#abuse reference

[envihellbender]

Michael and Gerard Keays, pre and post Distortion ?

Characters: Michael Shelley, Gerard Keay (The Magnus Archives)

Content: Doorkeay (Michael x Gerard), parental abuse reference, distortion Michael

—

Pre-Distortion

Gerard awoke a little disorientated at first, he saw white washed walls that weren’t from his flat. It took him a moment to realise he’d stayed the night at Michael’s. He groaned and shuffled around in the bed, or rather the mattress on the floor. He was wearing his Cannibal Corpse t-shirt and his boxer shorts, his skinny, freckly body curled up under the thick, warm duvet to see Michael next to him. He stretched and rubbed his eyes, yawning.

“G’morning, Gerry,” Michael mumbled, he smiled sleepily at Gerard, reached over and ruffled his hair. It felt strange for them to be in bed together, Gerard thought, it was nice… but having the first time he because he had a minor breakdown caused a guilt-filled twisting in his gut like he was overstaying his welcome.

“Morning,” Gerard responded as he curled up a little smaller under the duvet. “I’m… Sorry for just showing up last night.” He spoke quietly, and barely opened his mouth. The springs in the mattress were old and weak, and the lack of a frame mean his joints had begun ache. He’d have to get some pallets, he thought, something to prop it up. He couldn’t help but think about Michael sleeping on this then sitting at a desk for most of the day, he couldn’t have that.

“Don’t be sorry! Much rather you came to me rather than just… suffered,” Michael said. He stroked Gerard’s over-dyed black hair and pushed it behind his ear. He went to kiss Gerard’s forehead, but instead he met his lips when Gerard looked up and surprised him.

“I didn’t know where else to go, don’t really know anyone else. Definitely don’t know anyone else who’d… get it,” Gerard mumbled. He shuffled over in the bed and rested his head on Michael’s chest, smiling contentedly as he felt a too long arm wrapping around his shoulders.

“Do you wanna talk about it more?”

“Not much else to say. Came home. Found my flat had been broken into. Had a flashback. Had a panic attack. Came here,” Gerard reiterated awkwardly before burying his face into Michael’s chest and breathing in the smell of his sweat.

“Do you know who it was?” Michael was always so eager to help, and it always baffled Gerard.

“Huh?”

“Who broke in?”

“Oh! Dunno.” Gerard yawned and rubbed his eyes. He paused as he buried his face in Michael’s chest, trying to hide his awkward embarrassment. “Didn’t stick around to check. Couldn’t bring myself to go in. I mean. For one thing my bat was in the inside.”

“Well. Hopefully-” Michael bit his lip thoughtfully as he paused. “We’ll check it out. Together. With a bat. Whoever it is will be gone by now.”

“Maybe,” Gerard began pulling on his hair ask he stared off onto space distantly. “I just… what if it’s my mum? What if she comes back?”

“Then… maybe, I guess-” Michael paused thoughtfully. “We can go over, pack a bag, and come back here.”

“Yeah?” Gerard swallowed around a lump in his throat.

“Yeah. Your mum won’t find us here, Gerry. Promise.” Michael kissed Gerard’s forehead, wrapping both arms around his shoulders and giving him a long, loving squeeze. “If she does then we’ll just have to find somewhere else.”

“We?”

“Mhm. We.”

Post-Distortion

Gerard knew it was happening, sort of. He’d been prepared and was fully aware there was nothing he could do. Michael was changing, no one knew when he’d be back, and after the fact he might not even be Michael any more. The quiet flat him and Michael shared felt all encompassing, smothering, and empty. Every single corner reminded him no one was there, he had Cannibal Corpse blasting from the battered iPod touch on the docking station to try and cleanse the place. To try and trick his brain. If there was sound he wasn’t alone. He shook his hands as he walked, shaking them up and down and moving his fingers to the music as if he was playing guitar. He felt the change instantly, it was of the entire space had morphed around a new being.

Gerard stopped where he was pacing, facing the large The Dillinger Escape Plan poster on the wall, he tried not to look at Michael’s many, beautiful drawings. They hurt his chest now. He slowly turned round, and he looked directly at Michael. It was definitely him, they all said that Michael would be dead now but Gerard knew that wasn’t entirely true. In front of him was a Distortion wearing Michael’s face and behind his black pools for eyes he could feel the original Michael twisted up inside of him. It was like they had merged together. He didn’t know if it was a result of his mother’s experiments that he knew that or if it was something else entirely… He just knew. Michael had grown a couple of inches, his fingers lengthened and his hair was wilder, curlier, like literal spirals. As he stood he flickered in and out of existence, like a television losing its signal and showing grey static and different bars of colours.

“GerArd, yOu are Here,” Michael said finally breaking the silence, his voice pained and elongated. The emphasis of each syllable strange and the pitch and tone had so far made the humans he had interacted wince. Sasha had seen him and spun on her heel and walked away, after flinching and grabbing her head. Gerard on the other hand just looked and stared, his green eyes widened and watering slightly as he stood up as straight as he could and try to make his arms stay still. Michael could tell he was shaking even though he was repressing it. Michael could see the slight distortions in the air around them, the molecules were preparing to move around Gerard’s hand until they didn’t.

“Michael,” Gerard said quietly. “It is still Michael, right?”

“It Is MichAel SheLLY and Me.” Michael sounded a little bewildered as he spoke, as if the question confused him. “wE are One Being Now. He is mE and I Am HiM.”

“So… Michael Shelley is still there.” Gerard’s green eyes widened hopefully. Michael tilted his head, his neck bending a little too far.

“In A SenSe.”

“Could I speak to him?”

“I suPposE,” Michael mumbled. He took a deep breath as a pained expression crossed his face, his image distorted and flashed in and out of existence similar to television static. He crackled and displayed multicolour bars, until he slowly became more human and settled in it. Gerard let out an audible sigh and a sad smile as he saw his Michael in front of him. Without think he jumped forward, wrapping his arms around Michael’s waist and buried his face into his shoulder.

“Michael!” He gasped. Warmth and care filled Michael’s body. The Distortion has become baffled and curious by this, Michael holds Gerard gently, burying his face into his collar bone, feeling delighted by his long lanky body engulfing Gerard completely. “Are you… are you okay?”

“I’m … I’m me,” Michael Shelley said, his voice mode even and stable. “I’m…It hurts. Transforming. Shifting. But. My old body hurt too. My old brain hurt more than my current one. Michael- the other Michael, picks up the slack. I guess.”

“You don’t have to stay like this, you can- I don’t- not if it hurts you-”

“Wait. Boyfriend. Do you… You still want me?”

“I’m not going anywhere, not when you’re still here,” Gerard said, his lashes were wet with tears and his cheeks were sore red… it was obvious seeing Michael this way hurt. But at least he was free now. Gerard buried his face into Michael’s chest. “Come on. I don’t mind, I just want you not to hurt anymore.” Michael let out a relieved sigh and let his body return to normal, his arms lengthened and his hands become elongated and had too many joints. As he relaxed, Michael wrapped his too long arms and hands around Gerard, when he buried his face in the chest that felt both cold and warm, that felt like a gentle massaging static against his cheeks, it didn’t hurt. For anyone else it would. In fact, it felt just like before.

[comfy-whumpee]

Tyler

Implied past abuse, homophobia and alcohol. BBU.

If you’re just here for the epistolary material, scroll to the end! Preceding piece: Everyone.

“See you later, Phil.”

The last person left the office. It was Friday night, and Roman had gone home with Dillon, Joel and Phil had finished up, and Tyler was left working late with Charlie on this stupid urgent Christmas thing. The world outside the windows was a dark void, speckled by street lights. The office was weirdly quiet without Roman washing up or pottering around tidying. Hell, if they stayed late enough the cleaner would show up.

Charlie had been quiet all week. Roman was fucking limping from his stress. They needed to make sure everything was sorted before they closed and all took the week off. Charlie didn’t want to be fixing shit while he was having Christmas with his girlfriend.

Tyler would probably go visit his mom. She got lonely at this time of year. Maybe he’d be able to take Ro, as well. Give him a proper holiday. Introduce him…

“Let’s stop there,” Charlie said, leaning back and running a hand through his flattened quiff, as if trying to coax more life into it. He always over-oiled his hair to keep it in shape. Shaking his hand now would feel greasy.

Tyler closed his notebook gladly, dropping his pen on top. Most of their clients wouldn’t be doing business during the festive period, but they also didn’t want the app to break. It was their first time closing the office for a week; last year they’d barely taken seven days off between them. Planning around the issue before it happened was how Charlie liked to do things, but it was a headache.

“I wanted to talk to you about Roman,” Charlie said.

His voice was low and calm, or it sounded calm. Tyler knew Charlie never let everything out at once. He built up to it. When he called Roman into the office, he started off venting, and only smacked him around after he’d worked himself up. It was cathartic, he said.

“We all know you’re gay.”

The statement was so fucking far out of left field that Tyler almost laughed. “What the fuck?”

“Nobody cares. Roman turns you on. Whatever. But we’ve all seen how you’re looking at him these days. Coming in early to hang out with him. Giving him hugs.”

Tyler sat very still, feeling his body start to burn. “Shut up,” he protested, but his voice had fled. His face was on fire. His blood was pounding.

“I’m trying to be nice,” Charlie snapped back. His eyes were dark, so dark. He was furious. Tyler knew it. It beat in his pulse. Like watching his dad neck a bottle of beer. “I’m trying to be nice,” Charlie repeated, voice calmer but harder. “I heard you talk bullshit about freeing him. Taking him away with you.”

He listened to them. When did he find out? Had he snuck in one morning to eavesdrop? Was there a day they didn’t hear the door?

“I haven’t told the others. I don’t need the hassle. But this is your one fucking warning, alright?”

Charlie still sounded so calm. He wasn’t calm. He couldn’t be. Tyler watched his hands, folded on the table in front of him. They’d move. Any second now. They’d throw the first punch.

“You stood there and planned to steal the most expensive company property we have. Over some fucking scratches on his hand. If I see you doing any of that shit again, treating him like your little boyfriend, having your breakfast dates and whatever, you’re out of this goddamn company. Alright?”

Tyler watched. Charlie’s hands didn’t move. His engagement ring would sting harder than the punch. Light shone off it.

His father had always said he had to be a man, and take his hits like one. Failed on both counts. The old man would have an aneurysm to know Tyler was a pet-liberating queer.

“Alright?” Charlie repeated. Anger pressing up against the word, threatening to break through.

“Alright,” Tyler repeated back mechanically.

“He’s not going home with you anymore. I see you taking him off this property, I call the cops. You don’t talk to him or get alone with him. Stop being such a fucking moron.”

“Alright.”

Charlie sighed. “Alright. Go home and download Grindr or something. Get outta here.”

Tyler got up feeling like every muscle was hardened clay. He picked up his notebook and pen. He walked to his desk, scooped up his bag and jacket, and left the office to walk to his car.

Charlie had been quiet all week. Charlie had been beating Roman every day. Had screamed at him, red in the face, embarrassing to watch. He’d stopped apologising after. Stopped feeling guilty.

Tyler hadn’t noticed. Still stupid. Still slow.

He’d have to stop talking to the lawyer. She’d want him to push on, be a whistleblower or some shit. Throw everything away to take these guys to court for an outcome Roman didn’t even fucking want.

What was the point?

They knew. They knew everything he’d tried to keep secret. We all know you’re gay.

He hadn’t. Not until he’d started getting close to Roman.

Tyler drove on autopilot, gaze skittering across the road and back again for hazards without consciously processing it. It was only when he passed a billboard with two dressed-up pets, blown up larger than life under the electric lights, that the dam broke.

Make a positive change this season.

Humiliation and anger took over, and the tears rushed up. He pulled over and cried like a child, alone in his car, three days before Christmas.

-

@neuro-whump​​, @rosesareviolentlyread​​, @mylifeisonthebookshelf​, @pumpkin-spice-whump​, @whumpsday​ @kira-the-whump-enthusiast​, @firewheeesky​, @why-not-ask-me-a-better-question​

[attllhak]

Adoption AU: The Kidnapping

@tortilla-of-courage @ghostdragonace @sekiumiarashi @anadorablekiwi

So I’ve been thinking about posting more to the Adoption AU for a while now, and the new update seemed like a good excuse to start the plot.

Because yeah, this AU actually has a plot.

Mind the tags, it’s not actually bad but better safe than sorry.

---------------------

Time had been out when he got the first call.

It wasn’t often that he got a day to enjoy himself, having eight sons typically keeps you busy.

Which is why the call was a bit concerning. Tatl didn’t call unless she didn’t want a record of the conversation.

“Hello, Tatl,” he said, purposefully casual as he took a sip of his coffee, glancing around the patio of the small shop.

“Link,” she said, professional tone and words clipped. “How are you?”

“Doing well,” he replied, leaning back. “I finally found some time to myself and figured I’d spend a day out, so I’m currently at one of my favorite coffee shops,”

“Ah, well, that’s good,” Tatl responded, filing that away. “I just figured I’d let you know about a rumour I heard,”

“Oh?” Time asked, keeping his face carefully neutral and hiding as much of it as he could behind his mug.

“There’s been talk about the Emerald,” Tatl told him promptly. “People are looking for it,”

Time kept the mug up to hide his frown. That wasn’t good, considering the last time someone went looking for his artefact.

“Is that so?” He responded after a moment, taking another sip and finding himself watching the other patrons more closely.

“It’s likely not anything terribly worrying, but I’ll keep an eye on things, just in case,” Tatl promised, and Time felt himself relax just a bit. “I’ll call you immediately if something changes,”

“Thank you, Tatl, I appreciate that greatly,” he sighed, and forcibly relaxed his grip on his mug.

“Of course,” Tatl responded, and he could hear the soft smile in her voice. “What else are friends for,”

They chatted for a bit longer before concluding the call, to make it seem more like a random how are you call than one discussing business.

If you had asked Time thirty years ago if he’d be disguising business calls with a member of a secret society as casual conversations, he’d have laughed at you.

That was before he learned how many people were after the gem his foster father had left him, and the lengths they’d go to to get it. Before college, where he met Tatl and Tael. Before Majora made himself a threat. Before the mask.

Now, it was just a part of life. One of many secrets he kept.

Well, from most people. He told Malon everything. Mostly everything. Everything that wouldn’t put her in danger.

(---)

Time spent the next few days a bit overly paranoid. He checked on the Emerald in the attic a few times more than he usually would. He kept a closer eye on his family. He found himself watching everyone he passed on the street.

After those days passed with no word from Tatl, he finally started to relax.

Which is when he got the second concerning call.

“Link, do you know where Twilight is?” Malon asked as Time fumbled for his keys.

“No? Is something wrong?” Time asked, frowning as he sorted through his keychain for the key to his truck.

“Maybe?” Malon replied, and Time paused at the worry in her voice. “It’s just, he’s usually home by now, and I haven’t heard from him yet. I have a bad feeling, is all,”

Time swallowed around the lump in his throat, and did his best to ignore the weight that landed in his stomach.

“It’s probably nothing,” Time brushed off, trying to convince himself. “I’ll call Sheik and see if he’s heard from him. Maybe ask his brothers?”

“Alright,” Malon said, not convinced. “Call me if you hear something?”

“Of course. I love you,”

“Love you too,”

Time paused, as he realized he was shaking too badly to get the keys into the lock. He pressed his hand to the door, forcing a deep breath through his lungs.

Twilight was fine. He probably just got caught in some project for college and his phone died. Or he was out with friends and forgot. There were a million reasons he was late and hadn’t called. Jumping to worst case scenario didn’t help anyone.

People were looking for the Emerald, his traitorous brain reminded him. And now your son is missing?

Shut up, he told himself, finally getting the door open and sitting down.

He put his head in his hands, taking a moment to compose himself before calling his brother.

“Greetings eldest Link,” Sheik responded cheerfully as he answered.

“Has your gender changed since we last spoke?” Time asked.

“I’m a woman right now, if that’s what you mean,” Sheik-Lullaby laughed.

“Right, thanks,” Time cleared his throat. “Have you heard from Twilight?”

“Twilight? No, I haven’t. Should I have?”

“No,” Time sighed. “He’s late getting home and hasn’t called. Malon is worried,”

“Well, I’ll let you know if I do,” she promised. “Are you alright, Link? I mean, with what you mentioned a few days ago...”

“I’ll be fine,” Time lied. “I’ll be better when I know Twilight’s just lost track of time or his phone died or something,”

“Right,” Lullaby sighed. “I’ll ask some of the sages if they’ve heard anything,”

“Thank you,”

Time sat in the parking lot for a moment longer, head resting on the steering wheel as he tried to get his breathing under control.

Please, Hylia, he thought. Please let us be overreacting.

(---)

Twilight didn’t come home that night.

None of the sages knew where he was. Neither did his brothers. Nor his friends.

By midnight, it was clear that no one knew where Twilight was, and he still wasn’t answering his phone.

“We’ll contact the police in the morning,” Malon promised him. “It’ll do our boy no good if his father is too exhausted,”

Reluctantly, Time let himself get dragged to bed.

He didn’t fall asleep until at least three in the morning even then, eye on his phone and praying it would ring.

He wasn’t a religious man, but if there was ever a point where he hoped the goddesses would have mercy on him, it was now.

He almost shot out of bed when his phone dinged in the morning, getting tangled in the blankets and waking up Malon as he reached blindly for it before he was even fully awake.

“Darling?” Malon asked, sitting up as Time half fell out of the bed.

He rubbed at his eye with his free hand, bringing his phone up to his face and squinting at the light from the screen.

Twilight: 1 attachment

“It’s a text,” he mumbled, pulling himself back onto the bed as he punched in the code. “From Twilight,”

Weight settled on his shoulders as Malon leaned on him, her eyes on his phone now too.

He opened up the messenger app on his phone, clicking on the conversation with one of his two eldest.

He almost dropped his phone, and Malon gasped loudly in his ear.

It was a picture. A single picture.

Twilight is on his knees, hands bound behind his back, glaring into the camera with a fire all too familiar to Time. He had a black eye and a swollen lip, but otherwise didn’t seem too hurt. There was no way to identify the background in the shot, and even then the lighting implied it might not have been taken that morning based on how the sun had only just begun creeping into the bedroom.

Time’s heart stopped, blood draining from his face. His hands shook, and his eye kept running over the image.

He could vaguely feel Malon panicking behind him, her breathing sharp and shallow in his ear, her nails digging into the skin of his shoulder. Most of the world was far away though, and really she was the only thing keeping him vaguely grounded.

Twilight had been kidnapped.

It felt like the whole world was crumbling away through his fingers.

The people looking into the Emerald weren’t junior treasure hunters like Lullaby and Ruto dealt with sometimes. This was organized.

This was someone who knew.

“I’m going to murder the fucking son of a bitch,” Malon growled, and the pure venom in her voice snapped Time back to the present.

He tore his eye from his phone to look at his wife.

Her fiery red hair was a mane around her head from sleep, and mixed with the blaze in her eyes and the rising sun highlighting her from behind, she reminded Time of those stories about dragons. He was fairly sure that if she could breathe fire there’d be smoke in their room.

He was equal parts impressed and terrified.

“I’ll forward the picture to Lullaby,” he said, forcing himself through the motions to do so. “She and the sages might be able to help figure out where this was taken,”

Malon nodded, taking a deep breath herself, though even as she visibly calmed the inferno in her eyes never quieted.

Lullaby texted back, shortly.

Sent to Kokiri

Says she’ll look into it

I’m on my way over

Don’t tell me not to, you need me right now, i know you

Time sighed. If anyone could figure out what happened to Twilight it was Kokiri. The hacker would likely have a location for them soon.

Tatl might have the resources to help too, but he wouldn’t be able to call her for another few hours.

“Oh,” Malon gasped, and Time twisted to look at her. “The boys,”

Sure enough, Time could hear water running. Warriors had come home from university and planned to leave early in the morning, so that was likely him. They’d need to catch him before he left.

Oh goddesses, they had to tell the boys.

“I’ll wake the others up,” Malon offered gently. “You grab Warriors,”

Time nodded, watching as she left, and forcing himself to his feet after she was out of sight.

He almost knocked on the bathroom door when it opened.

“Oh, Pops! Hey!” Warriors grinned. “Sorry to keep you waiting, didn’t know you were up!”

“Actually, I was waiting for you,” Time corrected, reaching out with an arm to block Warriors as he tried to push past. “We need to talk,”

Warriors frowned, eyes rolled up to the ceiling.

“Okay, I don’t remember getting in trouble recently or doing something that would piss you off, so whatever it is, I didn’t do it,”

Time scoffed, laughing and shaking his head. “No, I know this isn’t your fault,” the mirth vanished almost as quickly as it came, replaced with a worried frown. “This is, a bit more important. Family meeting,”

“Can it wait? I have a class,” Warriors asked.

Time shook his head. “Email your professor, this is something mandatory, and I doubt you’ll want to be going to class after,”

“And what do I say?” Warriors asked, not bothering to argue, likely based on the concern on Time’s face.

“Family emergency, and you can’t say more just yet,” Time said, turning to see Wind and Four wander out of their room yawning, Malon smiling at him before ducking into Hyrule and Wild’s room. “Trust me, this is important,”

Warriors nodded, frowning back. “Lemme grab my laptop then,”

Time stepped back, and his heart twisted as he watched Warriors duck into the room he shared with Twilight.

Twilight, who was probably terrified right now.

He shook his head, clearing it up. He couldn’t be a wreck right now. The rest of his boys needed him to be strong for them.

Half an hour later they were all sitting around the table, Wolfie curled up under it.

Malon reached over to squeeze Time’s arm as he took a deep breath.

“We heard from Twilight,” Time began slowly, keeping his eye on each of his boys. “And, it’s not good,”

“Not good?” Wild echoed. “Why, what happened?”

“We got a photo,” Time cut himself off when he heard the door open, immediately tense.

“Relax, it’s just us!” Ruto called, following her wife into the room.

Or, no. Well-worn jeans, baggy hoodie, scarf folded high over the chin. Probably Sheik.

“Sheik, he him,” Sheik informed them all with a wave. “Don’t let us interrupt,”

Time nodded. “Right,”

Malon squeezed his arm again, and Time took a second to steady himself again.

“I got a text from Twilight’s phone. It’s a picture,” he explained. “I, don’t want to show you all since it’s already a concerning situation, and I know you have some existing issues already and I don’t want to make things worse. It just shows Twilight restrained, a little banged up, and very pissed off,” he took a deep breath, calming himself. “We think he’s been kidnapped. I’ve already asked someone to look into things and I’ll be making a few more calls in an hour or so when I know another friend will be able to answer,”

The first thing that breaks the silence that fell is the clatter of a kitchen chair hitting the ground, knocked over when Warriors stood. He all but ran from the room, heading in the direction towards the basement stairs.

Four followed, pushing to his feet and heading out of the room in a different direction, much calmer than his older brother.

Malon reached over to tap Wind’s shoulder, who then threw himself into her open arms and started sobbing.

“Sky,” Hyrule nudged his brother, who looked up numbly. “Come on, let’s get some air,”

Sky nodded, and let himself be guided out of the room without complaint. Both he and Hyrule had tears on their faces.

Legend stood to punch the wall, leaving a sizable dent, and screaming. He followed this up with a slew of colourful curses.

Wild had crawled under the table at some point, and was now clinging to Wolfie, who was very patiently allowing him to, despite the amount of pulling on his fur.

Time dropped his head into his hands, the words out now. He could feel himself shaking slightly as he tried to keep himself from breaking down himself. He couldn’t break right now, not yet. His boys still needed him.

“Kokiri’s analyzing the photo now,” Sheik offered into the room, and the people left in it. “She promised we’d have something to go off of in an hour or so, and the sages will be acting on that as soon as Kokiri gives us the lead,”

Time sighed, a bit relieved by that.

He lifted his head when he felt a hand on his shoulder, his brother leaning in and dropping his voice.

“Do you think this has anything to do with interest in the Emerald?” He whispered.

“I sincerely hope not,” Time sighed, feeling much older than he was.

Sheik squeezed his shoulder in comfort, but said nothing.

Time pushed himself to his feet, Sheik stepping back as he did.

“Excuse me, I should go and comfort some of the boys,” he nodded, turning to offer a small smile to Malon and Ruto where they were comforting Wind, and then turned out of the room.

(---)

Time sat in his room, rolling his phone in his hands and watching the clock, waiting until he could make the call.

Tatl only had a few windows during the day when she could speak freely with him about situations where they went behind the back of the Order.

He respected the Order of the Lost Woods, but things like this didn’t need them to know. It would be better if they didn’t.

Warriors was still curled up in the fort in the basement, the collection of sheets set up by some of the boys from when Warriors was trying to get away from his rather abusive ex and left up as a sort of panic or freak out space. He wasn’t hyperventilating anymore, and he was drinking some water. Kidnapping hit a little close to home for Warriors, considering the near miss with his birth parents a few years ago.

Four seemed outwardly fine. Vio was fronting and explained that the rest of the system was in chaos. Red’s tears were visible on his face, and he mentioned the destroyed boxes that they’d been planning to lend to a work friend of Time’s to move was Blue. Vio promised he’d let himself breakdown once Green was calm enough to wrangle in Red and Blue.

Sky was sobbing, loudly, and clinging onto Hyrule on the back deck. Hyrule was doing his best to comfort his brother, even with his own tears running down his face and shaking hands. Sheik had gone out to offer comfort for them both not long after Time had checked on them.

Wind was still sobbing, now holding onto Ruto so Malon could offer Wild some support after he let go of the wolf-dog. Legend disappeared into one of the old barns, and a series of violent noises filtered out on occasion.

And here Time sat, alone, waiting for the time to pass.

8:43, Tatl would answer now.

“Hello?” Tatl answered the call. “Link are you alright? You never call this early,”

“Twilight’s been kidnapped,” he said, cutting to the point.

“Twilight, your son?” Tatl asked.

“Yes,”

A series of loud, angry curses followed that. Time waited, letting her swear, eye on the wall as he stared off into the distance.

“Do you think this has anything to do with interest in the Emerald?” She asked once she stopped cursing.

“I pray not,” Time sighed. The weight of his past never felt heavier than now. “But we can’t rule it out,”

“No,” Tatl agreed. “Shit, Link. I’ll see what I can do about helping you out, and I’ll look more seriously into those inquiries about the Emerald. We’ll bring him home, Link,”

“I know,” Time nodded, though there was no conviction in his voice. “Thank you, Tatl, for everything,”

“Of course,” Tatl’s reassuring smile could be heard through her voice. “What are friends for?”

Time laughed, though it was tired, and shook his head. “What are friends for,”

They ended the call soon after.

Two hours later, Time was walking into the police station and making a report about Twilight going missing and the photo he received.

“Don’t worry, Link,” Captain Viscen promised, offering him some reassurance. “We’re all pretty fond of your boy, even with how much trouble he gets into. You can be assured we won’t rest until we find him, one way or another,”

“Thank you,” Time sighed, rubbing his face with one hand. “I appreciate that a lot,”

A few other officers offered him their condolences and promises to do what they could before he left.

(---)

The sages tracked the picture, and Twilight’s cell phone, to an apartment building downtown. Kokiri got the exact apartment number through a series of analytics involving the time the photo was taken, the position of the sun, something something. It was all way over Time’s head.

The apartment wouldn’t let them up to check it out, so Sheik put the sheikah training he got from his mother and aunt to good use and snuck in through one of the windows.

Twilight’s phone was left on the dresser, and when Sheik opened it there was a video left, likely for them to find.

Nothing was said, the whole thing muted, and it was hard to lip read with how swollen one side of Twilight’s lip had become.

He was shouting at someone off screen, and then there was a sharp cut to Twilight bent to the side, blood dripping from his mouth. Whoever hit him didn’t want to be seen.

It went black after that, white words that just said ‘YOU KNOW’ all that remained until the video stopped.

Sheik looked around the rest of the apartment, in every room in every nook. He tried everything he could think of but there were no hidden areas. In fact, outside of the small bloodstains in the study, it was like no one had been here at all.

Sheik left it as he found it, slipped out, and left an anonymous tip with the police before calling his brother.

“I have bad news,”

(---)

Time barely ate that night at supper, though no one else ate much either.

Sheik’s call had made him worried, and the video Captain Viscen showed him from his son’s phone had made him sick.

YOU KNOW.

Yes, he was pretty sure he did know.

Kokiri promised to look into everything, from security cameras to the lease holder, for anything they could go off of. Captain Viscen swore he’d make this case a top priority. Nabooru even offered to reach out to some of the contacts she still had in the underworld for him.

They were doing everything they could. And Time knew that they’d never stop until Twilight was found and brought home.

Somehow he still didn’t think it would be enough.

Time never considered himself a religious man. He was pretty sure the goddesses had a weird, sick sense of humour considering his life thus far. He was pretty sure they’d never even looked his way before, nor did he ever expect them to be kind to him if they did.

But if there was ever a time he wanted to be wrong about anything, it was now.

So that night he sat awake on the edge of his bed, and he prayed.

[blackmagichedonist]

⁛ Numb ⁛

Content warning: Substance Use

Clean Version:

[twilightforestroses]

We've all been thinking hard about the rebuilding her life comment from Tev and its one of the moments that make me REALLY CURIOUS for whats going to happen because Tev wouldn't set that up as a thread if she wasnt going to do something with it, Tev isn’t the kind of person who lets that behavior even in rp go unchecked so it really feels like some of Strife’s more negative self is going to be really challenged and punished by this story simply because Tev is grounding it in actual serious emotional responses to trauma and being actually genuinely badly hurt by someone! .

This becomes even more clear when you realize just how many of the character threads are tied into debt and favor, something that Strife is really tied to as well with how he tries to exploit it and in turn gets exploited by it. However the other debt and favor exploiters on the server also have a bent towards nature love, especially with Lying, which puts them naturally at odds. It seems like his worst attributes are going to get reflected back at himself forcing him to deal with his own worst traits thus learn to actually feel at least a sliver of empathy for what he's put someone like Tev through. He may even have to  actually change and actually grow as a person so he can adapt and survive with that knowledge, maybe even become a better person, at least to Tev.

[safehunterxhunter]

I don't know if you're still taking asks, but if you are do you have any headcanons about pet peeves Gon and Killua have? Why do they have those pet peeves and how do they react when they see/hear their pet peeve? Thank you!!

I’ll post when my ask box is closed, and switch the option off, so no worries! You’re good!

Pet peeves!

Gon:

 Biggest pet peeve: people who don’t know how to be quiet

he grew up in nature, and he sometimes really appreciates silence

also isn’t really the best at holding conversation

given that he was the only kid his age on Whale Island (that we know of)

grew up listening to the sound of waves crashing in the background

so he especially appreciates the quiet by the ocean

he’s a polite boy though - he’ll ask you when he needs some quiet time

and he’ll just. leave. if you don’t get the hint.

Killua:

Biggest pet peeve: people touching him without asking/by surprise

okay so i think everyone knows why he’d have this one

given his childhood on Kukuroo Mountain

but it’s especially discomforting when he’s not expecting it

most of the time he’ll either freeze up or startle away

especially if you come up behind him and just. poke him or something

he’ll try to play it off as funny but he’s probably trying to slow his heart rate back to a normal level

if he’s asked you to stop (rare occasion as that might be) and you keep doing it, he’ll probably retaliate violently

not too violently, but you’ll probably have a bloody nose and a black eye

if he trusts you (super rare, pretty much reserved for Gon & his good friends) he won’t actually mind you touching him without asking permission first (he’s touch-starved - he’ll probably hug you first)

but touching his back or coming up behind him will earn you an earful

he’s not going to be happy. but he’ll forgive you if you promise not to do it again, and actually try not to do it again

Thanks for the ask! (ask box open!)

[sugaryexcess]

==>Latere: Be an innocent victim

sugaryexcess You will not be able to see this for a while, as you are otherwise occupied with my gift, but I am very disappointed in you.

carnivalsorphans ;o)

sugaryexcess What did I do to you?

carnivalsorphans i love sugar and she wants to make sure she doesn't hurt people so we've made precautions

sugaryexcess She is not me, and I have not hurt anyone

carnivalsorphans we're bein cautious. you ain't gonna be hurt think of it as a complement. we can tell you're capable of harm. we know you're strong. ... you just get to have a very boring few days

sugaryexcess There is no reason for us to believe you, and we do not.

carnivalsorphans okay so. we have the power to stop whatever bullfuckery you did to me. we have the power enough to encourage someone probably as powerful as you to stop bein a bitch and start bein nice. and yet, you are in a relatively comfortable cell. we are smart enough to plan ahead and to manage to lure you a place within hours of your appearance, so we're not incapable there. we have the capability for harm. but you can talk, and you can bitch. and you ain't dead. you're in a place meant for longterm containment, that is pretty difficult for us to get into, instead. what does this say to you

sugaryexcess You are very confident in your abilities, but have a long term use for me. Somebody could be squeamish, or you could have other plans.

sugaryexcess There are ways to break a person without physical violence.

carnivalsorphans well ain't we pretty AND paranoid

sugaryexcess We are not stupid. We know of our value.

carnivalsorphans ... hm. we, huh? OH GODDAMNIT

sugaryexcess ??? It is a typo.

carnivalsorphans DON'T MIND ME I JUST REALIZED YOUR DAMN NAME

sugaryexcess Calm down.

sugaryexcess Yes?

carnivalsorphans hey boundless

sugaryexcess Hello. Why are you calling me that?

carnivalsorphans no wonder you wanted to know bout my quads so much

sugaryexcess I am curious, and romance interests me greatly~ Are you alright?~

carnivalsorphans ;o) oh definitely

sugaryexcess You have failed to explain things. I assume you are not planning on doing so.

carnivalsorphans you know, you're forgettin tildes

sugaryexcess I am not forgetting them.

carnivalsorphans ;o)

sugaryexcess I am omitting them. They do not belong in my quirk when I feel like this. It would be a lie.

carnivalsorphans i'm fascinated by you...

sugaryexcess Yes, I am quite interesting~

carnivalsorphans hahahaha you know, my sugar's hair is inhabited

sugaryexcess Are you one of the clowns who sates curiosity with dissection? Tearing something apart for knowledge within?

sugaryexcess I do not know what that means.

carnivalsorphans :o* i don't think it's tearing. it's more involved than that. don't worry, i ain't gonna dissect you

sugaryexcess It was not intended only to be literal.

carnivalsorphans ;o)

sugaryexcess You overuse emoticons. You are not very interesting. I hope you will be interesting this time tomorrow.

carnivalsorphans here, all of You is just part of who sugary is, Boundless

sugaryexcess A gestalt.

carnivalsorphans you could say that, i suppose. you were less and more uniform before, and then You got a voice that others could understand, after She figured out what fed you.

sugaryexcess Who was the other half?

carnivalsorphans your host.

sugaryexcess Our Mother would not have allowed that.

carnivalsorphans i'm pretty sure boundless told mother to go fuck herself

sugaryexcess We see.

carnivalsorphans don't know the details. they're... estranged? is that a good word....

sugaryexcess Not to refer to Mother.

carnivalsorphans whoops.

carnivalsorphans eh. anyway you didn't vore tyfora here

sugaryexcess That was not her name.

carnivalsorphans ... what was it?

sugaryexcess She did not get one.

carnivalsorphans wow rude.

sugaryexcess Mother did not name the trolls.

carnivalsorphans rude. ... but uh. yeah. that's what happened.

carnivalsorphans and now i'm boring again because i got no new information :o( i hope you'll keep talkin to me anyway.

sugaryexcess Tyfora could speak. We could not. We were not a gestalt. She was she and I was nearby, but crippled. You were not with a version of me. You were with my host.

carnivalsorphans not crippled, just polite.

sugaryexcess They could not speak.

carnivalsorphans they could speak, but it was Big. and Loud. they could not speak in a way that would make others understand instead of harm them.

sugaryexcess That is functionally very similar. That is the life people who strongly oppose hosts would ask of me? Friendless?

carnivalsorphans yeah, fair. but a choice is different from a handicap, even if they're both very frustrating. ... no. they got friends now.

carnivalsorphans i think it took a bit for people to fully understand their nature.

sugaryexcess How long has Tyfora been alive, Ringleader? How recently is the now?

carnivalsorphans it's not something we ask of you. it's something that happened. we asked nothing. you gave.

sugaryexcess I have only your word to go on. But I will believe you.

carnivalsorphans you gave up an opportunity that was imposed on you. you knew what you were gettin into, but tyfora Loved you, so you accepted it. ... i think that's what is so different about you. this is your... core, uninfluenced by tyfora.

carnivalsorphans .... there's gonna be a lotta people who don't like that you're inhabiting that body, on principle alone.

sugaryexcess I know.

carnivalsorphans i don't care, it happened centuries ago, it's too late to be upset about it now.

sugaryexcess Oh, goodness. This is an excellent angle, actually. You are good at this.

carnivalsorphans ;o) you're welcome. not a lotta people are gonna feel that way with anythin but reluctance, but you're welcome anyway. you're a different person with a same face.

sugaryexcess You are just so talented. Do you do this often?

carnivalsorphans what sorta 'this' are we talkin

sugaryexcess Any kind of working with captives. This is good cop, bad cop, which is admittedly a fairly basic technique, but it is used very well here. "It is us against the world! Those other~ people~ may try to hurt you, but not me, I promise~ Oh, it won't be common for people to feel like me, but I'll always be there"~ A classic~

sugaryexcess It was very smooth~

carnivalsorphans used to be bad cop, can't believe i've transitioned to good cop

sugaryexcess It is good to have a variety of skills~

carnivalsorphans ;o* but i was more warnin you, to be completely honest. i got nothin to good cop you about, you don't know anythin i care about, and we don't intend to hurt you unless you fuck somethin up

sugaryexcess Yes, so you continue to claim.

carnivalsorphans keep your head down, and you'll keep not bein on anyone's list.

sugaryexcess Fuck you.

carnivalsorphans oh baby

sugaryexcess I am an Empress. My head will be unbowed.

carnivalsorphans hahahahahahahahaha do you know where you fucking ARE?

sugaryexcess I am fine with making somebody's list. I am in your delightful little romantic parlour room that you and Condy enjoyed, obviously~~~

carnivalsorphans you're in my universe. where your MOTHER was near destroyed, reduced so small she had to inhabit a corpse after four hundred sweeps of tryin to gain power enough to do anythin worth anyone's notice that wasn't poisonin fish. where that body's alternate was reduced to a pale slave for funsies~ if any universe is gonna bow your head, it will be mine, and it will not be pleasant. but do what you fuckin want. there's no~ way~ that it will hurt you long term. and on a 'long term' that you'll actually fuckin NOTICE. > .... wow what the fuck that's a lotta tildes for you.

sugaryexcess If you are to change your approach, it is recommended that you do so fewer than twice in one conversation.

carnivalsorphans i'm talkin.

sugaryexcess You sure are.

carnivalsorphans i'm not doin any damn thing with any damn ulterior motives beyond tellin you things, outta the kindness of my damn pusher, that might make your nights here just boring instead of painful.

sugaryexcess Feel free to tell me that you told me so when I am a broken shell.

carnivalsorphans you've got nothin i want. i want my damn mate back. so i just wanna keep you in a place where you don't fuck it up until then. but! so many people would love an excuse to destroy that body and whatever being inhabits it. do us all a favor and knock it off.

sugaryexcess No.

carnivalsorphans :o/ lame whatever, you'll see what's in store for you soon enough

sugaryexcess I assuredly will.

carnivalsorphans someone bitched at me for threatenin you so seriously. it's not a threat. it's like bartering feelings.

sugaryexcess Who?

carnivalsorphans if you give nice things, i'll give nice things wow that's personal isn't it. if you give neutral things, i'll give neutral things.

sugaryexcess Your moirail? Your moirail is a fan of mine. Do not worry, he will not go against the will of the group.

carnivalsorphans wow that's personal, isn't it?? i know. if you try to convince him too much, i'll get annoyed at you. i won't hurt you but i'll be very mad and give you less emotional company. if you don't hurt anyone i'll hang around you and talk to people i care about a lot and talk about sugary so you can get good feels off it

sugaryexcess Your company is not meaningful to me. Not even the offer of Tastes moves me. You have caged me. I was already so Small, and now my entire world is infinitesimal.

carnivalsorphans that's fair. i wanna offer as much as i can without hurtin anyone but if nothin motivates you there's not much i can do but make sure you don't hurt anyone in any way

sugaryexcess Did whoever imprisoned your Empress give her a treat to calm her down? Did that make her stop trying to escape? Yes.

carnivalsorphans ....

carnivalsorphans that's a painful nerve you're touchin there, if you want me to leave you alone you can just ask.

sugaryexcess I want you to let me out.

carnivalsorphans i assure you, that ain't the way

sugaryexcess You gave me information out of the kindness of your heart. I am obviously going to use it.

carnivalsorphans repay kindness with kindness.

sugaryexcess As you did, when I bought you my mother's gift?

carnivalsorphans the gift was a very nice thought. i consider it a kindness to put you a place where you ain't gonna get yourself put in harms way. and you consider it a kindness to turn me.

sugaryexcess Not just to turn you. To turn someone who explicitly and enthusiastically requested the pleasure.

carnivalsorphans that's fair. i laid a trap for you when you were doin somethin in good faith.

sugaryexcess You did not even want the Rebirth, did you?

carnivalsorphans not even a little. i like bein me exactly how i am. i'm wayyy too in love with myself to want that sorta change

sugaryexcess I wasted it, and you made me do something to you that you did not want. You are not the good kind of person.

sugaryexcess But you knew that.

carnivalsorphans yeah of course i know that i acknowledge that you wanted to give me somethin nice. and i appreciate that you did.

sugaryexcess You are dismissed. Come to me the next time you have an offer or a threat to modify my behavior.

carnivalsorphans if it's not a bribe do you still want me to come and sit outside your cell and have good feels

sugaryexcess No. Fuck you for thinking that I would be willing or wanting anything from you.

carnivalsorphans then i'll not bother. someone's still gotta watch your neighbor though, and now a lotta the people who'd do it feel complicated.

carnivalsorphans so i'll do it. and feel basically nothin for you.

sugaryexcess My Mother will rip you out of your body.

carnivalsorphans hot.

sugaryexcess You will be destroyed. Everyone who allowed this horrible thing to happen will be.

carnivalsorphans sexy. vore me baby

sugaryexcess Your moirail will die last. He will watch you suffer and die.

carnivalsorphans you are dismissed come to me next time you have an offer or a threat to modify my behavior~

sugaryexcess We have fun here~ Good day, clown~

[hariible]

red