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corvus--rex · 4 years ago

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Next in this bizarre collection of abandoned, semi-abandoned, and deeply sleeping wips is one that has more direct time travel. It's more in the deeply sleeping category as I'm still picking at it. It's also another Omegaverse, so if that's not your thing, feel free to skip it. Also, both Lance and Keith practice polytheistic religions that have been altered to fit an ABO setting

~*~*~*~*~

A few years after the war, the Paladins made the newly rebuilt Castle of Lions their home. Shiro and Adam retired from the Garrison and into diplomatic careers for the Coalition. Pidge’s parents were still with the organization, but she and Matt preferred to be more hands-on, maintaining the places on the castle and with the now-former rebellion. The still close-knit team were still recovering from the recent bonding ceremony for Hunk and Shay, who were also staying aboard the castle, although it was still uncertain as to whether or not human and Balmeran genetics were compatible; they were just waiting on genetic compatibility testing. Lance and Keith, however, were ahead of the game. They had gotten engaged while on the way back to Earth, announcing it to Lance’s family on their return. Not wanting to wait, and with no way of knowing what would happen in their war with Honerva, they’d held a small bonding ceremony the night before leaving Earth for the second time.

Keith had it the worst when it came to post-Hunk/Shay bonding recovery. He wasn’t going to miss Hunk and Shay’s bonding for anything, even if it meant dealing with Lance’s fussing. It had gotten bad enough during the reception that both Krolia and Lance’s mother Mariana told him to sit down and let his pregnant mate be. Keith could understand where Lance’s caution came from. While their little one was only one quarter Galra, and developing as a human child would, Keith’s half-Galra physiology had other ideas, his body and hormones changing like a shorter Galra pregnancy. It meant that he needed to be monitored more closely than he would if the pup’s development and his body’s lined up. It also meant that they didn’t have a concrete due date, and that it was entirely possible he could deliver a premature pup. But at sixteen weeks Earth time, there were still another two months until they needed to watch for their little one’s arrival. They had stayed behind on Earth an extra couple days after Hunk and Shay’s bonding ceremony for some of Lance’s extended family who wanted to see them both before the pup was born. Keith was exhausted from the three days of parties surrounding the ceremony and the event itself, but they were headed back to the castle after that and wouldn’t be back for another eight months, and by then the pup would be at least two months old.

Nadia and Sylvio were excited about their cousin, and had to be reminded that Keith was tired from everything going on. Right then, they wanted to see the inside of the Altean pod the matepair were taking back to the castle. Keith and Mariana burst out laughing when Lance appeared with his niece and nephew each tucked under an arm.

He “dropped” the giggling, squirming pups in front of his oldest brother. “I think you lost something.”

“Who, me? I haven’t lost anything,” Luis said, feigning ignorance.

Still laughing, Nadia and Sylvio began scaling their mountain of a father. Once they got to hip height, he grabbed them both the same way Lance had been carrying them and took off running while mock screaming, making his pups shriek with laughter. Lance just laughed to himself and shook his head at his brother and niblings.

“Like you can talk. You know damn well you're going to be just the same with ours,” Keith called.

“Yeah, probably,” Lance admitted, walking over.

“‘Probably’ nothing, mijo. I know you will,” Mariana said, “Just don’t forget to call when that little one arrives. We’ll be praying for a safe delivery.”

Lance’s parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles all practiced Santeria, and while Lance and his siblings had been raised in it and still believed, none of them actively practiced. His lack of participation didn’t lessen his appreciation of his mother’s intentions. He would have been worried when it came to telling Keith about his family’s practices if he didn’t already know about his Omega’s neo-paganism. Keith, likewise, had been relieved when Lance didn’t immediately declare him insane and instead explained about his own family.

“Thanks, Mami. So will we,” he said, hugging his mother.

“Doesn’t matter where you are in the universe, the Orisha will hear you,” she told him, then pulled Keith in, “And so will your gods, mijo.”

“I know. Thanks, Mami,” Keith answered.

The pod’s comms chirped, and Lance disentangled himself from his mate and his mother, disappearing into the small craft. Mariana wrapped an arm around Keith’s waist and he leaned into it, fully appreciating her maternal warmth. She was one of a very small number of people who had open permission to touch him. She understood that, especially after Lance had explained about Keith’s childhood in the foster care system and that he was largely touch-averse unless you were one of a select few who had earned his complete trust. She’d earned it through being the woman she was and treating Keith like one of her own children.

She reached over, resting a hand on his growing belly. “I pray for this pup every day. You two are going to be wonderful parents. And I know that you both will be safe up there – you and this little one.”

Keith breathed a laugh. “Altean technology makes humans look like we’re still playing with sticks and rocks. I mean, on an interstellar level, we kinda are. I’ve been thinking about that lately,” he admitted, “The ‘we’ part. I’m still half-Galra. Most of the time I feel like the only places on Earth I feel like I belong are out at my Dad’s place, and here.”

“Oh, mijo. It doesn’t at all matter that your wonderful mother isn’t human, or that you share her blood. What matters is what you do with it. And both of you used your heritage to do the right thing. And now she’s leading her – your – people to a new way of thinking. You both have done so much good. Never forget that. Or that you’re family. You’ll always belong here. And not just because you're carrying my grandpup.”

“We weren’t exactly planning on this.”

Mariana laughed. “Neither was I. For any of them. None of my five children were planned. We always wanted pups, but we decided to let it happen however it was going to happen. And we were blessed with five beautiful pups.” She nudged him gently. “Tell me, do you have any thoughts on what your pup might be? I knew for all of them, even when my mother was trying to tell me that I was wrong. Especially with Lance. She was convinced he was an Omega. And then he was born all Alpha.”

Keith nodded, understanding. “Yeah, that’s apparently not just a human thing. Mom said she knew I was an Omega before I was born. I think this one is too. I’m pretty sure it’s an Omega boy. Little brat keeps moving and won’t let us see, so we don’t know for certain yet, but I feel like it’s an Omega boy.”

“Oh, Veronica was the same. We didn’t know until she was an Alpha girl until she was born. And she’s still stubborn and independent.”

{What do you think, sweetheart? You an Omega boy?} she asked the unborn pup.

Her question was answered with a sharp kick.

“Is he always like that?” Mariana asked in surprise.

“Yes. Yes he is. I’ve been feeling him moving for almost two months, but it got more intense about three weeks ago. That, apparently, is a Galra thing.”

“What’s a Galra thing?” Lance asked, walking down the loading ramp.

“How hard the pup kicks,” Keith said.

“Yeah,” he agreed, “It really is that bad. I’ve woken up in the middle of the night before because of it.”

“Now imagine how I feel! Anyway, what was the comm call?”

“Oh, right. Just Allura asking when we were planning on going back up. I told her we were finishing getting the pod packed up and we’d be leaving within the hour. Varga. Whatever.”

Mariana hugged them both again. “Don’t forget. I want to know.”

Keith’s lips twisted in an amused smile. “As soon as we do,” he said.

Lance didn’t ask about it until they were settled in the pod’s cockpit and on their way to the wormhole point. “What are we telling my mother when we know it?”

“Huh? Oh, the pup’s primary and secondary sexes. I said that I feel like it’s an Omega boy, but that we haven’t been able to confirm it,” Keith explained.

“Yeah, he’s being a little brat about it,” Lance agreed, “We will find out eventually,” he added, poking the unborn pup only to be rewarded with another kick. “See? Brat.” He stood up, stretching hard enough to pop his spine. He let his arms drop and extended a hand to his mate. “Come on. Allura’s not opening a wormhole until we’re way out of system, and I want snuggles.”

When they first packed the pod to leave for Earth, Lance had shifted a few things around in the passenger compartment, making room for Keith to set up a nest. He was worried about their pup and was trying to just be a good Alpha for his Omega. Keith was particularly hormonal that day and broke down in tears when he saw the cleared space, his favorite nesting materials neatly sitting in the middle of it. Lance had been afraid he’d accidentally done something wrong until he found himself with his arms full of sobbing, pregnant Omega telling him how amazing he was through hiccupped tears. The nest was built and stayed there until they landed on Earth, where it was taken down and rebuilt in Lance’s old bedroom, right on top of his queen bed. Now it held their scents mixed with Lance’s family’s. Lance also knew about the sweater Krolia had given Keith for the express purpose of fitting it into his nest.

Keith let Lance lead them through to the rear of the pod and got settled into the nest. Leaning back against his Alpha, Keith reached into his shirt and pulled out the crystal he always wore. A clear quartz point, with a triple moon carved from rainbow moonstone woven into the silver wire wrapping the top of the crystal. He ran his fingers over the moonstone, feeling its carved lines and points, the smooth gem comforting. He was safe and comfortable in his Alpha’s arms, tucked into their temporary nest, but he still worried. He knew better than anyone that their pup could come earlier than anyone was comfortable with, especially him. He sighed, letting the quartz drop.

“What’s up?” Lance murmured sleepily into Keith’s neck.

“I’m just thinking again,” he said, the pad of his thumb following the back of his fingers in a small line on his belly.

Lance knew what he was thinking, read worrying, about, and wove their fingers together. “I know. But even worst case, even if he is three months early, he’ll be ok, and so will you. There is literally no one else like you in the entire universe, and all of this is new to everyone. Best we can do is take it one day at a time.” He grabbed the tablet from outside the nest, checking the autopilot. “We still have about an hour before we get to the wormhole point. Get some sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.”

Keith yawned, curling up in the nest, Lance wrapping his arms around his Omega. “Nap sounds great,” he mumbled, half-asleep already.

Lance didn’t last much longer, drifting off the second Keith’s breathing evened out in sleep.

They were woken by alarms blaring throughout the pod. Keith shot up, startled and growling. Lance went for the tablet, checking the readings from the pod’s sensors. They should still have been twenty minutes out from the meeting point, but the star map showed them being in an entirely different galaxy, the familiar Milky Way nowhere in sight. He leapt from the nest, running for the cockpit. When Keith had calmed a bit and hauled himself out of his spot and to the cockpit, Lance was at the controls.

“Get yourself strapped in,” the Alpha said without looking up, “We’re headed straight for an asteroid field and there’s no time to change course.”

Lance changed the controls to manual and the front shielding changed from opaque to transparent, showing the looming ancient debris in stunning real time. Keith sat himself in the co-pilot’s seat, fastening the 4-point harness over his chest just in time for the first asteroid to go whipping past. He wanted to take the controls, but he knew that his awkward current shape made it nearly impossible for him to fly with the deftness an asteroid field required. Lance had no such problem, weaving through the asteroid field with his usual liquid grace.

When they finally broke through and into empty space, they still had no real idea of where they were. Keith brought up the galactic map. He noted several familiar planets and systems, realizing that they were on the far side of the Andromeda galaxy. As he was relaying all of that to his mate, the pod’s comm chirped with an incoming hail. It was the castle, but something was different and they couldn’t quite put their finger on it. Lance answered the hail, Allura’s face filling the screen.

“Hey, Allura. Do you have any idea what the fuck just happened? We were on our way to the rendezvous point for the wormhole and now we’re here,” Lance asked.

Allura stared at them in complete shock. “I – I don’t understand. How are you two there? You can’t be there. You’re both here on the castle.”

Lance and Keith shared a confused look. “No. We’re not,” Keith said slowly, “We just left Earth a couple hours ago and were on our way to the spot you designated for the wormhole back to the castle.”

“Earth?! What the quiznak are you talking about?! Stay there. I’m going to tow your pod into the castle and we’ll talk about whatever prank this is.” The shock was in her voice at first, before it became almost angry. She looked back at them from her projected control screen, and then looked at them both more carefully. “Lance, how in the quiznak do you have Altean marks?”

“From you?” he answered, now totally confused. Had she forgotten reviving him after he took the full damage of an energy attack meant for her? Did she not remember that he’d ended up with sky blue Altean marks as a result of the sheer amount of quintessence she poured into him?

“That’s impossible. I can’t give you our markings. And Keith, have you gained weight?” She was still confused, but turned it to the Red Paladin.

“Not in the last three days,” he said, then glanced down and back to her, “Not that way, anyway.”

They felt the pod guided into the pod bay and land softly. “Stay there, inside the pod,” Allura said, “I’ll be right there.” The screen cut out, leaving them alone again.

“What in the absolute fuck is going on?” Keith asked.

“I wish I fucking knew,” Lance answered. “Does she really think this is some kind of over-elaborate prank? She can’t. She knows us. Knows we’re mated. Knows you’re pregnant.”

“Yeah, that was weird. Asking me if I've gained weight. I mean, I know I've put on about fifteen pounds, but that’s almost completely directly related to him. I haven’t really changed anywhere else.”

Lance sighed. “Yeah. I don’t know. We’ll figure it out. But at least we’re back. We can get your nest rebuilt in our suite and take a fucking nap.”

Something told Keith to leave his nest as it was, and he told Lance as much. They also decided not to get back into it while they waited for Allura. The matepair waited in the open seating, Keith nuzzling into Lance’s scent gland. It was something they’d come to realize was a side-effect of his pregnancy. He couldn’t get enough of his Alpha’s scent and would use any and every excuse to get close and scent himself, not that Lance minded it at all. It always stroked his Alpha’s ego that their Omega was so devoted to them.

They both looked up when there was a failed attempt to open the rear door of the pod, which was followed by a polite knock. “Hang on a tick,” Lance called. He extracted himself from his snuggly koala of a mate with a soft kiss to his temple and a gentle hand on their pup.

Allura stood in the doorway, possibly even more shocked than she was on the call. He was still in the faded blue t-shirt and grey sweats he’d been wearing all day, not having been bothered to change. He was expecting an off-hand comment about not being up to his usual standard at most, but she just stood there, staring like he was a new race they’d never met before.

“Allura?” he asked.

“Lance, what the quiznak is going on here? Where’s Keith?” she asked when she found the words.

“I was going to ask you the same thing. And Keith’s right here. The kids were all over him this morning and he’s still pretty tired.”

He didn’t think it was possible for Allura to be any more confused or her eyebrows to arch higher, but she was and they did.

“What kids? Why should he be tired?”

Keith listened to the questions being fired back and forth. Something wasn’t adding up. Allura knew they’d been with Lance’s family. She’d met Nadia and Sylvio before and knew what kind of energy they had. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he was worn out after dealing with them. Keyword shouldn’t. But she was. He decided to see her for himself, or more to the point, for her to see him. He slid out from the seating area, turning the corner to where she and Lance were asking questions without answering any. He stepped up beside Lance, sliding an arm around his Alpha’s waist, his free hand resting on his pregnant belly.

Allura’s jaw dropped. He knew she could tell that he wasn’t faking, and that she somehow either didn’t know or had forgotten that he was four months pregnant, even if he looked farther along because of his body’s reaction.

“I – how?! How did this happen?! When?! What is happening?!”

“Allura,” Lance said softly, “Has anything happened in the last two or three quintants?”

“What? No. Nothing. And you two are here onboard the castle. Keith, you said you would be in the training deck for at least a few vargas, and Lance, you were helping Hunk in the kitchen. How did you two end up out there and in a pod I didn’t know had gone missing? And don’t tell me you were on Earth. That’s utterly impossible. We can’t go back without leading the Galra directly there, you both know that. And how have you been hiding not only your apparent relationship but also – Keith, you're pregnant! How do you expect to be able to fly the Red Lion in your condition?”

The feeling of something being fundamentally off continued to tickle Keith’s brain. An impossible thought hit him. “Allura, I need you to answer this question honestly. How long have we been out here with you?”

“What do you mean? It’s only been about three phoebs, but we’ve made good progress in the war effort. I really believe we’ll win. But you already knew that.”

Lance cut her off before she could voice a suspicion about them being spies. He realized as soon as Keith said it. “I think we somehow managed to go back in time. We really are who we say we are, and so are you. But you obviously don’t know anything about us as we are now. I can promise that we’re not hiding anything from you.”

“Well…I don’t know that we can really say that…” Keith said, trailing off. If the them that Allura knew had only been in space for a few months, then he and Lance were already seeing each other secretly. But then they decided that keeping it from their friends made absolutely no sense, even if it meant that Pidge lost her bet with Hunk.

“Ok, fair,” he said, then turned to Allura, “What was the last major event that happened related to the war? It’ll help us narrow down when exactly we are.”

“You two seem awfully accepting of this,” she said, a note of accusation in her voice.

“We – we’ve been through a lot,” Keith said, intentionally not elaborating. They had been through a lot – alternate reality, quantum abyss, the quintessence field, Bob, finding themselves inside Honerva’s mind – but they couldn’t tell Allura any of it.

“And if we tell you anything, we don’t know if or how it could affect anything,” Lance added.

“Hm, I suppose that’s true. The last major event? Well, we’ve only just found out about your Galra heritage, but after meeting with Kolivan and Antok, I have come to realize that your blood does not define you. You both have only just returned from separate missions. Keith, you and Hunk went to retrieve the Scaultrite from the Weblum-” Keith shuddered involuntarily at the memory “-and Lance, you, Shiro, and Pidge went to rescue Slav from Beta Traz. He’s still here on the castle with us.”

“Wait wait wait – Slav’s still here?” Lance asked. He turned to Keith. “If Slav’s still on board, then he would be able to help figure out what happened. Maybe find a way to get us back to our own time. And hopefully before…” he trailed off, giving Keith a look that the Omega understood. Before the pup comes.

Allura also understood what Lance hadn’t said. “Um, how – how far along are you, exactly?” she asked awkwardly.

“That’s a little complicated,” Keith answered. “The pup’s developing like a normal human, but because I’m half Galra, my body is changing and reacting as if I were completely Galra. Pregnancies are shorter. Six Earth months, or about four and a quarter phoebs, to a normal human ten months or just over seven phoebs.”

“So, you're saying that with how your body is reacting, your pup could be premature?”

“It’s a distinct possibility. But to actually answer your question, sixteen Earth weeks. Almost eleven and a half movements. It gives us no more than five movements to figure this out and get us back to our time.”

Allura nodded, making her decision. “All right. We’ll meet in the lounge first. Paladins and Coran only. Shiro…doesn’t exactly do well with Slav.”

Lance and Keith laughed. “That’s something we will never forget,” Lance said as they followed her out of the pod. Keith turned, locking it with their biometrics. Given the alteration to Lance’s DNA thanks to Allura’s quintessence infusion, they knew that it would stay locked. Their younger selves didn’t have a chance.

They walked in silence for a while, following Allura down lesser used corridors to the lounge entrance that was never used. “Is there anything you can tell me?” she asked, “About your time. How far into our future are you?”

“I don’t know that that’s a good idea, Princess,” Lance said, “You already know that we make it to Earth safely, and I don’t know how that might already be affecting our time. I understand that you want to know if it’s all worth it in the end, but I can’t tell you.”

Allura thought for a few seconds. “I understand. My knowing about the future could affect the present. It could change our decisions about things that will change the outcome of the war. And I take it that however the war does end, it’s the best possible outcome.”

“We think so. There’s a lot more going on than just Zarkon, but if you knew what, I don’t know – there are just too many variables.”

She paused in the doorway to the lounge. “I really do understand. There are more factors and facets to this war than I am currently aware of. Knowing about them now could upset the balance. Well,” she said, gesturing to the room, “Make yourselves comfortable. You already know where everything is.” Her smile was one of genuine affection for the Paladins in front of her.

“Thanks, Allura,” Keith said, maneuvering past her.

Once they were seated comfortably (“Comfort is a bit relative for me at the moment,” Keith told her with a laugh) she called for the Paladins and Coran, and them only, to come to the lounge.

Lance was the first to arrive, ready to drop onto the sunken sofa from the floor above, but stopped himself when he realized he was looking at something that looked like the back of his own head. He only knew what that looked like after a prank involving his siblings and every single mirror in the house. He saw Allura sitting at one end of the semicircle and slowed, turning to her.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Ah. We should wait for the others to arrive before we explain,” Allura said.

“Actually,” one of the unknown people said and Lance nearly choked at hearing his own voice. A little rougher and maybe older, but it was definitely his own voice. He realized the other owner of his voice was still speaking. “I think we should start now. I know we’ll have to repeat ourselves, but I know that you’re kinda nauseous right now,” a long, tan finger pointed in his direction, “And I really think this is the better solution.”

“If that’s what you –” Allura was cut off by the next arrival.

“Allura? Why are we meeting here?”

Pregnant Keith snorted at how young he sounded. His mate patted his head. “I know. We sound like babies.”

The younger Keith froze.

“Yes we’re real. No you're not hallucinating,” pregnant Keith said without moving. He knew what his younger self was thinking.

“Well, as long as we’re both here,” Lance said, “We should explain as much as we can.”

The younger Red and Blue Paladins walked around to the steps and froze again when they were suddenly face to face with themselves. Their older selves were snuggled together in the middle of the sofa horseshoe, not caring who saw them. There was too much for them to take in all at once, but they did notice Lance’s Altean marks and the undeniable fact that the older Keith was significantly pregnant.

“Yeah,” pregnant Keith agreed, “It’s a lot to unpack. We’ll tell you what we can.”

The younger Paladins sat together opposite Allura, not knowing what to say.

“As far as we can tell, we’re from your future. We don’t know how we got here. We were on our way back to the castle and decided to let the autopilot handle the flying while I had a nap and woke up to all the alarms going off about a half hour later. We realized that we weren’t where we should be and found the castle after clearing the asteroid field nearby.”

“And, I’m – or, you – I don’t even know how to phrase that,” the younger Keith stumbled through.

Older Keith just laughed. “We? Since we’re the same person, just at different ages. But yes, I’m pregnant. I'm due fairly soon, so we need to figure this out as quickly as possible.”

Both his mate and Allura noticed how he phrased himself, but said nothing, understanding why he had done it.

It was the younger Lance’s turn to stumble through a sentence. “So, you’re – and – is that –”

Older Lance snickered at his younger self. “Yes. Yes we are, and yes it is.”

“What?! But -”

“But nothing,” older Lance said, “Although that might have prevented this.”

“Yeah, sure. You try telling my heat brain that,” pregnant Keith said.

The younger Keith pointed at his older self. “That. But, how? I mean, I’ve always been so careful about taking it on time. Unless…”

Pregnant Keith shook his head. “No, that hasn’t changed. It failed. We weren’t planning on this. But it happened, and we wouldn’t change it for anything.”

“Ok, so I just need to know one thing. Not about the future, not that.” His hand went to his chest almost unconsciously. “Just so I know. That you’re really me.”

Without moving from his spot snuggled into Lance’s side, Keith reached into his t-shirt and pulled the quartz and moonstone pendant out, letting it fall to his chest. “It was the first thing I ever bought for myself after Dad died. He taught me the basics of the Craft and I've kept it up ever since. Helps me feel connected to him even though it represents Omegas.”

Younger Keith nodded, holding his own crystal. “Yeah. It does.”

Looking from his not-so-secret boyfriend, the younger Lance turned to his own older self. “And he knows about…”

Older Lance cracked an amused smile. “Yeah, he does. But wait, haven’t you already told him about us?”

“Oh, well, yeah. I guess that didn’t really make sense, did it?”

“No, not really. But the last thing Mami said to me when we left her last was that it doesn’t matter where in the universe we are, the Orisha will hear us.”

“That – that’s –”

“What Mami said when I left for the Garrison. Yeah, she still says it.”

Pidge was next to arrive, and stopped when she saw the two older versions of her friends.

“No, you haven’t been up long enough to hallucinate yet,” pregnant Keith said through laughing.

“Come sit down, Pigeon. We’ll explain once everyone’s here,” Lance said, waving her forward.

They were all surprised that it hadn’t been Shiro to appear first, but he and Hunk were next, walking in together. If they thought that Pidge had been surprised, it was nothing compared to the double take from the Black and Yellow Paladins. Allura had yet to say anything once her Paladins began filtering in, and she still didn’t, letting the two older Paladins take the lead.

“Hi, Shiro,” pregnant Keith said. He still hadn’t moved from his mate’s side, enjoying the warmth and safety of his Alpha’s touch.

“What in the almighty fuck is going on?” Shiro asked, stunned.

“We’re just waiting for Coran, and then we’ll explain.”

Shiro and Hunk sat down, among the other Paladins. Hunk seemed to look for some kind of comfort from the familiarity of Pidge, and Shiro sat himself between his Lance and the older Keith with an expression told them that he was trying very hard to wrap his head around the idea of Keith being pregnant. Coran came running in a few minutes later.

“Oh, my apologies, Princess. The scanners went all wiffeley for a few ticks. They’re perfectly fine now.” He noticed the two new additions for the first time. “Erm, Princess…” he started, scratching his cheek with one gloved finger.

“Yes. It’s why I’ve called you all here,” Allura said, “When I was alone on the bridge briefly, scans picked up a single Altean pod. When I hailed it, well…”

“It was us,” the older Lance finished, “We seem to be from your future.”

Everyone stopped, if only briefly, before exploding into questions and demands. Questions about what happened, how they got here from their own time, how did the war end, what’s it like now, did everyone survive…

Lance put a hand up, silencing the onslaught. “We can’t answer most of those questions. Anything we tell you could possibly alter the timeline, and I can’t risk that.”

Pidge pouted, her curiosity getting the better of her. “Well, we already know you two end up together. And if you're here, then you guys obviously made it out.”

Pregnant Keith shifted, sitting up but not leaving his Lance’s personal bubble. “Yes, we did make it out. And yes, we know what it’s like now. But is it worth it to know about our future when it could change your own?”

For maybe the first time in her life, Pidge didn’t have an immediate answer. Her natural curiosity demanded to be sated. The older versions of two of her best friends were sitting in front of her with the answers to so many questions. So much of her own personal stress could be relieved just by knowing if she ever found Matt and Sam. She could know the outcome of the war. But thinking about those things, she realized that Keith was right. If she did know, it would change what she did, how she could react to things. The butterfly effect wasn’t real, or, if it was, it didn’t quite work that way, but a change to a major event could lead to a cascade of differences. And there was no way to know if those would be good changes or bad. But she didn’t get to answer the semi-rhetorical question because Slav walked in at that exact moment.

“So we’re in this reality,” he said, seeing the future Lance and Keith. He narrowed his eyes at them. “You haven’t told anyone anything, have you?”

“Nothing that wasn’t immediately obvious,” Keith answered, settling back against his mate.

“Ah. Right. I need to confirm things about you two before I can recalculate probabilities, but we should discuss this –” His owlish eyes narrowed again as he looked around the room. “- privately.”

~*~*~*~

Links to the rest of the series:

1 | 2 | 3* | 4 | 5* | 6* | 7 | 8 | 9* | 10 | 11 | 12* | 13 | 14 | 15* | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19*

#my writing #abandoned wips #klance #omegaverse #abo #omega keith kogane #alpha lance mcclain #mpreg #vld #voltron #voltron legendary defender #keith x lance

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hysterialevi · 5 years ago

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His Name Was Isaac - Ch. 7

Fanfic summary: During a mission to avenge his mother’s death, Isaac hunts down the men responsible for her murder and kills them off one-by-one, only to discover that his last target is taking refuge among the Van der Linde gang. In an attempt to kill them, Isaac attacks the gang and unknowingly becomes enemies with his own father, who is in the process of fighting his own battle for redemption.

Point of view: third-person

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THE NEXT DAY

AURORA BASIN

Hauling the last of their supplies onto the back of the wagon, Arthur lifted up the rear guard and secured them in place, making sure that the few things they had left wouldn’t get lost during the long trek ahead of them.

For the time being, their plan was to head south to Manzanita Post and replace any of the resources that were destroyed, as well as trade for some new weapons with the people there. Afterwards, they’d travel north to Strawberry and search for any tips that could lead them to their next big score.

Arthur didn’t know what could possibly be worth stealing in that small, little settlement, but it wasn’t as if their gang had much of a choice in the matter. Whoever attacked their camp left them with next to nothing, and now, the only money they had left was from the bank job.

If they didn’t find something or someone to rob soon, they’d be at the end of their rope.

And there was no telling what Dutch would do then.

“Arthur!” Someone exclaimed, causing the man to look over his shoulder. It was Joe, coming up to see him.

“What is it?” Arthur asked, moving onto the horses.

Joe stepped next to the mounts, resting a hand on one of the hitching posts.

“I wanted to thank you.” He said.

“Thank me?” Arthur straightened his mount’s saddle, giving it a firm tug. “For what?”

“For savin’ my ass yesterday. Dutch nearly blew my brains out after what happened with Cleet. If you hadn’t intervened, I’d be dead in the ground by now. I owe you one.”

Despite the friendly sentiment, Arthur didn’t return Joe’s appreciative tone.

“Yeah, well... if it turns out you were the traitor after all,” he backed up from the horses, looking Joe in the eye, “...you’ll wish I let Dutch shoot you back there.”

Joe concealed his fear with a subtle gulp. “Of course. I understand. But, I was wondering something else...”

Arthur raised a brow. “...What?”

“Well... was anyone missing from the bank robbery?”

“Missing?” He thought for a moment. “No, I don’t think so. Everyone we planned to bring showed up. Why?”

“Because if everyone was accounted for, then it makes no sense to say that one of our own people sabotaged the supplies.”

Arthur gave him a firm reminder. “...Assuming you weren’t the rat, of course.”

Joe nodded. “Of course. But Cleet obviously didn’t do anything, and if everyone was present at the robbery, then how the hell is it possible that one of us poisoned the food? We’re a tough gang, but even we can’t be in two places at once.”

Arthur shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe they poisoned it before we left.”

“I’m pretty sure someone would’ve seen that,” the other man argued. “And besides, I think everyone ate in the morning. If the food was already poisoned, y’all would’ve died long before the Pinkertons cornered you.”

The older man sighed, unable to dispute Joe’s point.

“I’ll admit...” he said reluctantly, “it don’t make much sense when you put it that way. Fine. What d’you think then, Joe? If it weren’t one of us that did it, then who?”

Joe checked their surroundings for a second, making sure nobody else was eavesdropping.

“Well, just based on the timing of Cleet’s death, I’d say the food was poisoned while y’all was at the bank. This means that whoever destroyed the supplies knew our schedule. They knew when we’d be the most vulnerable. And most importantly, they knew the layout of the land. Otherwise, there ain’t no way they’d be able to sneak in so easily.”

Arthur placed a hand on his hip. “So, what’re you saying, exactly?”

“I don’t think it was one of us that poisoned the food,” Joe stated. “However, I do think it’s one of us that’s helpin’ them.”

The older man took on a more serious tone. “...And who d’you think that is?”

Joe shook his head in uncertainty. “Whoever has the most to gain.”

Arthur fell silent for a moment, taking in everything Joe just said.

Despite his wariness about the whole situation, he couldn’t deny that the man raised a few good points.

As far as Arthur could recall, nobody was absent from the bank robbery, and there were no disappearances along the way either. So it didn’t make sense to say that the culprit was one of them.

And on top of all that, Arthur highly doubted that whoever poisoned the food would’ve stuck around afterwards. It was more likely that they bolted once the job was done, and hoped that the gang would take it out on somebody else.

Arthur had no idea if it was bounty hunters, or Skinner Brothers, or even the goddamned Pinkertons who were responsible for this, but now that he really thought about it... he was inclined to agree with Joe.

There was no way it could’ve been one of their own men that caused the damage, but it was definitely a Van der Linde that talked.

“Well...” Arthur said lowly, not wanting to reveal too many of his thoughts, “I still dunno what the hell is goin’ on here, but... you might be right. I just don’t understand why anyone would do this. Especially now, of all times.”

Joe shared Arthur’s confusion. “It doesn’t make sense to me either, but if we wanna survive this year, we better find the rat soon. I don’t like the idea of wanderin’ into all that civilization with a traitor among us.”

“Agreed. Lemme know if you see anything strange. Dutch is paranoid enough as it is. We don’t need him worryin’ about mutiny too.”

Joe nodded, taking his leave. “Will do.”

Returning to his business, Arthur finished up preparing the horses as they whinnied in anticipation and swayed their heads excitedly, clearly eager to get out of these treacherous woods.

It wouldn’t be long now before the Pinkertons finally closed in on their location, and if Arthur’s instincts were correct, then Dutch’s plan to get out of Tall Trees wouldn’t go nearly as well as he expected.

There were just too many unknowns. Too many threats lurking in the shadows. For all they knew, the same person who poisoned their food could’ve been watching them as they spoke.

Arthur just hoped that the limitations of civilization would slow them down a bit. Whoever was attacking them didn’t seem to be working with the law -- Pinkertons usually captured their targets alive -- and he doubted that the Skinner Brothers would be so covert with their tactics either.

No... he had a feeling that this was something different. Something more personal. The saboteur clearly had some sort of history with the Van der Linde gang that was motivating these attacks, and in Arthur’s eyes, it almost felt like they were trying to take them out before anyone else could.

He just didn’t know why.

“Arthur!” Dutch suddenly called from a distance, sauntering up to the wagons. “You ready to go?”

Arthur patted his horse on the neck, giving Dutch a firm nod. “Ready when you are. But what about the route we’re plannin’ to take? Everything look okay so far?”

Dutch coughed a few times, not even bothering to hide the weary look on his face. “You’re not gonna believe it. I sent Bill to scout the path ahead earlier, and he tells me one of the bridges we was gonna cross has been destroyed.”

The other man paused. "The hell? But everything was fine yesterday. How did it get destroyed overnight?”

Dutch was at a loss for words. “I have no idea. But this means we’re gonna have to take a detour. We’ll go along the central road to Manzanita Post instead, then head up north once we got the supplies we need.”

Arthur didn’t like the sound of that at all. “North? That’s where most of the Skinner Brother camps are, Dutch.”

“I know, son. But the only alternative route would take us so far south that the Pinkertons would most likely surround us before we even got near the state border. You know how big the Montana River is. They’d be able to pick us off there no problem. I’d rather deal with a few crazies than get captured by the law.”

Arthur let out a deep sigh, unable to think of any other solutions. “...Alright. If that’s the only choice we’ve got.”

Dutch put a hand on his shoulder, looking at him with a sincere gaze. “Thank you for trustin’ me, Arthur. We’ll get through this. Now, c’mon. Strawberry awaits.”

~~~~~~~~~~

A WHILE LATER

TALL TREES

Traversing the uneven terrain of the forest as the local wildlife scurried around them, the Van der Linde gang pushed through the silent woods as they kept their eye on the seemingly unreachable horizon, doing their best to remain hopeful.

Thanks to the collapsed bridge Bill reported earlier, they had been forced into the area of Tall Trees that was most notorious for disappearances, as well as having an alarming amount of Skinner Brother activity.

There wasn’t a single inch of this forest that felt safe to them, and with the constant threat of being attacked clawing at their minds, it was needless to say that the gang felt somewhat on edge.

It was only a matter of time until they snapped.

“How’s it lookin’ back there?” Dutch called out to the wagons behind him. “Everything seem to be in order?”

Shay gestured to the path beneath them. “Yeah, but I’ve noticed a lotta tracks on these roads, Dutch. Looks like someone’s been ridin’ around all over this place.”

Dutch didn’t seem too bothered by the observation. “Probably just Pinkertons searching for us. You see any sign of the bastards yet?”

“No, but we should be careful. These tracks look recent. I reckon whoever left ‘em is still roaming around here somewhere. They might not be friendly.”

Arthur sighed, lightly whipping the reins as Dutch sat beside him.

“Great. Another thing to worry about. You think it could be Skinner Brothers?”

The older man shrugged. “Who knows. There are plenty o’ things that could kill you in Tall Trees. If we’re lucky, it’ll just be a group of bandits targeting these roads.”

“Let’s hope so. I’d take a good, honest holdup over dealin’ with the law any day.”

Dutch chuckled. “Oh, absolutely. I didn’t think we’d ever see Agent Ross again -- not after everything that happened with Milton -- and yet, here he is. More despicable than ever.”

Arthur thought back to the robbery. “Did you see who his new partner was?”

He shook his head. “No, but he looked like a young man to me. Not as weathered as Milton or Ross. He seemed like the type of feller who would lack experience, but make up for it in brawn.” Dutch smirked humorously. “Kinda reminds me of you, all them years ago.”

Arthur laughed softly at that. “Not anymore, though?”

Dutch let out a tired breath. “Oh, I’m afraid not, son. We’re still strong, mind you... but even we ain’t as spry as we used to be. Time will do that to you.”

The younger man’s tone sunk a little. “...And, erm... how’s your health doing? You been feelin’ alright recently?”

Dutch cleared his throat. “About as well as you can expect at my age. I ain’t got long left in this world -- we both know that -- but I don’t want none of you cryin’ over me. I’m not dead yet. Let’s just focus on headin’ east and finding a suitable doctor who can treat me. Then we can start worrying about my health.”

Arthur decided to drop it for now. “Alright. Just... lemme know if you notice anything strange. I don’t wanna wait till it’s too late.”

The other man chuckled. “Worrying about your old man, are we, Mr. Morgan? Well, ain’t that just sweet.”

Bringing their discussion to an end, Dutch’s attention was suddenly diverted from Arthur when Micah shouted at him from behind, pointing out a peculiar obstacle blocking their path.

“Hey, cowpokes! I think I see somethin’ on the road!”

Squinting his eyes, Dutch peered into the distance and tried to make out the large object barricading the road, only to freeze in shock when he realized it was a toppled stagecoach decorated with corpses.

There were no signs of the culprit as far as Dutch could see, but judging by the freshness of the bodies and the smoke rising from the coach, he assumed they were killed not too long ago.

“...Ah, shit.” He murmured to himself, taking in the morbid scene. “This probably just happened. Poor bastards. Who d’you think did this?”

An alarm went off in Arthur’s head. “Well, I dunno who did it, but I sure as hell recognize those bodies. Is it just me, or do they look like Skinner Brothers?”

Dutch examined their mottled skin and diseased faces, unable to deny the resemblance.

“No, it ain’t just you...” He replied grimly. “But who in their right mind would attack Skinner Brothers? And in broad daylight? Surely, that would bring nothing good.”

Arthur was at a loss. “It’s beyond me. But... somethin’ don’t feel right about this.”

Dutch raised a brow. “What d’you mean?”

“Think about it. Why the hell would you attack someone as crazy as the Skinner Brothers unless you were tryin’ to get attention? And to leave their bodies lying out in the open, right in the middle of the road...” Arthur put a hand on his revolver. “...I think someone wanted us to see this.”

A sense of dread filled the other man’s eyes. “Who?”

“No idea.” Arthur climbed down from the wagon, readying his gun. “But I’m gonna find out. Wait here.”

“Shay!” Dutch called, signaling the man to follow Arthur. “Go with him, will you? Let us know if you find anything.”

Carefully approaching the grotesque scene, Arthur and Shay quickly started to sift through the carnage that was left behind as they searched around for clues, curious to see who on Earth could’ve caused such a mess.

The stagecoach didn’t appear to belong to the Skinner Brothers -- the postal label on the side was enough to confirm that -- but its lockbox was full of cash and food instead of mail.

Right off the bat, Arthur assumed the Skinner Brothers must’ve stolen the coach and been using it to transport any valuables they looted, but he found it odd that whoever attacked them didn’t take any of it for themselves.

It just made him wonder even more what the motivation behind this killing was, and for some unknown reason, part of him began to suspect that the person responsible for this also poisoned their food.

He just couldn’t figure out what the correlation was.

“Hey, Shay,” Arthur said, “you see anything--”

Barely giving them any time to react, a lone bullet suddenly zipped past them and soared straight into a stick of dynamite that had been strapped to a nearby tree, causing it to explode with a bang as the impact sent Arthur and Shay flying backwards.

Meanwhile, the tree’s trunk snapped into two as the upper half collapsed onto the road, separating Arthur and Shay from the rest of the gang.

“Holy shit!” Mackintosh exclaimed, stumbling to his feet. “What the hell is this?!”

Arthur took cover behind the stagecoach, holding his revolver close. “No idea!”

“Hey!” Dutch yelled from the other side. “You boys still alive?”

“...For now!” Arthur answered. “But we can’t stay here! Y’all focus on findin’ another way around! We’ll catch up to you later!”

“But--”

Another bullet planted itself into the ground next to Arthur’s feet, prompting him to become even more frantic.

“--Just go!”

Staying behind while the gang fled in search of a detour, Arthur and Shay remained huddled up by the stagecoach as their pursuer continued to shower them with bullets, scraping off splinters of wood from the vehicle with every shot.

They couldn’t see who was attacking them or where they were, but just based on the direction of the trajectory, Arthur guessed they were firing at them from within the woods.

“Can you see them?!” Shay shouted over all the commotion, peeking around the edge.

“No! But I think they’re using the trees as cover! Keep shootin’ at the woods! I’m gonna try to get this stagecoach back on its wheels!”

Shay threw a bewildered look at him. “What? Why?”

“Because if we can get this thing movin’ again, then we can use it as cover while we make our way down the road. Now help me lift it up!”

“I thought you wanted me to shoot at them!”

Arthur stuttered. “I-- oh, for Chrissake, just lift it!”

Giving the coach a firm heave, the two of them worked together to bring it back to a standing position as their attacker carried on with the assault, trying fervently to take them out.

Arthur didn’t know why, but he got the impression that the assailant was mainly after him. All of their bullets seemed to be aimed in his general direction more so than Shay’s, and the fact that they separated him from the rest of the gang only made him wonder if they were a long-lost enemy he had forgotten.

“Jesus Christ...” He muttered through gritted teeth. He certainly hoped it wasn’t anyone who used to run with the Van der Lindes. Arthur already had a hard enough time when it came to fighting rival gangs or enemies that they encountered on the road, but if this was someone he knew from before... he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to kill them.

“Almost got it...!” Shay groaned in a strained voice, his arms now starting to quiver from the coach’s weight.

Finally tilting the sturdy vehicle back onto its wheels, Arthur hurriedly yanked one of the doors open and slammed his body against it, pushing the coach forward while Shay fired back at their attacker.

Judging by the way the foliage twitched with the pursuer’s movements, Arthur assumed they were venturing further down the path in an attempt to stop them and probably setting up some other kind of trap.

He had no idea if they had a second stack of dynamite lying around somewhere, or if they were going after the rest of the gang, but at the moment, Arthur only prayed he’d live long enough to find out.

“Shit!” Shay shouted as a bullet darted through one of the coach’s windows. “This bastard’s got good aim!”

Arthur pressed harder against the door. “Well, make sure yours is better!”

Forcing the stagecoach up a steep hill, Arthur mustered as much strength as he possibly could and flattened his palms on the door’s surface, trying to ignore the ache that was now spreading in his arms.

The vehicle budged a little bit, but even with all his effort, it wasn’t nearly enough to get the damned thing over the hill. He’d need help.

“Shay!” Arthur grunted out. “Lend me a hand here!”

Putting his gun down for a moment, Shay jogged over to Arthur’s position and helped the man push the stagecoach up the sharp incline, both of them now battling against its unforgiving weight.

With their strength put together, the coach finally started ascending the hill’s abrupt angle and continued to slide along the path, giving them some much-needed cover from the never-ending storm of gunshots.

“You got it?” Arthur checked, his boots now digging into the ground.

Shay gave the vehicle another shove, clearly struggling with it. “I... I think so...!”

Before anymore progress could be made however, another bullet suddenly hit the side Shay’s leg and sent him tumbling to the ground, causing him to cry out in pain as the stagecoach began to roll backwards.

“Goddammit...!” Arthur exclaimed once he realized the vehicle was headed straight for him.

He tried to leap out of the way of the oncoming stagecoach and dove to the side of the road, but was ultimately rammed directly in the ribs before being thrown into the dirt.

He could hardly breathe. It felt like his heart had just been knocked out of his chest, and the whole world around him looked like it was going black.

He desperately gasped for air and crawled through the slick mud, unable to even see where his gun had dropped.

The only thing he could hear at the moment was his own hammering heartbeat and the feeble croaks that escaped from his battered lungs, accompanied by the muffled sounds of gunfire and shouting.

“...Shay...!” He wheezed, sluggishly rising from the ground. “...Shay...! Where... are you...?”

Scanning his surroundings, Arthur gazed further down the road and managed to spot Mackintosh himself at the top of the hill, scrambling around in panic due to the new wound in his leg. What really caught Arthur’s attention, though... was the fact that he was no longer alone.

Yanking out his hunting knife, Shay frantically tried to get away from the stranger and wildly swung the weapon a few times, only to receive a fist to the face when the assailant grabbed his arm.

The sheer force of the attack sent him reeling back and caused a fresh stream of blood to flow from his nostril, staining his lips and teeth red.

It shocked Mackintosh how strong his opponent was, considering their seemingly young age, but it was more than evident to him now that this man was no stranger to these types of affairs.

There was an undeniable ferocity in the nature of his attacks, and just based on the pure sense of hatred that illuminated from the man’s glare, Shay guessed this was an enemy he had made in the past.

He just couldn’t figure out who he was.

Lunging at the young man again, Shay limped towards the attacker and sliced his knife downwards, cutting a gash in the stranger’s coat but not actually reaching his skin.

He lost balance due to the bullet now buried in his leg and plunged to the ground beside the young man, allowing his opponent to turn the tide of the fight.

Taking out his own knife, the stranger grabbed Shay by the collar and hauled him to his feet, making sure he couldn’t escape. Afterwards, he took hold of Shay’s abdomen and thrust the blade forward, jabbing the weapon deep into his gut.

“...Mackintosh...!” Arthur exclaimed upon witnessing the attack.

He tore himself away from the ground and weakly approached the violent scene, hoping to help Shay even though he knew it was too late.

The man was already bleeding profusely from the stomach and had hardly any color left in his skin, but even then, it was obvious that the young man wasn’t done with him yet.

Ripping the blade out of Shay’s stomach, he slammed the man against a nearby tree and held him in place, looking directly into his tormented eyes.

There was a sense of despair engraved in the young man’s expression, and the longer Shay studied his oddly familiar features, the more he began to recognize him.

“...Shay. Mackintosh.” The stranger growled slowly, his tone sharp with anguish. “I finally have you. After fifteen, goddamned years... I finally have you.

Shay stared at the young man in fear, unsure of whether or not he was identifying him correctly.

“Who... are you?” He breathed out, still exhausted from the fight. “Why are you... tryin’ to kill me...?”

The stranger gave him a firm shake, his grip growing even tighter.

“Look at me,” he urged. “You know me, Shay. Far better than you may think.”

Taking a minute to sift through his memories, Shay practically watched his whole life flash before his eyes as he thought back to where he was fifteen years ago, trying to reshape the world around him.

At first, nothing immediate came to mind, but upon peering deeper into the young man’s sorrowful gaze, a specific memory suddenly jumped out at Shay, and he felt his entire body freeze.

He remembered three other men. Three other outlaws.

Charles Baumann, Thaddeus Blackmore, and Eli Whitley.

They robbed a cabin. Killed the owner too. She was a young woman, hardly into her twenties.

And worst of all, Shay remembered she had a son. A boy of only six years. He witnessed the whole murder, and ended up being taken in by them due to Whitley’s insistence.

But Shay never watched him grow up. He abandoned the small gang not too long after they killed the boy’s mother. The guilt would’ve destroyed him otherwise.

Now, though, everything made sense to him. The Pinkerton ambush, the poisoning of the food, the sabotage of the supplies... it was all linked to him. It was all because of what he did fifteen years ago.

This young man was that same little boy, and he had come for revenge.

“...Isaac Morgan.” Shay said plainly, finally understanding who he was. “It’s you. You’re still alive... after all this time.”

Isaac clenched his jaw, attempting to hide the tears that glossed over his eyes.

“I couldn’t die.” He replied, his voice trembling slightly. “Not without killin’ you first. You and your men... you took everything from me. You took Eliza from me.”

Shay closed his eyes in remorse, not even bothering to bargain with the boy.

“...I know, Isaac.” He said gently. “I know what we did was wrong. That’s why I left. Eli, too.”

A morbid thought crossed Shay’s mind. “...Where is Eli, anyway? Are you lookin’ for him as well? Or have you found him already?”

Isaac nodded. “He’s dead, Shay. Him and the others. You’re the last one.”

Mackintosh wasn’t surprised. “...I thought so.”

Interrupting their exchange, a soft rustle suddenly emitted from behind Isaac’s back and caused him to whip around in curiosity, leading the young man to find himself face-to-face with a new stranger.

Isaac recognized the man as the same gang member Shay was riding with earlier, but contrary to what he expected, the man didn’t appear to be hostile. Instead, he approached the two of them peacefully, and kept his gun in his holster.

Still, Isaac wasn’t willing to take any chances and immediately pulled Shay into his grasp, holding the knife up to his throat.

“Back off!” He warned. “I will kill him!”

The other man raised his hands in a diplomatic manner, attempting to calm the boy down.

“...Easy, Isaac,” he soothed. “It’s okay. Just take it easy.”

The boy paused abruptly, unsure of how to react. “What? How d’you... how d’you know my name? Who are you?”

The man steadily approached him, keeping his hands in the air.

“I heard your conversation with Mackintosh,” he explained. “You... you lost your mother when you was a boy? Is that right?”

That only confused Isaac even more. “How the hell do you know Eliza was my mother? Why do you even care? Answer my question! Who are you?” He pressed the knife harder into Shay’s throat.

The man stopped in his tracks, not wanting to provoke the boy any further. Instead, he decided that actions would speak louder than words in this scenario and simply reached upwards to remove his hat, unveiling the familiar face that hid underneath.

He couldn’t believe it. Mere moments ago, Arthur was dragging himself through the mud, doing anything he could to survive. He genuinely thought today would be the day he died, but now... he was talking to someone who he never thought he’d see again.

He didn’t know if the boy would remember him, or if he would even still love him after all those years of being separated, but one thing was for certain -- Isaac was Arthur’s son.

And against all odds, he was still alive.

“...It’s me.” Arthur revealed, doing his best to keep himself together. “I’m your dad.”

#red dead redemption #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #arthur morgan #isaac morgan #dutch van der linde #Micah Bell #Bill Williamson #rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 oc

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hallelujuh · 6 years ago

Text

shay’s favorite albums of 2018

10. Hivemind by The Internet - TI are insanely underrated and definitely helped me remember how much I adore R&B music. I literally love the bass lines so much - I’ve learned about half of the ones off this record, honestly. Syd’s vocals are amazing as ever, seamless and sexy and gorgeous, and I just, I love R&B music so much, gotta get into more soul shit. Favorite track: Bravo.

9. Sweetener by Ariana Grande - Somehow Ari flew under my radar for years; I simply did not care about her, and rarely heard her music on the radio, let alone sought it out. But some friends succeeded in getting me into it, and now I respect her as a singer and a person. She’s been through hell, and I admire her strength. Not to mention she’s incredibly talented as a singer. I have a hard time with pop records, because of the lack of substance and depth, but this record is a look into a person I think we’d come to forget was a person at all; it’s all her feelings, her heart on her sleeve, and it’s awesome. Not to mention her voice is literally so damn pleasant to listen to, I could fall asleep to it, haha. Favorite track: Successful.

8. Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae - Miss Monae literally has so much going for her. She’s so immensely talented at everything, and after her success in the film industry, it was nice to witness her return to music. Dirty Computer is fun, personal, and reminds you that Janelle deserves a lot more attention and admiration as a musician, because she does some really innovative and unique stuff that is always something special to behold. She’s a damn good rapper, too, and the accompanying short film to this record was really cool. Favorite track: Screwed.

7. Pray for the Wicked by Panic! At The Disco - After being a fan for literal ages, I finally saw Panic this year, so that was pretty damn cool. Pretty much DoaB Part Two, but that’s not a bad thing. The music is fun, Brendon’s vocals are as awesome as ever, the production is smooth as hell, and the songs were a damn blast live. A little too uppity for me, but several of the songs have been on replay at times. Favorite track: One of the Drunks.

6. Trench by Twenty One Pilots - I have a love-hate relationship with 21p, and I’m not emo anymore, so I nearly didn’t even listen to this record, but I did, and I, grudgingly, liked it very much. It doesn’t deviate significantly from the sound of Blurryface, but incorporates a lot more bass in (which I appreciate, as a bassist). It’s also notable this album was lighter in tone, at least sonically. That’s nice. Had a bit of punk, in there, a New Wave sound, almost. Pretty interesting. And deep subject matter. I wish this band hadn’t been spoiled for me. Damn. Favorite track: Bandito.

5. Queen by Nicki Minaj - A truly fitting title. Nicki’s always exuded a majestic sort of power, a confidence, strength, and sexiness we all can admire, and she’s never faltered in that, but she’s definitely at her top form here. Favorite track: Barbie Dreams. The Biggie-sampled beat makes an already awesome song even better. This is essentially Nicki’s Control; honest, biting, but also wonderfully comedic and light-hearted. I will literally never forget listening to this for the first time, absolutely awed at every rapper she managed to playfully go at, and how clever each sneak-diss was.

4. KOD by J. Cole - Cole��s been my favorite for years, and each of his recent albums have resonated with me deeply because of how genuine he comes across, even when he’s rapping about the typical things a rapper might rap about. Somehow Cole does it in a unique way and always makes it his own, so I never tire of the same topics. And he’s real, real as fuck; unapologetic and confident, but not assholish or excessively cocky. I really applaud him for that. Favorite track: 1985. Cole’s proudly embracing the fact that he’s not a youngin in the rap game anymore, and taking the role of a older figure, a wise one who advises his younger peers to reconsider their careers and their admittedly slim chances of remaining relevant. It’s brutally honest, harsh but not cruel, and absolutely admirable. Not the mention the beat is chill as fuck. Whole thing gives me goosebumps; easily one of the highlights of Cole’s career.

3. Kamikaze by Eminem - Okay, I’m a former hardcore stan who’s turned critical in recent years, but this record fully blew me away. Marsh got relevant again! With the dope flows! Damn! One of my favorite parts of this record was the reactions - watching people remember that Em is not one to be fucked with. Not to mention the now-iconic MGK beef. What a bunch of horseshit. Killshot totally roasted the dude, though. Favorite track: The Ringer. What a way to open a record! Holy shit. I re-listened to this one repeatedly because it was so unexpectedly incredible, with the way the flow is changed up frequently, and the wordplay never falters, clever as ever. Renewed a lot of people’s faith in Em’s abilities, I think; myself included.

2. Iridescence by Brockhampton - In last year’s post I said how excited I was for what the future had in store for BH; and boy, was this year a good one for them. On this record, despite the absence of Ameer, they hold their own without him; Matt, Joba, and Dom even seem to step up to the plate, in fact, and each member spits fire, so that the manic energy from the Saturation Trilogy remains. Said trilogy helped them establish their winning song-writing and production formula, and this record polishes it. Favorite track: Weight. Absolute goosebumps. The whole track has an otherworldly energy, but the transition from Joba’s verse into Dom’s is especially visceral. Joba’s holds an enthusiastic nihilism of sorts, and optimistic perception of life’s pain, while Dom’s is deeply depressive and harrowing, his voice full of a hurt and his words holding a wisdom beyond his years. It’s a beautiful track, through and through.

1. Post Traumatic by Mike Shinoda - This album pretty much saved me this year. I’m very thankful to Mike for putting his feelings to music, because these tracks helped me sort out mine, and I connected to each individual song in a way I haven’t in a long time. I would actually kill to go to a show of his; it’d probably be somewhat of a spiritual thing for me, considering how deeply even the studio versions resonate. Favorite track: Hold It Together. I literally love every song on this album (except IOU...), and each is uniquely special, deeply personal, and beautifully resonates, but this one stands out for some reason. I think that breakdown towards the end adds a lot. Some other favorites are About You, Ghosts, Make It Up As I Go, and Running From My Shadow. And there’s not even words for Brooding.

honorable mentions

Expectations by Hayley Kiyoko - This one very nearly made my list, but Hivemind ending up dethroning it. It’s a great debut, full of gay bops that really kicked off 20gayteen well, I’d say. (Favorite track: Wanna Be Missed. Fun fact: My most listened song for all of 2018.)

Mania by Fall Out Boy - It’s unfortunate that my long-time favorite band didn’t make the list, but I just couldn’t get into the sound of this record. (Favorite track: Sunshine Riptide)

Bloom by Troye Sivan - He’s so big now! A big boy! I’m so proud of how far he’s come. I wasn’t as big on this album as I was on Blue Neighbourhood, but it’s still a solid sophomore record. (Favorite track: Dance to This)

Be the Cowboy by Mitski - Mitski’s sound is an aquired taste... I’m still not entirely in love with it, it’s so otherwordly in a jarring way? But I applaud her innovation. (Favorite track: Nobody)

extended plays

they’re too short to be included in my top albums, but i wanted to mention them anyway.

Lake Effect Kid by Fall Out Boy - The Chicago fuckers strike again! While the themes took away from the, uh, relatability, of the music, they’re still solid tracks that deviate from their earlier 2018 effort in a pleasant way. (Favorite track: Super Fade)

My Dear Melancholy by The Weeknd - Abel is one of my favorite musicians of all time (and was my most listened to for two years in a row) and he’d never disappoint me. MDM is sad, harrowing, and visceral, proof that Abel continues to be one of the best artists of this decade. (Favorite track: Call Out My Name)

#2018 #mine #txt

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jokerfan99 · 7 years ago

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Naruto's Date by MugenKeiji

Tsunade wasn't exactly pleased about what happened after the event of Naruto handing the Mask over to Konan, but knowing his intentions she eases off on him after she returned it. However, she decides to put 'The Mask' under her care and she prepares to have it sealed off so no one would fall under its influence.

'The Mask' is contained in a special box and Tsunade, inside of her recently rebuilt office, had it taken away and on orders not to have it opened to the location where it would be buried. On the way, however, the box somehow opens up and 'The Mask' slips out and falls onto the roof of a nearby house.

Hinata Hyuuga is walking down the street one day and she looks rather uncertain "[I can't believe that I told Naruto-kun my feeling for him. However, it has been awhile and he hasn't said a thing to me. Does he think that I'm not good enough for him? Did I tell him too soon? I really don't know and I want to ask, but I don't know what to do. I'm so nervous since this is all I can think about.]" her thoughts babbled on. Hinata blushes lightly from her thoughts and then 'The Mask' comes down from the nearby rooftop and lands on the ground in front of her. Hinata asks, perplexed, "What is this?" When she picks it up, the object looked familiar.

She recalled the time Ino was transformed and ran amok in the village, going completely out of control. “I better take this to lady Tsunade, we can’t afford another incident like that. Not at a time like this.” She held on to the Mask, hesitantly. She remembered how Ino described what it was like to be under the Mask’s influence; It was as though she could do ANYTHING she wanted, she couldn’t even restrain herself from even her most deepest, darkest desires almost like her true self was unchained. That idea burned into Hinata’s mind as she wondered about her chances with Naruto.

Just then 'The Mask' give a powerful shimmer in front of her eyes, Hinata then thinks, "[Who knows? Maybe if I focus real hard, I can control 'The Mask'. I mean it can’t be all THAT bad if I can face Naruto once or twice can it?]" Hinata then puts 'The Mask' onto her face and it latches on, contorting it not unlike molding clay or rubber. Hinata moans as a burning sensation going through her whole body causing her to spin into a mini-twister filled with thunder, lightning, wind, and Chakra. The mini-twister, becoming violet in color, spins in the currently abandoned area that was still under construction causing some slight damage to the street. After a short time, the twister vanishes in a burst of chakra and there is a brand new Hinata Hyuuga in front of us!

Hinata's hair and hairstyle remains the same, the skin of her head from the start of her neck up is lime green in color with a plastic/rubber-like texture, long and sensual eyelashes, her lips are a deep, plump, thick, and gorgeous violet color, she has her forehead protector around her neck, she is wearing a tight-fitting deep violet dress with pink clouds on it that tied with a pink obi around the waist knotted with a bow shape, the dress hugs her feminine form quite greatly, much of her feminine legs are exposed, and she has pink open toed high heels showing her violet toenails.

Hinata/Mask yells out, excitedly, "I feel so…AWAKENED!" Hinata/Mask then produces a full body mirror out of thin air and takes a look at herself, "You are looking good, Hinata. I wonder what Naruto-kun would think." Hinata/Mask turns into a twister and spins off into the distance.

---

In another area of the Hidden Leaf Village, we find Naruto on top of stone faces of Hokages, looking down at the reconstruction.

“Naruto…” a familiar female voice called out. He turned around facing Hinata, but something about her was different. “Have you given any thought to what I said ‘back there’*”

(*referring to the Pain incident, trying to avoid spoilers XD)

Naruto yells out, leaping to his feet, "That Mask again?! Hinata when did you…?"

"How do you like it … Na-ru-to?" the newly transformed Hinata giggled mischievously, slowly stroking her index finger down her lips in a teasing gesture.

Naruto laughs nervously "I don’t think green’s your color."

A tanuki statue falls on Hinata/Mask (not just figuratively, chalk it up to her reality altering powers), as soon as she recovers she appears in front of Naruto with a chewing a handkerchief with her eyes tearing up. “Aww you shaying that I’m not your type?”

Naruto pauses for a bit “Well it just that…”

Out of nowhere a mock Kabuki stage pops up, Hinata/Mask is kneeling with her legs to side for dramatic effect, with a spotlight focused on her. “Such is fate, to be rejected by your beloved by a flaw I had since birth” Naruto stares blankly “What does she mean ‘since birth’? It’s just a Mask.” He quipped. Hinata/Mask wiped her tears “I know what I must do…if he won’t accept me for my green face…” she slowly rose, producing a tanto from inside her “Then I must…” she drew the blade close to her heart, but not before she was assaulted by 3 Naruto copies via Kage Bunshin.

"Okay okay, I’ll do whatever you want just no more blade business alright!?"

Hinata/Mask poofs away the weapon and glomps Naruto "You DO care after all! I’m so happy…oh! That reminds me.” She produced out a familiar looking red jacket and put it on Naruto “This is my Sennin jacket.” “Well it’s not EXACTLY a perfect copy, but you look very MANLY wearing it. Besides now you’re all dressed for our date.” That word rung in his ears, “Date? Hold on a second there’s no way I’m going on a …”

"Come on, Naruto-kun! Let's go!" Naruto yelps as Hinata/Mask zips away dragging him in tow.

Later that day, we find Naruto walking in the village feeling self conscious knowing how he stands out with a green faced Hinata clinging at his side.

“|Got to think carefully here. That Mask can be dangerous, but it’s still Hinata I’m dealing with here. Maybe she’ll be a bit more easier to deal with, unlike the time Ino wore it|” Naruto thought, “|Still, that thing’s capable of warping her mind. I can’t assume this will be the Hinata I know|”

"Something on your mind, lover?"

A brief moment of dead silence filled the surrounding block, “Don’t say things like that!” he corrected.

Hinata/Mask clasped Naruto’s head between her hands, "Oh sweetie, don’t be shy about it.” Hinata/Mask starts to pucker up, putting Naruto at unease, “Let mama make it all better.” Their “moment” is interrupted when by some passerby kunoichi take notice.

"Oi oi, Isn’t that the hero of the village Naruto Uzumaki?" One teasingly quips.

Another young teenage kunoichi pouts, “Aww… no fair! Just when he becomes a real catch too.”

The third of the group points out Hinata/Mask, "What’s the deal with the green chick though?"

“She has to be a member of the Hyuuga clan, you can’t hide your face but you can’t hide those Byakugan eyes.” The first girl pointed out, “Though even with eyes that sharp, it’s surprising she can’t even see how silly her face looks.”

“Che!” The second girl quipped, “She was probably embarrassed about his past and tried to disguise herself. You know how stuck up those families like that can be, think they’d approve of a “;princess” like her being seen with Naruto?”

“That’s EXACTLY it.” Laughed the third one, “Why else would the little Hyuuga slut dress like a clown? A blue blood like her thinks it makes Uzumaki-kun see past her social status. What a joke, as if he’d ever date green faced freaks like you”

The rest of the kunoichi start to join in with the third girl’s laughter. Hinata/Mask starts to look mortified. “Hey, leave her alone!” Naruto fumed.

The third of the group called out Hinata “What’s that? You gonna cry now greenie?”

Hinata/Mask starts to radiate with Chakra, causing her hair to undulate “You shouldn’t talk down to someone,” a giant hammer materialized in her hand, and her head tilts back slowly. Given the length of her hair, her appearance became that of a ghost when she shot a look of spite “THAT COULD POUND YOUR FACES INTO THE GROUND!”

“Wait, Hinata!” before Naruto could do anything, her figure vanished leaving only a sideways trail of smoke. At supersonic speed (which is nothing short of incredible in THOSE heels), an unforeseen force sent the third Kunoichi flying. Where she originally was standing, Hinata/Mask was there in post-swing position. “That felt great! So---” She turned around looking at the remaining girls with a devilish grin that would make Sunako Nakahara proud, “—WHO’S NEXT!?”

The second Kunoichi tugged at the first one’s sleeve “Let’s get out of her Reiko, the Hyuuga girl’s scary!” Reiko snapped out of her daze “R-right Tomomi. Let’s make sure Ayako isn’t hurt.” And the two remaining Kunoichi ran off. “Hinata,” Naruto said in a lamenting tone, “That was too much.” Hinata/Mask giggled “Oh come now Naruto,” unzipped the wooden casing of the hammer to reveal a giant toy Piko Piko Hammer “You didn’t think I’d REALLY hurt them did you?”

----

Moments later, Naruto and Hinata/Mask are resting at the top of the Hokage’s tower. Hinata/Mask moves her body for Naruto to see her bust and she asks, enticingly, "Isn't this romantic, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto says, with a nod and nervous tone, "Uh- yeah, sure it is."

Hinata/Mask asks, curiously, "You’re too shy, Naruto-kun." Hinata/Mask moves herself that her bust is seen by Naruto causing him to flush greatly, “It’s usually the other way around” he muttered.

"[What am I doing!? I shouldn’t be playing along, that Mask has GOT to go! But… it’s kinda nice being with Hinata like this. No, no that’s not right. She’s dangerous with the Mask on I shouldn’t let her stay this way. Besides if things keep up like this, I’d hate to see what our children would look --- DAMMIT PERVY SAGE YOUR DIRTY THOUGHTS ARE RUBBING OFF ON ME!”

Hinata/Mask interrupts him from his internal dialogue "Why so tense?" Hinata/Mask tells Naruto, with a loving enticing tone, "Isn’t this romantic? The stars are just lovely and we have this place all to ourselves"

Naruto says, nervously, "Well, Hinata-chan..."

Hinata/Mask asks, curiously, "What's wrong, Naruto-kun? Is there something wrong?"

"Are you okay with this?” He replied solemnly

Hinata/Mask is a little uneasy "W-what do you mean?"

“I mean this isn’t you.”

Hinata/Mask pouted “I’m still me…it’s just that in this form I’m more confident, it feels good not having all those silly doubts holding me back.”

“That Mask influences your personality, what if you end up hurting someone!?” Naruto protests.

Hinata/Mask says, with a warm smile, "I won't, Naruto-kun! Believe it!"

"[It feels kind of weird hearing my saying from someone else.]" Naruto thought

Hinata/Mask says, with a loving tone, "As long as you care and accept me, I really don't care what anyone like those girls think. Besides, I’ll be more careful next time. Promise!" Hinata/Mask asks, seductively, "You know what else would make this night special?"

Naruto thinks in his mind, slyly, "[Great, an opening! This is my chance]" Naruto calmly puts his hand on Hinata’s face “You don’t need to say anything else.” He assured her “|Just one good pull will do it|” He thought, but before he could do anything Hinata/Mask LUNGED towards Naruto with her arms wrapped around his neck, planting a slobbery kiss.

Naruto could barely breathe, feeling a mixture of panic and somehow intrigue at the same time. Luckily he had an ace in the hole. Feinting an embrace, he formed a Hand Seal behind Hinata’s back “hadow- cwone hutoo! (Shadow Clone Jutsu)” one Naruto copy grabbed Hinata/Mask from behind pulling her away as two others tried to pry her vice-like grip loose. This left the original Naruto with the task of tugging at Hinata’s face.

It stretched like gum at first, being tightly secured to her face “|Almost there…at this rate I’m going to pass out if she doesn’t let go!|” The Naruto copies prying Hinata/Mask’s clasped hands started to tickle her instead, which effectively loosened her grip. She fell backwards, landing on the copy that was holding her from behind (poofing him away in the process) and the Mask came off her face and fly off of Naruto’s hands like a cork from a bottle of champagne.

Hinata now back to normal is barely conscious on the roof of the Hokage's office. A dazed oxygen depraved Naruto drags her back to the platform, wiping a HUGE violet kiss mark from his face “Not even Sakura gets THAT scary.” He lamented, as he was catching his breath

The once airborne Mask falls into a cart, found not too far away from the tower. “Huh, thought I heard something” the carts owner said then obliviously, then he continues to wheel his freight away.

------

Hinata gains a bit of consciousness, she finds herself on Naruto’s back as he’s hoping through the village.

"Nnnnn… What happened...?"

Naruto asks Hinata, "Are you okay, Hinata?"

Hinata blushes from being in Naruto's arm and she replies, "I must be dreaming. That’s it heh heh heh." She trailed off a bit before heading back to sleep.

Naruto asks, perplexed, "She doesn't remember...?" He shrugs it off and decided it was better that way.

With a sleeping Hinata in tow, Naruto heads off to the house of Hyuuga clan. For what it was worth the crisis with Hinata was averted but now the Mask is loose in the village of Konohagakure, who knows what further damage it could cause in the future.

The following day, the cart was close to the rebuilt Leaf Village hospital and hit a bump causing 'The Mask' to fly out of the cart in which the owner doesn't notice (he’s not very sharp you see). 'The Mask' lands into the office of Sakura Haruno, who is working hard to help to get the hospital and medical wing of Leaf Village back in order...'

END?

#hinata hyuga #naruto #naruto uzumaki #the mask

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real-life-pine-tree · 8 years ago

Text

Arc-V Aftermath: Fish Out of Water (8/26)

When all is said and done, things have quickly recovered in the four dimensions. But when weird things start happening, the Yu-Salad Boys and the Bracelet Girls quickly realize they have some loose ends to fix. Co-written with @violetganache42.

WARNING: Dub names will be featured in the story.

"DO YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR HAIR, MISTRESS LULU?" a robot maid asked.

"No thanks," Lulu politely replied, taking out the curlers in her hair. "But I appreciate the offer."

"VERY WELL, MISTRESS LULU," the robot maid said. "WHICH DRESS SHALL YOU BE WEARING THIS EVENING?"

"The light purple one with frills," Lulu answered.

At the Obsidian residence, not long after talking with Celina, Lulu had finished receiving her spa treatment. She already removed her facial mask and cucumbers and was about to style her hair after removing the curlers. She was looking forward to this night because this is going to be the first time she attends a party with her family after the Invasion struck. They even invited Yuto to the Kastles' party since Kameron and Astra approve of him and he never went to a grand event like this one. In other words, it was practically a night of firsts for Lulu and her boyfriend.

The robot maid went to Lulu's closet and got out the dress she requested: the light purple one with frills. She hung it up nicely on the doorknob as her mistress continued tending to her long hair.

"Let's see..." Lulu mused, searching through curly hairstyles on her Duel Disk. "Which style would work best for me?"

The robot maid scanned through the various images of long, curly hair as Lulu gradually scrolled through the page. While she was figuring that out, Yuto was also getting ready for the night. He had recently started living with the Obsidians after the separation because living there could give him the training he needs for living in an elite society, especially since he came from the middle class. He was nervous about this event because he is one of the few people not from a high social class that will taking part in a grand party. What would the others think about him? Even with the outfit he picked out (a dark grey business suit with a white collared shirt, a black tie, and a pair of black shoes), it may not make a difference.

Orbital, a robot butler, entered the room. "YOU SEEM NERVOUS, MASTER Y-YUTO," he said. "SHALL I PREPARE HOT TEA FOR YOU?"

"No thanks," Yuto said, checking his reflection in the full-length mirror.

"BUT YOU ARE NERVOUS," Orbital stated. "IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP?"

"I guess," Yuto said as he took off his glasses to clean them with a small cloth.

"YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE NERVOUS," Orbital said. "BUT DON'T BE. YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR OBSIDIANCORP FOR A WHILE. SURELY THE OTHER PARTYGOERS WILL ACCEPT YOU AS ONE OF THEIR OWN."

Orbital could be right. Working in a wealthy business may mean a chance of fitting in with everyone in terms of social status. Yuto thanked the robot butler for the advice, with the latter responding that he's always there to help his master. Before leaving, he wished him good luck and to enjoy the party.

"Thanks Orbital," Yuto replied as he put his glasses back on. He gave himself one last look in the mirror, hoping this would be enough to let everyone know he was worthy of living in a high society.

Some time later, he met up with the Obsidians. Shay wore a black tux while Lulu donned an outfit that the robot maid helped her pick out: her selected dress with a black shawl over it, black heels, and her curled hair done in a loose ponytail and draped across her left shoulder. Yuto couldn't help but blush at what his girlfriend was wearing; anything she wears makes her look beautiful.

However, Yuto noticed Lulu's chest seemed a bit...bare. "Uh, Lulu?" he asked. "Where's...?"

"I had to cover my En Birds marking with makeup," Lulu explained. "And the shawl is to hide my scar."

Yuto was alarmed to hear that. "But why?" he asked. "You shouldn't hide your beautiful imperfections."

"The Obsidians have a reputation of being absolutely perfect," Astra explained. "We can't let the other families know what has happened to us."

Yuto understood what Astra means. The Invasion was a devastating time for the XYZ residence, including herself and her family. After she and her husband got carded and their daughter was injured and then abducted, who wouldn't blame them? The return of the Original Dimension revived their business, but they're currently working on recovering their wealth. With a fresh new start, they were determined to preserve their reputation in hopes of no one learning about what they endured.

Shay quickly noticed Yuto's saddened expression. "Don't be like that," he said happily. "You should be happy. Tonight's your big debut as a member of high society."

"I hope your weeks of training have paid off," Kameron said.

The eggplant-haired teen hoped so too, but he had trouble hiding his worries. Despite getting advice from Orbital, he still felt a little tense about what to expect. The Obsidians reassured him not to let his worries get the best of him and to focus on having an enjoyable night. He nodded in response and exhaled; he was anticipating for tonight to be another memorable one, hopefully as memorable as the LID dance.

Yuto and the Obsidians left their home and walked to the family car. You think that they would at least take a limo there, but they were not risking any careless accidents. As Kameron drove the family (and Yuto) to the Kastle residence, Yuto thought about how dueling was like in a high social class. He guessed they must have the same views as the other lower classes and imagined that they would find an interest in his Phantom Knights; after all, this archetype is what made him a noble person in the first place. Whether duels were meant to be serious or fun, he hoped everyone will respect his deck and skills as a Duelist.

"I hope you brought your best monsters for tonight, Lulu," Shay said.

"I did," Lulu replied. "I even brought my secret weapon."

"Assembled Nightingale?" Yuto asked.

"Not quite," Lulu answered, showing Yuto her true secret weapon.

Her secret weapon was actually Mariamne, The True Dracophoenix. She was a Level 9 WIND Wyrm-Type monster with 2700 ATK and 2100 DEF. Her effect allows Lulu to special summon her from her hand by destroying two monsters from her hand or the field; if both of them were also WIND, then four cards from the top of her opponent's deck were banished. Another effect of hers enables Lulu to add a non-WIND Wyrm-Type from her hand, but she can activate each of Mariamne's effects once per turn.

Lulu explained to Yuto that she likes using Mariamne because she is as beautiful and powerful as her. She mentioned she doesn't use the card very often, but when she does, it is treated as a secret weapon for special parties, such as the one going on tonight.

"I can tell," Yuto said. "She must be a powerful monster."

"She is," Lulu replied. "I only save her for these events."

"How come?" Yuto asked. "Imagine if you showed her off in the next dueling club meeting."

"Sure," Lulu said, hiding her nervousness at that statement. "I'll see what I can do."

She placed Mariamne back in her deck after finishing that sentence. She felt a little doubtful about showing her secret weapon off at the next club meeting. The best thing she can do is present it tonight to see what Yuto thinks of it in action. If only he and our friends can understand how powerful that card really is… she thought to herself.

The car soon drove in front of the Kastle Manor where the party was taking place. Kameron found a good place to park not too far away from the entrance gate. After parking, everyone got out of the car and started walking towards the mansion. It was time for them to start the post-Invasion era of attending grand parties. Upon entering through the mansion's doors, Yuto was amazed at how elegant the party was. So many people were invited to this event; it is rather hard to believe there were a lot of XYZ citizens from just the high social class.

"Presenting the Obsidians and...some random boy," the guest announcer said.

The last part of the statement stunned Yuto a little. Did the guest announcer not receive the name of the person the Obsidians invited to tag along with them? Regardless, several girls noticed him and were attracted to him. Ever since his personality changed while he was growing up, it made him incredibly handsome, which ended up making him a girl magnet. However, there was another reason why Lulu chose this specific attire: she knew something like this would happen and had to visually remind them that he's taken by her and they don't take advantage of him. The girls don't approach him, fortunately, but they snuck in a couple glances of admiration. In Yuto's case, it's not always easy being so attractive.

"Uh... Lulu?" Yuto asked. "Why are these rich girls looking at me like that?"

"Never mind them," Lulu said, placing her arm across Yuto's shoulders and pulling herself close to him. "They're after you for your looks. Luckily I dressed accordingly in case something like this happened."

"But you-" Yuto started to say, but then he realized Lulu wore an outfit that matched his hair colors, so he held her hip and held her close.

Aside from that, the night generally started off well for Yuto and the Obsidians. Kameron, Astra, and Shay spotted their friends and met up with them; it's also worth noting that Shay has a friendly rivalry with one of them.

"Hello Shay Obsidian," a long-haired young man said. "It has been a long time since we saw each other."

Shay chuckled a bit. "Christopher Arclight," he said. "Are you still rusty with your dueling?"

"Do you really think an Invasion would stop me from practicing?" Christopher asked in response.

"Depends on how I see your skills," Shay playfully replied.

The Arclights were close friends with the Obsidians. Based on what Christopher said, he, his brothers Thomas and Michael, and their father Byron all survived the Invasion. It would also make sense for him to practice his dueling skills while Heartland was recovering. He was looking forward to testing them out against Shay; on the other hand, the latter believed he may have an advantage because he has built up all the skills he needed after engaging in duels during his time with the Resistance and the Lancers. It would soon be a matter of time for the two to decide who improved the most.

Several minutes have passed and one of the hosts—or hostesses—showed up. It was the Kastles' daughter Rio; she wore a sleeveless, floor-length, light blue and white dress with a light blue strap that split on her left. Underneath the dress, she also had aquamarine-encrusted heels on her feet. She has been saving this dress for tonight because it suits her ICE-themed deck. It was evident that she was one of the girls who has fallen for Yuto because she becomes lovestruck whenever she looks at him.

Yuto quickly noticed Rio's gaze. "Who's the ice girl?" he asked Lulu.

Lulu simply glared at the blue-haired girl. "Rio Kastle," she said. "Don't bother with her. She's not worthy of your time."

But Rio soon approached the couple. "Hello Lulu Obsidian," she said. "Who is this gentleman accompanying you?"

"None of your business," Lulu responded.

"But Lulu, I want to know if this is the man who stole your heart," Rio said, caressing Yuto's face. "He is rather handsome."

Yuto tried his hardest to not blush whereas Lulu knew why Rio wanted to talk to them. She knew the ICE user was pretending to flirt with her boyfriend, especially regarding what happened before the Heartland Duel School dance. She was previously engaged to Reginald, Rio's twin brother, when she met Yuto. Basically, Rio was angry that someone like Lulu would turn down her brother's engagement.

"I appreciate the compliment..." Yuto said, gently pushing Rio's hand away from him. "But I'm already taken."

"Just as I thought," Rio said. "You're that Yuto Osaku person!"

"Come again?" Yuto asked.

"You might not know this, but Lulu Obsidian was originally set to marry my brother, Reginald Kastle," Rio angrily explained. "But after she transferred schools, the Obsidians informed my mother and father that the arranged marriage was canceled because of someone named Yuto Osaku!"

Hearing this news left Yuto heartbroken. He had no idea Lulu used to be engaged to a wealthier boy at her old school; it was one thing to transfer schools, but getting a new boyfriend was a completely different story, one that made Rio livid to this night. He started wondering why she even chose him in the first place.

"So how could Lulu have fallen for you?" Rio asked Yuto. "You might look wealthy, but I want to see your dueling skills. Only your cards will tell me what you're really like beneath the perfectly-coiffed hair and sharply-dressed posture."

"You want to duel me?" Yuto asked.

"Certainly," Rio replied. "And if you are from a wealthy family, clearly you will know how these duels work."

Yuto thought about Rio's offer to duel her. Little does he know is that Elite Duels are different from regular duels; what she just said was a clear indicator of what Elite Duels are like. This concerned Lulu because her boyfriend has never dueled in an elite class before. A fear crept up her that said everyone will know he isn't born wealthy, but works in a wealthy business. She wanted to help him out without getting in the way of his and Rio's duel and accidentally exposing him of a middle class resident, but what can she do?

"Very well," Yuto said, activating his Duel Disk. "I accept your challenge."

"Good," Rio said, activating her Duel Disk as well. "You seem to know what you're doing, so you also know what Elite Duels are."

The two engaged in their first Elite Duel: ICE vs. Phantom Knights. Ice Beast Zerofyne vs. Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon. A duel to decide how Yuto became Lulu's boyfriend and what he's really like. The Obsidians, the Arclights, and the other attendees watched them unleashing their skills, with Yuto behaving like a true knight as always. Unbeknownst to him, most of the partygoers were analyzing the cards he used and determining what he truly is. A worried Lulu noticed this, followed by a loyally protective Shay and a reassuring Kameron and Astra. It doesn't matter who wins; people are being judged on their social classes by the very cards they draw.

"Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon shall finish this duel!" Yuto declared. "Mauling Mandible Charge!"

Using its signature move, Dark Rebellion destroyed Zerofyne, taking out the rest of Rio's LP. Yuto may have won the duel, but this was an Elite Duel and almost everyone had a thing or two to say about his social status.

"Just as I thought," Rio said. "You're nothing more than a peasant!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Yuto asked, confused. "I won."

Lulu looked embarrassed. "Elite Duels aren't like regular duels," she explained. "They're about judging your opponent by the type of cards they use."

Yuto caught on to what she described and looked around to see so many people agreeing with Rio's remark. They began viewing and calling him a peasant all because of him using his Phantom Knights. He doesn't understand why he would be called such a low class name just because he retained his beliefs and how his deck made him so noble. He quickly grew ashamed and upset by all this; even after taking Orbital's advice, it still didn't change the fact that he was a middle class resident dating a high class girl. Just then, Shay took a step forward, getting ready to defend his best friend from the crowd, but especially from Rio.

"That's enough!" Shay demanded. "Just because the Phantom Knights are often used by Duelists who can't afford more expensive cards, it doesn't make Yuto a peasant! In fact, I was the one who encouraged him to use those cards!"

"Why are you defending that peasant?" Rio bitterly asked.

"Because he's my friend," Shay responded. "If it wasn't for the Phantom Knights, Yuto would have still been a timid boy. I encouraged him to envision himself as being brave like those knights, and because of that encouragement, Yuto Osaku is just as chivalrous as any other gentleman!"

"Precisely!" Lulu agreed. "You might think the Phantom Knights are for peasants, but for Yuto, they reflect how noble he is!"

"But he still doesn't belong here," Rio pointed out. "Why do you even love him?"

Yuto wondered about that question as well. Why did she even choose him and why does she love him? Lulu's response to this soon became clear for the Phantom Knight user.

"Because he was the first one who didn't love me for my background," Lulu answered. "When we first met, I could tell from the look in his eyes that he didn't care about my family history. As we spent more time together, it became clear that he loves me for who I am. He is a true gentleman because of his kind heart, and that should be enough proof for why I love him."

Yuto's sadness transformed into contentedness because it was true. When he first met her, he loved her for her natural beauty, but over time, he has also grown to admire her sweet, loyal, and strong personality. In both cases, her family history and social status didn't matter to him. She and Shay were right; over the years, he has become a true knight and a real gentleman who will protect and care for those he values most, even his girlfriend. It became remarkably evident that their love for each other was unbreakable.

Rio scoffed. "So what?" she asked. "You must have gone soft on those commoners!"

"Oh really?" Lulu asked. "Well I beg to differ." She proceeded to take out her Mariamne card for all to see.

Everyone gasped at the sight of Mariamne, including Yuto. He began to understand why Lulu only uses that card for formal parties: it is to show everyone that she will always be a graceful yet tough girl whether or not her soon-to-be husband is a commoner. Since Yuto loves her for who she is, it helps strengthen the parallels between her and her now-revealed secret weapon. That was how genuinely powerful Mariamne, The True Dracophoenix really is, and it made his contentedness turn to how proud he is of Lulu.

"You see?" Lulu asked, placing her Dracophoenix back in her deck. "Even though Yuto is a commoner, this doesn't change who I am."

Rio was still shocked. "But-"

"Rio, what do you think you're doing?"

The ICE user turned around to see Reginald, who wore a dark blue suit, walking towards her. He had noticed her Elite Duel with Yuto and overheard the little "episode" going on with her, Shay, and Lulu. Lulu also heard his voice and was surprised to see her ex-fiancé again. She pondered on why he abruptly showed up in the midst of defending Yuto.

"Reginald," Lulu said. "It's been a while."

"Indeed it has," Reginald agreed. "But I never thought you would have fallen for a commoner."

"Yuto is a noble gentleman," Lulu repeated. "I love him for who he is."

"I see," Reginald remarked. "But I want to know if your dueling style has changed."

"Oh, really?" Lulu asked, already activating her Duel Disk.

"Indeed," Reginald replied as he also activated his Duel Disk. "Ever since the Invasion struck Heartland, your family has gone missing. Mother and father had sent out your invitation in hopes of your return, so it was a surprise to see you here."

Another Elite Duel was about to begin, but it was between Reginald and Lulu: WATER vs. Lyrilusc. Shark Drake vs. Assembled Nightingale. A duel to determine who improved their skills the most based on the changes they made. As it progressed, it increased in tension, with Yuto and the Obsidians rooting for Lulu and Rio supporting her brother. Reginald utilizing a burn strategy with his WATER monsters gave him an advantage, but it didn't stop his ex from swarming the field with Lyrilusc monsters. Once she had summoned over twp of them, it was time for her to bring out her ace.

"I overlay Lyriluscs Turquoise Warbler, Colbalt Sparrows, and Sapphire Swallows!" Lulu declared. "Birds with beautiful wings, gather on the battlefield and take brilliant flight in the bright sky! I XYZ Summon Lyrilusc - Assembled Nightingale!"

Suddenly, as Assembled Nightingale appeared on the field, Lulu's En Birds marking started glowing from her chest without having a clue about it. However, this managed to catch everyone else off guard. What made this baffling for Yuto, Kameron, Astra, and Shay is the marking was covered up with makeup. How was it still able to penetrate through it with its glow?

As everyone was focused on her glowing marking, Lulu activated her summoned XYZ monster's updated effects. First off, Assembled Nightingale receives a 1000 ATK boost since it gains 200 ATK for every attached XYZ Material. Secondly, having five attached XYZ Materials, it is allowed to attack five times during the Battle Phase. With everything prepared, she was ready to whip out a OHKO to Reginald's life points.

"I will finish you off with Assembled Nightingale!" Lulu said. "Graceful Winds!"

Assembled Nightingale directly attacked Reginald five times, bringing down his LP to 0. With the Elite Duel over, Lulu's marking stopped glowing, leaving everyone at the party speechless. Upon piecing together why there was no reactions from anyone, she kept looking at their faces. Did she do anything wrong? Or did something else struck that grabbed their attention?

"My god..." one of the partygoers said. "Why was she glowing?!"

Questions and possibilities flooded her mind. Glowing? Glowing from where? It couldn't be from the eyes because that only happened when Zarc and the Yu-Salad Awakened. But where else on her body could this glow come from? She eventually realized what may have caused this: her marking. It must have reacted when she performed an XYZ Summon; apparently, it was bright enough to glow through the makeup, which seemed rather improbable. How can something as simple as makeup not be enough to prevent a little light from appearing? Pretty soon, the only emotions that she felt were disbelief, stupefaction, and fear.

Her boyfriend and family saw how distraught she was and headed over to see if she was okay. They have never seen anything like that happen before, but when the partygoers were thunderstruck by something abnormal, it was bound to be serious.

"What happened to the Obsidians during their disappearance?"

"It must be connected to the unexpected Invasion from those masked soldiers!"

"What else is this family hiding?"

Suspicions arose from those that watched the second Elite Duel. Kameron and Astra were busy relaxing their only daughter, but the overlapping gossip was becoming stressful for them. Shay also did whatever he could help, but all Lulu did was hug her parents and brother, slowly on the brink of crying. She knew tonight wasn't their night. First Yuto gets called out for being a commoner, then Rio questioned her reasoning behind her current relationship, and now the Obsidian family name may be on the line. The poor girl just wanted to attend a simple grand party without any trouble happening, but now she didn't want this night to exist at all.

During the familial reassurance, Yuto noticed the tears streaming down Lulu's face. She trembled with despair and distress, believing she may the cause of this night. If she hadn't transferred schools, this wouldn't have happened; at the same time, she would have never met her true boyfriend. She buried her face in her father's clothes, losing control of not trying to cry. Yuto exhaled through his nose and stood up. She and Shay protected him from Rio earlier, and now it was his turn to protect them. It was his time to be a true knight outside of a duel once again.

"Lulu, take off your shawl," Yuto said.

Lulu turned to face her boyfriend, still crying. "Wh-What?"

"Trust me," Yuto said, speaking in a gentle tone.

Although still upset with what's going on, Lulu nodded her head. She has trusted him in the past, so no doubt she'll trust him again. She got up and wiped away her heavy-flowing tears, then proceeded to remove her black shawl to reveal the scar she got back during the Invasion.

"I was greatly injured during the Invasion," Lulu explained, still crying. "An Ancient Gear Hunting Hound slashed my back, damaging my spine in the process. I had to get spinal implants or I would have lost the ability to use my legs."

Shay took a deep breath. "She's not the only one who got hurt," he said, lifting up the left side of his dress pants to reveal a robotic leg that was designed to look normal. "I was attacked by a Chaos Ancient Gear Giant at one point, who crushed my left leg. The damage was so bad that it had to be amputated and replaced by a robotic prosthetic."

"My wife and I weren't so lucky," Kameron said.

"Indeed," Astra agreed. "Our souls were sealed into cards and sacrificed into a large machine that nearly killed our daughter. If it wasn't for a Duelist named Yuya Sakaki, we wouldn't have been able to recover."

Everyone was alarmed at Lulu, Shay, Kameron, and Astra's revelations. They initially thought the Obsidians plainly disappeared when Duel Academy invaded, but spinal plates and a robotic leg? They also knew about a huge number of people in Heartland getting carded; however, they never knew about the Fusion Dimension's main intentions. Learning one of them was almost paralyzed from the waist-down while the other lost his left leg and their parents were among the victims that were nearly sacrificed to a dimensional-fusing machine was quite the eye-opener.

"Do you see how much this family went through?" Yuto asked, showing no fear in his eyes. "They wanted to relax after all of the hardships and for you to treat them as if the Invasion never occurred. But then you had the nerve to criticize them and question their status in this society! They are still trying to recover from the financial losses, so the least you could do is offer them support!"

Just then, a voice called out from within the crowd. It sounded rather cat-like. Lulu recognized that familiar voice; it belonged to none other than Cathy Katherine, her best friend who was also invited to the party with her family. From the sounds of things, she was deeply concerned about what happened to the Obsidians after the Invasion and wants to say something in regards to them.

"I support them!" Cathy had cried out. "Lulu Obsidian has been my best friend since childhood, and I don't care if she was reduced to a ragged servant girl! I will give my support to the family!"

"As do I," Byron Arclight agreed. "Kameron and Astra have always been strong business partners and my sons are good friends with their children. We will offer full support until they recover."

Murmurs broke the silence, discussing the given situation at hand. Sure enough, it soon became gradually escalating voices of support, with friends, couples, and families reaching out for any assistance, even if it's just donating money. They remembered how ObsidianCorp did a fantastic job at keeping the city parks clean every day; although the Original Dimension's return restored the corporation building, their wealth still remained the same. After being blinded by judgmental Elite Duels at this party, they want to make it up to the Obsidians for the way they acted, as well as show their gratitude for making Heartland City the beautiful and colorful city it was known for.

"What?!" Rio exclaimed. "Why are you-"

Reginald placed his hand on Rio's shoulder. "Let it go, sister," he said, glaring at Thomas. "There's no use arguing with the ones who wield three of the most powerful XYZ cards in the world."

Rio reluctantly sighed, knowing that the Arclights are helping out a family that turned down her brother's engagement. At the same time, Yuto was accepting being a part of Lulu and Shay's circle of upper class friends. He may not be born in a high class, but that didn't stop him from working his way up to feeling welcome by wealthy yet caring people. He had a thought about his mom, but it was different than the last time. In this case, he knew that somewhere up in the heavens, Lono must be so proud of how much her son has grown and matured.

"Aww... There's that smile I love!" Lulu said, giving her boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I can see why you fell for him, Lulu," Cathy remarked. "He's so gorgeous, especially with his cute hair."

Yuto was flattered by that comment, but this type of flattery Cathy displayed was more of a playful tease. He could tell she was the only girl at the party that approached the eggplant-haired teen, maintained a genial personality, and knows he is a keeper. These were a few signs that indicated Cathy as Lulu's true friend. Lulu giggled, knowing the gray-haired feline girl already accepted Yuto as her best friend's boyfriend, and lightheartedly reminded her the real reason why she fell for him as the grand party continued on for the rest of the night.

#Arc V Aftermath #yugioh arc v #Yuya Sakaki #Zuzu Boyle #Yuzu Hiragi #FruitShipping #Yuto (arc v)#Lulu Obsidian #Ruri Kurosaki #FallenAngelShipping #Yugo (arc v)#Rin (arc v)#AppleShipping #Yuri (arc v)#Celina (arc v)#Serena (arc v)#PredatorShipping

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everettwilkinson · 8 years ago

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ABOUT that tax bill delay — POLITICO/MORNING CONSULT poll: voters like tax reform, but they’re cool to corporate cut — TRUMP says he’ll tighten vetting after NYC attack — BETSY DEVOS profile — B’DAY: David Bossie

Happy Wednesday morning, and welcome to November.

TAX ROLLOUT: TOP RATE STAYS AT 39.6, ROLLOUT DELAYED — WSJ’S RICH RUBIN, SIOBHAN HUGHES and KRISTINA PETERSON: “The House Republican tax plan will preserve a top individual tax rate of 39.6%, according to people familiar with the matter, though party leaders are delaying its release by a day to iron out unresolved issues.

Story Continued Below

“The plan for the top rate marks a retreat for Republicans on a question that has spurred intense debate in Washington: How will a tax overhaul treat the most affluent Americans? Republicans last year had been discussing a top rate of 33%, and then moved to 35% earlier this year. But they left themselves open to the possibility of keeping it unchanged or lowering it by some smaller amount.” http://on.wsj.com/2z3p02P

— RACHAEL BADE, BERNIE BECKER, BRIAN FALER and AARON LORENZO: “Ryan told conservative group leaders Thursday that the [top] income threshold for the top rate would likely be higher than it currently is, likely between $750,000 and $1 million. He said the estate tax would likewise be repealed but may have to be phased out to save money in the short term.

“But it’s the unresolved issues that caused Ways and Means members the most heartburn this week — and ultimately led to the delay. Those include: how to win over GOP lawmakers from high-tax states that are balking over curbing the state and local tax deduction, which their constituents rely on. There are also question about how to ensure that wealthy individuals don’t take advantage of the lower 25 percent small business or ‘pass-through’ rate. Many of the unresolved items are hot-button issues, including what to do with 401(k) retirement plans.” http://politi.co/2zn8fAl

— MORE DETAILS FROM NANCY COOK: “Ryan was fuzzy with them on where the one-time repatriation tax would fall. The estate tax is definitely going away but might have to be phased out. It would definitely be gone by year three. …

“The delay on the timing of the House GOP tax bill also forced the White House to re-jigger its roll-out plans. President Trump had tentatively planned to host some Republican members of the House Ways & Means Committee to the Oval Office for a photo-op and statements, following the unveil of the House bill, according to a congressional source familiar with the planning — but that too got disrupted.”

**SUBSCRIBE to Playbook: http://politi.co/2lQswbh

ABOUT THE DELAY … The idea that this bill rollout would slip to Thursday truly isn’t a surprise to people in Washington. We put in Playbook Tuesday that President Trump was going to do a tax event “if House Republicans are able to get their tax bill out.”

TWO WAYS TO THINK ABOUT THIS — … Republicans want you to think this delay isn’t a big deal. And, in many ways, it’s not. Massive bills — and this one will be 1,000-plus pages — are hard and they take time. That’s why it was nonsensical that the White House wanted this done before the end of the year. (Although clearing this before year end would allow another run at health care in early 2018.) And, from a practical standpoint, this isn’t a big setback. The rollout is delayed by one single day.

— BUT, BUT, BUT … Tax reform isn’t a walk in the park. This is only going to get harder. Remember: we haven’t seen a single detail yet. Not one. The delay helps highlight that this is a long, arduous and tricky process.

REMINDER — Up on Capitol Hill and among Republican political operatives, the success of tax reform is seen as existential, and binary. Finish it and get it into law, and keep the House. Fail, and the House could be gone. IT’S SO IMPORTANT — AMERICAN ACTION NETWORK, the top House GOP outside group, is likely to spend between $20 million and $25 million to support the package. They’ve already spent close to $15 million.

BEHIND THE SCENES — TRUMP sat down with nearly a dozen trade association heads to talk about tax reform Tuesday. He asked how many of them had been working on tax policy when Congress and President Ronald Reagan rewrote the code in the 1980s. THE ANSWER: Just 2. TOM DONOHUE of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and DIRK VAN DONGEN of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors. SPOTTED: Robert Cresanti of IFA, Matt Shay of NRF, Karen Kerrigan of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council and Rob Nichols of ABA, among others. MISSING: JERRY HOWARD, head of the National Association of Homebuilders, who has come out against the tax package.

YOU’RE INVITED! DEPT. OF GOOD TIMING — JAKE and ANNA will sit down FRIDAY with HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRMAN KEVIN BRADY — Kevin Brady is the House’s top tax writer, putting him in the middle of Republicans’ biggest and most important legislative push. He will explain the tax bill to us — and to Washington — in a Playbook Interview. LOCATION: The Newseum (555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW). TIME: Doors open at 11:30 a.m., and the event starts at noon. RSVP http://bit.ly/politicobrady EMAIL US if you have questions for the chairman. Our coordinates are at the top of the newsletter.

— @ChadPergram at 10:43 p.m.: “McConnell, Ryan, WH Cos Kelly, Nat’l Sec Adviser McMaster & DefSec Mattis all had dinner tonight”.

****** A message from BP: We operate the largest renewables business of any major oil and gas company in the world. Learn more in our Economic Impact Report. ******

NEW POLITICO/MORNING CONSULT POLL — “Poll: Voters like tax reform overall but cool to corporate cut,” by Toby Eckert: “Overall public support for the tax plan outlined in September by President Donald Trump and GOP Hill leaders remains steady, but opposition to a corporate rate cut has edged up, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll. Forty-eight percent of registered voters who responded to the poll said they “strongly support” or “somewhat support” the overall proposal based on what they knew about it, compared to 37 percent who opposed it. Those numbers are unchanged from a similar poll earlier this month, conducted shortly after the White House and congressional Republicans released their tax overhaul framework.

“The proposal’s popularity was driven by overwhelming Republican support, with 83 percent of GOP voters supporting it, compared to 24 percent of Democrats and 39 percent of independents. But a key part of the plan, lowering the corporate tax rate to 20 percent from 35 percent, remains one of its least popular aspects. A plurality of respondents — 41 percent — said it shouldn’t be part of tax legislation, compared to 39 percent who said it should.” http://politi.co/2xIsHXV

THE LATEST ON THE TERROR ATTACK IN NYC — “NYC truck attack: Investigators scour driver’s background,” by AP’s Colleen Long and Matt Sedensky: “Investigators worked through the night to determine what led a truck driver to plow down people on a riverfront bike path near the World Trade Center, brandishing air guns and yelling ‘God is great’ in Arabic as his deadly route of terror ended with a crash, authorities said.

“Eight people were killed and 11 seriously injured in a Halloween afternoon attack that the mayor called ‘a particularly cowardly act of terror.’ The driver — identified by officials as an immigrant from Uzbekistan — was in critical condition but expected to survive after a police officer shot him in the abdomen.” http://bit.ly/2ikTIdz

— NYT: “The rampage ended when the motorist — whom the police identified as Sayfullo Saipov, 29 — smashed into a school bus, jumped out of his truck and ran up and down the highway waving a pellet gun and paintball gun and shouting ‘Allahu akbar,’ Arabic for ‘God is great,’ before he was shot in the abdomen by the officer. He remained in critical condition on Tuesday evening.” http://nyti.ms/2huDEq2

— “A Mangled School Bus, Bodies Everywhere; ‘It Was Surreal’,” by NYT’s Jose DelReal and Corey Kilgannon: http://nyti.ms/2zaaUfJ

–“Terror suspect was a ‘very friendly’ Uzbek immigrant who drove for Uber,” by N.Y. Post’s Gabrielle Fonrouge: “Kobiljon Matkarov, 37, met suspected terrorist Sayfullo Saipov in Florida about five years ago shortly after Saipov came from Uzbekistan– the two connected over their mutual heritage. ‘He is very good guy, he is very friendly… he is like little brother… he look at me like big brother,’ Matkarov said by phone Tuesday from his home in Miamisburg, Ohio. Matkarov said he’d been working for Uber and living in New Jersey as recently as this summer.” http://nyp.st/2iQXrU4

–N.Y. POST cover, “TERROR RETURNS TO NYC” http://nyp.st/2gZUCQ0 … N.Y. Daily News cover, “BIKE PATH BLOODBATH” http://nydn.us/2iQ4MTT

— TRUMP’S REACTION — @realDonaldTrump at 5:30 p.m.: “In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!” … at 6:31 p.m.: “We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!” … at 6:57 p.m.: “My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!” … at 9:26 p.m.: “I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!”

****** A message from BP: From coast to coast, we spent $16 billion with local businesses last year. Take 30 seconds to see how we’re supporting jobs across the U.S. ******

AP’S ZEKE MILLER: “The real John Kelly slowly revealing himself at White House”: “In his three months on the job, John Kelly has been credited with bringing order to a chaotic West Wing, but don’t call him a moderate. President Donald Trump’s chief of staff was the enforcer of Trump’s controversial immigration policies, has frequently criticized the president’s enemies, and this week echoed his boss’ defense of Confederate monuments. It all suggests that ‘The Chief,’ as he is known among aides, may have instilled order, but he is more ideologically aligned with Trump than many believed.

“Much has been made of the imagery of Kelly silently lurking on the sidelines of presidential addresses, seeming to cringe when Trump gets out of line. But it may be wishful thinking by Trump’s critics to believe that he’s tugging the president in another direction. White House officials and Kelly allies say he is not so much partisan as he is ideological, holding hawkish views on issues like immigration and national security.” http://bit.ly/2zX8QoE

WHERE TRUMP’S HEAD IS — “Trump rejecting Bannon’s hard line against Mueller — for now,” by CNN’s Jeff Zeleny, Gloria Borger and Kevin Liptak: “President Donald Trump has decided — for now — to stick with his strategy of cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller, a day after the Russia investigation ensnared three of his campaign aides. That’s despite being urged to take a harder line by his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon. Bannon spoke with Trump following Monday’s announcements from the special counsel, and advocated taking a harsher approach to Mueller …

“While Trump encouraged Bannon to lead the public charge against Mueller, the President made clear to aides Tuesday that he’s not adopting Bannon’s advice. As the President stews about the recent developments in the Russia investigation, he’s receiving conflicting arguments about how to proceed. His current legal team and strategy has the support of White House chief of staff John Kelly and — perhaps most importantly — members of the President’s family.” http://cnn.it/2yiQsKJ

MUELLER WATCH — “Papadopoulos Claimed Trump Campaign Approved Russia Meeting,” by Bloomberg’s Greg Farrell, David Voreacos and Henry Meyer: “Former Trump adviser George Papadopoulos made a significant claim in an email: Top Trump campaign officials agreed to a pre-election meeting with representatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The message, if true, would bolster claims that Trump’s campaign attempted to collude with Russian interests. But it’s unclear whether Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was merely boasting when he sent the July 14, 2016, email to a Kremlin-linked contact. There’s also no indication such a meeting ever occurred.” https://bloom.bg/2z8v8GO

— “Andrew Weissmann, Mueller’s Legal Pit Bull,” by NYT’s Matt Flegenheimer: “It is not clear if President Trump and his charges fear Mr. Weissmann as they gird for the slog ahead. It is quite clear, former colleagues and opponents say, that they should. ‘I’m no fan of Donald Trump,’ said Dan Cogdell, a Houston defense lawyer who tangled with Mr. Weissmann when Mr. Weissmann helped lead the federal task force investigating Enron in the early 2000s. ‘Frankly, I can’t think of two people who deserve each other more than Andrew Weissmann and Donald Trump.’” http://nyti.ms/2gTk7Ps

THE NEXT TURN OF THE SCREW — “Mueller schedules interview with Hope Hicks,” by Annie Karni and Josh Dawsey: “President Donald Trump’s longtime aide and current communications director, Hope Hicks, is scheduled to speak with special counsel Robert Mueller’s team in mid-November, following the president’s trip to Asia, multiple people familiar with the schedule told POLITICO. Mueller’s team is also expected to interview three or four other current White House officials as early as this week …

“Mueller’s team already has interviewed former aides, including Trump’s first chief of staff Reince Priebus and former press secretary Sean Spicer. But the latest round of interviews appears to mark a new phase of the investigation — hauling in current administration officials for daylong depositions.” http://politi.co/2z2H9OA

GETTING POTUS READY FOR ASIA — “Trump advisers try to focus the president’s attention on Asia trip,” by Andrew Restuccia, Nahal Toosi, and Josh Dawsey: “President Donald Trump has been holed up in a series of rapid-fire briefing sessions on his upcoming 12-day, five-country tour through Asia — an effort the White House hopes will help avoid the kind of diplomatic snafus that have dogged his presidency. … Trump’s top advisers — including national security adviser H.R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer — have met with the president in recent days to go over details of the trip, including in an hourlong briefing Friday in the Oval Office, according to administration officials.

“Top aides have sought to keep the briefings short to avoid overloading the president with details but have scheduled dozens of them to plan public remarks and outline what he should say about North Korea on defense and China on trade.” http://politi.co/2z87B92

FOR YOUR RADAR — “Exclusive: U.S. pursues direct diplomacy with North Korea despite Trump rejection,” by Reuters’ Arshad Mohammed and Matt Spetalnick: “The United States is quietly pursuing direct diplomacy with North Korea, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s public assertion that such talks are a waste of time. Using the so-called ‘New York channel,’ Joseph Yun, U.S. negotiator with North Korea, has been in contact with diplomats at Pyongyang’s United Nations mission, the official said, at a time when an exchange of bellicose insults between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has fueled fears of military conflict.” http://reut.rs/2lBgBOS

TRUMP’S WEDNESDAY — Trump is holding a cabinet meeting. This afternoon he will sign the National Veterans and Military Families Month Proclamation. He is having lunch with VP Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis. He will also meet with RNC Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel. He will also sign a bill “Disapproving of the Consumer Financial Bureau’s Arbitration Agreements Rule.”

SPORTS BLINK — TONIGHT: World Series, Game 7, Astros vs. Dodgers, 8:20 p.m. at Dodgers Park in Los Angeles

PHOTO DU JOUR: Authorities stand near a damaged Home Depot truck after a motorist drove onto a bike path near the World Trade Center memorial, striking and killing several people. Officials called the incident an act of terror. | Craig Ruttle/AP Photo

BETSY DEVOS PROFILE — TIM ALBERTA in the Nov./Dec. issue of POLITICO Magazine, “The Education of Betsy DeVos: President Donald Trump’s most controversial, ideological Cabinet pick is discovering the limits of her power”: “It is strange, if a bit unsettling, to see U.S. Marshals constantly hovering near the U.S. secretary of education, a 59-year-old evangelical Christian grandmother whose hobbies are bike riding, yoga and visiting grade schools. But as Betsy DeVos approached Kansas City Academy on a sunny Friday morning in mid-September, it was clear why she wants them there.

“It was the final day of her ‘Rethink School’ tour, the familiar fly-around trip taken by a Cabinet secretary to capture some local news coverage and emphasize priorities—in DeVos’ case, to highlight unique and innovative learning environments across the country. But at this particular stop, tension filled the air. Several hundred protesters gathered outside—vastly outnumbering the 76 students, grades 6 through 12, who attend the school—while a procession of speakers denounced DeVos as a destroyer of public education and an enabler of campus rape.” http://politi.co/2h0r0lx

K STREET FILES — “Podesta’s downfall sends shock waves through K Street: The departure of the Democratic super-lobbyist, and indictment of Paul Manafort, has other firms working to make sure they’re not next,” by Theo Meyer: http://politi.co/2ijCXzp

ROBERT DRAPER on the cover of the N.Y. Times Magazine, “A Post-Obama Democratic Party in Search of Itself: Barack Obama left office as one of the most popular departing presidents in American history. He also left behind a Democratic Party struggling to find an identity and a future without him — and to reconnect with voters in time for the 2018 elections”: “Most if not all Democrats are more than happy to watch Bannon’s kamikaze antics wreak havoc on the opposition. Still, some in the party rue the lack of pugnacity on their own side. ‘There are two types of Democrats,’ David Krone, Harry Reid’s former chief of staff, told me one afternoon this summer in the Midtown Manhattan office where he now works as a consultant for an investment firm. ‘There are killers, and there are whiners. Unfortunately, we have too many of the latter and not enough of the former.’” http://nyti.ms/2ijwuUZ … The cover http://politi.co/2ht2mqH

THE HARASSMENT FILES — “NPR’s top editor placed on leave after accusations of sexual harassment,” by WaPo’s Paul Farhi: “NPR is investigating allegations by two women who said the head of its news department made unwanted physical contact with them while he was employed by another news organization nearly two decades ago. The women, both journalists at the time of the alleged incidents, made the accusations in recent weeks against Michael Oreskes, senior vice president of news and editorial director at the Washington-based public broadcasting organization. In response to the allegations, NPR said Tuesday that it has placed Oreskes on indefinite leave.

“In separate complaints, the women said Oreskes — at the time, the Washington bureau chief of the New York Times — abruptly kissed them while they were speaking with him about working at the newspaper. Both of them told similar stories: After meeting Oreskes and discussing their job prospects, they said he unexpectedly kissed them on the lips and stuck his tongue in their mouths.” http://wapo.st/2hs1YJ6

JOHN HEILEMANN SPEAKS OUT – “Mark Halperin’s ‘Game Change’ Partner Says He Was Unaware,” by NYT’s Michael M. Grynbaum: “‘I had never heard of, been exposed to or had any inkling of the notion that he had engaged in any behavior that could be described in even the broadest sense of being sexual harassment or sexual assault,’ Mr. Heilemann said, in his first public remarks since the claims against Mr. Halperin surfaced. He added, ‘I was flabbergasted and shocked.’ … It remains unclear what will become of Mr. Halperin’s contributions to the scuttled third installment in the ‘Game Change’ series.

“The pair had conducted roughly 300 interviews for the book in recent months, Mr. Heilemann said. ‘We’ve done reporting that touches on important things both for history and for the current national dialogue,’ he said. … ‘Mark was my friend,’ Mr. Heilemann said. ‘I cared about him then, and I care about him now. It’s also the case that Mark wasn’t in the circle of my closest friends.’ … Showtime said that the network remained on good terms with Mr. Heilemann and that it was examining whether ‘The Circus’ will go on without Mr. Halperin.” http://nyti.ms/2gPQaQ5

MEDIAWATCH — “‘I want to quit’: Fox News employees say their network’s Russia coverage was ‘an embarrassment,’” by CNN’s Oliver Darcy: “‘I’m watching now and screaming,’ one Fox News personality said in a text message to CNN as the person watched their network’s coverage. ‘I want to quit.’ ‘It is another blow to journalists at Fox who come in every day wanting to cover the news in a fair and objective way,’ one senior Fox News employee told CNN of their outlet’s coverage, adding that there were ‘many eye rolls” in the newsroom over how the news was covered. The person said, ‘Fox feels like an extension of the Trump White House.’” http://cnnmon.ie/2za3IjV

— MAJOR GARRETT is publishing a new book called “Mr. Trump’s Wild Ride: The Thrills, Chills, Screams, and Occasional Blackouts of the First Year with America’s 45th President,” which is expected to come out in fall of 2018. The publisher is All Points Books, the political and current affairs imprint of St. Martin’s Press.

SPOTTED: Frank Luntz in the second row behind home plate at World Series Game 6 yesterday – (Rep. Kevin McCarthy tweeted a pic of Frank on TV) http://bit.ly/2ijkMtK … at a bipartisan Senate “Halloween dog costume celebration” yesterday on the Hill, hosted by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.): Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) along with 100 dogs and at least 200 people – pic of Tillis and a dog http://politi.co/2z50g8c

OUT AND ABOUT — Among the trick or treaters at Robert and Elena Allbritton’s house last night, which had a doughnut truck in the driveway (Mama’s Doughnut Bites): Ivanka and her kids, Mark and Sally Ein, and CBS’ Nancy Cordes – pics http://bit.ly/2h2pLCm … http://bit.ly/2ijF7il … http://bit.ly/2zWoQY1 … http://bit.ly/2z1ROqf

— SPOTTED at the Adrienne Arsht Day of the Dead party last night at her Massachusetts Heights mansion: Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Hilary Ross, Kellyanne Conway, Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and Marie Royce, Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (wearing full skeleton face paint) and Dick DeVos, Ret. Gen. Jim Jones and Diane Jones, Amb. Stuart Bernstein, Stuart and Gwen Holliday …

… Mexican Amb. Geronimo Gutierrez, Amb. Capricia and Rob Marshall, Kathleen Biden, Boyden Gray, Brazilian Amb. Sergio Silva Do Amaral, Susan Blumenthal, Israeli Amb. Ron Dermer, Patrick Steel and Lee Satterfield, Monaco Amb. Maguy Doyle, Kathleen Stevens, Lucky Roosevelt, Jordanian Amb. Dina Kawar, Tom and Anne LeBlanc, Michelle Kosinski, Michael LaRosa, Katherine Bradley, Robert Pullen, and Paige Ennis.

TRANSITIONS — WILL JOHNSON has joined DailyKos as senior vice president for advertising strategy. He will lead the creation of a new unit focused on digital advertising sales. He is an alum of Talking Points Memo, NGP VAN, Bully Pulpit Interactive and Change. … Melika Willoughby starts today as comms director for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). She is a Hillsdale alumna who served as communications director for Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.

— John Thornton and former Singapore Amb. to the U.S. Chan Heng Chee have been named new co-chairs of the Asia Society. Caroline Kennedy and Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud have been named to the board. The organization is starting a $135 million capital campaign.

BIRTHDAYS OF THE DAY: David Bossie, president of Citizens United and former Trump deputy campaign manager. How he’s celebrating: “Enjoying dinner with my wife and four children at our favorite place GrillMarx, a small restaurant in Olney, Maryland.” Read his Playbook Plus Q&A: http://politi.co/2lzIbvI … WaPo non fiction book critic Carlos Lozada. How he got his start in journalism: “I started off as an associate editor at Foreign Policy magazine, beginning in late 1999. I was working at the Federal Reserve but wanted to try something new, and I’ll always be grateful to Moises Naim and James Gibney for hiring me. I had no business getting that job, but it sent me on my way.” Q&A: http://politi.co/2A4g2Qx

BIRTHDAYS: Charles Koch is 82 … Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) is 64 … Katie (Walsh) Shields (hubby tip: Mike) … Apple CEO Tim Cook is 57 … Vanessa Morrone (hat tip: Sean Spicer) … Lee Fang, investigative journalist at The Intercept … Francesco Guerrera, head of EMEA at Dow Jones Media Group and publisher of Financial News … Politico’s Jason Shervinski and Cristina Brownell … GPG’s Alex Byers … Brian Mahoney … Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-Maine) is 64 … John Oxtoby, VP of strategy and corporate development at Ariel Investments and Obama alum (h/t Andrew Bates) … Michael Byerly … Ram Sivalingam … Jamie Sterne, founder of hedge fund Skye Global Management … Eric Liu … Megan Wilson, lobbying reporter for The Hill (h/t Neil Grace) … Les Novitsky … Jay Villegas, bartender extraordinaire at Tosca (h/ts Maggie and Jon) …

… Liz Dougherty, general counsel and corporate secretary at Business Roundtable … Larry Flynt is 75. He’s celebrating with friends and family (h/t Nadia Szold) … Clare Steinberg, associate at Gibson, Dunn … Tyler Hernandez … Fergus M. Bordewich, historian and author of “The First Congress” (h/t Jean) … Chloe Mullins Taylor of Hawk Partners and alum of Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner … Ali Ahmad … Pearson Cummings, SVP for tech policy and public affairs at Edelman … Peter Urban … Jordan Mason … Greg Werkheiser … Bill Deere … Peter Newell … Leslie Pollner … Gabe Cramer is 23 (h/t Jewish Insider) … Doug Stevens … Jordan Mason … John Stipicevic … former Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.) is 75 … Anthony DeAngelo, media relations manager at APCO Worldwide … Anthony Fragale … Sue Mahsem … Bo Harmon … John Seeley … Mitchell Wohlberg … country singer Richard Samet “Kinky” Friedman is 73 … CNN’s Marshall Cohen … Senate Chaplain Barry Black is 69 … Siri Uotila (h/t Teresa Vilmain)

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