[ Sometime mid-December, a package is dropped off on Wu's massive front porch. It's wrapped up in old newspaper and twine, as neat as something like that can be.
Inside is a book, painstakingly photocopied, and several additional pages of notes, handwritten: ]
If someone sends you a meme, it's a joke.
You can look up most words using your Fluid.
There are a lot of pop-culture references; below is a list of the most common. I'm working my way through them. You can join, if you'd like.
[On the 25th Wu will find a gift has been left outside his door! According to the tag it's from Fern, and inside the meticulously wrapped package is this monstrosity. It looks like the most elaborately carved goblet? Tankard? Tea pot? Ever and it's carved from bone.
Merry Christmas, Wu! Sorry, you're a king and he wants to make a good impression.]
Whatever you do, don't go outside. There's a very high chance you'll be caught in a blizzard and end up at this hotel. I can't find a way out, and there's no way this ends well.
[ There's no way Mako is going to just leave Wu be like that, not when his own skin and hair are still full of ash and his hand smarts from where the flames raked over it. They may have gotten out of whatever that was—a layer, maybe, Mako needs to write down his notes but that comes later—but Wu is probably still hurt.
Mako's worry is clear in the furrow of his brows and the twist to his mouth when the video flicks on. He wastes no time getting to the point here: ]
Mako? [ Wu fumbles around for his Fluid, fallen into the blankets of his giant bed. He stares at Mako through the Fluid.
It feels like just a moment ago, they were together in that other Deerington, placating that massive, three-headed dog. And now Mako is talking to him through a screen. ] Yes. I, [ He glances down at his burned skin and shudders ] Yep. Still hurt.
I suppose you could say that. Although, it depends on what sort of "junk" you mean? I have experience with governing, a bit, and I know a lot about history in my world, and a bit on Earth! Oh, and I'm learning to bake!
[ Oh look! A text from Raleigh. That's nice. He hasn't seen Raleigh or Chuck in a while, not since Mako started acting weird and he's mostly been trying to figure that whole thing out ]
[Wu doesn't pick up. That's okay. Raleigh doesn't know Mako has his phone but honestly he wouldn't pick up, either. Not after what he said..]
Hey Wu, I um. I hope you're doing okay.
[A small pause]
Listen, I'm really sorry. I said some ugly things to you that I didn't mean. I think it was something to do with getting bitten by one of those rats but that isn't an excuse... Can we talk about it?
[ Wu sees this message when he first gets his phone back, but he doesn't listen to it, not yet. There's too much else to do, to figure out, and he's hurt and confused and can't deal with Raleigh right now.
But later that night, he's alone and curled up in the guest room of Kristoff's house when he finally has the guts to listen to the voicemail.
Well. That's not so bad. That's... nice, actually. And rats? That's not what he thought, but it would make sense, with the bruises that had bloomed on that Mako's skin--
He calls Raleigh back, a little nervous, and smiles when he picks up. ]
[ Mako’s kind of been looking forward to tonight.
He and Wu have a date planned—nothing big, but he was going to try out a new recipe for dumplings he’d found in an old cookbook and hopefully get through some of his mover list—and Mako’s been prepping for it all day.
Wu had just texted him something at lunch about the mover they were going to watch.
But he’s not here.
Wu’s not exactly the most punctual person, so Mako wouldn’t be worried except that he’d heard something just twenty or so minutes ago that had made his blood run cold: Wu, shouting his name, his voice tinged with panic.
At least, he’d thought he’d heard that. When he ran outside to investigate he’d found only melting snow and a cool breeze and long cool afternoon shadows stretching out their fingers across the lawn.
It’s past sunset, though. Wu’s nowhere to be found. Mako doesn’t want to be needy, doesn’t want to stifle him, but. ]
Everything okay? It’s getting late. Dumplings take a while.
[ It has been a week, and Mako has barely left Wu’s house.
Somebody has to keep the safehouse running, after all, and if Mako stops moving too long, lets himself think for too long, he starts fracturing at the seams. He isn’t wallowing, but he’s stayed in the house and worked on contacting people and setting up caches and writing lists, checking their supplies, taking care of a baby raccoon who is more or less helpless and somehow also a terror, and trying not to think about light pouring from Wu’s empty eyes.
They’ve made no progress in trying to find Sam. The bodies from the sky are hitting the ground more and more often, and Mako hasn’t been sleeping because every time he does he dreams about Wu, stretching out a hand while a train carries him away or sinking into water while Mako stands rooted to the spot, unable to help. He wakes up with his mouth ashy and dry and his face sticky, and takes Raleigh’s advice, goes running far into Deerington until his legs burn and his lungs ache and he can’t think anymore.
The worst part is that there is nothing Mako can do.
He’s stuck in his house with reminders of Wu everywhere, wondering whether or not he’ll actually come back, if the dream is breaking apart. Bringing someone back from the dead seems like a harder thing to pull off than consistent gravity (every time he pours some water in a bowl for Fritter, and it flows up the wrong way before splashing back down, he thinks about Wu’s body trying to reform, out in the gray soft grass.)
There is too much silence, and too much space, and Mako curls uselessly into Wu’s bed at night and tugs Fritter close to himself, petting along her soft fur, counting down the days. He knows he’s a mess. His hair is all over the place and his hands are cracked and calloused, his calves cramped from all the running. He is heartsick and sleepless, and he won’t let himself slow down, even though the man he loves (loves, that isn’t even a question anymore; it’s hard to ignore the fact that you love someone when their absence makes you frantic) is dead.
The day Wu is supposed to come back, Mako cleans. He keeps himself moving, airs out the whole house, adds more antlers and protection, cleans up the bits of confetti left from Wu’s birthday that had tracked into corners and under rugs, and sucks in ragged-edged breaths remembering how happy Wu was, and then tells himself he’s being stupid because Wu will be back today.
By mid-afternoon, he is exhausted and Fritter is all energy, crying in her squeaky little voice for something Mako doesn’t know how to provide, so he takes her into his arms and curls into the bed like he’s done for a week and pets her, and waits in a clean, bare house, empty of Wu. ]
He remembers the searing pain of being burning from the inside out, eclipsing the pain of his arm, snapped like a twig in Sam's hand.
But he isn't in pain now. The memory subsides, and Wu finds himself in a strange place, a place that seems out of place, out of time. He's resting against a strange creature, and feels an odd sense of peace, the most peaceful he's felt since he arrived in Deerington. Maybe the most peaceful he's felt since the coup in Ba Sing Se.
The creature offers him a piece of fruit, and even though the little Mako voice in Wu's head tells him not to eat things from strangers, the peace and safety makes him feel too at ease to believe the voice. Wu trusts his gut, and his gut says to trust this creature. He takes the fruit, takes a bite, and feels power soar through him, power and life and Wu's not sure he's ever felt life before, but he can feel it now. Maybe it's the sort of thing that you can only feel once you've lost it.
A voice reassures him, and the field around them burns with light, like the light that killed him, but Wu isn't afraid now. He's going back. He's coming back. He's safe, now.
It's beautiful. When the creature offers Wu a ride, he doesn't hesitate. He slips onto the creature's back, excitement and peace thrilling through him at the same time. He's going back. He's going to be alive again. He gets to see his friends, he gets to see Mako.
The creature starts to walk, and the next thing Wu knows, he's in his bed, in his house in Deerington. His body stitched itself back together, a purple mist diffusing around him.
He sucks in a breath and pushes himself up, patting down his body. He lets out a laugh.
He doesn't really know Wu, he's talked to the man all of once, and he's twitchy enough after everything that's happened that he doesn't know if this will end peacefully or not. But he's so damn tired, hungry too, and he can't think of any other options.
He won't go back to the apartment complex, not with Steve there, and he won't go to Manabu either. He's spent the last four nights wandering, patrolling, staving off sleep and hunger by willpower alone. But the serum fails him on the fifth day, just like it did the last time he pushed himself to its limits, like the town is punishing him for relying on it. He needs to eat, and he needs to rest, even if it's just sitting for an hour in a safe space.
Wu had been kind to him, selfless, and he said his house was open to everyone.
Time to test if that was true.
He very nearly thinks this is the wrong place, even though he double checked the address he had. It looks nothing like a safe house, he was expecting something with high defensible walls and barred windows. This looks like a literal mansion. Well-- only one way to find out if it is the right place. He feels awkward as hell as he lifts his hand and knocks on the door, eyes grainy above dark smudges of exhaustion.]
[ It takes a little while for an answer. It is a big house, but finally Wu manages to get to the door, an apron tied around his waist over half of a suit (green slacks and a white shirt), flour on his chest and cheek. ]
James! Oh, you came!
[ He's a little surprised, and a little delighted. James didn't seem like he was very interested in the idea, when they met a few weeks ago.
He pulls open the door and ushers James in. The guy doesn't look great. To be fair, he didn't look great before, but he looks even less great now. ]
Welcome to the safe house! And my house. It's the same house.
[Poor Wu, he just never has a good time these days, does he?
Lucifer wanders into his dream out of sheer curiosity about how the resurrection process has worked for the little obnoxious fellow — and expects equally obnoxious dreams to meet him. Or maybe he'd run into a nightmare involving him and the way he'd burned the life out of the man. It was traumatic, sure, but it wasn't nearly so bad, was it? It sure beat being tortured and mutilated into a demon in hell, right? That's an easy gauge for Lucifer to use.
Either way...
Let's just see how well Deerington brings back its dead, now that he's properly bothered all of Wu's annoying boyfriends and bodyguards.]
[ Wu hasn't been sleeping well, but at least he's been sleeping, which is more than he can say for his boyfriend and best friends.
His dream is more subdued than Lucifer might expect, with Wu on a podium, trying to give a speech, but he keeps dropping his notes and has to duck to get them. When he gets back up, a reporter calls out a question to him: ]
Your Majesty, do you think that abolishing the monarchy is the best for your people? Won't they feel abandoned by you?
[ Wu clams up at the question, his jaw working as he tries to answer it, but because he can, a small, grandmotherly woman pipes up: ]
Long live the monarchy! Betrayal!
[ Another woman, dressed in military attire, appears out of nowhere, asking in a bland voice: ]
Why would anyone follow someone as weak as you?
[ Yet another woman, older, with a strange headpiece, shows up, much closer to the podium, looking down her nose at Wu ]
Auntie?!
You pathetic excuse for a King.
[ Depending on how long he watches, Lucifer might see Mako saying "I never loved you," Korra saying "I only put up with you for him," Bolin saying "Kuvira was a way better boss," Chuck saying "You were just a waste of time," or any of his other Deerington friends saying awful things about him. Wu clutches at the podium, the crown growing heavier and heavier on his head. ]
[ Mako's voice, urgent and sharp, echoes through the house. His head is spinning and his face is hot—everything he asked for at the summoning stones is clearly starting to work—but Raleigh found Sam and Raleigh was talking about burying him alive and Mako isn't sure he managed to convince his friend otherwise.
Now's their chance, except that he can't find Wu anywhere. Mako is half-jogging, sparking with nerves and energy and a sick kind of anticipation as he pushes himself up the private stairs, still calling Wu's name. ]
[ Wu startles up at the sound of his name and footsteps thundering toward the door. Fritter makes a little noise from where she was nestled next to him as he was watching some videos on his Fluid. ]
[ Mako doesn't remember a lot of the last day and a half.
He spends it in bed in a haze worse than the first week of his deathflu, sweating through his clothes and frozen to the bone and trapped in delirious fever-dreams. He sees Kristoff and Chloe, watches them plunge beneath dark water, watches Wu's eyes light up like Korra's did. Mako yells until he's breathless, surrounded by crackling flames, watching his parents' shop go up, trying desperately to put them out.
"Can't pay, can't stay," their landlord says, shaking his head sadly like he had no other choice, like he couldn't have let two kids live in the back room or work in his office or something. "I'm not rich enough to give handouts. You're gonna learn how this city works sooner or later, kid."
The door slams in their faces, and Mako winces at the hitch of breath from behind him, turns to see Wu, his face crumpled, his eyes wide, and wakes with Wu's name frozen on his lips.
He has the vague impression of a cool hand on his forehead, a familiar voice murmuring his name, turns toward it with his brows furrowed. Something cool washes over him, chasing away the flames beating under his skin, the ache in his bones.
At least he isn't weathering this alone.
The next time Mako wakes up, it's to sun streaming brightly in through half-open curtains, a numb arm, and an awful taste in his too-dry mouth. He opens his eyes, winces at the light, and then tries again, trying to lift the dead weight of his own arm. Kya said he should already be able to bend with it, that something's blocked—
No. He's not on Air Temple Island.
He's in Deerington, and his arm is fine, and he still feels kind of achy all over but the reason his arm is numb is because of Wu, plastered against his body and dead asleep. His hair is a mess and his mouth is slightly open and there's a bit of drool wet on Mako's shoulder, and the edges of his skin are lined with gold from the morning sun.
Mako, half-pushed up onto one elbow, still underneath him, stares for a long moment, caught in the dark fan of his eyelashes, the little freckles picked out on his cheeks from the bright desert sun.
His heart, unbidden, thuds against his ribs.
Wu's probably been here the whole time, hasn't he?
A quick glance shows several glasses of water on the nightstand, empty, as well as a pile of washcloths and the clothes Mako remembers wearing before he—what, passed out?—in the corner.
Carefully, Mako eases his way out from under Wu, letting him fall back against the pillow. Fighting down a wave of dizziness, ignoring for the moment the rumbling in his stomach, he pushes himself up off the bed to go make tea.
When Wu wakes up, it will be to Mako nudging bedroom the door back open with his hip, balancing a tray of tea and buns he'd made and frozen, steaming in a heap on a plate. ]
[ Taking care of sick people isn't something Wu has much experience with. Really, his only experience was trying to take care of Mako all those months ago when he'd just arrived in Deerington and Mako was suffering from the deathflu. But then, Mako had insisted on doing most everything himself, and Wu was just there to try and make him sit down, to eat, to rest.
This is something completely different. This time, Wu does everything he can to help, to cool Mako down (he's burning up, burning so hot Wu is scared, but he's not sure what to do). He changed the bandage at one point. Luckily, Korra healed him, so at least Mako should be back on his feet quickly.
It's late by the time Wu can't keep going, when he collapses to the bed next to Mako, barely making it into his pajamas. He's worried and restless, scared for Mako, guilty about hurting him, afraid that Mako won't wake up (he will, he will wake up).
At some point, he must fall asleep because the next thing he knows, Mako is opening the door to their room, carrying something that smells delicious. But-- Mako is out of bed.
Wu blinks and sits up too quickly, his hair a mess, his head spinning. ]
I just wanted to let you know that... we're about to do the spell that should remove Lucifer. But I guess I wanted — to be upfront about it. The ritual should age me back a couple years from before I was possessed, and... essentially erase Lucifer from Deerington that way.
But I won't remember what I did to you. I won't remember anything from Deerington, or from before I was possessed. I, uh... I guess I feel wrong for that. Guilty about it. But if you ever want to tell me exactly what I'd done, you should.
Wu stares at his Fluid. He isn't really scared or upset at Sam anymore. Those feelings have faded, leaving an interesting calm. It feels open and fragile, and now Sam is saying that he won't remember any of it.
And it sounds like he wants to keep punishing himself for it. ]
Hi, Sam.
You, ah, you must be glad, that it's happening. [ Don't pry, Wu, don't pry-- ] How do you feel about losing all those memories?
[ Well, maybe fine about the bad ones... but they can't all be bad, right? ]
I, I don't think that more people need to suffer because of what happened to us. It wasn't your fault. And we've both already been so hurt, I don't see the point to hurt you, again, with it.
[Adam has a small smile. It's more formal than disingenuous; the two don't know each other well after all, and it's not exactly like things are rosy in Deertown right now.]
I just wanted to check in with you. I know Mako's getting pretty ... involved with things and I know what that feels like.
[When you're dating the town's Number One Voluntary Meat Shield it's kind of inevitable.]
OSCAR OSCAR OMG OSCAR DID YOU SEE THE NEIGHBOURS!?!?!? MAKO AND WU THEY WERE PRACTICALLY SITTING IN A TREE K-I-S-S-I-N-G OKAY SO THEY WERE WALKING AROUND HOLDING HANDS BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE WAY THEY LOOKED AT EACH OTHER IT WAS LIKE OZ AND FORD EXCEPT LIKE WAY SOFTER AND NOT AS WRINKLY IT WAS ADOR-A-ABLE!!!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
delivery, mid-december
Inside is a book, painstakingly photocopied, and several additional pages of notes, handwritten: ]
If someone sends you a meme, it's a joke.
You can look up most words using your Fluid.
There are a lot of pop-culture references; below is a list of the most common. I'm working my way through them. You can join, if you'd like.
This should help you. It helped me.
-Mako
text; later that day
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Dec 25
Merry Christmas, Wu! Sorry, you're a king and he wants to make a good impression.]
text:un:mako; early January
Whatever you do, don't go outside. There's a very high chance you'll be caught in a blizzard and end up at this hotel. I can't find a way out, and there's no way this ends well.
Also, can you check on Naga and Pabu?
-Mako
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You're caught in the hotel too? Is it so bad?
I'm not sure how I'm supposed to stay inside and also go see Naga and Pabu.
Also, you do know that your username is on your text? You don't have to sign it.
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video; un:mako; after the february mini-event
Mako's worry is clear in the furrow of his brows and the twist to his mouth when the video flicks on. He wastes no time getting to the point here: ]
Wu, are you still hurt? Where are you right now?
video; un: wuwho
It feels like just a moment ago, they were together in that other Deerington, placating that massive, three-headed dog. And now Mako is talking to him through a screen. ] Yes. I, [ He glances down at his burned skin and shudders ] Yep. Still hurt.
I woke up in my bed.
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--> in person, a bit later
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text; un: fern
Wu you're a king, you've got a ton of experience with a bunch of junk right?
text; un: wuwho
I suppose you could say that. Although, it depends on what sort of "junk" you mean? I have experience with governing, a bit, and I know a lot about history in my world, and a bit on Earth! Oh, and I'm learning to bake!
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[Delivery]
It's a box of chocolates! And it comes with a handwritten note:]
Hey,
I just learned about this rad human holiday where you give people stuff if they're important to you, so I hope you like chocolate!
And if this isn't how the holiday works, sorry. I'm trying my best here.
-Fern
Text; UN R.BECKET 20th Feb
Wu, I am going to warn you once.
If I ever see you around Chuck again I will kill you.
Do you understand.
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8/8 text; un: wuwho
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Voicemail; UN R.BECKET Feb 21st
Hey Wu, I um. I hope you're doing okay.
[A small pause]
Listen, I'm really sorry. I said some ugly things to you that I didn't mean. I think it was something to do with getting bitten by one of those rats but that isn't an excuse... Can we talk about it?
Yeah.. call, um. Please call me back. Thanks.
two days later
But later that night, he's alone and curled up in the guest room of Kristoff's house when he finally has the guts to listen to the voicemail.
Well. That's not so bad. That's... nice, actually. And rats? That's not what he thought, but it would make sense, with the bruises that had bloomed on that Mako's skin--
He calls Raleigh back, a little nervous, and smiles when he picks up. ]
Hi Raleigh. You're back to normal now? Right?
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Delivery Mid March
There is also a note explaining that the Scareqrow will ward off monsters in roughly 100 feet.]
text; un:mako; march 27th
He and Wu have a date planned—nothing big, but he was going to try out a new recipe for dumplings he’d found in an old cookbook and hopefully get through some of his mover list—and Mako’s been prepping for it all day.
Wu had just texted him something at lunch about the mover they were going to watch.
But he’s not here.
Wu’s not exactly the most punctual person, so Mako wouldn’t be worried except that he’d heard something just twenty or so minutes ago that had made his blood run cold: Wu, shouting his name, his voice tinged with panic.
At least, he’d thought he’d heard that. When he ran outside to investigate he’d found only melting snow and a cool breeze and long cool afternoon shadows stretching out their fingers across the lawn.
It’s past sunset, though. Wu’s nowhere to be found. Mako doesn’t want to be needy, doesn’t want to stifle him, but. ]
Everything okay? It’s getting late. Dumplings take a while.
action; the day wu comes back
Somebody has to keep the safehouse running, after all, and if Mako stops moving too long, lets himself think for too long, he starts fracturing at the seams. He isn’t wallowing, but he’s stayed in the house and worked on contacting people and setting up caches and writing lists, checking their supplies, taking care of a baby raccoon who is more or less helpless and somehow also a terror, and trying not to think about light pouring from Wu’s empty eyes.
They’ve made no progress in trying to find Sam. The bodies from the sky are hitting the ground more and more often, and Mako hasn’t been sleeping because every time he does he dreams about Wu, stretching out a hand while a train carries him away or sinking into water while Mako stands rooted to the spot, unable to help. He wakes up with his mouth ashy and dry and his face sticky, and takes Raleigh’s advice, goes running far into Deerington until his legs burn and his lungs ache and he can’t think anymore.
The worst part is that there is nothing Mako can do.
He’s stuck in his house with reminders of Wu everywhere, wondering whether or not he’ll actually come back, if the dream is breaking apart. Bringing someone back from the dead seems like a harder thing to pull off than consistent gravity (every time he pours some water in a bowl for Fritter, and it flows up the wrong way before splashing back down, he thinks about Wu’s body trying to reform, out in the gray soft grass.)
There is too much silence, and too much space, and Mako curls uselessly into Wu’s bed at night and tugs Fritter close to himself, petting along her soft fur, counting down the days. He knows he’s a mess. His hair is all over the place and his hands are cracked and calloused, his calves cramped from all the running. He is heartsick and sleepless, and he won’t let himself slow down, even though the man he loves (loves, that isn’t even a question anymore; it’s hard to ignore the fact that you love someone when their absence makes you frantic) is dead.
The day Wu is supposed to come back, Mako cleans. He keeps himself moving, airs out the whole house, adds more antlers and protection, cleans up the bits of confetti left from Wu’s birthday that had tracked into corners and under rugs, and sucks in ragged-edged breaths remembering how happy Wu was, and then tells himself he’s being stupid because Wu will be back today.
By mid-afternoon, he is exhausted and Fritter is all energy, crying in her squeaky little voice for something Mako doesn’t know how to provide, so he takes her into his arms and curls into the bed like he’s done for a week and pets her, and waits in a clean, bare house, empty of Wu. ]
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He remembers the searing pain of being burning from the inside out, eclipsing the pain of his arm, snapped like a twig in Sam's hand.
But he isn't in pain now. The memory subsides, and Wu finds himself in a strange place, a place that seems out of place, out of time. He's resting against a strange creature, and feels an odd sense of peace, the most peaceful he's felt since he arrived in Deerington. Maybe the most peaceful he's felt since the coup in Ba Sing Se.
The creature offers him a piece of fruit, and even though the little Mako voice in Wu's head tells him not to eat things from strangers, the peace and safety makes him feel too at ease to believe the voice. Wu trusts his gut, and his gut says to trust this creature. He takes the fruit, takes a bite, and feels power soar through him, power and life and Wu's not sure he's ever felt life before, but he can feel it now. Maybe it's the sort of thing that you can only feel once you've lost it.
A voice reassures him, and the field around them burns with light, like the light that killed him, but Wu isn't afraid now. He's going back. He's coming back. He's safe, now.
It's beautiful. When the creature offers Wu a ride, he doesn't hesitate. He slips onto the creature's back, excitement and peace thrilling through him at the same time. He's going back. He's going to be alive again. He gets to see his friends, he gets to see Mako.
The creature starts to walk, and the next thing Wu knows, he's in his bed, in his house in Deerington. His body stitched itself back together, a purple mist diffusing around him.
He sucks in a breath and pushes himself up, patting down his body. He lets out a laugh.
He's alive again. ]
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action; pre-Wu's death
He doesn't really know Wu, he's talked to the man all of once, and he's twitchy enough after everything that's happened that he doesn't know if this will end peacefully or not. But he's so damn tired, hungry too, and he can't think of any other options.
He won't go back to the apartment complex, not with Steve there, and he won't go to Manabu either. He's spent the last four nights wandering, patrolling, staving off sleep and hunger by willpower alone. But the serum fails him on the fifth day, just like it did the last time he pushed himself to its limits, like the town is punishing him for relying on it. He needs to eat, and he needs to rest, even if it's just sitting for an hour in a safe space.
Wu had been kind to him, selfless, and he said his house was open to everyone.
Time to test if that was true.
He very nearly thinks this is the wrong place, even though he double checked the address he had. It looks nothing like a safe house, he was expecting something with high defensible walls and barred windows. This looks like a literal mansion. Well-- only one way to find out if it is the right place. He feels awkward as hell as he lifts his hand and knocks on the door, eyes grainy above dark smudges of exhaustion.]
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James! Oh, you came!
[ He's a little surprised, and a little delighted. James didn't seem like he was very interested in the idea, when they met a few weeks ago.
He pulls open the door and ushers James in. The guy doesn't look great. To be fair, he didn't look great before, but he looks even less great now. ]
Welcome to the safe house! And my house. It's the same house.
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dreamwalking action. sometime early april.
Lucifer wanders into his dream out of sheer curiosity about how the resurrection process has worked for the little obnoxious fellow — and expects equally obnoxious dreams to meet him. Or maybe he'd run into a nightmare involving him and the way he'd burned the life out of the man. It was traumatic, sure, but it wasn't nearly so bad, was it? It sure beat being tortured and mutilated into a demon in hell, right? That's an easy gauge for Lucifer to use.
Either way...
Let's just see how well Deerington brings back its dead, now that he's properly bothered all of Wu's annoying boyfriends and bodyguards.]
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His dream is more subdued than Lucifer might expect, with Wu on a podium, trying to give a speech, but he keeps dropping his notes and has to duck to get them. When he gets back up, a reporter calls out a question to him: ]
Your Majesty, do you think that abolishing the monarchy is the best for your people? Won't they feel abandoned by you?
[ Wu clams up at the question, his jaw working as he tries to answer it, but because he can, a small, grandmotherly woman pipes up: ]
Long live the monarchy! Betrayal!
[ Another woman, dressed in military attire, appears out of nowhere, asking in a bland voice: ]
Why would anyone follow someone as weak as you?
[ Yet another woman, older, with a strange headpiece, shows up, much closer to the podium, looking down her nose at Wu ]
Auntie?!
You pathetic excuse for a King.
[ Depending on how long he watches, Lucifer might see Mako saying "I never loved you," Korra saying "I only put up with you for him," Bolin saying "Kuvira was a way better boss," Chuck saying "You were just a waste of time," or any of his other Deerington friends saying awful things about him. Wu clutches at the podium, the crown growing heavier and heavier on his head. ]
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cw: quick, explody gore
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text; around 3/10
i just THOUGHT he was the ficus
and thats how the poster husband happened
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What's the poster husband???
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in person; april 16th
[ Mako's voice, urgent and sharp, echoes through the house. His head is spinning and his face is hot—everything he asked for at the summoning stones is clearly starting to work—but Raleigh found Sam and Raleigh was talking about burying him alive and Mako isn't sure he managed to convince his friend otherwise.
Now's their chance, except that he can't find Wu anywhere. Mako is half-jogging, sparking with nerves and energy and a sick kind of anticipation as he pushes himself up the private stairs, still calling Wu's name. ]
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Mako? What's wrong?
[ Something certainly sounds wrong ]
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text; un r.hansen
text; un: wuwho
Why do you need a piano? Do you play????
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april... 17th. yes. action
He spends it in bed in a haze worse than the first week of his deathflu, sweating through his clothes and frozen to the bone and trapped in delirious fever-dreams. He sees Kristoff and Chloe, watches them plunge beneath dark water, watches Wu's eyes light up like Korra's did. Mako yells until he's breathless, surrounded by crackling flames, watching his parents' shop go up, trying desperately to put them out.
"Can't pay, can't stay," their landlord says, shaking his head sadly like he had no other choice, like he couldn't have let two kids live in the back room or work in his office or something. "I'm not rich enough to give handouts. You're gonna learn how this city works sooner or later, kid."
The door slams in their faces, and Mako winces at the hitch of breath from behind him, turns to see Wu, his face crumpled, his eyes wide, and wakes with Wu's name frozen on his lips.
He has the vague impression of a cool hand on his forehead, a familiar voice murmuring his name, turns toward it with his brows furrowed. Something cool washes over him, chasing away the flames beating under his skin, the ache in his bones.
At least he isn't weathering this alone.
The next time Mako wakes up, it's to sun streaming brightly in through half-open curtains, a numb arm, and an awful taste in his too-dry mouth. He opens his eyes, winces at the light, and then tries again, trying to lift the dead weight of his own arm. Kya said he should already be able to bend with it, that something's blocked—
No. He's not on Air Temple Island.
He's in Deerington, and his arm is fine, and he still feels kind of achy all over but the reason his arm is numb is because of Wu, plastered against his body and dead asleep. His hair is a mess and his mouth is slightly open and there's a bit of drool wet on Mako's shoulder, and the edges of his skin are lined with gold from the morning sun.
Mako, half-pushed up onto one elbow, still underneath him, stares for a long moment, caught in the dark fan of his eyelashes, the little freckles picked out on his cheeks from the bright desert sun.
His heart, unbidden, thuds against his ribs.
Wu's probably been here the whole time, hasn't he?
A quick glance shows several glasses of water on the nightstand, empty, as well as a pile of washcloths and the clothes Mako remembers wearing before he—what, passed out?—in the corner.
Carefully, Mako eases his way out from under Wu, letting him fall back against the pillow. Fighting down a wave of dizziness, ignoring for the moment the rumbling in his stomach, he pushes himself up off the bed to go make tea.
When Wu wakes up, it will be to Mako nudging bedroom the door back open with his hip, balancing a tray of tea and buns he'd made and frozen, steaming in a heap on a plate. ]
Morning.
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This is something completely different. This time, Wu does everything he can to help, to cool Mako down (he's burning up, burning so hot Wu is scared, but he's not sure what to do). He changed the bandage at one point. Luckily, Korra healed him, so at least Mako should be back on his feet quickly.
It's late by the time Wu can't keep going, when he collapses to the bed next to Mako, barely making it into his pajamas. He's worried and restless, scared for Mako, guilty about hurting him, afraid that Mako won't wake up (he will, he will wake up).
At some point, he must fall asleep because the next thing he knows, Mako is opening the door to their room, carrying something that smells delicious. But-- Mako is out of bed.
Wu blinks and sits up too quickly, his hair a mess, his head spinning. ]
Mako! Mako you should be in bed!
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text; april 26
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May 3rd, just before the ritual
I just wanted to let you know that... we're about to do the spell that should remove Lucifer. But I guess I wanted — to be upfront about it. The ritual should age me back a couple years from before I was possessed, and... essentially erase Lucifer from Deerington that way.
But I won't remember what I did to you. I won't remember anything from Deerington, or from before I was possessed. I, uh... I guess I feel wrong for that. Guilty about it. But if you ever want to tell me exactly what I'd done, you should.
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Wu stares at his Fluid. He isn't really scared or upset at Sam anymore. Those feelings have faded, leaving an interesting calm. It feels open and fragile, and now Sam is saying that he won't remember any of it.
And it sounds like he wants to keep punishing himself for it. ]
Hi, Sam.
You, ah, you must be glad, that it's happening. [ Don't pry, Wu, don't pry-- ] How do you feel about losing all those memories?
[ Well, maybe fine about the bad ones... but they can't all be bad, right? ]
I, I don't think that more people need to suffer because of what happened to us. It wasn't your fault. And we've both already been so hurt, I don't see the point to hurt you, again, with it.
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Video: un: notbatman
[Adam has a small smile. It's more formal than disingenuous; the two don't know each other well after all, and it's not exactly like things are rosy in Deertown right now.]
I just wanted to check in with you. I know Mako's getting pretty ... involved with things and I know what that feels like.
[When you're dating the town's Number One Voluntary Meat Shield it's kind of inevitable.]
video; un: wuwho
[ Yep, things sure aren't rosy, but Mako is alive and mostly okay, so it's all good. ]
I'm, ah... okay? Okay. That seems about right. Mako's doing better.
[ He blinks. When he thinks about this, it's a little more concerning. He leans in toward the Fluid a little ]
Are you okay? Is Shiro okay?!
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Text UN: RadRidingHood Misfire
OSCAR
OMG OSCAR
DID YOU SEE THE NEIGHBOURS!?!?!?
MAKO AND WU
THEY WERE PRACTICALLY SITTING IN A TREE
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
OKAY SO THEY WERE WALKING AROUND HOLDING HANDS
BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE WAY THEY LOOKED AT EACH OTHER
IT WAS LIKE OZ AND FORD
EXCEPT LIKE WAY SOFTER
AND NOT AS WRINKLY
IT WAS ADOR-A-ABLE!!!
1/?
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okay done text; un:wuwho
Text;
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mid-may; text
If Chuck says anything weird to you in the next few hours, just ignore him.
He may have found some things out. About us.
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[ Oh no, don't send him spiraling! ]
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