[FRAG] House of Liars

Magnotris knocked again.

He half-lowered his hand, narrowing his eyes at the frosted window. He couldn't make out very many details of the room; only a few vague shapes and colors. That was the intention of frosted windows, though, he supposed. Still annoying that he couldn't eavesdrop.

Quota had said Jubilee was in his office, so Magnotris didn't doubt for a second that the other Overseer would be in. Quota just wasn't the sort of guy to lie to anyone. Maybe this was a little too soon after the whole... disaster with Bereave, but fuck it - everyone needed to relax after that, right? And it wasn't like he had anything better to do while Morning Star was off at his home Timeline, doing... whatever it was he was doing.

They really needed to head on a date soon. Just the two of them, hanging out, not giving a shit about anyone else at least for a few hours. They didn't even need to talk about everything that happened. He just wanted to spend some time with his boyfriend.

For now, though, spending time with his friend (friends?) sounded just fine. Heading off to a bar, getting a few drinks in him, maybe having a nice heart-to-heart with Jubilee. He could kinda see why Morning Star touted the merits of friendship so much, now. It was actually kinda nice to rub elbows with people and not worry about them backstabbing him. He could trust Morning Star's judgement, and Morning Star trusted Jubilee. That counted for quite a bit in Magnotris' book.

Morning Star didn't know Crvendach, but hell, Magnotris trusted him. And it was kind of nice to have someone uninvolved in the entire conflict in his court, too, if he was being completely honest. Everyone else he knew seemed to trust Morning Star first, always go through Morning Star first. But Crven was all his own friend.

Er, that sounded more possessive than he intended. Aw shit. Magnotris rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he heard, and stepped back from the door appropriately. He shot a grin to Crvendach, whose eyes flicked from the door to Magnotris' face before offering a nervous smile back. Aw, that was cute. 

He reached out to pat Crven's shoulder just as Jubilee cracked open the door, blinking in surprise at the duo outside of his office. He glanced between Crven and Magnotris, confusion on his expression before recognition slowly dawned.

Shit, had Jubilee not realized that he was being serious? Come on, Magnotris wouldn't lie about hanging out to people. He half-wanted to think that he could accurately say he wouldn't lie at all, but that'd be a painfully obtuse fib. But seriously, Jubilee hadn't believed him? 

"You coming out drinking with us?" Magnotris casually offered, sticking his other hand in his pocket and giving a nonchalant shrug. There. Casual and lighthearted.

Jubilee fiddled with the doorknob, glancing back at his office over his shoulder. "Er... I didn't think you actually meant it. Or for it to be this soon after everything."

"It's been a couple days, that's totally not soon."

'Does Crvendach know?' came an accusatory burst of telepathy. 

Magnotris blinked rapidly before rubbing the back of his head and letting out a negative grunt. Jubilee sighed, stepping out of his office and pulling the door shut behind him. There was another few seconds of telepathy - who was he talking to? Crvendach, or someone else? - before Jubilee politely folded his hands in front of his lap and gave a curt nod.

"Very well. I can't stay out too late, but I suppose I can tag along...."

Magnotris took Jubilee's wrist, and then gave Crvendach a nod. The latter smiled back, still nervous, before teleporting.

They were not standing in the industrial wasteland that they'd last been to. Magnotris blinked, letting his hands slip off the others as he soaked in the room: high ceilings, beautiful glass walls, sparkling chandeliers, marble pillars, glistening tile floors, and gushing fountains of pure water. Holy fucking shit. 

Was this supposed to be a bar? A place for Frags to go get wasted? This was absurdly fancy and pretty. The more he glanced around at the gorgeous hall, the more and more an unsettled feeling started to creep up his back - as if he didn't quite belong here. 

No, shut up. It was fine. Crven had brought him, and Crven wouldn't drag him into some place where he'd be completely out of place and out of his element. Crven knew this place, knew the entire bar-hopping route like the back of his hand. He wouldn't take Magnotris somewhere absurd. 

Still, he found himself lingering close to Crven, wrapping a hand around the other's wrist. 

"CC-12," Jubilee said, dully, as he linked his hands behind his back. He offered a raised eyebrow to Crven. "You come here often?"

Crven smiled, reaching into his shawl pocket to procure some small card. "Yep, got a member card and everything."

"Wait," Magnotris hissed lowly, "you need a member card to get into here? I don't have one."

"Don't worry, they let you take a plus one in," Crven replied, squeezing Magnotris' hand. 

He jabbed a finger at Jubilee. "But that's more than one-"

Jubilee lifted a hand, a small card magicking into life between his fingers. Magnotris blinked owlishly before feeling warmth rise to his cheeks and he glared at the floor. Okay, just prove him wrong, then, assholes. He was just trying to make sure everyone could actually attend and get some drinks, but fuck him, he supposed-

Wait a second. He was way too angry about this. It was just a minor trip-up. They weren't trying to make him look stupid. He didn't need to raise his hackles so hard.

"Magnotris? You okay?" Crven prompted, squeezing again.

He breathed in. It was fine. Nothing was wrong. They were going to go to this fancy little bar and have some fancy little drinks and have a nice time. These two people trusted him, to some degree. They weren't trying to mock him. It was okay. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Sorry."

"It was a reasonable worry," Jubilee assured him, stepping closer, "I don't use my membership often enough; usually Profound borrows my card."

"Profound doesn't have his own membership?" Magnotris tilted his head, narrowing his eyes. Wait. "Profound drinks?"

Jubilee laughed behind a hand. "CC-12 is more than a bar, Magnotris. It's more of a... resort destination, I suppose, is the right word. Invite-only."

"We have resorts?" he echoed.

Jubilee frowned. "What, you expect everyone to work every waking hour? People like vacations, Magnotris. CC-12 was relatively untouched, so it was easy to justify turning it into an all-inclusive vacation spot for various Frags. Although-" he leaned to peek at Crven, "-I didn't know you received a membership."

"Oh!" Crven smiled at Jubilee, but Magnotris could see the anxious way the corners of his mouth turned up. Maybe he shouldn't have brought both of them at once. "It was, uh, like, a gift... sort of... yeah I've had it for a long time, though."

The trio stopped at the far side of the entrance hall. Two imposing marble statues framed massive doors, well over three times Magnotris' height. He eyed the totally-nude sculptures. Talk about lovingly crafted. A guard at the entrance checked Crvendach and Jubilee's identification cards, and then nodded, opening the double doors behind them.

Eurgh, he was so out of his element here. He kept his shoulders back and chin up, though. If he just pretended he belonged, maybe it wouldn't eat at him so much. Besides, he was here with friends. That had to count for something, right? Oh, stars, he was talking about Jubilee as a friend. Fuck. Once he started drinking he'd have to clarify their relationship and where they sat with each other. Did Jubilee think of him as a friend?

"You'll like the place, Magnotris," Crven assured him a second later, speaking in a low voice. He felt some sort of flush on his face again; was it really that obvious that he was uncomfortable? "I know it seems super fancy but it's not, like, pretentious."

He gave a stiff nod as they stepped into the next room. This at least was more dimly-lit, like a proper bar, but the lighting was served by fancy chandeliers still. Tables seemed too plush and velvet, the bar was made of some beautiful stone, and more statues dotted the place, curled around support pillars and as reliefs coming off the wall. Music was playing, some dark, louder beat. The aesthetics almost felt slightly confused. Who owned this place?

But he didn't protest as Crven led the other two towards the bar. There were more people mulling about than Magnotris had thought to guess; quite a few tables were full and a few others were sitting at the bar. There was a small crowd on the dancefloor, swaying along to the music. Nobody looked up at their entrance. 

"If you want we could visit the spa or something, if you'd like to really get rid of stress," Crven continued, perching on one of the leather stools.

Magnotris scrubbed at his face before sitting next to him, Jubilee on his other side. The latter leaned forwards to speak, "I've got an early morning, so after the bar I'll probably head home. But if you stay, I hope you two enjoy it."

"Th-thanks, Jubilee," Crvendach managed. 

Magnotris just breathed in slowly. Stay calm. This was a bar now. He couldn't see the menu from where he was sitting. Was there even a menu? 

The bartender stepped over, and Magnotris ducked his head as his entire face turned red. No fucking way. They leaned forwards over the counter, the ridiculously-skimpy outfit showing off plenty of cleavage as they asked, "Hey there, got anything in mind to eat or drink?"

'This place felt so high class!' he squawked in telepathy to Crvendach.

Crven half-snickered and patted Magnotris' back. 'A place can be high-class and still kinda kinky, y'know!'

Well... okay, fair, he couldn't really argue that.

'This bar in particular's pretty high-end but dark, althouuuugh the water park and spa have slightly different vibes if you'd prefer something a little brighter and shinier. I just thought you'd like this one more.'

Magnotris huffed. 'This is fine, no, I'm just - startled, I think.'

'That's understandable! Sorry, I should've warned you beforehand. CC-12's pretty weird.'

'It's... it's fine, Crven.' he straightened up and adjusted the collar of his shirt. "A beer's fine. No I don't have a preference to brand or anything like that."

"Good, 'cause we only serve one brand here," the bartender said, smiling and showing off too many sharp teeth. They tilted their head towards Crven, who mouthed 'the usual', and then turned to Jubilee.

"I don't drink," Jubilee remarked, holding up a hand. "At all."

"Not even a water?" the bartender quirked an eyebrow.

"No thank you."

They shrugged, snapping their fingers. Two drinks fell into place in front of Magnotris and Crvendach. "Call if you need anything, alright?" they offered, with a smile, before heading off to tend to another patron.

"Why'd you come, then?" Magnotris directed towards Jubilee, once the worker was well out of earshot. He picked up the bottle.

Jubilee shrugged. "Nice to get out of the COR once in a while. And I was invited here by you, so I find no issues with spending some time with a friend here."

Ah, well, there it was: Jubilee thought of him as a friend. That was strangely comforting. "How do you get an identification card here?" 

"Oh, CC-12's Frag gives it to you themselves," Crven cut in. He'd already sipped his drink a few times, and seemed a bit more relaxed. Good. "You can try making a direct appeal to them or like, if you're important enough they might just give one to you out of nowhere. They're all mysterious that way."

"Who is the Frag?" best to glean as much information as he could, right?

"You don't know Kitschie, I don't think," Jubilee remarked. 

Kitschie. Kitschie. Yeah no. "Unfortunately you're right."

"No, that's fortunate," Jubilee grinned, "you probably wouldn't quite like them."

"Oh?"

"They can be overzealous."

Oh boy. "Yeah, you're probably right on that."

Magnotris leaned back, taking a long drink of his alcohol. This was much more relaxed than he'd dared to hope for, honestly. Crven didn't seem too nervous in Jubilee's presence, and Jubilee seemed fairly relaxed. That was more than he dared to hope for.

Honestly he should've walked in with more conversation topics prepped, something for them all to bond over. This whole friendship thing was hard. How the hell did Morning Star maintain so many different dynamics? Magnotris was struggling to even come up with something for them to talk about. He couldn't discuss Bereave in front of Crvendach, but he wasn't sure what else to talk about with the latter. Work?

He rubbed his face and turned to Crvendach, "So, how's work been?" Painfully generic, but he wanted to fill the space somehow.

He just didn't... want to be alone, right now. If he was alone too long, he'd think about everything that happened and end up fretting over Morning Star. He was really genuinely trying to give the other space, give him the room he wanted to grow, but it was just so hard. Everything had escalated so quickly, recently; everything seemed so much more intense, and he had to hold himself back on whether or not he could even advise Morning Star on anything.

Magnotris' fingers tightened around his drink. 

"Work's been fine!" Crven chirped. "Nothing really super interesting the last few days. But then again, a quiet period's always appreciated!"

"Oh yes, for sure," Jubilee hummed. "I haven't had much, either."

Crven smiled, leaning forwards. He fiddled with his cup for a few seconds, "Oh?"

Jubilee nodded, while Magnotris shot Crven a stare.

"Where were you a couple of nights ago? Nobody could get ahold of you. Profound was complaining about it, said you were missing a meeting and stuff."

Magnotris' eyes flicked to Jubilee. 

"Solving a minor disaster," he said, smoothly, moving Magnotris' cup away from the counter edge. "Sorry for disappearing, but I figured that it was better to solve it ASAP rather than wait for backup."

Crven frowned at his glass, clearly not convinced, but didn't argue. 

Magnotris sucked in his teeth, staring at his own drink. He breathed in deeply and then leaned closer to Jubilee. "We can tell Crvendach."

"What?" the other Overseer hissed, voice just as low. "Absolutely not."

"He's trustworthy."

"Funny you of all people should be arguing for this information to start leaking?" 

Magnotris hid his muzzle behind a hand, "W-well, I would rather tell Crvendach the truth and know exactly what he knows and where he got the information from, instead of having to worry about who he found info out from and what misinformation he's head."

"That's not a good excuse, and you know-" Jubilee paused, narrowing his eyes. He ducked his head slightly, hissing under his breath.

Magnotris blinked.

"Sorry, sorry," Jubilee muttered, standing, "I have to take this, er, call. Be right back."

Magnotris lifted a hand, but Jubilee had already speedwalked over to the exit, saying something in a low voice to the guard before disappearing past the double doors. He left the other two blinking in surprise.

"What?" Magnotris managed, throwing his arms out.

"He does this sometimes," Crven cut in, putting a hand on Magnotris' shoulder. "Hey, you okay?"

"Huh?" he turned back around.

"Like-" Crven nervously smiled, "are you alright? You just seem really tense and stuff. Sorry if I've been making you tense or anything... Jubilee's just kinda intimidating-"

"-Oh, no, you're fine," he replied, waving the other off. "It's not that."

"Ah, okay."

They sat in silence for several seconds. Magnotris swished around his drink before sipping. It actually didn't taste that bad, all things considered. Maybe he should start bothering to learn actual brands and names of drinks.

"...Magnotris?" he lifted his head towards Crven. The other was staring at his drink. "What did you mean, 'tell Crvendach the truth'?"

Magnotris took a deep inhale. He glanced towards the doors Jubilee had disappeared off to. "How long does he normally spend taking... er, calls?"

"Depends. Sometimes they're really short, sometimes they're long." Crven shrank back, ears flattening, "That's a really loaded question to start with, Magnotris."

"I - listen, I know," he muttered, swirling his drink again. Going against Jubilee's wishes wasn't out of the question... and he did trust Crven. More than he should, really. They hadn't even known each other for that long. But Crven just had the same sort of honest warmth that Morning Star carried.

If he was being truthful, he was jealous of that warmth. They just seemed to ooze it, some special natural quality that made them seem so soft and trustworthy. It'd be so nice to skate through life with everyone already trusting him. 

Wait, what the fuck was he saying? Why was he suddenly so fucking pissy? Magnotris shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He was just off after the whole Bereave thing. So much of that had gone over his head, really. He wasn't involved in Magnitude Fragments and all their shit. That was Morning Star's forte.

"Magnotris?" Crven peeped.

Regardless of his usual distrust, he still cared about Crven. He still wanted to tell someone, anyone, who was just... firmly in his corner. Crven only knew him, not Morning Star. He could have his own support, un-meshed from the rest of the drama. The thought was so warming and comforting.

Magnotris reached forwards, taking Crven's wrist. He let his hand light with magic, and softly transferred the memory of murdering Bereave to the other, from Jubilee picking him up at the COR to returning to Profound. It only took a few minutes, and he appropriately peeled his hand away as soon as it was done. Quietly, he glanced at the other's expression.

Crven blinked, slowly, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. "I-," he started, then stopped, then stared at Magnotris, then grabbed his drink and shakily downed the rest of it.

"I know," Magnotris mumbled, rubbing his forehead. "Trust me, I didn't know what was going on half the time either."

"You... you guys really... like, actually... wow."

He nodded sagely.

Crven accepted another drink from the bartender, who gave a polite smile and headed off again after Magnotris declined a refill. He didn't say anything as Crven downed that one, too. He was kind of proud of himself for not drinking more, considering everything that had happened.

"Thank you for telling me," Crven said, a minute later. He rubbed his eyes, then reached towards Magnotris to wrap an arm around his waist tightly. "I - nobody trusts me with those sorts of things. It means a lot that you do."

"Really?" he managed, shifting to wrap an arm around Crven. 

The other smiled dully, "Yeah, no. I'm the last to find out about important COR stuff. I know, it's pathetic, you don't have to remind me."

"No, it's not pathetic. I'm sorry, Crven."

"It's okay. I appreciate this. Clearly Jubilee wasn't going to tell me...."

Magnotris hugged him closer. He was not a hug-type person, but... this was nice. It was different from how he and Morning Star hugged. Neither was nicer, they just - had their own merits and he loved both of them. 

"Thanks for being cool about Jubilee coming with us," Magnotris said, with a tired smile. "I wanted to bond with the guy, but wow, he's like, an awkward third wheel."

Crven half-laughed, sipping his drink. "Yeah, no, he's kinda always like that. A little too detached to really have fun. I think he likes being invited places, though, even if he's super duper bad at showing it."

"You think? He did just sorta bail on us."

"Nah, he gets 'calls' all the time. It's like telepathy but not telepathy, it doesn't feel like it. But he is talking to someone."

Magnotris hummed. "I wonder who."

"No idea. I know for a while the rumor was that it was to Rendgen. Although, with the memory you gave me, maybe that's not far-fetched...?"

Magnotris offered a shrug, before pulling Crven closer. "Well, whatever. Thanks for inviting me out here, buddy. Pretty cool Timeline."

"Yeah, I'm glad you came with!" he chirped. "Actually, want me to show you around the bar more? It's a really nice place."

"Jubilee won't miss us?" he teased, and Crven snickered.

He was pulled to his feet, Crven tugging on his sleeve and smiling. Together, they stepped away from the bar, Magnotris abandoning his drink. He deserved this, deserved a break from everything, no matter how tiny. He'd probably get another Overseer assignment soon, something to do with trying to reel in the black market, but for now, he was a free man.

The music was comforting, a reverberating beat in his chest and head. It was loud enough to drown out the conversations of other patrons, but not so loud as to obscure Crvendach's voice. Still, neither spoke as Crven swept them into the club portion, where the ground shook slightly with every deep vibration. Was this a thing that mortals did, go out and get drunk and party like this? Could they even understand the depth of what Frag life was like?

How funny, that both shared such stress anyways. Mortals, too, heading out to party, to get away from the drone of reality and experience something new. Here he was, mimicking them in emotional depth.

Magnotris closed his eyes as the next song started. It sounded similar enough to the old one. He couldn't even really see whoever was in control of the music, either. Ah well.

He let his hips move with the music, feeling the vibrations travel up his legs up into his bones and all up his spine, body shifting in time, shoulders finishing the curl. It had been forever since he last danced, but his memory pulled up the dredges of it, letting the familiar sensations sing in time with the music. 

Crven stood across from him, slightly more awkward and jerky, but he settled into the beat soon enough. Neither moved to grind on each other or bring the dance closer, but there wasn't space between them for a third person. It was a dance all their own, that only they shared, and as the song petered out, they slowly came to a stop.

"Wow, I didn't know you could dance so well," Crven peeped, with a smile. 

Magnotris offered one back, "I've got a few kickass tricks up my sleeve."

That had been nice. Much nicer than he'd expected. Did he have some sort of feelings with Crven? Did people regularly platonically dance with their friends? He barely knew the guy, really, but there was still some strange, inherent connection that they shared. He supposed it was inevitable; to be chased so hard, but so genuine, anyone would buckle to that sort of affection.

He liked the dance, regardless.

"You want another drink? Jubilee isn't back yet."

Magnotris glanced back to the double doors. They, sure enough, hadn't opened during the song. "Y'know what, yeah. Let's go get another."

Crvendach spun him off towards the counter again. The bartender was busy pouring another drink for someone else, chatting them up, mouth moving, even though Magnotris couldn't make out what they were saying. It was a sobering feeling, though. Sometimes it was hard to remember how intricate the world they'd crafted was, how detailed, how expansive. It had always made him feel small and insignificant, but now, it made him feel unified in that world.

One of the patrons at the bar scooted backwards, stool scraping across the ground as they stood. Magnotris yelped as the stool collided with his side. It wasn't particularly painful, but he swung on the offending Frag with fury bubbling.

"Hey, excuse you," he barked. The other Frag tensed hard, shoulders locking. Magnotris grabbed their shoulder and yanked them around. "You can't just bump into people, you a-"

-Cynosure blinked back at him, in wide eyes. Magnotris' mouth hung open for a second as a rush of surprise and fear and tension slammed into him all at once, the warming dance forgotten, Crven's gasp forgotten in the back of his head as soon as the other squeaked it out.

What. 

What. 

How the fuck did they keep bumping into each other like this? Why did the world keep throwing them together like this? Why the fuck wasn't he allowed to just move on with his life!?

"Magnotris?" Cy hissed, scrambling back towards the counter. "The fuck are you doing here?"

Magnotris narrowed his eyes, looking up Cy from toes to horns. He was wearing a different outfit than Magnotris last remembered; something with a higher collar and brighter adornments. "I could ask the same of you? Weren't you under arrest last I heard?"

"I took my punishment and I'm free to go," Cy snarled, although his shoulders were raised and stance defensive. "How'd you even get a fucking invite to CC-12? This place's only for badasses." 

"Oh, fuck off," Magnotris growled, taking a step forwards, "you didn't seem so badass after Morning Star scared you shitless." 

"Magnotris-" Crvendach began.

Cynosure paused, then grinned widely, leaning forwards, "Oh, but you wouldn't take him here, right? Can't bear the fucking thought of your boytoy seeing anything like this?"

Magnotris inhaled sharply. He knew, he knew that Cy had no fucking idea what he was talking about, that he was just throwing insults out his ass to try to get under his skin. Nobody knew what they'd all just been through, and nobody would know. Nobody understood how much he was struggling to adapt to the shift in circumstances, in the changes between his and Morning Star's dynamic. That was both freeing and infuriating.

So why the fuck could his ex still get under his skin so goddamn easily?

"What, meutin got your tongue?" Cy pressed, muzzle only an inch from Magnotris'. "What happened to your fucking feisty clapbacks? Morning Star fuck em outta you?"

Crven tugged on his sleeve, "Magnotris, he's not worth it-"

He swung his fist into Cynosure's face.

The other stumbled back with a howl, clutching the bruise that blossomed on his cheek. Magnotris breathed in once and then grabbed one of the stools, lifting it over his head. He could hear several people yell something, could hear Crvendach's voice, but all he could focus on was bringing the stool down on Cy's head.

The shriek of pain made it all worth it. Adrenaline reverberated all down and up his body, an intoxicating rush that he'd nearly forgotten in taking the backseat before. Fuck, he missed this. He missed this. He brought down the stool again, hard, onto Cy's skull, feeling the wood and metal warp and splinter from the sheer force. Yes. Yes.

Magnotris lifted the stool again. It was broken to pieces in his hands, but that was fine. He could drive the sharpened legs into Cy's head, watch the blood drip and watch his shoulders shake with pained sobs. This felt so fucking right. 

Hands closed around his wrists. He snapped an elbow down, hard, into the figure behind him, feeling rage wash like a tide on his emotions. How fucking dare anyone get in his way? How fucking dare anyone think they could interfere in this? As they crumpled, Magnotris felt his lips pull back in a snarl.

Magnotris swung around, ready to drive the stool's leg into their chest instead. Stupid fucking meddling assholes, who thought they knew better, thought-

He blinked down at Crvendach, who was sprawled on the ground, clutching his stomach. The other Overseer stared up at him in a mixture of abject fear and horror, cowering, other hand lifted to shield his face.

Magnotris breathed in slowly.

Magnotris blinked.

Magnotris lowered the stool, slowly, shakily. Its shards clattered against the floor harmlessly. He inhaled the best he could, hands coming up to cover his mouth in panic. No. Nonononono. No. No. No.

"Crven," he squeaked, voice sounding closer to Morning Star's than his own, "Crven, no, I didn't-"

The double doors at the far end of the bar swung open as Jubilee stormed in, eyes wide. He scanned the room quickly before his gaze fell on Magnotris, and he hurried over, ignoring the whispers of the other patrons.

"What happened," he demanded, looking frazzled and tense, hair messy as if he'd run his hands through it.

Fuck. He'd forgotten Jubilee was here. Magnotris winced, then buried his face in his hands. Embarrassment had replaced everything else in his system, and it was fucking awful. He'd never regretted something so hard before. Why, why? Why'd he done such a stupid fucking thing? What kind of monster was he?

"Crvendach, are you alright?" Jubilee directed to the floor. Magnotris didn't look up as Crven climbed to his feet slowly. He couldn't bear to look. "You don't seem injured, but-"

"-I'm fine," Crven managed, leaning on the counter slightly.

Jubilee peered down at Cy, who had rolled onto his back and was staring at the Overseers in a mixture of annoyance and mistrust. "Ah, I see, Magnotris."

Somehow, Jubilee deducing what had happened made it all worse. He wanted to fucking vomit, then go home, and then cry into his pillow for a few hours. The fact that he was so emotional about it all was just making it churn harder inside of him; he never got this upset before. Why? This wasn't fucking fair. He didn't deserve to feel this way, so fucking badly. He'd been goaded into it. It wasn't fair.

"What's going on here?" came a new voice.

Magnotris barely looked up as another Frag, this one looking like some sort of chimera, trotted up. They put their hands on their hips and glanced around the room, at the disaster of stool pieces and blood.

"Kitschie," Jubilee offered a polite nod.

They huffed, dragging a hand down their face. "My security tells me that it was at least entertainin' to watch, Jubilee, so I'm holding you to that."

"I wasn't here, I wouldn't know. But we'll be on our way."

Kitschie peered at him from over the rim of their glasses. "Oh, you think you can just walk out of my bar after causin' a fucking ruckus?"

Jubilee smiled frostily, "I know so. Apologies for the mess. I'll send some reparations your way. Now, if you'll excuse us..."

Magnotris didn't resist as Jubilee grabbed him and Crvendach. He was so fucking stupid. Look at the mess he'd just... caused in public. Some Overseer he was. And now he'd get a goddamn lecture from Jubilee, on top of everything else. He wanted to go home and just sob. Maybe call Morning Star.

He blinked rapidly as he felt a hand close around his ankle just before they teleported.

As soon as his feet felt solid ground again he yelled, kicking at whatever clung to him. He heard Cy grunt in pain, and the fingers around his ankle loosen. 

"We've got a guest," Jubilee dully remarked, crouching down. Cy bared his fangs at the Overseer as Magnotris backed up, glancing around. He didn't recognize the house they were in front of. Jubilee's? It was very petite and cutesy.

Crvendach lingered nearby, eyeing Cynosure with a bewildered expression. When he caught Magnotris' eyes, he gave a small wave and a tiny smile. 

"Crven-" Magnotris began, but telepathy interrupted him.

'It's... it's okay, I get it. You were just really tense. Just, uh, please don't elbow me again, that really hurt. You're beefy.'

Magnotris blinked rapidly before nodding slowly and glancing back to Cy. The latter had at least sat up, hissing out "What? Like I'd want to be left behind and face the brunt of Kitschie's pissyness alone?" while Jubilee looked on in bored interest.

He steeled his shoulders and stepped forwards, ears swivelling to listen closer.

Jubilee cupped his chin in his hand. "Let me see your identification card."

Cy bared his fangs before his ears flattened against his head and he meekly pulled out a card. "Y-yes, Overseer."

"Thank you." Jubilee plucked it and peered at the name and photo. "Ah, no, this is clearly stolen. No wonder you didn't want to remain in Kitschie's sphere of influence. Why in the stars' name were you sneaking around CC-12 like that?" Cy pulled his collar closer around his neck, drawing his knees to his chest. Jubilee waited several seconds before snapping his fingers. "Come on, now, speak."

Cy mumbled something under his breath.

"Shall I use a truth spell, Cynosure?"

"I don't really have anywhere else to stay," he finally grumbled out.

"No?" Jubilee raised an eyebrow. "What happened to JH-901?"

"Verdhe kicked me out," Cy glumly muttered.

"How long ago was this? You didn't alert COR operatives? We could've offered you board."

Cy cast a nervous stare to Magnotris before shrinking further into the grass, "I-I was... s-scared."

Magnotris licked his lips. It was awful of him to feel so... good about Cy being intimidated, but he couldn't help himself. Maybe he was still a monster underneath everything, but starsdamnit, he kept that monster on a short leash. It wasn't his fault if that leash slackened a little on seeing his ex suffering. 

"Where have you been staying, then? Surely not CC-12 the entire time?" Jubilee gently prompted.

He was being so understanding. Was it pure curiosity, or did he have some sort of ulterior motive? Magnotris kept his expression blank, though his mind freely wandered. Did Jubilee even really know who Cy was, what Cy had done? Surely he had to know something, if he'd known so much of what Magnotris had done. Surely he had connections in the black market who had informed him of Cy's escapades. 

Cy mumbled again.

"Speak up." Jubilee's voice was not cruel, but it was firm.

"The Junkyard," Cy managed, hiding his face in his hands.

Jubilee stared for a few seconds before straightening up. "The Junkyard?"

"Y-yes. I set up like, a house in one corner, but it's uncomfortable and people come in all the time and I didn't like staying there...."

Magnotris put a hand on Jubilee's shoulder, stepping closer to the duo. "I want to see."

Cy hissed, "Like I'd show you!"

"Well," Magnotris began, then tilted his head, letting a smile spread over his features, "I'm a goddamn Overseer now, so that's more of a command, isn't it?"

"What are you doing?" Jubilee asked, voice low.

He patted the other's shoulder. 'I just want to see. I need to. I get it if you don't understand.'

Cynosure blinked at the sudden authority pull. He grit his teeth, curled his fingers in his shirt, and scrambled to his feet, teeth locked in frustration. "Fine," he nearly spat, holding out his hand. 

Jubilee glanced between the two before sighing and rubbing his forehead. "I actually have... important business to attend to, so do what you need to, Magnotris. Thank you for inviting me out, I did enjoy it, even if I seemed busy or distant."

That warmed his heart, even though he was currently staring down his awful ex.

Of course, it could be a trap. Cy could teleport them to some forgotten corner of a Timeline and dump Magnotris there, or toss him into a volcano, or try to freeze him in some glacier. Nothing would be permanent, but it'd certainly throw a wrench in his life to have to wring magma out of his clothing. 

He glanced over his shoulder, at Crven. The latter gave him a small, worried smile, then a shrug, clearly uncertain. "You know what you're doing? Do you want me to come with?"

Magnotris glanced from Cy to Crven. "No, I'll be fine."

"Magnotris," Jubilee cut in, but he grabbed Cy's wrist before the other could speak further. Teleportation overtook him.

He slowly opened his eyes, breathing in the familiar, stuffy atmosphere of the Junkyard. Last time he'd been here, he'd helped free Morning Star from Cynosure's influence, throwing the other's coin into the abyss. And, apparently, Morning Star and Sterling had tortured the fuck out of his ex. What a strange place. 

Beams were strung around massive piles, most undisturbed since the last time he'd been here. Trinkets dotted the dirt-caked ground, some so worn that their paint was stripped and their forms warped beyond recognition. He'd always found the place so depressing; there was just something sobering about all the forgotten creations that the COR had dumped in the yard.

But this was the Junkyard. It wasn't a trap. Cy hadn't lied. Was that comforting, or had he hoped that the other would try to pull some heinous trick?

Cy ripped his hand away, rubbing at his wrist. Magnotris dully glanced down at the other. 

"it's over there," Cy mumbled, jabbing a finger in a direction.

Magnotris trotted off. As he neared the area between the two piles, he could feel a certain chill in the air. Every step he took, the temperature seemed to drop further and further, until he noticed the icicles clinging to the steel beams dotted around the yard. Wait a second.

This was where he'd been before, when he'd thrown the coin. This was the cold area he'd found, before returning to Morning Star.

Magnotris glanced over his shoulder at Cy, who was busy picking his way over. The latter didn't appear bothered by the cold, but when he caught Magnotris staring at him, he clamped his arms around himself in a hug, growling, "What?"

"You live here?" Magnotris prompted, gesturing at the frosted ground.

"I like the cold," Cy muttered, shoving past him.

He followed, a few steps behind. The path curved around a larger, more stable pile, ending at what appeared to be a sort of hollowed-out cavern in the mess of metal and junk. There was a large piece of canvas draped over its entrance, which Cy moved to the side as he marched in. The temperature inside of the cave was slightly warmer than that outside.

"Here," Cy said, clapping his hands. The lights in the frozen cave flicked on. "This is where I've been staying."

Magnotris paused at the entrance, glancing about. The cave was clearly haphazard, with small fairy lights strung around the ceiling, woven between dangerous spiked beams. A bed was comprised of a mattress and some blankets, next to a tiny washbin and some other assorted stacks of magazines, books, and various art supplies. The floor was the same dirt as outside.

"Couldn't you at least magic something up better for yourself?" he managed, after a few seconds of staring.

Cy flopped onto the mattress, which kicked up some dust. He crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at Magnotris. "You know I'm no good at magicking things up."

"Thought you'd get better in the time we spent apart," he said, inspecting a pile of magazines nearby. They were all mortal stock, and quite old, if he had his Universe years right. "You just... lived here, alone? What happened to Pretty?"

Cy kicked a pile of CDs. "Said he wasn't my friend if you weren't my friend."

Magnotris stared at the other, at his ex, sitting on a sagging mattress, surrounded by garbage. He was literally living in a fucking dump. He had fallen so starsdamn low, and was absolutely incapable of dragging himself out of the pit he'd fallen into.

Inexplicably, pity welled up in him. Not fury. Not justice. Not pleasure. Just pity.

Instantly the feeling made him sick, but he also was nearly endeared by it. Morning Star had really rubbed off on him, hadn't he? He couldn't even feel righteous, seeing Cynosure suffer so much. If only he knew how far Magnotris had climbed, in comparison. He'd made friends, he'd seen the Mag Frags, he'd watched the destroyer of everything die. 

And Cynosure had cried himself to sleep in a dump.

Magnotris rubbed his chin. His Overseer duty... it was to be an in to the black market, wasn't it? Help control it, like how Jubilee wanted? He still didn't fully agree with what the other thought, but... he wasn't one to turn down a project to work on.

"What's with that face? Why are you making that face?"

Magnotris strode forwards, grabbing Cynosure roughly by the jaw. The other squawked as Magnotris dragged him close. "You don't want to live here anymore, huh? In this fucking dump? Look at how far you've just collapsed." 

Cy hissed, slapping at Magnotris' wrist.

"I can get you out of here."

He froze, then narrowed his eyes, "Yeah, right."

"I'm an Overseer. I have connections."

"You would never willingly help me."

"Oh, I would," Magnotris remarked, a grin spreading over his face. "Who are you still in contact with?"

Cy bit his lip the best he could manage, distrust written all over his face, before spitting out, "Everyone but Pretty and Fragrance."

Magnotris hummed. "Good. I want information. You're going to feed me everything I ask for, and if it's false, you know what I'm - or Morning Star is capable of." Cy flinched. "In return, I'll hook you up with a place to stay. Some protection from your petty crimes, so you don't get Minty's team on your ass again. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"You want me to sell out fucking everyone to you, the Overseers," Cy spat.

"Oh, no, I don't want that. I expect it, bitch." Magnotris' fingers tightened in Cy's jaw. "You really wanna say no?"

Cynosure stared, eyes wide. His gaze flicked around to the rest of the room, to the derelict living quarters. Magnotris could see some minor scarring, hidden by the higher collar of his shirt, presumably from his most recent punishment. 

"Fine," he muttered, reaching to grab his CDs and magazines and clutch them to his chest. "Where am I going to live, then?"

Magnotris smiled, holding out a hand. "I know a place in the Sanctum."

"Under the scrutiny of the fucking Overseers!?"

"You'll be safe, and you'll like it there. Pretty damn cozy."

Cy squeezed his eyes shut before hissing and shoving his free hand into Magnotris' outstretched palm. Pride swelled in Magnotris' chest, eager pride. He'd have quite the tale to tell Morning Star when his boyfriend got back from his vacation home.

With that thought, he teleported.