#Baneful Fox Mask AU

[soranihimawari]

And there was You

A royalty!au where our leads find themselves in the trials of young love & knighthood

Word count: tbd

Pairing: knight commander! miya osamu x royal!reader

Warnings: sword fighting; unwanted arranged marriages; first loves never go as predicted...

Reader armored // Armored! Miya Osamu

it's not everyday the knight commander is in charge of the heir to the throne. it is also not everyday both of them are seen giving each other grief over life within the palace walls. however, here within the kingdom, the nobles aren't shy to deal with the merchants and walk amongst the people. the only royal brave enough was yn, royal heir extraordinaire. apparently the rumours of them wearing a half mask from the players was to hide such a hideous face. no one has seen the crowned heir's total face and if rumours from the fisherman's ports rang true, you'd either be blessed or cursed.

ah, but you see? that was not the case at all. upon their birth, the royal adviser to the emperor and empress consort had scheduled a fortune teller to arrive. the thing was, the person was a trickster in it for just 1 golden coin. fortunes and cards were read before an audience of select inner court peoples. one in attendance would be the lady in waiting to the empress consort, now heavily pregnant and waiting the birth of the first sun of the empire. the conman convinced the emperor and empress the babe in the woman's womb would be hideously disfigured before the child would be one year old. years later, the mask of the child had been painted and repurposed and even as name day celebrations carried on, the mask collection grew. the heir back then was known as the child of 1000 faces.

all this was relayed to the empresses' inner court of ladies in waiting. one who too was awaiting the birth of their first son. however, that woman was blessed with two: one with hair the shade of spun wheat and the other? the other, the younger of the twins, had hair the sparkled like the dullest graphite. both of which grew alongside the masked heir, playing as children do, and right before the cusp of their debut, we find the friendly trio on the squire training grounds. they were receiving their final day of squire training. when asked why the heir wanted to learn the blade, all you said at the time was, "i wish to be with those who will not judge me for my hideous face when we go to war."

meanwhile, while this last session is in practice, your parents hold an audience with another prospective representative from a more urban neighboring kingdom to the south. since no one has ever seen your whole and true face, marriage seekers far and wide send their paige boys to see if the fox-ran kingdom rumours were true. many were emptyhanded when they had returned and life had gone on. however, with knighting ceremonies commencing tomorrow at dusk, you evading marriage talks for the last nineteen or so odd years of your life had been eluded. this was the subject of many arguments with your family, especially since your mother had put pressure on you to birth the next heir, which you absolutely will not do. you hit her with the physician's accounts of births to death ratios one night and she relents. your father, on the other hand, reminds you that though you had arrived late in their and life as well as their fifteenth year of marriage, you were the only child who had survived past age two in the royal records. you thank your father for the reminder, but also his encouragement of honoring the tradition of waiting until your debut to the court at age twenty. yet time moves ever forward, and as your childhood friends, now young men can be the bane of your existence, are seen walking shirtless and down to their bare minimum in the squire changes, you cannot help but stare for a moment before another knight in training from a merchant family, suna rin, makes the following comment loud enough for you to hear:

"which one do you prefer because if you keep oogling at their biceps, i am definitely going--"

"i'm going to stop you right there," you hiss. "atsumu is for the public women's eye, a brat whom i'll always admire as an older sibling."

"so, osamu then? to match your radiance, your exellency," suna teasingly pokes your side, making you bark a laugh.

the twins finish changing and although your gender remains neutral and a secret even to the outside world, your two friends, well three now that you count suna into the mix, ask you what you are planning on doing for this evening's pre-ball ball in their quarters. they offer you darts, meat and wine, and even cheeses. you sadly decline with a dejected look as the twins' mother comes around the corner, ready to scold her sons for hiding the 'future sun of the empire' again. for the third time this week. suna hears her round the corner and tries to soothe the mother's anger who also yells that he is just as guilty as keeping the heir for longer than expected on the squire grounds.

"but madam! they were only my sparring partners for a few hours," you try to defend them. keyword there is try. you learned the miya woman had a strict way of bringing up her boys, but she had the explicit permission to have her sons be your first and for a long time, only friends your age at the palace. regardless, she sighs, a few graying locks frame her face as she scolds her sons even further. yet, she turns to you again, softly smiling after sending the three lads on their way.

"yn, your excellency, you're late for your civics lessons along with reviewing the guest list for the squire graduation ceremony. i'm sure lord kita and sir aran would be delighted to know you'd be attending, not as the sun of the empire they serve, but you'd be nominated to lead the western riders with my osamu as the operating commanding officer. atsumu, though, i heard, shines brightly with the spears and blades, so i wouldn't be surprised if your father requests him for your personal guard when visitors arrive or long diplomatic trips are thrusted upon you."

you snicker and laugh a bit, amused by her confidence, when she escorts you to the bathing pools.

"roses and lavendar, like you requested," she bows and lets you bathe in peace.

late into the evening, after you had your fill of spare treats from the bakers in the kitchen, you bump into osamu, chest first, and your mask falls. he apologizes profusely, bows even lower as a sign of respect, yet as he is about to give you your mask, his eyes flit to your face. he pauses before giving you the mask and he, boldly, touches your typically masked side. his fingers are light and calloused, but you don't say a word. too scared to even breathe with him that close, he asks you if you had dropped the mask, a term of endearment falls out from his lips right after.

"you are stunning," he whispers so deftly you strained to hear.

"thank you," swats his hand away and grabs the mask from his hand and refastens it around my head. "it's not everyday i hear that coming from you, lord osamu."

osamu bows and he can't look you in the eye as he lets you take your leave. the compliment and his cheeks burn in the night air just as brightly as the torches.

a few hours before dawn breaks, you struggle to sleep. all you could think about was the exchange at the quiet halls.

"he called me stunning, a half-faced demon," you turn and wipe the stray tear away. "i wonder if he was sincere."

come dawn, the ceremony preparations were underway. you're in the waiting room as your attendants make sure your royal robes were pressed and not a crease in sight. your mask for celebratory ceremonies hangs with the others while you tie the last bit of ribbon to the back of your clothing. you are about to swap the masks out (the one on your face to the ceremonious one) when a knock is heard at your quarters. dismissing the ladies in charge of your clothing, you beckon the knocker come once the last woman leaves.

to your abject surprise, it is the familiar person from last night's impromptu rendezvous.

"lord osamu, this is a surprise," you say when he shuts the door behind you, locking it as quietly as he can. "is something the matter? you locked my door."

"i don't want to alarm you into running away, yn," he is gentle in tone. there is a serious side to this,you feel it in your bones. "but about last night..."

"were you sincere?"

you try to help him guide the conversation into a more positive light.

"of course i was! how can you ask me that, me who has known you as long as my brother has," he has this incredulous look on his face like you had just told him his favorite stray cat died. osamu paces in his formal attire as well and you stop him with a hand to his shoulder.

"you're not afraid of my true face?"

you're relief and comfort astounds osamu. he turns around and he sees that infernal mask and before you can blink, he slides it off with a tilt of your face with his fingers--he tilts it ever so high to just analyze the face that was hidden from the world. curious eyes, filled with shame and understanding we reflect his of warmth and steadiness; you were always told to stay hidden, hideous scarring rumors spread rampant, yet no one told you how beautiful you really are. osamu breathes you in like the moon begging to be blessed by the sun even during the day. he steps forward, a soft gentle smile on his face. you must be so scared, he thinks. i will prove to you how gorgeous i think you are, his subconscious continues.

"i was right. you are stunning, your excellency," he smiles when your lips quiver a bit when his thumb grazes past the corner of your mouth.

you glance away, briefly and he thinks he may have over-stepped.

“osamu, it’s just us here in my dressing room, drop the formalities.”

you stand on your toes and when he doesn’t stop you from grazing your lips over his, he holds you steady by your waist. he chuckles when you come back to the ground, realizing that you really kissed him.

“don’t,” he hushes you by pressing his fingertips against your lips. he can clearly see how apologetic you seem about robbing him of his first kiss. “i’d rather have my first kiss be with the person i know better than myself.”

hours later, the ceremony and knighthood names are also called out with surname titles, we find ourselves in a corner, speaking with the other knights who congregated in a corner. osamu eventually walked away to the balcony where after you receive praises, you follow him.

the remainder of the party is blur, especially now you’re on him; his hands carry you to an abandoned bed elsewhere through a secret passage. he knows what you seek and for you, you let him lose himself to his star.

one night of passion turns into two, three until the months go by and it becomes a regular thing. atsumu and suna are the first to catch on, they can practically smell you on each other: you started to smell more like the forgery and earthy forestry and osamu? osamu smelled of finer bathing waters like lavender and rose. your friends and who he considered his family sit far away in some abandoned part of the woods where you always fled to when you had disagreements with the council’s orders even if your father was for or against the laws being voted on.

“what are you going to do?” suna sits on the blanket glancing at you with a cat like tilt of his head. “you can’t casually tell your folks you don’t want to go to war because you fear you might be—”

“oh hush! whether the physician says it’s true or not, we’ve been careful ever since. these are dangerous times suna, you know this.”

atsumu and osamu were off finding wild blueberries to snack on when you sit down next to your brother in arms.

“if you say so, your excellency,” he nods as his bow when he rises of the ground to chase his tuto class friends. “but i will care for the child of a friend if you or osamu ever find yourself in that corner. regardless of drinking potions before and after, you know humans like us are pretty stubborn when we take root in our mother’s stomach.”

you chuckle, your mask vibrates. atsumu stays out in the field while osamu brings back a handful of what he had picked. you breathe deeply and sigh as he explains why suna came out to keep atsumu company in the field. so, you tell him, you tell him about how the last time you laid with him, you tell him about the stress you’re under in terms of assisting your father with running the council meetings while feeling a little ill—he asks you if you’d taken the potions the apothecary had prescribed you both, to which you nod.

“have you?” you ask.

osamu nods. “we can’t have anyone find out…if this really is the case, should we run?”

his smile is infectious when you tackle him and he laughs the blueberries rolling away slightly.

it only takes a scare to set the record straight a week later. by that time, nature takes it course proving to the physician though you are sexually not a ‘virgin’, you definitely are not with an heir. the report is given to your mother as you are away for a reconnaissance mission in a neighboring village. you return under kita’s direct orders along with your escort, osamu. this time, your mother and osamu’s wait for you both in your solarium. you’re laughing ceases when you come face to face with the two women who brought you into this world.

“are you mad child?” your mother is furious. “do you know what your foolishness would have caused of the results were the opposite?!”

she hands you the physician’s private findings. you’re not expecting which was a good thing; your ladies in waiting were questioned about your monthlies as they had been dubbed by most common-folk. thankfully the stress to run this place and upkeep appearances to the public were to blame for your monthly to be considered tardy as all hell.

your mother berates you, shames osamu, but you can’t get a word in to fight for him. his mother though tuts saying he had flown to close to the sun this time.

“whatever this is,” mama miya is worse off than livid. “end it now before your father, the sun of this empire, finds out.”

they are about to exit, but you find your voice. it is shaky and defiant.

you shield osamu behind you and he holds your waist with a gloved hand when you sternly say, “no.”

“you dare—?”

slap! your hand collides with the empress consort’s face. osamu’s mother gasps.

“i dare because how can you listen to the words of the conman who managed to fool everyone at court telling them i’d grow to be hideous when the first person to see me without this damned mask is him?”

you slide the mask off, frustrated and angry. “he praises my beauty, one that was hidden because you and father believed the less of a faux fortune teller. so excuse us for wanting to rattle the stars. you both had a love born from humble beginnings, so why is it so hard for you to understand?”

you do not permit them leave until nightfall. the women kneel with their arms outstretched fit hours on end and though this punishment may be cruel to some, you ask osamu if you want him to permit his mother’s leave.

“not yet,” he whispers. “mother, true or false: when father died in battle, did you wish it was me?”

you raise your brow and let the interrogation of the second son go forward. mama miya, strong and proud like a peacock, succumbs to her child’s rebellious questions and she nods. he circles back to take his stance on the truth you had shared hours ago.

“do i love the sun? of course i do, you said so yourself mother…perhaps i may be an icarus with my head in the clouds, but i will never dictate to my children who they can and cannot see in this infernal century.”

you dismiss his mother first after she caves understanding just how brazen love can make anyone.

your mother though? she laughs behind her eyes.

“your father will never let you have him,” she chuckles. “did you think you were going to have forever with him?”

osamu looks at you worriedly.

“guards! arrest him,” she barks. unfortunately for her, she forgets who actually has watch over this area at this time of night.

atsumu and suna walk in, smiling at you and osamu.

“oh, we heard everything through the door, your grace,” suna bows to you. completely walking up toward his friend who holds your hand. “was she spouting her nonsense about you two not being together?”

“my brother has an odd taste for people he loves,” atsumu chuckles. “we too love your child empress, just more in a familial sense. we protect our kind. beauty is skin deep, but our anger is palatable.”

“don’t maim her,” you say stepping back into the light. “she’ll be a good little bitch and tell the captain of the guards bandits came and took me and ‘samu away. suna and you, atsumu, are to chase our imaginary outlaw friends until this empire becomes a republic.”

your mother raises her arms to strike you, but instead she yields when three different swords are pointed at her direction.

“you heard the heir, empress,” suna mirthfully laughs.

“go escort her majesty out of these quarters,” atsumu directs. “i need a word with my brother.”

suna obeys as does a defeated queen. her crown askew, she bitterly bit her tongue saying the brat wasn’t supposed to love that long abiding to the actual predictions.

“still buying that charleston’s lies?”

suna’s dagger is jabbed through the hanging tongue of the empress. he tells her to keep her mouth shut as he ties a rag round her mouth to staunch the bleeding.

“ah, silence at last,” he says when he delivers the queen to her men. “assailants took her tongue, sir. atsumu is in pursuit to the heir’s room as we speak.”

meanwhile, the twins have their exchange with you.

“you had to fall in love with the heir,” atsumu laughs. “here.”

atsumu hands him a pouch filled with some coins. brass, silver, and gold.

“take care of him, of each other, ok?”

the ash blonde kisses your forehead and hugs his brother close.

“send a falcon to me when you cross the border north. there is a friend who wears robes of emerald and gold. itachimiya’s territory beyond the iron wall of date city, that’s your destination. follow the night stars on your palms. the love line psychics use is the pathway.”

you hear the commotion outside your doors.

“atsumu?” you walk up to him and kiss his cheek. “be well and thank you.”

“go,” he tosses his head to the window where osamu has scaled the wall there too many times to count.

like a thief in the night, seven horses are let loose from the stables minutes later, only two of them split off from the group carrying nothing else but the riders on their backs.

suna and atsumu are eventually bright in for questioning in the months that pass. atsumu’s mother mourns the loss of her youngest who is presumed dead because of the raucous that night and the king, your father, at first was beside himself with grief as well. however, upon hearing the story suna and atsumu told the courts, even if it was just a way to answer the public’s cry for answers, the emperor’s eyes watched them.

“summoned again?”

“to his private study this time sir atsumu,” a young squire says. “it says to bring suna.”

on that night, right before the lantern festivals, the emperor hears the story of how a conman fooled a royal family and how a commonly born nobleman feel for a shooting star. the night was clear and a falcon was on its way with an invitation to attend a ceremony in the spring.

#🌻— flying around collecting pollen—queue #royalty!au #miya osamu x reader #haikyuu x reader #sora after hours #hq x reader

[mid-nightowl]

💖 & 🧠 for the fic writer ask game please? <3

hi hello!!! thank you for the ask!!! :) <3

💖 ahhhhh, tough question! i would say my fight scenes or writing action, whatever word you use to describe that type of writing lol. i once got told my fights were pretty realistic and fun to read, and i ran with it (absolutely inflated my ego ngl), i kind of pride myself on them though it also means they have to be perfect

🧠 oh man, i have a few that are just outlines but most usually have a few drabbles or scenes associated with them that i tinker with when bored. BUT i do have a spider-cat jaydick au that is only worldbuilding notes at this point (and im not actively working on), so please enjoy my notes on that :)

(stuffing it under a keep reading thingy bc its a lot, sorry!)

Spider-Cat Jaydick AU

Working Summary: After the death/retirement of Spider-Woman Barbara Gordon, Gotham hits a dark patch. But unfortunately or fortunately, another radioactive spider bites Jaye Todd-Wayne on a school field trip to Fox Corp/Wayne Tech. Knowing Crime Alley, Jaye’s home (despite being adopted by billionaire Bruce Wayne), is in trouble without a Spider guardian, Jaye decides to take it upon herself to be the next Spider. 

It’s not without its…problems.

Barbara as Spider-Woman Main Cast

Barbara Gordon = Spider-Gwen/Spider-Woman aka Gwen Stacy (Earth-65)

Commissioner Jim Gordon = NYPD Chief George Stacy

Harvey Bullock = Captain Frank Castle

Renee Montoya = Detective Jean DeWolff

Dinah Drake Lance = Mary Jane Watson (of the Mary Janes Band)

Alysia Yeoh = Betty Brant (of the Mary Janes Band)

Kori Anders = Glory Grant (of the Mary Janes Band)

Ted Kord = Peter Parker (aka Lizard, Earth-65)

Luke Fox = Harry Osborn (close friend to Gwen & Peter, Earth-65)

Lucius Fox = Norman Osborn

Jaye Todd-Wayne as Spider-Woman II or Ghost Spider Main Cast

Jaye Todd-Wayne = Spider-Woman II or Ghost Spider (aka Miles Morales)

Talia al Ghul and Bruce Wayne = Rio and Jefferson (Davis) Morales

Damian al Ghul = Billie Morales (younger sibling to Miles)

Willis Todd = Prowler aka Aaron Davis (uncle to Miles)

Tim Drake = Ganke Lee

Stephanie Brown = Starling aka Tiana Toomes

Arthur Brown = Vulture aka Adrian Toomes

Dick Grayson = Black Cat aka Felicia Hardy

Selina Kyle = Black Fox (mentor to Felicia and Tamara)

Victor Stone = Boris Korpse

Donna Troy = Bruno Grainger

Roy Harper = Tamara Blake

Raven = Odessa Drake

Main Villains

Joker & Harley Quinn = Carnage and Venom

Cluemaster (Arthur Brown) = Vulture

Two-Face (Harvey Dent) = Green Goblin or Two-Faced Goblin

The Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot) = Kingpin

Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley) = Doc Ock

Selina Kyle = Black Fox

Bane = Rhino

Black Mask (Roman Sionis) = Mister Negative

Mr. Freeze (Victor Fries) = Electro or Scorpion

Clayface = Hydro-Man or Swarm

Scarecrow = Sandwoman (whose sand causes nightmares from Earth 2099)

Firefly = Shocker

Mad Hatter = Mysterio

Ted Kord = Lizard I (deceased)

Killer Croc = Lizard II

Deathstroke (Slade Wilson) = Kraven the Hunter

Grant Wilson = Grim Hunter (Kraven’s first son and Kraven the Hunter II)

Rose Wilson* = Ana Kravinoff (Kraven’s daughter)

Carmine Falcone/Falcone Crime Family = Hammerhead

Maroni Crime Family = Tombstone

Moxon’s Empire/Lew Moxon = Silvermane

*Originally had Rose Wilson as Deadpool but I think she would work better as Kraven's daughter

Other Cast: (could potential appear or be saved for later)

Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman) = Kate Kane

Cindy Moon (Silk) = Cassandra Cain

Matt Murdock (Daredevil) = Helena Bertinelli*

Madame Web (Cassandra Webb) = Ma Gunn

The Tinkerer (based on the game Spider Man) = Lonnie Machlin or Dana Harlowe

*Helena could either be Daredevil or Glory Brant (of the Mary Janes Band), whether you want to have her as a vigilante or just a civilian

Additional Notes:

Barbara’s main villains were Doc Ock, Vulture, Lizard, Shocker, and Mysterio. The only villains present during her tenure were: Doc Ock, Vulture, Lizard I, Mysterio, Sandwoman, Kingpin, Black Cat, Silvermane, Tombstone, Hammerhead, Electro, Swarm, Prowler, and Shocker. 

>>Barbara knew Kraven the Hunter was active and a villain via Dick, but never fought him personally. 

>>Barbara mainly fought her big three: Doc Ock, Shocker, and Lizard. She also handled a lot of mafia/gang related crimes, in conjunction with her father’s work. 

>>Barbara’s toughest battles were with Lizard I (mainly emotional) and Doc Ock.

Jaye’s main villains are Green Goblin/Two Faced Goblin, Kingpin, Mister Negative, Venom & Carnage. The villains present during her tenure are: Doc Ock, Vulture, Lizard II, Mysterio, Sandwoman, Black Cat, Kingpin, Shocker, Electro, Rhino, Venom & Carnage, Kraven the Hunter, Grim Hunter & Ana Kravinoff, Prowler, Swarm, Mister Negative, Hammerhead, Tombstone, and Silvermane. 

>>Jaye mainly fights her big four: Two-Faced Goblin, Kingpin, Mister Negative, and Venom & Carnage. Jaye also handles a lot of gang related activity but for different reasons than Barbara--whereas Barbara acted very much like a police detective, Jaye was trying to protect Crime Alley (aka Barbara worked with the police and Jaye does not). 

>>Black Cat, Doc Ock, Lizard II, and Ana Kravinoff are technically “villains” but Jaye has good working relationships with them. 

>>Jaye’s toughest battles are Venom & Carnage and Two-Faced Goblin (mainly emotional).

>>Jaye was adopted around 12-13, and grew up with Bruce and Talia (and later on, baby Damian), but also Uncle Harvey, Bruce’s best friend. Harvey, unfortunately, will be attacked and scarred by Tombstone (Maroni) and become the Two-Faced Goblin. 

>>Unclear if Jaye knows Willis is Prowler. 

>>Madame Web and Starling are newest additions to the hero community in Jaye’s time, and did not meet Barbara. Starling (Steph) knew of her because of her father and Madame knew her through her clairvoyance, but neither of them had ever met her face to face or interacted with one another.

And the lil drabble that started it all:

Out of all the leftover characters and remnants from Barbara’s time as Spidey, Black Cat is the only one she doesn’t mind.  Granted, he’s still a pain in the ass.  But, he also doesn’t try to kill her. Maim? Maybe, if she gets on his bad side. Use as a cat scratcher? More times than she can count, for no reason beyond “he was bored.”  He’s never gone for the jugular though and that she can appreciate.   And even she can admit, Barbara had good taste in men.

#ask game #ladytauria #fanfic ask game #thank you so much for the ask!!! <3 <3 #i went through like four different versions of teams and characters for this au before settling on this version #the og very first version had peter parker as barbara and mj as kori and green goblin as luke and lucius fox #there was another version where tim was harry osborn and green goblin jr; jaye was peter and barbara was spider-woman jessica drew #so many possibilities #and dont get me started on the teams #the champions were the closest to be settled with nova = kyle rayner; viv vision = miss martian; young cyclops = kon #i refuse to do the avengers team thou #that's too much work #i still think rose as deadpool would be hilariously perfect but who knows #artemis and bizzaro are going to be in this too just not quite sure as heroes or civilians yet #thank you for giving me the opportunity to ramble about this au #i put way too much thought into it for having zero scenes of actual writing lmaooo

[kingarmorking]

pokemon legends arceus au where rei (ill be using rei just cause thats who i played as but it works with akari too) was transported back to hisui Much Younger and, seeing as how he gets along so easily with pokemon right from the start, is seen as an ominous omen for jubilife village (let alone the whole falling from the sky bit dont ask me how baby rei got outta that unscathed)

cyllene and laventon end up watching over him but theyre both super busy with their own work that he ends up getting ostracized from the village. at some point baby rei is left unsupervised and wanders away and ends up getting lost and ends up befriending a hisuian zorua

h!zorua is super confused by this child who has no issue with it and hisuian zoroark comes up for its kid and sees the strange human child with it

h!zoroark is obvs wary at first but h!zorua is pretty attached so him plus he doesnt have the same fear / malice / etc that most humans have towards not only its kind but also pokemon in general so it lets the two play

when no one comes to find rei then h!zoroark gets suspicious and lets them play, disguises themselves as a human and goes into the village, finds out that rei’s really treated like shit by all the superstitious people! it makes the decision right then and there that rei is now its kit and adopts him

yes this is all for feral rei, once hes about 15 he wears the baneful fox mask whenever hes out on his own and at one point runs into akari which is where the plot of the game would start about

all of his pokemon arent in pokeballs, theyre just ones hes befriended and earned the trust of with the exception of the starter youre given but even then he barely keeps that in its ball either

#pokemon legends arceus #pla #pokemon legends rei #legends arceus #pokemon #pokemon au #what even are the fucking tags for this game #also yes uncle ingo is there #rei warms up to ingo pretty fast seeing as they were both outsiders #sneasler is honorary big sister #everyone else still has a while to gain his trust #even cyllene laventon and akari #king talks #oh and if you wanted to make this au Real Sad #h!zoroark takes rei back to the alabaster icelands and. well its real cold there. #so hes reborn as a shiny zorua #when he evolves into a zoroark he keeps transforming into a human #and eventually finds his way back to jubilife village #feral rei au

[that1nkyone]

On a similar note, are there any other AUs you had in mind? Wanted to draw/write about?

There were a few! Disclaimer: I'm a sucker for 'Protagonist suddenly finds themself in the form of a Pokemon' plots, though less heavy on the body horror sense and more of a 'learning to use powers/reconciling differing facets of their identity and what it means to be them' sense. So I have a couple like that.

Wishing Star AU: There's tell of an ancient magic out there that allows a Pokemon to save a Human on death's door. Fellow Pokemon heal faster than humans, and a Pokemon in ancient times knows better how to care for one of their own - therefore the injured human takes the form of the Pokemon who made the prayer for their safety.

The human changes back once they are fully recovered, but it's debatable what that entails - and how inconvenient it can be for the human in the fallout of it all.

anyway that's why irida's a glaceon in those drabbles

Warden's Bracelet AU: A Post-Arceus AU where Ingo, Emmet, Akari and a bunch of others in the Present Time are wrapped up in an adventure involving restless Noble Spirits, damaged artefacts, and reconciling the past and future.

Also Noble Pokemon spirits can pull a Yu-Gi-Oh and swap places with someone wearing their respective Warden's Bracelet - change of form included. The Pokemon and Human have to work as a team, otherwise one can wrest control from the other (Basculegion was very difficult to quell in that sense).

I wrote a very long summary for this AU once, but I lost it when I didn't save the draft and my computer restarted. Oh well. Maybe I'll draw a couple scenes.

Three Magnemites AU: Not so much an AU as a Past for the Nimbasa Trio. How they met each other, how they met their starters, and how they started developing into the Nimbasa Trio of the present day.

Featuring how Litwick and Ingo met, the twins' loud and enthusiastic Mom, Uncle Drayden trying to figure out his nephews, and Elesa and the twins getting into Fashion (good and bad) and Pokemon battles.

I did have the Baneful Fox Mask AU, but I think I've done what I wanted on that front. XD

#submas #Pokemon Legends Arceus #Pokemon

[cringywhitedragon]

PKMN:AL AU: Rival Willow Sycamore

One of two of the MC’s main rivals outside of the non-chosen PC and a major character to the story who may be hiding something more under the surface. Also just a fan interpretation of Desmond’s daughter.

Willow is the daughter of Desmond Sycamore and is currently working as an assistant for Laventon in light of starting his latest research project.

She’s best described as somewhat aloof but generally friendly when Oscar/Orla initially meet her. Willow also has a much more aggressive side that shows when somebody gets on her nerves (Namely: Targent)

Her main Partner Pokémon is a Hisuian Zoura by the name of Vexie whom she’s very close with. Vexie is generally described as quiet and rather untrustworthy of people and has been known to act threateningly towards those it senses have bad intentions.

Sometime before the events of the story, Willow went missing after “supposedly” being killed by Bronv until one day she returned under series of mysterious circumstances. Laventon does admit he has known her for “quite some time” before he even started working with Desmond on this project. She also occasionally will make mentions to Hisui and someone known simply as “Uncle Ingo” (Whom has returned to where he originally came from).

Willow is also quite skilled when it comes to battle strategies, something that the MC’s rival is quick to take note of. Though it can sometimes come off as a bit “aggressive” in the eyes of some trainers. Especially when it comes to Vexie, some have described the two as being “in sync” when facing the two in battle.

Despite that, some people have noted that there’s something a bit “off” when it comes to her. Willow has a tendency to “disappear” from time to time throughout the first Act of the MC’s initial Pokémon journey. Usually during these little moments, another character usually makes themselves known:

The Baneful Fox

A stranger who wears some sort of old fashion robes and dawning a mask that resembles a Hisuian Zoroark. They’re usually cold and don’t like it when people get in their way of their “mission” and will not hesitate on fighting those who they deem a nuisance (such as that of the MC, whom have quite a few run-ins with them throughout Act 1).

They appear to have some sort of agenda specifically against Targent, but usually don’t tend to stick around for long. Usually disappearing just as quickly as they appear with whatever their “Boss” asked of them.

This has drawn some attention to them by some of the Galaraian populace. One NPC early on in the story not long after the Player’s first battle with the them makes a comment about seeing the earlier tailing some “oddly dressed folks” with a strange looking Pokémon at their side.

The Pokémon in question being a Zorua…

#reshi rambles #Pokémon Azran legends #Crossover #original characters #pokemon rival #desmond sycamore #willow sycamore #professor layton and the azran legacy #professor layton #the Baneful fox #hisuian zorua

[fourphoenixfeathers]

So submas homestuck AU. Any other tidbits you want to share? Because this. I just.

More please?

(You don't have to if you don't want to, but it is interesting.)

"Tidbits"... *Looks at my walls of text* yes... tidbits...

Most of the stuff I have planned out so far are things about the squad's lands and quests, but I'm working on another post for that.

I have a couple ideas about the early game, though. Fair warning though, i play really fast and loose with Homestuck canon. It's super complex and there's too much to reconcile with Pokemon world, so I'm cherry picking Sburb rules.

Ingo and Emmet enter the incipisphere first, with Akari acting as Ingo's client and Elesa acting as Emmet's. Arceus gives the Hisui group a couple of computer setups to make this work out.

Ingo and Emmet both fail to prototype their sprites. They take one look at the flashing seizure ball and decide to figure it out later. Normally this would be verrry bad, but the group's goal isn't to breed a genesis frog, so they are probably fine. Probably. This also has the added benefit of prolonging the stalemate in Skaia so they have more time to find out what's going on and prevent the reckoning.

Eventually, Dialga and Palkia get Emmet connected to Akari and Ingo connected to Elesa to bring the last two into the session. Akari and Elesa both prototype their sprites once before they enter. Akari yeets a baneful fox mask at hers, Elesa tosses a bolt badge at it.

Also i really need to come up with a name for the group that is shorter than "Nimbasa trio plus Akari". That's way too clunky.

#submas #homestuck #ingo #emmet #elesa #akari #i have. so many things. #thank you for asking #i love talking about my unhinged ideas #gear session

[misssneasel]

I just want to say, I’m in love with Baneful fox mask Au because: 1. CURSESSSSSS 2. I love zoruas/zoroarks and I will take any excuse just to draw them! 3. Info and Emmet were my childhood comfort characters and same with reason 2, I will not miss an opportunity to draw them.

#pokemon #pokémon legends arceus #submas #Baneful Fox Mask AU #we stan uncle train men!!

[darkeninganon]

I have fun with angst, but here is the first bit of my “This Day” AU. Featuring Chinchilla hybrid Dream. Fear him.

Fundy hated this. These long hot nights were the bane of his existence. Sure, he wasn't covered in fur like an actually animal, he wasn't a furry, he was just a guy with fox ears and a fox tail. Still, it was enough to keep him warm, too warm. Fundy hated this. Walking probably wasn't helping any, but he had to do something to not be alone with his thoughts. That was worse than any heat.

A flash of green caught his attention. It was gone before he could focus on it, and part of his brain, the part he tried to fight day in and day out, told him to give chase. And he listened, for once, the human part of his brain demanding an answer for the mysterious spike of unnatural green. Fundy followed, staying low and keeping the practically glowing green color just in his line of sight.

Fundy nearly fell over as he came to a stop, ducking down behind a hill as he spotted Dream standing on a beach. Fundy peered over the crest of the hill, curious what the enemy of his country was doing.

Dream picked up a handful of sand, inspecting it, letting it run out from between his fingers and back to the ground. Dream couldn't help himself. He suddenly began rolling around in the sand, laughing quietly, full of real joy. He didn't care that his mask fell away, or that his hood and cloak slid off, revealing white hair and small, fuzzy ears. He was in pure bliss.

"DREAM?!" Dream froze, half-laying in the sand, ears perked up and eyes wide. From how he was staying, Fundy could clearly see a short, fuzzy white tail sticking out. Dream was... "Your a hybrid?"

"No." Dream's voice cracked. Without his mask, he wasn't as confident as he normally was. Oh he was going to have to kill Fundy.

Fundy stared at Dream, opening his mouth repeatedly in an effort to say something, something that refused to come to his mind. "Can I join your bath?" Okay, that sounded bad.

"Um... Sure? It's not a bath though! Definitely not a bath!"

"Yep. Not a bath. Just two hybrid guys rolling around in the sand." Fundy stated, removing his hat and coat. He sat down near Dream, tail kicking up some dust as the two stared at each other. Silence filled the space, neither moving. "So... How often do you come out here?" Smooth Fundy, smooth.

Dream still hadn't moved from his awkward position, seemingly a statue.

"Uh... So... what kind of hybrid are you?" Still Dream didn't move. Fundy sighed. "you know... I thought I was the only animal hybrid. I mean... No one else really has side effects of being part animal." He sighed, ears folding back as his tail stilled. "Sometimes I'll just..." Fundy made an arching motion with his hands. He looked to Dream for the other Hybrid's reaction. Dream was finally relaxing. Fundy smiled, looking towards where the sand met the ocean.

Only to be knocked over by something hitting the side of his head.

Fundy let out a yelp, flailing about as sand got into his ear. "What the hell?!" Fundy stopped his flailing, glaring at the other man.

Dream froze again, more sand and dust covering him as he looked to Fundy. Wait... Fundy scratched at the sand before rolling in it, continuing to stare at Dream. Dream seemed to jolt back to life as he did several quick spins in the sand before freezing to stare at Fundy again. Fundy lay in the sand on his back, staring at Dream.

Dream stayed still for another minute before rolling in the sand more, covering his clothes and hair in fine dust.

Fundy burst into laughter. "This is fun!" Dream cringed, grabbing his cloak and covering himself with it. Fundy smiled at him. "I'm not laughing at you. This is the first time in a long time I had fun! We should do this again?"

"you... Don't think it's weird?" Dream pulled his hood back, ears alert as he stared at Fundy.

The fox man stood, grabbing Dream's mask and handing it to him. "Dude, this isn't weird. It's fairly normal in my mind."

Dream took the mask, standing, dusting some of the sand from his clothes. "This... Isn't the best place, but it does pretty well in a pinch." He placed the mask back on, pulling his hood back up to hide his ears and hair. "Don't tell. You'll die if you do."

Fundy laughed. Dream stayed quiet. "I know you're serious." Fundy chuckled, grabbing his coat and hat. "Secret is safe with me!"

Dream nodded, taking off suddenly. Fundy had never noticed how fast Dream was before now.

#DSMP #DreamSMP #Dreamwastaken #Fundy #fundy dream smp #This Day AU #Chinchilla Hybrid! Dream #Please do not kill me for this #My writing

[thepancakeboi]

53. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

Divergence AU Part V

Previous | Next (coming...soon) | AU list | Prompt source

Fanfic under cut

12/10

“Do you really think the others will be okay on their own?”

My question, although probably unnecessary, is a valid one. Queen, Noir, Panther, and Fox are going to deal with the IT president, while Mona, Skull, Joker, and I are going to find the third Will Seed that Mona sensed was nearby. I know that we only have a week left to secure the infiltration route, but the idea of us splitting into two different groups is a little concerning.

“Don’t worry, Crow,” Skull replies. “They got this.”

“They aren’t weak,” Mona adds. “That letter is as good as ours!”

“My apologies,” I say, adjusting my white gloves out of habit. Even if they know who I am and what I’ve done, Joker is the only one who has seen my other outfit. I shouldn’t care what they think of me, but I’ve kept it a well-guarded secret for so long. Force of habit, I suppose. “Shall we continue?”

Joker nods, taking my hand in his as he leads the way. He’s been doing this ever since that night in Leblanc. I’ve stopped questioning it after the first fifty times. It’s...nice. The rest of the thieves haven’t commented on it yet, nor do they seem confused. Maybe they already knew of Joker’s feelings.

The fight to get into the room is all too simple, largely in part due to Joker’s damn Shiki-Ouji, a Persona that I have come to despise. It, alongside Arsène and Jack Frost, is one of his main Personas. Shiki-Ouji, though, nullifies nearly all of Robin Hood’s attacks...as I found out the hard way during our duel last month. Not even Loki would have been much more help against it. That thing has become the bane of my existence.

I’m just glad Joker doesn’t see me as an enemy.

He leads the way back to the large double doors, slashing the rose vines with unerring grace before pushing the doors open. With this task done, the four of us enter the room. We’re greeted by harsh, indeterminate whispers. Their content means nothing to me-

“I trust no one but myself.”

I recognize that voice. Shido. I grit my teeth as his voice rings and echoes off the walls. The others don’t seem to notice, but it’s as clear as day to me. I tune the others’ voices out as Joker takes the Will Seed from its pedestal, straining to hear the inner thoughts of that bastard. For a few seconds, it remains incoherent whispers, until...

“The enemy is coming...in more ways than one.”

It takes nearly all of my willpower to not react to this. These are his inner thoughts, aren’t they? If that’s the case...could he know? Is Shido starting to realize the suicide-murder shtick was faked, that Ren is still alive and currently traversing his Palace? And...oh no.

In more ways than one.

That can only mean one thing...

Shido knows.

He knows I’m not on his side.

Or maybe it’s his normal paranoia? I can’t be certain. It isn’t like I can ask Shido himself. He’d lie and say he trusts me, the action almost as natural to him as breathing. If he does know, what am I supposed to do...?

“Hey, you okay?”

Mona’s query snaps me out of my thoughts. “I’m fine,” I easily lie. “Just a little nervous, I suppose.”

Skull, the dense idiot that he is sometimes, buys it. “Man, you looked like you’d just seen a ghost! Warn us next time, will ya?”

“I will,” I respond, looking at the others to gauge their reactions. Mona doesn’t seem entirely convinced, but it doesn’t seem like he’s going to probe further. And Joker...I can’t read him. All I get is the feeling that he sees through my lie. “Anyway, we have the Will Seed. What’s our next move, Joker?”

Joker thinks for a few moments before answering, “There’s nothing else here. Let’s meet up with everyone in the safe room.”

His hand slips back into mine as we leave the room behind us. This close to him, I can finally see that he wasn’t convinced in the slightest. I know he’d try to get me to open up to him if it weren’t for Mona and Skull. Despite this, his eyes plead with me under his mask, trying to get me to tell him what’s wrong. I refuse to look at him as the last statement I hear from that cursed room echoes in my ears:

“The only thing you have to do is follow my order.”

We arrive at the safe room to find the others already there. “How did it go?” Queen asks as Skull and Mona sit down. I choose to stand a little way back from the group, side-eyeing Joker as he rests his head against my shoulder. What does he think he’s doing? Judging by the cheeky smirk on his face, he’s trying to be as distracting as possible.

“Joker got the last Will Seed!” Mona replies, simultaneously answering Queen’s question and taking my attention away from the menace next to me.

“Aw yeah, and we got the fourth letter!” Oracle says. She is beaming as she holds up the envelope for everyone to see, apparently proud of her group’s accomplishments.

“Sweet!” Skull exclaims. “All that’s left is the cleaner dude! Let’s go find him and kick his ass!”

“Wait!” Panther interjects. “We don’t even know where he’d be.”

“Who cares? Can’t we just cause some trouble again?”

“We could, but...”

“Then-”

“As much as I would like to take the cleaner down now, we should wait,” I say before Skull can get another word in edgewise. “He’s stronger than any of the VIP’s we have fought so far.”

“How about tomorrow?” Noir chimes in. “It’s Sunday, so we won’t have school.”

“I agree,” Queen adds before looking at me. “Will you be joining us?”

I wish I had more time to think things through. If only we could wait a few more days. Time, however, is in short supply. “I should be able to, though if anything comes up, I’ll let Joker know,” I say while gently pushing Joker’s face away.

That smirk from before fades away, replaced with a carefully crafted neutral expression. His voice rings with authority as he says, “Sounds like a plan. We’ll meet up tomorrow afternoon.”

Tomorrow afternoon. That’s when the deed will be done. If my revenge plan is going to work, I’m going to have to kill him, for real this time. There’s no going around it. My mind is so preoccupied with planning how to accomplish this that I don’t even notice everyone else has left until I’m startled out of my thoughts by the kiss Joker plants on my cheek. He looks concerned. “Is everything okay?”

“What makes you think it isn’t?” I ask back, dodging his question.

“You seemed tense earlier. And a little scared. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’ll be fine. Soon, this will all be over.”

Over in ways neither of us would want, yet it’s the only way this could ever end. This is how it was meant to be from the beginning: with one of us dead.

12/11

I tap my fingers idly against my leg as I wait on one of the catwalks in the engine room. Earlier, I had texted Ren saying that I would be running late and to go on without me. He must have bought it because when I had entered Shido’s Palace, the Phantom Thieves were nowhere to be found. I had told them the cleaner would likely be in the engine room. They must be farther inside.

My suspicions are confirmed a moment later when the group comes walking out, celebrating their recent victory. How delighted they must be now that they have the final letter. That happiness is about to be destroyed. Joker is the one to notice me, of course. He halts, looking up at me. “Crow?” he asks. “What are you doing up there?”

I leap down, doing a flip before landing effortlessly in front of the thieves. Damn Joker’s habits rubbing off on me. I expect to feel some level of anticipation, or maybe regret, but I feel...nothing. I don’t see Ren or Joker in front of me. All I see is another obstacle, blocking my plans from coming to fruition. “Did you really think I would let you leave this place alive?”

“Huh?”

My gun is out, pointed at him in an instant. I won’t give Joker the chance to say another word. Time to pull the trigger.

...except I don’t.

What’s stopping me from firing, from killing this menace? My hesitation wastes valuable time, time that the rest of the thieves use to prepare themselves to fight if necessary. I no longer have the advantage of surprise. Why didn’t I just kill him first? “Keeping you alive was a terrible decision.”

“What’s gotten into you, Akechi?” Queen asks. I don’t miss the dropping of codenames. “You were the one who suggested this plan.”

She’s not wrong. I had been the one to plan most of this heist, due to my knowledge of Shido’s Palace. “Nothing has changed. This camaraderie between us has all been an act.” The lies slip so easily off my tongue, and I find that I’m starting to believe myself. “When Joker started to piece things together, I knew I would have to change my plans, and in order to do that, I had to make him aware of my original plan. I’ve been planning this from the start. You all were simply so foolish as to trust me.”

“All an act...?” Joker asks, hesitant. It’s as if he’s trying to deny the words I’m saying.

I refuse to answer his question, instead deciding to say, “I’ve never shown you my true power, have I? Here, I’ll show you...while you die. Persona!”

I can feel Loki’s presence as two Shadows materialize from thin air. A Cerberus and a Cu Chulainn. Perfect. I direct Loki to use his signature Call of Chaos on the two Shadows. Their complexion turns black and red as their true destructive potential is unleashed. I can hear Cerberus growl as it paws at the ground in anticipation, waiting for my command to kill these wretched thieves.

“What was that?” Oracle asks, voicing everyone’s surprise at Loki’s brief appearance. “That wasn’t Robin Hood.”

“You’re right,” I confirm with a grin, “but that’s the least of your concern. You better not underestimate these two.” I leap back, putting the berserk Shadows between me and the Phantom Thieves. In a mad rush, the two Shadows launch themselves at their foes. I don’t expect the Shadows to win; they’re just meant to wear the enemy down.

Mona’s voice rings over the din of the fight. “Go, Joker! If anyone has a chance of getting through to him, it’s you.”

I see Joker nod, and, before I can even react, he’s using his grappling hook, sailing over the Shadows and landing a few feet away from me. The absolute fool. “You just made a grievous mistake,” I snarl. “You’ll need your teammates if you have any hopes of defeating me.”

He shakes his head. Cocky little shit- “I don’t need to defeat you.”

That catches me off guard. Just what the hell is he planning? “Then what is it? Are you going to abandon your teammates, just like you wanted before when I suggested leaving them to work with me?”

“I’m not abandoning anyone.”

“Oh, is that so? Then maybe we should put an end to our duel, striking and striking again and again until one of us is dead! Unless you’re so spineless that you’ll run away with your tail between your legs. Is that your master plan?”

“No,” he replies, his voice firm. “I love you, and I’m not leaving you.”

I laugh. He’s more foolish than I gave him credit for. “Then tell me, Joker. Will you love me for this?” His eyes widen ever so slightly as I point my gun at his face, aiming right between his eyes. It’s a pale comparison to the terror Sae’s cognition of Ren expressed. He’s too naive to be afraid. “There’s no cognitive double to save you this time.”

Joker, the absolute idiot that he is, doesn’t have the common sense to back down. Why is he just standing there? Move, damnit! It’s as if he’s deaf to my silent pleas. He refuses to move. He even has the gall to smile a little as he replies, “Hey, I’ll always love you no matter what. I’ll take a bullet for you, even if you’re shooting.”

I could do it. I could shoot him right now. But now, in this critical moment, I find myself hesitating once again.

Do it.

But he’s the only good thing in my life-

Do it! Watch as the light leaves his eyes!

I don’t...I don’t know if I can do it again...

What about your revenge? He’s in the way!

I tighten my grip on the gun...but I still can’t pull the trigger. Why...why can’t I kill him!? “How stupid are you? Would you really let your irrational feelings get in the way of your goal?” I have no idea if I’m asking him the questions...or myself.

“It seems you let your ‘irrational’ feelings get in the way of your goal. Aren’t you going to shoot?” he adds, almost sounding a little cocky at the end.

How dare he...

“Don’t lecture me!” I yell, whipping the gun away from his face. It clangs against the floor, the sound echoing in my ears. It’s clear I’m not going to shoot him point-blank anyway. “You think you know me, that you’ve got me pinned down. You don’t know anything about me! All you are is some criminal trash living in an attic who thinks he’s in love with an ace detective, a celebrity! You’ve deluded yourself and refuse to see the truth. How foolish you were to think that you meant anything to me, Joker!”

“You’re wrong!” He grabs my hand, the same hand that a few moments prior had been pointing a gun at his face. “I love you, and I’ll always love you. And...I know you love me too. We don’t have to fight-”

“I will get my revenge,” I interrupt as I pull my hand out of his grasp, refusing to listen to another word of his, “against Masayoshi Shido...my father. And you’re in my way.”

That makes him stop. The shock on his face is undeniable. “Shido’s...your father? Were you ever going to tell me?”

“What would’ve been the point?”

“Goro,” he starts; he must be taking this seriously if he’s using my first name, “we can still change his heart. Just let me hel-”

“I’m warning you. Stand. Down.”

“Please. I love y-”

Something inside me snaps. “NO! Just shut up, and die, Joker!”

There is only one way I can think of that’ll make me able to kill Joker. I welcome it with open arms. Loki’s mad power washes over me, my outfit changing in an instant. The world is tinted red, though I’m not sure whether it’s from the intense desire to murder or the lenses in the black mask. Maybe both.

But that doesn’t matter.

Nothing matters.

The only thing I want is to kill!

Destroy!

Massacre anything that stands in my way!

...starting...with...Joker.

A lopsided grin creeps on my face. Oh, this will be fun! I wonder how far I can go with this...

Let’s find out.

With little abandon, I rush straight at Joker with my serrated blade. It’ll tear him into pieces!

My sword clashes against his signature dagger. Somehow, he stands firm. How? How can he...?

Oh, so what!? He can’t possibly last for long! I go for another slash, but he yet again blocks it with that damn dagger of his. Our blades continue to strike against each other, neither of us able to land a hit on the other.

Again.

And again.

And again!

But then, as I throw all my strength into another frenzied slash, he weaves out of the way, kicking the sword right out of my hand as I start to stumble.

No way. How could this attic trash possibly be stronger than me!?

Joker lunges at me, the dagger no longer in his hand. Somehow, he manages to knock me off balance. He tries to restrain me as I thrash while screaming insults at his face.

One of my hands reaches my mask. Perfect.

I don’t even think.

I just act.

Only one thought rages in my mind.

I will kill Joker!

I command Loki to use Maragion. He won’t be able to block this attack. Screw his Shiki-Ouji!

For a brief moment, the flames surround Joker...but suddenly, they turn on me. I grit my teeth at the searing agony radiating through my body. Damnit...of all the times he wasn’t using that Persona-

My mask reforms, but is quickly pulled away from my face. Joker tosses it to the side, once again trying to hold me down. He flinches as my claws rake across his face, but he doesn’t budge.

He’s saying something to me, but I can’t hear him.

I don’t care what he’s saying! He should be dead!

I almost manage to hit him a second time, but now he’s able to use his hands to pin mine down. I try desperately to claw at his hands, but they’re just out of reach.

Damnit!

Joker’s still talking. Now I can make out his words. “...love y...please...it’ll be...”

What is he thinking!?

Even now...

As the seconds slowly tick by, the psychotic rage that overtook me starts to dissipate. Joker keeps on saying the same thing over and over: “I love you, Goro. Please, calm down. It’ll be okay.”

Over.

And over.

He sounds so distraught as I continue to fight against him. Repeating those same words. It’s no use. Joker’s determined to stop me.

Eventually, I stop struggling, panting as I try to catch my breath. I finally manage to gasp out, “What are you doing?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“I...I didn’t want this.”

“I know. You didn’t want to shoot me.”

“I-”

Our conversation is interrupted by a pained scream. We both look over as Cu Chulainn falls to the ground. Cerberus must have fallen earlier in the fight, as it’s nowhere to be seen. The rest of the thieves look a little tired but otherwise no worse for wear. I turn my attention back to Joker, frowning as I see blood dripping from the thin slashes marring his beautiful face. “It’s fine,” Joker says, noticing where my attention is. “It doesn’t hurt. But are you okay?”

My laughter is strained, forced. “That’s what you’re concerned about?”

“But you got hurt.” He moves his hand to gently caress my face. “If I had known you were going to use that move, I would’ve used a different Persona.”

“Why would you even care? I just tried to kill you, damnit!”

“Because I love you, Goro. And I always will. You could’ve shot me, and I still would have loved you just the same.” Is it just me, or did his voice crack just a little there? “Goro, no matter what happens, I just want you to know I love you dearly, and-”

“Ugh, can we save the cheesy romance for later?” Oracle butts in.

Oh. That’s right. We’re not alone here. And with how things currently look... “Joker?” I start.

“Yeah?”

“Get off me.”

“Aww, I was enjoying this,” he says with a chuckle. He waits a second before moving so that I can push myself into a sitting position. The sudden movement causes me to hiss in pain. “You didn’t answer me earlier. Are you okay?”

“I have been through worse.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I’ll be alright. Any other questions before we leave this wretched place?”

“Just one. Why did you do this? Did something happen yesterday?”

I almost tell him. My lips part, about to answer, but I realize it might take too much time. “How about we save that question for Leblanc? It...might take some time to answer.”

“Okay. We should head back to the central hall,” he adds, addressing everyone with that. He then turns back to me and, with a smirk, kneels down and puts one arm behind my back and the other under my knees. I realize what he’s doing just as he proceeds to pick me up bridal style with little regard for if he gets jabbed by the pointy parts of my true outfit. The rest of the thieves seem just as surprised and shocked as I am. Meanwhile, Joker grins at me as he says, “Hi, Akeppi.”

“Joker, what are you doing?”

“Showing you how much I love you.”

“You stupid, insufferable-” The rest of what I was going to say is cut off by the soft little kiss Joker gives me. He looks like he would love to kiss me more, but he’s not about to test his luck when I have so many ways to potentially harm him right now. It takes me a few seconds of mulling my response in my head before I begrudgingly finish, “...lovable menace.”

“I know. But I’m your menace.”

That alone gets me to smile. He’s right. It only took me trying to kill him to see it. “Yes, you’re my menace, and nothing is going to ever change that.”

#i apologize for how long this got #my writing got away from me #akeppi writes #p5 #persona 5 #goro akechi #akechi #ren amamiya #akira kurusu #akeshu #shuake #writing prompt

[lananiscorner]

Cozy In Here

Summary: Following his unmasking by Scarecrow, Batman returns home, where Dick and Alfred are waiting for him, but not all is well in the Manor or with Bruce for that matter, and the night is about to take a dark turn. (Batman: Arkham Knight AU)

Notes & IMPORTANT WARNINGS: This story contains major character death, body horror, mind control and a massive downer ending. You have been warned!

Also on AO3

---

He arrived at the Batcave just before sunrise, lulled in darkness and the slow rumbling of the dying engine. He would need to upgrade the car a little. A new paint job couldn’t hurt either. He put it on the mental checklist. The ever-growing, ever-changing mental checklist.

Then, there was the screeching of bats and the low hum of dozens of millions worth of electronic equipment that cast the cave in a cold, harsh glow of cerulean.

Then came the roar of the second engine, as Nightwing arrived on his motorcycle. As soon as he was out of his seat, the mask came off too.

“Bruce, thank God!” A pair of black and blue arms wrapped around him tightly, but he resisted the urge to react. He had a reputation to uphold after all. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” Dick Grayson’s face looked pale and worried, but also hopeful, in the blue glow. “After that speech you gave me in Otisburg… and Scarecrow’s fear gas—are you sure you’re going to be ok?”

“I’ll be fine, Dick.” He grimaced slightly at the sound of his own voice. Like he had swallowed ground glass. “Go upstairs. I’ll run a quick blood test to make sure Scarecrow’s toxin is fully neutralized and join you.”

“Alright. I’ll tell Alfred to make us both some pumpkin spice chai.” Nightwing bolted off into the direction of the stairs, then did a ridiculous 180 just as he reached the second flight. “What are you going to do about… you know… the crowd outside?”

Ah, the reporters. He had a few ideas about how to handle those, but for now, the most simple and unimaginative one would have to do.

“I’m going to let Thomas Elliot have what he wanted: the chance to be Bruce Wayne.”

Nightwing’s brow furrowed in concern. “There’re gonna be a lot of targets on Bruce Wayne’s back. He might not survive that…”

“I’ll handle it, Dick.” He didn’t even have to fake the mildly annoyed sigh underneath the words. Nightwing really could be a handful sometimes. “Now go upstairs. I’ll join you soon.”

This time, Nightwing thankfully relented. He waited until he had completely ascended the stairs and the Batcomputer indicated the opening and closing of entrance no. 1, then headed for the cabinet in the second alcove to the left of the massive supercomputer. The entire case and the door were two inches of titanium-reinforced steel, but he knew the codes and he had the finger prints and the right retinas. The door opened slowly, with a soft creak, revealing six shelves of various flasks and capsules, filled with everything from Bane’s Venom to Copperhead’s tetradotoxin. Crane’s concoctions alone took up one entire shelf, each labeled meticulously, with a second vial containing the antidote placed just behind each of them.

He really only needed just one of the vials from the safe, though. He retrieved the little flask and set it down carefully on top of the safe, then closed the door once more.

Next up was the costume. As much as it served its purpose of scaring the ever-living daylights out of every crook and criminal from Crest Hill to Blackgate, it was still pounds of suffocating leather and Kevlar and titanium-tipped whatever-the-old-Fox-had-called-it earlier. And it was drab. He slipped out of it quickly, put on the brightest clothes he could find—a true challenge with that wardrobe—and transferred the vial into the right-hand side pocket of his pants.

The Batcomputer was still humming quietly when he returned to the main room. For a moment, he was tempted to log in and dive into the files, but that too would have to wait until later. Another item on the list.

***

“You should have seen Cobblepot’s face!” Dick’s bright voice rang through the manor with almost irritating clarity. It was coming from the den. “He honestly thought he was going to cap one of us.”

“He would have gotten you if I hadn’t arrived in time.”

That killed the smile on Dick Grayson’s face pretty quickly. Alfred stood by as stoically as ever, a face void of any personal investment. He’d have to change that.

“You always were great at killing a party, Bruce.”

He suppressed the urge to counter with some witty remark. He repressed the urge to snort, shrug, or shake his head. He was the Batman, after all. He had a reputation to uphold. At least for a little while longer.

The subliminally threatening whistle of a kettle sounded from the watch around Alfred’s wrist. A little remote kitchen timer he had presented to the old butler for his sixty-fifth birthday, just last year. He held up his hand as soon as Alfred turned to leave.

“Let me, Alfred.”

“Master Bruce?” The butler raised an eyebrow. “I hope you will forgive me for saying this, but we both know you are a disaster in the kitchen. I’ll go get it.”

What he wanted to say was a thinly veiled, colorful threat.  What he said instead was “I’m sure I can handle a kettle of water, Alfred.”

Alfred sighed and relented. He watched him sit down on the arm of the couch that was not currently occupied by the lounging fashion disaster that was Dick Grayson and headed for the kitchen.

He picked the three kitschiest, most cliché mugs he could find from the cupboards. One of them was covered in red and golden leaves; another said ‘Happy Halloween!’ in between a flock of cartoonish bats. Both had been picked by Dick. The third one, the one that looked blank but grew giant, bloody, vampire teeth when you filled it up with something hot, that one had been picked by Jason.

Ah, Jason. Those had been the days. Another thing to take care of. He put it on the list, too.

He fitted each mug with one bag of pumpkin spice chai, a good chug of hot water, a shot of milk, and a dash of sugar, and added just a teeny tiny bit of laughter to all but one. Then he returned to the den.

The tea smelled good. The fire, real fire, from the hearth, was warm. The den had been decorated blasphemically tastefully considering the season, but there was orange everywhere. Dick ‘Blue Is My Only Color’ Grayson looked more out of place than a hippo in a ballet show, but at least he was laughing. Laughter was good, laughter was important. Laughter was the spice of life.

He slid the two kitsch mugs over to the butler and the former sidekick, sank into the nearby armchair, and took a good sip.

It was excellent tea. It tasted like fall and mischief. It tasted like devilish grins and lightning in a bottle. It tasted like cozy blankets and soft kittens and every peaceful cliché under the sun.

Now he just needed them to drink it too.

“If I may sir, Alfred ventured carefully, “wasn’t it Master Todd who bought that mug for you?”

“Yes. It was.”

“Then perhaps we should set out to find him? You said he was still alive, right?”

“WHAT?!”

He winced. Damn the little bird could be annoyingly loud. He had met babies with better volume control.

“Jason is alive?!” Dick’s eyes had grown the size of saucers. “Damn it, Bruce, why didn’t you tell me? We need to find him... like... yesterday! Is he ok? Does he need help? Where do we start?”

He wanted to laugh, but Batman – did – not – laugh. He could do this. At least for a little while longer.

“Is that joy I hear in your voice, Dick?”

“Of course it is!” Dick sounded appalled that he had even dared suggesting that it wasn’t. “Jason. Is. Alive. We’ve been thinking he’s dead for years now. Of course I’m happy he’s alive!”

“Happier than when the two of you repainted the Batmobile that one time?”

That made Dick laugh. Good. This was the perfect moment. Cozy. Happy. Relaxed. Even Alfred was hardly suppressing a tiny grin.

He raised his mug. “Of course we’ll go find him, Dickie. To Jason!”

“To Jason!” Dick mirrored the gesture.

“To Master Todd!” Alfred agreed and took a sip of his tea.

Dick was still chuckling softly at the memory as he downed half his cup. Then it hit him.

He could see it in the way Dickie-boy’s eyes widened, in the way his fingers gripped the mug like his life depended on it. He could hear the subtle shift as the chuckle turned from a soft, rumbling sound produced in the back of his mouth and the top of his throat to an unstoppable, hysterical, beastly howl that clawed its way out of the depths of his lungs. He tried to lunge, but the seizures started just as expected, making him stumble onto and through the glass table between them, where he started writhing in pain on a bed of shards.

Alfred, dear old Alfred, looked on in horror for a split second, before his own breath hitched, forcing that same demonic sound from his mouth. Who knew the old codger could laugh so brightly? Who knew that wrinkled, yet annoyingly passive face could be so expressive, so lively! A shame really. Alfred could have been a great comedian if only Bruce had let him.

In the back of his mind, in the very depth of his psyche, locked behind the heavy iron gates and surrounded by bloody, padded, rat-infested walls, Bruce was screaming.

Screaming for Dick to get up.

Screaming for Alfred to hold on.

Screaming to be let out, to have his body back.

Joker clicked his tongue. “Now, now, Brucie-boy, Alfred’s already gone.”

It was true. Alas, poor Alfie, the laughing poison had been too much for his dear old heart.

“But Dickie here,” he kicked the howling boy in the ribs once and watched him curl up into a tight ball. His smile was stretched wide in a grotesque grin, but his eyes were full of sheer terror. He gasped for breath, but the laughter wouldn’t let him. “Dickie’s still soldiering on pretty bravely. Let’s set a good example for him, shall we.”

He leaned back, took a few more sips from his tea—delicious, really!—and waited and watched and listened as the minutes passed and Dick’s laughter ebbed once more and finally died and Bruce’s screams intensified. It was good to know that even Batman could lose his cool.

“You know, Bats,” Joker finished his cup and twirled it idly around his finger. “It’s such a tragedy that neither Jason nor poor Nightfling here never knew how much you really loved them before I snuffed them out. I mean, technically Todders is still alive of course, but he’s really not his former self anymore, is he?”

The mournful wailing stopped. Instead, it was replaced by cold fury, as Bruce threatened every single horrible punishment he could onto Joker from the maximum security cell in his mind. At last, Joker laughed and to his surprise the deep raspy voice actually made for decent comedy. The age of serious, grim-dark brooder Bats was finally over.

“Oh Bats...” Joker shook this lantern-jawed head he had inherited nine months ago. He truly felt... reborn. “We really do bring out the best in each other! See, everything you just said to me gave me plenty of ideas! This time, we’re gonna do it right! This time we’re gonna let Robin know how much we care. I mean, after everything you just suggested doing, of course.”

The angry tirades stopped instantly, replaced with one word. Tim.

“Yes, Tim, the little dork.” Joker jumped out of his seat and threw the cup into the fireplace where it shattered into dozens of pieces. “Now let’s go find the little bird. I’m finally getting cozy in here.”

#HalloweenContentWar2k18 #my fic #Cozy In Here #this is a horror story #tw: Major Character Death #tw: mind control #tw: body horror #downer ending #proceed with caution #this is my angst nuke for this year #Bruce Wayne #Dick Grayson #Alfred Pennyworth #The Joker #Batman: Arkham Knight AU

[stylinsonlibrary]

HISTORICAL AU FIC REC

50+ fics set in the past

A Word We've Only Heard (6k)

So, where are you headed?” Liam asked, not wanting to sit in awkward silence for their journey.  It was twelve hours to Chicago, and that was far too long to sit and not chat with his fellow passenger in front of him.

“Chicago,” he answered, his blue eyes meeting Liam’s own.  “It’s home.  Been on the road for quite some time now, it’s the first time I’ll be able to sleep in my own bed in almost a month.”

Liam whistled.  “You must be pretty excited.”

The man gave a soft smile, which made him look younger than Liam initially expected; he might even still be in his twenties.  He wondered what kind of a life this man had led to look so tired until he smiled.

Or, it's 1951, Harry is the owner of a music shop, and Louis is a traveling salesman making his way back home.

I'm Ready to Fall, Love (9k)

Louis doesn't like Harry, except for the fact that he really does.

(Basically: A royal AU with Prince Harry and Stable Boy Louis.)

One Day You'll Say These Words (11k)

Growing up together in Yorkshire has led to a lifelong friendship between Louis Tomlinson, the future Marquess of Rotherham, and Harry Styles, the heir to a viscount. When Harry suddenly inherits his uncle’s title and estate much earlier than expected, Louis must watch his friend struggle under the weight of these new responsibilities, including searching for a wife with a dowry large enough to save his estate. However, sitting idly by as Harry looks for a bride brings some unexpected feelings to the surface.

A friends to lovers story set in the Regency era.

feel my heart beating (12k)

‘90s AU where Louis’ addicted to matchmaking and Harry’s just playing along.

lead me out on the moonlit floor (12k)

In all honesty, Harry was long forgotten, cast aside by a dimpled stranger and too much champagne. He was almost glad, now, that Harry hadn’t come, because he wouldn’t have met this stranger, this tall man who could make his heart flutter with a single glance.

Victorian!AU where Louis is a wealthy lord throwing a masquerade ball for his birthday and Harry is a toymaker who's only confident when he's wearing a mask.

Autumn at Fairbridge Hall (14k)

It is October 1817. Mr. Louis Tomlinson hosts an Autumn Ball and a Fox Hunting Party at his estate Fairbridge Hall, with the intention of finding suitable husbands for his younger sisters.

A Regency AU where Louis does not want to deal with marriage proposals, a stubborn sister and unwelcome guests. The only things he really wants is peace and quiet and..., the handsome Mr. Styles.

To Honor (14k)

Commander Styles leads his men to victory, but at what cost?

Manifest Destiny (15k)

Harry and Louis had fallen into bed together again that night, mouths greedy and hands needy. And now every time Louis stops at Fort Kearney, even if it’s weeks in between, he and Harry spend the night together. The nights are always filled with heat and passion, and it gives Louis something to think on fondly as he rides across the western territories carrying sacks of mail.

They’ve never talked about it, and they’ve never kissed. Louis doesn’t know if he wants either of those things to change, but he knows that his presence in Harry’s life is sporadic at best. Probably best to leave things be.

Or, Louis is a Pony Express rider and Harry runs a station along the trail.

Howls Like A Beast (You Flower, You Feast) (16k)

“You don’t love me,” Louis had said, utterly blasé as he callously fractured the heart of a Harry that was just barely eighteen.

“I do,” Harry had insisted pleadingly, green eyes already watering.

Louis had rolled his eyes, exasperated and flippant in the way only beautiful, young boys could be when faced with the affections of a baby prince. He had run his finger down Harry’s cheek then, had forced him to look into his eyes as he delivered the final blow.

“You’ll change your mind once you’ve seen more of the world,” Louis had teased, pressing a brutally delicate kiss onto Harry’s lovely, pure cheek. “Once you’ve been properly defiled.” He had whispered filthily, delighted by the gasp he heard, the frantic pink blush that had rested high on Harry’s cheeks, the power he had felt at knowing he could make the Crown Prince squirm.

Break Me Down, Build Me Up (16k)

America, as it’s been told, is the world of riches. Men and women alike can come to the land of the free and achieve the American dream, regardless of their background. He wanted nothing more than to create a better life for his sisters, for himself, and perhaps for his future. Harry Styles was never a part of the plan.

[or: Louis moves his family to America to try and find a better life. Harry finds him instead.]

The Man I Love (17k)

It's the Roaring Twenties, a time of blissful prosperity, overflowing champagne flutes, adrenaline-filled dancing, and the rise of the Jazz Age—and Louis Tomlinson absolutely abhors it all. A stickler for modest classics, jazz is the bane of Louis' existence.

Coincidentally, Harry Styles is the bass player for an underground jazz band.

Or The 1920s AU where Louis is a hardworking, no nonsense paralegal, Harry is in love with the greatest city on earth, Zayn is the enigmatic leader of the band, Niall's just there to make sure everyone's having a good time, and Liam is the barber who started it all.

The People's Playground (17k)

It is 1900 in New York City, and Harry Styles has recently immigrated to America from England. His sister encourages him to take a day off from his life as a factory worker and Harry decides to take a trip to the infamous Coney Island where he literally runs into Louis Tomlinson. It looks like Coney Island will be more than Harry bargained for.

Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart (19k)

Louis and Harry had been childhood best friends, but had been separated by evacuation as the city they grew up in was destroyed around them. Now, twelve years later, they are both back in London, and through chance they meet again. In a time when you can't admit to being gay, for fear of arrest, admitting to your best friend that you love them seems like an insurmountable obstacle.

Featuring boxer Harry and mechanic Louis, much pining, and a lot of post war Britain

No One Like You (19k)

Dear Niall,

I was glad to have the chance to talk with you again at the AHA conference. Your idea that the Musee D’Orsay Tomlinson painting is in fact not a self-portrait is an intriguing one, and I may have discovered something that will have a bearing on that theory.

Some background: as you may remember, I’ve been researching for a book I’m writing about Harry Styles. I’ve been in communication with Styles’ last living descendant, who is in possession of a trunk that her family believed to have belonged to Styles himself. It held some personal items she presumes to be his, including two unmounted paintings and a small collection of letters.

Upon spending the last few days in Provins studying these items, I believe there to be a connection between Tomlinson and Styles, and I would very much like your opinion.

Are you up for a trip to France?

Sincerely, Liam Payne

Where Liam and Niall are art historians discovering the truth about two nineteenth century painters on opposite sides of an artistic divide.

Dance Like Warriors On A Battlefield (20k)

Down in the arena, the triumphant gladiator places his foot on the back of the loser, holding him there as he waits for instruction on his next move. Kill or let live. It’s barbaric, really, the bloodlust involved in this sport. Louis is pretty sure that if it wasn’t for his distaste for the killing there would be a lot more blood soaking that sand.

As it is, his father rarely gives the kill order anymore. He gives the order to let the loser live. Louis rolls his eyes, turning away. He doesn’t miss the way the gladiator’s eyes linger on him.

threadbare (20k)

Harry Styles was eight years old when Louis Tomlinson kept him from falling into a machine in a Manchester textile mill.

He was 18 years old when nothing, not even the threat of death, could keep Harry from falling in love with Louis.

Un Verso Que Hiciste De Mi (20k)

Harry froze as he looked up to his handler’s face. He found himself staring at the most beautiful twin pools of blue he’d ever see, and had to take a second to breathe before he remembered what to say.

“Please, don’t kill my friend,” he whispered.

Louis looked over at the red headed man. “You are to go back to your manor, and tell his family he will only be brought back if my ransom is met.”

or a Scottish Borderlands AU where Louis is a laird that kidnaps his rival’s betrothed, and Harry just happens to be that betrothed.

Damn the Dark, Damn the Light (20k)

“Why is this face of beauty ringing so true?” The genuine confusion in Harry’s voice causes Louis’ chest to painfully twinge. “You’re a complete stranger in my eyes, William Shakespeare, but not in my heart. How is that possible?”

Louis wants to live out every romance plot he has ever written in his own life. He wants to be the protagonist of his own narrative, the hero who finds true love and gets his happy ending. Instead, Louis is stuck with only dreaming of such wild fantasies and writing them down. He can create entire romances in his dreams, yet he can never live one.

let it shine under the morning star (22k)

It's the summer of 1891, and Bruges has significantly more angry swans and accidental Irish revolutionaries than Harry was anticipating being faced with on his summer holiday.

the dead things we carry (25k)

September ‘49 

He hasn’t seen him since that day in France, that horrible muddy day where for one terrifyingly long second, Louis really thought he was going to die. He winces with the phantom pain, the hand not holding his cane going to his stomach automatically, remembering the franticness, the tenderness, of Harry’s hands while Louis was bleeding out.

This is the man who saved Louis’ life.

For one second, Louis fears Harry won’t recognise him, but his eyes widen when he turns to his left and they meet Louis’. He takes a step forward, reaching for him with a shaky hand before stopping himself.

“Louis,’ Harry says with a shudder and Louis doesn’t think his name has ever carried more weight.

This is the only man Louis ever thought about kissing for real.

“Oh,” Mrs. Padley says, clearly taken aback. “You two know each other?”

There are some things people never fully come home from. Until, one day, if they’re lucky, home comes to them.

Is it too much to ask for something great? (26k)

It is the dawn of the sixties and the whole sexual revolution may as well never happened since Harry still has to muffle his groans in the pillow when he fucks. God forbid neighbours would caught on. But maybe he wants to scream, maybe he wants his moans to carry through the wall and maybe he even likes to think that they would irk the person there somehow, but no. No such thing happens with Louis, because apparently he is the only person on the planet who doesn't care who you fuck. Being a fag in Greenwich Village is great, lots of fun, being a fag who is in love with his painfully straight best friend Louis? Torture. He should just let the whole thing go. Louis doesn't care for his moans, he produces a lot of them on his own, and those on the other hand haunt Harry's dream, and he's pretty sure that ten days on the road with Louis and Louis alone is actually going to kill him.

And he doesn't even like Beach Boys.

Box of Rain (26k)

that in his free time informally works as a ring boy. Somehow he manages to always get tangled on the ropes and at the same time charm the pants off of all the fighters and patrons. They meet in Manchester in 1977 and, even though they don't seem to have much in common, they... Well, they just sort of click, really.

The one with a friendship ruiner game of Monopoly, Harry always ending up in jail for wanting to save the world, Louis face to face with his archenemy and way too many references to 70s music.

Also staring Zayn as a brooding anarchist punk rocker, Liam as the nerdiest and nicest boxer in all Britain and Niall as a bookmarker that can easily convince people to bet fortunes, but can't make his friends realise their mutual crush on each other.

autumn leaves (27k)

“Brave?” Harry frowns, caught off guard. “No, not particularly.”

“You seem brave,” Louis decides, pushing off the wall and stepping on the butt of his cigarette. “You are strong, and you are not mean. That’s good,” he assures, touching Harry’s arm gently.

“Thank you, but that’s not true,” Harry smiles ruefully. “I’m really not anything special.”

Or, Harry is an American soldier in France during World War II, and Louis is a French waiter that doesn't mean to fall in love with him.

What Happened to 'Never Say Die'? (28k)

The 80s were one of the best decades to be a teenager in America. Just ask anyone who's seen a John Hughes movie. Louis would beg to differ. At least today he would, while he was stuck cleaning out his family's basement - part of his grounding after a senior prank gone wrong. But when he finds a box containing details of the biggest unsolved crime in Luna Hills, he and his friends decide to sneak out for one last adventure before they're all off to college. That is, as long as the mayor, who also happens to be Louis' mother, doesn't stop them before they discover the truth.

Or, a coming of age American AU inspired by classic 80s movies like The Goonies and Stand By Me where everyone has a secret and no one wants to get caught.

the beginning of everything (30k)

“How do you take it?” Harry asked, pouring tea into a cup.

“Just a dash of milk, please,” Louis cast a look over the small table, filled to capacity. “They’re very fond of you.”

Harry ducked his head, grinning. “They’re trying to impress you.”

Louis smiled, shaking his head. “Why would they want to do that?” he asked as he took the cup Harry passed to him, their fingers brushing for an instant.

“Empathy,” Harry said under his breath.

A Belle Époque AU set (mostly) in Paris in which Harry is a struggling artist, in more ways than one, and Louis is a successful theatre critic and a failed writer, more or less.

Our Stable Heart (30k)

Louis Tomlinson had it all. A beautiful mansion in the country-side of London, a well known job in the heart of downtown, and a lovely fiance he would soon marry...

But what happens when Louis' world is turned upside down just from gazing into a pair of dreamy, green eyes?

Something Louis could never have imagined himself...

i could marry that smile you're wearing (34k)

Louis is lost in his thoughts. Harry has found his new purpose in life. Both meet very unexpectedly and it is all full of cliches you can expect.

Ancient Greece AU - Louis as a member of aristocracy and Harry as a common slave.

what this world is about (34k)

An eighties American high school AU; there are first times, football games, and feelings.

Gem and the Hunters: The Treasure of Babylon (34k)

Louis Tomlinson wished, for one thing, his whole life: to find the ancient city of Babylon. After one failed attempt, he swore to never again attempt a search for the city. His friend, Niall Horan never pushed the issue, but when his family finds themselves in trouble, Niall’s only option is to convince Louis to try and find Babylon again.

Niall enlists the help of two famous treasure hunters: Harry and Gemma Styles and their friend Liam Payne. Harry and Gemma love ancient cultures as much as Louis and would give anything to find Babylon. Liam is just along for the ride, running from a shade in his past.

The five embark on the adventure of a lifetime… and find much more than any of them bargained for.

The Boy with the Red Scarf (35k)

It’s 1925 and Harry has left his small home to chase after his father’s footsteps. He wants to be a movie star, make money to keep his family comfortable just like his mother had told him his father had. But when he makes it to Chicago, he finds that people aren’t what they seem. The parties are grand, the women charming, and the money rolls. What he doesn’t understand is that behind that beautiful mask of a city there is something lurking in the shadows.

Starring Harry as a struggling actor and Louis as Al Capone.

If we meet sometime in the after years, my darling, I trust I will find your love still mine. (38k)

1970s AU.

The boy at the dinner table isn’t as much of a stranger as Louis thought, and somewhere between the diners, concerts, and the way the moonlight falls just right, the summer is enough time for realizing just that.

Felt the blood rushing through my veins, I still remember (42k)

Harry is the heir to his father's estate and wealth and he knows he is the most eligible bachelor in all of England. Louis is the stable boy who everyone loves and adores even though he can be a touch too bitter sometimes. They can't stand each other, and the pride of one and the prejudice of the other disallows any other feelings they might have.

Coeur du soleil (48k)

After assuming the throne when the Cardinal dies, Louis becomes King of France in 1661. He thinks he has everything under control and is determined to prove himself the leader he knows France needs, but his plans are quickly thrown aside once he meets a curly haired English Ambassador.

Harry's only job was to observe the King, and he ends up observing a little closer than expected. Featuring Captain Payne of the Royal Musketeers, Ambassador Malik from the Ottoman Empire, and Lord Horan from Ireland.

We're What's Right In This World (48k)

“Why did you talk like that in Brighton? If you weren’t planning on ever telling me?” Louis asked. “Is it because you think you’re going to die?”

“It’s war, Lou,” Harry said finally.

The words were a knife slipped between his ribs. Everything hurt and he was bleeding. He shifted up, his palms cradling Harry’s jaw, his lips against his boy’s. Not kissing, just resting there, so Louis could feel him. “Promise you’ll come back to me.”

Harry’s hands smoothed down the sides of Louis’ body. “You know I can’t do that. I’ll never lie to you.”

“Promise me. We’re going to have our cottage. And our dogs. And our breakfast in the garden where nothing grows because of the wind from the sea. Promise me.”

“I won’t.” Stubborn as always, his boy. “I’ll promise you, I’ll love you all my life. I’ll promise you, you’ll never leave my thoughts. I’ll promise you, you’re my forever and my always. But promising you something I can’t cheapens the things I can.” Or the World War II AU where Harry goes off to fight and all Louis wants to do is be the boy who brings him home.

the last person on earth i could ever marry (50k)

A Pride and Prejudice AU, where Harry is fed up with rich men and Mr Tomlinson is a very rich man.

For the Sake of Propriety (52k)

Louis Tomlinson is the caretaker of an estate that is not truly his, and when his Uncle calls upon him to take it back, Louis knows he will soon be out on the streets with four overly zealous sisters to care for. His only solution: wed the eldest two off and pray for the best. When an even better solution unexpectedly presents itself in the form of the charming Mr. Styles, Louis is faced with a difficult choice. But as with all things in the regency era, reputation very well may threaten to outweigh the fleeting matters of his heart.

Back To You And Tennessee (57k)

Louis Tomlinson rises to rock and roll fame at age twenty three and is thrown into a life of luxury and excess, but being on stage isn’t easy for a boy who has always stuck to the side-lines, and Louis struggles to deal with his new fame as he joins the Grand Ole Opry and is sent out on tour with names like Liam Payne and Elvis Presley. His life takes a turn, however, when his childhood role model, Harry Styles, joins them on tour, and the two become closer than two men in the spotlight are allowed to be.

OR, the one where Louis is Johnny Cash and Harry is June Carter

I Hunger For Your Beautiful Embrace (57k)

Legatus Harry is governor of Capua and Dominus of his estate. He governs with a firm and harsh rule and has never been known to be soft. That is until Louis comes into his life. A beautiful slave who creeps into Harry’s house and heart.

But in the times of Ancient Rome, when sex, wars, and death are the entertainment of the times, life and love are rare commodities.

Paint The Sky With Stars (62k)

On 10 April 1912, Harry Styles boards the finest ship the world has ever seen. Still grieving the death of their mother, he and his sister are being sent to America to live with a callous uncle who cares more about his business connections than family. Harry prepares himself for a long, disappointing voyage alone in his stateroom.

Louis Tomlinson has borrowed and saved, and finally has enough to purchase a Third Class ticket to America. With all of his belongings in a single ruck sack, he boards the Titanic filled with hope for a brighter future. Never one to sit still, he can’t resist exploring the massive ship, and soon goes sneaking into First Class in a stolen steward’s uniform.

By a twist of fate, Louis finds himself in Harry’s stateroom, entranced by the most attractive man he’s ever laid eyes on. He keeps returning day after day, even if he doesn’t understand what it is about Harry that continues pulling him in. That’s all right; Louis has a week to figure it out, and Harry is plenty willing to help.

Except they don’t have a week. They have four days. Because on 15 April, their entire world will be turned upside down.

Or, the historically accurate Titanic AU with a happy ending.

Life Had Just Begun (63k)

Stand up. Breathe. Run. Survive.

Back on his knees, Harry can wipe the blood from his eyes and see again, blurred and in slow motion, but he can see. He doesn’t think, he just moves. He gets to his feet, stumbling as his brain goes white in time with the lightning strike.

Run. Run. Run.

It’s 1985. All the cool kids are wearing Members Only jackets and acid wash jeans. The gay rights movement might be gaining traction around the country, but for a small town in Colorado, even listening to Queen is an invitation for a beating. Louis Tomlinson’s life is turned upside down when he comes face to face with the afterlife, and is given one seemingly simple mission: save Harry Styles.

The Art of Being a Gentleman (64k)

Out of all four of the Styles children, Harry has always been the most adored. He is the handsome, intelligent, and oh so charming golden child of the family, the perfect son who will soon be married to the perfect woman, a beauty queen named Victoria Astaire. Despite how loved he is among all who reside in the affluent town of Alton, his siblings absolutely despise him. In order to stain his squeaky-clean reputation and get their traditional, old fashioned parents to despise him as much as they do, they devise a plan that involves Harry’s giving nature, the desperation of a mother and father, and a mischievous boy who doesn’t give a damn about what’s proper.

Such Good Luck (66k)

Louis smiles at Harry’s words, leaning into his touch. “Tell me again.”

Smiling, Harry takes Louis into his arms. Pressing gentle kisses to his face, Harry murmurs, “In six months’ time, I will have my twenty-fifth birthday. On that day, my portion of the inheritance will become legally mine. And I plan that very day to announce to my family that I have found love.” Harry chuckles as he runs his lips lightly along Louis’ cheekbone. “That, in fact, I found love when I was twenty-one years old, and that I have loved and been loved every day since.”

Or, an Edwardian AU where Harry is a young aristocratic lord and Louis is a working class dairy farmer. Secrets are a necessary part of their relationship, but Louis has one that could topple their whole world.

Adore You (66k)

“We invited our new acquaintances from uptown. You’ve simply got to meet their oldest son!” said his mother with a flourish, and suddenly it became abundantly clear as to why his parents had so adamantly demanded he join them in Deansville for the entirety of the summer.

Against his wishes, Harry spends the holidays at his family’s summer estate, and is reluctantly pulled into a courtship he didn’t ask for. Harry doesn’t want to get married, but Louis does. They don’t fit, but then again they really, really do.

Vaguely set in the 1920’s. Headpieces, jazz, fashionable canes, and flapper dresses, and that.

The World Turned Upside Down (71k)

In September 1984, Harry Styles starts at Manchester Polytechnic with two goals: to take pictures and to join the Lesbian and Gay Society. He’s never paid much attention to the news, but everyone he meets in Manchester supports the miners. He realises how right they are when he meets Louis Tomlinson, a striking miner who flirts with him. A month later they are both at the founding meeting of Manchester Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, trying to bring down the government. Through letters and visits they build a relationship, in a world very much not of their own choosing.

Manchester and Doncaster in the 1980s are grim, hopeful and alive. Niall is president of the Young Labour club, Nick Grimshaw is in love with the singer of an up and coming band, Fizzy wants to know more about the women of Greenham Common and Harry and Louis are brave.

A Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners/Pride AU.

modern love (72k)

It's August 9th, 1985. "Shout" by Tears for Fears is the top song on the Billboard charts, Back to the Future has been the #1 film in the country for five weeks straight, and Harry has just moved to what he believes to be the shittiest town in the Midwest.

Louis has been wasting away in East Chicago for over five years, Harry is the most exciting thing that's ever happened to him, and both of them are hiding a dangerous secret from their best friend: they're, like, totally sprung on each other.

Chasing Empty Spaces (79k)

The year is 1934 and Harry Styles was to inherent the largest tobacco firm in the south. His parents have picked out the “perfect” girl for him to marry and he has the privilege of receiving the highest education possible. The problem was, Harry hadn’t realized he didn’t actually want any part of that future until he met a mechanic named, Louis Tomlinson.

This Feels A Lot Like Love (80k)

Harry didn’t expect for his senior year to be filled with a blue-eyed boy with sharp cheekbones and an even sharper tongue. Then again, he didn’t expect to fall in love either.

Closeted romance, false promises and stolen kisses ensues. Set in the 90’s era.

Victorian Boy (81k)

Victorian AU. Harry the virgin Duke of Somerset knows little of love, while Louis the sly Duke of Warwick knows too much. When the two dukes come together for the Bilsdale fox hunt in York, Harry finds himself drawn into Louis' bed. But when secrets from Louis' dark past come to light, Harry fears that the fox isn't the only one being hunted.

Atlas At Last (83k)

He doesn’t know what he had been expecting out of the road trip itself besides burping contests and too much shitty gas station food with Oli and Stan, but in the brief moment before Harry ambles up his driveway, Louis idly wonders if this is about to become some sort of Gay Coming of Age story.

Maine to California in ten days. In which Zayn’s an open-shirt hippie they meet somewhere in Ohio, Liam’s the pastor’s son running away from home, and Niall’s the number they call on the bathroom wall.

It’s 1978. Harry and Louis are just trying to get to San Fran in time for the Queen concert.

And down the long and silent street (86k)

The year is 1881 and if you’re alone in this world you might as well be dead, because starving dogs have no mercy.

Or: Wherein Louis and Harry are on the opposite ends of the social ladder, but their paths still cross on the filthy streets Louis calls his home. The odds are staked against them from the beginning, and even more when Louis' past finally catches up with him.

Coax the Cold (86k)

England, 1897.

English Professor Louis Tomlinson’s passion for the occult has been a source of mockery and derision for most of his life. When he hears whispers of a travelling freak show newly established in London claiming the existence of a monstrous sea hybrid, half-man, half-fish, Louis sees it as his ticket to credibility amongst his peers. The summer he spends undercover working on the show, however, gives him much more than that.

Here In The Afterglow (88k)

“If you hadn’t noticed, I don’t have many friends,” Louis whispers, the blossom of insecurity in his stomach unfurling and clawing its way into his throat.

Harry is silent for a long time, and then he speaks; a soft, slow uncurl that makes Louis’ stomach shake. “I’ll be your friend.”

1970’s AU. In a tiny town in Idaho, Louis’ life is changed forever by the arrival of a curious stranger.

Resist Everything Except Temptation (100k)

The lethargic sound of heels clicking against wood resonated across the sea. Footsteps descended the staircase, every assured step creating a menacing aura as it grew closer. Perspiration gathered along Louis’ palms as the rhythmic sound halted in front of him.

“Captain,” Malik greeted.

Louis watched out of his peripheral as Malik’s boots shuffled back a few steps. Sweat matted the hair along the nape of Louis’ neck as he waited for something to happen. He felt as if a sharp blade was twisting his gut as the silence became tangible. There was a metallic slide of a sword being pulled out of its sheath, the sound startling Louis out of his cocoon of sterile shock. His shoulders jumped as the tip of a blade flattened underneath his jaw. Louis’ distorted reflection stared back at him in the polished metal. Engraved rose petals twisted his appearance as they crawled up the length of the sword. The sword lifted and took Louis’ chin with it.

Standing in front of Louis was Captain Styles.

OR The one where Louis is the commodore's son who is forced to become a part of Harry's crew when he is captured.

Butterfly Gun (100k)

Harry has never been much of a fighter, but—as always—where Louis Tomlinson is concerned, a lot of things stop being true.

1940's AU. Even after six years apart, they can't forget their shared wartime childhood.

Through Eerie Chaos (102k)

For as long as anyone can remember, Old Hillsbridge Manor has always been believed to be haunted. Everyone in the village agrees and keeps a respectful, fearful, distance. New in town after a bad breakup and an internship that led to disappointment rather than a permanent job, Harry Styles figures taking pictures of the decrepit building could be a great new creative project. Or at least a much-needed distraction while he searches for a job and crashes at his parents’ new house. No one warned him about the apparitions though; about the music, the laughter, the people who flicker and vanish when you call after them, the echoes of a past that should be long gone… Harry has never believed in spirits but even he can admit that there’s something weird going on. What starts as mere curiosity evolves into a full-blown investigation and soon enough, Harry finds himself making friends with an aristocrat from the 1920s and struggling with finding the best way to tell him that he’s dead.

The Ghost Hunter AU where Niall lives to prove ghosts are real, Zayn is a skeptical librarian and Harry gets caught up in a century-old mystery and catches feeling in the process.

Landslide (143k)

The year is 1976. In November, Jimmy Carter will take control of the White House. Americans are meeting Laverne & Shirley at their apartment in Milwaukee. Hotel California diverges from the reign of Kool & the Gang. And the FBI is still reeling from the repercussions of Watergate, the tragedy at Wounded Knee, Operation Family Secrets, and the strategic terrors of the anti-cult movement.

That's what Special Agent Harry Styles has been told is the basis of his mission to an abandoned farmhouse in rural New Hampshire.

With his hair grown out long and his shirt untucked, he's going undercover to do reconnaissance on suspected cult leader Louis Tomlinson, who has led a group of people out into the middle of nowhere, leaving no record of the life he'd had before. All Harry knows is what the agency gave him: Tomlinson's name, and instructions to figure out what he's doing with the eleven people he brought with him.

In the year that Harry spends undercover and under Louis Tomlinson's wing, he learns more than he ever expected.

Love Endless (series; 3 completed works/1WIP; 696k)

The year is groovy 1973, and eighteen-year-old Louis Tomlinson is perhaps the gayest teen to ever grace the gloomy, hateful town of Fortwright. Would be fine if he wasn't so viciously bullied at both home and school for such a "harmful" sexual preference.

Yeah, yeah, we've all heard this story, haven't we?

Believe him, Louis didn't think he was anything special either.

Until he found the mansion. The notoriously haunted mansion hidden deep within the forests of his tiny blip of a town in Bumfuck Nowhere, Idaho. No one with a brain ever goes near it, but Louis could use a little excitement in his life...and possibly a Band-Aid or two.

After discovering the mansion was less abandoned than he'd thought, he's now left with the most riveting mystery of a lifetime; every new finding leaving him with more questions. Who is this elusive owner, and why won't they show themselves? Why is there a set of journals in the same handwriting that span over centuries? Why in the world is there a padlock on the refrigerator...and who the hell is Alexander?

#larry stylinson #larry fic rec #larry stylinson fic rec #stylinsonlibrary #historical #masterpost

[kittynightterrors]

Hello, since I’m about to drop a story with this bastard it’s time I introduce an OC! You’ll find him and another look like Dylan. It’s left over from RP days. Sue me.

Before I get into the fun stuff I should probably give a bit of backstory. I was/am a very big RPer, and often times I would take who I was RPing at the time and just bend them into an AU. So Talib is born from the idea of Stiles being a villain in the Nolanverse. He’s not a genderbend of Talia, but rather a replacement of her? She exists, but almost like a mother to him than anything. So for this, he was the child in the Pit. If that makes sense. Anyway, who needs canon?

Full Name: Talib al Ghul

Reason for name: Talib means student so combined with his last name he’s the Student of the Ghoul. NGL, always figured that ... uh R’as would name his kid some stupid shit. Nickname: Genim “Stiles” Stilinski Reason for nickname: Talib could not intern under Mr. Fox with his given name, so when his paper work for forged he came up with an American name. One that wasn’t too terribly fake sounding. Age: He has no idea, but he would guess early to mid twenties. Sex: Male Place of Birth: The Pit Birthday: Unknown. Currently living in: Gotham, specifically Wayne Enterprises Occupation: Former intern at Wayne Enterprises, current prince of Gotham Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Social Status: Feared Relationship Status: Bedding the Masked Man

Appearance

Body Build: Lean muscular Height: 5′11″ Weight: 150 lbs Skin color: Pale Distinguishing Features: Moles and freckles everywhere

Mental/Emotional State

Archetype: Villain I guess, if that’s an archetype Act before thinking/Think before acting?: A mixture of both, when someone actually gets under his skin he will act before thinking. Emotion-wise, generally: Generally, Talib is very level headed, but can air on the side of manic a lot of the time. The longer he stays in power over Gotham, however, the more his mental state starts to degrade.

Conversation

Swears?: Not really. Cussing had only been used to establish dominance among henchmen when he first came to Gotham. Now that he’s in the position he’s in, he has all but dropped them from his vocabulary.

Strengths/Weaknesses

Strengths: Talib is skilled in hand to hand combat as well as small fire arms. 

Weakness: Hard to say, he’s not the most trusting person in the world. If that’s a weakness or not, only time will tell.

Secrets:

If he was honest with himself, he’d like to imagine a world where he could live a normal life. He’s seen the movies and books, seen what a teenager is supposed to do. There’s supposed to be romance and heartbreak, school and not.. not this. Not murder and running Gotham. It’s nice, but is this really a life? He didn’t think it was, but it made his father happy, it made Bane and Barsad happy. So, it must make him happy, right?

Fears:

Revolt. He knows it’ll happen, whether it’s from Gotham’s citizens, from his own henchmen, or the other nut bags lurking the streets beneath Wayne Tower. His time is running out, and he knows it’ll end bloody. 

Dreams/Goals

He’s surpassed his goal of killing Batman and controlling Gotham. It was easier than he had expected honestly. Once Gotham’s symbol of Justice was gone the whole city seemed to crumble. Even when John Blake had tried to step up and take his place it was easy to clip the Bird’s wings.

Relationships

Family:

R’as al Ghul - His father, his teacher. Their relationship was strained for many years after the rescue from the Pit, having only had Bane in his life for his whole life. It took some coercion, but finally they started to get along; to a point. R’as would push Bane out of the League of Shadows, too concerned with his own mistakes to see how much Talib needed Bane in his life. When the man died trying desperately to kill off Batman, Talib wouldn’t so much as shed a tear; though he’s convinced his father watches his every move.

Talia al Ghul - Somewhere between a mother and a sister, Talia would be at Talib’s side when R’as would go to hard on the boy’s training. She would patch his wounds and hold the boy when he couldn’t sleep at night. After Bane’s banishment Talia took over the role of “parental” figure. It made her own abandonment of the League that much harder. To this day, Talib harbors no ill will towards Talia. He hopes she’s happy and safe, and he wonders if he should have left with her.

Love interest:

Bane - The time of Bane’s banishment was a living hell for Talib, and the young boy had never realized how much he depended on the large man. When R’as died and the League was given to a Talib, he did everything he could to find Bane. This time, it would be his turn to protect him!  Somehow in Talib’s fucked up life, Bane went from being a parental figure to being a lover. He didn’t know when it happened or how. He knew it should be disgusting, but it was right to them. No one really knew Talib like Bane did. It had been them for so long, and even after the Pit it still felt mostly like them.

Friends/Allies:

Barsad -  The man with the red scarf. Barsad entered into Talib’s life under interesting circumstances; from his understanding he was a mercenary who owed the wrong people money.  He wanted to pay off his debts as quickly as possible and return to a normal life. Normally, Barsad would not bite the hand that feeds him, but when he saw how the League, specifically R’as, would just wallop on Talib he had to speak up. For all intents and purposes, Talib was still just a child, and training him to the point of vomiting would do him no good. He would dote on the boy, often smuggling in books and movies for him to be as much of a child as possible. The time between Talia leaving and Bane being found Barsad would be another proxy parent to Talib.

John Blake - The little bird. After the fall of Batman, John tried his hardest to take down The Masked Man. He had not been prepared for, what looked like, a kid to be running Gotham. A kid who had infiltrated Wayne Enterprises from the inside, posing as a bright eyed intern, just wanting to learn from the best company in the world! It was laughable really, that John had tried so hard, and got absolutely nowhere in his pathetic attempt to save Gotham. It took some time, but John was able to be molded into a pretty little lap dog for Talib.

Enemies:

Batman - Bruce Wayne, billionaire, playboy, Batman. He was what was keeping the criminals of Gotham at bay. Talib wasn’t quite sure why they needed Batman dead, but his brief stint as Wayne Enterprises intern made Talib want their tech. So, why not just kill Bruce and rob them blind? The fanatical obsession with taking over Gotham never really stuck with Talib, not like it had with his father. Something about greed being the root of evil or something. Still, he played his part, and took down the Batman with surprising ease. Bruce had been so surprised to see his little intern had been in control of The Masked Man. It was a little sad to see, really. Millions of people had faith in some hero that was too stupid to see the enemy in his face, and once that hero fell everything else fell with it. 

The Joker - Something about the Clown is just unsettling. After the fall of Gotham, most of the villains had at least tried to kiss Talib’s ass one way or another, but the Joker had just disappeared from Arkham without a trace. He’s still around, lurking in the shadows, though. His calling card has been left on the corpses of Talib’s men.

Unnamed Vigilante - Someone’s gunning for Talib, but no one knows if he’s a villain, a hero, someone with a death wish, or what. All they know is he’s strapped with one too many guns and runs around in a red mask like an idiot. 

Trivia

Fun fact, my stories will Talib will be released backwards??? Since he’s from an RP I’ll basically be transcribing old RPs into a fic format and making it more palatable, if that’s hunky dory with my partner. If not then you guys will get new content that’s completely out of order :D

The secret stems from my RP partner and I having a like “human” au, where like Gotham is just a normal city and Bruce is just a billionaire. They get to live “normal” lives where murder isn’t.... as involved, at least not on Talib’s end. It is on Bane and R’as end. 

This is also the most thought I’ve actually put into Talib, and wow he has feelings. what is this???

This is the result of people letting me do fuckin’ crossovers.

#original characters #Gotham is in Ashes #My smol bean. I gave him feelings and hurt myself in the fuckin' process. OOPS.

[kingarmorking]

feral rei au word vomit aka rei trivia

has an affinity for ghost type pokemon since he was raised by hisuian zoroark

rei does walk upright but slouches a lot at first. after meeting up with akari and spending more time with humans, his posture gets marginally better but he still has a slight hunch

he starts with cyndaquil but it doesnt evolve into a quilava after a confrontation with melli (it aint pretty but i have to think more about that) and then into typhlosion when kamado banishes him

as stated previously none of his pokemon are “officially” captured by him with the exception of cyndaquil since that was given to him

rei doesnt know how to speak at first, after reintegrating to jubilife as a member of the corp akari and laventon both spent a lot of time helping him learn

he does know how to communicate with pokemon, less so with words and moreso with body language

hes much more empathetic towards the noble pokemon and ends up really exhausted after each one

when he does learn how to speak hes selectively mute and speaks primarily through sign language of which he learns through volo

volo ofc thought he was interesting from the start and, from his time as a merchant, learned sign language and figured thatd be easier for him to communicate (he was absolutely right and rei picked up on it very quickly)

rei ends up really liking volo after that (so you can only imagine post game rei)

hes got a bunch of scars littering his body, the majority are small but some are larger

the baneful fox mask was a gift from his zorua sibling (the one he befriended as a baby) absolutely just swiped the thing from someone

the pearl clan had... vague knowledge of rei? they didnt know he was human though since he never got close enough to their settlement and if they tried to get close to him theyd have an extremely protective zoroark on their asses. just rumors about him

he remembers absolutely nothing of his original time nor his time in jubilife as a baby (cyllene and laventon were shellshocked when akari brought him back years later)

i wanna say ingo shows up around when rei is 10ish? rei finds him unconscious and, since zoroark didnt want anything to do with him, lead the pearl clan to him

ingo figures out it was him once he meets up with him at 15, reis happy to see he ended up alright

#pokemon #pla #pokemon legends arceus #legends arceus #pokemon legends rei #pokemon au #king talks #feral rei au

[that1nkyone]

Baneful Fox Mask AU.

hey i had a silly thought for an AU that I am not writing out as a full fic because it is basically Spectrum except Submas style instead of the Undertale Skelebros.

Bros with beastly amnesia angst? Check.

Kid in need of Uncle Figures? Check.

Cool Werewolf Fights? Check.

Anyway I wrote out a whole summary of the plot because there was one scene in the finale that I thought justified it. Also Rei/Lucas gets to be the protag here because Dawn's over in the Distortion World AU.

SPECTRUM... 2!!

In the Alabaster Icelands, after a Space Time Rift, a deal takes place.

The Baneful Fox himself stands over a decrepit and injured Emmet, who has also been displaced through time to try finding his brother. Emmet is on his last legs, and perhaps at the end of the line. But Zoroark senses something interesting about him - something that could make him useful.

He offers a deal to Emmet, as a Fox Mask appears in his claws and clatters to the ground. Serve Zoroark as his eyes and ears, as his peon - and he will be reunited with whom he's been searching for. Zoroark grins as Emmet slowly picks up the mask - he always knows to employ people when they're at their most desperate, as they'll overlook the details.

But before Emmet lifts the mask to his face, he pauses.

"I have... one condition." he says.

We cut to a day later. Rei and Ingo are having a fierce battle with one another in Jubilife. It seems to be Rei's victory - until Ingo employs a sneaky tactic and defeats him. Rei complains about being very close, but Ingo congratulates him, nonetheless.

Ingo checks the sun, and realises he needs to keep on schedule. He had to meet with Lady Sneasler to give her some offerings. Rei nods, realising he needs to go and fill out more Pokedex pages.

Ingo realises that there's a lot of scuff marks and bruises on the boy. He asks if Rei's been performing maintenance, and Rei waves him off, saying he can handle dealing with Alphas. Ingo reprimands him - 'safety first,' after all. He takes him to Pesselle, with Rei complaining that they'll both be late for their respective tasks.

After that's done, Rei tells Ingo that he doesn't need to hover over him so much. Ingo takes this advice in, and apologises. Rei suddenly feels a little awkward and says it's fine - he's just a little embarrassed. He doesn't like being fussed over.

When Ingo finally leaves the village, he's struck by a dizzy spell. It takes him a moment to recover, and he continues - but unbeknownst to him, there is a flicker of red in his eyes.

He makes it to the Coronet Highlands, where he meets with Lady Sneasler and hands over her offerings. He is also Designated Babysitter, as many Sneaslets start clambering all over him.

However, as he's caring for the Sneaslet's, Lady Sneasler notices something is wrong with Ingo. He suffers a second dizzy spell and sits down - though Sneasler lifts his head up and studies his eyes like a stern grandmother.

Ingo admits he's not used to being fussed over, either. However, the look in Sneasler's eyes grows serious. She gives a small growl, and all the Sneaslets clamber off of him at once, albeit hesitantly - one clings to his arm with a whine. Ingo asks what the matter is, only to suffer a proper headache this time, his mind growing foggy. He is prevented from falling over by Sneasler, who hands him an Aspear berry. He eats some, and the sourness snaps him out of his haze.

Ingo then decides it's time to see Calaba - as he may be suffering from some sort of affliction. Meanwhile, Lady Sneasler climbs up Mt Coronet with a determined expression - something is wrong with her Warden, and she's getting to the bottom of it. But first, she's putting her kits away.

Calaba, upon seeing Ingo, becomes grave as soon as she figures out what's happening. She removes Ingo's hat and shows him his facial reflection - his ears and teeth are becoming pointed, there's red patterns beneath his eyes, and a ring of red seems to be centering around his pupils.

Ingo, suddenly very nervous, asks what's happening to him. Calaba explains that he seems to be in the thrall of a Zoroark. She has only seen two cases like his - one ended in the afflicted disappearing forever, and the second was a very lucky case where the afflicted was freed - however, suffered gaps in their memory for the rest of their life. It is very powerful magic.

This strikes Ingo, hard - as he's upset that he may lose his memory all over again. He admits he doesn't remember seeing a Zoroark for a long time. Calaba explains that perhaps he was tricked by a clever Zoroark in disguise - though there is one other way he could have been affected. Before she can explain, another dizzy spell hits Ingo, and Calaba keeps him steady. She patiently explains that he is now a danger to the Clan. He will need to leave soon, as Zoroark will assert itself more and more over time.

Ingo sees that his hands have now grown claws, though Calaba remarks offhandedly that she wasn't expecting to see black fur. She tells Ingo that she will inform the clan of everything - and that if they can, they will find a way to retrieve him.

The defeated Ingo removes his coat and Warden's Bracelet as well, and says that he can't ask them to risk their lives any more than they already have. He asks Calaba to give Irida, Lady Sneasler, the Clan, Zisu and Rei his regards.

In the Alabaster Icelands, Rei is battling an Alpha Glalie. He manages to catch it by the skin of his teeth, though after a couple close calls, starts to wonder if Ingo was right and if he really is pushing it.

It's here where he spots a man, trudging through the snow. He believes it's just another member of the Pearl Clan - but coming up close, he realises it's Ingo. His eyes are very glazed over, and he looks completely out of it.

Rei asks Ingo what he's doing out there. Ingo looks at him in confusion for a few moments, before snapping out of his daze and telling Rei to take a detour around him. It's here where Rei sees the claws and the slight changes in Ingo's appearance. Suddenly afraid, he asks what's happening to him.

There is a strike in the snow and a loud bellow that only an Alpha Pokemon can give. Rei is thrown off his feet and he watches as a massive Hisuian Zoroark approaches.

He watches was Ingo's own eyes flash red, and a change rolls through his body all at once. A red light constricts him, and he is changed into a second Zoroark - though one with pitch black fur and red streaks. His eyes remain glowing red and soulless, while the large Hisuian Zoroark lunges for Rei with a howl. Knowing that he's out of usable Pokemon thanks to the Glalie, Rei throws down a smoke bomb and disappears into the Icelands.

Rei comes up to the Pearl village, which is in an uproar. He quickly learns the situation with Ingo, and how he's now in the Zoroark's thrall. When asked if he saw Ingo, a shaken Rei confirms what he's seen and drops to his knees, stunned. Irida is taking this particularly hard but saving face.

Meanwhile, Zoroark!Ingo is put to work. He sets up a distraction for a herd of Mamoswine as the Baneful!Zoroark grabs his prey and feasts. Zoroark Ingo remembers nothing at this point, not even his name. Only to follow Baneful's commands.

Baneful comments that he never thought he'd end up with two servants for the price of one fool. He leaves Ingo to his own devices and tells Ingo to deal with any intruders in his domain, which allows Ingo's haze to go away. Still, Ingo is left without much to go on. Instead of eating any Mamoswine, he goes to the forest and simply eats some berries and mushrooms.

It's at this point, Rei has made his way up to the caverns of the Alabaster Icelands, out of determination. He seeks to find Ingo, and find a way to get through to him.

While he comes across many wild Pokemon, he also runs into an Alpha Frosslass. While he manages to keep her at bay with Typhlosion, he realises he's being ganged up on by Zorua, who are using Bitter Malice on him.

It's when he's close to fainting that a loud roar occurs and the Frosslass is struck down. She retreats, the Zorua scampering with her.

Rei realises that a black Zoroark is now towering over him. Rei is afraid at first, but then notices that instead of the glowing red eyes he had before, this Zoroark has Ingo's regular silver eyes. Excited, Rei quickly stands up and calls Ingo by name, stating that he's glad that he's safe.

However, Ingo tilts his head in confusion. His voice telepathically comes through - wondering aloud why a human Kit is here.

Rei's face falls, and he tries to get Ingo to remember - their battle this morning, being fussed over, their first battle together - how they're both displaced in time. None of these get the intended response from Ingo, who only continues to stare in confusion.

Rei doesn't realise he's crying until Ingo comes forward and wipes away his tears with his claws. Ingo remarks that Rei is upset, and he can't allow that. Rei, still stricken, hugs Ingo as tightly as he can. He feels gentle claws stiffly pat his back.

"... Did I forget something?"

Rei withdraws to see Ingo's eyes. They have become notably sad.

"...Forgetting feels... familiar."

It's upon hearing a growl from the other room that Ingo snaps to attention. He nudges Rei down a corridor, remarking it's not safe here for humans. He will guide Rei to the exit.

A fresh bout of tears comes from Rei as he follows Ingo - but as they reach the exit, the Baneful Fox looms over them both. Rei watches as Ingo's silver eyes grow bright red, and Baneful commands him to go after Rei.

As Rei races in the opposite direction with Ingo in hot pursuit, he ends up at a dead end. He keeps a hand on one of his Pokeballs, though notes that Typhlosion is still very tired from his last battle.

It's only when Ingo slams his claw down into the ice and misses Rei completely, that Rei realises something odd. Ingo's voice is much more guttural and snarling, but he manages to say that he's gone the wrong way.

"R... reroute... down. Another... exit..."

He snarls at Rei.

"GO."

Rei needs no more encouragement. He bolts away and sure enough, there's another exit where Ingo said it would be. He summons Braviary with a fierce determination - he now knows that Ingo is in there, somewhere, and he's not giving up on him.

Baneful comes across Ingo, who is struggling to snap himself out of his state. He is knocked aside and reprimanded for letting his prey get away. Ingo quietly states that he did pursue. He never asked him to kill the human. Baneful snarls and lets him stagger away - quietly wondering if getting two strange servants was more trouble than it was worth.

Rei returns to the Pearl Village with news of what he's seen. Irida keeps the news only to herself and Calaba - she does not want to give everyone false hope, and she suspects the Zoroark may be tricking Rei into trusting him. Rei points out that Ingo had every opportunity to kill him, and chose not to.

It still brings up the question how Ingo was enthralled in the first place. Calaba finally mentions a way it could have happened without Ingo seeing a Zoroark - someone whose soul was closely linked to his own may have been enthralled. The result would be the curse spreading to Ingo's own soul.

Irida states that it can't be possible - if Ingo is displaced through space and time like Rei, there probably isn't anyone here with that connection. Calaba comments that strange things have happened as of recent - it could very well have resulted in someone from Ingo's world coming through the rifts.

Rei takes in this new information with interest. He moves to go back out, but Calaba states he's been running around nonstop for the past couple days. Rei's about to stubbornly push on, but he recalls Ingo's words about maintenance, and reluctantly agrees that both he and his Pokemon need a rest.

Meanwhile, Ingo is in the snow forest. He is eating a Sitrus berry after being knocked down by Baneful, and is thinking hard about the human Kit he encountered. He is deeply troubled that the boy, 'Rei' seemed to know him and who he was while he didn't have a clue. He continues to eat the berry, trying not to think much more about it.

It's here when he notices another presence, up in a tree next to him. Another Hisuian Zoroark - smaller than Baneful, however - is perched on a branch. He cheerily asks Ingo what he's eating.

Ingo stands up in a defensive position. He states firmly that no other intruders are meant to be in Baneful's domain.

The other Zoroark explains that he also works for Baneful. Perpetually smiling and dropping from the branch, he wonders if Ingo is playing a trick on him.

Ingo and the Smiling Zoroark stare each other down for a few moments, before Ingo concedes he did hear Baneful mention a second servant. The Smiling Zoroark scoffs and says that he wished for a fight. Ingo finds that he doesn't really mind the idea, but he doesn't feel very inclined to do so, right now.

The Smiling Zoroark nears him. He states that he smells something familiar. Ingo politely goes through the berries he's gathered - and is amused when the Smiling Zoroark flinches away at flavours that are particularly strong.

It's here where Ingo also feels like he smells something familiar. But it's the Smiling Zoroark who sniffs his head, and studies him intently. Whatever traces of red in the Smiling Zoroark's eyes fades into silver. His expression changes.

"I've... I found you."

Ingo is enveloped into a crushing hug.

"I've found you... I've found you!! I finally found you!!"

Ingo is hit with a sudden wave of familiarity. The smell, the voice - the force of the hug. Both Zoroarks project a small illusion with the intensity of their emotions - a strange underground structure, hands and arms in the place of their claws, coats the colours of their current fur.

Ingo squeezes back the other Zoroark as the illusion disappates, and mournfully realises that he's forgotten so much. He doesn't know who this Zoroark is - only that he should not have forgotten.

The Smiling Zoroark pushes him away, confessing that has a terrible feeling that this is all his fault. Smiling doesn't know what he did, what he promised - not even his name or who he was looking for. He just remembers making a deal with Baneful. He just knew that there was someone he wished to see again, and he was so very desperate to make it happen, no matter what.

Ingo is stricken by the fact that neither of them really know who the other is - what relation they are, nothing. Just that one was desperately looking for the other. He apologises, trying to keep his composure - but the other Zoroark watches him, startled.

"You are crying."

Ingo realises that he can't stop the tears. He's frustrated, but he can't bring himself to be angry at Smiling - instead he blames himself for forgetting everything important. And so easily, too - he feels like he shouldn't. He's very lost. He doesn't know where his destination is, and he fears others are following after him down this dangerous path.

Smiling nips him in the paw, telling him to stop. He will not allow that thinking. This was not Ingo's fault. It's frustrating, of course, but he refuses to allow Ingo to blame himself. They are together now, at least. Even if the Baneful Fox is using them, they will figure things out from here. Even if they are lost now, they will find a way forward.

He takes Ingo to his den, and curls around him tightly. Ingo, realising how reassuring this contact is, rests his head on his back. They both drift off to sleep.

The following day, Rei comes back to the caverns where he saw Ingo as a Zoroark. He's wearing a snow visor to protect himself from being enthralled, just in case. It isn't long before a Zorua tries to pick a fight with him.

Before Zorua can attack however, it is scooped up by another Hisuian Zoroark. Initially fearing that he's been ambushed again, Rei throws a Pokeball at him.

It's batted away.

"That's not nice."

Rei is started when Zoroark speaks to him through his mind. He lowers the Pokeball, realising that this is not the same Zoroark who commanded Ingo to chase him.

"Rei! You've returned!"

Rei sees Ingo approach, wide-eyed. He states again that it's not safe for Rei to be here, but Rei holds his ground. He wants to know more about Zoroark, and the spell they're both under. He wants to help them both return to normal.

Ingo shakes his head, saying it is unsafe. But the Smiling Zoroark sniffs Rei's head.

"You are serious. Verrrry serious."

Something about that makes Ingo blink. But they hear a small growl and see that two Hisuian Zorua are now tugging at Rei's pants ankle. They want to eat him.

Ingo corrals them away, saying that humans are not for eating. He asks what kinds of berries they like.

Out pop a few hungry Zorua, eager to eat something new. They remark that they don't really need to eat, already being half-dead - but food is nice, and they feel starvation.

The Smiling Zoroark asks if anyone feeds them. They say that they used to be fed by their Mom, but she disappeared. The Baneful Fox was one of their siblings, and he recently evolved with the intent of bringing down the village that he suspects took away their mother.

Ingo and the Smiling Zoroark provide them with many berries, and their wisps of spite shrink down. Rei even provides small pets for some of the braver Zorua.

He asks the Smiling Zoroark if he remembers his name. The Zoroark shakes his head sadly - he only knows that the circumstances they're in are his fault. He found who he was looking for, but they are trapped. He remembers making a deal, but he doesn't remember exactly what his terms and conditions were - Baneful took away those memories, so there's no way to tell if the deal was broken, or whether Baneful is honoring it.

Ingo comments that he wishes memories were not so easily taken away. Rei points out that when he'd first met Ingo, he stated that while his memories may be missing, much still lives on in his heart. He thinks the same thing is happening to Ingo now - there seems to be a part of him that lives on.

This heartens Ingo a little. He hands Rei a berry, a small smile on his features. Smiling remarks that he doesn't remember seeing one pop up so often on Ingo's face. He tells Rei that he trusts him to help the duo.

As the sun begins to set, the trio head back to the entrance of the cave. Ingo scouts ahead at first to see if Baneful is there - but the coast is clear. The Smiling Zoroark tells Rei that he trusts his skill, but if he is in danger to always remember Safety First. He hesitates on that sentence a moment, wondering why it feels especially important right now.

It's not long after Rei departs that the two Zoroark find themselves face to face with Baneful. He is enraged that they have willingly let a human get away, and whether they really are worth keeping around. They're under his thrall, and they should do as he says - and they are going to destroy the Pearl Village tonight!

Ingo and the Smiling Zoroark have no time to react as their eyes glow red, and they are placed under Baneful's control.

Meanwhile, Rei returns to Pearl Village. He's met the person who was enthralled by Zoroark in the first place - perhaps Calaba will know what to do from there.

It's here when there's a sudden howl in the distance. Irida emerges, with Rei running up to her. They see three Zoroark in the distance - one towering over the other two. All three of them have glowing red eyes.

Irida's shoulders slump. She knows one of them must be the enthralled Ingo. Rei realises that the Baneful Fox intends to destroy the village - and they must keep them away from there before they start using their illusions to distract and terrorise the townfolks before they attack.

Rei charges out on Lord Wyrdeer to the trio. But as he gets closer, the images vanish. The Smiling Zoroark bursts from the snow, snarling at Rei to fight him.

Rei engages by sending out Typhlosion, but hears a yell from afar. Irida is engaging in battle with Ingo, who has snuck up to the village while Rei was distracted. Irida keeps her cool, telling Glaceon to defend the village. Ingo engages, striking back.

Rei realises that Baneful is using them as a distraction. He withdraws Typhlosion and charges back to the village, the Smiling Zoroark in hot pursuit.

Glaceon manages to barely stave off Ingo's attacks, as Irida makes an attempt to get through to him. She reminds him that he is Sneasler's Warden, that he is of the Pearl Clan. This gives Ingo some pause, but he focuses back on the fight itself.

Rei arrives, sending out Typhlosion to counter the other Zoroark. A well placed Hex sends the white Zoroark flying back. He gets back up with a grin, demanding they fight again!

Rei realises that both Zoroark are becoming more coordinated in their attacks. They seem to almost mirror and correspond with one another. It doesn't take long for Irida to realise the other Zoroark is the first enthralled person.

A heavy coordinated hit strikes down both Glaceon and Typhlosion. Baneful finally appears on the scene, and commands the two to start tearing the trainers apart.

The two approach, with their glowing red eyes. Irida takes a step back, but Rei stands his ground as Ingo leans forward and sniffs his head.

"Kit..."

Ingo, eyes still blazing red, turns to face Baneful and places a claw out to shield Rei.

"Not possible. Will not. Can not."

The Smiling Zoroark huffs, also holding out a claw to shield Rei.

"Wanted fight. Got fight. Enough. Safety First."

Baneful is startled, and then furious. The watching Rei and Irida - and now Calaba who is oberving this exchange, witness him roaring at both Zoroark.

"I commanded you! Rip them all to shreds! We had a deal!"

Both Zoroark wince, their eyes flickering. They both refuse, again.

The Baneful Fox strikes at Ingo in his fury. Ingo staggers back, but the Smiling Zoroark gives a terrifying roar and leaps at him in return. While Baneful and Smiling are battling in the snow, Rei rushes to Ingo, potion at the ready. Irida follows after, eyes lighting up as even the wild Ingo looks to Rei. He sees a cut on his forehead and licks it.

"I'm fine. Stop fussing." the boy mumbles.

Irida allows herself to be hopeful that Ingo is indeed still in there. Calaba approaches from the side, watching intently. Ingo gets to his feet, blinking slowly as the red manages to leave his eyes. He looks down at Rei, then up, startled at the fight unfolding in the snow.

The Smiling Zoroark is thrown down into the snow with a yelp. Baneful roars at him and lunges forward - only for both Typhlosion and Ingo to charge forward and smack him away. The trio fight as hard as they can to take down Baneful before he uses an illusion to vanish.

He taunts them, replaying a certain moment in history. Ingo and the Smiling Zoroark see a man in white, standing tall. His face is blurred, but he is smiling - picking up a magical fox mask that has clattered at his feet. He raises it to his face, and red surrounds him, shifting him into the Smiling Zoroark.

Baneful states that it's his fault that they're in this situation - but also complains that he thought he was getting a good deal. Two souls for the price of one! He never thought they'd be so principled enough to just disregard orders! Even when Smiling had nothing more to lose!

Ingo stares at Smiling, whose gaze is fixed on the ground. He asks Smiling if he really made such a deal so thoughtlessly. Smiling remarks that he doesn't remember.

Ingo says it doesn't matter, either way. He remarks that Baneful sought to lead Smiling astray. But Baneful seems to have failed to completely derail him.

Smiling's head snaps up at that. The illusion around them flickers.

"You took away my memories." he mutters. "But... but this isn't how it went."

Baneful frowns. Smiling looks up at him, as the illusion changes. The man dressed in white is collapsed to the ground, coat tattered. On his last legs. His face is still blurred, but he is staring at the offered fox mask clutched in his hands.

"We made a deal. I made a bad deal, in the end... but..."

The man's voice is heard. "I have... one condition. Safety first, and always. I will not give that up. I won't help you hinder or stop anyone's journey."

The whole group realise that the deal has long since been broken. Even if Smiling had refused to harm others, rendering the deal null and void, his connection to Ingo had placed another in harm's way - hindering Ingo completely.

Baneful is angry, saying that it shouldn't have mattered if he'd removed his memories. He wasn't expecting two lost humans to stick so closely to their core selves.

Ingo and Smiling, however, are silently enraged. Rei notices the aura surrounding the two of them, and he quickly withdraws Typhlosion from the fight.

Both Zoroark go absolutely ballistic on Baneful. Their attacks are coordinated. Their motions mirror one another. Even when Baneful tanks their hits, he roars out in frustration, telling them to stay still.

However, he is suddenly surrounded by the illusion of darkness. Baneful looks around, mocking their cheap attempt at scaring him - and then he sees two lights in the distance. They speed towards them as a loud train horn sounds. Baneful has No Idea what's coming up to him and he staggers back with a cry.

The speeding train disappates to reveal both Ingo and Smiling striking him with all the force they can muster. The illusion vanishes, and they both buckle to the ground, exhausted.

They realise, to their disdain, that Baneful is still barely standing. However, before he can strike them both, he is slashed in the back, causing him to collapse. He snarls at his assailant - only to realise it's Lady Sneasler.

Ingo doesn't recognise her, but knows she's important, and that they owe her their lives. He gives a polite bow and Smiling does the same. Lady Sneasler calls them both dorks, as Rei, Irida and Calaba rush over to the Pokemon.

She snarls at Baneful for trying to take away her Warden. Baneful is actually quite terrified now, realising that the repurcussions of his actions are now in the hands of one of the Ten Nobles.

Ingo remarks he didn't know he was a Warden. Sneasler smiles at him, stating that she should know - she picked him well. One of the Sneaslets jumps out of her basket and comes up to cling to Ingo's arm, again.

Sneasler states that not only did Baneful not uphold his end of the bargain, he actively continued to use Ingo and Smiling as his lackeys once the deal was broken. If he doesn't release them from his service now, he will have far more to worry about than a group of angry humans.

Baneful hisses, but lowers his head in defeat.

Smiling suddenly feels strange. He paws at his snout, and Rei asks what's wrong. The Zoroark remarks that it's like something's covering his face.

Rei reaches over, feels around the sides of his head, and pulls off a mask. The moment it shifts, Smiling is engulfed in a red light. He collapses, reshaping and reforming until the light fades. Sitting in the fading light is a man dressed in white - the same that was in Baneful's illusion.

Except... he seems to have Ingo's face. Rei blinks, calling him as such in confusion.

"... What? Me? No, I am not Ingo. I am -"

"Emmet."

The group turns. They see Ingo, currently deprived of his jacket and hat, but also restored to his human form. His eyes are wide and glassy.

The other man nods, hesitantly.

"Yes... I am Emmet."

"Y... you are a subway master."

"I am."

"You are my brother!"

"I am!"

"We're - Emmet, we're twins!!"

"We are!!" Emmet lunges forward, wrapping his arms around Ingo.

Ingo tightly hugs him back, tears running down his face.

They remain in a tight hug for a while. Rei smiles broadly, glassy-eyed himself. Irida has a hand to her mouth, and Calaba has a warm smile.

"... no wonder that curse worked so well."

She looks down at the fox mask, and frowns.

"Last time I saw one of these, we had to break it off the afflicted's face." she sighs. "The memory problems started from there."

Baneful is still under the watchful eye of Lady Sneasler, who smiles at the twins' reunion. She then turns to him and snarls.

"... at their hands?" Baneful says. Both twins have risen from their hug, realising there's one last thing to take care of.

Ingo and Emmet realise that they are the ones who will make demands of Baneful, thanks to Sneasler. He could be captured. He could be used as a powerful fighter. Both twins consider this briefly, before deciding on something together.

"The Zorua."

Baneful blinks at this.

"You have siblings back in the caverns. They depend on you." Ingo says. "They wait for you to return. You're the older sibling, now - you must be responsible."

"And don't interrupt the journeys of the Pearl Clan. Or humans who are just lost in your area." Emmet says. "It's verrry rude."

Baneful hisses.

"It's a very large demand." Ingo says. "You were focused on one thing for so long. Changing tracks will be difficult. But you will be capable."

Baneful growls, softly. He hears a small yap from afar, and sees a Zorua approaching him. Baneful turns to meet the little Pokemon, and Lady Sneasler chuckles.

She gives the twins a small salute. She will ensure Baneful holds up his end of the bargain.

As she leaves, Calaba steps forward. She asks them all into her hut, and they all file in. Calaba hands Ingo back his coat, hat and bracelet, which he gratefully accepts. Emmet comments on how messy they are now, but beams when he realises that Ingo held onto them regardless of whether he remembered where they were from - just that they were important.

Irida asks Calaba about the Baneful Fox, and why he was so intent on destroying the Pearl Clan.

"His mother enthralled one of ours." she sighs. "A good man. He never returned to us - but she returned one night in the guise of a human. She did nothing more than live among us."

Ingo and Irida are startled at this.

"We only discovered she was also a Zoroark when she fell ill. She passed in her sleep. It seems her servant still spoke fondly of us, and she wished to know more about the humans she once despised."

"Why didn't you mention this earlier?" Irida asks.

"The Baneful Fox was too enraged to listen." Calaba says, simply. Ingo wonders if Baneful was trying to follow after his mother's path. Emmet flatly states he was being a brat about it.

They wonder what to do with the Fox Mask. Calaba states that even if its connection to the Baneful Fox is severed, it still may have the magical properties within that could transform one into a Zoroark again.

Ingo flatly remarks that he's quite finished with being a Zoroark. Emmet states that he had fun battling, but he's happy to be Emmet.

Rei picks it up, which makes Ingo worried. He accuses Ingo of fussing over him, before remembering that Ingo called him a 'Kit' when he was a Zoroark.

Ingo pulls down the brim of his hat. "Did... I say that?"

Emmet replies that he heard him.

Irida states that he did.

Calaba nods.

Rei just laughs. He says he's not surprised, considering how much he's fussed over - but he thanks Ingo for looking out for him. That's not something he has very often, out here.

Emmet beams at Ingo, and they lean on one another shoulder-to-shoulder in relief. Even if they're now both stuck here for the moment, they're at least in each other's company - and they have Rei, the boy who saved them, and who they will look out for, no matter what.

As a small family forms, another is quietly reunited. The Baneful Fox descends into the den, as a small crowd of Zorua approach to the berries collected in his arms.

A Zoroark raising the kits.

#I play one note and it is angsty Monster Bros being emotional but also being Very Kickass #this is the most teenager thing i have written #this is also a lot lighter and more compact than Spectrum ever was as a story #and i take every liberty out there but fuck it #cringe on main #Pokemon Legends Arceus #submas #Baneful Fox Mask AU

[that1nkyone]

Baneful Fox Mask AU Fic Snippets

Still not writing a full fanfic, but the scenario that takes place after with Rei being banished from Jubilife and taking the Mask with him sorta ended up plaguing me for a little while.

So here's some little snippets from that setting. Lotta hurt/comfort angst, Ingo being a Fretful Uncle Figure and Emmet giving some Wise Words.

Anyway, enjoy!

---

Ingo finally looked at Emmet.

And blinked, slowly.

It was as if his brother wearing a kind of eyeliner. Except a deep red. It was angled similarly to Elesa's style, but... no.

No, there was another thing it reminded him of.

Ingo drew in a breath. His hand rose to his own eye in question. Emmet gave a small nod, a bead of sweat appearing on his head.

The twins didn't always mirror one another, they knew. Time and space apart, and even simply being two different people would lead to such differences. But in this one respect, they seemed to mirror each other perfectly.

"I think we need to go." Emmet said, flatly.

Ingo sighed, pulling the brim of his hat down over his eyes.

"... Indeed. Let me take some things from Zisu's dojo. We don't know how much time we have."

--

"... so, let me get this straight." Adaman said, flatly.

Irida stood close to Ingo and Emmet. Ingo couldn't help but appreciate her concern, but understood that is was experience that brought her to their side. Not blind faith - not what they were asking of Adaman.

"Emmet was enthralled by a Zoroark." Adaman's voice was clipped. "The curse spread to Ingo. The curse was lifted from them both. And you didn't think to destroy the mask in question?"

"Calaba hoped the people at Galaxy Team could study it with our help." Irida said. "Not to use it, but to find ways to help others who end up afflicted."

Adaman's hand was gripping his forehead. "They should've kept that thing under lock and key."

"Rei is a high-ranking Galaxy member." Ingo explained. "He would have found some way to easily access it - whether out of curiosity or desperation."

"Or the professor let him have it." Emmet suggested. "For science."

Adaman peered through the gap in his fingers, staring at both Emmet and Ingo.

"... so, why is it affecting you both again?" he said, cautiously. "Neither of you are the type to wear makeup."

Ingo and Emmet shared a glance. They could already tell that despite their best efforts, the changes had begun to push slightly further than facial markings. Ingo could feel sharpened teeth, and Emmet was doing his best not to fidget with new claws. They appeared and receded every so often. But no full change came, like last time. Just something tugging at the very edge of Ingo's mind.

"We don't know." Emmet said, simply. "When I wore the mask, it only affected Ingo."

Adaman blinked. "... because you were brothers?"

"Calaba mentioned that something similar happened in other cases." Irida said, slowly. "The curse could reach out through souls that were connected to one another. Whether it was a significant other, or a close friend, or even family."

Ingo stilled at that. He felt claws emerge again, and this time he looked down at them. Scarlet red and stark amongst his fingertips.

Adaman's eyes narrowed. But Emmet's smile grew dim.

"... I'm confused. I know you and Rei looked out for one another." he said. "You were both on the same line. But I am Emmet. I took a very different path. I don't think Rei saw me as anyone special."

Ingo blinked, slowly.

"... Rei looks up to you, Emmet." he said, his voice unusually quiet. "He always has, since you arrived. He asks how to talk to you in ways you'd like. He hasn't approached you?"

Emmet's eyes widened. Then, he glanced down, a little sad.

"He has. I didn't realise." he muttered. "... I always hoped we'd get along. He's like us. He likes Pokemon and Battling. He likes talking about whatever comes to mind. He's always listened very well, even if he doesn't know what I'm talking about."

Emmet's gaze hardened. "But he's just a kid. He's doing all this on his own. He shouldn't be. If he's been cast out like this, where is his Station? What's his destination? He can't move forward without knowing that. He'll be lost."

There was a small gasp.

"Emmet?"

Emmet's gaze snapped up. Ingo was staring hard at his brother, next to Adaman and Irida. Realising that all three were suddenly staring at him, Emmet's hands rose to his face. They were also tipped with red claws, now, and Ingo watched as Emmet traced the faint wisps developing in his hair. He felt the pointed tips of his ears.

Emmet closed his eyes. He breathed in, deeply - Ingo realised he was centering himself. The changes receded as he breathed out through his mouth - his sharpened canines blunting once more.

"He cannot be left out there alone." Emmet said, quietly.

--

The four hurried through the cave.

"You think he'd be making illusions?!" Adaman asked as they ran. "Does it come naturally?!"

"It did to me!" Emmet said, keeping up pace. "I tricked Rei once."

Irida groaned. "He'll be even harder to find if that's the case! All we have to go on is the Obsidian Fieldlands! He was last seen here!"

Ingo fought the urge to lower the brim of his hat. Even if Rei was here, he was not recognsably so, anymore. There was a chance they would have to split up soon - but under this red sky, he was starting to wonder if that was a good idea.

Did Rei even want to be found? That was the thought that bothered him most. He could respect one's need for solitude - but Rei was without resources. Without a Station. Were his Pokemon with him?

Was he safe? Was he protected? Who was going to protect him?

Ingo felt that itch at the back of his mind. He knew he had to focus, that he was starting to derail, but it felt stronger than it had ever before.

He was too slow. He was too weak. These weren't thoughts that typically happened to him, but they were getting louder and louder - and his frustration grew. Logically, he knew there was little else he could do right now. He had to stay focused. He couldn't dwell on this.

But he looked back at these thoughts. A presence growing, steadily into himself. Had it always been there? That quiet fury?

It pushed again.

Ingo needed to be faster. Ingo needed to be stronger. He needed to go full speed ahead, with all the force he could muster.

And in the forefront of his mind, Ingo agreed.

He felt a lurch in his gut.

His ears ringing, Ingo fell forward onto the hard rocky ground. The marks around his eyes burned, and he gritted his teeth.

He heard Emmet stagger to a stop, slowly bracing himself against the cave wall.

"Hah..." Emmet sighed, as he slumped to the ground. "Ingo?"

"Yes, Emmet?" Ingo croaked back, starting to shake.

"I don't feel right." his brother growled. "I'm not... I have to be..."

Yellow flashed amongst his eyes. His teeth sharpened as he gave a snarl.

"... I have to be more than this."

Irida and Adaman had stopped their jog, having both turned to see both men collapsed to the ground. They both rushed back, only to skid to a stop as a red aura seeped from the twins' respective forms - and consumed them with a bright red light.

Ingo couldn't see, but he could feel. He pushed himself up as his muscles stretched, his hat dropping to the ground as a familiar pointed muzzle poked out of his face, his jaw stretching out. He could feel his normally-short hair travel down his now-furred back as a long mane. His hands spasmed, then he felt his fingers numb and recede - forming into large paws with three large claws.

He squinted through the rush and agony. He could see Emmet doubled over, hugging at his torso as his own changes rapidly accelerated. His mane was much wavier, befitting of the partial ghost type he was becoming. His ears lengthened, then cocked back as he slammed both completed claws to the ground, snarling in pain.

Ingo made to reach out to him, only to be caught up in his own dizzying changes. He pulled himself up to one knee as he felt his feet and legs reshape. His head dipped low as his claws found some support on the cool and rocky ground.

And finally, as suddenly as it began, he felt the energies leave his form. The changes had mercifully completed, and the blinding red light finally faded from his blurred vision.

For a moment, Ingo's mind was blank. Tired. His body shook for a moment, exhaustion sweeping through him.

"... Warden Ingo?"

Blearily, he looked up. The Leader of the Pearl Clan stood before him - studying him intensely. Seemingly looking for something in his features.

Ingo could see Adaman keeping a few steps back. His eyes were fixed on them, darting back and forth between him and Emmet, who was still kneeling on the floor.

Ingo understood why. The last time such a thing had happened, neither of them had been completely safe to be around.

But it was here when a thought seemed to cut through his exhaustion. Energise him, even.

Ingo's eyes rose to his leader, clear and silver. He gave a slow nod.

"... I am here, Lady Irida." he spoke in his mind.

The relief was visible on her features. Both hands rose to her chest.

"Thank Almighty Sinnoh." she breathed.

Ingo was quick to turn to Emmet, who was shakily lifting himself up on the ground. He gave a very canine shake, which worried Ingo initially. But Emmet's own silver eyes peered over at him when he was done, blinking slowly.

"I... I am Emmet." he said, stunned. "... That's a relief."

---

"Rei, please -"

"It's Lucas."

The boy spoke with such fury - unlike anything Ingo had seen from him before. His surroundings flickered - the living room, the furnishings - the pictures in the frames smeared and distorted.

"It's Lucas." the boy repeated, clenching his fists. "My name is Lucas, and I am home. I'm back in Twinleaf, I'm back in Sinnoh, and I'm not dealing with any of this, anymore."

The blue skies from the outside seemed to flicker, and Lucas shook his head.

"Great. Fine. You ruined it. I gotta focus all over again." he muttered, rubbing at his forehead.

Ingo's chest grew tight.

"Lucas." he said. "You are far off-track. If we leave you here, you'll be in danger! You don't even have any of your Pokemon with you!"

There was a silence.

"You don't think I can do this alone, huh?"

Ingo took a step back. Emmet's eyes flicked to his.

"... That's not what I -"

"Every time. Every time I go out, you always worry. What, do you think I can't handle any of this?!" Lucas turned around to face them, his eyes glowing blue - and the markings of his eyes a harsh red. "You think I'm dumb enough to just get snapped up by a wild Pokemon?! Is that what you think?!"

"No." Emmet said, simply. "You can't handle this on your own."

Ingo's eyes darted over to his brother, shocked.

"Emmet -"

"You wanted us here." his brother continued. "We wouldn't be getting affected by the mask, otherwise."

Lucas froze. Ingo blinked, as a stubborn expression crossed onto his features. The boy was fierce, but uncertain. He was angry - so angry and he had nowhere to direct it but the two men before him.

The illusion of Ingo's crisp, clean coat wavered as he gripped the brim of his hat.

"Could it be that you hoped we would understand?" he asked. "We three, being from the same point in time? That we would leave you to go further astray?

Ingo's eyes grew sharp.

"No. We cannot allow this. As Subway Bosses, we will not allow you to derail yourself any further."

Lucas snarled - and the illusion wavered around them once more.

"No..." he breathed. "No, you don't get it! There's nowhere else I can go!"

Ingo did his best to center himself, though the words had grieved him deeply. With a shaking breath, he stood up tall. He looked at Emmet to his right, and they nodded in tandem.

"... Then make it past us." The illusion dropped as Emmet spoke, revealing the white Zoroark beneath his original form. "Prove that you have performed your safety checks."

"We refuse to leave someone in need." Ingo let his own illusion dissolve, the black Zoroark mirroring his brother's movements. "Please demonstrate that you can make it to your next destination alone, Lucas."

He watched as angered tears started trickling down Lucas' snarling face. And with the power of the Baneful Fox Mask crackling about him, he threw head head back and cried out as the illusion grew dark and chaotic and misshapen.

And Ingo and Emmet stood tall against the torrent as Rei dashed forward with a roar.

---

... It was strange.

Ingo wasn't a very huggy person. But here he was, holding onto this Zorua for dear life. Something in his throat rumbled, and there was a feeling in the back on his mind - protect, shelter... protect.

Ingo pulled Lucas close, gently nuzzling the boy's head. He'd done something similar with Emmet, he realised. He tried to analyse the meaning... but the words came to him simply. Instinct. Family. Protect. Comfort.

Oh, he knew this. He knew this well.

He heard Lucas' voice hitch. He felt the crook between his neck and shoulder grow damp. A soft whine sounded, and claws grabbed into his fur - not to pierce through, just to hold on.

Ingo had never been great with children. He understood them well - he'd been a child once, and he and Emmet had never been ones to turn their backs on those parts of themselves. But when it came down to comfort, his face was usually too 'scary.' When it came down to answering problems or offering advice outside their usual fields, he found he didn't have many answers outside his usual fields of expertise.

Here, it was like the Zoroark he'd become was speaking to him. It blended into his psyche in some way, and he listened well. Ingo was good with words, but Lucas was hurt in a way where words could not help mend, just yet.

So, Ingo held Lucas. He held him as the kit sobbed messily against his fur. He held him as he looked up at the approaching Emmet, who sniffed at Lucas' grey muzzle.

"We are delaying our journey." he said, quietly. "It is time for maintenance. Please stay safe."

Ingo felt the weight of Emmet leaning against his back. He shifted his hold on Lucas, who stubbornly held onto his fur for a moment - only to be weighed down by both Ingo and Emmet, surrounding him in a secure cuddle pile.

Lucas continued to bury his muzzle into Ingo's fur. But he held tight to Emmet as well as he tried to catch his breath, letting out a few more sobs.

His breathing took several minutes to grow steady, and rhythmic. And the illusion around them wavered, and slowly disappeared.

Ingo drew in a deep breath as he took a cursory glance up at the red sky.

That could wait.

Right now... Lucas needed to be looked after.

--

Ingo froze at the figure standing before them.

"... Lady Sneasler." he said, startled. The Pokemon's eyes had grown wide at his approach, but narrowed as she immediately closed the distance between them.

She said nothing at first. Simply sniffed at his face, staring at each eye of his intently. Ingo found it similar to being inspected by a parent - but even if he believed he was far too old such things, he was not about to rebuke the Noble Pokemon's actions.

Finally, Sneasler withdrew. She was still frowning.

"... What mess have you gotten yourself into, now?"

Her gutteral and growling voice startled Ingo. He gave himself a harried reminder that this was not the first time he'd understood her speech - but back then, he had barely remembered who she was. Being sternly spoken to by Sneasler with all his memories intact left him a little lost for words.

"It is complicated." Ingo heard Emmet speak up from his side. "But the circumstances are different."

"I can see that." Sneasler was looking between them, now. "Your eyes are sharp. You don't reek of Thrall."

Her eyes landed down to Ingo's arms, and widened slightly.

"... You have a kit."

Ingo blinked. "Er... yes."

Sneasler knelt down to inspect the Zorua. His eyes were still half-lidded, but they rose to her own. They sparked briefly in recognition, but he remained silent.

Sneasler gave him a small sniff. Her gaze grew fierce.

"You are Rei." she said, quietly.

"You can tell?" Emmet asked, intrigued.

"... he smells too much like a human. You all do." she said, gesturing with her claw. "That Mask is on his face. I smell tears. Too many of them."

Ingo took in a small breath. "It... it will not come off right now, my Lady." he admitted. "We have tried. Rei has, too."

Sneasler remained crouched by Lucas. Ingo wondered if she was about to try pulling off the mask, herself.

Instead, the sharpness of her gaze gave way to something far more gentle. A claw rose, though she seemed to opt to gently pet Lucas' head with a knuckle. The Zorua flinched at first, but then leaned into the petting.

"Where did your strength go, little one?" Sneasler sighed. "What makes you hide like this?"

Ingo shook his head, as Lucas' head seemed to bury itself back into his fur.

"He needs shelter, my Lady. I was hoping we could... if you would allow us to -"

"Without question." Sneasler huffed, standing back up. "My den isn't far. All three of you are staying there to rest. I'm not hearing otherwise."

Lucas shivered in Ingo's hold, and the Zoroark tried to hold him tighter. It was cold out here, with or without fur - but it seemed the Zorua was having trouble keeping warm.

"You are holding him like a human." Sneasler observed. "Give him here."

To Ingo's own surprise, his hackles rose almost automatically. But he at least had the self-awareness to not look Lady Sneasler in the eye. He would not challenge her, but he realised he was hesitant to let go of Lucas.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of those instincts. That was unbecoming of him.

To his surprise, he heard Sneasler's rough chuckle.

"Don't give me that attitude, Kit. I'm giving him straight back."

Ingo looked up to see that she was holding her claws out expectantly. A little too embarrassed to meet her gaze, Ingo handed Rei over.

"I am sorry, my Lady." he said, quietly. Sneasler gently held Lucas, who tiredly looked up at her. Despite her long claws, she was very gentle - the experience she'd had wrangling Sneaslets all the more evident when she cradled him.

"Alright. Stay still, Ingo."

Ingo was surprised to see Lady Sneasler walk around behind him. Before he could turn to face her, he suddenly felt something being pushed into his mane.

That something was small and a little weighty, but it did not pull on his fur in the way he expected. He felt the something squirm a little, as if to make itself comfortable, and then grow still and warm on his back.

Sneasler withdrew from him, claws free.

"I'm surprised you didn't know how a lot of Zoroark carry their young, with the way you were about to stare me down." she said with a small chuckle. "He will be warmer in there. And your claws will be free. Do not shake yourself too hard or he will fall out."

Emmet blinked. "We rarely see Zoroark where we come from." he admitted. "I did not think they carried Zorua like passengers."

---

"What about you?"

Ingo slowly shook his head.

"I... I have faith in him. But I doubt he will see me as reliable."

Sneasler snorted. "And why is that?"

Ingo's gaze hardened.

"... it seems he was keeping much to himself." he said, quietly. "Not unusual for someone his age. I was very much the same."

The Zoroark gave a deep sigh.

"... but he confided in us at his lowest point. And when we had no choice but to intervene..."

Ingo closed his eyes.

"... he has every right to be angry. We took away what was comforting him. It was doing him harm, but... but he fought tooth and claw for that feeling of safety. Jubilife Village cast him out, and I could not give that safety back to him. I -"

Ingo felt a lick on his head. He blinked, startled.

"Strange. You think like a Protector. And yet you have the confidence of a Kit."

---

He felt Ingo shift slightly, below. Rei found he didn't need to hold on very much - the mane kept him secure, and he was far too small to fall straight out.

Rei's eyelids were heavy. His throat was sore from screaming, and crying. He wanted little more than to sleep for days. His body felt too heavy to move.

But he quietly poked his head out of Ingo's mane.

Sneasler's den hadn't changed much - minus the Sneaslets all having fallen asleep in a small pile. He could see Emmet curled up, nearby - and was surprised to see his eyes half-open, staring distantly into the embers of the nearby flames.

His ear twitched.

Rei felt a small pang of irritation of being heard so quickly. But he pulled himself out of Ingo's mane, into a waiting furred arm. Ingo stared down at him, blinking himself awake.

"Hey." Rei said, simply. "Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."

If he'd been speaking with his actual voice, it probably would've sounded very raspy. But Ingo gently brought forward a dish across the ground.

Water. Thank Arceus.

Rei squirmed out of his gentle hold to the bowl, lapping up as much as he could reflexively, before reminding himself to slow down. He found it strange that he knew how to do so immediately in his current form. Maybe that was another part of the mask's magic.

"How are you feeling?" Ingo finally asked. His voice, even mentally, sounded slightly cautious.

Rei turned to face him. "... Tired." he admitted.

"You can't sleep, though." Emmet's voice stated, rather than asked. He hadn't gotten up from his curled up position, but he watched Rei, gaze softening.

"Not really." Rei said, stepping over to the fire. He sat down to face it, alone.

There was a silence for a little while. Rei could feel both pairs of eyes on him, and he bristled. He was suddenly very self-conscious, and why wouldn't he be?

He'd shouted at them both. He'd screamed at them - told them to go away, leave him alone. He'd attacked them. Revealed a side of himself that was ugly and angry and childish - and for a moment, he'd lost himself to that anger.

It wouldn't happen again. He wouldn't let it happen again.

"Let what happen again?"

Rei's ears pricked up, as he realised he'd spoken through his mind. He looked over his shoulder at Ingo, who was still sitting up straight. Giving him some distance.

"... I'm sorry." Rei said. He turned himself around, facing both Ingo and Emmet fully. It must have seemed a little silly - he was so small, now, compared to them. Anything serious he said probably seemed cute or inconsequential.

Still, he tried.

"I'm sorry I acted like a brat." Rei said. "It was stupid. I was stupid. I just... it won't happen again. I won't ever get mad like that again. And I'll get it if you don't wanna see me after all this. I just-"

"Lucas."

Rei's breath hitched. Ingo was staring at him now. And to his surprise, there was a deep sadness in his eyes. It wasn't an expression he'd ever seen him make as a human.

"Lucas, why on Earth would we not want to see you, again?" Ingo said, slowly and deliberately.

Emmet shifted his head on his paws. His usual smile remained, but he suddenly looked very tired.

Rei swallowed.

"I... I hurt you guys." he said. "A-and... and it's my fault you guys are like this, too... And the Mask won't come off... I was stupid - I just ran off without saying anything and - "

"That wasn't smart." Emmet said. "And that wasn't nice."

Ingo's gaze darted to Emmet, as if to reprimand him. But something seemed to stop him, as Emmet's head rose. The sadness was in his eyes, too.

"You are Rei. You are Lucas." he said, simply. "You are angry. You are hurt. You are scared. That's too many things at once. How are you expected to operate smoothly?"

Rei didn't know how, but somehow, he was not out of tears. He felt himself shake, the tears leaving heavy tracks down his fur and plopping to the ground.

He took in a shaking breath, grateful that he didn't need to use his mouth for speaking. But despite that, the voice he projected from his mind was wavering.

"I shouldn't have done any of this." Rei said. "I should've known better. I have to know better."

Ingo, at long last, leaned forward onto his forepaws. He lay down facing Rei, still holding himself back. Still giving him space.

"... do you know how many people are involved in running one locomotive?" Emmet asked, quietly.

Rei blinked in confusion. "... Huh?"

"Two!" Emmet said, simply. "One is an engineer. One is a conductor. Both are important. You can't expect one person to do both at once."

Rei started wiping away the tears with one paw. "... I-I don't get it."

"... he means you shouldn't expect yourself to manage something so large on your own."

Ingo's voice was quieter than usual. His eyes were sharper, now. More certain.

Emmet nodded. "Right! You are trying to be conductor and engineer for a large, multi-car locomotive! That's verrrry tiring. Impossible, even."

Rei bristled, slightly. But Emmet tilted his head.

"I have tried this a few times, before." he said. Both Rei and Ingo looked at him, now.

"... you tried to juggle both our responsibilities when I was ill." Ingo said, flatly. "I thought you knew better than to try that again."

"I did." Emmet said. "But I did it again, anyway. When you ended up here, in Hisui."

Rei swallowed. "... you tried to do everything alone?"

"I did not last long." Emmet said. "I refused to let anyone take the controls from me. And then, I crashed."

There was a pause.

"... that is a metaphor, right Emmet?" Ingo asked, eyes wide in concern.

"I didn't crash a train in the subway." Emmet clarified. "I was just hospitalized from sleep deprivation."

"That's not much better!" Ingo was up on all fours, now. "Why haven't you told me this?!"

"I think I'm ashamed."

Rei blinked. Ingo stared hard at his brother, his eyes suddenly deeply sad.

"It seems like I should've known better." Emmet said. "But I didn't know where you were, Ingo. There was a lot to do. I didn't think clearly. I was conductor. And I was engineer. As long as I was thundering down the rails, I didn't have to think about why that was."

Emmet sighed. "You are Rei. You are Lucas. You are pulling more than you should, to parts unknown. You are trying to be conductor and engineer. Shouldn't you be letting others take one of those roles?"

Rei took in a slow, shaky breath.

"... I didn't think I could." he said, quietly.

Ingo crouched down next to him. His gaze was perhaps more intense than he intended.

"You can." he said. "Perhaps we are not your first choice, Lucas, but we can assist you. We want to help you."

Rei blinked in confusion.

"... my first choice?"

Ingo blinked back.

"You stated that you wished for us to leave you be. That we... That I had no faith in you." he said, slowly. "If... if I have ever made you feel as such, I am truly sorry."

He sighed. "I want to respect your wishes. But I still want you to know that we will be here, should you need us."

And then it clicked to Rei.

Ingo wasn't keeping his distance because he was angry, or disappointed in him. He was giving him space. The space Rei had asked of him.

And Rei crossed it.

He didn't have arms to hug with. Such was the ordeal of being a small quadrupedal fox at the moment. But he buried his head along the side of Ingo's startled face and nuzzled, squeezing out any remaining tears with the motion.

It was instinctual. Rei wondered if the mask had sensed his need to give affection and simply allowed a way to provide it as he was.

"I'm sorry." he said. "I was really angry. I thought you were, too."

He didn't know what the right words were. But he felt two claws gently surround him, pressing against his back before lifting him up to be held against Ingo's chest.

"... Forgive me, Lucas." The Zoroark sighed, nuzzling him back. "I was very worried. It seems I am not good at containing that in this form."

Rei gave a small laugh.

"You've never been good at not worrying, Ingo." came Emmet's voice.

Rei felt Ingo shift a bit, and looked over to see the white Zoroark leaning back against him. The older twin sighed.

"... it appears so." he muttered, thoughtfully. Emmet's silver eyes looked back over to Rei, shining.

"You'll be the conductor of your own journey again, when you are ready." he said, simply. "We'll be your engineers in the meantime. We're a three-car train right now, Lucas. Do you understand?"

Rei found himself nuzzling against against Emmet's snout as it neared, as well. He was a little worried when the White Zoroark seemed to still in response - though was quickly reassured by a gentle lick on his head.

--

"You are far better with words than you credit yourself for, Emmet." Ingo said, quietly.

---

Akari's expression hardened as the two Zoroark approached the camp. She kept her hand to her hip, ready to grab a Pokeball if necessary.

"... You are beaming, Ingo." Emmet observed. Ingo shook his head.

"She's come very far in her journey. I can't help it."

Behind Akari was Professor Laventon, who was wringing his hands. And to his right, to Ingo's surprise, was a familiar-looking Abra.

Was Captain Cyllene aware of what was going on? Was she keeping an eye on them all?

Ingo's thoughts were interrupted as he felt Rei shift on his back. He felt him step onto his shoulder and then leap down on the ground before them.

"I'll go first." Rei said, looking up at them both. "I wanna talk to them."

Ingo nodded. "We'll be behind you."

Emmet's smile grew fond.

Akari's face softened in surprise as the Zorua approached. Rei was much smaller now, but he walked with much more confidence - and he sat down about a metre away from the girl, staring up at her. Giving her space.

Professor Laventon slowly approached. His eyes were fixed on Rei, and Ingo recognised the pained and worried look in his eyes.

He wondered if it was inevitable that the good professor, too, would begin developing Zoroark Markings around his own eyes at this rate.

"... Akari, my girl." he said, slowly. "Do you think..."

Akari looked up at both Ingo and Emmet. They were closer to the camp, now - but they, too, were keeping their distance. Zoroark were dangerous, for good reason. Even their presence was enough to set anyone on edge.

Ingo saw the girl quietly process what she was seeing. The realisation must have hit her, because her eyes grew wide and she'd placed a hand to her mouth.

"... You can't be serious." she mumbled, quietly. "Even if Irida said -"

She looked back down at Rei, who gazed back up at her. She knelt down to face him, the professor doing the same at her side.

"... Rei, my dear boy." Laventon said, his voice trembling. "Please... is it really you?"

Ingo could not see Rei's expression. But he saw his foreleg rise and gently paw at his muzzle.

Something inside Ingo's chest shifted, as if he were being jostled. He shared a startled look with Emmet.

"Your face...?"

Akari reached forward, eyes focused. She tapped the sides of Rei's muzzle - and he must have given her a look, because her mouth curled into a small smile, despite the mood. But his paw rose again, and he guided her hand to the very side of his face.

Akari's eyes grew wide.

"Oh..."

And with both hands, she wrapped her fingers around either side of the mask. And she lifted it off Rei's face.

The ground spun beneath Ingo. The same feeling of something releasing his entire body spread from head to toe, and he stumbled - not dizzy enough to collapse, not pained enough to curl into himself.

The Zoroark instincts retreated away from his mind, as if satisfied, before the light took over his form. It wasn't long before he felt the fur dissolve away, replaced by his coat, pants, robe and a familiar light pressure on his head.

The first thing Ingo saw as the light faded was Rei - perfectly normal and human Rei - crouched on the ground. He stood up carefully, clenching and unclenching his hands as his legs shook.

"... Whoa." he muttered.

Akari stood there, wide-eyed - the mask in her hands. Her expression gave way to tears - and Ingo wondered if she had been doubtful of the Zorua's identity up until this very moment.

The mask clattered to the ground, and Akari threw her arms around him - Laventon wrapping both children in a large hug. Ingo could see Rei's expression - his eyes closed, but relieved and content.

Ingo smiled warmly, adjusting his hat (Sinnoh, he'd missed it) and looked over to Emmet. His brother, restored to his human form, had also grabbed the brim of his hat. He was slightly glassy-eyed.

"... They look like they were verrry worried." he muttered. "I wonder if he knew that?"

--

Ingo didn't know what to do.

He felt his insides twist, felt himself torn so cleanly in two directions. He could not intervene. But he had to do something. He could not protect this child. But he had to save him.

The markings around his eyes burned, and he felt that whisper in the back of his mind crescendo into a roar. Rei was in danger. He was in danger, all alone and defenseless.

Except he wasn't. He had his Pokemon, he had his wits and his skill and that infernal Mask.

Ingo gripped the fabric around his chest as he watched the Zorua evade yet another strike from Almighty Sinnoh - from the God of Time, itself. This wasn't fair. It had never been fair. Why had this fallen to a child? Why had all this fallen to Rei?

... why had it always fallen to those so young? Irida, a leader of an entire Clan - told to carry so much on her shoulders at such a young age. In Unova, the fate of their home had lay in the hands of two youths - Ingo was sure of it, now. Their Pokemon had given them the strength to move forward, to carry what they alone could not.

This is a child, his mind cried and the Zoroark roared. A kit, still so far from being an adult. He should not be doing this.

This is also Rei, his mind added. The most capable person on Team Galaxy. Who had sought out the help of the Lake Guardians, who had quelled each Frenzied Noble.

This is a boy, came the protest, who has had to prove his worth many times to a paranoid and small-minded crowd, and he should not have had to - he never should have had to.

This is also Lucas, who was a talented and determined trainer, who had given so much to save Ingo and Emmet from a terrible fate.

Ingo was so afraid and so proud and so angered and so amazed and he realised now that the Zoroark's instincts were mirroring all of that in their own way. He wanted so badly to have the claws to try and rip open the barrier that kept the rest of them shielded from the battle, he wanted so badly to throw forth an illusion of his own to distract the creature.

But Rei...

Rei had not called for them, yet. He moved with purpose. He moved with thought, conducting his own thoughts and strategies as he evaded each ray of energy, shifting back and forth between the Zorua and his own human state as he threw the strange sparkling balm towards the frenzied Sinnoh.

Rei had mapped out his course. Ingo could not derail it.

So Ingo kept his claws sheathed. He felt the markings of his eyes burn, but he watched on, even as the turmoil continued within him.

And he nearly gave in to shifting as an attack hit Rei off his feet, sending him stumbling - no time to avoid the second attack, no time to roll to safety -

"REI - STAY ON TRACK!!" Ingo all but roared, his eyes blazing.

And then Rei rolled once in his little Zorua body, and stumbled to a stop and stared hard up at Mighty Sinnoh and a white energy seemed to crackle through him - and a pale blue light consumed him, entirely.

And Ingo was shaking as the fox Pokemon grew larger, shifting his balance onto his hind legs. And as a terrifying blast built up in the maw of the frenzied Sinnoh, Rei leapt up high - the light dissolving off his slate fur, shining blue eyes and his new claw gripping one last balm that was hurled down onto the deity itself.

The new Zoroark landed in a crouch on the ruined floor, before rising slowly to his feet. Rei reached for his face, shifting the mask aside and allowing his human form to return in a brief flash of light.

Ingo drew in a deep breath as Rei removed a Pokeball from his belt, still staring at the momentarily stunned Sinnoh.

It would be full speed ahead from here.

#Pokemon Legends Arceus #Arceus Spoilers #Baneful Fox Mask AU #submas

[that1nkyone]

Okay NOW I can go to bed enjoy this

___

HHHH oh noooo

I thought VERY hard about making him a Zorua. By game logic, his illusions wouldn't be nearly as strong, so it'd be less of a fight of illusions and more directly to the "Okay we're taking this kid someplace safe to recuperate a while" part.

with that said this is an AU where folks turn into Pokemon by wearing a mask, so game logic is pretty much out the window here. i love how you've drawn all this lgjfdkglfd

#submission #he looks so snug in Ingo's mane the poor thing #also just half-shifted Ingo LAYING INTO KAMADO #Emmet's right it's probably time to skedaddle #Baneful Fox Mask AU #Pokemon Legends Arceus #Orionredde