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ikesenhell · 6 years ago

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Flesh and Iron

Elysium, Part Three. You can find all other IkeSen/IkeVamp works of mine in my Masterlist. NOTES: Mild horror/medical stuff, very mild. Otherwise have fun! Also shout out to @a-shout-to-the-void for her rosary headcanon and catholic help!

—

Jean was used to the voices. Once upon a time, he thought they were angels. They’d taught him how to tend the crops on his childhood farm, whispered the weather patterns, hummed songs that lingered in the thin spaces of the world.

Now he knew better. As they neared Penrith, carriages rattling, Jean heard them. This was no human tongue; the crush of a thousand dialects pressed in around him, borne by the wind current. Danger, danger, danger. Not all is as it seems–

Heaven above and hell below, why did they test him so? Jean gripped the reigns and gritted his teeth, drowning out the whispers with a familiar hymn. “Pange, lingua, gloriosi, corporis mysterium, sanguinisque pretiosi, quem in mundi pretium, fructus ventris generosi Rex effudit Gentium…”

Napoleon pulled up alongside, Isaac perched on the saddle with him. “Alright, there?”

The forest fell away behind them, the flat plains of Penrith before them. It had been so long since they returned here. Jean tried to count the years. Was it three? Four? Four. It had to be four since the war, since both Marceche invaded and Penrith tried to slide their troops in a pincer from the other side…

Wrestling himself from memories, Jean finally answered, “They’re loud here.”

“Huh. So far from Oswego? That’s not good.”

Isaac peered over Napoleon’s shoulder. “How loud?”

Cue the wailing in his head. Jean reached on reflex for the rosary hanging on his belt, pressing the rosewood cross to his nose and inhaling deeply, absorbing its rich scent. Years ago, Napoleon had given him this one. It never failed to comfort him. “Nobis datus, nobis natus ex intacta Virgine…”

“Oh.” Isaac paused. “That loud.”

The walls emerged in a field of half-harvested wheat, red banners emblazoned with the Guild’s seal fluttering in the breeze. It was prettier now. No field of dead, no armies laid out before them, no suffering widows on the battlements…

Isaac interrupted once more. “So. We shouldn’t tell them what happened in the woods.”

“No?” Napoleon hummed, clearly considering. “Why not?”

“Because we can’t trust them.” Isaac gripped at his vest and smoothed it, a nervous tick. “They said the highwaymen were holding up people in the area, killing them, sacking coaches. None of that happened to us.”

“And?” Their liege kept his jade eyes straight ahead, but Jean knew that look.

“…And they were looking for something.”

That was true. Jean wondered about their leader. What was their name? August? Who were they? Man? Woman? They weren’t one of them, at least–the voices would have told him–but the blazing light in their eyes lived on as a ghost before him. They’d untied his hands without a second thought. It wasn’t the smartest choice, but it was an oddly noble one.

“Probably,” he agreed slowly. “It’s another matter getting the rest of the travellers to agree to silence.”

Isaac waved that off. “That doesn’t matter. We talk to the Guild first, then any stories getting out won’t matter in the long run. We just need to figure out if we can trust them in the first place.”

—

The gates opened for them readily. They rode in ahead of the carriages, down the broad streets, straight to the central quarter and the lavish building that seated the Guild. Marble pillars and polished cherubs adorned it. From inside, a man strode forward and greeted them.

“Lord Bonaparte.” He grinned with all teeth, lush fabrics thrown around his shoulders, jewels on every finger. “It is an honor for you to personally come. How was your travel?”

“Uneventful.” Napoleon dismounted easily. Isaac struggled down after him. Lying was a sin, but Jean chose not to mention it. “I bring my trusted advisors with me.”

“Wonderful. I am the Chairman of Penrith.” And he clapped his hands together, not even acknowledging their names. “Come! We have much to discuss. Tell me, Lord Bonaparte–have you given any further consideration to our open borders request?”

Jean often marveled at Napoleon’s ability to maintain a calm facade. Now was no different. Their leader stepped forward, side by side with the Chairman as they headed inside, a neutral smile on his lips. “Elysium traditionally does not enter into such arrangements. You know this.”

“Oh! But the times have changed, my friend. In this day and age, it is becoming for friends to open their doors to one another, is it not?”

Isaac thrust himself between the two men, ears almost scarlet. “So, the bandit problem. What of it?”

The Chairman clearly hadn’t expected this. “Yes, the bandit problem. Come. We will all have a seat and some drinks, and I will tell you all. What is your name?”

“Isaac.”

“Isaac. A pleasure.” And those beady eyes finally roved to Jean, absorbing him for the first time. How strongly he wanted to look away! Somehow, he managed to hold that invested gaze. “And yourself, sir?”

“Jean.”

“Jean,” the Chairman repeated, halting in his steps. “General Jean d’Arc?”

Dangerdangerdangerdanger– The voices surged again. Jean stood rooted, struggling for an answer. “Yes.”

People often stared at him. He wasn’t unused to that. So often he wondered if the truth hung in his face. Did they know? Did they all know, just by looking at him? Could they see every terrible truth about him in his face alone? The Chairman stared long enough that at last, Napoleon intervened. “Tea, then?”

Finally the moment broke. The Chairman averted that intense gaze and smiled. “Of course.”

The sitting room was as opulent as the rest of the space. The red carpet was thick and intricate, overstuffed chairs perched around a glass table. A servant waited patiently in the corner. Already the trappings of a tea were laid out on the table–fine silverware, snacks, delicacies aplenty. Candles glittered in fine holders. The Chairman sat first, his fingers picking over the table and settling on a bizarre object.

“I hope you don’t mind my asking for a guest to do a trivial thing for me,” he started, and lifted a silvery metal candle snuffer from the tablecloth, extending it to Jean. “But we have a tradition here in Penrith. Before tea is taken, we snuff the candles.”

An odd request, to be certain. Jean extended his hand to the snuffer–only for Isaac to snatch it out of the Chairman’s hand first.

“Wh-what metal is this?” He demanded, turning it over in his hands.

“Why do you ask?” The Chairman intoned.

“B-b-because–” Isaac was a terrible liar and everyone knew it. “The stamping–it’s–it’s excellent–iron, isn’t it?”

Jean stayed his face as best he could. They knew. They knew. How did they know? The Chairman didn’t move a muscle, just smiled that false smile.

“I’m pleased you care for it so much. If someone would snuff the candles?”

“I’ll do it,” Jean murmured. “Isaac, give me it.”

“I–”

“I was requested. If you would.”

He’d prepared, but no one could really steel themselves for the agony. Jean curled his fingers around the iron handle and regretted it instantly. Even through the gloves, it seared. He’d burned once. This felt the same–except it crawled through his blood like a disease, poured venom in his veins. There was no faltering here. As steady and calm as he could force it, Jean snuffed the candles, one by one, and extended the snuffer back to the Chairman.

“As you requested.”

The Chairman took it back politely, eyes searching. “Peace be with you.”

“And with your spirit,” Jean answered automatically, the heat of his hand blazing in his chest. “And bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.”

Shock hovered in the other man’s eyes before he recovered himself, reciting back a strangled, “Amen.”

“Amen!” Napoleon rubbed his hands together and took a cup of tea. “Shall we discuss business?”

The Chairman smiled–a smile like the Devil–and settled back in his chair. “Yes. We shall indeed.”

—

“That was a goddamn trap.”

“To take the name of the Lord thy God in vain is–”

“I don’t care!”

Napoleon barred the door to their inn room and motioned to the other men for quiet. Isaac complied, his face flushed with anger, fists balled. Jean, for his part, merely crossed the room and fumbled with the water pitcher placed there. During lunch he’d looked so strong. Now? Now he groped weakly at the glass.

“Let me help,” Napoleon murmured, pushing his friend aside. “And take off your gloves.”

Jean set his jaw stubbornly. “No.”

“You need to be bandaged.”

“This is the will of the Lord. I accept his punishment–”

“Jean,” Napoleon snapped, “Shut up and take off the damn gloves. If we’re attacked here, we need you ready to handle a sword without dropping it. The last thing we need is an iron infection. The Lord helps those who help themselves.”

Downstairs, the inn’s kitchen clacked and bustled with life, happy voices echoing through the thin floorboards. But there, in the room, all was utter silence. Or was it? Had the voices stopped since they arrived in Penrith? Did they scream in his mind still? Napoleon had no idea. All he knew was Jean’s purple eye wavered, flitting from one corner of the room to the next.

“If–” Isaac was terrible at kindness, but he made an attempt nonetheless. “If you’re n-not comfortable or s-something–something stupid like that–I can look away–”

“…That won’t be necessary.” Jean sat heavily on the bed, undoing the buttoned glove clasp. “Fine.”

Long ago, they’d decided the gloves were a necessary safety precaution. It wasn’t as if one could inquire about the metal makeup of every object handled. For the most part, the ruse worked. This time it clearly wasn’t enough. Part of Jean’s skin came away with the fabric, the raw red flesh of his palm bubbling and sick. Isaac muttered another sacreligious curse and turned away.

“That really was iron, huh?” Was all Napoleon could think to say. “Hold still.”

They had salves for this kind of thing back in Elysium. Here, all they had was water and clean bandages. Hopefully that was enough. He gathered Jean’s hand in his and dabbed at the open sores with a wet cloth as gently as he could manage.

“Who told them?” Isaac questioned aloud. “And they were clearly lying about the highwaymen. Saying they were murdering people left and right, ransacking food storages, stealing all they could. This feels like a trap. Are they still talking to you, Jean?”

Jean’s mouth twitched. “Yes.”

“Something is very wrong here.” Isaac wrung his hands in his vest and paced restlessly, golden eyes ablaze. “Very, very wrong. And there’s no one we can get the facts from.”

Was there? Napoleon tied off the bandage and patted Jean’s shoulder reassuringly. “I can think of one person we might ask. That bandit: August.”

#ikevamp #ikevamp napoleon #ikevamp jean #ikevamp jeanne #ikevamp isaac #ikevamp medieval fantasy au #elysium #flesh and iron #mild gore tw

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ser-rex · 6 years ago

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Mobile Dating Sim Meme

((Purloined from @norhimorovine and @endangered-liaison !))

ROUTE START: “Did you come to watch a particular jouster, today, [My Lady/My Lord/My Liege]? Or just to enjoy the spectacle?” Rex beams, sliding the halter off of their destrier’s head. “If you’ve any questions at all, I’d be most pleased to answer them for you.”

ROUTE SWITCH: “It’s been an honour to meet you! Do take care- the road is quite icy at the moment.”

MENU INTERFACE, POKE A: “-... erm- oh, beg pardon, do you need me to move?”

MENU INTERFACE, POKE B: “...?” Rex tilts their head, puzzled, their fluffy brows furrowing.

MENU INTERFACE, POKE (REPEATEDLY): Rex slowly puts their ears back, and tries to suppress a growl, patiently waiting for an explanation.

MENU INTERFACE, POKE MAX ♥: Rex chirrups as they notice the nudge, and then lets out a quiet chuffing noise in greeting.

COMPLETED SCENE, +♥: Engrossed in conversation as they are, Rex almost misses the first distant tolls of the Cathedral bells chiming the hour. “Oh- gracious, is that the time already? I must apologise, [My Lady/My Lord/My Liege], but I quite forgot myself while we spoke- I must return promptly to House Shadowstar and carry on with my duties for the day... but- if gods be willing, perhaps we might speak again, in more comfortable conditions, in the near future? In any case- I do keenly look forward to our next meeting, I must confess... a-ah, that is to say- until next we meet, Halone bless and keep you!”

COMPLETED SCENE, -♥: “... In, erm, in any case- my chocobo and I are glad to be of service to House Shadowstar, and Ishgard herself. We might be quite the odd pair, but I hope that our efforts together are at least, erm... Ah- do excuse me, [My Lady/My Lord/My Liege], I must away to the House; I mustn’t delay my duties much longer. Good day.” It’s clear that something you said has struck quite the nerve as Rex turns away- their fur is stood on end as they hurry out of the stable block, tail lashing behind them.

GIFT (NEUTRAL): Rex’s ears prick up as they realise they’re being offered a gift. “...Oh! This is for me? That is very kind of you- thank you, most kindly!”

GIFT (DISLIKED): As Rex looks at the offered item, their eyebrows twitch for a moment in the start of a grimace, before they smooth their expression into one of measured politeness. “Oh- ah, gracious, [My Lady/My Lord/My Liege], you needn’t have done that- but, thank you, most kindly, all the same. What a- what a lovely thought.”

GIFT (LIKED): Rex’s ears snap forward and their eyes light up in recognition. “What- for me? Truly? You are much too kind, [My Lady/My Lord/My Liege]! You have my most humble thanks. And, might I ask- how ever did you know I was after something like this? It wasn’t... my sister’s doing, by any chance, was it...?” They swallow thickly and muster a nervous smile.

GIFT: (THEIR BIRTHDAY): “Is this-...” Rex’s ears droop a little, their jaw slack. They look at you with wide, rounded eyes. “You remembered?... That’s... - so very kind of you. You have my deepest thanks, [My Lady/My Lord/My Liege]. This means a lot to me.”

BIRTHDAY: Rex remains as unsubtle as ever as they shuffle the parcel just behind their back. “I must beg your forgiveness, [My Lady/My Lord/My Liege], if this might be, erm- improper, at all, but I confess I took the liberty of committing the date of your nameday to memory, and... I cannot boast that it is an impressive gift, but I hope it will be of some use to you, all the same.” They produce the humble hand wrapped and bound parcel at last, and offer it for you to take. From your heartfelt conversations with one another these last months, you can probably already guess what they’ve brought you long before it settles into your outstretched hands. “Happy Nameday, [Player Name].” BONUS:

ROUTE END M: Rex’s ears sink low, but their expression is not one of surprise or disgust, but rather a wince of regret. “Ah... I see. My Lord, with all due respect, I really must respectfully decline. As, erm- ... as flattering as your invitation is, I’m afraid I do not- nay, I cannot reciprocate. Even if I was amenable to such an idea, it is simply not in my nature, as I’m sure one of my partners could attest to you. I - I hope you can understand that I mean no offence, and I certainly wish to remain amicable, of course. I am truly sorry, if I have caused you any pain.” ROUTE DECISION POINT F/NB/Agender/Other: Rex reaches out to take your hand, and chews on their lip with a sharp fang. “My L-... [Player Name] ... before you say anything else, I must ask you listen carefully to what I must say. I may be only some short years an Ishgardian citizen, but, I’m more than aware of the codes of Chivalry, and of, erm... well, of courtly, erm- ... listen. You should know some things. Or, rather, know of some people, who are very dear to me. There are people that I - ... that I love, [Player Name]. As keenly and as fervently as if they were my betrothed. They all know each other, and respect one another, and- two even see each other, more often than not, conveniently enough! And while I may never be able to call any of them my one and only wife for a number of different reasons, they are all very special to me, and I could not deny or give up my bond with any one of them. And it would hurt me more than anything to even begin to pretend as if I did not love, want, and need them all in my life. In truth- I would rather spend the rest of my days, unwed and childless, than cast away their love for me, and my love for them, for any reason.” Rex swallows audibly, and looks at you with genuine uncertainty- and pained resignation. “I understand if that is an untenable situation to you. I realise that Ishgard is a generally monogamous society, and my upbringing must seem very foreign indeed. Mayhaps even distressing, to your eyes. And I am so, so sorry, my friend, if I have hurt you in any way, or- or gotten your hopes up, or mislead you- that is the last thing I would ever want. But I must be truthful, by my oaths and my own honour, and it is only right that you go fully informed into- into whatever this may lead to. I just, I hope-” Rex trails off, and gently withdraws their hand to give you some space, to collect your thoughts. What will you say? [REFUSE] “This is unacceptable- I cannot support this.” [REFUSE] “I’m sorry, I can’t accept that- but I support your happiness.” [CONSIDER] “I need some time to think about it.” [ACCEPT] “I’ve only read about this- but if you guide me, I want to try.” [ACCEPT] “I completely understand; tell me about your partners?” [PATH UNLOCKED! Trait: Polyamourous] “I thought I was the only one in Coerthas!”

#character memes #mobile dating sim meme #ffxiv

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problematic-supersonic · 7 years ago

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A-Z Tag

tagged by @haileypng who always comes through w/ that good aesthetic photography

rules: answer the questions and tag 10 blogs you would like to know better

A: age - 21 21 21

B: birthplace – Texas 🤠

C: current time – 🕐

D: drink you had last - peach juice!

E: easiest person to talk to - myself! i usually imagine myself laying on a couch and talking to another me who is a talk show host, with a live audience of me’s watching, and that’s how i work through most of my shit

F: favourite song(s) – i’ll try and limit it to 5 or else i’d be here all day

every single night - computer games

best part - Daniel Caesar ft H.E.R

untitled - rex orange county

pick it up - famous dex ft ASAP Rocky

i am moana (song of the ancestors) - auli’i cravalho

call me maybe - carly rae jepsen

any song that ends in “ft nicki minaj”

G: grossest memory – accidentally tasting old turtle tank water back when i used to have turtles

H: hogwarts house – ravenclaw

I: in love – romantically? no. but i love myself unconditionally and i love my sister ferociously

J: jealous of people – always

K: killed someone - are you a cop?

L: love at first sight – nah.

M: middle name – nicole

N: number of siblings – 2

O: one wish – financial stability / financial independence

R: reasons to smile - being alive! every other reason to smile is derivative to the fact that I get to be alive as I am, where I am, and when I am. I think life is a blessing

S: song you sang last – blessed by daniel ceasar, bc i was going through my spotify to find songs for letter f

T: time you woke up - 7ish bc my sister was getting ready for school, fell asleep again, and then woke up at 9ish

U: underwear color – *too lazy to roll over and check*

V: vacation destination - hawaii

W: worst habit – not communicating my feelings

X: xrays – i would always get tinglies in my stomach before getting an xray, but i used to attribute that feeling to my unborn babies being scared of getting fried by the x ray machine rather than me feeling nervous

Y: your favorite food – life cereal, chili cheese dogs, mc donalds fries, egg whites, yakisoba, korean bbq, blackberries, i could go on forever tbh i fuckin love food

Z: zodiac sign – taurus

I already know most of the people here irl, so I’m tagging @ladypugga @yurimami @limey404 @adriasmells @meammy84124reblog @laryndawn @catnippackets @jeanini @viri-idiana @rrgfandfluff @biophonies, as well as all my mutuals bc I’m nosy >:3

#long #about #this was fun!#legit took me an hour to do

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ayma-nidiot · 4 years ago

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“Don’t Speak Their Names” - Shrimpshipping fic Chapter 28

This chapter can be found here on AO3.

Chapter 28 - A Worthy Leader

Rex couldn’t bear to see his own daughter kill the love of his life. All the memories he and Weevil had forged with their daughter over the past few months would end with Weevil’s imminent death.“Amber… Weevil…” he continued to cry in his hands, still unprepared for the inevitable. “Why did… Eh?”

The dino duelist peered through his fingers to see Amber’s arrow not only sticking from the ground, but Weevil still breathing. The magical bonds the Magician Girls placed upon Weevil lay next to Weevil in a raggedy heap.

“She… She shot at his ankle bonds!” Amber’s archery skills impressed Téa.

“It’s not possible!” Chocolate Magician Girl couldn’t believe it. “That binding was blessed by the High Priest Mahad himself!”

As Weevil stood up, still silent, Amber commanded, “Go, now, before someone in this room tries to kill you.”

Weevil left without even a nod, but Amber swore she saw a hint of gratitude in those forlorn eyes.

“What the fuck, Amber? Do you realize what you’ve just done?! ” Phuckdis clearly didn’t like this turn of events; nor did several disgruntled soldiers. Displeased with Amber’s lack of confidence and leadership, they left to join Domino’s Finest.

“Yeah! Now he’s probably off to join the other Earthbound Gods!” William added, kicking a small desk and sending it flying. “You had one job, Amber. ONE FUCKING JOB!”

It was then that Rex finally had the strength to stand on his feet. He walked up to his daughter and placed two hands on her shoulders. “Amber…”

“Papa!” Amber cried into Rex’s shoulders. “Gods damn me, I couldn’t do it! I love Daddy too much!”

“And thanks to your ineptitude, we’re all going to die.” Phuckdis rolled his eyes. “You had the one evil god that caused our destruction before you, and you could have ended it with a single damned arrow. But nooooo, your love for your daddy dear haaaaad to get in the way!”

“You’re not helping, you bastard!” Rex half-shifted, swiping at Phuckdis’ face with a rabbit paw to silence him.

Several minor scuffles amongst the Club’s soldiers broke out, adding further to Phuckdis’ worries. His army was falling apart before his very eyes as was his hope for saving his future from ruin. He started to think that he should have remained in the future, where he could receive a quick death, instead of painfully waiting for it to come. The rabbit claw slash Rex inflicted upon him was nothing compared to his helplessness. “We’re doomed… Dear gods, we are doomed.”

“Th-That’s not true…” Rex began to lose hope too, but loved Amber too much to dishearten her with more discouraging words.

“No, he’s right. Thanks to my choice, not only is my future going to come true after all, but now we’ve lost a good deal of soldiers. Either way… I lose. I’m destined to suffer, and I deserve it.” Amber clenched her fists, putting a halt to the infighting going on between the Club members. “I’m a sorry excuse of a leader. If my baby brother Francis were still alive, he would do a much better job.”

“Come on, I’m sure your daddy and I didn’t raise you this way.” Rex caressed Amber’s face as he tried to cheer her up. “What happened to my cheerful insect duelist? The one who’s so full of spunk and energy?”

“B-But… But what can we do against evil gods and their armies?”

“...” Phuckdis felt sorry for what he said, and had to think of a proper way to “apologize.” “I have an idea. It will be a lot harder than simply killing Weevil, but… Perhaps if we kill the other Earthbound Gods, their influence over Weevil will cease to be.”

“Ooh!” Tristan liked this idea. “I think that guy who nearly killed Joey is the really scary one. If we can get rid of him… ”

“Not bad, Tristan.” Duke chuckled. “I never thought I’d hear you say something smart.”

“Come to think of it, Daddy was always sweet in my future. But then he was abducted by a giant crimson snake monster, and just wasn’t the same ever again.”

“You see, sweetie?” Rex smiled at Amber, stilling her trembling with a hug. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“It’s not going to be easy, though…” William remarked. “We still don’t even know where their hideout is. And we’re talking about killing seven omnipotent gods, never mind their lackeys that we’ll inevitably fight along the way.”

“It’s in the theatre building,” Rex replied. “I know, I was taken there.”

“Be that as it may, we cannot start a full-scale war on the grounds of this university,” Phuckdis proclaimed. “It’s best if we take down each Earthbound God one by one, not only to minimize our own losses, but also to avoid as much damage to Domino City as possible.”

“Then we need to keep an eye out for where each of Domino’s Finest officers goes during their spare time, and corner them with the army one by one.” Amber spoke seriously, unlike her uncertain tone from before. “We have one advantage over them, and that’s sheer numbers. I propose that seven of us get assigned one officer to spy on.”

“That’s an awesome idea!” Apple Magician Girl raised her staff in approval.

“All in favour say ‘aye!’” Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North’s idea spurred a round of “ayes.”

“Guys… Even after my failings, you still see me as a worthy leader?”

A Chocolate Magician Girl flew up to Amber. “You’re pretty, strong, and smart, and will do anything for your family. What more could we ask for?”

“I… I don’t deserve you guys. “Amber cried tears of gratitude.

Phuckdis patted Amber’s back in apology. “It was wrong of me to ask you to kill your own father, Lady Amber… If you never forgive me, I understand. And we really didn’t lose as many as you think. With an army of our size, there’s bound to be a few who disagree with you.”

“I’m sorry, too,” William admitted. “No matter the circumstances, it was wrong for me to lash out at you like that.”

“My daughter…” Rex hugged Amber with one arm. “We really will save your father this time. This army couldn’t ask for a more capable, talented, and smarter leader.”

“Papa… Thank you for giving me my confidence back.”

“No problem. You’re the one who- Ah…” A strong, painful contraction suddenly hit Rex, ending the light mood in the room as quickly as it began.

“What’s wrong?” Amber started to panic when Rex curled up into a ball.

“Cramping… It… hurts…” Rex cried as his gut felt like it was being run through a vice-grip. He felt like he had an enormous amount of gas that wouldn’t come out, no matter how hard he tried.

Mai looked worried. “I think he’s going into labour!”

“But… He’s still two months early!” Phuckdis exclaimed as the army ran amuck. “Damn that Watda! He did this!”

“If something happens to Lady Amber, I’ll kill him myself!” William proclaimed.

“Panicking about it isn’t going to solve anything! We need to do something!” Joey hoisted Rex onto his back. “I’m taking him to the on-campus doctor!”

“Then… I guess the meeting is over?” Phuckdis laughed halfheartedly.

“Haha…” Joey ran up to the stairs, as the elevators were either under maintenance, or full.

“It’s really mean to be laughing at someone who’s in pain, ya bozo. Ggh…” Rex groaned.

“I’m just thinking of how Tristan and I took turns carrying you after you lost your soul to the Orichalcos.”

“I don’t think this is the time to be reminiscing about dark shit, Joey!”

“Sorry, sorry… I just thought I’d lighten the mood. I wanted to apologize for that time and help you out, you know?” Joey switched Rex to a princess-style carry and looked him tenderly in the eyes. “That’s what bros are for, Rexy.”

“‘Bros…?’” With just that one word, any remaining hate Rex might have had for this once-bitter rival had dissipated. Looking at how far he had come in his relationships with Espa and Mokuba, it did his heart good to see an even bigger change with Joey. Such heartwarming thoughts were almost enough to numb the pain of early labour. “Aye, I could go for that.”

He continued to smile as Joey presented him before Dr. Balls. “Oh my gods, what happened to him?” Dr. Balls sounded exasperated.

“He got-”

“Never mind, you can explain later!” Two of Dr. Balls’ nurses swiftly brought a stretcher over. “We’ll take a look at him.”

“Rex…” Joey paced around.

Amber called her grandparents. “Grandma, come quick! Something bad happened to Papa!” When she completed that phone call, Amber paced around as well until she noticed Joey’s presence. “...You.”

“Look, Amber, I know what you’re going to say.” Joey ran a nervous hand through his puffy blond hair. “‘You shouldn’t have touched Papa.’ But I couldn’t just leave Rex there, writhing in pain.”

“...Humph. Even I know to give gratitude when and where it is due. Dr. Balls came out of the E.R. thirty minutes later. “Doc, how is he?”

“Come this way.” Dr. Balls led Joey and Amber to Rex’s room. “He experienced Braxton Hicks contractions, not true labour. Although from how he acted, they were unusually intense… It’s strange to me.”

“It’s because he was captured and tortured last week,” Joey remarked, trying not to mention anything about the Earthbound Gods. “And, uh… Yeah, we filed a police report. We still don’t know who did this to him.”

“It’s a miracle, then, that the both of them are going to be okay. However, he will need to remain wheelchair-bound for a few weeks to recuperate from the damage he suffered. I’ll leave you guys be, then, and come back once his parents get here.”

“...” Amber’s eyes darted around the room, and she hoped her grandparents would arrive soon. She fumbled with the light switch, the medical supplies, the random pamphlets on diabetes and other diseases. Anything to distract her from the man that caused both of her parents immense suffering. She even thought about faking sudden illness just to get out of there. Just her luck she was as healthy and happy as a clam.

Joey knew Amber wouldn’t say a word to him, but he didn’t like the silence in the room. “So… uh… Before all the crazy stuff happened, what was your future like?”

“What?” Amber raised an eyebrow. “Where did that come from?”

“I’m just curious… Well… Don’t feel like you have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Joey looked back at Rex. “I can tell in your 16 years that you’ve seen and felt more pain than I have in my 20 years.”

“Trying to make small talk, eh?” To Joey’s surprise, Amber relaxed her tone of voice. “Fine, I could humour you. My life isn’t all blood and guts, you know.”

“Ah, that’s good to hear.”

“Well, to begin… Papa and Daddy were the best duelists in Domino City, and even though they were a lot nicer than they are now, they still liked to cause shenanigans. One time, when they were both done with teaching classes for the day, they went to the bathroom and wrote ‘this shit could sand wood’ on every single roll of toilet paper. At 35 years old!” Amber got more enthralled in her own tale, recalling the pranks her parents pulled off, even as fully-grown adults. “A-And another time, Papa taped a remote-controlled fart machine to the bottom of a seat of a misbehaving kid. And Daddy hid his phone in a closet, then his phone went off in class. His ringtone was the Diarrhea Song! And they never got caught! Of course, I kind of took after that myself, hehe.”

“Some duelists never change. Hahaha! And I just love how happy you are, talking about your parents that way.” Joey couldn’t bring himself to ask who he’d ultimately end up with. “But what about me? Do I… uh…”

“You were a professional duelist who would regularly donate to and volunteer at charities… when you were not spending time with your wife and kids.”

“I had a wife? Is she…”

Amber winked. “You betcha. Your oldest son was exactly like you, too - and one hell of a guitarist to boot. He was somehow even more of a flirt than those other two friends of yours! He would ‘fall madly in love’ with just about any guy who gave him a compliment… that was until one day, he fell in love for real, with a young male dancer. It turns out that that dancer happened to be my little brother.”

“My son ends up with Rex’s son? That’s… weird. But I like it.”

“Well, I for one didn’t like it when I found out they were together, and you can guess why. But…” Amber’s story quickly began to take a dark turn. “But when Daddy went berserk and started killing innocent people, you were the first one to fight back… You were the first one to die. And your son ended up dying trying to protect my brother. I had to admit that I still had disdain for you before all of that… But after seeing what you’ve been doing for Papa lately… I…”

“So you guys are friends now.”

Rex’s abrupt voice made Amber jump. “Papa! You didn’t hear any of that, did you?”

“Oh, I did. Every single word. So I become a professor, even though I’m dumb as a bag of rocks. And… It’s good to know that I’ll carry another precious life one day.”

“W-Well…”

“I know.” Joey got up and patted Amber’s shoulder. “Even after you saved my life, you still hate me. Thank you for that, by the way.”

“...You’re all right, I guess,” Amber managed.

“I think I’ll settle for ‘all right.” Hehehehe!” Joey ruffled Amber’s hair.

“Humph. And I’d confess to Mai soon, if I were you. Or who knows, Valon just might end up being the father of her kids instead.”

“Okay, you’ve definitely convinced me!” Joey made his signature face, creeping out Rex a bit. “When I see her next, I’m going to let her know how I feel!”

“Let who know?” Ptera spoke as she opened the door, with Tricera, Spinos, Adelaide, and Camellia behind her.

“Grandma, you shouldn’t be eavesdropping.”

“I don’t think that seeing my son after he nearly died is considered eavesdropping!” Ptera cried as she hugged Rex. “It’s as I feared. Those monsters are trying to kill my poor baby boy!”

“Mom, I’m gonna be fine. Sheesh.”

“You better be. I would love to give you my famous ginger tea again!”

“Is that the only reason you want to have a grandson?”

“N-No!”

As Ptera teased her son, Dr. Balls came in. “Mrs. Raptor… I regret to inform you that because the damage to Rex’s body is so extensive, he’ll need to stay in a wheelchair for three weeks. But both he and baby will be fine after that.”

“Thank you so much, Doc.” Ptera took Rex’s laptop out of his bag and shook it lightly. “And I’ll see to it that my son still gets his homework done.”

“I’m already caught up on my assignments so far.” Rex took the laptop out and placed it on the small table in front of him. He scanned his class pages and combed through every assignment, making sure that each was thoroughly filled out.

“What about your PowerPoint presentation for biology class?” Ptera raised an eyebrow. “Did you remember your Works Cited slide for that?”

“Yeah, Mom. I’m 100% positive-” Rex stopped scanning his computer when he noticed that one of his assignments for ancient history class wasn’t turned in yet - or even started. “Uuuuh, not. I haven’t even started researching for my essay for Dad’s class.”

“And when is it due?”

“Next week…?” Rex laughed sheepishly.

“ Ay, dios mío, mi hijo. ” Ptera facepalmed. “What do you need to research?”

“It’s about ancient Egypt, actually. We need to go to a museum with an ancient Egyptian exhibit, pick an artifact there, and write a 1000-word report about it.”

This assignment’s description reminded Joey of his own visit to the museum, the one in which he learned the true identity of the Millennium Puzzle’s spirit. He thought, too, of Pharaoh Atem and the War of the Dark One - a war to restore the peace of ancient Egypt. Joey spared a prayer for that peace to last, and for the well-being of his rival, Kaiba.

“Joey, you’re spacing out.” Rex looked up from his laptop.

“Wah…?” Joey snapped back to reality. “Sorry, I was just thinking about stuff.”

“Wait, you’ve hung out with Yugi and Atem, haven’t you? You know a lot about the museum?”

“Yeah. Maybe I can help with your assignment.”

“Really?” Rex pressed the call button on his hospital bed. “Can we go now, then?”

“Right now? Are you crazy? But you’re-”

Dr. Balls came in with a wheelchair. “Actually, you’re okay to leave every so often. Just as long as you remain in this wheelchair when you’re out. And don’t spend more than two hours out there, got it?”

“Let’s gooooo!” Rex had a burst of energy, that was until his giant baby bump caused him to slump forward and nearly fall to the ground. “Fucking OW!”

“Easy man, easy… Here, I got you. Up you get.” Joey helped Rex into the wheelchair.

“Joey…” Ptera couldn’t believe that the man who beat her son - twice - with no relent could be so kind to him. “Are you sure you want to do this? I’m sure you’ve got duels to win… Other poor mother’s sons to pummel…”

“Mrs. Raptor.” Joey looked at Ptera sincerely before he turned to leave the room. “I know I have hurt you and your son. I might not be able to earn your forgiveness, but that’s not going to stop me from wanting to do right by him.”

“Oh…” For the briefest second, Ptera’s expression went blank.

“Mrs. Raptor?

“Ah, you’re too serious sometimes.” Ptera patted Joey on the shoulder. “It’s okay to be a chucklehead like Rex, you know.”

“Hey, I don’t want him to be like me! ...Wait, who you callin’ a chucklehead?”

“Come on, Rex, go do your homework.” Ptera waved off Joey, cuing him to take Rex out of the building.

Rex turned to Amber while the trio made their not-so-far trip. “Say, Amber, you’ve done the essay, haven’t you? Can’t I just copy yours and change the words a little bit?

“How ass-backwards is that? You should be the one helping me!” Amber stuck her tongue out. “What a role model of a mother you are!”

“Pfft…” Joey stopped right after they entered the museum.

“Oh, put a sock in it.” Amber smacked Joey in the middle of the back.

“Oww, sorry, sorry! It’s just…” Joey stopped laughing all of a sudden. “The last time I saw my mother was right before my sister’s eye operation, about three years ago. And I don’t even remember the last time I saw my father. I just… wish I could have been as close-knit with them as you guys are.”

“Joey?” Rex turned his head around. “You cryin’, man?”

“N-No!” Joey tried to deny it, as he had not cried since his loss to Siegfried at KC Grand Prix.

“Um…” Not knowing what else to do, Amber reluctantly patted Joey on the back. “Well, uh… For what it’s worth, you’ve got your sister, and us. And your dueling skills!”

“ Especially the dueling skills,” Rex noted with a groan as they moved to a much longer corridor. “I swear, you must have dueled every schmuck in Domino City.”

“Yeah… I just wish I could have dueled Atem one more time.” Joey never thought he would have uttered the name of the pharaoh again. He never would have thought the memories of his quest to truly earn Red-Eyes Black Dragon back would re-enter his mind, and his desire to defeat Atem in order to attain that goal. Entering the ancient Egyptian exhibit in which he learned of the pharaoh’s true identity brought even more nostalgia. “That reminds me. Rex, did you know that Duel Monsters originated from ancient Egypt?”

“I kind of figured it out during my duel with Bandit King Bakura.” Rex didn’t want to think of that fateful, harrowing duel - but the stone tablet that stood before him had other plans. “It’s… It’s that giant rock!”

Joey remembered the stone tablet too. Three monsters that vaguely resembled Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, Creepy Coney, and Earthbound God Uru adorned it. “Brings back memories.”

“What kind of memories?” Amber wanted to know.

“Oh, I must have never told you in the future, then,” Rex began. “When your father and I time travelled, we had to duel this really creepy guy named Bakura. That was when we first learned that we had ancient Egyptian selves, and of Weeves’ ability to transform into an all-powerful god. We lost our souls four the fourth time… that was until Kaiba brought us back with his amazing dueling skills.”

“I would certainly have liked to meet him.” Amber looked upon the stone tablet. “He’s my cousin once-removed, you know.”

“Kaiba…” Rex reached out a hand for the glass protecting the stone tablet. “I really wish I could have dueled you again.”

No sooner had Rex’s fingertips touched the glass when he heard a voice speak in his head. Hu…

Rabbit stew…

You guys have to save Weevil from himself...

“Bakura… Kaiba… Atem… Is that you?”

“Papa, what is it?”

“You mean… You guys didn’t hear those voices just now?”

“I didn’t hear nothin’,” spoke Joey. “Could be that you’re hallucinating because of the pregnancy.”

“Maybe… At any rate, I know what I’m going to do my essay on. In fact, I already know a lot about this artifact! The essay is going to be a piece of cake!”

“Oh!” Amber noticed another tablet right next to it - one with a rough figure with dragon wings and a tail. “Papa, this is the one I did my report on.”

“Yeah? How come?”

“Because it reminds me a lot of a legend from my future. Our chief god is called the God-Shattering Star. He is said to be of ancient Egyptian origin and has purged the world of evil once.”

“That sounds familiar…” Rex recalled the final fight against Zorc, and it quickly registered who this god was. “It must be Kaiba!”

“Are you certain? I didn’t know he was a shifter!”

“Have I ever steered you wrong?” Rex made finger guns at Amber.

“Why, yes,” Joey quipped.

“Ah, shaddup. I think I’ve seen enough giant rocks for today. Take me out of here so I can get on that essay, before Mom and Dr. Balls get mad at me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

With that, the trio left the museum - and for Rex, he had more questions than answers.

#yugioh #ygo #shrimpshipping #mpreg #fanfiction #I am so proud of myself for finally writing this chapter

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theoddcatlady · 8 years ago

Text

The Legion Studies, Part Three

tw: racial slurs

November 15, 198X

The victim was ‘Randy’. I never got the full names of the B-2 group, perhaps to keep it anonymous for the subjects. Randy was a drug addict that had been arrested multiple times for dealing. I’d not liked working with him, but I hadn’t disliked him. I mostly hated his breath, his teeth were rotted out and made me nauseated.

The incident happened sometime between five and six AM. The power had gone out, likely due to the windstorms we’d been getting, and when it came back on one of the doctors stumbled across his body. I heard him shriek and ran to the source, stumbling across the gruesome scene.

Randy’s head had been bashed in, likely someone had grabbed him by the hair and repeatedly slammed him against the wall, judging by the blood smear.

However, what had shaken me up was that Randy’s hands were clutched around his middle, holding his stomach. I came closer and carefully moved his arm to see why he had died holding himself like that. His intestines bulged from a gaping wound before spilling free, like bloody bags.

I screamed.

The rest of the B-2 group was rounded up and put in separate interview rooms. I spoke to Ollie and Ernie.

Ollie’s interview… went as expected.

“Do I have to speak to you?” The man grunted, scratching his large stomach. The image of Randy’s innards flashed back through my mind and I swallowed the acid in my mouth.

I kept my face straight. “No, but if you refuse to speak to me, I’ll have you marked as uncooperative. And if I’m reading here correctly, you are the one with murder on their record. Things aren’t looking good for you.”

Ollie sneered, his beady eyes narrowed. “Fine, play it like that. No wonder you’re not married.” He gave a meaningful look at my left hand. “Didn’t murder Randy. Damn crackhead pissed me off, kept asking for drugs. The only drugs I have is pain meds for my arthritis. And I ain’t sharing with an addict. But I didn’t kill him. I was asleep.”

I glanced down at my list of questions I was asked to cover. “… Did Randy seem to have anyone who was actually that ‘pissed’ at him? Maybe Rex? They got in a fight a few days ago, I’ve heard.”

“The younger nigger?”

My stomach turned harshly and my fists clenched. “Ollie, I’m going to request you watch your language or this interview is over.”

Ollie raised his hands. “Hey, only saying the truth. And I didn’t pay attention to most of it. Think Randy caught Rex stealing his stuff and it all boiled over after that. Ended when someone put a fist through a wall, dunno who, I wasn’t paying attention. Bet Rex killed him though.”

“We’re not going to discuss that.” I glanced at the next question and my fingernails dug into my palms. “… Do you believe this could have been caused by someone under the influence of… demonic… forces?” I was stunned that they were already going over this. A man died and the project had still taken priority.

Ollie cocked his head to the side before he smiled and nodded. “You don’t believe in this bull either?” He guessed.

I cleared my throat. “I’m not going to talk about my personal beliefs with you,” I said.

“’t’s okay, means you got some sense.” Ollie shook his head. “Nope. It was just human nature, Barbara. Just human nature.”

I was thankful when I went to interview Ernie. He was far more tolerable.

“You doin’ all right?”

I allowed a faint smile reached my lips. “I’m fine. A little shaken, like I imagine we all are. Did you overhear anything, were you asleep?” I asked.

Ernie ran a hand through his thick hair. “Hmmm. Around that time, I was doin’ my Bible reading. I keep feelin’ dark forces in my room. It’s hard to sleep with all that.” He shivered.

“I know. Did you hear anything though? A struggle, Randy getting out of bed?” I questioned, pressing past the ‘dark forces’.

Ernie thought for a moment. “I think I heard someone talking to Randy, maybe asking him something… but that was it. The whole thing took place too far away for me to hear.” He shook his head. “Poor kid.”

Like I said. Ernie was far more tolerable than Ollie.

“Are you gonna ask me about the fight between Randy and Rex?”

I nodded. “I have to. Do you know what took place?”

Ernie sighed. “Randy was on something, I dunno how, but he wasn’t minding Rex’s space. Kept badgering him. Rex tolerated it until Randy said he could see something in Rex’s head. Something cold, lurking, waiting. Rex didn’t like that. Belted Randy across the face. Randy was the one who put his fist through the wall. It wasn’t Rex though. Wasn’t Rex who killed Randy.”

“What makes you sure of that?” I asked.

“Easy.” Ernie jerked his head to the side. “I heard Rex talking with someone about that time. His room’s next to mine. A doctor named Emmet?”

I felt my spine grow cold. “I’m… not aware of a doctor by that name. Are you sure that was Rex said Emmet?”

Ernie nodded. “Heard it as clear as your name, Dr. Moore. Rex was talking with Emmet about the Legion Studies. Emmet has this high pitched voice? Maybe that’ll make you remember him. Anyway, they were talking about the studies, how they were going. Rex sounded nervous. I think he’s not so sure about signing up. He is pretty young, this is heavy stuff. Is that all?”

“One more question… actually two, and the second is rather personal.” I paused. “Do you believe Randy’s death had a supernatural element to it?”

I was not surprised by Ernie’s response. “Yes. Someone killed the man in cold blood. Brutal and evil. What’s your second question, doctor?”

“Why haven’t you asked Father Carter to keep you company? To scare off the… ‘dark forces’.”

Ernie recoiled like he’d been slapped. He shook his head wildly no. “I did that once and it was a mistake. Father Carter just made it feel heavier. It was like someone was pressing their hands into my shoulders. I almost fell over. I end up telling him to leave. I’ll keep myself safe. With my Bible in hand.”

I walked out of the room to run into Hugo.

Hugo looked grave. “Emmet’s here?” He asked.

“Ernie said it was one of the doctors. There’s a lot of staff here, I don’t know all their names-“

Hugo raised his hand before he pulled off one of his many necklaces. Without a word, he fastened it around my neck. He stepped back and nodded.

“There. Just… don’t take it off. That’s one of my blessed pieces.” He looked me dead in the eye, and I felt that chill from the interview room return. “Don’t take it off. Please?”

I gripped the silver cross. “Okay. I won’t,” I said.

Hugo sighed with relief.

“Thank you.”

#horror stories #scary stories #sixpenceee stories #demonic possession #creative writing #my stories #the legion studies

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