Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tango POV

Tango moaned, holding his head.

He'd fallen quite a long way; he had no idea where he was.

It was an open field of lush green and blooming daisies, which made him feel all the more nervous.

"Jimmy?" He called.

No response.

Tango was alone-

-wait. 

Tango wasn't entirely alone, it seemed.

There was a person, with a misshaped body that looked like a mix and match toy.

"Hello?" They called. "Pomni? Jax? Wait, who are you?"

"I'm Tango." 

"Zooble." The person answered.

"Where are we?" 

"No clue. Why are you on fire?"

"I'm a fire mutant...why do you look like a mix-and-match toy?" 

"Long story."

"Ah." Tango clicked his tongue. 

They walked for a while, searching for any trace of any person they knew.

Tango had never felt more alone, despite the presence of another person beside him.

The quiet began to make him anxious.

Zooble seemed to notice this.

"You okay?" They asked.

"Honestly, no. It's too quiet." Tango muttered.

"Yeah...I understand that. We'll find someone soon. Hopefully."

"Zooble?" A voice cut through their conversation.

"Oh, hell no. Not you." Zooble groaned.

"Who's..." Tango pointed vaguely at the purple bunny rabbit.

"That's Jax. Complete ass, and a total twink."

"Okay." Tango was still confused. "And you know him because...?"

"We got trapped in a digital circus together."

What a strange day this was turning out to be.

Chapter Text

Grian POV

This place was unbearable.

He'd gone through fields, past trees, and the endless rows of flowers.

Grian thought he was imagining things when he found a rocky path.

"What...?" He muttered.

Grian walked down the pathway; the trees got thicker, eventually forming a forest.

And in the centre?

A cave.

His curiousity got the better of him and he stepped inside.

It was dark, with the only light coming from little mushrooms that glowed faintly behind him.

"Weird."

He kept going further into the cave, to the point where there was no light anymore.

His wings ruffled in discomfort; he couldn't see anything.

Grian let out a yell as something scraped against his foot.

There was a loud hiss from within the cave.

Oh, shit. 

Grian froze when two bright green eyes met his own.

It was like one of those eldritch horrors he saw in fairytales, but more eerie than he'd expected.

He stared down the pair of eyes.

They stared back.

Grian wanted to run, flee, do anything at all.

But he couldn't.

To some degree, all avians experience claustrophobia.

And Grian was really feeling it now.

The green eyes were still locked on his, which didn't help.

Was this thing enjoying his suffering?

Did it think it was funny?

"This isn't a joke, you know!" Grian yelled. "What are you? Who are you? Answer me."

"Funny you should ask that, considering you stepped in here alone."

The voice sounded like that of something from an old film, crackled and charismatic.

"Answer me," Grian repeated. 

"Ah ah ah. You answer me first. Who are you?"

This thing was playing mind games.

Two could play that game.

"I asked you first. It seems right that you should answer first."

"Clever. I like that."

"Answer the question, damnit."

"Fine. I'm a demon, if you must know."

"Uh huh..." Grian was skeptical.

The shadows seemed to fade, revealing a taller person (demon, whatever) with a wide smile.

The Radio Demon.

Grian'd heard of him; the beast that ate people alive.

"You."

"Yes, me. Alastor. Pleasure to be meeting you."

"Grian."

Oh lord.

He was screwed.

Chapter Text

Pearl POV

Pearl froze as she saw something move in the mouth of the cave.

She and Gem had been prying around there for most of the day.

"Stay back," Pearl warned.

"Pearl, I can defend myself," Gem argued.

"I know that! Just-"

There's shuffling, and both women freeze.

"Shut up." Gem hissed.

"You shut up!" Pearl whispered back.

A familiar figure exits the cave first: a younger man in a red sweater.

"Grian!" Gem exclaimed.

"Grian, you're alive!" Pearl ran and hugged him.

"Yeah. Somehow." He laughed.

"What happened in there? Was anyone else down there?" 

Pearl stepped back, allowing Grian some space.

"Well..." he muttered. "There was another person."

"Who?"

"No one we know."

"Grian, that's not helpful-oh my god there's a giant fucking demon behind you-"

And, in fact, there was a taller man behind him.

The man had dark red eyes with lighter irises; he wore a dapper suit and had deer-like ears on the top of his head.

"Grian, who-"

"Alastor, these are my friends, Pearl and Gem." Grian sighed.

"Alastor, pleasure to be meeting you!" 

He held out his hand for them to shake.

Pearl shakes it first, still looking wary.

Gem does the same, though more tentatively.

Pearl glanced into the distance and saw a familiar figure.

"Is that-Tango!" She cried as the blaze hybrid made his way toward her.

"Hi! I see you've found Grian." Tango laughed. A mix-and-match toy creature and a purple rabbit follow behind him.

"Who are your friends?"

"Zooble-" he pointed to the mix-and-match toy, who nodded, "-and Jax."

"Nice to meet ya." The purple rabbit smirked. 

"Zooble, Jax, these are my friends, Grian, Gem, and Pearl." Tango explained.

"And who's that ray of sunshine behind them?"

Alastor bristled at Jax's words.

"Alastor, pleasure to make your acquaintance," the demon muttered dryly.

Somehow, Pearl knew they wouldn't get along.

Chapter Text

Tango POV

It took a few days (and hours of complaining) for everyone to find each other.

They'd set up a base camp in the middle of the woods; it was peaceful.

Though Tango still felt confused by it all.

He was sitting by the lake, throwing stones into it and hissing as water sprayed onto him, causing his skin to burn.

Damn his water allergy-

"You okay there?"

A voice snapped him out of his thoughts; a woman, not much taller than him, was standing next to him.

"Oh...yeah. I'm okay." Tango sighed. "I'm totally fine."

"You don't look fine." The woman replied.

Tango turned to look at her.

He recognised her as Charlie Morningstar, the daughter of Lucifer (he was the actual devil).

"I don't know. I mean...I'm a blaze hybrid." Tango muttered. "A trans man. I don't exactly fit in. I'm dangerous."

"Dangerous how?" Charlie asked. "You're not-"

"Yes, I am. My fire is dangerous. I'm dangerous. I've hurt people before...I've-"

"But are you hurting anyone now? No." Charlie cut in. "You aren't dangerous."

"Then why do I feel that way?" Tango's voice breaks. "Why am I so different?"

He hates how it sounds.

"Being different is a good thing."

"How-"

"Look, growing up, being a demon princess wasn't all it was cut out to be." Charlie sighed.

She looked pained. 

"My mom left, and my dad wasn't exactly present either. I wanted people to be happy, to be redeemed. The world told me I couldn't. Even my dad doubted me..." She ran a hand through her hair. 

"...but that didn't stop me. I found friends, a girlfriend, and changed my dad's mind. I think if I weren't different, I wouldn't be here right now."

A smile crept onto Tango's face.

"That's so cheesy."

"But it's true."

He doesn't know what came over him, but he hugged her.

"Thank you." 

"You're welcome," Charlie replied.

After Tango pulled back, she grabbed his hand and helped him up off the ground.

He wasn't sure what it was about her that made him feel better; her kind nature or the cheesy speech.

But he was glad to have her as a friend.

Chapter Text

Grian POV

Grian sighed in frustration, trying to pry loose feathers from his wings.

How long had it been since he last preened them?

He reached for a handful of feathers, trying to pull them out...

...with no avail.

Vaggie soon saw his struggle and approached him.

"Need some help?"

"Yes, please." 

He should've been more reluctant to say yes, but to hell with that now.

Vaggie unfolded her own wings, which were a dazzling shade of pigeon gray.

Damnit; they looked perfect.

Unlike his own messy wings.

She plucked out a few red feathers.

"When's the last time you preened your wings? They look...um-"

"-awful?" Grian replied bluntly.

"Yeah. That," Vaggie agreed.

Honestly, he had no idea.

The last time he'd preened them...maybe before the lighthouse got blown up?

No, definitely before that.

"It's been a while." Grian grimaced.

"Definitely." Vaggie agreed.

"Your wings are a bloody mess." Jimmy's voice came from nearby, where Joel was preening his wings; he let out a loud shriek as Joel tugged on a delicate spot.

"JOEL!"

"Sorry, babe."

"You call each other babe? Seriously?" Vaggie snorted.

"It's their thing." Grian shrugged. "Gay (maybe bi) men in denial, I'll tell you."

"Shut up, Grian." Jimmy pouted.

Grian laughed into his hand as Vaggie pulled out a few more feathers; out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lucifer running away from Alastor, who was desperately trying to help him preen his feathers.

"Oh, for God's sake, stop being stubborn!" Alastor yelled.

"I'm the King of Hell! I'll do what I LIKE!" Lucifer screeched back.

"Idiots." Vaggie groaned.

"They're hilarious." Grian wheezed.

"You have no idea."

"Oh, I think I do."

"There, all done."

Grian fanned out his wings; they looked transparent in the sunlight, reds dappling into yellows, which dappled into blue.

"They're amazing...thank you."

"You're welcome. Remember to take care of yourself, 'kay?"

"Okay."

With that she left, going back to Charlie and her friend (Angel Dust, Grian reminded himself).

Maybe letting someone take care of his wings wasn't such a bad idea.

"JOEL I SWEAR TO GOD-!"

Or...maybe it was.

Chapter Text

Charlie POV

There was dead quiet until Angel screamed.

Something or someone had grabbed him and Stolas; it looked like purple ribbons of smoke strangling them.

"What the fuck is that?!?" Blitz yelled.

"I don't know!" Charlie called back.

Pearl grabbed Gem, who was awfully close to the purple mist.

"Oh, no." Grian's face went white. Charlie felt a little concerned for him.

"If you know something, spit it out, kid," Husk growled from behind him.

"You don't think it's..." Martyn turned to Grian.

"The Watchers," Grian replied, voice shaking.

"Who are they?" Charlie asked.

"They're sort of powerful unseen forces that control, well, everything," Grian explained.

"So why do they have Angel and Stols?" Blitz panicked.

"They probably want something from us, that's why they're taking them."

"LET! ME! FUCKING! GO!" Angel screeched.

"Oh dear," Stolas muttered.

"Let him go!" Grian yelled.

Suddenly, his head jerked weirdly, his eyes going blank and taking on a dark purple colour.

"We have no plans to let them go." A voice hissed through Grian's mouth.

Oh, God.

"Grian! Snap out of it!" Charlie and Scar cried in unison.

"Hmm, they're quite strong playthings." Watchers/Grian said, amused. 

A coil of mist curled around Angel's throat.

"What are you doing?!? Don't you fucking dare hurt him!" Husk snapped.

"Don't interfere." The watcher snapped, Grian's body being jerked once again. 

Husk dared to interfere.

He tossed his cards at the mist, and it seemed to break apart.

Angel and Stolas started to fall, but Husk and Blitz managed to catch them, showering them in kisses and trying to reassure them.

Grian was still very much possessed.

"What do we do?" Charlie linked her hands together, anxiety coursing through her veins.

"I don't know." Scar's emerald green gaze was dull.

Grian started pulling on his hair.

"St-Stop-Stop it-STOP IT!" He screamed.

The watcher's voice stopped, his eyes returned to normal-

-And he fell to the ground.

Charlie caught him before his head hit the floor.

"He needs help, right now."

Chapter Text

Grian POV

Grian woke up, head pounding.

It felt like someone was squeezing it way too tightly.

He almost threw up as he tried to sit up.

A hand pushed him back down; another pressed something cold to his head.

"What...?"

"Go back to sleep." That was Pearl's voice.

"What?! No."

"Gri-"

"No, I can't go back to sleep. What happened?"

"The watchers got you...again."

Oh no.

Grian couldn't remember anything.

It made sense; this always happened after the Watchers took advantage of him.

He hugged his knees to his chest, skull throbbing.

"Hey, it's going to be fine." Pearl sat beside him. 

Grian didn't believe that for a moment.

"Is he awake?" Martyn's voice came from outside.

"Yeah." Pearl called back.

"Oh, good. The princess-Charlie, I think?-has been really worried about him. Won't say why though."

"Charlie?" Grian repeated. "As in Lucifer's daughter?"

"Yeah. Her." Martyn replied.

The devil's daughter was worried about him.

What an odd twist of fate.

He watched Martyn walk off.

Suddenly, he realised how empty it was in here.

"Pearl...? Could you get Scar? Please?"

"Of course."

She vanished and reappeared with Grian's boyfriend minutes later.

"I'll leave you two alone."

Scar looked at Grian, his emerald eyes dull.

Then he hugged him.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Grian. We'll figure this out. Like we always do."

"Scar, I put everyone in danger. The Watchers can and will hurt people for their own messed-up games."

"That's not your fault."

"But I am a Watcher! It is my fault!" Grian screamed.

He started to hyperventilate.

"Grian, no. Look at me. It's not your fault."

"What if everyone finds out? What if-"

"They won't."

Little did they know, Scar's words would soon be proven wrong.

Chapter Text

HELP

GUYS

I NEED IDEAS

put 'em down in the comments

ty for your suggestions

and I'll try and use most of them

Chapter Text

POV is up to interpretation!

Quiet filled the area, the only sound being the crackling of the fire.

Pomni's voice broke it.

"What was life like for you all before we ended up...here?"

"It was nice," Tango replied. "I mean..."

"We all lived together." Grian chimed in.

He looked at him gratefully.

"Well, not to burst your bubble, but we lived in a giant digital circus, full of maniacs," Jax said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Sounds fun," Scott deadpanned.

Vaggie cracked a smile at this.

"Yeah, sounds super fun," she agreed.

"We've got our own maniac right here." Angel gestured toward Alastor, who blinked blankly in response.

"Angel, no." Charlie sighed.

"No, nothing, darling! If anything, it's a compliment." Alastor grinned, his smile unnerving.

"So...I've been meaning to ask." Pomni fidgeted with her glass. "What's this whole thing about soulmates?"

Pearl looked aghast.

Scott choked.

Martyn cleared his throat.

"That was, uh...Double Life. We...were soulbound."

"So you were soulmates. Like, romantically?" Charlie asked.

Grian flushed bright red, and Scar chuckled beside him.

"In a way," Martyn responded. 

"Though not to people you'd quite expect," Ren added; the dog hybrid had been quiet for the majority of the conversation.

"Interesting." Charlie mused.

"Don't get any ideas for your trust exercises. 'Cause no one wants to do that," Husk growled.

"Trust exercises?" Ragtha's eyes go wide. "Caine, why don't we have adventures like that?"

"Well...I do run a hotel that aims to redeem sinners..." Charlie shrugged.

"Sinners? So Hell does exist!" Grian exclaimed.

"You're so going to hell." Gem grinned.

"NO, you are!"

"You are!"

"You are, you are, you are!"

The two began to bicker.

"Are they siblings?" Pomni asked.

"Nope. Not by blood, at least," Pearl replied. "But they love to fight. And bicker. And blow each other up."

Angel Dust went weirdly silent at this.

"Angel? Somethin' wrong?" Husk turned to him, concern flickering in his eyes.

"Pfft. Nah." Angel waved it off.

"You looked really upset for a second there." Lizzie piped up. "Are you sure?"

"I mean...s'nothin. I had siblings, too. Molly and Arackniss." Angel sighed. "Dunno where the fuck they are now."

"You miss them." Grian blurted; the pieces clicked together in his head.

Everyone turned to him.

"I mean, sure." Angel shrugged. "Not like we were really attached or anythin'."

(That was a lie.)

"Hey, give me that back!" Martyn reached for a crystal in Niffty's hands.

"Nope! Gotta clean it! Make it all shiny and brand new." 

She ran off with it, leaving him looking frustrated.

"Why do you need that?" Grian turned to look at him.

"A L.O.O.T shard." Martyn sighed when he saw him blink in confusion. "Means Low Orbiting Operation Trigger shard."

"That doesn't sound dangerous at all," Jax muttered.

"Niff, give that back-wait, where did she go?" Husk growled.

Boom.

There was a loud explosion, and purple powder everywhere-

-Niffty in the centre of it.

"So that's where she got off to."

Chapter Text

Telemachus POV

The young prince of Ithaca had truly never felt more alone in a group of people.

He slipped away from them all at some stage and into the woods.

Telemachus sighed as he leaned against a tree.

Why did he feel so alone?

He kicks the gravelly path.

"Telemachus?"

He turns around and sees someone he doesn't expect to.

Athena.

Goddess of wisdom, master of war, and his mentor in more ways than one.

"Hello, young wolf."

"Athena. How are you here?"

"You summoned me."

"Did I?" Telemachus blinked in surprise. 

Maybe his stress had alerted the goddess.

"Well...look." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm just...I'm overwhelmed."

"By what, exactly?" 

"By everything that's happening right now," Telemachus muttered. "And I shouldn't be-"

"Telemachus. Being overwhelmed is a part of life. One that you grow to accept...but that you don't allow to take you over. Allow yourself some time to rest, to recuperate."

Her words struck a chord with him.

"You think so?" Telemachus asked.

"I know so."

"You are the goddess of wisdom after all." Telemachus mused. "So that would make sense."

"You're a fast learner, young wolf."

"You're a good teacher."

There was rustling in the wood behind him; Athena disappeared, and he was alone once again.

"Telemachus? You good there, buddy?" It was Zooble and Jimmy.

"Yeah. I'm okay." 

"You look a little lonely..." Jimmy observed.

"Everything okay?" Zooble asked.

"Just...not feeling like I fit in, you know?" Telemachus mumbled.

They exchanged a knowing look.

"Well...d'you want to come back with us?"

He glanced up at them.

Their looks were not pitying.

They were welcoming.

And he finally felt like maybe...just maybe...he was fitting in.

Chapter Text

POV is up to interpretation!

Scar was digging around in a closet with Pomni when she found something.

"Is that...?"

"Board games! Card games."

"We should bring these to the others." Scar suggested.

"Sounds fun." Pomni shrugged.

"Have you played board games before? In the circus?" Scar asked.

"Not much. I think the most we've ever played is a cursed game of chess using Kinger."

"Forget I asked."

They both chuckled as they picked up the boxes and took them over to the others.

Once they all decided what to play, chaos ensued.

Tango's competitive streak seemed to appear from nowhere.

Telemachus looked intimidated.

On one hand, it wouldn't be so bad.

On the other-

"You cheater. You betrayer of men! YOU SCUM!" Bdubs yelled at Etho.

"ALL I DID WAS PUT DOWN A +2??"

"YES. AND NOW YOU ARE SCUM TO SOCIETY. PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES."

He proceeded to dump moss on him.

"AAAAAAGH! Bdubs!" Etho shrieked.

Cleo smothered their laughter and placed down another +2.

"Sorry, Impulse."

"I hate you all so much," he groaned. But there was a smile on his face.

"Keep your moss OUT of my face." Angel yelped as some landed in his hair.

Charlie almost dropped her cards, shaking from laughter.

So was Ragatha.

Meanwhile...

"How do we even play this?" Scar sighed.

"This is why I voted we play Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza," Lizzie muttered.

"It's Monopoly. I'm shocked you don't know how to play." Jax deadpanned.

"I-It's simple-" Gangle began.

"Monopoly? It's just gambling at this point. Your other game, however, is a shitstorm." Husk growled.

"Shitstorm sounds fun." Cherri Bomb sat down. "I'm in."

"Then, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza it is." Lizzie drew the cards.

"So we...call these out?" 

"Yeah. Basically, you say Taco, Cat, Goat, etc. But if you say Pizza, and you have a Pizza card, everyone has to put their hand in the middle. The last one has to take the pile of cards."

"Okay."

"Taco."

"Cat."

"Goat."

"Cheese."

"Pizza."

"Taco-" Jimmy began, but then realised it was a Taco card.

Everyone put their hands into the middle; he was too slow, however.

"ITS THE CANARY CURSE."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, Jim," Grian called from his perch on the couch.

"Shut up, pesky bird," Jimmy muttered.

"I like this game." Husk said, a hint of a grin on his face.

"Unlucky canary." Lizzie teased.

"Don't even start."

+

Many screams of "UNO" and "TACO CAT" later, the group was exhausted.

"I can't believe I lost, babe," Jimmy whined to Joel.

"Bad luck?" Joel offered.

"Or maybe he's just a loser." Grian cackled.

Charlie was watching from afar, where Vaggie was resting beside her.

"They're so mean to each other."

"Maybe that's their love language."

Alastor let out a low chuckle at this.

"Try telling your father that."

Lucifer was beside Alastor, wings in shades of ruby red splayed out under him.

And over in the corner?

Telemachus and Neo tucked together, sound asleep.

Chapter Text

Vaggie POV

She had waited until everyone else had left.

Waited until it was empty.

Then she stepped into the bathroom.

It was weird being alone in there at night; there was no chaos, no one scrambling to brush their teeth or wash their face...or, in some cases, do their makeup.

She took off her eyepatch and set it aside before looking at herself in the mirror.

Her right eye was, well, gone. In its place, a void of black, empty darkness, with a scar over it.

A shudder passed over her body as she remembered how she'd lost it; in a fight with Lute, years before the hotel.

"Hey."

A voice made Vaggie jump.

Etho.

Bdubs' boyfriend, if she remembered correctly.

"Hi."

"Is...it okay if I come in?" Etho asked.

"...sure."

He had noticed her eye; she was sure of that.

He stood a little away from her, untying his hair and...

...removing the mask he always kept on.

Vaggie wondered about that; at first, she figured it was just a style choice. But he never took it off around the others.

Now she knew why.

A scar trailed over his eye, over the right side of his jaw and chin, and a little down his neck.

"Strange, isn't it?" Etho chuckled.

"What? Oh, sorry." Vaggie mumbled sheepishly.

"No, it's okay." He shrugged. "What happened to your eye?"

"It...looks freaky, doesn't it?" She replied, voice cracking at the edges. "Lost it in a fight."

"I don't think it's freaky."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Scars are a sign that even though you went through something painful, you can make it out the other side."

"You think so?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "But you don't have to cover it up."

"I'm not really proud of it," she admitted. "I want to show people, when I'm ready."

"And that's fine, too."

"Have you shown anyone yet?" Vaggie asked.

"Only Bdubs and Cleo." His reply was quiet. "But it didn't change anything between us."

"That's good to hear...the only person I've ever really talked about it with is Charlie."

"She's very kind. And weirdly patient." Etho chuckled.

"Yeah, that is kind of her thing."

Vaggie left that bathroom with a changed perspective.

Maybe not all secrets needed to be hidden.

Chapter Text

Hello, good people who read this fic!

if you have any ideas, feel free to share them!

(my ideas are just non-existent lol, tho i might do a halloween chapter!!!)

Chapter Text

Martyn POV

Now, being that Martyn had spent so long with Grian, he thought he'd seen everything.

Apparently not.

According to Pomni, thanks to Caine, the others could open votes for anything.

Literally anything at all, as long as the majority voted for it.

"What-" Jax started, as the others opened a vote.

"Wait, wait-"

"What's happening?" Grian asked. "What are we voting for?"

"To turn him into a maid," Scott replied. Then he whispered something in Grian's ear, and he started laughing hysterically.

"NOT AGAIN!" Jax exploded.

"I figured you liked this kind of thing." Zooble shrugged, and Martyn knew that if they had a mouth, they'd be grinning.

"WH-WHAT? NO!"

Martyn realised he couldn't vote.

And that meant-

POOF.

Majority voted YES. 2 voted NO.

Jax was now in a full-on maid dress costume, frills and all.

He started shrieking and launched himself at Zooble.

And so was Martyn.

He probably looked like an idiot; the dress was akin to the one he wore while part of the Mint Mistletoes team.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Scott grinning.

"You asshole!" Martyn yelled. "I HATE YOU, SCOTT!"

"LOVE YOU TOO!" Scott yelled back.

"I AM GOING TO BITE YOU!"

He was flushed red with embarrassment. So was Jax.

This would not end well.

He grabbed an axe and started chasing after Scott.

"Martyn! VOID BELOW! DROP THE AXE! OH MY GOD-"

"NO CHANCE!"

It looked like it wasn't going to end well, but even so...?

They were laughing as they chased each other, eventually tackling each other onto the ground.

"You're so annoying." Martyn laughed breathlessly.

"Yeah, well, so are you." Scott grinned.