Darkness Gathers
After Rumple poisoned several in the house with almonds, Branoc overheard Becca and Gabe talking about 'the Dark One' behind the attack. The household gathers to assess the threat.
Branoc sat on the porch in his crow form. He was considering flying again, just running. Why was he even here? Nothing had happened in the days he’d been there. Maybe the others had wanted to give him his space... or maybe they didn’t actually want anything to do with him. Why was he even here...? And now Rebecca and Gabriel were blaming him for.... something? Maybe he should go talk to them... or maybe he should just run... fly...
Eros had come out to the porch to grab something when he saw Branoc, making him smile a little bit. Gently he scooped him up by placing two fingers under the other's feet. "It's okay, it's just me, don't panic." He chuckled softly. "...Branny, why are you out here? It's too hot for you to be sitting out here, buddy..."
Branoc does indeed startle a bit, not having heard Eros come outside. "I'm a bird... it's not too hot." It was a halfhearted attempt at joking, at best.
Eros snorted as he ran his fingers over the other's feathers, trying to straighten them out. "Well, yes, but... You are very dark, and since light makes darker things hotter... For instance, that's why you never see a black metal slide. Shit would burn your skin off in an instant." The god snorted. "What're you thinking about out here?"
Branoc couldn't help but lean into the pets. It had been so long... When Eros asked, though, he ducked his head a bit. "I think... Rebecca and Gabriel think I did something bad... I dunno what, but..."
Eros frowned a little as he moved to go sit down on one of the chairs in the shade, letting the familiar rest on his chest. "You did nothing wrong, Branny... Nothing at all... None of this shitshow is your mess, okay?"
Branoc shifted around, trying to find a comfortable perch before he finally just gave up and laid on Eros's chest. "What shit show?" he asked softly.
Eros let his fingers stroke through his feathers some more, giving the top of his head a little scritch every so often. "Did.... Did you not hear about what happened? With Killi, Becca, and I?"
"Not... exactly, no," Branoc admitted. "Only what Rebecca said about... who was behind it..."
"Well.... You know how we're allergic to almonds, right?" The god frowned, chewing at his bottom lip. "It turns out everything we tried to eat or drink ended up being contaminated with them.."
Branoc's feathers ruffled in alarm. "What? Are you alright? How?" His little black eyes seemed to widen. "They... they think I would do that...?"
"Yeah, yeah it's okay, we're all okay..." Eros breathed, trying to soothe him the best he could. "No, I... I don't think they think you'd do that... They're not sure what to think right now, honestly... Everything is just... Really jumbled up and a confused mess, I think..."
Branoc let out a sound that was strangely similar to a dog's whimper. "The... dark one... that's what they called me..."
Eros held him even closer, almost like he was protecting him. "I....I think I know what they're referring to... It's.... In the old timeline, you um... Fuck, how do I explain this properly without sounding absolutely batshit insane..."
"I... can make shadows..."
"Exactly.... In the old timeline, you used that to control Becca and I and in a way, do your bidding..."
Branoc's eyes widened again, his little bird heart was racing. "I... did all that...? No wonder she blames me..." He looked up at Eros. "Why on earth did you want me around, if I can do that...?"
"You did, but... It's okay. We loved you anyways, y'know that? We didn't really mind it..." He whispered, feeling just how fast the other's heart was going. "Calm down everything's okay, you're gonna give yourself a birdie heart attack..." The god teased instead of properly answering his question.
Branoc started clicking his beak quickly. "Why am I here?" He looked at Eros again. "Am I here to be punished for what that version of me did?"
Eros took in a deep breath, letting a little bit of his powers into the crow to try and soothe him but also fill him with love, rather than lust. "No, you're not being punished at all... You're here because you belong here with us. Because we love you and... Fuck, we can't live without you, okay?"
Branoc shivered a little at the power, laying his head on Eros's chest again. "But... then why do they think I'd hurt you...?"
"There we go...." The god smiled sweetly as he slowly stroked over his feathers. "I don't think they do... they just.... They're confused, like I am, like we all are right now..."
"I... don't want to hurt you all..." Branoc said slowly. "Just because I don't know you well... doesn't mean I want to hurt you... I want you to know that..."
"I know, I know you better than that. I know you don't want to hurt us in the slightest." Eros smiled even more, scritching under his beak. "...We should talk to the others..."
Branoc let out another low whine. "What if they don't believe me...?"
"They will if I tell them for you... You don't have to say a thing, just... Let me tell them, okay?"
Branoc hesitated then nodded. "A-alright..."
"There we go, there's my birdie boy.... Everything's gonna be just fine, don't worry... No one's going to hurt you, not ever again.."
Branoc didn't argue or ask how he planned to do that if someone nearly killed them all with almonds, but he did wonder.
He sat up and shifted his weight. "We should get everyone together... the sooner the better."
"We probably should, shouldn't we? ...C'mon birdie boy, let's get you inside. Plus I'm starting to sweat out here..." The god grumbled the last part, carefully taking him inside.
Branoc carefully perched on Eros's hand, careful not to grip too tightly with his talons.
Gabriel glanced up at the sound of the door opening, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw Eros and Branoc. "Thank dad you two are okay."
"Of course we are! Why wouldn't we?" Eros teased, letting the other's talons grip onto him. He then moved one hand back to try and hold him better.
Killian grins brightly, seeing them walk in. “There’s our birdy buddy!!” He chuckled. “Hey, we… probably should have a talk..”
"Because things aren't right. There's... Someone really dangerous who's taken an interest in us. They've already come after Becca, Killi, and I." Gabriel frowned, no trace of her usual humor.
Branoc curled in on himself a little, as if wanting to hide, but he stayed with Eros.
Cal came in from his room, using the wall to steady himself. "Talk, right, yes. I didn't find any other traces of almonds anywhere in the house."
"And me..." Eros pointed out. "I... Caught a glimpse of him. Nothing too much though, but..." He breathed, looking down to Branoc as he held him closer before chuckling at Cal. "You got into the alcohol again, huh?"
Ziggy came in and moved to gently wrap one arm around Cal to try and steady him. "C'mon old man, let's get you sat down." He teased.
“Hiiii Ziggy!” He hums. “Yeah, it’s.. I wanna be clear, I know it’s not Bran.” He sighed.
"Bran? Why on earth would it be Bran?" Gabriel looked over, confused. "No. Becca and I think it's someone named Rumpelstiltskin. Though we... Haven't figured out why or how."
".....Gabe, honey, sweetie, I'm gonna need you to say that name again, because all I got was rumple somethin'..." Eros tipped his head to the side.
Ziggy waved his hand to Killian with a bright hum. "Hey sweetheart!"
Cal grumbled softly, but let Ziggy help him over to the couch, where he promptly fell onto it in his usual haphazard way.
Branoc lifted his head a little, hearing the others deny thinking he was involved.
“Hey, Bran, it’s okay, bud.” He nods softly. “…Rumplestiltskin.. fuck, I know that name.. why do I know that name..”
"He goes by 'The Dark One'. Apparently he's some sort of... Super powerful... entity? Thing? I don't even know what he is. Or why he's here. Or why he's fucking with us." Her frown deepens as she rubs at her neck, remembering both the iron collar and the allergic reaction all too vividly.
"Fuck.... That name sounds really familiar..." Eros frowned as he listened to Gabriel. "....That's why... Okay, so... Shit, how do we beat him? Or is this going to go on forever and fucking ever?"
“….Can we take a second to look at our faces?” Killian squints.
"So... this Rumple guy is... the dark one...?" Branoc asked cautiously.
Cal sat up. "Our faces?"
"Well but... Wait, why is he going after me then?!" Eros huffed and crossed his arms. "...Proper bullshit if you ask me..."
“….It’s the show.” He speaks up. “He’s one of the main villains of the show… causing chaos and destruction no matter what the cost…” he mumbled, putting up his other form as an illusion. “Look at me, look at Gabe.. hell, look at mom…”
"You're... talking about a television show?" Cal asked doubtfully.
"So he's... Confused everyone with characters from that show?" Ziggy tilted his head to the side with a frown. "I mean, granted, weirder shit has happened, yeah?"
"The... Show? Oh. Oh shit." Realization dawned on Gabriel's face. "This.. This might be my fault guys. Do any of you remember how I used to terrorize the Winchesters? Um... Put them in a sort of TV Land for a while?" Now she was looking guilty.
"But... you're talking about a fictional show," Cal insisted. "There's a difference in putting two humans through a series of illusions and... and some fictional character coming after us."
“They can come through if the Magic’s strong enough…” he mumbled. “Eros saw him, for God’s sake..”
"No, Cal. It wasn't all illusions. I... May have tampered with the multiverse a bit to do it. And... May be breaking the multiverse a bit every time we go to the bubble house."
"Cali, technically Gabriel is from a show in a way, right? It can happen. Hell, this is the person that fucking did Casa Erotica!" He frowned, only to then look to Gabe. "....Fuck me, god dammit..."
“….Zig, love, you good?” Killi snorts.
"Well, yes, but... Christ, we know what happens with the multiverse! I mean, look at what happened! I didn't remember you before, Branoc still doesn't fully a thousand percent remember Eros!" Ziggy huffed.
Cal frowned, looking thoughtful, then raised an eyebrow at Ziggy. "What... the hell is Casa Eroitca?"
Branoc shifted on his feet at being mentioned but stayed quiet.
“Porn, Cal. Porn.” Killi snorts. “Listen, the woman has a side gig.”
"Oh, I had some fun in porn for a while, Cal. No big deal."
".....I think you know exactly what Casa Erotica is, Cali.... A porno." Ziggy snorted out.
Eros pulled him in closer and ran his fingers through his feathers. "It's okay, bud, it's not your fault..."
"But, back to the matter at hand. I... May jump universes on a semi-regular basis." Gabriel reached up, unconsciously playing with her hair.
Cal's ears went red and he ducked his head again.
"And you think that's why this Rumple guy is coming after everyone? Because you 'jump universes'?" Branoc asked.
"Or at least it might be how he got here." She frowned.
Ziggy snorted as he wrapped one arm around Cal's shoulders to try and calm him down. But then he looked back to Gabe. "....Honey, we... We gotta stop that, y'know..."
Eros gave a simple little nod. "....So, Gabe's why? Fuck, okay, so.... We have a motive, we have a reason..."
"I didn't know it would cause any problems." She shrugged her shoulders, looking a bit sheepish. "I mean, haven't any of you ever wanted to try having sex with an alternate version of yourself?"
“Been there.” Killi coughs.
"See? I had very valid reasons for doing what I do. Also pranking. And, I'm not giving up the bubble house. We need somewhere no one else can get to for emergencies."
"....I literally have, Gabe, I've fucked you before." Ziggy teased playfully with a snort. "But you don't have to give it up, just.... For a while, until it's fully completely needed... If we keep jumping back and forth, something else is going to happen..."
“Zig makes a very good point.. but.. we still might need a few more precautions..”
Cal was still frowning, listening to the others talk. He couldn't help but shake his head a little.
"Speaking of the bubble house, it might be good to stay there for a while. Until we can figure out something to do about this Rumple guy. Because... He's.. He's clearly dangerous. There was Enochian on the iron collar he snapped on me. He clearly knows what I am and how to fuck with my Grace." Gabriel rubbed at her neck again, grimacing at the memory.
Cal sat up a little. "What collar?"
"I.. Yeah okay, I'm down to go to the bubble house for a bit until all of this blows over... But... Wait, he... He did what!?" Ziggy frowned, looking over to Eros, who just seemed to look angrier and angrier the more he heard about shit Rumple had done.
"Shit... Umm.." She suddenly realized that the only one who'd known about that incident had been Killian. "Someone may have snapped an iron collar on me a little while back. Just before ya'll fucked with the timelines. Turns out, iron fucking hurts now. Who knew? But.. It affected Killi too, through our bond."
“I mean- it doesn’t anymore, because hello, not a demon here.” He snorts.
"Before the timelines changed?" Cal asked.
"Okay, fine. Iron did really fucking hurt. Salt and holy water too. Apparently part of the whole bond thing, I inherited Killi here's weaknesses. Well, weaknesses he used to have."
"Ok, first, we need to double check those weaknesses again, now that he was never a demon," Cal said, seeming to have sobered up quite a bit. "Second... if he's pursuing us across timelines, does that mean he remembers the old one? or does that mean that whatever happened to bring him here the first time happened this time around and he only has the information he gathered from the almond attack?"
“…Shit, Cal poses a really good question actually.. oh!! That reminds me.. Cal, I needed to thank you for saving my ass.”
"Any time, you know that," Cal said, waving his hand dismissively.
"Yeah, Cal. Thanks. You.. Saved us both, actually." Gabriel smiled softly at her brother. "As far as what Rumple knows... I have no idea. If we're lucky, he'll have lost whatever information he had on Enochian warding sigils."
"Is..... That why I felt like I was burn- ......Oh my god..." Ziggy's eyes widened for a moment as he ran his fingers over his own throat. "IS THAT FUCKING WHY?!"
“…Oh shit, the link, that’s right..” Killi swallows.
"Fuck.. He's gonna use these links against us, isn't he? Shit." Gabriel buried her face in her hands.
"Does he know about the links?" Cal asked. "He only tried to poison Killian, Eros, and Rebecca. If he's testing for weaknesses, how is he gathering the results?" He looked to Eros. "You said you saw him?"
"If he didn't, why would he put iron on me?" Gabriel looked up again, her frown only getting wider and more pronounced. "What would iron do to an angel? I think.. I think we need to assume the worst. Assume he knows everything. Just to be on the safe side."
Cal ran his fingers through his hair, trying to keep his head level.
Branoc hopped from Eros's hand to the couch, shifting into his human form to speak more easily. "Maybe... he was trying to test the limits of the connections?" he asked hesitantly. Part of him didn't want to be the one to bring it up, still worried they might be afraid of him, of what the other him did in their old timeline, of what he might be capable of in this one... but it needed saying. "If he knows- or knew- of these connections, he'd need to see how they worked. Putting an iron collar on Gabriel to see if it hurt Killian, carving Enochian sigils so that Gabriel couldn't take it off himself. Hell, there's a chance he didn't even know the iron would hurt Gabriel until he did it. Who all did he poison directly? Killian... Eros... Rebecca? Now he knows that hurting Killian affects Gabriel and Ziggy, and he knows that Eros and Rebecca have the allergy, too..." He took a deep breath, staring at his hands, though he could feel all their eyes on him. "Dangerous as he's been... it doesn't feel like an all out assault... It feels like poking at an unknown element to see how it works."
