[FRAG] House of Liars

Magnotris opened his eyes.

He was still splayed out in bed, limbs haphazardly strewn about, neck tilted at an angle that he'd sure would cramp. The white noise machine was whirring away in the corner and he groaned, sitting up slowly and drawing his hands closer to his chest. As he cupped his forehead, he glanced up blearily, catching sight of Cynosure sitting at the room's small circular table, eating what looked like jell-o and reading a newspaper.

...They had newspapers?

Cy glanced up as he shifted to hop out of bed. "Morning."

"Yeah, whatever," he muttered, cracking his fingers and then his wrists. 

He still wasn't sure why he'd chosen to bunk with Cy. All things considered, it sounded like a horrible idea - curling into a bed across from his ex, who had every right to hate him? And it wasn't like he was doing it as an intimidation tactic - he didn't care one bit if Cy was scared or not. Really, he almost didn't want Cy to be scared. Haha, how funny to think of that.

Maybe it was just the familiarity of it all. Maybe he just needed something grounding after all... that. Morning Star was still busy, doing things with his family - he'd texted earlier, gotten the gist. Something about signing a Timeline out of the COR, and he was going with Hour Star. That alone had raised his hackles, but Morning Star had been swift to reassure that Hour wasn't bullying him into it or anything. 

Stretching finished, Magnotris stood, pulling out his cellie to check. No new messages - not from Morning Star or Jubilee. He hadn't really expected anything, but he had to be sure, just in case.

He glanced up at Cy again, watching the other's tiny spoon dip into the plastic cup and emerge with a tiny clump of jell-o. "When did you start eating?"

"For your information," Cy gave him a dull look. "Frost makes really good food."

"We're nowhere near the hotel. This is my - a replica of my house."

Cy rolled his eyes. "He delivers."

"Right." well, it's not like he knew. 

Anyways.

The sunlight filtering through the windows was just bright enough to keep him from sinking into his thoughts, just bright enough for Magnotris to glance at where the beams fell onto the table. Yesterday had been a whirlwind; one he was glad was over, but, if he was being honest - he wasn't sure he liked where it had gone. Meeting a new Mag... stars.

The Magnitude Fragments. Strongest entities, right under the creator gods themselves. Supposedly they tasked themselves with protecting the world, but Mangotris had always been a cynic - he didn't trust godlike figures. Granted, he supposed he sort-of was one to mortals, but Mag Frags - they were different. And just recently, one had made it quite clear they wanted to kill him. Or... no, brainwash him. Overtake his brain. Flip him upside down, shake out everything that made him Magnotris, and puppet him like a tool.

What the fuck was up with that? How did they reconcile that with their whole "idealistic protectors" shtick? And them killing Bereave? Magnotris frowned. The more he found out about them, the more and more he was convinced they were a horde of liars. Masquerading about, pretending like they gave a shit... but could they even comprehend Fragment life? Could they even lower themselves enough to understand?

It felt like everyone was their chess board, like they'd been playing this game forever and had grand schemes and grand plans set up. Like Jubilee. And, though he was friendly with Jubilee now, there was still a layer of distrust on him. Jubilee was not the most trustworthy man - he was, after all, a politician. And he was in cahoots with the Mags, who seemed to follow his agenda of lies and secrecy to accomplish hidden goals. He'd had Rendgen in his pocket the entire time, no?

And, excuse him if he had an issue with authority figures and power. He scoffed quietly to himself, tapping on the windowsill as he watched a few Frags mull about the Sanctum. 

How much of this all could he trust? How many more times could he tolerate Jubilee brushing off his concerns, saying he'd handle it? To wait in the wings - for what? For WHAT!? What was the grand plan here, and why was he always the one kept out of it? Why did everyone else - Morning Star, Jubilee, Sterling - always seem to understand, to adapt faster? 

Crvendach, bitterly, rose in his mind, and his frustration evaporated. 

He supposed, maybe, it wasn't as bad as it could be. Crvendach, teary-eyed as he bent over the bar counter, crying about how no one trusted him enough to tell him of things, to tell him about important happenings. It was still fucked up, granted, but... if he had been left completely in the dust, with just Morning Star taking the helm, Magnotris sleeping in the back seat....

Likely, he would've gotten himself involved anyways. He had a penchant for such things - considering freeing Quantum, considering Cynosure being dragged into the Sanctum. He'd had enough self-pity and anger these last few weeks to last him a lifetime. Just then, he'd been getting back into his groove - moving his own chess pieces, independent, feared. That run-in with "Juice" had really thrown him off his rocker.

Maybe that was intentional. To weaken him, perhaps. To make him susceptible to the other's influence. Magnotris pictured Juice's face: the sharp-toothed grin that spread just a bit too wide, the wide eyes, the way he draped himself over that throne. Rendgen disrupting Juice's plan had set off some sort of chain of dominos - dominos he wasn't privy to, but that he was smart enough to make guesses. 

His end goal: likely, as cheesy as it was, overtaking the Coalition. Why? Fuck if he knew - his best guess could be simple arrogance. There was enough of that in spades when people got too powerful. But, yet, that didn't feel right. Though Juice was definitely self-centered, there was something off about the idea that he'd go to such lengths to accomplish a goal that... rightly he should have attempted already.

What had been preventing him from taking it? Why did he want to dismantle the COR from the inside out, rather than just take it by force? Why were his moves more calculated than his demeanor and attitude implied he planned?

Magnotris leaned on the windowsill, squinting down at the sidewalk. He was no master planner, no master thinker. He was smart, sure - but he wasn't a politician, and the machinations of their minds were lost on him. And, really, he didn't have a lot of information to go off of anyways. 

He concluded: Fucking Jubilee. Fucking Mags.

"Are you done brooding?" Cynosure called.

Magnotris turned around, still resting his elbows on the sill as he gave the other a dubious raised eyebrow. Cy had finished his jello cup and had neatly folded his newspaper into a tiny square underneath the plastic. His ex's face was a bit irritated, but not overtly so - like he'd lost most of his edge, lost the energy to muster hatred and annoyance.

After a bout of silence, he rolled his eyes. "I wasn't brooding."

"Well, I'm off," Cy said, standing. He had the sense to push the chair in politely and magick his garbage into butterflies. "See you later, I guess? If you're still staying here-"

"-Where are you going?" Magnotris asked.

"Um...." Cy squinted at him, leaning away slightly. "Why are you askin?"

Magnotris shrugged lightly. "Curious where you're going. That's all."

Not the whole truth, really, but Cy didn't need to know that. The Sanctum was, after all, full of Overseer and Mag dealings - maybe he'd pick up on the ripples currently going through the COR while out and about. Then again... Jubilee tended to chokehold information, especially sensitive information. Fucking Jubilee. It was admirable, he guessed, the control and planning the other had. 

And, yet, still, he seemed genuine. He seemed reasonable. He was very good at keeping his facade polite and respectable, understanding but firm. It was certainly impressive - the mark of a true politician, Magnotris supposed. Something he could never do, but something he didn't value anyways. There was no point in being fake. 

Cy had yet to drop the suspicion from his pose. "You're not coming with me."

Magnotris flashed a smile. "Do you think you get to make that decision?"

After a poignant pause, Cy deflated slightly, grumbling under his breath. He headed for the door, but did pause long enough that Magnotris could peel away from the window and join him. As they left the house, his mouth twitched into a smile. Jubilee might be a master of secrecy and shadows, but Magnotris could intimidate just about anyone into being under his thumb. Different operations, similar end goal. Maybe they weren't so different.

Except when he couldn't quite get under someone's skin and intimidate them, Magnotris had nothing to fall back on. Jubilee had his connections, his entire network of individuals he could pull from - Rendgen, Morning Star, Sterling, Profound... did the list ever end? And how many of them had he blackmailed into the position?

Some might say Magnotris was one of those connections. Considering the night out at a bar, with Crvendach and Jubilee... okay, maybe. He rolled his eyes quietly before falling into line behind Cy, who had set off on the path with a remarkable determination. He knew where he was going.

Then again, he'd been in the Sanctum long enough to tentatively slot himself into one of its many, many little cliches and communities. Maybe he'd turned into an errand boy for the Overseers. Or found himself throwing hats in with Profiterole. 

"You don't have to walk so close," Cy shot over his shoulder. He dusted off his arm, like Magnotris' presence alone had tainted it.

He let his shoulders relax, hands sliding into his jacket pockets. "Alright, calm down. I'll back up a little."

"Right, you do that." 

"What's got you so on edge?"

Cy turned to give him a hard glare. "You! You show up last night, tailed by some fuckguy with a super unsettling smile, and he just dumps you off? For some reason? And you didn't explain why you showed up!"

"Don't worry about it," he smoothly replied, pulling out a cigarette to light it. 

Cy stopped to turn fully around, hands clenched at his sides. Magnotris paused. "Don't worry about it? That's really the best you can muster? You're following me around after all that and you can't even fucking tell me anything?!"

"Seriously. It has nothing to do with you." the irony wasn't lost on him. Magnotris grimaced slightly. He wasn't Jubilee. "I'm just laying low for a bit."

"What the fuck else did you stick your nose into? Wasn't the fighting ring shit enough?"

Magnotris stared at Cy, who was tense enough that his shoulders were shaking slightly. Slowly, he looked up and down, drinking in the other's stressed posture. Once upon a time, he'd wanted this more than anything - to have the upper hand on Cy, to trip him up and laugh when he couldn't quite get back up again. But now that he had it, it didn't feel comforting at all. He was going through the motions, bring cruel for... what reason? Revenge?

Stars, he sounded like Morning Star. They really did rub off on each other. Magnotris took a drag on his cigarette, sighing slightly. "I meant what I said. I know it comes off as dickish, but I really don't think you want to be involved. It's..." what could he say that wouldn't unravel Jubilee's plans? "...involved with the whole fighting ring thing. But bigger."

"Yeah, okay," Cy scoffed.

Wait. "Have you heard of Divinity?"

Cy tensed hard enough to freeze, eyes widening slightly. After a second, he crossed his arms, leaning away slightly, "I know of it."  

"Tell me about it, would you?"

Cynosure's eyes flicked around the empty sidewalk. "Out here? In the open, where any spy could hear us?" 

"I sincerely doubt a Divinity spy is in the Sanctum, of all places," Magnotris dully replied, taking another drag.

The other had yet to untense. "You don't know that." 

Magnotris raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever!" Cy huffed, turning back around. "Fine, I'll spill, but we have to keep walking. I'm not going to be late for my job."

A twinge of curiosity rose in Magnotris, but he saved the question for later. He didn't want to distract from any information that his ex was willing to spill. 

"Divinity is the... well it got founded a bit before we broke up," Cy started, though his voice was quieter. "Way back when. You remember?"

"Yeah, generally."

"Yeah. Okay. So, anyways, it gets founded, and it's supposedly the best place to like... just do whatever the fuck you want. Its leader is like a psycho bitch, but whatever, we're all psycho bitches, right? So a bunch of people flocked there. And I was going to go there myself, but like... ugh. Like its leader, he's really - I've never met him, so I don't know, but-"

Magnotris dryly pictured Juice's maniacal grin.

"-but he's got like, all these weird rules? About like - well, you're allowed to do anything, but you have to do it in the way he tells you to? If that makes sense? Like, if you wanna buy drugs, you can only buy however much he says you can, and it's like. It's not like a high limit, either, I know a couple of people that were bitching, because you can get the best stuff at Divinity and it's basically free - no favors to trade for it, but they've got a tolerance now that means they can't straight-up get off with the amount the leader lets them have, so they were going to, like, smuggle stuff under the leader's nose.

"And then one day people just stopped talking about that? I dunno if it like, got whistleblown, or if they just went quieter about it, but everyone stopped complaining about Divinity's leader. And if you complained, you disappeared. So people shut up real fast." Cy glanced around warily, as if Orsanmichele watering flowers would spill to Juice. "And then people stopped coming back from Divinity. And if you talked about it too much, you'd disappear too. Everyone just sorta silently assumed that meant you got dragged to Divinity." 

"Interesting." it wasn't formulating anything in his head yet, but it simmered anyways. He could probably tell Jubilee all of this. 

"And Divinity has a long arm, too," Cy continued, raising a finger. "It started taking over like - fighting rings, drug rings, Magninium rings, trafficking rings. They would just... let it keep running, but add their leader's bullshit rules on top of everything. It's like, ridiculously egotistical and selfish. He's just imposing his own morals on everyone, and he's just too strong to stop him. It's stupid."

Divinity agents had, indeed, followed Magnotris to his house and kidnapped him after the Quantum debacle. If that was how they usually operated, he didn't find it difficult that indie rings and operations quietly bowed to them, especially considering the apparent reputation they had, despite attempts to quash it. Thinking on Juice, he wasn't sure how much of what Cy said was overblown fear speaking, and how much was genuine. Considering he hadn't named Juice....

"Thanks," he said, aimlessly as he took another drag. 

Cy gave him a confused stare, but didn't respond. Magnotris glanced past him, at Frost's hotel, which sat proudly a few yards in front of them. Morning Star's siblings had stayed here, hadn't they, when they lived briefly in the Sanctum? Cy had taken them here, talking about his job. What was he, a housekeeper? Why would Frost even have a housekeeper, when magic and enchantments could resolve any issue just as easily?

"You have a job now?" Magnotris casually fired. 

Seemingly struck by the question, Cynosure stumbled slightly. Magnotris waited for him to catch his feet again and stand, albeit wobbly. "Um. Y-yes."

SIlence ensued. Magnotris gave a mildly-impatient nod, gesturing for Cy to continue.

He didn't speak, only hurried into the hotel. Magnotris blinked for a few seconds before pacing forwards, reaching for the door. Before he could open it, it swung inward again, Cy standing in its frame, except now with a large satchel full of papers.

Magnotris glanced down at the bulging bag. He merely raised an eyebrow, lifting his cigarette. 

"Come on," Cynosure muttered, slinking out of the hotel as the door sung shut. "I have to make my route."

"Your route," Magnotris said, with dawning realization. "Is that mail?"

Cynosure gave a tiny nod. Incredulous, Magnotris stared, until his mouth quirked into a smile and he stifled a laugh into a snort. Wow. Just wow. He guessed he couldn't exactly shame Cy for that - it was reasonable, really. Weird magical constructs were fucky when it came to teleporting large quantities of things, especially to certain people - and the Sanctum was just a big weird magical construct. So of course they had to deliver mail the mortal way. It had never occurred to him, though, that people sent mail into the Sanctum.

"How long have you had this job?" he asked, falling into easy step behind Cy, who fished envelopes out of the bag to inspect the names. 

"Um... like, as soon as I moved in kind of," he replied, though his voice was still low. "Frost offered it to me. It took me a while to learn where everyone lives, but... I'm good at it now."

"That's kinda cute," Magnotris said, smiling. It was. It really was, honestly. Here was his ex, hardened criminal, someone he'd hated... and he was just now a mailperson, for the Sanctum. "Do you like it?" 

"Y-yeah," Cy mumbled, playing with one of the envelopes. "Everyone's been, um, really understanding and nice to me. I tried telling Frost about how like, this was temporary, that I'd probably end up destroying the mail, but he kinda just shrugged and duplicated all the mail and said he was willing to take a chance anyways? And everyone was really understanding whenever I messed up and when I was learning their names and stuff."

Magnotris watched the other's face. Though Cy's gaze was downcast, there was light blush on his cheeks. This was vulnerability for him.

"S-so. Yeah. And people have been saying I'm good at it, a-and... um... it's just really... different. And nice." he squeaked.

"I wouldn't have expected you to be a mailman." and yet, it was like he couldn't quite bring himself to be mean about it - to be a full tease, to needle. What was the point in jabbing Cy about it, and making him feel worse about something that clearly mattered to him? Petty revenge? A minute of feeling self-righteous?

He'd have to be a dick to just piss on Cy's job like that. And, while maybe Cy had been that kind of dick to him, Magnotris no longer had it in him to retaliate. Sure, he'd intimidate and threaten and do all sorts to get his way, but there was no enjoyment in indulging cruelty or callousness anymore. Maybe he really had changed, to find no enjoyment in such a thing. The fighting with Quantum rose in his mind, and he finished off his cigarette with a long inhale.

He magicked it out of existence while Cy headed up a small path to a house, knocking on its door. Magnotris remained by the main street, watching as the owner answered and greeted Cy with genuine happiness, receiving a small smile from Cy in turn. He'd really hit a stride, here. Was this Magnotris' fate, though? Following Cynosure around on his mailboy route while Jubilee plotted to take down the underground all alone?

His mouth drew into a fine line. He wouldn't settle for that by any means. 

"Um... M-Magnotris?" 

Magnotris turned around, blinking. Farley smiled back, tapping his fingers together. Farley, doorboy of the COR, Jubilee's errandboy. A little quiet, but he'd never presumed meekness came from the other. Just a stutter. "Yeah?"

"Have you seen Quantum, b-by any chance?"

He narrowed his eyes. "No, why?"

"Oh... I j-just figured, maybe you'd, because he, um..." Farley trailed off. Magnotris blinked at him. "Er, he just seems to a-appreciate what you did for him, and I can't find him a-anywhere-"

"Wait," Magnotris cut in, "why are you friends with him?"

Farley paused, eyes going wide as saucers. "Uh, that's not - I-I mean- we're just-"

Magnotris slowly turned to face the other. Farley was a smidge taller, but the way he hunched himself over slightly erased any height difference, like he was scared to actually tower. And, with the wrench Magnotris had thrown into his demeanor, Farley looked even more shaken, hugging himself awkwardly and staring at the floor.

It reminded him of Morning Star, early on, after they'd grown close and the other had felt vulnerable enough to let down his walls. And that was enough to spark empathy inside of him. "Hey... you okay?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine," Farley said, eyes darting around, like a frightened rabbit. "I sh-should get going, if you, d-don't know where he is. Th-thanks."

"Farley, wait-"

But the other was already hurrying down the path, wings shielding him from sight. Magnotris lifted a hand, then lowered it sheepishly. What was reaching out after him going to do? Farley wasn't going to turn around. 

Did Jubilee know he was looking for Quantum?

"Wow, you scared the doorguy," Cy said. Magnotris glanced over, blinking at the popsicle the other had between two teeth. Cy caught his stare. "What?"

Magnotris frowned. "Where did you get that?"

Cy pointed at the house.

"...Why?"

"Just because you don't like mortal food doesn't mean everyone has to hate it," Cy dully replied, fishing more envelopes out of his bag. "And people usually give me free stuff for delivering the mail, anyways."

"They just pack snacks for you?"

Cy gave him another glare, fangs digging into the popsicle. "Yes."

"I've been missing out on Sanctum politics, I don't keep up with them," Magnotris smoothly joked, ending with a shrug.

It seemed to work at defusing the situation, at least. Cy set off back down the path, chewing on his snack while he sorted through several stacks of mail. Magnotris watched the names on the papers flick about until they blurred into scribbly, pen-written messes. He didn't know enough people to wonder aimlessly about who was sending them mail, or why they were getting any. 

He had always sort of taken for granted his access in and out of the Sanctum. As an Overseer's assistant, he was expected to freely come and do, popping in when needed and spending time out in the field when not. But for many residents, he knew that it was permanent - that they didn't expect to leave anytime soon. Either they were too dangerous, or they were too fragile, or both of the two, and they needed another layer of protection.

Supposedly, currently, he was falling into that line of residents - tucked here against his will, for fear of what would happen if Juice got his hands back on him. Supposedly, it was better for him to stay here, under the guide of Suza and Rendgen - two more Mag Frags, of course - tucked away until Jubilee got the pawns set up all right and they cascaded down perfectly.

He sounded more irritated towards Jubilee than he was, really. He disliked Jubilee's methods and his sneakiness, but he wasn't a bad person by any means. Just... a politician. Magnotris rolled his eyes.

Cy paused to turn down the walkway to another house, Magnotris lingering once more. He leaned on the fence, watching idly as the owner handed Cy some sort of cookie. That was kinda endearing, he guessed. Not enough for him to muster energy about it, but it was cute, all things considered. Cy seemed happy here. Funny, to think he cared.

Magnotris' cellie vibrated. He near-jumped, scrambling to fish it out of his pocket. The notification glowed on his lock screen for a long few seconds, and his face fell slightly.

"What?" Cy asked, finishing off the cookie as he headed back. "Something wrong?"

"No," he muttered, opening the text from Sterling. Why couldn't it have been Morning Star, or at least Jubilee?

Have you seen Morning Star?

Of course. Magnotris frowned, typing out He's in his home Timeline, been visiting for a while. Why?

Cy headed off, Magnotris in step. He was more absorbed in watching Sterling's typing bubble appear and reappear. Tension had begun to settle into his gut. What was happening, that Sterling was asking about Morning Star?

Finally, relief: Jubilee's been acting fishy. Says he doesn't want me to take MS' word for things without passing it through him first. I asked why, he said something about how things could go very south if we don't handle this carefully. Said it was similar to the Bereave thing. I tried to get him to spill more but he was nervous & dodgy.

Nervous? Magnotris echoed.

Yeah, ikr? IDK what MS could even say that would require me to ask Jubilee first. He's implying that MS got caught in some conspiracy. Are there two guys like Bereave??

Magnotris stared at the text. His personal beliefs suddenly felt rather small and insignificant compared to everything happening around him. Slowly, he typed. I mean... yeah, kinda. Genesis is the other one, but he's never been a threat as far as stories have said. Bereave was always the threat. Morning Star hasn't said anything to me about Genesis, though. He's bonding with his sibling.

Sterling took a bit of time to type again. Yeah, I remember. I saw his sibling like yesterday. I figured he was okay, but you never know. Especially w/a dodgy Jubilee. That's concerning.

Definitely.

Keep me posted if you find out anything, OK?

Magnotris nodded, despite Sterling having no visuals. Of course. Thanks for letting me know.

Welcome.

He locked his cellie and slipped it back into his pocket, mind racing. Jubilee had reached out to Sterling to try to... well, control him. Point blank. He wanted to be there to serve either as a stopgap for Morning Star's plans, or to encourage them... but something was telling Magnotris it was more the former. Starsdamnit, they were right back on step one - Jubilee hiding things, Morning Star getting in over his head involved in something, Magnotris left scrambling behind them both, trying to pick up the pieces....

Listlessly, he stared after Cy, watching the other hand out several envelopes to what appeared to be a group home. It'd be nice to be able to kick back in the Sanctum and forget about everything that was going on, but it was as if he couldn't rest. The very idea of letting himself sleep while everyone else juggled conspiracies over his head... it sickened him, to his core. He had to be there for Morning Star.

Jubilee's words, after rescuing him from Divinity and Juice, echoed in his head. Turmoil in the upper echelons. Were the Mag Frags infighting? He needed time, apparently... time to do what? And he was nervously approaching Sterling now, scared, trying to gain control there, like he couldn't get a foothold elsewhere?

Why Sterling? Well, really, Sterling had been the whole reason they'd managed to kill Bereave. Really, it didn't take a genius: gold magic, able to destabilize Magninium, of which Bereave was entirely made out of. He wasn't sure how integral the others were to that blast, but... regardless of that, they had needed Sterling to complete it.

So why reach out to Sterling? Were people conspiring to abuse his powers? Did Jubilee want access to those powers, should anything go wrong? But then why wouldn't he be more direct, why would he go through Morning Star instead - say he wanted info of Morning Star's plans to okay them or not? Was he expecting Morning Star to betray him, or flip to the other side? The other side of what? The Mag Frags? Juice?

Magnotris rubbed his forehead. He'd been handed a plethora of puzzle pieces, but some asshole had painted over all of them black, and he was having trouble figuring out which ones stuck to one another and which ones he was brute-forcing together. And he had the feeling that, if he bothered to take the time to chip the paint off, he'd be left in the dust while Morning Star was in life-ending danger. Again. 

But how could he be proactive like this? Helpless, scrambling like a headless animal? Stuck in the Sanctum until Jubilee felt it justified to release him? The only thing keeping feelings of uselessness from rising was the faintest memory of Crvendach. Maybe he should text the other Overseer later. It'd be nice to vent about all the bullshit to someone who got it, someone who was supportive.

He hated this. He hated this, so much, that it was so hard for him to even begin to articulate how much he hated it. Magnotris grit his teeth.

"You keep making all those grumpy faces," Cy said, leaning on the fence. He had some sort of chewy food with him, though Magnotris had no idea what it was - he didn't keep up with mortal cuisine.

Magnotris blinked himself out of his thoughts, giving the other a dull stare. "I'm thinking about a lot."

"Don't hurt yourself."

He scoffed, cracking his wrists. "You're one to talk, Cynosure."

"You're the one being all brooding and weird."

"Yeah, well, my life's a little bit harder than just delivering mail and getting popsicles," he snapped, harsher than he intended.

Cynosure rolled his eyes, chewing on his snack. "Uh-huh."

Magnotris stared bitterly at his ex, who still seemed so nonchalant - everything rolling off his back, like water, like he could just take it and move on. Instinctively, he knew that wasn't true - Cy had quite literally been living in a dump before Magnotris had brought him here - but the fury that ignited in him didn't care. It just wanted him to burn, to tear Cy apart, to rip him a new one figuratively and literally, to just take it all out on him - all of the uncertainty and confusion and frustration. It would be just like old times, him taking out everything on Cy, Cy needling him into it, over and over, that cycle of abuse.

He stopped.

He stared at Cy, breathing slowly. 

What was he thinking?

WIth a groan, Magnotris mashed the base of his palm into his forehead. What was he thinking, letting his anger overwhelm him like that? So what, Cy was a bit dickish and got under his skin - did that really warrant Magnotris throwing all of his growth into a trash can to beat him up for a few seconds of feeling okay? It was getting stuck in that cycle in the first place that had stunted him, and it had taken Morning Star pulling it out of him to rescue him.

He wasn't a monster, not anymore. He wasn't going to let himself succumb to that anymore. Granted, Cy probably could still do with a slap to the face, but Magnotris wouldn't be the one distributing it.

Slowly, carefully, he breathed in again. Control yourself. 

"...Sorry about that, Cy." 

Cy paused mid-bite, blinking rapidly. After a second, he leaned back, squinting suspiciously again. "What."

"Sorry for snapping at you." the words felt hollow, but he knew it was important to say it. If he said it enough, he'd believe it. He'd integrate it. He'd become it. He'd be a good person. "You didn't deserve that."

"I... um, okay. You're... forgiven?"

Magnotris nodded, staring down at the white-painted wood of the fence. He didn't expect Cynosure to take it perfectly. It was the least antagonistic thing he'd ever said to the other, especially considering their last few interactions. 

"So, um, where is this coming from?" Cy asked, leaning back on the fence, though he was still a bit stiff.

"What?"

"Like... the apologies."

Magnotris blinked at the other. Was he prepared to let spill all of his feelings about this? His regrets about his behavior, their relationship? The ways he'd changed and learned better, adapted, grown? Everything he'd seen and all that he'd learned? Reflections on his past and his old self? Determination to grow into a better person?

Maybe make a connection with Cy? Take a step into being more like Morning Star, forgive everyone, befriend them all? Do his best to spread that idealistic positivity and love, no matter where he went, no matter how much he'd have to doormat himself for it?

He stared at Cy's waiting expression.

Haha. No.

He loved Morning Star, but he himself was no Morning Star. He couldn't pull it off, nor did he really want to. He was fine just being polite acquaintances with Cy, not dumping all of his personal struggles and self-opinions on his ex who was still kinda shitty. Those rose-tinted glasses belonged solely to Morning Star, who was... of course... busy bending over backwards to try to please his sibling. Funny how that worked out.

Magnotris gave a casual shrug, crossing his arms. "Just didn't think it was right to cuss at you for that. Kinda took out some frustration. That's all."

Cynosure nodded, finishing off whatever it was that he was eating. In the midst of licking his lips, he gestured past Magnotris. Appropriately, Magnotris turned around, catching sight of a small Frag standing only a few feet away. He blinked. Their footsteps had been silent.

"You're Overseer Magnotris, r-right?" they asked, eyes wide, body shaking slightly. Their hands were drawn close to their body, knees together. It reminded him of Farley - a scared little prey animal.

He blinked, glancing quickly to Cy as he lowered his arms. "Yes, why-"

Magnotris jumped slightly as they near-tackled him, hackles instantly raised. It took another few seconds for him to realize that rather than an attack, they were... hugging him. And half-crying into his shoulder. He awkwardly remained frozen for a bit longer before reaching to pat their back awkwardly, shooting Cynosure a confused stare. Cy shrugged, expression just as perplexed.

"Thank you," they whispered. He blinked again, lowering his arms. They lingered, still clinging, before finally pulling away, staring up at him with tear-filled eyes. "Thank you so much." 

"Um... do I know you?" he tried, weakly.

They let go of him, seemingly suddenly aware of how awkward it'd been. "Ah, sorry!! Sorry, sorry, um. I just wanted to meet you since the doctors said that you were in the Sanctum currently, and well...."

Doctors. Wait.

"...if it weren't for your cure, I wouldn't be here right now," they squeaked, fumbling with their hands, averting their eyes.

Magnotris blinked at them. His cure. The one he'd found, for Corruption. He breathed in a little sharply. "It - it's viable?"

"Yes!" they squeaked, looking bright-eyed. "Thank you so so so much!! It worked, look, look it worked!" 

They gestured to themself. There was no visible long-term damage, nothing that would suggest they once had befallen ill to a horrible parasite. They just seemed a little lanky and thin, but that was understandable, considering everything - and it was viable. That meant that they'd figured out a way to produce it. 

He'd cured it.

Holy shit.

"You made a cure for Corruption?" Cy asked, incredulous.

Magnotris nodded, unable to tear his gaze from the new Frag.

Cy stared at him for a few more seconds before huffing and glaring at the wall, arms still tightly crossed. "I guess you used those drug-making skills for something."

He couldn't even muster a sassy response. What could he say to that, when his heart was racing, when his mind was dizzy at the mere thought? In all the havoc and mess of the last few weeks, he'd nearly forgotten about the cure, about hoping it'd work. It almost stung, to realize that he'd accomplished it. He really had that under his belt. He'd been useful. He'd made the world a better place. How had he ever doubted himself? 

Magnotris reached forwards to hug them again. They squeaked, but gladly clung, arms wrapped around. He couldn't speak. What could he say? What was there to say? You're welcome, thank you, I'm so glad, I'm so elated? Those were meaningless, in sight of this person, this individual who had been so ill they hadn't been able to pry themselves out of bed, had been nothing but a host for a parasite - and now here they were, a new lease on life, a new start beginning.

Thanks to him.

He'd done that. He'd saved them. He'd figured it out. He'd done it. He'd done it!

Magnotris lifted them, twirling them around. They tensed at first, but after their mind caught up, they just let out a brief little giggle. When was the last time someone had picked them up? When was the last time they felt wind in their hair? When was the last time they'd breathed and enjoyed life and living and every beautiful thing in this world that everyone else took for granted?

He was going to cry, maybe?!

"Magnotris," cut in a familiar voice.

He froze, mid-spin. Cy lifted his head at the same time as Magnotris' eyes flicked over to Quantum, who stood firmly, arms crossed. The other looked a little awkward, glancing uncertainly between the Frag in his arms and Magnotris' face.

"Yes?" he managed, putting them down.

Quantum shifted his weight, glancing over his shoulder. What had him so antsy? Farley's questions suddenly burned in Magnotris' mind. Was he going to be thrown back in, head-first, into this horrible conspiracy mess? "I need to talk with you."

He tensed, eyes darting around. They met Cy's stare, which was blank, unreadable. Cy surely recognized him, right? What was running through the other's head at this?

Saying "alright" and following Quantum felt like a death sentence. It was like kissing away the brief glimpse of what his life could be, and throwing it into an incinerator. Maybe he'd be better off in a lab, cooking up cures and potions rather than digging his fingers into these horrible illegal dealings and Mag spitfights. He wasn't sure how Quantum was involved, but Farley was asking for him, and Jubilee was moving chess pieces, and this was just a sore reminder of how powerless he was to do anything.

Unless this was his chance to get a foothold, to get power. Quantum was strong. He'd seen as much in the fight, when Quantum had dealt enough damage to tear one of the top fighters to pieces and walk away without a scratch. That was the kind of power he'd like behind himself.

"Sure," Magnotris said.

"In private," Quantum said, hurriedly.

He was going to do this. He'd make himself useful. He'd get a hand in this mess and wrench out whatever he could from it, whatever he could to ensure Morning Star's safety, to keep everything contained while he handled his siblings and life back in his Timeline. Magnotris would wrangle it all for him.

"Sure," he repeated, glancing at Cy and the Frag one final time, before following Quantum.