I read a single fic years ago and never recovered

She/Her; 21+ years old; Remains Fixated on YGO5Ds

[cogshippinghq]

Obligatory Pinned Post

Hello. You may refer to the person behind the blog as Shi.

This will be the only post that uses the main tags; all character and ship posts from here on will use blog-specific tags to avoid clogging main tags with stuff people might not appreciate.

Yusei's tag - CC: Savior Star Gear

Hakase's tag - CC: Lost Star Gear (this is my hc name for Dr Fudo)

Blog Warnings:

This blog is about a parent/child incest ship. If this makes you uncomfortable, please do not proceed further.

This blog will create 18+ content. If this makes you uncomfortable, or if you are below the age of 18, please do not proceed further.

If neither of the above warnings apply to you, please be amused by my clearly unhinged and unapologetic obsession with this ship and the characters within it.

[cogshippinghq]

Little Things 5: Jealousy

Jealousy was new to Yusei.

Envy was familiar - wanting something someone else had was just part of the human experience, Yusei would wager - but its cousin jealousy was a stranger. Jealousy was, as Yusei understood it, a distortion of protectiveness; you have something you can't bear to lose or part with and wind up mistaking innocent acts and words as threats to take it from you. Being defensive of one's belongings was natural, and Jack's stunt with Stardust Dragon had strengthened that in Yusei to be sure, but those were belongings. Items. Objects.

Hakase was a person, his own person. He had his own thoughts and feelings and autonomy. His own wants and needs. Yusei knew this, he knew it well, and he knew better than to try and dictate what his father was allowed to do. But this knowledge did nothing to quell the surge of hostility Yusei felt when he watched Hakase interacting with others.

When Hakase had met Miss Zora for the first time, he'd acted like a perfect gentleman and had her swooning so she'd be more lenient on Crow, Jack, and Carly. Miss Zora had done nothing, but for a split second, Yusei hated her for having Hakase's attention like that. It flared up again when Yusei was chaperoning Leo, Luna, Rally, and their group of school friends to watch Hakase and Akiza train and teach their outdoor psychic and psionic class. Hakase was so gentle with Akiza and their students, Yusei had made himself scarce for the rest of class because he wasn't sure he could keep himself in check.

And, as was often the case, Hakase had noticed. It was next to impossible for Yusei to hide anything from his father, he knew Yusei better than Yusei knew himself it seemed. They were preparing for bed and Yusei had just crawled under the blankets when Hakase pulled him close and pressed a loving kiss to his forehead. Then a kiss on his cheek, then a trail down his neck that left Yusei melting into his father's embrace.

"What...what is this...about?" Yusei mumbled. The feelings of safety and adoration Hakase wrapped Yusei in every night never failed to put him to sleep, and he was already feeling it washing over him.

"Just some reassurance," Hakase answered, his smile just as soft as his voice. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, and there's no one more important to me than you." Yusei couldn't help the sleepy smile the crept onto his face, and he snuggled into Hakase's chest to hide it. He wasn't quite sure why he did, but it made his father laugh and Yusei could listen to that for hours.

Sleep was particularly kind to Yusei that night.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hakase was no stranger to jealousy.

He was the jealous kind, profoundly so, but he'd learnt to hide it well under his amicable attitude and compassionate demeanor. Hakase was born with it like an instinct; anything he got that was entirely and utterly his, he guarded viciously. He'd been an only child so there was no need to share at home, but it caused more than his fair share of problems when he entered the school system. His excellence in school work had given his parents reason to move him from that first school to escape the budding reputation of a selfish brat, and it taught him to hide it as best he could.

Ama had found it attractive, though. Beautiful and brilliant, Ama had many potential suitors and their families chase her. When she'd chosen Hakase, most of them relented - those who didn't wished they had. Hakase had a knack for hacking and used it maliciously, anonymously exposing less than savory details to force the suitors to quit their chase. Two of them had gone a more physical route and both had gotten at least one bone broken in a scrap with Hakase. Neither of them did anything about it afterwards.

Nowadays, though, it was back to causing problems. Their nearly two decades separated had made Hakase overprotective of Yusei, and any time they were apart Hakase burned with the need to find his boy. At first, it was just a fear of every moment together being their last. But ever since their relationship expanded to something more romantic and almost carnal, it was no longer just protectiveness. It was even growing beyond jealousy.

Hakase was getting possessive and Yusei was feeding into it.

Detecting the pattern hadn't been hard - every time Yusei mentioned he was going to spend time with a friend, he'd watch Hakase's reaction like a hawk. If Hakase stayed relaxed, that was the end of it, just a head's up that Yusei would be out and about. But if Hakase tensed up or paused or gave any indication he wasn't happy about it, Yusei would pounce. He would talk about that friend and what they were up do, what they were going to do that day, and if he was feeling extra playful about it, he'd lay a compliment out like a dare.

Sometimes Hakase would keep his composure and tell Yusei to have fun and be back by dinnertime. Other times he'd pin Yusei to a wall, bite like an animal marking territory, and send him off without resolution as punishment. The latter was the response Yusei wanted, the feral reaction that made him almost painfully aroused, and sometimes he'd pointedly cancel whatever he'd scheduled in favor of spending hours with his father's cock buried inside him.

Yusei loved being the center of Hakase's world, and Hakase often observed him flaunting it, albeit subconsciously. In group gatherings, Yusei always took the spot closest to Hakase, or made a point of reserving a seat right next to him. When they both were settled, Yusei would rest against him in some way like he was laying visible claim. Any time a comment was made about their physical closeness, Yusei always responded by practically laying on Hakase like a housecat and stare back with a flat defiance. Only once had the move sparked deeper suspicion, but it'd been defused when Hakase started baby-talking Yusei like he actually was a cat, and he'd been so offended he visibly recoiled. His friends still joked about it.

It'd been a sharp reminder to keep themselves in check, though. The wider world was not the place for their true feelings and it was a rare day that Hakase wasn't haunted by the ramifications should they be discovered. Even if they skirted by the legal consequences, neither of them would escape the social side; best case was them believing Yusei a victim and shunning Hakase alone. But Yusei would just follow him, defend him, lay himself on the altar of sacrifice right there beside him.

Hakase would sacrifice the world for Yusei and he knew Yusei felt the same, but something nagged at him that maybe...

Maybe that was a bad thing.

[cogshippinghq]

Animalistic [Part 0]

Part 0 - me explaining my insane omegaverse so that the following parts make more sense.

I'll put the Read More early because this is long, lmao

Point A - Aspects of the New Human Condition

In this world, all humans possess two sexes. The first is the "primary sex", also known as the "personal sex" or the "outward sex", and it's divided into 'male' and 'female'. One is assigned male or female depending on what genitalia is most prominent at first glance. The second is the "secondary sex", also known as the "social sex" or the "internal sex", and this is split into seven groups: Alpha, Delta, Beta, Iota, Omega, Lambda, and Zeta. Henceforth, the seven social sexes will be referred to as 'dynamics' for the sake of brevity.

Alpha, one of the First Dynamics. Alphas are territorial, dominating, and fearsome; they are the pack leaders. They tend to be the largest and strongest in a given room, and also the loudest as they have the Alphan Roar - a special vocalization unique to alphas. The Roar can be used to force submission from people of other dynamics, and be used in contests with other alphas to avoid physical blows. Alpha scents tend to be spicy (like cinnamon, nutmeg, or coffee) or animalic (such as amber, civet, or leather).

Delta, one of the Connector Dynamics. Laid between alpha and beta, deltas are territorial, determined, and loyal almost to a fault; they are the defenders of the pack. While not as large and strong as alphas and lacking the Roar, deltas are much more prone to brawling to settle disputes and rarely engage by themselves. Delta scents tend to be animalic or woody (like pine, cedar, eucalyptus).

Beta, one of the First Dynamics. Betas are steadfast, level-headed, and determined; they are the peacekeepers of the pack. While rarely extreme in physicality as the other First Dynamics, and possessing now unique vocalization of their own, Betas have increased longevity and tend to be more resilient to disease. Beta scents tend to be aquatic (like sea salt) or green (such as mint or aloe).

Iota, one of the Connector Dynamics. Laid between beta and omega, iotas are nurturing, level-headed, and intuitive; they are the outer core of the pack. Small but strong and lacking the ability to Purr, iotas operate in groups to rid the pack of problematic individuals - where deltas work to protect the pack from outside threats, iotas work to protect it from inside threats. Iota scents tend to be green or floral (think jasmine and lavender).

Omega, one of the First Dynamics. Omegas are nurturing, submissive, and welcoming; they are the inner core of the pack. Typically quiet and small, omegas have the unique Omegan Purr vocalization, known for its ability to bring calm to even the most tense situations and individuals. However, one should not think omegas weak - they're prone to ferality and are exceptionally vicious when their pups are threatened. Omega scents tend to be fruity (like apples, limes, or peaches) or earthy (such as vetiver or patchouli).

Lambda, one of the Connector Dynamics. Laid between alpha and omega, lambdas show very few trends, usually aligning heavily with alphas or omegas rather than being something wholly their own as iotas and deltas are. Their innate versatility means they can be almost anything the pack needs them to be, and sometimes can switch with little issue. Lambdas have their own unique vocalization known as the Lambdan Hiss, able to invoke a powerful fear response in those who hear it. Lambda scents may be spicy, fruity, or sweet (think cotton candy, caramel, or bubble gum).

Zeta, the Non-Dynamic. Zetas are outliers in nearly every sense; they do not possess scent glands or receptors, they do not experience heats or ruts, and they are almost always very solitary individuals. However, the absence of the instincts and reflexes makes them excellent candidates for leadership at greater scales, and their lack in olfactory perception forces others to speak clearly rather than rely on unspoken cues.

Point B - Human Reproduction

Humans experience heats and ruts. In most individuals, they experience one or the other; alphas, deltas, and beta males have ruts while omegas, iotas, and beta females have heats. Lambdas and zetas are unique in that they experience both and neither respectively.

Heats replace the menstrual cycle. If a heat passes by without conception taking place, the uterine lining is reabsorbed into the body rather than being shed. Beta females have the shortest and mildest heats, lasting for 1-3 days, but it occurs the most often at once a month. Iotas have longer and stronger heats, lasting for 3-5 days and occurring once every 3 months. Omegas have even longer and stronger heats, lasting for 4-6 days and occurring once every 6 months, Lambdas then have the longest and strongest heats, lasting 5-7 days and occurring once a year.

It has been shown that the longer the heat, the more offspring tend to result from the pregnancy. Beta females tend to have 1-2 offspring per pregnancy, iotas 2-3, omegas 2-5, and lambdas 3-7. Iota males, omega males, and lambda males tend to have shorter heats and fewer offspring per pregnancy than their female counterparts.

Ruts are the chemical and instinctual response to detecting a heat scent. Ruts can pass on their own once out of range of the heat scent within an hour, but it is strong enough to override almost all other needs the individual, causing them to hyperfocus on mating; the only need rutting has never been documented to override is the need to breathe. Unlike heats, there are no significant differences between dynamics when it comes to experiencing ruts, though alpha females, delta females, and lambda females tend to have less intense ruts than their male counterparts.

For the reproductive process itself...

Polyspermy is an event where an egg is fertilized by multiple sperm. In the real-life version, this always means death of the resulting zygote. However, within the bounds of this world, polyspermy is a mechanism with which mutations come about in higher frequency. It is a popular theory that the First Dynamics came to be through mutations via polyspermy. In individuals who resulted from this event, they are usually noted as having various "two-tone" conditions, such as heterochromia, stagnant vitiligo, chimerism, and mosaicism.

Further on in the lifespan is puberty, and while much of it aligns with real-life, there is an event known as the presentation in which an individual undergoes their first heat or rut, all of their scent glands open, and their scent matures. For beta females, iotas, and omegas, presentation may be called "blooming" or "blossoming", whereas for beta males, deltas, and alphas, it may be called "revealing" or "realizing". Lambdas will first experience either a heat or a rut depending on their primary sex, and experience the first of the other later on. Zetas do not undergo presentation.

Prior to presentation, the only scent glands that are open on the body are on the inside of both wrists. During presentation, more scent glands will open:

Alpha - Inside of the wrists, sides of the neck, across the shoulder blades, in the lower back

Delta - Inside of the wrists, sides of the neck, across the shoulder blades

Beta - Inside of the wrists, sides of the neck

Iota - Inside of the wrists, sides of the neck, inside of the thighs

Omega - Inside of the wrists, sides of the neck, inside of the thighs, middle of the chest

Lambda - Inside of the wrists, sides of the neck, across the shoulder blades, middle of the chest, in the lower back, inside of the thighs

Point C - Suppressants and Conditions

A common medicine is suppressants. Aptly named, this medicine can be taken - as a pill, patch, implant, or injection - by an individual who wishes to reign in the effects of their ruts or heats. For those who experience heats, it works very similarly to real-life birth control, preventing heats entirely, usually halting ovulation, and needing to be administered on a regular schedule to maintain the effects (as such, this form of suppressant is commonly depicted in pill form). For those who experience ruts, suppressants are much more temporary but only administered during the onset of rut to end it early rather than prevent it (as a result, it tends to be depicted as an injection).

Occasionally, the overuse of heat suppressants can result in a condition known as flash-freeze. This condition is where the uterus becomes "frozen" or "frostbitten" and loses the ability to build and/or maintain a lining. While heats and pregnancy are still possible for individuals with this condition, it is very ill-advised with the lack of protective lining and high chances of miscarriage. This condition is more common in betas and zetas.

On the other end is a condition known as heat-scorch. This condition is when an individual experiencing a heat reaches dangerous internal temperatures. Individuals who have been "scorched" often have issues regulating their body temperature, making them highly sensitive to lower temperatures, may display unreliable memory or memory loss, and may have issues with irritability. In severe cases, the individual may be rendered comatose or even die. This condition is more common in omegas and lambdas.

Rutting sickness is a condition that occurs in rutting individuals, essentially locking them into a state of perpetual rut. As rut overrides many of the essential needs of the individual, this is a typically fatal affliction even with round-the-clock medical care. There is no cure for this condition and treatments are liable to fail. This condition is more common in alphas and lambdas.

Ferality is a mental illness as opposed to a physical illness as the previous three. Ferality occurs as an extreme stress response, causing the individual to lose touch with their higher thinking and rely solely on their baser instincts. As such, individuals with this condition are either exceptionally fearful and flee from nearly anything that disturbs them, or exceptionally violent and aggressive to anything within their general vicinity. There is no trend among dynamics as to the type of ferality they exhibit, though there has been no records of a feral zeta.

[venolfy]

Waiting for someone who will agree with me that father-son relationship is hot and cute. I don't see with this ship dynamic so often

[cogshippinghq]

At the End of Everything

It was a minor thing at first, something easily dismissed, as such insidious disasters tended to be.

It was a stomach bug going around Satellite. Nothing out of the ordinary, it happened from time to time in such a tightly knit community even after the reconstruction. Hakase heard about it well before encountering it himself, and he hadn't worried. He'd had always had a robust immune system, few things could bring him down and fewer still could keep him down. Yusei had only inherited part of that - resilient to initial infection, but would have to fight for days on end if he did fall. So when Hakase woke up early one morning to the sounds of Yusei retching, he hadn't thought much of it beyond basic care. Keep Yusei hydrated, feed him simple things to not rile up his stomach more, and ensure he got plenty of rest to fight off the bug.

Hakase's not quite sure when, but at some point, he shut off his brain and operated entirely on autopilot.

Due to reasons Hakase could only vaguely guess at, Rex had maintained Hakase and Ama's bank accounts; he'd kept a lot of their things that he and Yusei retrieved after the Dark Signer debacle. It left Hakase wanting for nothing, the amount of money he now possessed, so it meant nothing to stay at home with Yusei to nurse him back to health.

Yusei had protested at first, if only due to his sense of pride, but had grown too lethargic to do so within hours. Fever set in, bringing his temperature up into the triple digits and inviting in a near-constant shivering. It took seven blankets before Yusei stopped asking for another, terribly chilled despite how much he was sweating. Every now and again, Hakase would remove the blanket in direct contact with his boy to be washed, and sometimes he would move Yusei to a guest bed to wash up the bedding of their bedroom. Once a day, Hakase would run a bath and wash Yusei thoroughly, something else Yusei tried to protest but simply didn't have the energy to.

Hakase had always been bad about his tunnel-vision, a single-minded focus on what he deemed top priority, and he's kicking himself for it now. Things had been happening in the background, things he should've been paying attention to, and he let it all fall by the wayside. Even the calls from the friend group hadn't been enough to wake him up to the wider reality; several people calling to warn him and Yusei about the emerging illness, their apprehension and fear when he informed them that Yusei was sick but being taken care of.

There is one conversation he can't remember now. One of the few things he can't recall in this moment of clarity. What he does remember, what lets him know it occurred at all, is how it made him feel - a boiling rage like nothing he'd felt before or since. He wishes he could remember who he'd been speaking to, they deserve an apology for the way he lashed out, even if he can't be sure what he'd done.

Days turned to weeks, and Yusei had shown no signs of getting better. In fact, he only got worse as time went on. When Yusei's temperature started to go down, Hakase had first thought the fever had broken, but it kept going down. The shivering got worse and worse, Yusei became so cold and clammy to the touch. Every available blanket in the house was devoted to getting Yusei warm again, and it became increasingly rare for Hakase to be anywhere other than directly at Yusei's side, holding him close to lend him body heat. Yusei started losing responsiveness, unable to indicate he heard the words of comfort, felt the near continuous embrace, saw the falling tears. Getting food or water into Yusei required Hakase to be ready at any time to catch the fleeting moments of lucidity and cooperation, and he came to know what sleep deprivation really felt like.

At some point, Yusei stopped eating, and it struck Hakase with a terror he couldn't describe. He would try, he'd try his hardest, but nothing stayed down long enough to matter. Then, he stopped trying, going from a simple refusal to being unable to acknowledge the offering. Hakase, unintentionally, wound up following suit; preparing even simple broths meant time away from his son, and his heart was poisoned by the fear that if he left, he'd return to a corpse.

He wasn't sure what had tipped their friends off to come kick down their door, but they did just that, marching in to fetch the pair and follow new evacuation orders. This, too, Hakase does not remember in full. He recalls the panic, the return of the boiling rage, and then a collapse into emptiness. He knows what it was, though. They'd seen the situation for what it was and pried Yusei from him, dragging him away kicking and screaming to get him to safety.

Hakase remembers in perfect clarity the wet crunch as Yusei's skull was caved in to finally put him to rest.

What was left of Hakase shattered then, breaking in ways that could never be fixed. He was given space, given apologies and reasons and resources to keep himself alive while they traveled the evacuation path. He remembered little of reality, but he distinctly remembered the...dreams? Hallucinations? Something of that sort. He'd hear Yusei's voice and answer, only to be told he was responding to silence. He'd see Yusei sitting or standing nearby and approach, reaching out and phasing through or just blinking and he was gone. More than once was he woken up because he'd been sleepwalking, heading back to the now ruined city, mumbling about finding his boy.

At some point, they stopped telling him. At some point, they stopped waking him and just tied him to one of the vehicles. At some point, they started fighting about him. At some point, someone started untying him to let him wander away.

Someone always fetched him in the morning.

~*~

~*~*~

~*~

The fortress designated as a safe zone welcomed them with open arms, and Hakase was quickly employed in the energy production and management team - no one was allowed to be idle here, everyone had to earn their rations. Sometimes one needed to fight for their place to sleep. Stealing bedding was common until an incident with Hakase; a sleepwalking episode, his unconscious mind back in his home with Yusei. He'd prepared his bed the way it'd been then, fooling himself into thinking Yusei was there, sleeping under the covers. A trio of brazen blanket thieves barged in and grabbed at the bed.

The team was suddenly down three people, Hakase was never charged with a crime, and no one dared enter his room again. Somehow, it made stealing bedding rather rare practically overnight.

Most had given him a wide berth prior to that event, given his frequent "episodes" as his fellow team members called it. After, only a handful of people could even try to talk to him, let alone succeed. Even those who knew him seemed to shy away when he got too close, though they usually did it out of guilt rather than fear. Hakase could tell the difference.

Yusei never looked sick or injured. He had a faint sort of glow around him, though it never reflected off of anything around him. He was a little translucent, especially when he was close to or in front of the windows letting in the sunlight. His voice was never raspy or wavering or broken. He usually greeted his father with that one small smile reserved for their morning wake up routine.

He was never there for very long, though. It made every moment precious. It made every moment beautiful.

[cogshippinghq]

Starblooded [Part 7]

Yusei bites at every opportunity.

Akiza's the only one who can handle him at the moment, the only one who can do so without actually putting her hands on him. He tires himself out over and over again, but never lets his guard down. The slightest chance to do damage and he takes it with a snap of his teeth. Despite this, the longer they move with him, the more subdued Yusei becomes. It's not too long before they can pull a blanket over him without resistance, but Akiza keeps a strong grip on him. Yusei's cunning and patient, she wouldn't be surprised if he's trying to make an opening to attack or escape.

Jack's called ahead to Carly, informing her of their approach. Apparently, they'd informed the hospital staff about Yusei, and one of the people in charge had been ready to send out a team to find and retrieve Yusei. Said operation has been halted since Yusei's mid-transport now, and instead the team is waiting to receive him due to 'recorded aggression and instability'. The phrasing grates on Akiza for reasons she'd rather not dwell on at the moment.

Akiza's not on her runner for this drive, though it's being brought along for the return trip. She's in the back of the truck some of Yusei's friends brought for the purpose, since one of them - Nervin, she recalls - had anticipated further conflict. Smart guy, if a bit overly anxious. Yusei's beside her, watching her without any indication of thoughts, feelings, or intentions.

It's unsettling to see his expression so flat. She'd thought he wasn't much for expressing himself visually, but it seems she'd misread him the entire time. She wonders what to call the expression he used to wear all the time, it was so...neutral. Was it something he did as self-expression, or was it something he adopted due to circumstance? It's ultimately unimportant, but it is something to entertain her while they travel since Yusei doesn't appear to be up for small talk. Then, he surprises her with a question.

"How is he?"

"Hmm?" she responds at first, then her brain catches up. "Oh, your father?" Yusei nods, unblinking. Still creepy. "He is ill from your bite, but he's doing okay for now."

"For now," Yusei echoes, and Akiza shivers at the edge his voice takes on.

"Well, your bite is...contagious," Akiza says carefully. "We've been assured that, well...it will kill Hakase. It's just a matter of time. Then, he'll come back, like you did."

Yusei stares silently after she stops speaking, like he's looking for signs of deception. There's none to be found since Akiza's not lying, and he eventually, finally, turns his eyes away. "You should've kept him at home," he says with a strange sort of softness.

"I'm sorry," Akiza says. She almost tries to explain, but thinks better of it; it'd probably sound like excuses to Yusei right now, and she doesn't want to fight him on a moving vehicle.

Yusei looks at her again, and she sees the person he used to be in the gentleness of his gaze. "I just...want to see him."

With Yusei back to himself, Akiza takes a risk. "Can...can I ask why you bit him?" Yusei stares at her quietly, but she doesn't see any aggression. "Did you know what the bite would do?" He looks away, and Akiza knows guilt when she sees it. Yusei knew what biting Hakase would do and did it anyways. But why?

She never gets an answer from him.

~*~*~*~

It's about midnight when the Signers and their friends arrive. Carly took the twins home earlier with the promise of bringing them back first thing in the morning, so Hakase's by himself when he gets a text notification. It's from Crow, telling him that Yusei's being admitted to the hospital and is asking to see him as soon as possible. Hakase doesn't bother with a text response and leaves his room, retracing his steps to the main area, and meets someone new on the way.

She's absurdly tall, not to Kelshomry's extreme but enough so that Hakase can tell this is one of her sisters. She's dressed unprofessionally considering the location; a sleeveless, strapless top in a dusty blue color, high rise blue jeans, and black work boots. Her arms are covered in lines and blotches - scratches and bites from her wards, Hakase would guess - and there's a tiredness on her face that he can sympathize with. Her hair is pulled back into a loose, simple plait that drops down to her waist, cyan and pink in equal measure. Despite the obvious stress, she greets him with a smile that reaches her turquoise eyes.

"Howdy, stranger!" she says. "You must be a new one, right?"

Hakase nods. "I'm in the green wing."

"One a' Kelly's! Dontcha worry 'bout a thang, there's noone better t' look after ya!" She is...very loud. Friendly and enthusiastic, but loud. "Oh, where're my manners? I'm Sonder Durviir! You'll be in my wing if all goes well, an' they will!"

Hakase tries a smile, but feels it fail. He sighs. "I was hoping I could be told where my son has been placed."

Sonder nods. "What's your name, then?"

"Hakase Fudo."

"Fudo- oh! Was that your boy?" Hakase nods. "I..." Sonder hesitates. "Well, I'm not sure you'll be allowed t' visit him right now. He's-"

"I can calm him," Hakase assures - pleads, almost - and Sonder hesitates. "I need to see him, he needs to see me."

"I..."

"Please."

Sonder is quiet for a moment, tense, then her body sags and she relents. "Fine," she drawls. "I can't in good conscience keep a father from seein' his son." She gives him a serious look. "I'm not promisin' anythin' though. Lory might kick us out the second she sees us."

"I have to try."

~*~*~*~

The temple chamber is quiet, the two vampires inside even more so. Absentia is the High Priestess of the following, this should be her domain without Her Lady present, but her companion is powerful indeed. The Red Lady has sisters, and they are the first Purebloods after the Red Lady herself.

Roxanne 'the Monolith' Durviir, Grand Whisper of the Vilebloods, carries herself with the air of practiced nobility. Nothing she does is without purpose or consideration - every step, every word, every blink is calculated and intentional. With the First Vampire absent, it's the eldest of the Durviir sisters whose approval carries the most weight. Many of the following saw Roxanne's endorsement of the Starblood Act to be a sign of good will, of good fortune, but Absentia was old enough to know better. Absentia was close enough to Her Lady to know better.

Though she is outwardly a being of beauty, elegance, and charm, Roxanne in truth is a sadistic, selfish, cunning individual; if she did not benefit from something, even minutely, she did not participate or care. Giving the go-ahead to to following to start changing humans in the Satellite area was highly unexpected, both as it went against the rules the Red Lady herself set into place and because Absentia hadn't known Roxanne was aware of their plan to begin with. Clearly she believes there's something she can get out of their efforts, but what it could be eludes the High Priestess. Perhaps there's something she needs from her youngest sister than cannot be done by anyone else. Perhaps the Monolith seeks to make another attempt at placing vampirekind at the top of the world, enslaving mortalkind for the rest of time. Only time, then, would tell, unless the eldest sister did so of her own volition.

"I've received word that you have located your Starblood," Roxanne begins, her voice level and sweet but instilling with Absentia the mortal terror one can only feel when trapped in the confines of the earth itself. "How delightful."

Absentia has to steel her nerves before she can respond, and her voice wavers despite herself. "Y-yes, we have." The Goldblood clears her throat and Roxanne smiles; how she enjoys watching others cower and writhe under her pressure. "He has not undergone the transformation just yet, but it is only days before he rises as one of us."

"Cycles, Priestess," Roxanne chides playfully. "Let us not adopt the terminology of those beneath us."

"...Only a few cycles before he rises."

"Much better. I suppose my sisters are looking after him?"

"Thus far. None of them seem aware of his importance," Absentia responds.

Roxanne nods, that smile still on her painted lips. "Good. Best we keep it that way for now."

'Why?' Absentia asks herself. 'Would they not want their sister and fellow vampire back?' She doesn't voice the question, however, and instead moves to retrieve a special tome from its pedestal. "In eight da- cycles, the Blood Moon will arrive, and the morning after, it will subsume the Sun itself. This alignment has been centuries in the making, and it's what we need to bring back Our Lady."

Roxanne almost seems to pout. "Do I not get to know the details of such a ritual?"

"Will you be participating?" Absentia counters.

Roxanne laughs delicately. "I would, truly, but I'm afraid I'll have other things to tend to." Her gaze turns icy and sharp, and Absentia feels the chill seep into her bones. "Failure is not an option, Priestess. We need our sister back."

"...Of course," Absentia agrees. "Viscora Durviir will return to us. I will uphold my vow to Our Lady."

[cogshippinghq]

I’m in a lolicon/shotacon mood today, so eeehehehhdhebdvjejzijjdj

i. i’m gonna write some stuff about (younger) Yusei and Hakase.

i also have a separate thing planned for Jack but that’s mostly for a friend.

I'M SO LATE TO THIS ASK I'M SORRY TT

If you post it anywhere you should totally link it for me so I can read it, I will CONSUME

[cogshippinghq]

Ah! Rally X Yusei is called Boostershipping iirc, not sure if Yusei X Sect has one though. (But I guess it would be Rivalshipping like the rest of the rival pair names)

I remembered it when I was going to bed yesterday TT having the ship named after the card Rally gave Yusei is so good though!

Maybe Sect x Yusei could be Senseshipping after the special ability duelists have in the manga?

[cogshippinghq]

While I am a diehard for Hakase X Yusei, Sect X Yusei got me good.

…though, the manga is like an alternate universe, so it’s not really the same yusei…??? much to consider.

Oooh, I see someone else has considered it >:}c Unfortunately there is very, very little fan works that feature Sect at all despite his potential as a character.

Also I'm guilty of it too because Rally x Yusei continues to simmer on a back burner in my brain lol

[cogshippinghq]

Starblooded [Part 6]

The drive to the hospital Dr Grand told them to go to is eerily silent. No one has anything to fill the void with, and Hakase frowns because he doesn't know how to change that. Being sent for observation means Dr Grand expects something to happen, likely something for the worse, and he's going to be kept for however long it takes. What bothers him more is that he won't be able to rejoin the search for Yusei. His boy will be out there by himself and he's not sure Yusei's going to be able to bring himself to get near anyone else. Disobeying the doctor's orders will surely cause even more problems, but Hakase's tempted to roll the dice anyways. Consequences be damned.

He's not sure what to expect of a hospital newly dedicated to containing vampires of all things, but from the outside, it looks normal. The windows are much darker than they normally would be, and almost all of them have cages on the outside, but it's not hard for Hakase to overlook them considering the circumstances. Something that helps put him a little more at ease is the amount of non-staff around the building. It looks like visitation is in full swing at this time of day, with a few security staff apparently informing visitors of protocol.

The entrance is marked with a booth of some kind, and the bar stays lowered as Carly pulls up to it. The man standing inside eyes Hakase immediately, but shifts to Carly. "Got some paperwork for me?" he asks. Carly hands the folder to him without a word, though she does open her mouth to try. Nothing came out, so she closes it again and grips the steering wheel a little tighter. The man looks it over, nods to himself, and scans one of the papers to see it on his holographic screen. "Another one from Grand. Woman's on a roll this week.

"You're going to be in Wing K," he says, handing the folder back. There's a card of some kind, almost like a keycard, and Hakase handles it gingerly. "Best care in the city, I can promise you that. Go on in." Carly gives him a curt nod as the bar rises and she does as instructed, finding a space to park. Hakase's not out of the car for five seconds before the twins are at his sides again. Luna looks more inquisitive than he expected, but Leo looks ready to run. He leads them behind Carly into the patients' entrance.

The pale outside is misleading, because the inside is warm earthy tones and soft candle-like lighting. It's not until now that Hakase realizes how much the brighter light had been bothering him, and he feels tension he didn't know he was holding leave him. Up along the tops of the walls are strings of colored lights, each one different, and below them are signs lit up from behind, only the letters letting the glow through. They follow the arrows to the waiting room, and it's all comfort.

Adults and teens sitting on apparently very nice chairs and sofas, children playing in the middle of the spacious room with soft blocks and plush animals. There's several table duels happening around the room, and it seems everyone's adhering to the library voices idea. The nurses at the counter are quick in their work, quicker than Hakase has ever seen; they're like a well-oiled machine the way they slip around one another, handing things off and picking others up in the same fluid motion.

Carly nudges Hakase's side. "Go sit for a little bit," she says. "You're starting to sway." He hadn't noticed, but now that he's thinking about it, he can just feel himself moving side to side. He obliges, letting Leo take the lead to an unoccupied sofa for the three of them to share. The twins stay glued to him, and he's getting a little worried about how much Leo's acting like a high-strung guard dog. Any gesture made in their general direction and he's on high alert like he expects a threat to leap from the darker corners of the room. As much as the older Signers would have fought it, Hakase's starting to think that letting the twins join the 'war room' meeting might have been the better option, at least for Leo. Hakase pulls him closer to his side, but it doesn't convince Leo he doesn't need to keep his head on a swivel.

Hakase turns his gaze to the others in the room. It's mostly teens and adults, which isn't very surprising. But when Hakase watches the gaggle of younger children in the middle, he realizes three or four of them have been bitten. It pours tension back into his body and he holds Luna and Leo a little tighter without meaning to. Leo shifts, looking for whatever made Hakase uneasy, but Luna sees it first. She shrinks away somewhat, looking sorrowful. If Leo has a reaction to it, Hakase doesn't catch it.

It's not long before Carly's ushering them to follow her and a petite nurse in dark violet scrubs. Once they're in the hall, the nurse begins to speak. "Okay, now, Hakase Fudo, yes?" He nods at his name. "You're in the green wing, under Kelshomry Durviir. She does the observation and, uh, preparatory care for bite victims." Hakase almost raises a brow at the sugar coating, but then again, is it really end of life care if the patient comes back? "You'll want to look for the green lights up there," the nurse says, pointing to the strings of lights.

"What do they all mean?" Luna asks quietly.

"It's a color system to help people know where to go," the nurse answers kindly. "Green is for Kelshomry, blue is for Cecilia, yellow is for Harlow, purple is for Lorelei, orange is for Roxanne, and cyan is for Sonder. They're all sisters, you know."

"Sisters?" Carly asks. "How many of them are there?"

"Six of them now," the nurse replies. "Used to be seven - this hospital was built in the memory of that seventh sister. Viscora was her name, I think. She was the youngest of the lot, and she spent her whole life studying all the ways the body could be hurt so she could find ways to heal it."

"She sounds like a wonderful person," Luna comments.

The nurse nods. "Some folks say she was among the best. I've seen lots of the people she's helped - directly or indirectly - singing her praises. Her treatments gave hope to those who'd resigned themselves to never getting better. Single-handedly reignited their faith in doctors after years of getting the run-around or told it's all in their heads."

As they walk, Hakase notices the surroundings changing from the browns, greys, and blacks to various shades and hues of green. It's accompanied by forest imagery; brightly colored lightning bugs and butterflies and the dark silhouettes of deer between the trees gives the halls an almost magical forest feel. Luna seems particularly enthralled with it. When they reach a more open space, they also reach Kelshomry herself.

Kelshomry Durviir is like a willow tree given human form. She's absurdly tall, so much so that she has to lean down considerably to fit into the halls. Her body seems longer than it really is given how thin she is, though Hakase can't say it's to an unhealthy degree. Most of her pink hair is cut short, though two locks to either side of her face are kept long enough to reach her hips, and the pink color fades into a lovely emerald green. It matches her eyes when she turns to view the group, and she dismisses the nurse with a nod of acknowledgement.

"My newest ward," Kelshomry says, her voice like a summer breeze. "I was told to expect you." Her long dress makes it seem like she's floating as she approaches. "Dr Theodosia Grand reports that you have irregular blood samples. Such is not my sphere, but I would ask that you be prepared for more to be drawn for my sisters' work."

Hakase doesn't need to think about it. "If they think it'll help," he agrees.

The tall woman in green gives him a gentle smile. "I do appreciate the cooperation. Times have been trying these days. But I digress, allow me to escort you to your chamber." She turns with a grace even the most skilled dancers could never achieve and ducks into a hall, motioning the group to follow, and she continues to explain as they go. "I am sure you are already informed, but my wing handles the comfort and housing of those whose bites have not yet taken their final toll on the body. I will not mince words - you are going to die here. There is nothing we can do to prevent that. But should it bring you solace, know that you will not stay dead. You will return to the mortal coil, return to your body. It might not feel the way it used to, you may not be the same as you were before, but you will return."

"What will happen if I do?" Hakase asks.

"You will be transferred to Sonder's wing for evaluation. If you are stable, you will move on to Harlow's wing. If you are not, you will remain in Sonder's care until you are. If you experience a particularly concerning amount of instability and aggression, you will be placed under Lorelei until your condition improves."

"Will I be able to meet them beforehand?"

"Unlikely," Kelshomry says like an apology. "Their work is...more involved than mine, they are needed in person much more than I am. Sonder still makes the effort to visit my wing and introduce herself, but it is getting rarer as the number of her wards increases." She brings the group to a stop in front of a door - it's wooden, stained green and detailed in what looks like gold - and gently places a key into Hakase's hands for him to open it.

The interior looks like a small apartment. Again it's mostly in earthy, forest tones of browns and greens, but with it comes a sense of...coziness, he supposes. Like a cottage in an old glade. The twins don't move far to explore, but they do explore, and Hakase takes it as a good sign. Kelshomry doesn't enter herself, on account that the door isn't even half her height, but she does kneel to look in and watch.

Carly pokes around the kitchen, peeking in cabinets and appliances just to see. Leo's bouncing on the couch in front of the television like he's testing the potential comfort, and Luna's by bookshelves and desktop computer looking over titles. Hakase himself wanders to the one door he sees; it's to the bedroom, which has an adjoining bathroom. As nice as it all is, one could almost mistake for a hotel room, a temporary place to stay, and it is, in a way. He doesn't go in very far, but he's seen more than enough to know he's not going to want for much here.

When he drifts back, Kelshomry speaks once more. "I am required to inform you and your visitors that visiting hours are split into three blocks. The first is our morning block, between seven-thirty and eleven-thirty. The second is our afternoon block, between two-thirty to seven. Our third is the night block, from ten to five."

Carly blinks. "Wait, you allow night visits? I've never heard of a hospital doing that."

Kelshomry smiles. "Well, we have patients most other hospitals are not equipped to handle. It is a trying time for many, and we will not deny them or their loved ones opportunities."

Leo looks thoughtful for a moment. "Do you guys...only take in people who are just bitten? Or do you take in people who've already...?" He frowns trying to think of a good word, but Kelshomry understands.

"So long as we have the space, we will happily accept residents who have already undergone their own trial," she says, and Hakase can see Leo filing her wording away for later use. The tall lady eyes him curiously. "I suppose you have someone in mind to ask such a thing?"

"My son," Hakase answers. "He was bitten over a week ago, and when we found him last night, he was...uncooperative."

"Is he the cause of your bite?" Hakase recoils from the question without meaning to, and Kelshomry looks sympathetic. "Such is common. Whether it was a reflexive action or a deliberate one, I am sure he meant no harm."

"I know he didn't," Hakase says. "He just didn't recognize us at first." He feels bad about the partial lie - Yusei had recognized his father just fine, it was everyone else he hadn't. "We're supposed to head out again tonight to find him, but I..."

"You have taken ill from his bite," Kelshomry finishes for him, and he nods. "Perhaps I can convince Cecilia to spare a task force to retrieve him." Hakase grimaces at the thought, at the idea of his boy getting cornered and captured like an animal, but if he proves too much for anyone else to handle...

"It...would be appreciated," he says with some difficulty. If Kelshomry notices, she doesn't point it out.

Instead, she glances at the clock on the wall, getting Hakase and Carly to do the same. A quarter after three. "You have plenty of time to become acquainted with your space. Do keep our time limitations in mind." With that, she stands and glides away, letting the door close as she leaves.

~*~

~*~*~*~

~*~

Where is he?

The scent is stale in the evening glow, and Yusei finds himself getting angry. His father is nowhere to be found, not where he should be, and Yusei's on the prowl for him. Hakase's supposed to be resting, supposed to be safe at home, supposed to be there for Yusei to find again, so where is he?

There's people around. It takes him that second too long to realize he knows them, but it does nothing to quell the burning rage inside his chest. It's Crow he gets by the throat, pinning him to the wall of the house.

"Where?" Yusei snarls.

"M-mainland," Crow chokes out. "Special...hospital."

Yusei lets go before anyone grabs him with a growl of frustration. How dare strangers take his father from him! Akiza blocks his way before he can stalk off and figure out how he's going to get Hakase back. "Before you leave! We want to take you there!"

"To be a prisoner?" Yusei snaps. She balks but doesn't back down. "He should be here! At home!" He flexes his claws. "But you handed him over!"

"No! He got sick from your bite-!"

Yusei bellows a war cry and launches, bringing his claws up at her face. He's stopped by a full-body tackle from Jack and they both go sprawling. Yusei's on his feet first and raises his hands, bringing them down into the concrete when Jack is pulled out of the way. Vines rip themselves through the artificial rock and wrap around his limbs, and each time he rips one off another three whip at him for another hold. The first swarms are smooth and rely on brute strength to keep him, but it's not long before they're covered in hooked thorns as though cutting his flesh would deter him from fighting. Gold leaks from his minor wounds, from the corners of his mouth when he resorts to biting through the plants, and it does wind him down in time. And eventually, he falls to his knees, then to his side, exhausted in the battle of attrition.

He glares when the group approaches, attempting to tend the injuries and cover his body. Akiza captures some of his blood in a small vial of sorts and stares hard at it before looking at him. "Don't worry, you're going to be safe. You're going to see Hakase soon.

"I promise"

[cogshippinghq]

Starblooded [Part 5]

Not for the first time, but Akiza wonders how Yusei or Hakase ever managed to wrangle the ragtag group of misfits that is the Signers.

It's a small blessing that the twins aren't here to make staying on track even harder than it is already. Akiza makes herself retract that thought quickly, though; the twins are just children, after all. But this entire group is bouncing between ideas, speculations, and superstitions. There's an attempt to do research, at least, but half the time the conversation feels like it's running in circles. The only part of it Akiza is sure of is that they simply don't have enough information to properly jump from.

So, what do they know?

About the attacks themselves, Blister was able to procure medical documents about victims when given about an hour - Akiza was only slightly concerned how the only other person who looked unsettled by it was Trudge - and there are patterns. First is the one injury all victims share: four punctures, always on the neck. They're symmetrical, evenly spaced, and shockingly deep. On a handful of surviving victims, however, examiners found impressions of human teeth in line with the punctures, indicating the wounds to be done via bite with fangs. Despite this, testing for saliva has yet to bear fruit.

Second piece is the lack of additional injury. None of the victims had bruises, rope burns, broken bones, anything that could reveal a struggle. Whomever is behind the attacks has some way to gain total trust...or submission. Even someone as naturally wary as Yusei seemed to have fallen prey to the allure with little to no effort on his killer's part.

Third piece is the attack aftermath, which comes in two parts. Trudge came bearing his own documents - Yusei's not the first one to rise, and he hasn't been the last either. What currently makes him unique is that he's the only "morgue victim" (Security's internal term for victims who were initially recovered dead and rose) loose on the streets; all others are in custody. "Fallen victims", referring to victims who were recovered alive, only to die later and rise, were initially mismanaged due to lack of information; no one really believed it was vampires until one of them died and came back with a thirst for blood. The embalming procedures seems to "kickstart" a fallen victim to rise earlier than they otherwise would, and comparatively, those kickstarted are much more aggressive initially than those who are given time.

Fourth piece is the behavior of the risen victims. From those in observation, the following has been noted. Sensitivity to bright lights, distinctive fear of sunlight, retractable fangs, "switch-claws" or the ability to turn their fingertips into blade-like claws and back again, improved night vision, smell, and hearing. According to tests, they can consume nothing more than blood, though aren't restricted to human blood; animal blood works just fine, but seems to have a different taste. Some appreciate it more than others.

Fifth, and this one catches Akiza's attention the most - blood samples. Different victims who've risen may not give the same blood, though it acts the same as human blood in testing. Known colors include red, blue, black, white, and green. No one has figured out why this difference occurs, though there's endless speculations. It makes Akiza wonder what kind of blood is running in Yusei's veins now, and what it means for him once they bring him home.

Her phone vibrates, shaking her from her thoughts. She retreats to get away from the group conversation, shooting Crow a look so he knows, and answers. "Hey, Carly," she greets.

"Hiya," Carly says back. She sounds nervous. "So, doctor lady just finished up with Hakase, and she wants us to head into the city to get him under observation."

Akiza appreciates that Carly gets right to the point, but her heart jumps into her throat. "Did she tell you why?"

"Something about the blood sample she took for testing," Carly answers. "The tests haven't come back yet, but Dr Grand - that's doctor lady's name, by the way - was the one who treated the first person to...er...come back...? I didn't see it very well, but she said the sample was the strangest she's seen so far."

"Worst thing she could have said," Akiza mutters. She takes a breath to try and steady herself. "Do as she says. If she's the most experienced doctor right now, then we do what she tells us."

"...Can I ask a question real quick?"

"Shoot."

"So...we're on the clock now, right? Like, Hakase's gonna turn soon?"

Akiza frowns deeply, but no one's there to see it. "Unless we find a cure or something in the next few days, but I don't see that happening."

"So we gotta find Yusei before Hakase goes down."

"What do you mean?"

"Yusei was stupid strong, remember?" Carly points out. "We can't chalk that up to Signer nonsense, he was just like that. There's a very real chance that his father's going to be stronger, because Hakase was stronger physically before this."

Akiza grimaces - it'd slipped her mind. She recalled the fight in crystal clarity, but Yusei's unusual strength had been a footnote in the chaos. When he'd gotten serious, Yusei had ripped his way through her thorny vines like they were paper streamers and brutalized anyone who tried to stand in front of him. Hakase was bigger than Yusei, taller and more muscular, so if he turned and suffered from ferality as Yusei did...

"All the more important we do as Dr Grand advises," Akiza says finally. "Wherever she's recommended will likely be a place equipped to handle this."

"And if it's not?"

Akiza sighs again. "Then we better hope we have Yusei before it happens."

~*~*~*~*~

The Lady's chambers are silent, as they usually are now. Atheris is among the privileged few who can enter whenever she pleases, but she takes care not to abuse it. It's a safe, quiet place to escape to when the rest of the covens get too dramatic. She'd once thought petty politics were beneath immortal vampires, but it seems that petty politics is all they have time for. How disappointing.

The center of the grand chamber is the altar, once used for rituals unseen for centuries at this point, now used to hold the headless body of the the Lady. Decapitation is lethal to any other vampire, but the Lady is too powerful for that; only the destruction of her heart would do her in, and no weapon has proven capable of piercing her breast to reach it.

Resting her acidic gaze upon the slumbering Lady, Atheris thinks on the tales told by the priestesses. The Lady is known by many titles and what someone calls her is a good way to know their blood without needing to spill it.

Purebloods call her the First Pureblood, which is perhaps the most honest title awarded to her. She was the first vampire, after all; she was the one with the purest blood.

Bluebloods call her the Wrought Iron Queen. They say it's a name given to her by the long dead fae, that the fairfolk tried to deceive her and she bathed in their blood in retaliation for their trickery. Some even claim it was her blood magic that gave the fae their weakness to iron.

Sunbloods call her the Omen of the Dark Sun. This one is based in history, that she could call the moon to obscure the sun and allow her children to roam freely. Atheris is far too young to know if this is actually true, but no one argues it.

Moonbloods call her She Who Eclipses the Void. They believe that she created the first lycan by imbuing the blood of her most loyal children with moonlight. Not all werewolves revere her, but those who don't seem to always fear the day she returns.

Vilebloods call her the Goddess of Undeath. She was the first to ever spit in the face of nature and escape the cycle of life and death. She did what many thought only divine beings could do, and didn't that in turn make her a dark divinity in her own right?

Then there's the Goldbloods. Goldbloods believe they're her favorite children, and so they tend to call her the First Matron, the True Mother, or some other variant. Goldbloods get to have visions from her, called upon directly to do her bidding, though she's not done anything like that recently.

Atheris' broach glows with power. She holds it lazily, knowing who it is before she speaks.

"Ready our forces," Absentia says. "Our Conduit is here."

[cogshippinghq]

Starblooded [Part 4]

Hakase is sick.

He expected it after he was able to examine the bite Yusei left on his throat. The flesh is darkened around the punctures and weeping a strange fluid since. Just before he'd gone to bed to recover, it'd been an almost golden liquid, but now that he's looking at it again, it's changed to a very dark blue and when the light strikes just right, it produces pale glimmers. There's something poetic about it, in Hakase's mind, for his son's bite to leave something that looks like a night sky full of stars.

Beyond that, though, is several symptoms that are going to haunt him for the foreseeable future. He's feverish, his cheeks light flush standing out against his paling skin, and he's getting dark circles under his eyes. He aches right down to his bones, every movement a test of his strength of will. His stomach is terribly upset and making ominous sounds like some sort of warning. There's a migraine just around the corner.

When he was being dragged back home, several people demanded he go to a clinic - better, a hospital on the mainland - but Hakase had played pathetic well enough that they let him rest in his own bed for the rest of the night. He isn't here alone, either; several people stayed to keep an eye on him. The night's sleep had been fitful at best, so Hakase was awake almost every time someone checked on him. It was usually Crow or Akiza, though Carly had popped in once or twice. Hakase couldn't recall seeing her before that, so perhaps Jack had called her in to help keep watch.

Hakase hasn't had the courage to head out into the rest of the house, so he's thankful he and Yusei opted for a bathroom attached to the master bedroom. But he can't stay in here forever. He needs to seek medical attention, and if he doesn't get going on his own, he has no doubt he'll be dragged out. He looks in the mirror again, almost wincing at the state he's in, and forces himself back into the bedroom to dress.

When he finally gets himself to the living room, it's the group he expects and they're talking about Yusei. Hakase's steps are slow and careful enough just to not fall over that he gets to eavesdrop.

"How are we supposed to fight that, though?" Crow's asking. He sounds exasperated. "You heard the report. No signs ova struggle, and no one we know he knew woulda been there fer him to let down his guard. What can a vampire do that rendered Yusei so helpless, an' if he couldn't overcome it, how are we going to?"

"What makes you think Yusei is such a big indicator?" Jack snaps back. Rising tempers is not good, the last thing they need is infighting.

"He was the Head of the Dragon!" Crow fires back. "His special ability was Clear Mind! His whole thing was force of will and unshakable focus! He shoulda been built for this, an' he's the first one to get got!"

"Enough!" Akiza erupts. "We do not need to be shouting like this in front of Leo and Luna, and we certainly don't need to be shouting in Hakase's house." There's a guilty-feeling silence that follows her words, then quiet apologies.

With less anger, Akiza goes on. "I don't think how Yusei was bitten matters right now." Three voices rise to protest, but something makes them cut off. "What matters right now is getting Hakase to that clinic and making sure his bite doesn't cause him to go berserk like Yusei did.

"After we get Hakase situated, we'll go back out to find Yusei and bring him home," she finishes.

Carly speaks next. "I think we need a plan of some kind to deal with it, so I'm gonna ask - what do we do if it's confirmed that the bite Hakase got from Yusei was...infectious?"

"That...would depend on how long we have," Akiza replies, a little more unsure than she was. "If it's a slow process to...to change, then we'll have to make finding Yusei our top priority. He's going to be our best source of information."

"And if he's wild again?" Jack questions.

Akiza sighs after a moment. "We'll have to capture him anyways. He snapped out of it once, he can do it twice."

Crow makes some kind of noise. "He'll be our best bet to find out what's happenin' in Satellite, too. 'Cause it is vampires, an' it'll take us knowin' how vampires work to take 'em down."

"What...are we supposed to do?" Luna pipes up.

"Simple," Jack says. "While we're out looking for Yusei, you two are going to be keeping an eye on Hakase." The elder Fudo can practically hear the twins balk at the idea, but neither fight it. He knows that the poor children are nervous around medical facilities due to Luna's coma. At the same time, they cannot be sent out to hunt down an unpredictable vampire, and leaving them to their own devices will undoubtedly lead them into trouble.

With the increasing lull in the conversation, Hakase chooses to hobble out of the short hallway and into view. Leo sees him first and startles with a yelp, alerting the rest to look.

"Damn-!" slips from Crow before he can stop himself, and he looks rather sheepish for it immediately after. Akiza and Carly move to admonish him, but stop when Hakase holds up a hand.

"It's a reaction I expected," he says gently. "I examined myself in a mirror, I know I look about as bad as I feel." The Signers - and Carly - stand and approach to help him move when they see him struggle a bit. He leans on the island in the kitchen, but it aggravates his aching arms more than it relieves his ailing legs.

Akiza jumps back into what Hakase can only see as her leader mode. "There's a clinic not far from here that's been tending other victims of these bites. If anyone will know if you're at risk of contracting this...condition...it'll be someone working there." When Hakase nods in understanding, Akiza looks to Carly. "Did you get the rest of your car packed up?"

"Yes, ma'am," Carly confirms with a forced cheerfulness. Hakase doesn't know if that's what makes Akiza look disgruntled or the usage of ma'am, but it's passed by before he can blink and she turns her attention back to him. "You're riding with Carly and the twins. The three of us will be on our runners. We'll escort you there, stay for initial assessments, and then we'll head out for our meeting."

"Meeting?" Hakase echoes.

Jack nods at him. "Wider group debrief of sorts. We still need to find Yusei and bring him in, preferably in one piece."

Crow adds on, "We're gonna need everyone to pitch in here. We made several mistakes last night an' we cannot repeat 'em when we find him again." Hakase nods with understanding again and fights down a wince when his headache throbs at the action.

Before they leave, Akiza all but ushers the rest outside before checking Hakase's injury. She frowns deeply at what she sees, but another look at his face convinces her to keep quiet as she replaces the bandage. "You're going to be okay," she says. It reminds him of when he said it to his boy, and that it was more for himself. He wonders if that's the case now.

~*~*~*~

There's more people at the clinic than Hakase hoped to see. It's unclear how many of them are people who've been bitten and how many are just people here for something more mundane. His question is answered when one of the staff spots him and immediately points him out to the ones behind the main desk. He takes the lead and approaches, the twins holding onto his hands like lifelines.

One nurse pointedly looks at his neck and then back down at her computer. "You've been attacked recently," she says.

"Bitten," Hakase confirms.

The nurse nods and makes a call. "We've got a new bite victim. Are you off break?" A response Hakase can't hear. "Not visible but general appearance matches." Another response. "Very good, I'll send him in." She hangs up and points down the hall to her right, Hakase's left. "Last room on the right," she says. "Try to keep it to as few people as possible, there's not much space."

There's little debate before Carly's trotting down the hall in front of Hakase and the twins, the three older Signers electing to go ahead and leave for the meeting.

The doctor who welcomes them tiredly is a beautiful woman. Her skin is almost as dark as night, contrasting with the white doctor's coat and pale scrubs she's wearing. Her eyes are bright gold, but it almost hurts for Hakase to meet them for long.

"Hello, I'm Dr Grand," she greets. "Take a seat, and we'll get started."

[cogshippinghq]

Starblooded [Part 3.5]

Everything went wrong so quickly.

Yusei wasn't sure what he expected when he and Crow set out to find the culprits of a string of apparent murders and near-deaths. 'Vampire' had gotten thrown around at the time, but despite everything, Yusei hadn't really taken it seriously. He should have, in hindsight, but it just didn't seem within the realm of possibility until he was face to face with an actual creature of the night.

She wasn't what he thought of when someone said 'vampire'. Most of the vampire media he'd seen in passing was all about disfigured monsters or deathly pale humans. This woman was the darkest Yusei had ever seen, dolled up in golden makeup and jewelry that practically glowed in contrast. Her dress, bizarrely formal for the slums of Satellite, flowed around her and her movements like silvery moonlight given material form. When she turned her unblinking gaze to him, he'd been awestruck; even her eyes were gold, metallic, lustrous, and sharper than any piece of steel.

She knew who he was, and she smiled a soft little smile. "Not who I was hoping for," she said with the voice like a choir of angels, "but you are the next best thing." She beckoned him forward with a finger, her nail like a claw, and Yusei's body moved of its own accord - not that he would have done anything else - and stopped to kneel before her. She lifted his chin, and whatever she said was lost to the hypnotic power of her eyes.

He never felt the bite.

Kill

Consume

Multiply

Conquer

Yusei's body was autopsied. Outside of the piercing wounds on the side of his neck, there were no injuries. The lack of blood in his body made running certain tests difficult, but that lack was ruled the cause of death - exsanguination.

Kill.

Consume.

Multiply.

Conquer.

Next of kin was called. Biological father, adoptive mother. Friends were brought. All were allowed a chance to see him before the vigil began. No one wanted to look at the wound, so no one noticed the gold starting to ooze from it.

Kill.

Consume.

Multiply.

Conquer.

Most of his organs would be useless in Yusei's "unlife", so they were recycled. Were one to watch, they would observe the flesh melting down into more of that golden fluid like metal scrap. It seeped into his bones, building their density but ruining their blood cell production. His heart and stomach were kept, growing bigger and stronger in the empty space. His lungs were shrunk down, kept to allow speech and smell but no longer vital to survival.

KILL.

CONSUME.

MULTIPLY.

CONQUER.

Yusei's fangs grew in the new sheaths. The upper fangs were longer, the lower ones more sturdy, all hollow for the drinking of blood. His sinuses were remodeled, devoted to his sense of smell to heighten it, attuned to the scent of fresh blood. Hearing repaired, made more resilient, able to hear subsonic sounds of an elephant and the supersonic noises of a bat. Taste buds rewired to help him crave blood, human blood above all else, his own type A blood the most desired.

KILL!

CONSUME!

MULTIPLY!

CONQUER!

Yusei woke up with a sense of unyielding purpose. It was a base almost carnal purpose, like something had hijacked his own animal instincts and intensified them. His stomach was empty, painfully so. His perception of the world returned to him. All he found when he opened his eyes and took a breath on reflex was cold, hard metal. He was laid down on more metal, and he acted on his first thought; he pressed his palms against the wall above him and pushed himself down. Sure enough, the metal he was on was a platform of sorts, rolling down until it clanged against the wall at his feet. He increased the pressure until it gave way after something he couldn't see broke under the strain, and he slid out into a dark clinical room. It struck him as a medical place, but the purpose wasn't immediately clear to him, so he disregarded it as unimportant.

What was important was the fact that there was one way in or out - the big double doors. Yusei sat up and got off the platform-thing and approached, taking another breath for scents. Nothing caught his attention, so he pushed the doors open and padded through the hall. Nothing looked familiar, so he resolved to find the nearest window and escape. He found one in a room with soft furniture, but nothing he did made it budge, almost like it'd been reinforced somehow. The glass did still cave when he smashed a chair against it, but the alarm it triggered made him resort to forcibly jumping through it.

He ran into the shadows, feeling them wash over him like an old friend. His stomach clenched, unhappy with its emptiness, and Yusei went on the hunt. He made distance between him and the alarmed building he just escaped before committing to the prowl for food, but an officer found him anyway.

It was quickly fixed when Yusei opened the officer's throat with claws he didn't remember having before, but the blood sated his hunger. Something drove him to keep going despite the meal, though, and he obliged. He didn't know what he was looking for other than somewhere to wait out the day - the thought of being out in the sun repulsed him on a visceral level for reasons he couldn't articulate even to himself - but he kept himself sharp. Nothing jumped out at him before the rising sun drove him to seek shelter in a basement of an old building, but when he woke up again, it spurred him back into the search.

And what Yusei was looking for found him.

His father shared his blood type, Yusei could smell it, could hear it coursing through his veins as his heart picked up speed. Hakase hadn't seen him yet, and he tensed as Yusei drew closer. Yusei heard Hakase whisper his name like a prayer and the commands that tainted his mind rise to the surface. Kill, consume, multiply, conquer. Yusei had intuitively figured out what kill and consume meant for him - he was a blood-starved beast on the hunt - but now he understood what multiply and conquer meant. He needed to do to Hakase what that angel lady did to him. Multiply by changing his father, and more people after that, and 'conquer' a place to make their own safe haven.

Yusei readied to pounce as Hakase was overwhelmed to see him again. 'You missed me, Father,' Yusei mused to himself, 'You won't need to worry anymore, after tonight. We'll never be apart again.' The moment he thought it, Hakase held out a hand. For a moment Yusei wondered if Hakase had read his mind, or somehow discovered his intentions, but either way he was receptive.

So Yusei bit him.

He didn't judge his father for the reflex to escape - self-preservation was instinctual, after all - and in a moment, Hakase embraced him, murmuring reassurances. His blood felt like rejuvenation, injecting Yusei's body with a new sense of vigor and strength. He lost himself in the taste, in the feeling it brought, until he heard his father's words become mumbled and almost incoherent. Yusei retracted his fangs and licked the punctures to seal them, and lowered Hakase to the ground as gently as he could, leaning him against the brick wall. As Hakase fought to stay conscious, Yusei contemplated.

He didn't remember how the angel lady changed him, and even now, he'd guess that Hakase wouldn't remember how Yusei managed it either. With the way Hakase was struggling to keep his head up, just offering his own blood would be more hassle than it needed to be, so Yusei bit the inside of his cheeks, drawing wells of blood. He took Hakase's head into his hands to hold him up and still and pressed their lips together. His father parted his lips automatically and Yusei's blood-laced tongue seized the opportunity.

He broke the kiss earlier than he wanted to make sure Hakase could breathe and to bite himself again, as the small cuts he'd made had sealed quicker than he'd expected. Without warning, Hakase's body almost seized; he gagged and pushed Yusei back. Nothing happened beyond the retching, and Yusei noted Hakase beginning to shudder; such a small amount of blood, but it was already doing work. When his father started to sway, Yusei made sure he didn't fall and laid him down gently when his arms gave out. He hovered over his now unconscious father, watching and waiting for any sign that he'd done it correctly.

"Father...?" Yusei spoke, his voice rougher than he was used to. It had been a while since he'd last used it, so it wasn't entirely a surprise. There was no response, but Hakase's heart was still beating, so Yusei didn't panic.

Not until he heard people getting too close.

He snapped to attention, a growl already in his throat. His vision tinted itself red, his fangs unsheathed themselves, and his claws were at the ready. When the pair walked into view, he didn't recognize them as anything more than threats to his father. One of them cried out when they saw him laying motionless, but any attempt to rush forward was halted when Yusei gave them a loud warning snarl.

Yusei was in a bad situation. Hakase was completely out of it, and the blood needed time and peace to change him properly. Yusei knew he could carry Hakase, but he wasn't so sure if he could outpace two assailants doing so. One wrong turn and they'd be cornered. He knew he was deadly - a thing built to fight - but the intruders would only need one shot if it was the right shot. With two of them, the odds were level at best.

The strangers tried conversing with him, but their words fell on uncaring ears. Any time one tried to approach, Yusei hissed and they'd retreat. What was the win condition for him here? Hope that his father changed over the course of minutes? Find some way of driving these two off without getting himself or Hakase killed?

Hakase stirred again, attracting Yusei's eyes. He was still unsteady, but he recognized Yusei, whispering his name again. Yusei saw his father's arms reaching up, shaking and weak, and he lowered himself so he could be reached more easily. Warm hands pressed against he chest with purpose, and Yusei had to stifle a wince; Hakase was feeling for a heartbeat. There was one, but it was much slower than it otherwise should've been.

Yusei sensed one of the strangers try to approach again and he snapped at them wordlessly, defensively. The other one didn't back down so easily, pressing forward even Yusei almost plunged his fist through the concrete below them. His warped vision was obscuring details from him, but he saw the minute head turn as the assailant looked at Hakase. For the first time since he woke up, panic and rage consumed him from the inside; they were trying to take Hakase!

Yusei roared and lunged forward with a sweeping claw, but it missed. The second swing wasn't fast enough, and something like barbed wire shot up just in time to let him drag his hand across it. He yelped and pulled back, but the wounds were already healing. Hakase groaned behind him and Yusei whirled around just to make sure they haven't been snuck up on, and when he whipped back around to push the duo back, lights seared his eyes. He hissed and covered his eyes, and the panic faded as his rage reached a fever pitch. The hiss deepened into a roar, and Yusei blindly launched himself forward.

The wire isn't wire and ripped under his assault, then his claws were digging into meat, right down to the bone. The screams hardly registered in his ears as he swung with wild abandon, even as the red of his vision crept back. He caught one of the bigger enemies by their clothing and wound up for a killing blow-

"Yusei, stop!"

Yusei stopped, looking back at Hakase and wondering if he'd heard right. His prey escaped his grasp and retreated feebly. When Hakase said nothing else, Yusei kicked himself mentally for getting distracted by nothing and returned his attention to the prey. New ones, big ones, had joined the herd, trying to form a wall, but Yusei hardly cared how strong they thought they were - their untimely fates were sealed.

"Yu...Yusei, don't," Hakase pleaded. Yusei paused to listen. "This isn't you. I...I know something's happened to you, but please fight it. Come back to us." Slowly, Yusei turned to face his father. It was like someone had doused him with cold water to wake him from some kind of slumber. The red drained from his vision, the incessant instincts were reduced from a scream to a muffled murmur. And when Yusei dared to look back at what he once thought was prey, he saw his friends, battered and bruised and bloodied by his attacks.

His mind went blank. He felt nothing but a dawning horror and the overwhelming desire to run.

So he runs.

~*~*~*~*~

"It's not like you to pick so foolishly."

'Absentia' owes nothing to her companion but replies all the same. "My apologies for not making my greater goals obvious."

The Vileblood sees the jab, narrowing her neon green eyes, but doesn't respond to it. "I don't see how siring this one helps us."

Absentia nods. "He's not the one I wanted, but he's the pathway to get the one I want." She motions to the father being carried away for medical attention.

"...I don't follow." A lie - Atheris knows what the plan is, she just wants confirmation. Her intelligence and intuitiveness is why Absentia works with her instead of the Matrons.

"Hakase Fudo is, in my opinion, a prime candidate for the position of Conduit," Absentia explains. "He's cheated death under his own power before. That dose of Yusei's vampiric blood will let us know if I'm correct."

"What signs are we looking for?"

"That, I'm afraid, is unknown even to me," Absentia admits. "Our Lady did not reveal them to me in her final moments of contact, but I am sure we will recognize them when they appear."

"If the signs aren't there?" Atheris presses.

"Then we have two more to our New Domino coven. More if they can enthrall their comrades."

Atheris doesn't seem content but doesn't argue. Just manifests her wings to follow the pack.

[cogshippinghq]

Starblooded [Part 3]

"....kase...!"

Sounds are muffled as his consciousness swims. HIs vision warps and wobbles as he tries to regain his bearings. He can feel uneven terrain underneath him where he lays, and he's realizing there's something - someone - covering him with their own body. Sounds become voices, familiar voices, and a spine-chilling hissing from the body above him. He tries to move, reaching up to the person covering him, and they look down. The fog lifts almost immediately.

"...Yusei," Hakase breathes, like seeing his son up and moving again is an illusion that will shatter with too loud a noise.

Yusei's expression softens as the hissing stops. He lowers himself somewhat, making it a little easier to Hakase's shaky hands to reach his chest. He's still so cold, not icy like he was on that table, but it almost makes Hakase shiver. He doesn't feel his son's chest move with breath, and there's no sort of heartbeat.

Someone moves, and the calm in Yusei disappears, replaced by something angry and animalistic. His head snaps up and he snarls like a beast. He lifts an arm, and Hakase sees claws already stained red at their tips. Hakase has to crane his neck, ignoring the stabs of pain at the base from Yusei's bite, to see who's arrived.

Crow's there, hardly a surprise, but so is Akiza - 'faster to fly than to drive,' Hakase muses - and they're both trying to reason with Yusei. "Yus', please," Crow is saying. "Hakase's hurt, we need t' get him attention. Hell, we need t' get you attention!" He tries to step forward, but another guttural noise from Yusei sends him back two.

Akiza is almost trembling but she holds her ground better. Each step she takes forward, Yusei reacts like an animal, bearing his teeth and even slamming a hand down onto the concrete, cracking it even further. Hakase thinks it's just animal behavior, bluffs to convince her he's more willing to hurt her than he actually is, but Yusei's never been one for empty threats.

Akiza tries to meet Hakase's eyes, trying to convey some kind of message, and it's the wrong move. Yusei sees it as an opportunity and lunges. It's a sweeping motion, his claws raking through the air as his snarling turns into a roar. Akiza is quick to react, she was probably expecting it to happen at some point of her approach, and all he hits is open space. The dodge does provokes Yusei further and he abandons his guard position to go on the attack. That takes Akiza by surprise, but not Crow; he already had a grip on her before Yusei recovered from his swing and pulls her back when he sees Yusei moving closer for another try. It gives Akiza enough time to react for her to bring up a wall of thorns - she and Crow both wince when Yusei strikes it before he realizes and recoils with a pained noise.

Hakase scrambles to rise to his feet but just getting to his hands and knees makes the world spin. He groans despite himself, and Yusei turns his attention back to him for the split second it takes before Crow and Akiza have backup appear behind them. Flashlights blind Hakase, and from the hissing it blinds Yusei too. Hakase can barely make out who's arrived from the uproar of voices, so he just assumes there was a meet-up before they reached the alley.

The hissing turns into a roar like thunder, and Hakase flails blindly to grab Yusei before he can attack, but he can't see well enough. First is the tearing of the thorn wall, then shouts at Yusei to stop, then screams of fear and pain.

In a last effort, the strain already threatening to send him into the nothingness again, Hakase cries out, "Yusei, stop!"

And he does.

Hakase's eyes are finally clear again and he sees Yusei staring back at him, wide-eyed but otherwise unemotional. Jack pulls himself from Yusei's grip and retreats as best he can, a hand over the jagged gash across his middle. There's still more people showing up, more than Hakase was made aware of, and the bulkier of them are taking up defensive positions. When Hakase can't say anything more, fighting nausea and weakness, Yusei returns to his terrified friends, flexing his claws and baring his fangs with a low growl.

"Yu...Yusei, don't," Hakase gasps. His boy pauses and goes quiet. "This isn't you. I...I know something's happened to you, but please fight it. Come back to us." 'Come back to me,' went unsaid, but apparently not unheard as Yusei turns to look at him. Hakase doesn't know what else he can say, so he just reaches out again. The red fades from Yusei's eyes, and he straightens up from the hunched posture he'd been in. He blinks; once, twice, several times in rapid succession. Haltingly he turns to see - truly see - his friends cowering from him.

Hakase knows what's going to happen, but he just doesn't have the strength to get up and stop Yusei before he flees into the night. Several people take off after him, calling out for him, but Hakase knows it's a lost cause tonight. He lets himself collapse again and hopes that he can find Yusei once more and bring him home.

[cogshippinghq]

Starblooded [Part 2]

Hakase doesn't know where he's going.

It's almost six in the morning now, and he's roaming Satellite's streets like a man possessed. Every flicker in the corner of his eye makes him freeze and stare. Every stray noise causes him to change course to find its source. He listens in to the conversations of people just heading home after the night on the off chance someone will mention seeing a dead man walking. He has no leads, no ideas, not a single clue where to start looking, so he resolves to look everywhere.

He called Martha after he was notified, the poor woman. He was already half-insane by then, struggling to tell her what the officer had told him. When she finally pieced it together, she told him to set out and search, and she'd try to tell Crow when he woke. Pearson's boy is an early riser, he'll have the Signers out on the hunt in short order.

Worries gnaw at the back of Hakase's mind.

There is a chance, however slight, that Yusei hadn't left of his own accord. Sayer may have opted to steal his son's body for a final act of revenge. Hakase can't decide if he hopes this is the case or not. On the one hand, it meant his son isn't stuck in an earthly purgatory between life and death, unable to commit to either. On the other, if Sayer has Yusei's body, he will desecrate it, if he hasn't already. No better way to ruin the funeral than to disfigure the body so badly that the only option is closed casket.

But...if Yusei did leave under his own power... Hakase has no idea what he's going to find. All the stories of returning the dead to life had been tales of warning; to defy the natural order of life and death is to court disaster. What if Yusei came back...wrong? Twisted, warped, changed beyond recognition? Would he be malicious and violent, a feral animal out for blood? Would he be something evil and insidious, worming his way under the skin to rip out of the heart just because he could? Would he be hollow and searching desperately for something to fill the void, no matter the cost of those around him?

What if it isn't Yusei at all? What if something beyond humanity is taking residence in his body? What if it's been used to summon something to the mortal plane that wants nothing more than to wreak havoc?

What if the only way to bring Yusei peace is to kill him again? Did Hakase have the will to do that? Did any of his friends or family have that kind of strength?

Hakase shakes his head to refocus - it's all speculation right now. He needs to find his boy.

~*~*~*~*~

The whole day spent searching and nothing's turned up.

It's evening now, the sun just below the horizon. Hakase's on a massive video call with everyone the Signers could recruit for the hunt, so there's about fifteen people keeping contact. Somehow word's gotten out that Yusei's body is missing, and the idea of some stranger stumbling upon and hurting his boy makes Hakase feel the insane urge to bite and claw like a rabid animal. There's already been the agreement that if any of this group finds Yusei before Hakase, they're to wait until he's there before they try to interact.

The best thing to come of this is that everyone's more lively than they've been in days. The fac that they spent an entire day out and about with nothing to show for their efforts hasn't dampened the sense of hope they share. Crow seems to be the only one with hesitations, and Hakase thinks he's having the same thoughts Hakase did earlier in the day. As the hunt continues, there's several times where someone shows something to the rest of the group, and it's like a small reprieve from the worry and anticipation.

Hakase stuck to searching Satellite, and now he's in one of the remaining slums. Something strikes him about it that he has trouble placing, but he continues. He should've searched here when it was brighter, but he hadn't been thinking clearly enough. He knows he's strong enough to defend himself should someone try their luck, but he's rusty.

Something clatters.

Hakase is still and holds his breath to listen. Steps - from the sound... Barefoot and moving quickly. Hakase braces himself, keeping his eyes trained on the other side of the alleyway. He can hear someone trying to get his attention from his phone, but he can't spare the moment to glance or respond.

It stops just before the opening, and then he can just barely tell it's stepped out from behind the corner. Two pinpricks of red pierce the shadows.

Hakase's frozen. He can't even force himself to take a breath, and blood is rushing through his ears. He can barely tighten his grip on his phone to keep it from falling. The figure almost prowls closer, its own gaze never leaving Hakase's. Closer and closer, and then it's just close enough for Hakase to realize who he's staring at.

"...Yusei...?" Hakase whispers. His phone goes silent, everyone waiting on baited breath to know if it's who they've been looking for. The figure pauses, and Hakase almost thinks he's gotten it wrong, but the figure keeps approaching right into the light of the streetlamp behind Hakase.

His boy looks feral. His hair is a mess, his eyes are dark with circles beneath them. He's entirely naked and marred with some manner of filth, but otherwise he seems unharmed. He's standing like he's ready to run, though.

Hakase poorly stifles the sob rising from his chest. "Yusei...!" He moves to hold his phone down and away so the noise that erupts from it doesn't startle his son. Yusei twitches with the mini cacophony but stays where he is, his eyes still not leaving his father.

"It's okay now," Hakase says, almost more to himself than his son. "You're okay now." He holds a hand out, not risking an approach and causing Yusei to retreat. Blank eyes flick down to the extended hand, then back up at his father's face. Hakase blinks-

And there's teeth sinking into his neck.

Hakase's scream is strangled. His phone drops and he clings onto Yusei. He tries to push away on reflex but the fangs are too deep and there's claws digging into his back to pull closer.

'This isn't my son!' part of Hakase wails. 'This is a monster wearing his face!'

'Fight, flail, I have to do something!' another part bellows. 'He's going to kill me!'

It's the third notion that prevails, as irrational as it is. 'He's cold and hungry,' it coos. 'A good meal will warm him up.'

Shakily, Hakase embraces his son, letting him take mouthfuls of fresh blood. "It...It's...okay now," he mumbles, already feeling light-headed and unbalanced. "I'm...I'm here, now..."

He's not sure what he says after, but as the darkness encroaches, he can feel Yusei let go. He can feel his legs give out, and being caught before he can hit the rough ground. And the last thing he hears is something he hadn't hoped to hear ever again.

"Father...?"

[cogshippinghq]

Starblooded [Part 1]

There's an inherent danger to being a Signer.

Everyone who is or knows a Signer is well aware of this. Signers are the chosen of a dragon god, vessels and conduits for its divine power to combat the forces of darkness and malevolence. Forces that won't hesitate to kill to get their way. Everyone knew it practically from the start, or at least since the confrontation with the Dark Signers.

...And yet...

It was supposed to be a recon mission, Yusei and Crow scoping out a seemingly supernatural threat cropping up in Satellite. Rumors had been running rampant about human-like monsters preying on people. Preying on them in a literal sense; victims - dead and alive - were showing up with bite wounds. 'Vampires' was thrown around, creatures of the night. Most brushed it off, believing instead it was all the work of some twisted assailants, but the Signers and their allies knew better. After all, if the Earthbound Immortals could resurrect the dead to fight for them, are vampires really so far-fetched? So the Signers took the threat seriously.

And yet...

The Crimson Dragon is a solar deity, connected to the sun and its light. It bestows resistance to dark powers. Surely the Signers were the best equipped to deal with creatures of the dark. Yusei was the most capable in a duel (if one didn't take psionic powers into account), not to be underestimated in a fistfight. Crow was solid in both respects. They were the closest to the problem, they were Satellite's defenders. They'd check out the situation and report back, Yusei had promised.

And yet.

And yet Hakase's standing, shaking, in the middle of a morgue. Three cold, metal tables in front of rows of metal doors on the wall. The middle table has a body, covered from the waist down with a thin sheet. He knows what he's seeing, who he's seeing, but something in his own mind is keeping him from actually comprehending it. He knows why, knows that this subconscious refusal is just a defense mechanism. When it finally hits him, his heart will break and there will be no fixing it.

The Signers are connected in a way Hakase doesn't understand, bound together by their marks. Each one had been a mess when he'd seen them. Crow had been the worst by far; he blames himself. Hakase's of the mind that they're all blaming themselves for this, and he understands. He feels it differently, but he understands.

Hakase steps forward, each halting stride like the toll of a church bell. He reaches out, trembling; he needs the physical evidence, he needs to face reality. The back of his fingers brush along icy flesh, and it's like his vision snaps back into crystal clear focus.

Yusei's so pale, so cold, so small on this unyielding medical table. There's the killing wound on his neck, four punctures that have been sewn closed. No need for bandages, his killer bled him dry. His Signer mark is black now, instead of the deep red it should be, like the Dragon is mourning him, too.

Hakase's eyes burn, his throat aches, and his chest shudders. He lifts Yusei's arm, holds his hand for the last time, and weeps.

~*~*~*~

There's a new protocol with this string of deaths, that each body is kept under observation for a week before it can be embalmed. Sector Security says it's just to soothe the increasing fear of the public, proving that these attacks aren't supernatural and no one's going to rise from death to attack their loved ones. Lots of Satellites think it's further proof that it is vampires and Security's covering it up.

Hakase can't bring himself to care. He intends to take that week to mourn properly, isolated from the rest, so that he can be the anchor they'll need when Yusei's ready to be laid to rest. Martha's been the sole exception - if only because Hakase doesn't have the mental strength to contend with her - and she makes sure he's not neglecting himself in his grief. He questions her at first, if this is how she mourns the son she raised, and she doesn't answer him right away. It's two nights later that she talks to him, lets herself feel what she feels.

Hakase gets to prepare himself to shoulder the burden, but she's already taken it on. Not just for Crow, but for all the Satellite children who knew Yusei and can't - or won't - understand that he's not going to walk through that door again. She's been keeping better tabs on the other Signers than Hakase has, though everyone seems to be giving him grace in that regard. She says there's a strong disbelief in Jack, Akiza, and the twins, and she thinks it has to do with the Dark Signers. None of them have lost someone with such finality. Carly came back, Akiza's parents reached out, the twins' parents are just active enough in communications that there's no reason to mourn them.

Crow knows his younger brother is gone, though. He's felt this grief before with his late mentor. Can't explain it for the flock he looks after, but he knows. Martha thinks he'll be the one to get the others to accept the truth and make their peace with it.

Hakase hopes she's right.

~*~*~*~

Hakase's the one who gets the call at two in the morning. It was another sleepless night, five days into the week long waiting period. He picks up without even checking the caller id, thinking it's one of the Signers looking for comfort.

It's one of the officers stationed at the morgue.

Yusei's body has vanished.

[cogshippinghq]

Also. hehe. uhm. So the Cogshipping doujin (r18 btw) had Roman in it. So that kinda killed my joy a bit but uhm. YEAH!

B R U H

Even in fanworks, this dude cannot leave the Fudo family alone! probably because people ship Hakase and Roman

Roman's inclusion isn't a dealbreaker for me (and frankly the r18 label peaks my interest further) if he's serving a purpose other than "course correcting" for lack of a better word. Like, if we're going to do cogshipping, then commit to the bit; don't chicken out by giving one of both "valid love interests".