#hmmmmm oh gosh he. dies. hope that doesnt happen to the others

[starbanmk]

promises/betrayals

—

It had been a couple months before the eruption, and Ashswagg had allowed Red to drag him to a nearby open field. The early summer breeze flowed through Red's hair as he laughed, watching Ash as he was pushed about by the wind, the smell of smoke filling the air.

Existence was easy with Reddoons. Ash wasn't a god with him. Ash was just Ash.

What a stupid thing for a god to think.

"I'm just saying, the old myths are more infuriating than anything." Red explained as the pair found a nice spot to settle down. The roman sunk into the grass. "Like, hey, a prophet told us our kid's gonna kill us? Let's send him far away so he has no emotional attachment to us and is more likely to not show us mercy! The logic is terrible."

"You just don't believe in fate." Ash reminded. "Suspend your disbelief."

"It's more fun to be annoyed."

Red was annoyed often. Never with Ash. Or maybe he was, but he never showed it.

"I think everyone in the multiverse is smarter than the people in myths."

Ash's head snapped to look at Red.

"The multiverse." Ash repeated.

Red raised an eyebrow.

"You're not supposed to know about that."

Red shrugged "Being friends with a god has is perks."

A part of Ash soured at that. Friends.

Instead he joked, "Wow, what happened to 'I'd do so many things for you'? Only worship me for the perks."

"I worship you because you were made to be worshipped."

"I was made to be worshipped by more that just one guy who's religion doesn't even align with the plane I exist on."

"I still like to think you were made to be worshipped by me." Red countered, and suddenly Ash's world was very quiet. After a moment of silence, Reddoons changed the subject, as things usually went.

"And you know I'm kind of a shoddy roman." He continued, plucking blades of grass from the field and weaving them into bands. "Don't really believe in those guys."

Ash snorted. "Hope Jupiter can't hear you. He's an asshole."

"Have you met him?"

"In passing."

Red shook his head in disbelief, a small smile playing on his lips. "I forget sometimes. That you're something so much bigger than me."

"Not here, I'm not." Ashswagg said, before he could really think about it. He wouldn't take it back, but he hated how Reddoons could make him say the silliest things. "I'm nothing like Jupiter, anyway. He actually does things."

"You do things." Red assured, gesturing for Ash to shift his from to something more solid. He slipped something akin to a promise ring onto Ash's hand. "Sometimes."

Ash rolled his eyes."I'm just a figurehead. For smoke, too, which is pretty silly."

Red hummed.

"I'm like what Queen Elizabeth the Second was for Canada. No Canadian really cares about The Queen."

"What's the hell's Canada."

Ash laughed. "Multiverse things."

A comfortable quiet settled across the feild, and Reddoons took the time to make a couple more woven bands before asking, "So, where do you exist?"

"Everywhere."

"Do I exist everywhere?"

Ash shrugged, "Maybe."

And things were quiet again. But never for long.

"I think I'd love you wherever we exist together."

And Ash couldn't help but smile.

—

But this Reddoons wasn't a rose guy. This Reddoons hadn't given him anything more than a cigarette and a black eye. This Reddoons didn't want to talk about it.

A couple months later, Reddoons would learn he'd developped chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from smoking so much. A few more months, and he'd pass.

Ashswagg left the timeline.

—

[end of part six]