tunasub | OPEN POST 2019

dealers choice who you want for toobs

- aloy
- legion
- nick valentine
- marcus (the watchdogs one)

god this is such a hard choice... I VOTE LEGION OR MARCUS?!?! they would both be wholesome for different reasons... although 2B fights alien robots her whole life so she might try to kill legion at first LDJFSD

FAIR POINT

SWEET BOY IT IS

[ but you're probably going to be able to come up with a better starter scenario since I've only barely made a dent in automata so far whoops... ]

We are both canonblind to each other but I'm strong. Right now I can offer:

- tsubasa (is okay with murderers and thieves who are nice to her because of personality issues it's perfectly fine)
- yan qing (this guy) (lupin but buffer and also violent so not lupin at all i guess)
- alisa (idk robot pal for toobs)

lmk if you're interested and I can write a starter!

[ It's always hard to keep track of time on the moon.

There's no seasons, and days don't pass the same way as they do on Earth. There's no natural pull to sleep when the sun sets, and no elemental signs of when it's the right time to hibernate. It's a disorienting experience, that's for sure, especially so for creatures that live such stagnant and static lives like the gems. Still.

They'd never quite lost track of how long it'd been since they left Chroma, or rather, it's more accurate to say that they couldn't lose track of it. It felt like their duty to keep time of it, to know how much time had passed, to keep their memories of everyone they'd met there fresh in their mind. It's natural for gems to hold on like this, even if they'd never quite experienced it themself to this extent - so they tried to make peace with how they caught themselves being reminded of residents or things they did whenever Lunarians did something similar, or tried to teach them something they already knew about. They tried (and mostly failed) not to think of whether or not the people they knew were dead, or forgetting about them, or meeting some awful end they couldn't prevent.

Five years. It's on the morning of around the time that fifth year would have turned in their approximation of the timeframe, their exact counting only clouded by the distortion of time on the moon. They open their eyes from sleep, and they're not where they were when they slept in their quarters on the moon, but in their bed in Chroma. Just the smell is enough for them to know, aside from the way the colors of things in their forgotten room are odd colors and there's the presence of old trinkets from quests that they'd had to leave behind when they departed. It jolts them awake into a panic, just as it did when they first got dragged into that vile well. But the thing that sets it apart from that is that they're slow to move, like they're moving through a viscous sea. A sense of dread fills them, rather than any excitement - it'd been hard, almost impossible to leave. The pain they felt parting with Lupin, giving him that shard of themself so that they could always be with him; that hasn't started to dull. No, it's only taken the backseat, as something they try not to think about so they don't fall apart. They're not sure if they have it in them to do it again.

What if he's here? What if he's not here? They don't know which would be worse.

But they do have to know which it is. It's like pulling an arrow from a wound - to leave it in to keep the wound from bleeding out would be better. But they leave their old house nonetheless (only after confirming there's no one else inside). Just the well, they think to themself. They'll check, and if they don't see anyone else, don't see him, they'll go back to trying to find the way out again. Their steps are heavy and grievous as they walk the familiar path to the center of town, not going in the direction to Ruga, and not looking up from their path to see if the other people around are people they recognize.

When they get there, they peer inside, not knowing what they expect to see. It's just darkness, and they don't hear any signs of struggle down there. They guess that much should have been obvious given the way they arrived this second time. But - maybe he got here the same way they did. If that were true, surely he'd come here first thing, right? They wish they didn't hope that was the case. They wish they didn't feel so desperate to see him again, and they wish they could just go before they do anything their emotional state will regret for years to come.

More than anything, they just wish to see him one more time, just to know if he's alive. The last five years, that thought has been eating at them constantly. Five minutes, they think. That's what they'll allow themself to wait here to see. ]

i'm so sorry this sat for so long christy i turned off e-mail notifs on this post so i don't get notified when i post my own tags... WHEEZE!! I WILL WRITE A PROMPT THOUGH!! since 2B and marcus are from vastly different worlds, is it okay if i put them in some kind of faux jamjar situation?!

see above i'm sorry i didn't know you were in here fdhskj... the first two both sound excellente to me...!! I'LL TAKE EITHER, whoever you're in the mood for! who did you wanna thread with...

IT'S OK and I'm really okay with anything!

Tsubasa could bounce off Mizuki and Lupin well... She's the sort of character who would talk to and help anybody because she accepts whatever she's given and refuses to feel negative about anything, but it often puts her in danger or stresses her out. She's the chipper model student type of character. If 2B encountered her she'd be like WOW HUMANS ARE SO PERFECT... That would be a bit interesting too, especially when Tsubasa's uh, nekomimi alterego comes out.

Yan Qing is lively and flirty despite his appearance and likes bothering people because he's a idk a sadboi, so anyone works... I like the idea of YQ intercepting Lupin's heists because they're both outlaws, but YQ does it to protect the peace. Also think of the stupid chase scenes. He's also thirsty af so we can do some AU where he serves any of your characters and loves serving them so much he'd break their legs before they try to leave. uh. BUT I PROMISE HE'S GOOD. His voice is honestly stronger than Tsubasa's for me so I'm down for anything with him.

NO WORRIES SIB I understand this struggle......... but yes that’s totally fine!!

[ Keeping track of time is easy for Lupin. It helps that he's on Earth, and that he's a human, of course - they're nothing if not good at organizing the world around them - but it's also simply in his nature to remember everything. He's a man who makes every moment worthwhile. The amount of idle time Chroma gave him had left him uneasy; when he's back on British soil, he's quick as always to throw himself straight into the thick of things and get to work. Because he loves what he does, and he's passionate about his cause - and because if he gets more than a minute to spare, he knows his thoughts will drift back again.

London is thrown into chaos as Isaac's machinations come to a head; he and the others find an unexpected ally in Cardia's younger brother, and with his help, they're able to sever that head before it can open its jaws and devour the rest of Europe. Code: Realize is thoroughly stopped; the city is saved; casualties are minor, Cardia got her family back, and, most importantly (it feels most important) her poison was cured. All of it done in the nick of time and with flair - just the way he likes it. Afterwards, their lives settle into an easier pace, although never a peaceful one. That's the way he likes it, too. There are always jewels to steal and landlords to thwart and beautiful women for the gentleman thief to save.

Saint-Germain is the one who notices first, in the way he loses focus more easily and more often than he used to, in the little mistakes that add up day by day, in the way he absently rolls the black gemstone he wears around his neck between his fingers. Impey follows soon after him, because he recognizes those lovelorn sighs and distant stares peppering Lupin's usual behavior. He never tells them, of course; he never tells anyone what happened, because who would believe him? Lupin doesn't think he'd believe himself. He simply laughs it off and gets back to work. The memories are his to keep, and that should be enough. He's sure things will get easier as time passes.

They don't. He loved Cairngorm so damn much. He's not the type to mourn or grieve for longer than is logical. Yet weeks turn into months turn into years, and he finds himself unable to patch up that hole in his heart properly; it eats at him, to the point where he's dangerously close to feeling regret. Surely there was something he could have done to keep them - surely he could have tried harder to find a way to bring them home, or a method of staying in contact, even seeing them or just hearing their voice, something, anything.

So when he wakes up in Chroma, much like they do, his reaction is quite different. There's the panic, the dread that he'll be stuck here again for who knows how long - but lurking just beneath it is hope that shouldn't be. The hope that he'll see Cairngorm again. Logically, there's no reason to believe this -- but he can't help believing it, wishing for it, until that thought is at the forefront of his mind rather than worry. 29 years old, and he's still as optimistic and confident as he used to be.

Cairngorm won't have to wait five minutes - only four. The sound of a splash echoes up from deep within the well. Then, without warning, a hook shoots up out of the entrance, latching onto the lip of the well, and suddenly, Lupin's there, throwing one arm up over the edge. (He made a point of always carrying a grappling line with him after he got back from Chroma - he learned his lesson.) He's a little soggy, and a little older, although still young enough that it's hardly noticeable, and when his eyes find theirs, that spark of his hasn't dimmed even a little, and the smile that brightens his entire face hasn't changed a bit. ]

Long time no see, ma cherie.

[ They're not sure what to make of it when they hear that splash. If they had a beating heart, they're sure it would be in their throat at even the small prospect that it could be him. They don't get much time to theorize about who it might be before that grappling hook catches on the lip of the well, before he pulls himself halfway up and out of the well. Before he gives them that unchanging bright smile, addresses them so sweetly, and causes their expression to twist. ]

Lupin...

[ His name comes out like a plea, quiet and gentle. They'd been standing before to peer into the well, but as soon as they see him, they lose the strength in their legs, stumbling into a kneel close to the well with a heavy thud. Their shoulders sag, and their brows furrow deeply, eyes wide as they stare into his - those amber, warm, kind eyes that they'd become so fond of. With the time that's passed, Cairngorm remains their immortal, ageless self, physically untouched by the passage of time. It's truly like they haven't changed since the day they've parted. He, on the other hand, is different, even if the changes are minuscule, and they don't want to dwell for too long on how that makes them feel.

Everything they'd held back for the last five years feels like it slams into them all at once, overwhelming them entirely - the despair of parting, the longing, the knowledge that they'd never have anyone else in their life quite like him, who had acknowledged them as they were and loved them unconditionally. They feel desperately heartbroken and desperately elated all at the same time; meeting him again... it's not too far off from how they'd felt when he confessed to them those winters ago. It's like they're being pulled apart by all the conflicting feelings they're having in the span of the moment. Of course they're happy to see him, happier than they've been in years, but they can't imagine saying goodbye another time. They really thought they'd never see him. It would certainly be less painful if they didn't see each other again, but they feel themself disregarding that thought in favor of reaching out to him, wanting to touch him above all else. To know that he's real, that this isn't some cruel joke on the account of the town.

They can't move as he comes up and out of the well. But as soon as they're able, as soon as he's close enough to do so, they have a hand at his shoulder and the side of his neck, the touch feather light and their hands shaking with what could be fear, could be pseudo-adrenaline. They're not sure. All they know is that seeing him is like breaking the dam of all their repressed emotions, and they feel immediately vulnerable and fragile at the mercy of how all-encompassing their love for him was, and still is. This reunion is bittersweet, like most things between them were, but they wouldn't trade it for anything. To see his smile and to hear his voice again, after only having memories to replay and cling onto for the last five years - they can't care about how or why they're both here. All that matters is that they are. There's something desperate in how they clutch at the fabric of the jacket he's wearing, their touch as cool and smooth as ever. Cairngorm can't cry - but their voice trembles all the same when they speak again. ]

You're here...

[ oh shit ]

No

Were u drinking some heavy shit last night or what? I don't wanna hear about your weird dreams of me bro haha

I hold my liquor better than you, Nishiki.

[ beat ]

I'm not mad
Just kind of confused

[ oh SHIT why does kiryu have to be so serious about these things. he honestly doesn't remember this, but it doesn't sound... out of the question... ]

Listen i seriously don't remember that! Give me a break man, i dont remember half of what i said last night. Ur gonna make my hangover worse if u start telling me embarrassing stuff i did when i was drunk

[ another month, another mission - this time, headquarters has sent them to some world that isn't too different from Earth, or at least, the Earth she's heard about. A city full of tall silver buildings, bustling with people and transportation both on the ground and in the air. The tallest of that bunch of buildings is their aim: a tower supposedly broadcasting some kind of secret wave controlling parts of the population. Get in, infiltrate the system, shut it down for good.

Simple enough. They've been assigned to work in pairs - one hacker, one bodyguard, which is an arrangement 2B is intimately familiar with. This time, though, she's not partnered with 9S, but a human hacker. (Part of her wonders if it wouldn't be smarter to have an android do this, but the greater part of her assumes that humans must be excellent hackers, considering they built her people.) ]

... You're Marcus, right? [ trying to figure out how to interact with a human is, as always, the hardest part. She nods her head at him, a bit stiffly. ] Unit 2B. I'll be working with you.

[ Everything about them is exactly as he remembered - their heavy touch, simultaneously alien and familiar, their ghostly pale skin, their glittering crystalline hair and eyes. The expression that reveals nothing while holding back everything. But he can read it - he's always been able to read them. They're so beautiful it takes his breath away. Five years, but his feelings haven't changed at all; he feels his heart swell as he takes them in, meets their gaze, hears their pleading voice. He feels the desperation in their grasping touch and trembling hands, and he's sure they're thinking too much again, because they always do - but all he can think about is them. ]

Of course. [ his usual bravado is subdued and quiet in the face of his overwhelming affection and the elation of this reunion. Lupin's not the crying type, either, but his gaze is soft, open, and in this moment, the gentleman thief's usually-impenetrable emotions are plain as day on his face. He loves Cairngorm. Still. ] I've been waiting for the day I could see you again.

[ that's not a lie. He always believed, somewhere inside, that they'd meet again - somehow, some way. That's just how he is. And, as ever, luck is on his side. He doesn't care a whit that they're in public; he leans in until his forehead bumps against theirs, his pulse racing just underneath their hand, and then it's his turn to breathe out a comment in a shaky voice. ]

I missed you, Cairngorm.

[ bro... kiryu is serious about everything... he's kiryu ]

That was pretty much the most embarrassing thing
Well
Besides the part where you got up on the bar and started singing and flexing

Reina was impressed?

Oh yeah? I sort of remember that. Hope the other customers cleared out by then

[ his IMAGE, bro. in any case, he's grateful for the opportunity to pivot away from any possible drunken confessions... ]

It's fine, i've been working out and my voice is pretty good. Don't lie I know u were impressed too. (`∀´)♪

[ but... bro... what if he loves his bro too ]

Sort of?
I haven't heard you sing in a while, so I'll give you that much
I've seen you shirtless too much growing up to be impressed there, though

[ INCONCEIVABLE ]

Anyone ever told you to think before you speak once in a while?

[ he thinks it's funny, though, so it's fine. just one of his bro's charms(?). ]

I'll take the compliment though
anyway...

u don't have to be confused about anything, it was just some dumb drunken shit like the singing, so relax

What's that supposed to mean?

[ he really be this dumb... it takes him a moment to consider his reply to nishiki's nonchalant way of trying to brush this whole thing off. ]

If you say so.

[ this may be a text conversation, but kiryu is absolutely nodding with content acceptance to himself as he looks down at his phone and hits send. ]

[ kiryu is kind of stupid. he appreciates that sometimes. ]

I do say so

Thanks for helping me get home by the way. Think i would have gotten run over by a cab faster than id manage to call one if i was really that out of it lol. Next time dinner's on me

[ there's a pause before the next message is sent. ]

And it means u say some crazy weird things w/o realizing it

No problem, bro.

I know how much you like that new car
I wasn't about to let you total it, or worse

[ . . .

a similar, thoughtful break on his end. ]

Says the guy who may or may not have professed his love to me last night

[ is he just joking around? is he deflecting the unintentionally grim sentiment he'd imparted? who knows ]

OPEN POST 2019

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i'm here... for reunion thread

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we're doin it

WE'RE DOIN IT!!!

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after much con and murdergame im finally here

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