MCSM Miscellaneous

Descent [1]

    In addition to oneshots and headcanons and the like, I'll also be doing what you'd call short stories. Each part will most likely be pretty long, in order to keep them from taking up too much of the limited 200 parts I have for this book.

     These short stories will include minimal shipping or no shipping at all unless it's important to the general plot. Most of the time they'll be focused on torturing characters because that's just lovely, or possibly ideas concerning other worlds in the Portal Hallway, and probably some AU's, since those are fun.

  There will probably be some prompts, some about ships, and others not. Basically what I'm trying to get to is: I'm writing short stories, and this is the beginning of one of them. This isn't called Miscellaneous because I randomly picked the title out of a hat.

    Anyways, this is a really creepy, sick short story with a lot of intense violence and downward spirals into insanity, so if you don't like any of that, leave. Please. When I'm in a hyper/creepy mood I never know what hellish words I'll end up cheerfully putting together.

It also includes a dog and more Jesse torture.

The thing is, if you readers like it enough, I'll publish the story on its own, and that means I'll be able to go a lot deeper into the story and add more details. If so, I'll start on that now.

I'll only be putting a small portion here, and just to let you know, the story transitions from good to bad in like five seconds later on.

Have fun :>

***

  Jesse missed Reuben. It was as simple as that.

     He couldn't exactly put his feelings into words; they were just there, heavy, turning his negative thoughts into ones of self-hate. I could've done something. If I'd been more careful. I should've had someone watch him.

    Even now, a year afterwards, Jesse still found himself hoping to find the pig curled up at his bedside in the morning, or perhaps laying on his feet. Wished for his friend's silent, non-judgemental company when Jesse didn't feel like having anyone around. Rueben had been the one constant for almost his whole life when everything else was broken, and with him gone Jesse felt as if a portion of him was missing.

     And as if Rueben's death wasn't enough in addition to his already unstable mental state to deal with, Beacontown was rapidly increasing in size and population, and Jesse helped more and more often to cope with what he didn't want to think about. There was also the problem of who would take charge, who would make the decisions for the city as a unit, and he felt very pressured to fill the role more than he unintentionally did. With Beacontown growing in status, more people moved: more arguments he had to settle, more chaos, more projects, more conversations with the mayors of other towns, more work, more problems.

   It was getting to be too much to handle. Jesse didn't sleep regularly anymore, maybe eating a snack twice a day, and laying awake for hours when he did get a chance to rest, waking up at dawn and returning late. The Order didn't see him a whole lot.

Ivor and Lukas were the first to notice the major change in behavior.

Axel and Petra weren't very good at reading people, and Olivia was often caught up in undertakings of hers she all-nighted to build in relative peace and quiet. The group hadn't done anything as a team in weeks. Lukas decided it was time to change that.

***

  "I think we should go exploring again. You know, make an expedition, go camping [oof a oneshot about them going camping coming up]. Something fun."

Petra nearly choked on her toast. "Lukas, you doing okay? Get enough sleep lately? You're not doing crack, right--"

    Lukas stared across the table at her, setting his coffee on the table in surprise, embarrassed she would suggest that. "What? No! Of course not! I'm simply saying we should go somewhere as a team."

    "Because you have definitely made efforts by spending all day in your room writing, not bothering to say hi, or say thanks when I went out of my way to get you those goddamn bagels you wanted." Lukas wasn't sure how to respond to that. "I just wasn't expecting you to mention it when you said we should 'get out more' and go to breakfast, which is ridiculous because I'm always out and doing stuff and none of you apart from Axel want to join. Besides, you're not really the adventurous type."

   "Well, it doesn't specifically have to be an adventure, I could set up a game night--"

"Adventure it is."

  Lukas sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win this argument. He blew on the top of his coffee, hoping it was no longer hot, and took a drink, looking outside. "Where, though?"

Petra stabbed her toast viciously with a fork a couple times. "Listen. I know this guy--"

"Not again--"

  "Shut your hole and let me finish. Anyways, as I was saying, I know this guy in possession of old maps and stuff. We go way back. He trades a lot of shit. That's where Axel and I got those illegal fireworks--"

"What? That was you? I spent a day trying to find those people!"

    "You heard nothing."

"We're talking about this later."

". . .Fine. Jesus, Lukas. So back to the guy. Last time I saw him, he'd mentioned he'd discovered a bunch of papers in an old chest he had to break to get in. Found these creepy maps with a bunch of runes on them. Most are damaged beyond repair, but there's one preserved enough to use. He doesn't want it. Says it freaks him out. You see where I'm going?"

  "Are you sure this is something we want to have?"

"You're seriously not saying you feel threatened by a piece of paper. It's all superstition anyway; for all we know, the map gives good luck. The trader lives here. I could go see him today and be back in a couple of hours."

    Lukas scratched his chin, feeling his stomach knot up. He didn't like to call himself 'superstitious,' because he didn't really believe in ghosts, or demons, or spirits, and found the whole idea surrounding the topics bizzare, but a guy instinct told him this wasn't the wisest action. Normally, he didn't rely on instinct, and thought the notion was a little bizarre, too. He liked to study whatever he was up against; get as much information as possible before making a move. He liked things that could be explained by logic.

   Gut instincts did not fall into the category. Lukas left that to people like Jesse and Petra, who shot first and asked questions later.

     However, whether he believed in instinct or not, something sounded off about this map, and even though it might be better to leave the old parchment, Lukas wanted to know more, curiosity piqued. After thinking it over, he reluctantly agreed to have Petra visit the trader. Knowing Jesse, he would be interested.

    Now alone at the table, Lukas frowned at the thought of his friend. Jesse had grown increasingly distant, almost as if avoiding the rest of the group. He barely talked, and it was getting worse by the week. Lukas had tried speaking to him several times, prying, but Jesse was a tough nut to crack when he shut down and Lukas couldn't get past his stubborn attitude. He'd run out of options.

  Even Ivor, who could usually work his way in easily (Lukas mostly thought this was because Ivor acted like an overprotective dad), was considering he might have to give up. Considering. He would keep trying.

    "Sir, are you done with that?" He'd spent so much time thinking his coffee turned cold. He looked at the waiter, abashed. Lukas noticed the the employee waiting his table was cute, freckled and smiling, incidentally reminding him of Jesse. He blushed, clearing his throat, hoping the other boy wouldn't notice.

  "No thanks. I'm good." He paid for his drink, left a tip, then headed home.

***

Bi Lukas for life man

also hints of ships here and there (jesskas, luktra, lukivia, those ones)

Also don't worry the dark stuff comes in later :D