feels dumb for doing so the last 20 or so missions Soap did not show up to stargaze together so why should he this time? And still he stits here again for hours just in case sometimes checking their other spots before returning here. They are inthe orbit of a earth like planet and you have a fantastic few at the other planets and moons of this solar system. He's wearing just a old comfy sweatshirt and sweatpants. His face is hiden under the hood rested against the window while he looks at the scene in front of him. He nearly didn't hear the steps apraoching in this rally visited part if the base ship the 141 is stationed, thats why its so perfect to just watch the parts of the universe they are currently visiting. He needs a bit longer then he likes to reconiases the steps as Soaps. His heart beat fastens in exitment and a small amount of hope is filling him. The footsteps stop in front of him and Ghost has do to anything to not keep looking at the stars and not at Johnny. Nothing happens for a while and the hope is slowly ripped out if him by dread. What if Soap just goes what if their friendship didn't survive the 2 year shitt show realtionship Soap,just left 9 months ago. The only clue he has is Soap nervously tapping his feet in the ground and he finally moves his unmask face to look at Soap. The Sergeant is bitting his lower lip clearly thinking, his eye widen when he realises that Ghist is not wearing his mask. Ghost jsut pulls his legs closer to himself to make more space for Soap, an inventation from his site. Soap smiles at him before stitting across from Ghost in the opening. "You eh did this all the time the past two years?", Soap ask while looking out the window. "More or less", Ghost answers vaguely no need to tell Soap he rearrange his cabin so he can sit on his bed to watch the starts while resting his head against the glas. "I see", Soap just says sounding small. Ghost just has the tiniest smile on his face the happiness of them maybe doing this together again. Watching the stars together after a mission when they still to full of adrenalin from the mission, when sleep is not coming again, their is time to file before they are send down on a planet. The only reason Ghost keep doing it was because it rembered him who thinks use to be, when nobody ever thought that Ghost and Soap can't work together anymore, before the misunderstandings and jealousy nearly ripped the 141 a part.

And after all this time, I'm still into you

I should be over all the butterflies

But I'm into you (I'm into you)

And baby, even on our worst nights

I'm into you (I'm into you)

Let 'em wonder how we got this far

'Cause I don't really need to wonder at all

Yeah, after all this time, I'm still into you

They sit there for a bit more then a hour when Ghost notice Soap is shivering. It sometimes happens that Soap gets to cold when they are stargazing, no big deal usally, but now it kinda is a big deal. "Soap?", Ghost ask carefully they didn't spoke since the very beginning. Soap looks in his direction. "You're good?", Ghost ask more out of politeness they both know he don't have to ask. "Forgot how ass cold it is here", Soap complains rubbind his arms to get warmer. Ghost chuckels at this before streaching his legs and opening his arms in an unspoken invertation. A light blush is apearing on Soaps cheeks. Ghost swallows nervously afraid he steped over a line he didn't know existed. They don't do this anymore, haven't in nearly 3 years. Soap moves a bit hesitant before moving in between Ghost legs. A whole mount range is failing from Ghost shoulders when he feels Soaps back against his chest, maybe what they had is can be saved. To test the water Ghost closes one arm lose around Soap the other just he uses to place his head on. They stay like this for a while not knowing what to do hiw far the other allows this to go. "Ghost", Soap breaks the tense silence, Ghost just humms to signal he's listening. "Hug me like you mean it or don't do it at all", Soap says displeased with how thinks are in the moment but still offing a out. "That's an order Sergeant?", Ghost ask sarcastic can't stop the big smile. "Yes", Saop answers clearly nervous and unable to detect the sarcasm. Ghost just closes his arms around Soap placing lifting his chin a bit so Soap can tug himself under there if he wants. And Soap does putting his own arms over Ghosts slitting a bit down so he can rest is head against Ghost collar bones. "To your liking?", Ghost wispers in Soaps hair. "Perfect", Soaps says with a big smile that Ghost haven't seen in a long time. A warm feeling is spearding through Ghost chest realising that even they had two hard years he still feels the same about Soap and he has the feeling it's the same for the Sergeant. "Misst this", Ghost admitted in the now comfortable silence eyes growing heavy as he slowly relaxes. "Me too", Soap yawns cuddeling a bit more into Ghost. The calming heart beat of Ghost, of Simon slowly sing him to sleep.

'Cause I don't really need to wonder at all

Yeah, after all this time, I'm still into you

I'm still into you

I'm still into you

Ghost graons when the song changes, he has no idea what the fuck just happend. He just knows he lays face down on the mat he uses for exercise as if his arm just gave up mid push up. He turns around so he lays on the back, tears start to run down his eyes. That was the Soap that feels so familiar, the Soap he knows. With his big smile, bratty attitude, the bluest eye he ever saw, his stupid mohawk. He amount of feelings he expirence right now is overwhelming. So he lays there and crys for a while, before the logical parts of his brain are able to start working again. If mohawk Soap is the Soap he knows... who the fuck is this teacher Soap then? If teacher Soap is a imposter of some sort does this mean that Emma is infact his niece and not his daughter? What is with Price, Gaz, his family are they also not real? Something is wrong and he will figure out what. His first stop are the photos in the hallway. Family photos, Tommys and his graduation, Tommys wedding, Joseph birth and at various ages on family vacations. Then his blood freezes a photo of his father. Its looks like its at some sort of gala. It is a picture of his childhood he looks around 10. His father holding a trophy of some sorts, all of them with big smiles. He looks at his own warm big smile and he understands why his mum calls him sunshine now. It can't keep his rage, disgust and hatred at bay he's feeling. He finds a other photo of his father and his stupid shit band Bone Lickers. He takes the picture of the wall and throws it across the hall. He then taps all the other pictures with his father down bringing them in the kitchen. He thinks about just throwing all of them in the trash, while these arching head ache is flaring up again, that had him passed out nearly a week ago. He fights again the pain, while he rips his father out if all the pictures. Blood is dripping down as he's nose started to bleed before he passes out on the kitchen floor.

Simulation in critical condition Subject got sedated.

Recalculation needed

Integrating of other importent persone: Kate Laswell, Rodolfo Parra, Farha Karim, Alex Keller, Alejandro Vargas, Valeria Graza

Meanwhile

Soap is angry nothing Ghost was missing for 6 SGD and they found nothing. Well besites a bunch of destroyed Soulless, after they needed 5 days to even find Gjost last location. Je fals on his bed face first while tears are gathering in his eyes. They just started to fix their relationship and now Ghost is MIA. They are curently flying to a black book research facility of the Human Intelligence Agency (HIA) delivering the Soulless corps and meaning with some of Laswells agents. It feels so pointless, he still trys to cling to what Gaz said no blood, so Ghost didn't die or got injured. It could mean he escaped unable to contact them and he he hopes that this is the case. Gjost survived worse then the Soulless trap, he digged himself out of a grave with a jaw bone for fucks sake. It still can't stop the tears running down Soaps face at the moment, the pain in his chest taht makes every breath hurt, the fear that is nesting in his bones. Price told him to not get his hopes up to much, but he dont even know if that can be possible. Every lead they followed needed in them having nothing again and still every lead gives hope rhat Soap needs to keep going. But after every dead end he is in his dark cabin crying, the fear of losing Ghost after they just started to repair their friendship pulling him down. Fear of being to late after wasting 2 years in a realtionship with a person he didn't even loved that much, that he missed the chance of having Simon for himself. The door to his cabin is opening and Gaz is looking at the heartbreaking picture in front of him. He talked Alex in to hacking the door to Ghost cabin so he can steal one of Ghost hoodies for Soap for a littel comfort. "Soap?", Gaz carefully ask in the room, getting no answer. He steps in wanting to quickly drop the hoodie but Soaps sobs let him rethink. He carefully sits on the bed running his hand through Soaps mohawk. "You think they already killed him?", Soap sobs out after several minutes of silence. A cold feeling is running down Gaz spine after Alex was allowed to told them some things regarding the Soulless after the briefing. "HIA found evidence that the Soulless try to turn certain enemy soilders in to Soulless and they think that Ghost would be a candidate for this", Gaz says. "Is that good or bad?" "Good." "How long do we have till its to late?" "They are.not sure they think it depends on the individual. And Ghost is a stubborn fucker so we have probably still time." Soap looks up from the pillow tears and snot running down his face. "Thanks Gaz", he just says before dropping his head again. Gaz pushes Soap a bit so make some space, feeling like he can't leave Soap like this alone. "You dont have to stay I'm just crying." "Soap, you're not 'just crying' you're having the worst time of your life. Let me stay for fucks sake." "No complaints about snot on your shirt then" "Fine."

[alittlextrathatway]

Line: "Show me the places where the others gave you scars." Location: CFD Christmas party.

Alright 5th and final part of the Firehouse 40 AU.

You can find the rest here: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

***

It’s been a while since Matt had an official date to a CFD function. The last time was with Gabby, right before that relationship completely fell apart.

Gabby’s moved on — in her personal life and her career — and so has he, but he forgot how much of a fishbowl the CFD can be. Especially, when a guy walks into a room with Sylvie Brett on his arm. Sylvie Brett in her duty uniform is appealing enough, but Sylvie all dressed up for a holiday party? She’s bound to draw a few slack jawed stares.

When he picked her up, he nearly had a heart attack at the first glimpse of her form fitting holiday red dress. It was low cut, with a neckline that reminded him if the top half of a heart, and thin straps framing her sternum. The way it emphasized her neck and collar bone left him with the urge to lean down and bite the graceful swanlike line her features seemed to draw. The fact that he’s managed to keep that whim to himself is a testament to his self control.

She’s gorgeous to him all the time though, even when returning from a call drenched in unknown substances. The image of her crawling out of the back of 61, just over 24 hours ago, covered in a poor kid’s vomit is fresh in his mind. Her first shift as PIC on 61 didn’t quite go the way she hoped, but she bore it like the consummate professional she’s always been.

That level of proficiency is sexy as hell to him. She faces the ugly stuff head on and never flinches or compromises in her empathy. She’s not only gorgeous on the outside, but the inside too. However, he recognizes he could potentially be biased. It comes from knowing her heart as well as he does, and from being fortunate enough to have spent the last two months sharing space with her at one residence or another.

So, he assumes most of the people in the room are staring because she makes such a striking picture, even when compared to all the festive Christmas decorations that surround them. It’s not until Sylvie quickly directs her gaze down at the floor and squeezes his hand in a vice-like grip that he realizes anything’s wrong.

“Everything okay?” He asks.

“Um, yes, but I need you to keep standing there, blocking me from view for the moment, and I also need to tell you something I probably should have mentioned by now.” When she looks up at him again, her face is pinched and her eyes are apologetic.

“Okay,” he says, bracing himself for a deep dark secret. Something that might flip the last couple of months on their head.

“You know the CFD Chaplain we’ve had for the last few years?”

“Yeah, Sheffield, right?”

She nods. “That’s him.”

“What about him?”

“Well, uh, we were briefly engaged a few years ago.”

Matt has no idea what to do with that information. “How briefly?”

“Just a month or so — until he suggested I should think about quitting my job once we got married and then I very quickly realized it was never going to work,” she confesses. “I should’ve said something sooner but I just — I mean how do you bring up a failed engagement in casual conversation?”

She bites her bottom lip and stares at him with wary expectant eyes as if she thinks he might blow up at her at any moment.

“Sorry I sprung that on you,” she whispers, her eyes leaving his and widening slightly. “But he’s headed this way and more than a few people in this room know I jilted him so we’re for sure gonna have an audience.”

He wants to tell her not to worry. He has no room to be critical of botched engagements or trying to make it work with someone who simply isn’t the right fit. His entire romantic history is full of those exact same things.

“Sylvie,” the Chaplain greets as he joins them.

“Kyle, hi,” she says with a too bright false smile. “Have you met Matt Casey? He’s a captain over at 51.”

“Your new house,” Kyle states with a nod, turning to offer his hand to Matt. “We’ve met a few times over the years. Haven’t we, Casey?”

“We have, yes,” Matt replies, suddenly remembering a conversation with Sheffield about where to take his new fiancée for her birthday dinner. Matt had given him a couple of suggestions but never followed up on whether or not he had taken them. In light of what Sylvie just revealed to him, he realizes she must have been the fiancée. “Been a while since you dropped in on 51 though.”

And now Matt understands why.

“You’re right. I promise I’ll work on correcting that soon.”

Yeah, he bets he will based on the moon eyes the Chaplain keeps throwing at Sylvie. For her part, Sylvie definitely isn’t returning them. She looks antsy and uncomfortable. Matt tries to imagine running into Gabby tonight and has to rein in a wince. Sylvie doesn’t know about Gabby. He imagines it would be just as awkward as this moment with the chaplain.

“Well, if you’ll excuse us,” Matt says, pointedly threading his fingers through Sylvie’s. “Our chief and his wife are right over there, and Sylvie hasn’t had the chance to meet his wife yet. I don’t want her to miss her window.”

“Oh, right, of course,” Kyle says, stepping aside. “We can all catch up later.”

“Sure,” Sylvie agrees, still holding her blatantly forced smile. “We should definitely do that.”

Like hell they will. He doesn’t care that this man once had a relationship with Sylvie, but he does care about Sylvie’s unease. If she doesn’t want to be around Kyle, then she won’t have to be.

He leads her away from the chaplain, but stops just short of Boden and Donna.

“I am so sorry, Matt,” she immediately begins to ramble. Her nerves exploding to the surface as she talks. “I should have told you, I know, and I’m sure you’re furious with me but I swear I wasn’t trying to hide it. I—“ She cuts herself off when she realizes he’s smiling at her with with warmth and amusement. “Wait, you aren’t mad at me at all, are you?”

“No,” he states, chuckling slightly. “In the grand scheme of things, we haven’t known each other that long. There’s no timetable and learning things about each other.”

“Oh,” she says, blinking owlishly at him. “Okay.”

“And in the interest of full disclosure, you’re not the only one with a failed engagement under their belt,” he reveals, blushing slightly. “Personally, I have two.”

She gasps, eyes bright and full of mirth. “No way. You too?”

Her incredulity cancels out any shock he might have experienced from her news and he finds himself laughing at her. “Sheffield was fiancé number two?”

She nods. When talking about the chaplain she looked more embarrassed than haunted, but this first fiancé was clearly different. Worse. “The first one is why I came to Chicago. At some point I realized I was living his life, not mine. So, I left.”

There’s more to the story than that, he can tell. But she can have her secrets. She’ll tell him when she’s ready. After all, he’s yet to tell her about Hallie. If anything now he knows they both have scars that run deep, deeper than they may appear at first glance. It’ll all come out with time. Something he hopes they have plenty of if he gets his way.

He’s spent two months getting to know her — eagerly filling in the puzzle that is Sylvie Brett. He doesn’t have all the pieces yet but he has enough of them to understand the most vital parts of her. Her good heart, her empathic soul, and her resourceful mind. She impresses him more and more every day and, in truth, there’s no one he’d rather spend every second of his free time with than her.

His hands land on her waist, urging her toward him. She follows his lead, bring her arms up to wrap around his neck. Intentionally, he meets and maintains her gaze. “The guy sounds like an moron,” Matt tells her. “But if he led you here to me then at least some good came from him.”

“It’s funny,” she says, thoughtful expression on her face. “If I had a chance to go back and change anything about my life, you would think I’d use it, wouldn’t you? That I’d use it to spare myself some pain or humiliation or something.” She sighs contentedly, running one of her hands through his hair until it can rest at the nape of his neck. “But I wouldn’t.”

“No?” He asks, curious about where this conversation is headed. “Not at all?”

She shakes her head. “It’s too big of a risk. I mean, change any part of my past and…maybe I don’t find my way to Chicago, the CFD, or you. And I don’t want to imagine my life without you. Not if I can help it.”

The sentiment rocks through him like a seismic shock. It shifts his entire being and sends happiness like he’s never known breaking through the surface. An irrepressible smile overtakes his face and he can’t stop himself from kissing her. It’s a short but firm kiss. Maybe a little deeper than is perhaps decent in a room full of their colleagues, but he doesn’t care. Because in this moment he knows something with as much certainty as he knows the compartments on 81. Backwards, forwards, and with his eyes closed.

“I love you,” he declares. If he doesn’t say it now he’s afraid he’ll come up with a million reasons to chicken out.

Her breathing hitches and for a moment he worries he’s misread their entire relationship, but then the moment passes and she smiles so bright she nearly blinds him. “I — god, Matt. I love you too.”

“You do?” He asks in disbelief. “You really do?”

She nods, smile never faltering. “I really do.”

He kisses her again and this time he doesn’t give a single thought to who’s looking. Sylvie Brett loves him. She picked him. And he’s going to make sure she never regrets it, not for a second. He always wants her to feel as if all their struggles and their broken journeys were meant to bring them together — to believe being with him in the end is worth the pain.

Because that’s what he believes too. The disappointments and the losses hurt a lot less now that he knows they were preparing him for her.

[the-californicationist]

Gravitational Shift

Captain John Price is having dreams. He can feel a powerful Force user somewhere out in the black emptiness of space, but it's not until he is confronted with her signature that he understands her true abilities as well as his own.

Price/FemOC Star Wars AU - Force Bond

And no, I don’t know what’s medically wrong with me for writing this, okay? 😂

MDNI/18+

Link to AO3

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

The captain’s mood had been foul over the last two months, and with each passing night, he became more and more withdrawn, spending most of his time alone in the galley, seated by himself in the corner table, staring out of the rear viewing pane. In front of him, millions and millions of miles of stars and planets stretched out like bright streaks as his ship hurtled through the empty blackness of space beyond the speed of light.

Somewhere, in this same galaxy yet far, far away, the Republic was losing its power to a fierce rebellion, and the Force had warped itself around that conflict. He could tell that it was struggling for balance. There weren’t many Force-sensitive people in this side of Canes Venatici, and the Empire didn’t much care to find itself or its stormtroopers out here in the badlands.

More than just sensing the disturbance in the fabric of the Force, Captain Price had started to dream. He never dreamed, and when he did, it was always because another Force user was near, their power corrupting his and sending false signals, emotions, and images into his mind. But, these dreams were different. They were so very vivid, and he could feel them on his skin. That was the problem. Whoever this Force user was, they were soft and supple, and he wanted to…

“Captain?”

His first officer stalked around the corner of the galley door, and stood at a semi-formal rest in front of him. The man was enormous, and his masked figure took up the majority of the room.

Price sighed,

“Yes, Lieutenant?”

“We are approaching Phath VI. Would you like us to initiate orbital sweeping?”

The captain nodded,

“Aye. I’ll be on the bridge shortly.”

The masked giant left him alone, and he stood to clear his empty bowl. He’d barely touched his Janari ramen, but he couldn’t think about eating lately. He wasn’t hungry for food. Price was hungry for…

The Force push that entered his mind nearly knocked him off of his feet. Price felt the warm, all-encompassing sensation of being plunged into hot water, sunk up to his neck, skin tingling and flushing from the heat. Suddenly, his clothes were clinging to him, making him suffocate in the heat of the pool, too constricting and too warm.

Then, before he could catch his bearings, his cock began to tingle. He began feeling lithe, eager fingers playing along his length, rubbing across his head over and over and over and over, and he was stumbling back into the dining chair, missing it and slamming into the ground.

His vision was doubly exposed, and he could see both the galley and the dark blue bathroom of the other Force user. She was seeing him, too.

Her eyes were black, like two gaping doorways to nothingness, and yet they held a comfort in them that made him want to dive deeply into her gaze. Her dark hair lay plastered against her sweating forehead and cheek, and a full, pouting mouth hung open and gasping. She needed him, wanted him badly, and she had crossed time and space to find him.

Her whisper in his mind was a sound and it wasn't,

There you are.

As he watched her strong, well-muscled arm twist and dip below the hot waterline, he felt her ministrations within himself. When her two, arching fingers found the tight fleshy bundle of nerves inside of her cunt, he felt her work happening inside of him at the same time.

His cock strained at the sensation, feeling warm and wet and stroked in all of the most unnatural ways, and Price was incapable of stopping it. Whoever she was, she was incredibly strong in her power, but she didn’t seem to understand how to wield it.

John sent out a touch to her, just as a test. A long, swirling tendril of his Force traveled far and wide to caress the skin of her breast, and he immediately regretted it.

She felt him, alright, and she used her own strength to grab him and yank him to her. His mind was towed across space to her bath, and his soul stretched through the inky blackness to land on top of her in the large, cerulean pool.

Back in his ship, his first officer, Ghost, had returned to find him on the floor of the dining hall along with his security officer, Soap, and his helmsman, Gaz. The three men were trying to help him up, thinking that his writhing was that of a man in pain, not realizing he was trapped in the overwhelming swell of her ecstasy.

“Let’s get him to the medbay, c’mon,” Ghost commanded.

“Cap? Are you alright? Talk to us, mate,” Gaz helped Ghost hoist him off of the floor and drug him down the hallway.

John Price couldn’t make a sound, not when his mouth was pressed to hers in a deep, sensual kiss. He was frozen in place, feeling her Force wind and tangle itself around and around his cock - from the inside and the outside - as if it were a long, constricting Yundari snake, with its smooth golden skin and thousands of tickling little legs.

Every little glittering, sparkling, explosive sensation she felt, he felt. She guided his aching dick to her hole and fit him in, pulling him into her with her magic, manipulating his huge body like it was nothing. Price gritted his teeth and wrenched his eyes shut, shouting,

“Fuckin’ hell!”

“Captain? Wait!” Soap almost had his hand caught in the door.

They had opened the port to the medbay, but just as they tried to put the captain inside the room, he had used his energy to shove his men out and crush the door’s latch behind him, effectively trapping them outside.

Finally alone, and knowing they would have to run all the way back to the armory for the laser saw to cut open the door, Price began to strip out of his uniform, wincing from her other-worldly affection. He kept having to stop undressing to catch his breath.

To his incredible joy, she was using her energy to overwhelm his fat cock, and it began leaking into his pants, slick with sweat and precome, throbbing against his clothing painfully.

It felt as if he were fucking her, guiding himself as well as being guided right to her most sensitive spot, every single kriffing time. As she increased her pleasure, she increased her hunger for him. Her mouth was on his neck, on his hairy chest, licking his skin and biting him every time another layer of the uniform came off.

For her, it looked as if his clothes were floating in the pool, strewn about like leaves on a pond, his boots bobbed in the water like fallen apples. Meanwhile, his cock was filling her in a way she had not imagined possible.

When she had dreamt first of this bearded captain, she had been terrified of him. She watched as he made his way, ruthlessly, across the badlands, killing swarms of Huttese pirates, casually taking out their death cruisers like it was a side-job of his. He was a merciless commander, and he spared the terrorists no quarter. Whole planets were saved because of John Price, and she began to feel herself admiring him - especially when he came back to his rooms covered in warm, green blood.

Now, she had finally been able to feel his energy signature. He must be close, she thought. She usually had no idea where he was or even when he was (time and space were funny that way), but he was always so lovely with her.

While he lay there, fast asleep, his subconscious would seek her out. He’d chase her through a mental glade, a prairie that existed only in his mind, hunting her down like a hound would a hare, and then he’d have her however he wanted. More often than not, he would eat her until she cried hot, passionate tears. His mouth and tongue would leave slick, wet drool along her folds, and he would use his Force to press into her walls in a rhythmic, thrusting motion, swirling it around her in a delicious pattern, lulling her into an orgasmic trance.

She had practiced on herself, trying to mimic his somnolent affections, but she always came up short. Hers was nothing compared to his immense power. The Force was almost physically visible around him like a golden aura. But, he didn’t seem to notice it, or if he did, he kept it under such tight control that he had forgotten just how strong he was.

He seemed to find it now, though. She felt him toss his men back like they were nothing, and his magic had melted the steel of his door together - which should have been impossible.

Naked and flushed red, he was ready for her now. She’d gotten the jump on him while he was vulnerable, thinking about her Force signature again in the kitchens, almost as if he was calling her to him.

Price gathered himself up and lay on the bed in the medbay, closing his eyes and entering into a deep meditation. He was hunting her.

Find me, John. Come find me.

I’ll find you, love. And when I do, you’re mine.

Meanwhile, she began to clench herself around him, pulling and tugging against his heavy rod like her body was her hand. John cried out in a dark shout, his back arching from the bed, arching above her in the bath, shoving more of himself deeper and deeper into her, his heavy girth stretching her cruelly.

He looked into her face with those bright blue irises, shining in the gleam of the pool. One by one, he pinned her limbs with his Force, spreading her open like a fresh specimen, trapping her beneath him. As part of his mind searched the galaxy for her, the other part wrapped itself around her like a vice, squeezing and pulling her body closer and closer to his, and yet she felt so far away, witnessing her cosmic pleasure as one witnesses an eclipse.

Price felt her come on him, her body vibrating beneath him as if she would explode, and the champagne burst of her fluids around his shaft were enough to make his vision hazy. He was dizzy from the pleasure, and his cock pulsed hard inside of her from the sensation.

He was ready to come with her, and he had no idea how mind-altering it would be. She had tightened her pussy and her power so fiercely around him, that he couldn’t move within her. He could only spread his Force inside of her belly, warm and thick, and use her like a sleeve. She sent him back the feeling he was providing to her, and they became trapped in a tortuous loop of white-hot bliss. Her walls ached from trying to contain all of his sticky come inside of her, and her womb swelled from its inclusion.

Then, in the middle of his languid kiss, he was gone. Something had severed their connection. She wailed at the loss, trying in vain to reach for him, splashing through the water like a shark chasing its prey.

Price jolted off of the bed, covered in come and searching for her. His Force reached farther than he had ever seen it go, hunting her down, still hungry for her.

Had she cut him out? No, something had though. He had to find her. He was close, that much he knew. She was somewhere in this solar system, but with seven habitable planets and two space stations, he was desperate to figure out how to narrow down his search. All he had were her eyes and the blue of her water.

It was enough. It had to be enough.

Sitting up, he rubbed a tired hand down his face and put his pants back on along with his boots and tunic. He burst open the lock with ease, something that should have surprised him but he knew his power now. She had shown him his own depth of Force, and he was shining with it.

Ghost and Gaz were still in the hall and they jumped back in shock.

“Captain! Did you just -” Gaz didn’t get to finish his sentence.

“Land the ship in Cassadaga City. We’ve got a new target.”

“Aye, sir,” Ghost acknowledged his order, but he kept and eye on his captain.

Something was definitely not right, and Ghost vowed to himself that he was going to find out what was affecting his commander.

[yes-i-am-happyaspie]

The Hoax by happyaspie

No Archive Warnings Apply | Rated T | Chp. 1/? | No Powers AU, OOC May Parker, Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Happy Hogan, Ned Leeds. Warnings for Gaslighting and Emotional Manipulation.

Summary: Even after years of no evidence, Tony Stark refused to stop looking for his kidnapped son. Some people called it false hope, others called it fatherly love. But May Parker called it an opportunity.

“You and that kid share quite a few similarities, and the case has so little evidence. With your help, I really think we could use those things to our advantage.” Peter was dubious. “How, though?” he asked, his tone teetering toward sarcasm. It was a natural impulse that he couldn’t consistently avoid. No matter how hard he tried. “What do you want me to do? Knock on Tony Stark's front door and pretend to be Arno?” May said nothing as she stared at him from across the table. Initially, he didn’t understand. But as she elevated her eyebrows and tilted her head, it clicked. That was exactly what May wanted him to do.

[Exceprt Below the Cut]

Peter sat down at the kitchen table and twirled some spaghetti around his fork. Of all the things his Aunt May attempted to cook, pasta topped with a jar of tomato sauce and some cheap parmesan cheese was his favorite. He considered not mentioning his backpack had given up on him part way through the school day. He knew she’d be disappointed and didn't want to ruin the pleasant meal. However, no amount of pleasant conversation was going to make it any easier to get around his giant high school without a bag. He sighed nervously and glanced down at his plate. “I, uh, I need a new backpack,” he mumbled under his breath.

May brought her finger up to her ear and tapped it, her face one of disbelief. “Excuse me?” she questioned. “What was that?”

Peter swallowed hard and forced a smile. “I need a new backpack?” he repeated louder and with more clarity than before.

A huff of annoyance escaped May’s lips as she dropped her fork and crossed her arms over her chest. “I bought you one right at the beginning of the school year,” she replied.

“Yeah, but one of the seams ripped,” Peter attempted to defend, then pulled his lip between his teeth. May has asked him to quit the band, Academic Decathlon, and robotics club so he could get a part-time job. He’d easily complied, eager to contribute to the household income. Although he didn’t actually know how much he was actually helping. Each week he signed his check over to May, and she deposited it into her account. He never asked where it went after that. “If you would-” he began but quickly backtracked. “I mean, If I could just use a little bit of my paycheck from Delmar’s, maybe-”

“Peter. Sweetie,” May gently interjected. “You know that money is supposed to help us pay the bills. You don’t want to be the reason we can’t afford rent next month, do you?” she asked, her smile not quite meeting her eyes. “This neighborhood is expensive. Every little bit counts.”

“I don’t know. It’s a lot of books and stuff,” he unsurely replied. Even though his best friend was kind enough to allow him to use some of his locker space, Midtown was a specialized science and technology school. His schedule was rigorous and required a lot of materials. He wasn’t sure carrying everything around was all that reasonable.

“Don’t be selfish, Peter,” May mildly scolded. “There are only a few weeks of school left to go. You can get by with one of my reusable shopping bags until then.”

May was right. Peter knew she was right. There wasn't too much school left. Carrying his supplies around in a stupid cloth shopping bag wouldn’t kill him. Even if there were a handful of students who would never let him live it down. Starting with Flash Thompson. But he could handle that if it meant making things easier for his aunt. “Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s fine,” he swiftly agreed. He glanced at his half-eaten dinner and bit back a sigh. “May I be excused?”

[Continue Reading On AO3]

[icespur]

Resurrected Akeshu Daughter Third Semester AU

Warning: Angst, and discussion of premature infant death. 

Extremely pissed Goro Akechi 

Please pray for Maruki's safety, because god, does he need it. 

Warning for graphic descriptions of murder and maiming.

I’m going to describe some of the brutal things Akechi might do to Maruki as an example of how furious and scary Akechi is here. But please don't take it as me attacking or disrespecting Maruki’s late English Voice Actor, Billy Kametz. This is in no way related to him and was never intended to. He's a wonderful man who got taken away too soon, cancer sucks. 

I enjoyed you, Anai, Rui, White Blood Cell. As of writing this I have not played Persona 5 Royal myself, but I can't wait to experience you as Maruki.(Wait, are those really all the anime voices I've heard him as? I thought there were more, bummer guess that's it) 

Rest well ❤️ 😇

………………………

4/27/24: Edited to in an attempt to make it read better, spaced out paragraphs towards the end, slight rewording, and replaced commas with periods at certain point

The timeline I have for Akeshu daughter wouldn't work normally with this scenario, unless we—-say, move the third semester to take place a full year later (so like, way after Strikers, December 25th 2017 - February 3rd 2018) 

So we are entertaining the concept that the Third Semester takes place a year after Strikers instead of right after Base Game Yaldabaoth fight going into a new year; for the sake of Goro and Akiren's daughter being born by then. 

Now remember in my past, very long sloppy “Panicked ParentGoro” post I said their daughter would be born 27 weeks premature and would have to be in an incubator for a while? 

Well, in this scenario, what if she sadly—didn't pull through and died. 

Goro's death and resurrection by Maruki would be a bit weird here. Logically in this scenario Goro would have to have really died in Shido's palace and so never got to reunite with Akiren and learn about the baby and stay, but for the rest of my idea to work, Goro would have to be alive and reunited with Akiren to witness their daughter’s birth and short moments of life for this to fully hit hard. 

So in that sense, the rest of this post won't make much sense logically with the timeline, but try not to think about the logistics too much from here, okay? 

Goro would witness the birth, follow the doctors to the NICU out of overprotective parental panic and stay by his daughter's side. But---between her early emergency birth, and her underdeveloped organs and frail body, it proves to be too much and she flatlines—-----in front of Goro. 

Akiren and Goro are both heartbroken but Goro is especially fucked up because he witnessed her death, so that just adds a whole other layer of guilt and grief to him. 

And then—-Maruki starts to change reality, not only is Akechi resurrected, but—---their daughter is too. Not only is she resurrected but she's full term and healthy. 

Now, this would make refusing Maruki's reality choice a lot harder for Akiren. It was already a conflict in normal canon Third Semester with Maruki bringing Akechi back to life for him, and it was “Accept false reality and live brainwashed in a happy world with an alive happy Akechi” or “Refuse false reality and join Akechi to defeat Maruki, take his treasure and bring back original reality even at the risk of Akechi going back to being dead.” 

In here it's: “Accept a false reality and live brainwashed in a happy world with Akechi and your baby girl that got taken away too soon, so the both of you can spend this reality living life as new parents.” 

Or: “Refuse false reality and join Akechi to defeat Maruki, take his treasure and bring back original reality even at the risk of Akechi going back to being dead again, and your daughter back to being a necklace of cremated ashes.” 

Now, I don't think the add-in of their daughter being alive would make Akechi struggle with wanting to stay, like Akiren would. He saw himself being resurrected as a leverage for Maruki and saw the perfect reality as enslavement and no better than being a puppet to someone else's desire. 

No, Akechi would still firmly want to return to the original reality. If anything he'd be even more dead set on returning because—--

You use his life as a bargaining chip in an attempt to convince his boyfriend of your view? Shame on you. 

You use not only his life, but the life of his deceased baby girl as a bargaining chip in an attempt to convince his boyfriend of your view? 

Oh—--

Oh—--- 

You must have a fucking deathwish, Doctor. 

You think “Newly nonconsensually resurrected” Akechi was unhinged and scary? 

Try: “Newly nonconsensually resurrected and still internally grieving and guilt ridden from seeing his infant daughter die only to see her alive, full term and healthy all for the price of your boyfriend accepting a false reality and stripping away yours and your daughter’s freedom” Third Semester Akechi. 

Akechi is LIVID. 

Takuto Maruki resurrected the wrong former Metaverse assassin and premature infant. Akechi doesn't give a fuck about how good of intentions this pacifistic bitch thinks he has. The man just unknowingly signed away his rights to a heartbeat and open casket funeral of old age. If Maruki wants to be in one piece and values having all his limbs attached and organs in working order, he better pray that he never ends up in a room alone with Akechi, because it will not end pretty. 

Akechi straight up tells Akiren, in a calm voice that you can hear struggling to not commit to manic and rage filled, but is somehow still just as startling at how calm it is; that if Joker wants to only injure Maruki and take his treasure to return to reality--- he better pry Akechi's phone out of his hands to make sure he can't access the Metaverse or Maruki's palace because:

“If I go with you, and I lay eyes on that bastard, I can't be held responsible for what I'll do next.

A mental shutdown is too good for that man----

I am going to take up sculpting and tear his face to shreds to recreate a mental shutdown with my own bare hands by gouging his eyes back into his skull until he bleeds tears.

I am going to shove my sword so far down his throat it will come out his ass---

I will borrow your dagger to manually castrate him--

I will tear his chest cavity open to rip his beating heart from his body and replace it with his cognitive treasure...

I will unleash every Almighty attack in my arsenal until I either pass out from exhaustion or until he finally collapses to the ground, where I will then empty all my bullets into him--

and for good measure to make sure there is nothing left for someone to even attempt to bury, I will tear him limb from limb, chop those limbs into tiny bite sized particles, and eat them along with the rest of his minced corpse.

Then, you and Mona are going to drive us down to the depths of Mementos, where we will seek out the biggest. Bottomless. Black. Pit. So I can proceed to shit his remains into.” 

Do not mess with Resurrected angry parent Akechi. 

Joker is also angry at Maruki, but not on the same level as Akechi is. Even he’s like “Akechi, I completely understand your anger but I don’t think Maruki Sensei had completely malicious intentions of bringing our daughter back to life, he thought he was helping us. I mean, I agree, it’s still not worth giving up our free will in the name of an ideal reality, but you’re at a thousand right now, and you need to take it down to at least 50.” 

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Here and Away Again

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Thirty-Eight

A JSE Fanfic

Here's a long one! But it's long because it's very important and a lot happens! We skim through the ship journey back to camp, as everyone prepares, physically and mentally, to go to the Wyldwood. Henrik opens up to Vsevna about something serious. Chase has another strange dream. The guys briefly reunite with the rest of the Phantoms before they have to leave again. You know, a big quest to learn something that will help save the kingdom, no big deal, but they should probably leave as quickly as possible XD Enjoy!

Previous Part | | From the Start | More AU | Read on AO3: CrystalNinjaPhoenix

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If Chase thought being on a boat was amazing, being on a ship was incredible. He couldn’t believe something so big could float, much less house so many crew members and their supplies. Granted, the Serpent’s Wake didn’t have much space, with most of the crew sleeping in an open space below the main deck filled with large iron items that Jackie told him were called “cannons.”

“You put something in the opening here and shove it all the way down,” Jackie said. “Then press down on this lever to activate these witchcraft carvings.” His fingers traced a series of letters and pictures carved right into the metal. “They propel whatever’s in the barrel out at a high speed.”

“That... doesn’t seem safe,” Chase said slowly.

“That’s why they’re pointed away from the ship,” Jackie laughed.

Luckily, even with the small rooms and crowded decks, the Serpent’s Wake was still a massive ship, so Amabel and Quentin didn’t spend the whole journey in a cramped area. Chase warned them to be careful while running around the deck, saying that they shouldn’t get in the way of the crew. But they must have been excited to have more space, because they did, indeed, run around and get in the way of the crew. For the first day at least. Then Amabel slipped on a wet spot on the deck and one of the sailors tripped over her. After that, the two of them were more careful.

Jackie spent most of the time on the deck continuing to spar and help Jameson with his self-defense lessons, though Jameson was having a bit more difficulty on the ship, with its deck that pitched and ducked. Marvin was also having difficulty with the swaying deck, though in a different way. He spent pretty much all of the two days on the ocean hiding in one of the passenger cabins. At one point early in the voyage, Chase walked up to the open cabin door and saw Henrik shouting at Marvin in there. “I swear to the Sun and Moon and every other god, Marvin, you will take a seasickness tonic or so help me!”

“You have seasickness tonics?” Chase interrupted. “Good, I was going to ask about that. Quentin probably needs one. He’s not going to stop running around but he’s still feeling a bit off. He’s willing to take one so he won’t, uh, let it out while walking around.”

“Yes, of course, Chase,” Henrik said. He turned back to Marvin. “See? You are being more stubborn than an actual child.”

“Alright, alright!” Marvin groaned. “Bring me the tonic!”

“I will.” Henrik smiled. It wasn’t smug, just relieved.

But after that encounter, Henrik withdrew from the rest of the group. He spent a lot of time in the captain’s cabin—Vsevna’s cabin, apparently. Chase and Jackie probably would have made some comments about that, if it wasn’t for two things. One, Vsevna actually didn’t spend much time in his own cabin, preferring to go around the ship chatting with and helping out the sailors. Thus, not giving the two of them much material for comments. And two, Henrik was very clearly not enjoying himself, to say the very least. If he hadn’t told Chase about his false world curse and its symptoms, Chase would have been worried he was becoming physically ill. He looked pale and a bit shaky, and seemed constantly anxious and distracted.

Around sunset on the first day, Chase saw him leaning against the ship, looking over the stern towards the spot where the light hit the horizon. After a moment of hesitation, he approached. “Hey, Henrik. I haven’t seen you all day.”

Henrik didn’t answer right away. The pause was long enough that Chase coughed for attention and leaned closer. At that, Henrik jumped in surprise. “Ah! Right, yes, you are—that is—you are here. What did you say?”

“I haven’t seen you all day,” Chase repeated.

“Right, sorry.” Henrik nodded. “I was... not... experiencing good things.”

“Are you okay now?” Chase asked gently.

“Yes.” Henrik took a deep breath. “The air helps. Things get stuffy when you stay in one room for a long time.”

Chase nodded. “Right.” He leaned on the wall of the ship. “Elders... it’s so beautiful.” The way the light bounced off the endless waves, a perfect mirror of the world. Chase had seen many beautiful sunsets, but this was a new one.

“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Henrik said quietly. A few moments passed, then Henrik suddenly straightened. “Ah! I’ve almost forgotten! Chase, wait here, I need to get something.”

“Huh?”

Before Chase could do anything more than look surprised, Henrik turned around and left. Chase watched him go below decks, then shrugged and turned back to the sunset while we waited. Only a few minutes later, Henrik returned. “Here.” He held out a square glass bottle, offering it to Chase. Inside was an amber-colored liquid with something floating inside.

“Uh... thanks?” Chase took it, squinting at the floating bits. Leaves? Or petals? What was this, tea? “Why are you giving this to me?” He started to uncork the bottle.

“You may need it in the Wyldwood,” Henrik said. “I suppose I could have held onto it for you, but sooner is better than later, yes?”

“I’ll... need it?” Chase looked down at the bottle, confused. “For what?”

“Well, I figured that you need to discover something there, yes?” Henrik said. “This is a potion called shialeora. It will sharpen all your senses. And I do mean all of them. I am told that you will be able to see and hear everything around you, and your thoughts will speed up so you do not get overwhelmed, and be able to understand what it all means.”

“Woah.” Chase turned the bottle over in his hands. The liquid inside moved around slowly, more viscous than water and most other drinks.

“It will only work once, though,” Henrik said.

“What do you mean?”

“You will need to drink it all. Afterwards, even if I manage to make another, your body will reject the magic and the effect will not happen again.”

Chase’s heart sank. “Reject the magic in what way? Will it hurt?”

Henrik shrugged. “Everything I have read says you will get a stomach ache for a while.”

“That’s pleasant.” Chase continued to mess with the bottle randomly. “So... am I just supposed to carry this with me until we reach the blasted heath Marvin mentioned?”

“That is the plan,” Henrik said. “Unless you want one of us to do it, but I think that it would be best for you to keep it on you. Just in case.”

“Just in case,” Chase said slowly. After a moment, he put the bottle in his pocket. “Alright. Thank you, Henrik.”

Henrik smiled softly. “Do not mention it. I just wanted to help.”

“Then... let me help you, too,” Chase said. “Do you need anything? Oh! What about advice?”

Henrik made a choking noise. “A-advice?”

“About how to tell Vsevna about your symptoms.”

“...oh.” Henrik was quiet for a moment. Then he took a deep breath. “Alright. Ah... how about... when do you think I should do it? Wh-what would be a good time?”

Chase thought about that. “Sooner would be better, I think. If, um... if you really want to go into the Wyldwood with me and Marvin, then you won’t see Vsevna again for at least two more weeks, right? Maybe more, if the ship leaves while we’re in there.”

Henrik’s eyes widened—and then he laughed. “I-it really is the deadline that spurs me on, I think. Hearing about even a temporary time limit is what spurred me to talk to Vsevna about my, ah... feelings in the first place. So... you think I should explain this to him while we are still on this ship? In that case... I think I will w-wait until we are closer to the Cliffs. Just... in case... something goes bad. W-we would have to spend less time together.”

“Nothing is going to go—” Chase sighed. “Alright. So you have that time in mind. Anything else?”

“A-a lot else.” Henrik laughed again, more nervously this time. “Ah... so... h-how do I start? Wh-what is the first thing you say?”

“Well, I think you should address his concerns,” Chase said. Henrik just stared at him, so Chase explained further. “Me and Jameson both noticed that you were acting differently. We were worried that something was bothering you, or even that you were coming down with something. If Vsevna really cares about you as much as it looks like he does, he’s also noticed this. He’s probably also worried.”

“...I see,” Henrik said. “So I... say that I am alright?”

“You say that it’s not as bad as he’s worried about,” Chase said. “Or, um... I’m not sure how bad your symptoms usually are. But you say that this is normal for you. But... not normal?” He shook his head. “Is this making any sense?”

“I think so,” Henrik said. “Continue on.”

The two of them talked until the sun finally disappeared behind the waves of the water.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the journey was nothing special. Other than it being Chase’s and the kid’s first time on a ship, of course. Apparently it was even Jameson’s first time on a ship as well. Which did make sense, with some thought. The Jairsolas claim was up in the Northaven Mountains, there wasn’t much access to ships up there, since the north coast of Glasúil was too rocky for them to safely dock. And Jameson hadn’t left home much before the King arrived, taking him away. Naturally, the King—or, the spirit, as Chase kept reminding himself—wouldn’t be eager to let Jameson escape after that, so bringing him to a ship would be a terrible idea for him.

When it got close to the evening of the second day, a bell rang out. “Land ho!” a voice called, and other sailors repeated it, a ripple of sound passing from the center of the boat outwards.

Jackie and Jameson were still training, but they soon stopped. “Do you want to help load things up?” Jackie asked.

Sure, I think I could be of some use, Jameson replied.

The two of them headed below—which was where Chase and Marvin were, with Chase standing in the open doorway of Marvin’s passenger cabin for idle chatter. “Hey, we’re coming up on land!” Jackie said. “I think we’re reaching camp!”

“Great!” Chase grinned, excited to see this new camp—and a little wary, too. The Cliffs of Feall were said to be bad luck, after all. “Marvin, let’s go up on deck.”

Marvin groaned and refused to lift his head from the pillow. Draco took this as an opportunity to snuggle up to his face. “Gah! Draco, no!”

Chase laughed. “Do you need help, there?”

“That’d be appreciated.”

Back up top, Henrik heard the call for land while in the captain’s cabin. His stomach immediately started tying in knots. This was it. This was the time he’d planned to talk to Vsevna. He was practically shaking with nerves; this was so much worse than his first confession. But he had to do it. He had to push aside the fear.

Vsevna would be busy getting the ship settled soon. He had a narrow window to find him and talk to him. Henrik opened up the cabin door, preparing to walk all around the ship to look for him—

“Oh! There you are, sova! I was worried you would stay in there all day again!”

Henrik yelped in surprise. He pressed a hand to his chest. “Vsevna—y-you startled me.”

“Ah, apologies,” Vsevna looked embarrassed. “Is... everything okay, Henrik? You have not been enjoying the sea air.”

Henrik laughed. “Not everyone enjoys the ocean. Have you noticed what Marvin has done? Hiding below decks all the time?”

“That is true, but... you have not done that before,” Vsevna said slowly.

Henrik scanned his face. He can see the worry there. Chase was right, Vsevna is worried about him. He’s known this the whole time, but now that he really took a moment to let that sink in, he felt somewhat guilty about that. No, no, he should not feel guilty for being afraid. And yet... He swallowed a lump in his throat and said, “Ah, Vsevna, I... have something important to tell you. Do you mind... stepping into the cabin with me?”

Vsevna’s expression flashed with fear for a moment, but then he brushed it off with a smile. “Of course, sova.”

As the two of them reentered the cabin, Henrik closed the door behind them. The captain’s cabin on the Serpent’s Wake was much bigger than the one on the river boat. And it had many more personal touches as well. There was a wardrobe full of Vsevna’s clothes, and a desk with his writing and captain’s log. There was a table full of trinkets that he’d picked up from his many years sailing, including a round, spinning sphere with a map of the world on it—a globe, it was called—and a jeweled egg-shaped box that Vsevna said was an expensive keepsake from his home nation of Leylodka. Everywhere Henrik looked reminded him of Vsevna, so he figured he might as well look straight at the man himself. “I... need to tell you something... about myself,” he said.

“About... yourself?” Vsevna repeated. He gave a little laugh. “Are you going to tell me your dark past, Henrik? I did not you the type to have one.”

“Ha... no, it is not... exactly like that.” Henrik tried for a faint smile. “But it is... It is...” His throat closed up. Vsevna’s smile fell, and he looked at him very seriously. Focus, Henrik. Remember what the others said. “I... h-have not been myself lately. Or, ah—I have been acting strange. I-I know that this may have worried you.”

“I did notice,” Vsevna said slowly. “And I have had worry.”

“I-I am sorry to have concerned you,” Henrik said.

“No no, sova, do not apologize,” Vsevna hurried to say. “Whatever is happening, it cannot be your fault. Is something worrying you? Is this what this is about?”

“In a way,” Henrik said slowly. His chest hurt from the anxiety clawing at his heart. “The truth is, I... am... I have... I...” He stopped for a moment, taking deep breaths.

“Just say it, Henrik, maybe that will help,” Vsevna said.

“I-I have... a curse,” Henrik said slowly. “Not a—not a magical one. I mean—I-I mean that here, in Glasúil, that is—is what it is called. I-I do not know the word for it in Leylodka. But in Alterde, it is called a sickness. It is... m-my mind. It does not...” He had to stop again.

“Your... mind?” Vsevna prompted, looking confused.

“It... tricks me, sometimes,” Henrik said. As if on cue, he heard something like a breath in his ear. He jumped slightly, but then steadied himself. ���S-sometimes things happen that... are not real.”

“But you said it was not magic?” Vsevna asked.

“It is not. It is just... my senses...” Henrik took a mental step back. “L-let me start over. Here in Glasúil, the name is Dynympha’s false world curse. It means that... that sometimes, I will hear things that are not there.A-and sometimes I... very rarely, I...  I see things that are not there, as well.  I am usually able to know this is happening, but sometimes I do not. Sometimes I will believe that there are voices that are not there. Even when I know in my head that it is not real, it is still... s-scary.” He took a deep breath. “There are... other symptoms as well. Untethering, mostly, and frantic thoughts.”

“I have never seen you go through any of this...” Vsevna said slowly. “Is this new?”

“No.” Henrik shook his head. “I have had this for longer than I’ve known you. But... I usually have medicine that helps with these symptoms. They are much, much weaker, if there at all. But recently, I... lost it. M-my medicine. A mind soother elixir helps with some of the problems, the untethering and franticness, but... it cannot help with the things that are not there.” Another deep breath. “I... wanted to tell you because... if we are to continue courting, this is... this is part of me that... you must be aware of.”

“Is there a cure?”

Henrik flinched. “No,” he whispered. “There are some places in Alterde and the other kingdoms nearby that claim they will cure curses like this... but they are wrong. Terrible places that hurt the people there. I am happy that people in Glasúil would not even consider something like that. I am happy that they are very accepting.” Another breath. “Vsevna. I... care about you. Deeply. I was... a-afraid to tell you this. I thought it would change things between us. Even...” He trailed off, unable to say what he was most afraid of. That this would end the relationship between them. “But... e-even so, I know that... this is a part of me. It will not be going away, though once I am able to get more medicine in a couple seasons it will fade to something less intense. I do not want to hide anything from you. I want... us to both know this, so we can continue on.”

Vsevna stared at him. Henrik squirmed slightly. He couldn’t read his expression, but he could tell that he was thinking intently about something from the way his eye moved slightly back and forth.

“W-well, um...” Henrik cleared his throat. “That is... all I wanted to say.”

“...oh.”

‘Oh’? All he had to say was ‘oh’? “Ah... so...” Henrik shifted on his feet. “Now that I have told you... do you... have anything to say?”

Vsevna leaned back. His expression was still difficult to read. “...I think land is close now. I should go help the crew bring the ship around.”

“Wait, you are going?!” Henrik said.

“Yes.” Vsevna turned to the door.

Henrik’s hand darted out and grabbed his arm. “Y-you—” He stared, but didn’t know what to say. Of all the reactions he worried about, this was not one of them.

Vsevna looked back at him. “I... really need to go help. They will need me.”

“But...” Henrik just stared at him.

“I will see you again later,” Vsevna said, and pulled his arm free. He left the cabin, the door swinging shut behind him.

Henrik stayed where he was, confused. A deep ache digging into his chest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So... that’s the new main camp?” Chase asked.

“Yea.” Marvin nodded.

The ship’s anchor had dropped, and the crew were preparing boats to row out to the base of the cliffs with. A narrow path led up the side of the rocky Cliffs of Feall, towards the encampment of tents at the top. Chase was relieved to see that the tents weren’t right on the edge of the cliff, but he couldn’t lie to himself and say he had no problem with it.

“I’m not... fond of high places,” Chase said slowly. “I don’t even like to climb trees.”

Marvin was quiet for a moment. “I wasn’t exactly there for this, so correct me if I’m wrong, but... Didn’t you jump out a window once? As part of the plan for my execution rescue?”

“Only because there was no other way and the building was on fire!”

“On fire?”

Chase jumped and looked down to see Quentin had suddenly appeared at his side. “Elders, Quen! I didn’t hear you walk up.”

“Dad, you were in a building that was on fire?” Quentin’s eyes were wide. “Are you okay?”

Chase gave a little, nervous laugh. “That was a while ago, Quentin. I’m alright. And, uh... don’t jump out of windows unless you really have to, okay?”

Quentin’s eyes just widened further. “You jumped out of a window, Dad?!”

Oh. Apparently Quentin hadn’t heard that part. “Yes, I had to do that because the building was on fire,” Chase said. “And you should only jump out windows if something really bad, like a fire, is happening.”

“Okay.” Quentin nodded. “Uh... are we going to get into boats?”

“Yes, soon,” Chase said. “Where’s your sister?”

“On the big ropes.” Quentin pointed at some of the rigging, where Amabel was sitting, feet dangling at a height just over Chase’s head.

“Oh Elders. Well, um, I’ll go get here, you stay here with Marvin and wait for the boats.”

About ten minutes later, Chase and the kids were in a rowboat with some of the Wake’s crew members and some supplies. They soon pulled up onto a pebbly beach, along with some more rowboats, and some of the crew started unpacking the bags and crates of supplies. While Chase helped the kids out of the boat, he saw Henrik and Jameson get out of the boat to his left. “Y-you can head on the path, Chase,” Henrik said. “Help the children keep their... keep their feet.” He looked... preoccupied with something.

“Is everything okay, Henrik?” Chase asked.

“Yes, I just... need a quiet moment,” Henrik said.

“Alright, well... I’m open to talk if you need it.” Chase waited for Henrik to nod in acknowledgment before taking a child’s hand in each of his and reluctantly heading up to the path.

He really, really didn’t enjoy the climb to the top of the cliffs, regardless of how short it was. He kept imagining what would happen if he slipped on a pebble and tumbled head-first over the edge. But he tried to stay calm for the kids, sticking as close to the cliff wall and making sure that they felt safer than he felt. Even so, he couldn’t push back a sigh of relief when he reached the top, or stop himself from hurriedly walking away from the cliff edge.

“Hey, Brodyson!”

“Chase! You’re back!”

Phantoms waited around the edge of camp, having seen the Serpent’s Wake sailing towards them. The first people Chase picked out from the crowd—because they were running at him—were Tripp and Holly. “Glad to see they couldn’ keep you down!” Tripp shouted, and Holly wrapped him in a tight hug.

“Whoa!” Chase couldn’t help but laugh. It felt like forever since he’d seen any of the Phantoms, and seeing them now felt like walking out of a stuffy house and into the fresh air. “It’s good to see you! Uh, Holly? This is a bit tight.”

“Sorry!” Holly let go. “After Marvin suddenly appeared and told us you’d been left in Suilthair, we all got really worried about you.”

“And Jairsolas, too,” Tripp added. He then looked down. “Now—who are these little scamps?” Quentin giggled at being called a ‘scamp,’ but Amabel looked a bit overwhelmed, and was constantly staring at Tripp’s ram mask.

“These are Quentin and Amabel,” Chase said. “My kids.”

“Kids?” Lukas walked up to the group. Some other Phantoms were approaching too. “So... this is them?”

Chase stared at Lukas for a moment, then nodded slowly. “This is them.”

More Phantoms shouted out in greeting, many of them going past Chase to meet up with the others coming up from the path now. Jackie led the way, with Jameson behind him, and then Marvin, some of the crew, and finally, Henrik, his expression still shadowed. Almost everyone was carrying supplies, with Henrik being the only exception.

“Hey, you all!” Holly shouted, laughing. “Left us dangling a little without any of our leaders!”

“Looks like you’ve done well enough without us!” Jackie shouted back, also grinning and laughing.

“Come on, Jair, I’ll show you where we’re keeping the supplies,” Marvin said.

Jameson nodded, pulling on the straps of the bags he’s carrying. We should let everyone know about the King...

“You mean how he’s—” Marvin glanced around. He was clearly reluctant to talk about this right away, not wanting to cause unnecessary panic. “We should, you’re right. We’ll call a meeting after we drop everything off.” He paused. “Though... maybe we should keep things packed up. We should head out sooner rather than later.” For the Wyldwood. Evidently, also something he didn’t want to mention in front of this crowd.

“Dad?” Quentin pulled on Chase’s belt. “Can we... look around?”

Chase looked down at him and Amabel and smiled gently. “Of course. I’ve never been here either, so let’s look around together.”

“This is...” Amabel said slowly, “...very... interesting.” The rather dull words are accompanied by Amabel bouncing on her feet, revealing that she was actually very excited to look around.

Chase laughed. “It is, isn’t it? Come on, head me this way. Uh, clear a path, please!” That last statement was called out to the ever-growing crowd of Phantoms. They parted easily. Many of them stared at the kids, but tried to be friendly about it, waving and smiling. Quentin waved back, saying “hi! hi!” over and over, while Amabel just smiled. Chase gave the Phantoms some brief greetings, then they broke through the crowd and headed on an exploration of the camp at the Cliffs.

While Chase disappeared and Marvin and Jameson walked across camp towards the storage tent, Henrik stayed where he was. He was still trying to understand Vsevna’s reaction. Were his fears justified? Did Vsevna look at him differently now that he knew about the false world curse? Did he want to end the courtship? Henrik tried to tell himself that Vsevna was not the sort of person to do that, but he couldn’t shake the feeling away. What if he was wrong? What if this really was the end? But... no, if it was the end, Vsevna would have said something about ending it at the very moment Henrik told him about the symptoms. Wouldn’t he? But he didn’t do that. He just walked away without saying much. What the damn did that mean?!

“There you are!”

Henrik snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of the shout. No... could it be...?

A woman pushed through the crowd, wearing a bird mask with a long, curved beak. She pulled it off, revealing her face, dark skin and eyes framed by black curls. She smiled at Henrik. “Sounds like I just missed you, Henrik.”

“Nemet?” Henrik gasped. “Nemet?!” He couldn’t believe what he was seeing for a second. Then he ran forward, passing through the surrounding people, and threw his arms around her. “Nemet! Y-you are alright! You are okay!”

“I am alright!” Nemet laughed and hugged him back. “You were so worried about me?”

“Of course I was!” Henrik pulled back so he could look her over. “The last time I saw you, you were fighting a fire-throwing wizard!”

“Ah, Lady Tinechroí.” Nemet made a face. “That was a fight I was not keen to continue. But, ah, she definitely wanted to keep it going.”

“H-how did you—W-we saw her in Suilthair, so I thought that—That she got away but you—”

“Died? She did give it her best try. I did not help things by attacking that dog of hers.” Nemet pulled down her sleeve, revealing a burn scar that covered her right shoulder and upper arm. “I pretended to fall after she threw a very big fireball at me, and that must have been enough for her to move on. She likely thought I was dead.” She pulled the sleeve up again. “I am sorry I was not here to meet you, but the injuries slowed me.”

“Are you alright now?” Henrik asked, concerned.

“The scars hurt sometimes, but now that I am here I have access to some of the cooling salves to help,” Nemet said.

Henrik let out a breath of relief. It felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders... but there were still some weights remaining.

“Henrik... how have you been?” Nemet asked, her tone softer and more serious. Apparently she had picked up on his mood.

“Ah... much has happened,” Henrik said slowly. “Let us... go somewhere. To talk.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night was the first night Chase spent in a tent in a long time, having slept on the ship for the past few nights, and in the boathouse before that, and in random inns and wayhouses before that. The tent wasn’t his, specifically, since that had apparently gotten lost in the skirmish at Wyvernlair. And he’d lost all his belongings on the long journey to and from Suilthair, so there wasn’t much on the inside to mark that it was his. But Amabel and Quentin slept there with him, so that made the tent feel like home regardless of any of that.

That night, he had another draísling.

He was once again in the hallway leading to the throne room, but something was different. The walls were dark, blackened as if with soot. The deer with the golden antlers was not there. And Chase could feel that invisible force pushing against him from the beginning. But he gritted his teeth against it and slowly walked forward.

There was a foreboding air in the throne room. It pierced even through the dreamlike state of the draísling. The room was much, much longer than it was before. And the dais at the end was much, much taller, multiple steps leading upwards. Chase dreaded walking up those steps, but he kept going, pushing through the force trying to knock him back to the waking world. “You’re not going to keep me from this!” he shouted. “I’m going to help him!”

The strange force—no, the spirit possessing Jack’s body—only seemed to get angrier, pushing him more and more. But Chase persisted. He reached the first steps and started to climb. Every single time he lifted his foot to get up the stairs, he felt like he was going to tumble backwards. But he refused. He grabbed onto the steps ahead, more crawling than walking, and continued up. “Jack!” he shouted. “Jack!”

But Jack did not answer.

The reason why became clear as Chase reached the top. Jack was not just chained to the throne tonight. There was also something on his face. Some sort of mask covering the lower half of his face. Chase got up and stumbled forward, causing Jack to look up in surprise.”H-hold on,” Chase said. He grabbed onto the armrest of the throne and pulled himself forward. Jack tried to say something, but his voice came out muffled. “Don’t worry,” Chase said. “Just—hold on.” He reached out hesitantly. “C-can I... see if I can... fix that?”

Jack stared at him, then nodded slowly. Chase gently reached out and grabbed onto the side of the strange mask. It was made of leather, and sort of reminded Chase of a muzzle someone would put on a dog. Anger boiled in his stomach. There were straps going around the back of Jack’s head, but there were no buckles or anything. Fine. This was a dream, so reality was what he wanted. Chase grabbed into the mask on either side and pulled.

It took a few seconds, but soon the mask snapped off. Jack gasped, like he couldn’t breathe before—even though breathing didn’t matter as much in this dream world. “H-he’s just going to put it back tomorrow night...” Jack whispered.

Chase had never heard such hopelessness in a person’s voice. “I-it’s going to be alright,” he whispered. “It’s going to be—”

“Shut up.”

That wasn’t Jack’s voice.

Jack stiffened and went pale, eyes flicking over Chase’s shoulder. Chase whirled around... and saw someone else there. A man who looked a lot like Jack... but not exactly the same. There were slight differences, his features slightly sharper. But with those green eyes, Chase knew exactly who—or was it what?—he was looking at. The spirit wore a green tunic, with narrow sleeves and black designs embroidered at the wrists, over a pair of black trousers. A short black cape hung from the shoulders, with an attached hood. Dark leather armor covered his chest and upper arms and legs. 

But the strangest thing was the shadows. The edges of the spirit seemed to fade away into a dark, swirling mist made of pure darkness. At times, it was hard to tell where the spirit ended and the shadows began. The green eyes were bright against the darkness.

“You,” Chase breathed. “Wh-what do you want?! Why are you tormenting Jack?! Why are you controlling the kingdom?!”

The spirit’s head tilted to the side. “I told you to shut up.”

There was a bright coppery flash, and Chase suddenly felt pain in his stomach. Jack cried out. Chase looked down to see a bronze seax buried in his torso, blood dripping down from the wound. A seax held, of course, by the spirit.

The spirit’s eyes glowed brighter green as his body turned more into shadow. He twisted the seax, causing the pain to spike, and he used the momentum to throw Chase to the side, sending him tumbling down the stairs—

And then Chase woke up, gasping, a phantom pain lingering in his stomach.

“Dad?” Amabel sat up. Faint sunlight was leaking through the fabric of the tent. Quentin was still asleep, curled up next to her. “Are you okay?”

Chase looked at the two of them. He nodded slowly. “Yes,” he said. “I just had a bad dream.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were going to leave early this morning. The sooner they reached the Wyldwood, the sooner they would get to their destination deep in the magical forest, and the sooner Chase would learn whatever was so important to defeating the King.

“But we just got you back!” Amabel protested when he told her and Quentin what was happening. “You can’t just leave again!”

“I know, I don’t want to leave you, either,” Chase said sadly. “But this is pretty dangerous. You’ve  been so brave to follow me this far, but I can’t let you come with me this time. Mom would murder me if she knew I let you come with me on this quest.” He got down on his knees so he could meet their eyes. Had Amabel always been this tall? He was actually a bit shorter than her when on his knees. “Don’t worry. The people here will protect you. They’re very strong. You need to stay here and listen with them, okay?”

Amabel started to protest, but Quentin grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She looked down at him and sighed. “Alright, Dad,” she said. “We’ll stay here.”

Chase smiled. “Thank you so much. Look after each other, okay?”

“We will!” Quentin said cheerfully, and Amabel nodded.

This conversation was happening right next to the new cooking fires in the center of camp. Other Phantoms were nearby, eating breakfast. “Good to hear,” Chase said. “Now, let’s get some food.” He started to guide the two of them over to the nearest fire, where a pot of oatmeal was simmering over the flames, but was stopped by someone else. “Oh. Hi, Lukas.”

“Hi.” Lukas nodded. “Do you mind if I... talk to you?” He glanced down at the kids. “Alone?”

“...Sure.” Chase looked down at the two of them. “You can get food on your own, right?”

“Of course, Dad!” Amabel nodded determinedly and grabbed Quentin, running towards the pot ready to prove she can do things on her own.

“Ask for help if you need it!” Chase called after them. Then he looked at Lukas. “What is it?”

Lukas bowed his head. “I wanted to apologize.”

“Huh? For what?”

“For my attitude towards you,” Lukas said. “My mistrust ever since you arrived at camp.”

“O-oh.” Chase laughed awkwardly. “Well, I, um... I thought that was... quietly dropped. You didn’t need to apologize.”

“But I felt I should,” Lukas said. “Especially now that you’re heading into the Wyldwood. It’s never been clearer that you’re determined to help the Phantoms.”

“Well... I guess, yes.” Chase nodded. “But it’s not just the Masked Phantoms. It’s the rest of my family, a-and all the other families in the kingdom, and—and Jack, of course. You all know about him, right?”

“About him being the real King while this tyrant is a possessive spirit? We were filled in last night.” Lukas nodded.

“Right. He’s as much a victim as any of us.”

“But that does bring up a question,” Lukas said. “The others informed us that the King himself was pursuing you. If he reaches us... if he finds this camp...” He paused significantly. Chase’s eyes couldn’t help but flick away from him, towards where the kids were carefully scooping out oatmeal while other Phantoms kept an eye on them. “...Will we be able to fight him off?”

“I... I’m sure Jack would understand if you have to... injure him to defend yourself... or others,” Chase said hesitantly. “But... we’re still not sure of this spirit’s abilities. So it may be better to run.”

Lukas nodded. “We’re already preparing.” He turned towards the cooking fire, following Chase’s gaze. “Don’t worry,” he said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. “We’ll take care of them.”

Chase took a deep breath. “Please do,” he whispered. “They mean everything to me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What did one pack for a trip into a Wyldland? What did one need to travel through a place where magic warped the land itself? Marvin said that he never got too hungry or thirsty while wandering through, and that there was plenty of fruit, berries, and streams around for when he did feel hunger and thirst. But he wasn’t sure if this was because Draco was helping him or just how things were in the Wyldwood. They decided to pack weeks’ worth of food and water, just in case.

They also packed the standard traveling supplies, like lanterns, a compass, and medicine, just in case. Weapons, as well. Chase had his bow and quiver of arrows, as well as a hunting knife, Jackie had his two swords, Jameson had a bow and knife he wanted to practice with, and Marvin and Henrik had two knives each. And apparently, after Henrik, Jackie, and Marvin left on their journey to get Chase and Jameson back, some of the other Phantoms began working on magical supplies.

“These are the unmixed potions,” Tripp said, holding up a shoulder pack. “I suggest whoever carries them be very careful. There’s seven of them, we’ve put labels around the bottle necks for what they do.”

“And these are a handful of talismans that might be helpful.” Anna held up a small package. “Invisibility charms, protection against magical spells, animal taming—”

Animal taming? Jameson asked, interested.

“They’re usually used to keep horses from getting spooked while traveling,” Anna said. “For such big animals, they’re surprisingly jumpy sometimes.”

“If memory serves, don’t you need to put an animal taming talisman on a collar or necklace around an animal’s neck?” Jackie said. “Wouldn’t that be difficult if the animal was, say, attacking us or running from us?”

Anna shrugged. “Better than nothing, isn’t it?”

“So who wants to carry everything?” Holly asked cheerfully.

Everyone was gathered on the edge of the camp to say goodbye to the group heading to the Wyldwood. Despite some of the Masked Phantoms’ protests, Henrik, Jackie, and Marvin were heading there, leaving the camp without their leaders for another two weeks at least. Chase was going, of course, and Jameson was as well, wanting to know more about this spirit. Among the Phantoms saying farewell were Tripp, Holly, Lukas, Anna, and Nemet. And Amabel and Quentin, as well, who Chase was currently saying goodbye to. “You two be good, okay?” he said.

“We will, Dad,” Amabel said.

“We promise!” Quentin added.

“Henrik, do you want to carry the magic supplies?” Jackie asked.

Henrik didn’t answer. He was staring out of camp, towards the west where the Wyldwood was.

“...alright, I’ll carry them, then,” Jackie said, taking the shoulder pack and smaller package.

“Hmm.” Henrik nodded slowly. So... they were leaving camp already. One night spent here, catching up with everyone they’d left, and then onto the next quest. Maybe he should stay, after all. It would be good for the Phantoms to have a leader here. But would there be any way to contact the others once they disappeared into the Wyldwood? He doubted it. Maybe he should go with them?

“Wait!”

The Phantoms turned towards the shout, jostling around as someone ran through the crowd. Henrik took a moment to fully understand who shouted, then he also turned—

Vsevna tackled him in a hug, wrapping his arms around him and squeezing tight. Henrik shouted in surprise and stumbled, held upright only from Vsevna. “W-what?!” he gasped.

“You cannot leave without saying goodbye!” Vsevna said, voice muffled slightly from where his head was pressed against Henrik’s shoulder. He pulled back and straightened, looking down at him. “That does not set a good example for the rest of our relationship!”

“I—I-I—Relationship?” Henrik stammered. “But—you—after I—” He shoved Vsevna, anger momentarily flaring. “Why didn’t you say anything?! I tell you something that I was so scared to share, and you say nothing in return?! You just leave?! And I do not see you for the rest of the night?!”

“...now that I think about it, maybe that was not a good idea,” Vsevna said.

“Maybe?!” Henrik gaped at him. “I thought that—that it was over! That you would never want to see me again!”

“No, no, Henrik, that was not it at all!”

“Then why did you not say something?!”

“I... I had a lot to think about,” Vsevna said slowly. “Henrik, I-I am sorry I did not say anything. There was a lot in my mind. I had to take some time to think about everything.”

“What? What was on your mind?” Henrik asked, folding his arms.

“You,” Vsevna said quietly. “I... Henrik, I never met anyone before with that ‘curse,’ as you called it. In all my travels, I have barely even heard of it, only in legends of people going mad.” He shook his head. “But you are nothing like the people in those legends. You are my dear sova. My dear, brave, smart sova. And this... this does not change that. I am sorry that you have to experience these symptoms, Henrik. But I hope I can help with them. If only... if only by being there for you.”

Henrik relaxed slightly. “So... why did it take you all night to realize that I am the same I’ve always been?”

“It only took me an hour, actually,” Vsevna said. “Or less. But by then, it was evening, and I thought you would want some time alone.”

“You thought I would want some time alone?! Instead of a real response to me sharing something I was so very scared about?!”

“You wanted some time alone after you told me your feelings.”

“That... is true,” Henrik admitted. “But this was different! I-it was—was part of the reason I delayed my first confession.The main reason, maybe. Because I was so scared you would reject me once you knew. And the way you turned away yesterday, without saying anything, I thought... that it was...”

“I am so, so sorry, Henrik,” Vsevna whispered. “It was not problem with you, it was all with me.” He shook his head. “I should have said something.”

“Yes, you should have,” Henrik said. “It would not take too long to say ‘I need to think.’”

“It would not, and I am sorry.” He reached out and hesitantly took Henrik’s hand. When he didn’t pull away, he squeezed it tighter. “That was thoughtless of me. I will not do it again.”

Henrik sighed. He nodded, and looked up at Vsevna with a slight, nervous smile. “Well... so now that you know... how do you feel about it?”

“Like I said, you are still my sova. I will be there to help you with these symptoms of yours, if that is what you want.” Vsevna glanced at the other four waiting nearby. “Well... I will be there for you when you get back. Are you sure about going?”

Henrik fully relaxed, and nodded. “Yes. I think they will need a doctor, and I... would like to be with my friends. I would also like to be with you, but... this is very important.”

“Say no more, I fully understand.” Vsevna nodded. “Be safe, Henrik.” He looked him over. “Are you really going into a Wyldplace with only a knife?”

“Well I am not exactly a weapons expert.”

“Here.” Vsevna unbuckled a belt around his chest, handing it to Henrik. It was a sheathe, with Vsevna’s weapon of choice on the back. A boarding axe.

“What?!” Henrik gasped. “I cannot take this from you!”

“It is okay, I have spare.” Vsevna flashed a smile. “I would rather know it keeps you safe.”

Henrik hesitated, then took the axe and its sheathe. He awkwardly slung it around the back and buckled it in place. “Well, how do I look?”

“Amazing.” Vsevna smiled, a softer, fonder smile than the one before.

“Ah... thank you.” Henrik felt his face get hot. An idea came to him then. And before he could think too much about it and get afraid, he leaned forward—and kissed Vsevna.

It was really quick, just a peck, actually. Even so, when he pulled away, Vsevna’s face was bright red. He opened his mouth, but was at a loss for words for once.

“I will come back safe, and we will spend more time together,” Henrik said.

Vsevna cleared his throat. “Yes. That sounds... that sounds lovely.”

“Alright, you lovesick kids,” Jackie called. “We’re losing daylight!”

Henrik whirled on him. “The Wyldwood is not that far, and we are not delaying you that much!”

Vsevna laughed. “Please, go on, Henrik. Save this kingdom with your friends.”

Henrik looked at him and smiled. “I will. Farewell, liebling.”

“Farewell, sova.”

The rest of the Phantoms had already said their goodbyes. Chase gave his children one last hug, then waved at the others and turned around. Marvin led the way forward, Draco trotting ahead of him. The other four walked at an even pace with each other.

This quest would be dangerous. But they were ready for it. They would learn what they needed to protect their home. And then... they would come back to the ones waiting for them.

[aroaceleovaldez]

i need to know everything about your pjo voltron au

okay so basic plot premise: Thalia, Luke, Jason, Percy, Maria di Angelo, and Bianca all work at the Garrison and get sent on 3 separate missions (Thalia & Luke, Jason & ??? or maybe he's just by himself, then Percy & Maria & Bianca) which are all "lost" and they're declared dead by the Garrison.

Of course they were actually all abducted by aliens. Maria probably dies pretty early on in that whole situation. Thalia gets separated from Luke and ends up escaping and becoming a rebel. Luke, Jason, and Percy & Bianca all separately (except for Percy & Bianca) end up gladiators. Luke becomes The Champion and basically ends up a Kuron/Sendak-type character situation. Is he being mind-controlled? Unclear. He has a giant alien scythe-sword though. Bianca probably dies buying Percy time in the arena. At some point Percy and Jason find each other and decide to try and stick together.

Hazel is a human raised by her galra dad in space with the Blade of Marmora. She knows she has a half-brother through her dad out there somewhere but not anything else about him. She ends up running into Jason and Percy on a mission and helps them escape cause they're humans too.

Back on Earth, Piper, Leo, and Annabeth are all Garrison students. Or Annabeth is possibly in a Keith-type situation where she used to be a student but got Kinda Pissed Off about all her loved ones disappearing into space and ended up getting kicked out. Nico is in a Pidge-type situation where he snuck in as a student under a false name to figure out what happened to his family's mission. Percy and Jason crash on earth, the gang finds them, they find the Blue Lion, and Percy pilots it to the Altean castleship where they meet Reyna and Frank. Reyna is the Altean Princess, because her sister Hylla was queen. Frank is the son of a high-ranking general or something and he and Reyna are a duo.

Rest going under a cut cause this got long -

Lion adventures happen - Annabeth pilots the Green Lion, Jason pilots the Black Lion. Nico finds the Red Lion and meets Hazel when he does and brings her back to the castle. Hazel pilots the Yellow Lion. Nico very quickly realizes he's half-Galra and Hazel's brother and joins the Blade of Marmora. Percy swaps from Blue to the Red Lion. Piper starts piloting the Blue Lion. Leo, Frank, Reyna, and Nico end up the home-base support team. Percy probably keeps the blue paladin armor and Piper gets the spare pink armor for color association reasons and also cause that's usually the format for every iteration of Voltron anyways. It works out nicely. Everybody has extra lion compatibilities too/every Lion has a back-up basically cause I'm still mad vld canon dropped the lion lore/sentience plotlines and we never got cool dynamic lion swapping instead of just the usual single switch. We're having fun here.

Then everything else I don't have much for other than Annabeth and Nico basically swap Keith and Pidge roles once they join Voltron so Nico goes and has his galra identity crisis adventures and Annabeth reunites with Thalia at some point, who is basically in a Matt-type role. And Luke functions as the Sendak-level antagonist who Annabeth probably gets to fight with a swap back to Keith's role in a whole Keith & Kuron emotional situation. Kronos and Gaea are probably analogous to Zarkon and Haggar/Honerva here but not necessarily in that order, and obviously it's more of an either "Emperor and his advisor mom" or "Empress and her prince son" but in either one somebody's doing magic and people are probably getting possessed. Hades, Persephone, Iaepatus/Bob, and Damasen are all with the BoM. The Titans/Giants are probably all Empire generals. Who's Lotor? Octavian? Calypso? I don't know. Who are all the gods? I dunno. We'll workshop it.

[fudgecake-charlie]

ooooo is there anything narrative wise you can tell us abt the cosmic au? I adore cosmic horror stories :,)

At this moment in time I'm intently staring at the notes app on my phone, which contains all my brainstorming, a full plot outline, character descriptions, and several concept drabbles i wrote to try and get something more concrete down... nobody has seen much of it yet but this is a pretty good summary of it. I will actually write and post this AU one day I swear!! Either as a concept oneshot or the whole thing, or both.

I have this post from way earlier that gave a small rundown of the AU, but I have definitely tweaked the plot and vibe since then! It's gone from "pure cosmic horror and tragedy" to "cosmic horror but theyre okay at the end" because i needed it, to "cosmic horror-esque with some more general 'overcoming odds' type beats," mostly because I would be so bad at writing pure cosmic horror and also I'm a sucker for self-betterment character arcs <3

The main driving concept is currently: What would you do in the face of utter destruction, and the power of the hopelessness that comes with it? The destruction in this case is rips in the fabric of space that Pearl and Grian (and False) may have been part of the cause of via cosmic horror shenanigans.

The Universe isn't exactly sentient but it is still dying in this AU, and the disappearance of stars and the broadcasting of the quite literal cosmic horror to Pearl was done by It, and all it gives is the sense of necessary ends and complete annihilation. The cosmic horror itself is the perspective of the entirety of the universe and perfectly understanding its scale and what the whole thing actually looks like. which is fun

The cast as of right now is Pearl, Grian, False, Mumbo and Martyn as more prominent characters, and Cleo and Gem (and BigB and Jimmy in mentions) as smaller roles! I think about Cleo and Pearl all the time in this AU by the way. World's worst besties.

False and Martyn are the main "antagonists" in this AU, separate from each other narratively. They are trying so hard and doing the right thing in their eyes I promise it's just a fucked up situation that absolutely nobody has good answers to! The real enemy was the apocalypse we created on the way /hj.

Grian has a side plot about finding his humanity as an inhuman entity which I pretty much summarised in the linked post, but I made it Grian and Mumbo as well as Grian and Pearl because I think he needs it. This does sound eerily similar to solving counting sheep by our beloved Second but I promise i thought about this independently of that fic even though i love it so so much.

Of course all of this is definitely subject to change!! This AU is very different to what it started as a year ago and I'm trying very hard to write a somewhat solid (if not kind of predictable) big story for basically my first time. I'm not a writer but I'm having fun!! :]