decafdino

[decafdino]

seven sentence sunday! for today, i think i absolutely have to rep the fic i just posted, not quite a vigilante, not quite a hero. thanks to @lemonlyman-dotcom @afiendishthingynisba and @emsprovisions for the tags! I also have to thank @morganaspendragonss for betaing the fic ;)

A cold wind blows down Carlos' back, signaling the arrival of the man he's been waiting for. Carlos turns around, trying to school his expression before the Blizzard sees how much the drop below rattles him.

The Blizzard smirks. "I'd thought by now you would've gotten used to this place."

Carlos scoffs. "'This place' is barely structurally sound. I don't even know why you like it," he lies, just to be difficult. He doesn't want him to get any sort of idea that they're friends. They're temporary colleagues at best, nothing more.

[decafdino]

new fic alert!! 🚨 here's my attempt at a superhero!au. not quite a vigilante, not quite a hero is out now! this was a prompt fill for @badthingshappenbingo, Recorded/Broadcast Torture.

Summary:

He watches as she sets the IV to high flow, something he's only seen TK do a few times while they were in the field together. "This won't make him come."

"Oh, yes it will," she counters. "Computer, start a broadcast on all local television frequencies."

"Starting broadcast…"

"The drug trials have only ended in one of two ways," she tells him, a sinister grin on her face. "Either you manifest some kind of enhanced ability, or your body overloads from the change and you die. I imagine neither of you wants to take that risk." She turns to the screen, which displays their mirror image in the recording. "The clock is ticking. If the Blizzard has a conscience, he'll have to come here and try to stop me."

For the sake of humanity, Carlos really hopes the Blizzard is selfish.

—

TK has lived a double life since before Carlos ever met him. What happens when his family is put at risk because of his secrets?

[decafdino]

Seven sentence sunday!!! thank you to @heartstringsduet @lemonlyman-dotcom and @afiendishthingynisba for the tags! I know it's been a while, but im back with some superhero au thats about to be in the editing stage:

It was always him. Dressed in gaudy spandex and flashy tech, but when Carlos' synapses fire for what will probably be the final time, it's of [redacted].

There is no more time for goodbyes. The ground is steadily approaching. The wind that blasts against his descent at least cools his body down from Sadie's drug concoction, though it does nothing to slow his body down. He shuts his eyes, hoping against hope that this next part happens quick.

[decafdino]

wip wednesday! I'd be remiss if I didn't promote my latest finished work, Kindred Spirit. It's a medieval fantasy au, mostly tarlos-centric, and the longest thing I've ever posted to ao3. It would mean the world to me if y'all could go and check it out here. I also have a snippet from my in-progress superhero!au to post! thank you to @whatsintheboxmh @heartstringsduet @nisbanisba @lemonlyman-dotcom and @emsprovisions for the tags.

The door to the daycare is painted a nice baby blue, a happy sun on the corner just like a child's drawing. He tries to turn the handle, but it won't budge.

"Door's locked, Nance. Can you do anything about it?"

"I'll see—shit! Your six!" Nancy alerts him just in time to duck under what is frankly the largest fist TK has ever seen in his life.

"Woah, man. At least ask me out to dinner first," he quips. It lacks his normal annoying energy he normally tries his best to exude, but he'll excuse that. He zaps a block of ice onto the guy's fist, causing it to get stuck balled up.

"Blizzard," the guy drawls. "We've been lookin' for you." In the next second, the guy is swinging again. Ice smashes against the wall only inches from where TK's head is. It leaves a sizable dent.

TK makes a mental note to play defense. He's not going to get anywhere trying to brute strength his was past this unstoppable force. "Look, big guy, I'm flattered, but you're not really my type."

Another swing from his opponent only just catches TK on the chin, but it's enough to leave him stumbling. "Enough talk," the guy growls. "It's been way too long since I've gotten to pulverize a pretty face."

[decafdino]

happy friday! I'm ecstatic to announce that the final chapter of Kindred Spirit has been posted! thank you to everyone who took the time to read this fic (that I have poured perhaps an unreasonable amount of time into making lol). It means the world to me :) This week, it's just a short and simple epilogue to wrap things up. Excerpt:

Since Carlos was busy this morning, TK had agreed to meet up with him later in the day, but in classic TK fashion, he's running late. Carlos isn't worried, however; if anything went wrong and TK needed him, the tug in his chest would tell him so. He spends the time throwing sticks out for Buttercup to fetch.

A few minutes later, Carlos spots his partner jogging down the pathway to meet him, very un-prince-like. "Sorry I'm late," TK says, out of breath. He presses a kiss to his cheek. "Mom roped me into another one of her lectures on the importance of Jonah's tummy time." TK rolls his eyes playfully, then bends down to pet the dog. "Have you been a good boy for Sir Reyes?"

Carlos smiles. "You know I don't mind waiting for you," he says. "And I know you secretly love any and all things Jonah-related," he prods.

"Shh." TK puts a finger to his lips. "You can't tell anyone. My mother would be ecstatic and then I'll really never hear the end of it."

[decafdino]

been in a gigantic slump lately, so I'm surprised i managed this one. thanks to @nisbanisba @heartstringsduet and @whatsintheboxmh for the tags. take a snippet from the superhero!au that I originally intended to put out for this week's angst even and then completely ran out of time for :/

His husband looks utterly torn. They both hear the fists and guns pounding against the ice. It won't hold for forever, that much is clear. It's an impossible choice, so the least Carlos can do is make it for him.

"I'm stuck, I'm not going anywhere. Jonah needs you more right now," he says. "I'll be fine."

TK's teeth clench, his jaw tenses. He swipes quickly at his eyes. "I'll be back for you," he says with a quiet certainty, "I promise." He bends down, their lips pressing warmly together.

The moment is cut short by the shattering of ice crystals. The guards have broken in, but TK's visor is already on, his skates flicked out. "You want me? You're gonna have to catch me first," he taunts, icing a path to the door on the opposite side of the room. The majority of them take the bait, racing after him. Only a few pause, their fingers on their earpieces.

"Yes, ma'am," one of them says, glancing at Carlos. "Understood."

Carlos swallows. That can't mean anything good.

He contemplates—very briefly—calling out for TK. He could still be within earshot, would undoubtedly come to his rescue again as the guards uncuff him from the table and drag his weak body out the door. But he can't, not really, because TK needs to go to Jonah. Carlos needs him to go to Jonah.

So he keeps his mouth shut tight as they shove him into an elevator.

[decafdino]

thank you to @lemonlyman-dotcom for the fuck it friday tag! Chapter 23 of Kindred Spirit is out! next week will just be a short epilogue, but i'm so pumped. i even have a very angsty idea for a sequel in my head, so who knows... >:) Excerpt:

Slowly, his smile fades away. "They… they took me away from you," he says. "I remember that."

Carlos' hand has now traveled down to rest on his bicep. TK feels his grip tighten at the mention of what happened. "They did," Carlos confirms. "Tyler, I'm sorry. I should have—"

"Don't." Now, it's TK's turn to cut him off, to reassure him. "It's all still a little jumbled up, but I know that I never blamed you. Never." He raises a hand to cup Carlos' cheek, to make sure he's looking at him. "It's not your fault, baby."

"I should have known," Carlos protests weakly. Now that TK is really taking the time to study him, he can see the dark bags under Carlos' eyes and how his hair is frazzled, like he's forgotten to take care of it. "I should have realized we were being followed sooner. Maybe, if I had—"

"Maybe it all would have happened anyway," TK says. "It doesn't matter. You're here with me now, safe and in one piece."

[decafdino]

angsty shout-outs!

We asked you guys to supply us with your favourite angsty works and you did not disappoint! We have compiled them, as well as some of the mods' favourites, into a by no means definitive list of recs for you to check out in preparation for our angst fest next week!

so, without further ado:

Where All This Love Comes From by @carlos-in-glasses

The Long Goodbye by Mari_Marie

maybe it will turn out this time by @morganaspendragonss

The Wake by Krafty

The Space In Between by @decafdino

Love Can Pull You Out Of Yesterday by @alrightbuckaroo

Weep Not For Me by @henrygrass

You Wanting Me Tonight Feels Impossible by @emsprovisions

2 AM, Kitchen Floor by @heartstringsduet

Even If The World Ends Tomorrow by @bonheur-cafe

Monday by @butchreyes

You Keep Coming Back With A Bird In Your Teeth by vaguenotion

what we leave behind by @goodways

first aid by @heartstringsduet

my beatin’ heart belongs to you by bartsy

a safe distance by @tailoredshirt

come what may, i’ll still stay by @strandnreyes

the firehouse by @paperstorm

to build a home by @freneticfloetry

what is sown, what is grown by @never-blooms

one of these days by @butchreyes

trouble will not take me by @marjansmarwani

silence and gloom by @wandering-night19

Drifting Beneath the Horizon by @sunshineacd

Not Much of a Talking Man by RobinPlaysTrumpet15

We are lost (and we're falling) by theskyisblue

Duress Alarm by @aliceschuyler

if i crash, i'm made of steel by @trkstrnd

shape-shifting in an endless sleep by @terramous

in the garden of evil, honey by Maybethereshope

For Better and for Worse by twinfinite

you can hear it in the silence by hoodieweather

our bodies, possessed by light by @reyesstrand

Fall On Me by @moviegeek03

forever in a second too short (home is a heartbeat) by @lire-casander

if my wishes came true, it would've been you by @ravens-words

there is so much talent in this fandom so we narrowed the list down to one per author, but we highly recommend you checking out their other work!

[decafdino]

the generational gap between me and the people my age who use chat gpt

[decafdino]

Seven sentence Sunday (but it’s not seven lol) thanks to @heartstringsduet @lemonlyman-dotcom and @nisbanisba for the tags!

The woman chuckles. She puts a hand on his shoulder while Carlos continues to glare at her. "He's a little out of sorts right now. The treatments here can do that to a person."

TK's jaw clenches. He studies her face, makes sure to memorize the features of the woman responsible for all of this. He imagines what it will be like to freeze her inside of a block of ice.

Focus.

"I have a deal for you, Blizzard. Our medicine has some very unfortunate side effects—I'm sure you can imagine the kind." She slides a finger across her throat with a wink. She's too bright, too cheery and bubbly in the face of hurting others for her to come across as any level of sane. "I'd be willing to administer an antidote in exchange for some of your DNA.

[decafdino]

Chapter 22 of Kindred Spirit is out! Excerpt:

TK groans again. "I don't want to, baby, but..." His breath starts to quicken, the already shallow inhales pulling in less and less oxygen. His eyes fill with panic. "It's burning me up and I—I can feel it. Carlos, I can't breathe."

And it's as if saying it out loud makes it worse, because TK starts hacking and gasping. His chest heaves, but Carlos can tell he's not getting enough air.

"What can I do, baby? Tell me what to do so I can fix this."

Because that's always been who Carlos is. He's always been the fixer, the compromiser, the one who will always bend over backwards and change himself to be what other people want. After being a chameleon for so long, he thought he'd forgotten who he really was until he was pushed into being himself. TK pushed him. TK forced him to be honest and taught him things about himself he didn't even know and TK is the most important thing in his life and Carlos can't lose this, not now.

"Hold me," TK says, his voice barely there between fleeting breaths. "Please."

[decafdino]

wip wednesday! thank you for the tags @nisbanisba @heartstringsduet @henrygrass @lemonlyman-dotcom @whatsintheboxmh and @emsprovisions!

"You're a hero," she grits out. Her voice is shaky from the chill, though TK can barely feel it himself. "You're not supposed to kill people."

"I'm a vigilante," TK corrects. "There's a difference."

Carlos always told him that. Vigilante does not a hero make. It doesn't matter how much good you do if there's no way to safeguard against using that same power for bad. Whenever they'd argued about the Blizzard's true intentions, TK would always make a silent promise to only do good. To do no harm. He'd promised Carlos he'd be a hero, even if he'd never said it out loud. He'd never even considered how selfish his power could be, not with something so precious as his husband in his life, there to show him how good the world could be with a little elbow grease and a lot of dedication.

But Carlos isn't here right now.

"Tell me where my family is, and I'll let you keep your fingers and toes."

[decafdino]

Chapter 21 of Kindred Spirit is out! Excerpt:

"How sure are we that this is going to work?" Carlos asks. They're hiding in the brush, waiting for the next caravan to come through, but the plan is still up in the air.

Marjan shoots him an annoyed look. "Have a little faith, won't you?"

Carlos shifts from where he's been made to squat. The rest of the group has told him in no uncertain terms that he isn’t participating in this fight. He isn't sure if it's because they still don't trust him, or because they're worried he'll only get himself hurt in this state. The only thing he knows for certain is that Marjan still has a problem with him. She's assigned herself as his babysitter while the rest of them deal with the task at hand: taking out the caravan.

"I have faith," Carlos insists. "I am sure that our friends will be able to take these people out. It's the second part that worries me."

Marjan snorts. "'Our friends'. Right."

He forces himself to take a second and breathe through his mounting frustration. "Marjan, I know that you're upset with me," he says, attempting to be cordial.

"Oh, I'm not upset. I'm pissed." She jabs a finger in his direction. "And before you go thinking that I'm overreacting, let me remind you of this: the king trusted you—you specifically, Carlos—to protect his son and keep him out of danger. He didn't ask anyone else. You—" She cuts herself off as her voice begins to rise. They can't afford to be caught right now and they both know it. "You failed him, and broke our trust."

Carlos bites back a groan. "You think I don't know that?" he hisses. "You think it hasn't been eating me alive this entire time?"

[decafdino]

Are you writing a fic where Carlos gets hurt during a break-in? I remember seeing something but I can't remember where!

yes, I am! it's part of a prompt fill for my bthb, I just got distracted by another wip (sort of the story of my life atm) rest assured once that's done, i'll go back to finishing it. It's just very disorganized rn and without an actual plot, just shameless whump lol 😅

[decafdino]

wip wednesday! let's hope i can get this out before midnight (i was distracted today watching fiddler on the roof, sue me) thanks to @tellmegoodbye @heartstringsduet @henrygrass @whatsintheboxmh @emsprovisions and @lemonlyman-dotcom for the tags! from the superhero au:

"Even so, now that she's been found, I'll need to let her family know." He rubs a hand over his face. "And figure out a way to document this in my file without admitting that you've been assisting me."

"Hmph. No need to sound so ungrateful."

Carlos feels his shoulders tense in slight annoyance. This guy just knows how to push all his buttons, and Carlos doesn't even know his real name. "It's not that. This whole… thing," he gestures between them, "it's illegal. And dangerous. If anyone found out…" He could be fired. His family could be put at risk. He'd be interrogated until the Rangers squeezed every last detail about the Blizzard out of him, and then they'd probably arrest him for working with a vigilante.

"I know." He softens. "I don't want anything to happen to you, either." He puts a hand on Carlos' shoulder, his touch as cold as always. "I promise you, I'm doing everything I can to cover my tracks. I'd never do anything to put you in danger."

Carlos would like to promise the same thing, but it wouldn't be entirely truthful. There would be one—and only one—exception. If it was to save his family, he would sell out the Blizzard in a heartbeat. Hell, he's such a good guy that he might not even blame him for it. It isn't like the thought hasn't crossed his mind.

But the Blizzard probably has a family. Just like Carlos, he probably has people that care for him, too. People that would miss him if anything happened. It only drives home just how much is at stake by doing this, working together. It's utterly exhausting, always having to be one step ahead of his coworkers, always covering his tracks, always looking over his shoulder.

But it's for the greater good.

[decafdino]

Chapter 20 of Kindred Spirit is here! We're nearing the end you guys.... Excerpt:

"You're going to kill me," TK says bluntly. "I'm basically an infinite source of magical power, once I'm given the time to recharge." He pointedly leaves out the part about his limited capacity. "Killing me means once my font is used up, it's gone forever. My magic becomes a finite resource, which is fine when you have other magic princes laying around."

"But we don't have—" Anthony's eyes widen as he finally gets what TK is saying. "Lords, what are we doing?"

"I'll tell you what you're doing. You're thinking in the short-term. Wolfe knows he can supercharge my font and gain levels of power he otherwise wouldn't, but once it's gone, it's gone. And," he says, shaking his head disappointedly, "no one else gets to use it but him."

Anthony recoils. It truly must have never occurred to him that would happen, because he exclaims, "What the actual fuck? That's so messed up!"

"So messed up," TK echoes. "The way I see it, you're the smartest guy here. That's why I'm willing to make you an offer."

[decafdino]

Wip Wednesday! My writing has been slowing down recently but I did manage to get in a session or two this past week. Thank you to @nisbanisba @henrygrass and @heartstringsduet for the tags!

"TK!" Carlos comes running. He still has Jonah in his arms, his eyes full of wonder. "Baby, are you okay? What happened?"

TK looks around, really playing up the shock. "I don't know. One second, I was chasing after this guy," he jabs a thumb at the thief, who is complaining that his hands are cold, "to stop him from stealing. The next, I don't know. I guess the Blizzard must have gotten to him first."

Carlos pulls him into a hug. "You know I hate it when you try and play the hero."

If only he could tell him there is no 'try' about it. His husband has always been protective, but especially since TK became a full-time dad and civilian. It's very silly considering what he likes to do for a hobby.

TK allows himself to sink into the hug. It's comforting for Carlos, which means it's comforting for him, even if he was never in any real danger. He smiles when Jonah's little fist also grabs at his shirt.

"Babe," he says into Carlos' chest, "I promise you, I'm okay."