#backtagged

[fickniss]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Washing up dead on a beach with no identification except this chapter update

[bitedownme]

I'm gonna divide this between two parts, that way the actual situation itself can be accurately tagged and blocked out just in case.

The scene:

The Prince of a Thousand Faces has yet again done something to call for punishment. Bound in chains to greatly limit his abilities, and dragged off while the Scarlet King tries to figure out a proper course of action as his own methods no longer seem to be as effective. The King, however, spots the Queen near the Armory, and comes up with a new course of action.

=====

The spear was even between the Shrike's hands.

"Thirty minutes," Scarlet mused, turning his gaze down to the trapped shape changer at his side. Even wrapped in chains taught from the death grip the King had upon them, Jeser still found a way to shrink away from the burden of the dual gaze. "The Prince has thirty minutes to run in any direction of his choosing. The instant thirty minutes are up, however…"

Ire finally looked up. Expression completely unreadable, but steady nonetheless. If she had an argument, or a concern, it wasn't one she was going to vocalize. Yet something within that expression almost seemed to strike Jeser as wrong. Yes, it was the King's Shrike that was staring at him.

But either she wasn't completely there, or somehow, too much of her was there. Too hungry in how she sized him up slowly.

"Our beloved shrike gets to hunt. Once she finds you-" once, not if "- she is free to do with you as she seems fit, for as long as she seems fit."

===

The initial plan (or, really, initial hope) was to negotiate. To find someone the Shrike kept close and plead or threaten his way into making them hide him.

The guards were an immediate no. Many of them were wise to what the continuous loop of chains wrapped almost too close to his body meant. Those that weren't were quickly corrected by the more senior of them, and all either ignored him outright or were polite yet firmly apathetic towards his words, and even more so towards his situation.

No response rang from the rooms of the Goldsmith. As to be expected, if Jeser was being completely honest with himself. The lathe was barren and cold as he stalked around it, and off to the other room. To the other one the Shrike kept in her company.

Jeser did not like Jharim. The role of a jester was to be a in-house source of mockery and cruelty; to act as the eyes and ears of their assigned nobles. With each tongue lashing, something was being found out. A crack in a facade. An insecurity to exploit. Or, as Jharim had displayed several times, figuring out who was lying about what, and how deep the lies went.

On the purely information gathering basis, Jeser had to applaud that kind of talent. As someone in the business of lying, Jeser also had to constantly resist the urge to wring the jester's neck.

An impulse that was, thankfully, subdued for once, purely because the Prince was too confused as to the scene that was apparently unfolding behind Jharim's closed doors. The few glances he could get gave the impression that the Shrike's parrot was preparing for some unknowable, end of world scenario that no one else could comprehend.

All the same, the Prince spoke quickly. As honestly as he could, given the situation and what was at stake. Though, for the first several words, it seemed that Jharim wasn't entirely present.

"… normally the King would handle it, but he's handed it off to the Queen, and I'd like to not see how she intends to make that happen."

Jharim blinked once. Then again. Then at length, he finally looked at Jeser's face, his own expression doing something complex before he flatly stated, "Your name is but one letter off from designating you as a clown, and whatever crucifixion that is soon coming will surely rectify that."

"My friend, I am begging you to reconsider here! Surely you know what it means to be hunted-"

"I am! And I was unaware the entire time. You have the boon of knowing about the winged hell that's about the reign down upon you, and you are making the active choice to look like this?! Get out of here before I need to clean you off the wall!"

With that, the door was shut, and just as quickly locked.

Jeser only had fifteen minutes to get out of the palace and into the badlands.

-🍁

The Creature is in Danger, and everyone knows it. Only two are gonna enjoy this maybe a bit too much

[fickniss]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Breaking free of my undisturbed tomb to throw this fic on the ground before retreating back to the depths

[fickniss]

In a moment of clarity from my fever-madness -- here you go, new chapter

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[fickniss]

Second chapter /distant airhorn noise/

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[sysid-ace]

🌂 fascinated that human subjectivity and how memory works means that people can get mad at luka being depicted as taller than bayonetta when:

🌂 (i posted this on twitter too. i pretended to be grumpy there because it fits the form of absurd character limits better)

[sysid-ace]

🌂 i can understand people hating the meme, but i'm quite attached to "there is no heterosexual explanation for this"

🌂 then again, i watch shows where two girls do a tag team attack called Polyphilim Scissors of Love in a Dream, so maybe i've only been exposed to the examples where there truly is no heterosexual explanation for it

[toosimsforyou]

Do you believe in destiny, fate or free will?

Fate? Aha I always write about thattt

What was the last thing to make you feel happy?

Hyrule Warriors (new LOZ game, I'm such a geek haha)

If you met a Genie who offered you three wishes, what would you wish for? (more wishes does not count)

1. I would know what I needed to complete school

2. Own a business I don't have to work hard with (i.e. Facebook)

3. Infinite Reese's cups and movie theater popcorn (butter included!)

If you could steal one thing without consequence what would it be?

Something useful, liek a plane hehe

Whats the worst pick-up line you’ve heard?

"Are you a map, because I got lost in your eyes"

Whats your favourite childrens story?

I actually had this big book of stories in Spanish, I always liked the Little Mermaid though

If you had a warning label, what would yours say?

"Really stupid at times" no joke, I get so dumb at some times xD

If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no one around to hear it does it make a noise?

Um yuh

What was the last film you saw?

Rewatched Guardians of the Galaxy! 

If you had to describe yourself as a flavour, what would it be?

Mixed in, lots of flavour ;p Redvelvet and chocolate would be the ideal swirl, now I'm hungry (nuuuu)

Do you believe in karma?

Actually, last year we had a religion study and we covered Karma and now that I know much more than I'll ever need (thx school) yes