Joel sits awkwardly at a family dinner table that isn’t for him.
It’s nice and all, he reckons, for Impulse’s family to invite him over after he leaves the hospital. Even before—everything—Joel’s family hadn’t really been the “big meal around a big table” type, so he’s getting some new experiences here too. And it’s nice and all, that they want to thank him for his role in finding Skizz.
But like. It’s not like he or Impulse or Skizz could explain how it happened, when asked. “Magic brain ghosts” and “evil butterflies” and “Joel still isn’t certain all of that was real and is trying to pretend it wasn’t” puts a damper on that. Also, adults are kind of shit at talking around the fact Joel’s whole family is dead, so he gets the sense he’s sort of harshing the vibes, you know?
Still. It’s a nice gesture. He guesses. It’s free food at least, which is decent, and as close as Impulse and Skizz are, every time one of Impulse’s family says something stupid, Skizz taps Joel’s leg with his foot or steals a roll or something, and it makes Joel feel…
He’d have been sad if Skizz had died, probably. Like, he wouldn’t know. He didn’t come here to make friends, he came here to get a degree and get out. Also, that’s stupid, because it’s not like Joel would have known he was missing a really awkward congratulatory family dinner in which Skizz kept on trying to sneakily steal beans. Probably would have just moved right on. He’s not… friendly.
But.
They stand outside afterwards, waving by to Impulse, promising to walk together so that neither of them Vanish. They’re quiet.
“Thanks, man. That meant a lot to them,” Skizz says.
“Yeah, well, I can do stupid things for free food,” Joel says.
Skizz laughs. “It was nice having you there, too. Man, they’re even worse with you! It’s like not knowing you means they’re even more awkward about family tragedy.”
“Trust me, most adults are way worse. You should see my social worker,” Joel says.
“Didn’t he ditch you, dude?”
“Haha, yeah, he did,” Joel says.
They stare up at the streetlamps together.
“I was really ready to go for a bit there,” Skizz says. Joel’s hackles raise. Oh no. Emotions. Bad. Go away. “It was like—man, it felt like the whole world was empty. But when you showed up, it’s like I remembered… I’d miss dinners, dude.”
“I have no idea why, that kinda sucked,” Joel says, baffled and sarcastic, because he’s a moron who can’t handle emotional conversations, this is why everyone avoided him at the funeral, stupid.
Skizz breaks out laughing.
“You’re great, man! I’m glad we met. Uh, my place is only a block away, and I won’t go following any stupid butterflies. See you at school?”
“Yeah man. See you,” Joel says—
I am thou.
Thou art I.
Thou hath formed a new bond.
With the power of the Chariot Arcana, you shall build the chains with which to hold on to reality.
RANK 1!
“What the hell?” Joel says, tripping over his feet. “What? What? Where did—what the fuck that wasn’t Pygmalion oh god do I have more than one voice in my head—”
“Dude, are you okay?”
Skizz’s almost frustratingly strong and comforting arms grab Joel.
“Tell me you heard that,” Joel says desperately.
“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about. I could take you back to the hospital—no?”
“I am either crazy or am going to end up in a government lab?” Joel says, voice getting high and squeaky.
“We can ask Mr. Hills about it? He came to talk to me after I woke up in the hospital, apparently he like, knows stuff,” Skizz says.
“I don’t wanna,” Joel says.
“Tough luck, buddy, you just almost fell over and cracked your head open!”
Suddenly, Joel remembers a long-nosed man and a blonde in a very blue boat. He remembers a cryptic conversation about bonds and power and their importance. He takes a deep breath. “Can you cover your ears for a moment?” he says.
“Yeah, sure thing, why—”
Joel, as loudly as he can, screams. He hears several birds fly away. He pants.
“…Joel,” Skizz says.
“Yeah thanks man don’t worry about it let’s never speak of this again I’m sure it’s nothing. I definitely didn’t have a weird dream about this and should go to bed.”
“Yeah, okay, whatever you say,” Skizz says cheerfully before laughing, which Joel continues grumbling about all the way back to his apartment.
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As the poet dies with unfinished song,
Nightingale's groan shall fill night all along
As his gift is tart - as honey of wild,
As words can't be spoken, and the silence - his bile
I shall come when stars are dark, when the moon is blind,
In the dark hour of hound, under your gaze entwined
I shall stand and say "come, oh come, heart of mine,
Allow me to see your dear face once again - in my mire.."
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I've been cooking up a 60s band au on discord with Thun and Beez and I'll just copy paste what I've been putting there to keep track of it
OK I tried to keep in mind their canon outfits (like giving Julian colored lenses like his plague doctor mask), their animal associations (giving Nadia a feather like pattern on her dress), and their development notes (like leaving Asra's heart exposed) also things like giving Nadia a very trendy look for the time since she's always on top of trends in the game
more drawings to come, under the read more were my initial thoughts for the au
I think based off the game it would make sense for
>Asra to be the singer (is said to be both a good singer and dancer)
>Nadia would be the keyboardist (she plays the piano)
>Julian would be the bassist (he plays a stringed instrument the player asks about and I don't remember the name of it) (I was torn on guitarist or bassist but I think bassist works for that "why are the singer and bassist always dating" meme I keep seeing in band spaces)
>Portia and Muriel would be roadies (they both enjoy physical labor and Muriel is shy as hell there's no way he's going on stage)
>Lucio would be the bodyguard bc he likes to fight people. he really wants to be the singer though (which ties into him being jealous of Asras magic skills) he fucking LOVES the energy of the atmosphere
that means they don't have a drummer or guitarist but that's okay the actual band aspect isn't that important anyway. it's mostly heehee silly outfits
AND THEN when Thunderlina asked about the courtiers I said
maybe "something something Lucio wants to be the singer so he makes a deal with the devil for his own band members and is provided with Those Fuckers"
hehehehe me and Thun and Beez have been cooking just you wait......
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