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trollcafe · 4 years

Text

Amor (The Letter)

Length: 1485 words TW: Made Grem Mad at me (None) Brief: A blast from the past, Magnus and Romune’s last time seeing each other. Credits: All characters are mine Here’s the song I listened to while writing this!

Magnus slammed drawer after drawer in his office, frantically searching for an envelope. How did he happen to have not a single envelope in his entire office!! He heard a knock on the door and looked up with a startled expression.

Maldov stood in the doorway, mid-length hair pulled back in a ponytail. His claddagh tattoo poked out from the v-neck undershirt he wore. He lifted up an envelope with a slight grin.

“Aye, boss, thought ye’d be needin’ ona these fuckers. Can ne’er find ‘em in yer office ‘cos Zakrai steals ‘em all; the damn rugged fucker he be.”

“Molly, I never thought I’d be relieved to hear your stupid accent. Give me that damn envelope and get off this fuckin’ ship, you bastard.” Maldov held the envelope out for Magnus to snatch away, but the rust didn't leave. He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his scrawny chest. He watched as Magnus messily folded up a letter and stuffed it inside, only to scribble out a name on the front. The highblood hesitated for a moment, then added an exclamation point following the name.

“Still can’t figure out what damn quad, aye boss?”

“At this point, I don’t care what quad. It doesn’t matter. You know how it is....You and Leuken, right? What do ya call him?”

“Materail. Too flush fer pale, too pale fer flush.”

“Such is the folly of the Fleet, my dear Molly.” Magnus clasped a hand on Maldov’s shoulder and gave a knowing nod. “Now, I told you to get off this god forsaken ship. Go grab Leuken and hunker down on the planet for a few days. Hit up some bars or whatever it is you weird rusts do.” Maldov just laughed, and Magnus made his way off the ship.

The ship had landed planetside for repairs. Much to Magnus’ dismay, they were not stationed at the repair shop where his favorite blueblood worked. That was fine though. Romune wasn’t supposed to work that day. Magnus had called him a few days prior and ensured the blueblood would be hive.

Magnus decided to just Uber his way to Romune’s hive. It was better than carrying the box he had prepared, complete with one of his shirts and the letter, all the way to Rom’s hive. He was nervous, of course. He could barely keep his leg still on the entire ride to Romune’s hive.

It took a solid minute before Magnus could knock on the door to the hive. The door never opened. Instead, he heard the lock shift. His heart sank for a moment, until he tried to open the door and found it had been unlocked rather than locked. Great news. He entered the dimly lit hive, gently closing the door behind him. Just as he entered, the door to Romune’s block slammed shut.

Now, Romune was always a touch moody. He was also secretive. The blueblood didn’t want anyone- let alone the Fleet - to know about him and Magnus. What started as a torrid pitch fling turned into something more. While Romune remained moody, he also had a special kind of softness to him that drew Magnus in. Everything about him screamed home to Magnus. The way he smelled like oil and metal, but there was a touch of sweetness from his deodorant. The way his hair fell in front of his eyes when it was pulled back lazily. Magnus so often found himself longing for the blueblood while out in space.

Magnus carefully made his way to the closed door. His movement was slow, almost fearful. With the box tucked under his arm, he reached for the doorknob.

Only for the door to fly open on its own. Romune halted to a sudden stop, arm frozen over his head as he was in the process of pulling back his hair. His eyes were wide. There was a rubber band between his lips.

Magnus smiled slightly at the sight of his startled…friend. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the blueblood’s lips, stealing the rubber band with a cheeky grin as he did so. Romune furrowed his brows in annoyance, and let his hair free to cascade down his neck. He crossed his arms over the Fleet symbol on his shirt.

“Hey, asshole, I needed that.”

Magnus stepped backwards, back towards the door, raising a brow playfully. A come and get me gesture. Romune was not amused. He followed Magnus, lurching forward for the hair tie. As he did, Magnus lurched backwards to avoid him, still holding the hair tie between his teeth. That actually got a laugh out of Romune. Magnus considered it a success.

Romune finally gave up reaching for the hair tie, and just held his hand out. After taking it out of his mouth, Magnus set the rubber band on Romune’s hand. Of course, this was a trap. He pulled the slightly taller man close so he could steal another kiss. Romune let out an exasperated sigh. Despite his annoyed tone, he did lean into the other man. He rested his head against Magnus’ shoulder. Magnus only had one hand that wasn’t holding a box and currently that hand was holding Romune’s hand. So all he could do was press another kiss to a spot on Romune’s neck that had been exposed.

“Lovlus asked me to cover their shift for them.” Romune broke the comfortable silence after a moment, and Magnus felt his heart sink once more.

“You said no, right?” Magnus spoke softer than Romune had. He almost found it difficult to get the words out.

“No, I told them I would. It's only a few hours. I promise I’ll be back before the sun comes up.” Only when he was finished speaking did Romune lift his head and take his hand back. He turned his back to Magnus so he could pull his long hair up in a ponytail. Magnus watched silently.

“Don’t be so somber. I’ll be back. I’ll pick up East Alternian on my way hive. Beef and Broccoli, right? With extra duck sauce?” Romune looked over his shoulder back at Magnus. The purpleblood just nodded.

“Great. Stay here and keep HyenaMom company while I’m gone. Grubflix password is on the fridge. There’s snacks….somewhere. What am I saying, I’m coming back with food. Duh.” Romune gently bonked his own forehead with his palm, then returned into his block to finish getting ready. The two shared another kiss before Romune left.

Magnus seated himself on the edge of Romune’s large bed. He stared down at the box in his lap with furrowed brows. After waiting for a moment to ensure that Romune wasn’t going to burst in the door claiming he forgot his keys or something, Magnus finally tore open the box himself. He took out the letter and opened it to reread what he had written.

Romune Iscatu,

You like literature. Do you remember what omnia vincit amor means? Its from that one epic written in Latin about some poet. You told me all about it one of the first days I spent in your hive. You had been reading it and even read an excerpt from it. I was too stupid then to realize how much that book meant to you. I was too busy thinking about the way your eyes lit up when you talked about that dumb book. I realized later it was because I was jealous. I wanted to be the reason your eyes lit up like that.

Omnia vincit amor means love conquers all. Or so Goregle Translate tells me. I was trying to be cheesy and romantic because I know how much you hate that shit. Guess I still haven’t figured out what quad we are after all.

I know what you’re thinking. Quad? We’re not in a quad. No, not yet. This is me asking you to be my quad. Any quad. I could spend forever annoying you. I could spend eternity loving you. It doesn’t matter to me. All I know is I want you. Romune Iscatu. I’d have nobody but you.

Please think about it.

Magnus

And then Romune never came hive.

Magnus waited for him. For days, he waited. He heard of an explosion at one of the ship repair stations, but it wasn’t Romune’s. He didn’t have worries until the second day. With no sight of Romune, and the deadline to return to his ship drawing near, Magnus tried everything he could. He texted, he called, he called Romune’s friends. But nobody was picking up. Even HyenaMom seemed worried. It was as if Romune never existed, and yet, Magnus slept in his bed those nights he waited.

On the fifth night, Magnus said goodbye to HyenaMom, to Romune’s hive, to Romune. He left the box, re-wrapped and sealed with duct tape, on Romune’s bed. And he returned to his ship.

#ghost.art #drabbles #magnus cynict #romune iscatu

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trollcafe · 4 years

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Keia

Length: 1812 words TW: None that I know of, ask to tag. Brief: Rom unearths some old memories. Credits: All trolls in this are mine Here’s the song I listened to while writing this!

There were a lot of boxes in Romune’s hive that he had never bothered to open. Some were in the hall closet, some in his sleeping block. Occasionally, when feeling sentimental, Romune would pick out a random box and open it up. He had discovered a lot of things that sparked various memories from life before the hospital. He found some pictures of what he used to look like once. It was bittersweet to look at the face he used to have. The troll in the picture didn’t even really seem like him. That Romune had a different look in his eyes. That Romune just seemed…..different. He wasn’t empty but there was a hollowness to his stare. But it was sweet to look in the mirror afterwards and see a light in his gaze that wasn’t in the original image. It also sucked because he had been growing a beard out and then, of course, lost his jaw. How typical.

One of the pictures Romune had found even had a few of his old co-workers. They all wore similar Fleet-issued work uniforms. Specifically jumpsuits. One picture was Romune and a goldblood in workout gear; it looked like a selfie taken at a gym. For as long as he stared at their face….he couldn’t remember their name. Honestly, looking at their smile, their sweet face, their blue and green eyes, their curved horns, and the little scar that ran over their nose… it made his head hurt. It made his heart hurt, too.

Romune had spent many sleepless days thinking about the incident that led to him losing his limbs. He could never quite shake the unease that the situation gave him. He remembered walking down a specific road. Occasionally he would remember a landmark….a boulder on the side of the road, the boba shop next to the florist that smelled like honeysuckle no matter the time of year. He always wondered if he could find those shops again.

It wasn’t a particularly sentimental night. To be honest, the phantom pains were killing him. His arm hurt the worst. It was a horrible burning sensation in his arm; it couldn’t be helped with pain killers or going on walks or bundling up under blankets. What he could do, however, was try to ignore it. And Romune chose to ignore it by opening a box from the closet in his block. The box was one he had put off for a long while for one reason or another, he just never felt it to be the right time to open that specific box. Upon opening, the box held….clothes?

More specifically, there was one of Romune’s old sweatshirts folded neatly on top. Underneath it was a gift wrapped box complete with a crumpled little yellow ribbon. Romune sat back, criss crossing his legs to get more comfortable. His lusus lifted her head slightly as the sound of tearing paper filled the air. Of course the box was taped with duct tape, nothing could ever be EASY. It was no problem, though, the tape had aged enough to peel off without too much of a struggle. It took part of the box with it but this wasn’t exactly a gift-opening contest, was it? Rom hesitated to open the now unwrapped gift. It was as if something inside him knew to wait. Something in him said this wasn’t a good idea. Normally he was one to listen to his gut. It felt almost wrong to open this gift. Had there been a name on it? He gently set the box beside him and dug through the wrapping paper shreds to see if there had been a name other than his own written. But there was no name, no tag.

Reluctantly, Romune picked the gift back up. He set it in his lap and stared down at it with furrowed brows. It took a serious pep talk to finally pull back the top of the box.

The first thing that Romune noticed was a surprisingly strong smell of cologne. For as old as the gift was, the smell was potent, both in smell and in emotion. It forced a wave of overwhelming nostalgia upon him. Romune sat there, holding the open gift, too stunned from the intense longing to move. He didn’t even know what he was longing for. The cologne started to make his head hurt. He considered setting the gift aside and laying down instead but this whole ordeal had made his phantom pain lessen. So he continued.

He pulled out a shirt from the box. As he pulled the shirt out, an envelope flopped onto the floor in front of him. Romune nudged the box to the side for a moment and stared at the shirt. It was too big to be his own, and the color of the symbol was too purple. The more he stared at the symbol, the more his head ached. But there was something there. A memory. A troll. Someone stored in the back of his brain, waiting to come forward.

Romune didn’t know what he was doing. He brought the shirt up to his nose, closed his eyes, and breathed in the scent. The feeling of deja vu came forth, but it didn’t feel wrong. This was genuinely familiar. He just didn’t know why. Romune held the shirt close, willing it to bring forth the memory of the owner. And yet…..nothing. The longing was replaced with a deep-rooted sadness. As if his own heart was upset that he couldn’t remember.

Romune folded the shirt back up into a neat square, and set it to his side. He let his gaze linger on it for another second, as if that sole second could conjure up the proper memories. When nothing happened, he turned to the letter. His name was hand written on the front of the envelope. It looked hastily done, and punctuated with a little exclamation mark. Romune! That was him alright! Romune. Someone had written a letter for Romune.

But not this Romune, the Romune with the hollowness in his eyes and the scruffy face; the Romune with the goldblood friend. The Romune who died on the operating table. Not this Romune.

It almost felt wrong to open the letter. The tear was jagged and uneven, messy at best. He wasn’t sure if it was his hand shaking from nerves or the slight ache that remained. The letter inside was folded haphazardly. It was handwritten as well. But it looked like whoever wrote it had spent actual time on it, unlike the name on the front of the letter. He took his time to read every word, take in everything.

To say reading the letter was an emotional rollercoaster was an understatement.

The name at the end of the letter is what caused Romune the greatest amount of grief. He stared at it, begging for something. It was at the tip of his tongue. There was SOMETHING there. He had to work for it, but he could feel the gears turning in his head as he grasped for the straws of a memory.

Magnus. Who was Magnus-?

It hit Romune hard. The more he stared at the name, the more he could picture a face, until it suddenly became clear as day. Messy hair pulled back in a bun, square jaw, long ears. He had a goatee. There were strands of hair falling down into his face. His eyes weren’t really blue, but they weren’t really purple, either. His horns were curved with spikes. Specifically, Romune remembered him with a hair tie between his teeth. Magnus was grinning, brow cocked, walking backwards. Where was he going? Mentally, Romune reached for him, desperate to pull him close and ask. But as quick as he came, Magnus was gone.

When Romune returned to Alternia, he realized his cheeks were wet with tears. One of them had splashed down onto the paper and smeared the ink by Magnus’ name. Romune sniffled slightly and brushed away the rest of the teardrop before folding the letter back up. He wiped his cheek with the back of his hand.

HyenaMom realized something was wrong, and stood up from her bed in the corner. She gave a big long stretch before making her way to her charge, and laid behind him. She curled up behind Romune’s back and whimpered. He leaned back just slightly, then decided to lay down on the floor instead. He used his lusus as a pillow and stared up at the boring ceiling while his emotions swirled in his chest. And the phantom pain resurfaced.

He carefully rested his organic hand on his robotic shoulder. The shirt laid, now slightly tousled, within reach of his robotic hand. Romune slowly grabbed it and brought it back to his face. He begged for the smell to bring him the same sense of nostalgia and security. He wanted to feel warm again. He wanted to feel like Magnus was there again. But nothing happened. The smell was so faint, it was practically a memory.

But what the shirt did bring back, was the faintest memory of a voice.

“You said no, right?”

Romune had the feeling he had said yes. What did he say yes to? To working. He agreed to work. To cover someone’s shift at the ship repair sight. It was a different site, not his usual place of business. Who was he covering for? He strained to think of a name. No name popped up, but the smiling goldblood with the blue and green eyes came to mind. Them. He was covering for them.

Romune had agreed to cover the goldblood’s shift at the ship repair sight. It was starting to come back to him, slowly but surely. Magnus had stopped by unexpectedly. Romune didn’t really remember from where, what Magnus had been doing. What Romune did remember, was opening the door to leave and seeing Magnus standing there. And in his hand was the box. The box that Romune had just opened.

The box meant for the Romune with the hollow eyes and the scruffy face, who covered a shift for a goldblood and got blown up. Not the Romune with the metal limbs and metal jaw, who doesn’t cover shifts because he’s the only intern.

If Magnus was alive, Romune was certain he had moved on. Or maybe he died in the explosion. Wherever he was, he was obviously happy. No Magnus had ever stopped by his hive, at least not that Romune could remember.

Romune found himself hoping Magnus had died. He hid his face in the shirt, silently begging it to bring him anything. Any sense of comfort. Or more memories of Magnus. He wanted so badly to remember more about this mysterious purpleblooded man with the long hair and curved horns.

( Do you wish to read the contents of the letter? )

#ghost.art #drabbles #romune #magnus #romune iscatu

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trollcafe · 3 years

Text

So Pathetic; It’s Poetic

Length: 2304 Words TW: Talk of Drug Abuse + Alcoholism. Also it’s written in second person. Brief: Kam meets a stranger who is perhaps a little too invested in his emotional well-being. He talks about his fear of the pitch quadrant. Credits: All belong to me, except for Git+Lup (cherrytrolls) and Ketspa (terratrolls). Here’s the song I listened to while writing this!

Google Docs link for easier Viewing!

You hated cold weather. You hate a lot of things, but cold weather especially. Today, you hate cold weather because Estela had to go to physical therapy. And because she has metal rods in her spine, she gets incredibly cold. Cosmit was working and Estela didn't want to bother Akidis or Honeay, so...you offered to walk with her to the clinic. She tried to convince you that she would be fine but you insisted.

The clinic was warm and clean with faint pumped-up music playing in the background from a small Bluetooth speaker. It smelled faintly of citrus. Estela was greeted warmly by the very robotic looking blueblood at the front desk. You had met him a handful of times. He was always very kind to Estela. He complimented the ribbon in her hair and made some small talk before Visper came out to collect her. You attempted to follow your sibling but Visper told you to stay in the waiting area. You were bitter about it, but took a seat in one of the plastic chairs regardless. You were content to scroll on your palmhusk with a scowl. That was, until a specific song came on.

You couldn't hide the sourness if you tried. And honestly, you made an attempt to ignore it. You barely lasted thirty seconds. With an annoyed sigh, you set your palmhusk on your thigh and look up to glower at the blueblood. For a moment, you were surprised to find him staring at you. But your annoyance at the song overrode the surprise.

"Can you turn that off?"

There was a pause. The music was not shut off. "Can I ask why? Whysteria isn't my type of music but I don't think they're horrible."

"I just...don't like that song." You were determined as ever to speak as little as possible. This did not please the blueblood. His face was startlingly deadpan. Regardless, he reached over to the speaker and turned down the volume to where it was barely audible.

Now, that could have been it. And you would have been perfectly fine. You picked up your palmhusk and resumed your scrolling through Chitter. Much to your dismay, the blueblood rose from his seat. And made his way over...to sit in the seat next to you. You glare at him from the side of your eye but make no first attempt at contact.

"If my memory serves me, I believe that song had...some sort of pitch connotations. I met the singer when he lost his arm, you know. He never mentioned a pitch. I thought that was weird." The blueblood spoke as if you two were close friends. The mention of Bruuno just twisted the knife in your already ruined mood.

"Good for him. I don't care." You turned your attention back to the screen but didn't resume scrolling. You just ended up glowering at a post about sourdough starters. However, the blueblood set his hand on your leg. As if you two were friends, like he knew your whole life story. Anger bubbled up violently but quickly melted away, for some uncertain reason. There was a split second where you wanted to remove this stranger’s only flesh arm. As quick as the feeling came, you were mellow.

"Ah, but I think you do." His tone was cool and collected. For some reason, his confidence shook you more than it should've. You turned your head to glower at him instead.

"Does it matter if I do? Who the fuck are you anyways?"

"I'm Romune. It matters to me because you are Estela's brother, yes? So your mood directly affects her mood and, by proxy, her recovery. If you're going to be a bitter sonovabitch, you can at least do it...not in my office. But if you're going to sit here and look as if someone kicked your lusus, you can at least talk about it so it doesn't affect Estela later." Somehow, Romune managed to be completely deadpan, even while insulting you. And for some reason...you were fine with it. You were silent for a moment before continuing.

"You aren't my moirail."

"And you aren't mine. Clearly you don't talk to yours about this, otherwise you wouldn't be sitting here with a glare that could kill. Consider it a free pass to say whatever is on your mind."

Is that allowed? Your expression turned from bitter to concerned. You were allowed to do that? It was a strange thought. You weren't entirely sure you were capable of it. Your gaze turns to the door that Visper and Estela disappeared behind.

Romune answered your question before you could even ask it. "Estela will be a while. Visper wanted to do adjustments. We have...an hour? Maybe more. So, talk."

Talk? Was that possible? You look down at your palmhusk, at the sourdough starter on the screen. Has anyone ever asked you to just...talk before?

“About what?” Your voice is smaller than you’d care to admit. There’s a soft tink tink tink as Romune taps his metal jaw with his metal hand, but his organic one remains on your leg. For some reason, you aren’t mad at it. The feeling of his hand was keeping you grounded.

“Well, what are you thinking? What has made that handsome face so sour?” There’s an odd amount of affection behind his words. Your brow furrows as your chest swirls with emotions. Words never were your friend. It was always easier to hide things. Close up your heart and your mouth. The longer they were open, the easier it was to hurt you. The silence that lingered between you and Romune was uncomfortable enough for you to want to fill it. He obviously wasn’t going to. You heave a sigh, and turn off the screen to your palmhusk.

“I’m...worried.” That was a start.

“About?” But it wasn’t a very good one.

“Her.” You pause for a moment, and Romune doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t have to, because the words start to spill out of you in a way they never have before. You weren’t sure if they were betraying you by exposing your heart, or helping in some twisted way. “She’s...very similar to him. Maybe it’s the alcohol? I’m not...sure. Lup drinks too. It bothers me when she drinks, as well.”

“So is your problem with the alcohol, or because…?”

“Because it reminds me of him. I had to wrigglersit him when he was drunk...make sure he got hive safe, or stayed with me. A weird part of me liked it when he was drunk. Because he wasn’t using other substances. I don’t really mind it with Lup. She’s a different kind of drunk. She drinks for other reasons. Ketspa...drinks...like he did.” They both drink because they have heavy hearts, because there’s something weighing on their souls. They’d rather be drunk than face the harsh reality of whatever is weighing on them.

“I see.” Romune’s tone made you believe that he really did see. “Is it...just the drinking that upsets you? It seems there’s more to this.”

“There is.” You hated how easy it was to admit that. Speaking to this man went against everything you believed in, and yet it was so easy to. “She says we’re together. I...have mixed feelings about that. I know she isn’t Bruuno.”

“But..?”

“But I’m terrified.” You actually laugh. It’s bitter and full of self loathing. “She’s so similar to him. And so different. The difference scares me. The similarity scares me. What am I going to do if she cheats like he did? That’s not even the scariest part! At least if she cheats, I expected it. I know what to do, maybe. What really terrifies me is having no fucking idea what she’ll do.”

“Well,” Romune interjected, preventing you from spiralling completely out of control, “Let’s take this one step at a time. What happens if she cheats?”

“...I forgive her. I don’t want to shut out everyone again. I don’t want to talk about it to them, but I won’t lose them. I can’t go through that again.” Your voice shakes against your will. You wouldn’t know what to do if you ever lose Giti and Lup. Both of them keep you sane, for lack of a better word. You deal with the crippling fear of losing Giti to an untimely death every day, and the thought of Lup turning her back on you just as Boroka had done is too dark to think about. You’d much rather forgive Ketspa and forget it ever happened to prevent any of that from happening.

“And what happens if she doesn’t cheat? Theoretical, my friend. A perfect world, and she never cheats.”

You are overcome with silence again. Your words were lost deep in your chest. Romune seemed to take note of your silence, because he changed the question when nothing came out.

“Is it really the cheating that you’re afraid of?”

“I…” Panic and frustration bubble up once more. You knew this feeling well. It would make your head turn to static and you’d feel nothing but anger. You closed your eyes for a brief moment, mentally preparing yourself for the waves of upsetting emotions. But they never came. As quickly as they bubbled up, they were swept away. An eerie feeling of serene calmness rested in your chest. You open your eyes and exhale.

“I’m afraid of her. Because I don’t know what she’s going to do. What she’ll ever do. With Bruuno...I had him down to a T. I could predict everything. Well..almost everything. I guess if I had actually known him that well..I would’ve predicted the cheating, huh?” Your tone is sad but playful.

“Not necessarily, my friend,” The smoothness of Romune’s voice helped the calm feeling to grow, “You can only blame yourself, and him, so much. Eventually, you have to let it go. And you have to accept that this girl...is new. As Bruuno once was. You didn’t start your relationship with him having known him so well, did you?”

“...I guess not?”

“So there. You don’t know this girl...but you will, eventually.”

You were silent again. You sat with that thought for a moment. Romune was silent as well, allowing you to mill for the time being. It was oddly reassuring.

“What should I do?” You ask softly as you realize the screen on your palmhusk had gone dark. An unusual man stared back from the dark screen. Sure, he looked like you. But he looked tired, he looked emotionally exhausted. Everything about the man in the reflection was what you fought so hard to hide from the world.

“So you start anew, my friend. It is good to move on past the things that hurt us. You have to allow your heart to heal. I believe this girl...is a good way to do that. You may not know her now but you will one day. And you’ll look back on these doubts and fears and think of them as silly.”

“But wha-”

“Nope, no what ifs.” Romune managed to interrupt you in the most polite of ways. It almost made you mad. “You are allowing yourself to spiral. You need to show yourself that she isn’t everything you’re afraid of. You can do it. Take it slow. But don’t be so afraid, my friend. Life is too long to be afraid of the unknown.”

Just as he stopped speaking, the door to Visper’s office opened. Estela came out stretching her arms over her head. Visper followed close behind. Romune stood up, removing his hand from your thigh. Almost instantly, the serene feeling faded away. You weren’t angry...just numb.

Romune wandered over towards Estela. You heard chatter, but you were too distracted to hear exactly what they were saying. Your palmhusk dinged. A notification popped up on the screen. You were surprised that Ketspa would message you first. You read over her message and even found yourself smiling...ever so slightly.

Estela stopped in front of you and flicked your forehead, “C’mon doof. I wanna take a nap. Rom said there’s a cool cafe nearby, let’s stop there and get some bevs.”

You stood up with a slight nod. You hold the door open for Estela as you leave. You make it a short distance down the street before she asked, “What were you and Rom talking about?”

“Stuff.”

★ ★ ★

Romune watched the two fuchsias leave the office silently. When the door shut behind them, he sighed deeply and took a seat back behind his desk. His arms folded in front of him so he could lay his head down and rest for a moment.

“You really ought to take it easy with the powers, Rom.” Visper leaned her hip against the desk and set a hand on Romune’s head, “It’s starting to become a bit much, hm?”

Romune groaned in response.

“How long were you doing it? The whole time we were back there? Oh, Rom.” Visper shook her head slightly, making a soft tsk tsk sound.

Romune groaned again, softer.

“Did it give you a migraine? Serves you right, you nosy bastard. Take an asprin.” Visper pushed off the desk so she could get a small cup of water from the fountain nearby. Romune lifted his head so he could retrieve the painkillers and take them.

“You know it hurts. You’ve known this your whole life. Why do you still do it?” Visper crossed her arms over her chest as she waited.

“Sometimes we do things that hurt us because they’re fun.” Romune’s voice was soft, no longer deadpan.

“I think you’ve been hangin’ around Magnus too much, baby.”

#drabbles #ghost.art #kamuuk #kamuuk oruche #romune #romune iscatu #visper #estela #:3c #just a lil read.#for clarity romune has emotion manipulation powers #if he uses them 4 too long or on someone emotionally constipated (kam) then he gets a migraine #and romune is also. not invested bcos of estela #hes invested bcos hes nosy

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trollcafe · 4 years

Text

Closure

Length: 1498 Words TW: Gay Brief: Magnus returns to Romune. Think its the end? Think again. There’s one more after this. And then we’ll be back to regularly scheduled Bruposting. Credits: All belong to me Here’s the song I listened to while writing this!

Google Docs link for easier Viewing!

Romune told himself he was fine. But was he really? Absolutely not. He ended up telling Visper he needed a few nights off to recover. He blamed the phantom pains. She believed him. The pains had been bad as well, but they didn't hurt as much as his pusher did. Romune found himself growing more distraught by the minute. It was easy to fake pain to get out of work and mope at hive.

It was a few days later, and he was still feeling a little funky. He had tried his best. Made tea, put on a movie, and had gotten comfortable on his couch. His lusus laid on the floor in front of him. The hive was still and silent. The movie was muted, leaving Romune to mill in his thoughts.

Romune's lusus perked her head up from where she laid. A low growl rumbled in her throat. That usually meant someone was standing outside, either delivering mail or food. But Romune hadn't ordered food, and the mail had already been delivered! Slowly, the blueblood stood up and made his way to the door. He had to duck slightly in order to look through the peephole.

Did Magnus always look so scared? Wasn’t he a Fleet Troll? Why exactly did the poor man look like he had just seen a ghost while standing outside Romune’s door? Romune glanced over his shoulder at his lusus and shrugged slightly. The old Hyena whined and rested her head back down on her paws, but her tail thumped against the side of the couch.

That was a good enough answer for Romune. He looked back through the peephole one last time before unlocking the door. If Magnus wanted in, then he could come in. Otherwise, this was Romune giving him another chance to leave without any questions asked. Romune returned to his spot on the couch. He picked up his mug and held it between his hands while he waited.

It felt like forever before the door finally opened. Romune looked up from his mug to watch Magnus slowly open the door. The purpleblood shut the door behind him. Then he just stood there, eyes resting on Romune. It was borderline uncomfortable. Romune let the man stand there in shock before he inched over, and patted the spot next to him. He set his mug down on the end table as Magnus made his way over.

“You look like you’ve seen the Messiahs and they told you what you never wanted to hear.” Romune chuckled softly as he spoke. Magnus finally took a seat next to Romune, crossing his arms over his chest awkwardly.

“I don’t believe in the Messiahs.” Magnus responded after a moment, voice small. He looked down at HyenaMom, who had moved closer to him. He leaned down to scratch the special spot behind her ear and cracked a smile when she tilted her head into his hand. He muttered something about itchy ears.

“I feel like I knew that.” Romune replied. He tapped on his metal jaw as he thought. The hive was still save for the soft thump of HyenaMom’s tail wagging and the gentle tink tink tink of Romune tapping his jaw. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot. I know more than I did when you first showed up.”

“Really?” Magnus turned his head to look at Romune while he continued to pet HyenaMom, “And what do you know?”

"I know you like beasts. But that's a given," Romune paused to gesture at Magnus petting his lusus, "And coffee. I figured that out when I realized the various coffee I had in my hive wasn't for me. I don't always enjoy it- i usually prefer tea. But the coffee was for you."

"I never realized you didn't like coffee."

"That's another thing!" Romune clasped his hands together cheerfully, "I remember making myself drink coffee the same way you did. I can't remember if it was to impress you, to make you like me, or because I wanted to get in your thinkpan. Maybe all three!"

"That must've sucked. I like coffee black." Magnus finally stopped petting HyenaMom's ear and sat upright. The lusus whined softly, but got comfortable at his feet. “How exactly are you remembering things?”

“It’s a process.” Romune set his hands in his lap as he spoke, “Sometimes I remember bits and pieces, and then just piece them together like a puzzle.A lot of it is fuzzy. It kind of feels like watching someone else’s life.” Romune didn’t know what prompted him to be so honest with Magnus. He realized admitting this was like admitting the man Magnus knew was officially dead. But it felt wrong to lie to him.

“Do you ever feel like you’re a different troll now?” Magnus leaned back against the couch, stretching an arm over the back behind Romune. “Who are you, really?”

The question shook Romune more than he’d care to admit. He had to think for a moment. His gaze settled on his hands in his lap while the thoughts floated in this head. The silence in the air wasn’t awkward, but it was heavy. Magnus expected a specific answer. And Romune wasn’t sure he could give it. His expression went serious before he looked back to Magnus.

“I’m Romune Iscatu, former lead engineer at the Ma’bina Ship dock for the Fleet, current intern and apprentice under Doctor Milago. I don’t remember everything about who I used to be, no. But I know who I am. I am Romune; and I choose kindness every day of my life. I enjoy going on walks and apple cider. I know that’s not the Romune you used to know. But if you’re looking for the Romune with the hollow eyes and the scruffy face, then you’re too late.” Romune spoke firmly, sitting up straight, “If who I am now bothers you, then you know where the door is.”

Magnus was silent.

“Who are you, Magnus? You aren’t the man I used to know- the man I used to love. Do you even know who you are?” Romune’s tone softened as he continued, “What kept you alive all this time? What drove you to keep trying?”

With the arm not behind Romune, Magnus reached over and patted the other’s thigh gently, “That’s a conversation for another day, my dear Moon.”

“I haven’t heard that name in some time.” Romune leaned back against the couch. He seemed to be settled now. Magnus hadn’t left. That was a good sign, right?

“I used to say there were three moons in my life- and only one I adored. You would get so huffy and complain I was being cheesy.” Magnus smiled slightly as he reminisced.

“I remember that.” Romune didn’t force himself to smile but the delight was present in his eyes. He turned slightly so he could face Magnus and rest his head against the other troll’s arm.

“Tell me more about what you remember.”

“Bits and pieces. Like I said. I remember...faces but never names…” Romune continued, pausing occasionally as he spoke. He cherished the memories he had. Eventually, the conversation shifted from his memories to the book he was currently reading. It was an old romance novel he had uncovered in one of his mysterious boxes. Romune explained the setting, some of the background, but he was very jumpy in his explanations. It reminded Magnus of the times before they were separated.

Magnus watched Romune closely while the blueblood rambled on. He sure did talk a lot when he wanted to. After letting Romune go on for some time, he set his hand down on the blueblood's thigh. Romune stopped abruptly to look down at his hand. He turned his gaze back to Magnus with a puzzled expression.

“Moon, shut up. Please." Magnus smiled slightly, tone light-hearted and playful.

Romune quirked a brow, "Did you really just tell me to shut up, Magnus? What, were we pitch and you just never felt the need to tell me?" Despite his words, Romune's tone was just as playful.

"No, but we're about to be if you don't stop talking about books." Magnus retorted as he leaned in a bit closer.

Romune's brows furrowed. A terrible, no good plot had been devised. What ever happened to being over it, Romune? You weren't supposed to care anymore. But the mysterious glint in Magnus' eyes drew him in. He leaned in closer to Magnus, staring him down. Daring him to act. This could go many ways, Romune was very aware of this.

"Make me."

Magnus cupped the side of Romune's face and closed the gap between them. His lips pressed into Romune's with a desperate hunger. Romune melted into the kiss. And he kissed Magnus; he kissed the man like he would never see him again. They kissed. And they kissed, and they kissed, and they kissed.

Romune kissed him back, like they were the last two trolls on Alternia.

#magnus #magnus cynict #romune #romune iscatu #drabbles #ghost.art

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trollcafe · 4 years

Photo

Please don’t let me make talksprites late at night ever again

#ghost.art #romune iscatu #romune #ill probably redo these at some point tbh

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trollcafe · 4 years

Photo

I decided to update Romune’s sprites a bit :) I didn’t like his mouth and wanted to add an option with his hair down.

#ghost.art #romune #romune iscatu

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trollcafe · 4 years

Text

Dorado

Length: 2881 Words TW: Will Make Grem Mad At Me (None) Brief: After Leuken and Miykie get Magnus and Romune in contact with each other, the two finally meet. This is them meeting for the first time in forever. Credits: Leuken is @/the-lime-gangs Here’s the song I listened to while writing this!

Here’s the Google Docs link for easier viewing!

Deja Vu. A feeling of having already experienced a setting or situation. That was the best way Magnus could describe the feeling of leaving the ship that day. Everything seemed so familiar. The weather outside was just as nice, as still, as it had been the last time he saw Romune. There was no letter this time. And there was no Maldov- he was dead. How the times change.

Magnus waited by the ship, standing off to the side. He glanced at his palmhusk every three seconds, as if waiting for a text message that just never arrived. A slightly shorter rustblood eventually materialized from the bustling crowd of Fleet employees. Leuken had Maldo- Miykie, his name is Miykie now. Leuken had Miykie tailing behind him. Miykie was wearing Leuken’s Fleet jacket and scarf to prevent anyone from recognizing him.

“You’re late.” Magnus’ tone was flat. If he was worried, he showed no sign of it. His expression was stony and collected.

“There’s a lotta trolls runnin’ around, Magpie. But we’re here.” Leuken’s use of the familial nickname was obviously intended to make Magnus feel better about the situation at hand. The purple didn’t say another word, instead handing Leuken a set of keys. He locked eyes with Miykie and gave a nod before heading out. He was still in his Fleet uniform. It was a good thing though, there was a slight breeze. The perfect autumn weather.

Magnus arranged for an Uber to take him to Romune’s hive. It was the same hive he had been in the night Romune disappeared. Why hadn’t he ever thought to return? Was it really that easy this whole time? The entire trip to the hive, Magnus couldn’t stop shaking his leg. The driver made a comment but was cut short by Magnus’ glare. Why was he so angry about all of this? He felt….betrayed. Romune had been alive this whole time and never once made an effort to reach out to him. Hell, the blueblood even had his letter. He was confused, upset, and not entirely convinced that Romune was still alive.

He looked up at Romune’s hive. It was the same as he had left it. Except, there were some new plants out front. He thought that was interesting. He thought this whole thing was interesting. As he stood in silence, he wondered if this all was an elaborate prank. He’d knock and behind the door would be someone else entirely. Not his Romune.

Time seemed to slow down as he walked up to the door. He remembered the night Romune left clearly. The blueblood hadn’t answered the door, he just unlocked it. But then he had looked so surprised to see Magnus- was he expecting someone else instead? Had there been something Romune never told him? These thoughts and more swirled around as he knocked.

Behind the door, he heard growling. The seconds ticked by slowly, and all he heard was growling. Magnus gave up hope ten seconds in, and was about to turn and leave when the door lock shifted. He tentatively reached for the doorknob. It opened before he could.

---

A time. That was all Romune had been given.

The rusts he met only days prior had apparently given the mysterious Magnus his contact. Romune wasn’t sure what he had been expecting- small talk, perhaps? Some sort of communication beforehand? A warning? Explanation? But all he got was a time.

2:30pm.

What an oddly specific time.

Romune was conflicted about the whole ordeal at hand. He didn’t know if he should clean his hive, or if this Magnus would even enter. But Romune knew his lusus well enough to know she would get fussy if there was clutter with a guest over. The old Hyena seemed to know something was up. She usually rested on her bed in Romune’s block, but she chose to follow the blueblood as he tidied up. She even helped a bit, using her large muzzle to nudge some picture frames in order. By the time Romune finished cleaning, it was only noon.

The waiting would be the hardest part. He knew that well. Magnus held the key to everything about Romune’s past life, to everything he couldn’t remember about himself. As the blueblood warmed the kettle on the stove, he thought back to the only memory he held of Magnus. The not blue but not purple eyes, his messy hair, scruffy face. Rom gently traced his fingers over his metal jaw and felt a familiar sense of sadness rise up. The screaming of the kettle was able to shake away that sadness. He finished preparing a cup of tea while his lusus watched, and she followed him into his block.

Magnus’ shirt was folded up neatly on the end table. Romune paused as he passed, looking down at the shirt. The symbol on it. A childish feeling of excitement started to bubble in his chest. He would get to meet the man behind the shirt, and hopefully, it would go well. He set his mug down on the vanity so he could select a shirt for the occasion. For a moment, he had considered going without, but that just seemed wrong. He settled on a sleeveless hoodie, but not cropped. It was a little cold for cropped shirts right now.

Afterwards, he took his tea to the living block and sat on the couch. His lusus laid on the ground in front of him. Eventually, she drifted off. Romune found himself entertained by her sleepy yips. He wondered what hyenas dream about, if anything at all. It wasn’t long before he heard a knock on the door. His lusus woke up with a slight start and lifted her head to look at the door. She was the first one up, immediately going to the door. Romune had to nudge her out of the way with his hip so he could open it.

Behind the door was a man. At first, Romune didn’t recognize him. It took a moment for it to register. What got him were his horns…curved with spikes. It slowly fell into place from there. The square jaw, slightly unkempt hair pulled back in a bun, scruffy face. How did the Fleet allow him to be so messy? The blueblood blinked as a thick silence floated around them.

“Magnus?” Romune’s voice was small. He didn’t know his voice could be so small.

Magnus looked at Romune with a stone-cold expression. He took in the entire sight of him. Every metal limb, the way his hair was pulled in a bun rather than a ponytail, the sleeveless shirt, the way his hand held the mug. That wasn’t his Romune. This troll who stood in front of him looked like his Romune, sure. But everything from his expression, his outfit, his voice, to the mug in his hand; it was all different. This wasn’t his Romune.

It took him a moment to realize the growling had stopped. He looked down at Romune’s lusus and had to really fight the smile that threatened to form. Magnus knelt down, leaning on his knee and holding out his hand for the hyena to sniff. Romune stepped aside so HyenaMom could get closer. The first thing he noticed was her tail wagging. She very rarely wagged her tail. Even if Magnus didn’t confirm his identity, HyenaMom did.

Romune turned and headed inside his hive. A high pitched whistle snapped HyenaMom out of her greetings, and she padded towards the couch. Magnus stood up and entered the hive slowly, closing the door behind him. Everything was just as he had left it, ages ago. Nothing was out of place. While that wasn’t his Romune standing by the couch, this was his Romune’s hive. HyenaMom sat down in front of the couch. Her tail was still wagging, making a loud thump thump thump as it moved side to side.

“Can we go outside?” Romune asked softly, setting his mug down on the end table. “It’s too cold for her outside. We can talk in private. You can see the ships leaving and coming in, the lights are really pretty.” He forced himself to smile. Smiling took a lot of work, it wasn’t something he committed to doing often. But Magnus seemed like he needed a smile.

“Sure.” Magnus did not return the smile.

Romune waited for an extra few seconds, hoping Magnus would say something else. Anything else. But when he was met with silence, he just nodded and headed for the back door. His lusus jumped up on the couch and laid down when Magnus followed him.

Romune closed the door behind Magnus. The back of his hive consisted of a small backyard with a crumbling stone wall. Some spots in the wall were more sturdy than others. A few feet beyond the wall was a drop into a small river. Romune made his way to one of the more secure spots on the wall, and took a seat. Magnus slowly followed and sat a short distance away from him. The silence was still thick, but not as awkward.

Romune was the first to notice their hands were close together. He wasn’t certain what made him decide to move his hand closer, and closer. He gently rested his metal fingers on top of Magnus’ very real hand. Something sparked in Romune’s chest as he did so. Something warm. It was very similar to the sense of longing he had felt when he first opened the gift.

When Magnus realized their hands were touching, he moved his hand away and crossed his arms over his chest. And just like that, the warm sense of yearning was gone. Romune folded his hands in his lap, looking down at them. The metal had never bothered him before. But now it felt wrong, out of place. He wondered briefly what Magnus was thinking.

“....Penny for your thoughts?” Romune turned his gaze back to Magnus, only to find the purpleblood had been looking at him. Or, he was looking at his hands. Romune gently toyed with the ring finger on his prosthetic as he waited for an answer. One of the joints was a little loose and would wiggle. Romune never bothered to fix it because it made weird moments like this more bearable. Magnus was silent for a moment, as if he was gathering the right things to say. The silence didn’t feel uncomfortable, just uneasy.

“Does it still hurt?” The voice that had been so deadpan and flat prior actually had a tender worry to it now. Magnus lifted his eyes from Romune’s metal hand to his blue eyes.

His Romune’s eyes.

Despite all his time spent in space and all his time believing Romune had been dead, Magnus had never felt further from him than in this instance.

“Sometimes.” Romune hummed, holding his robotic hand up towards the sky to see it better, “They’re called phantom pains. It’s a psychological phenomenon where you feel pain in limbs that are no longer there. It’s different for each troll- I’ve dealt with a lot of different phantom pains. Mine specifically feels like burning….but some trolls say it feels like a dull ache. One troll told me his felt like ice. It’s a little funny when you think about it. Feeling pain in a limb that isn’t there. Occasionally I’ll stub my foot on something and feel pain for a few seconds before remembering the foot is fake.” Romune lowered his hand back into his lap, not realizing he had rambled on.

Magnus couldn’t fight the small smile that formed as Romune rambled on. The way Romune spoke was so familiar. It reminded him of the time he laid in bed with him while the blueblood spoke all about the book he had been reading. Even if Magnus wasn’t paying attention, the cadence in Romune’s voice had given him a sense of home. This was a similar sort of feeling. Magnus gently took a hold of Romune’s robotic hand, tracing over the seam of metal on the palm.

“Did you design them yourself? You used to be the lead engineer on the docks...you told me a few times that you wanted to retire and build limbs. You wanted to help trolls, rather than fix the things that hurt them.” Magnus swiped his thumb over the ball of Romune’s palm, noting how cold the metal felt.

“I didn’t. I don’t remember much from the incident.” Romune curled his fingers in around Magnus’ thumb. Magnus hesitated before tangling their fingers together. Even though the limb was metal and cold, it still felt like his Romune’s hand.

“What do you remember?” Magnus still didn’t meet his eyes, looking down at their hands. Romune tapped on his metal jaw with his free hand to help him think. The soft tapping finally made Magnus look up.

“I remember waking up in a lot of pain. Everyone says you don’t remember pain….but I remember it pretty clearly. I was in the hospital, and I was already….repaired, I guess would be the term. I was pretty out of it for most of the recovery process. Eventually I was weaned off the pain medications and could think….somewhat clearly again. Then came the process of learning how to walk and move again. And now I’m here.” He forced another smile. Two smiles in one night, that was something special.

Magnus chuckled a bit, “You don’t look comfortable doing that. Smilin’.”

“It’s difficult to do when your bottom lip is made of metal and silicone.” Romune chuckled softly to himself, closing his eyes for a moment. His laughter was interrupted when Magnus cupped his cheek with his free hand. Startled, Romune opened his eyes again.

Magnus looked...sad. His thumb traced over the seam of metal and flesh on Romune’s cheek with a somber expression. It was a tender act that shook Romune to his very core. There was a softness behind the sadness in Magnus’ eyes. Something in Magnus’ smile, and something in the tenderness in his gaze, left Romune speechless.

The wide blue eyes that stared back at Magnus solidified his feelings. This was his Romune. This was the same blueblood who rambled about ancient literature and fixed Fleet ships, who wanted to help trolls rather than build the things that hurt them. Only, he got hurt by those very things. The ships he worked so diligently on ended up causing all this damage. And then what? He suffered in a hospital, alone, without Magnus.

For all the times he had been back on the planet, Magnus never once decided to stop by his hive. Never to check on HyenaMom, never to see if Romune came back. Magnus could hear his own lusus calling him despicable. That old mongoose had been right.

“Romune Iscatu.” Magnus finally broke the silence. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I just gave up hope on you, and left you alone all this time. I’m sorry I knew where you lived and never came back. I’m sorry I wasn’t the quadmate you needed.” His voice cracked, and for the first time in sweeps, he felt like he may crack too.

Romune was silent. He moved his hand to rest on top of Magnus’, and leaned his face in closer to the other’s palm. He closed his eyes and relished in the feeling of physical contact.

“It’s okay. I for-”

“It’s not okay. You shouldn’t forgive me. I should- I should go.” Magnus pulled his hand away and stood up suddenly. He was stopped by Romune grabbing the corner of his Fleet uniform. Magnus didn’t look down at Romune, but waited to hear what he had to say.

“Stay the day, please. You can leave tomorrow. But for today...can you be the quadmate I needed? That I need?” Romune’s voice was barely heard over the river rushing below them. Magnus finally looked down at the blueblood, his Romune. He was silent as the blueblood’s request was processed.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Magnus removed Romune’s hand off his uniform. He held the other’s hand in his own for a few seconds. Those few seconds gave Romune hope that Magnus would stay. Just as the blueblood was starting to stand up, Magnus let his hand go. Romune, frozen where he sat, blinked in surprise as Magnus stepped back.

“I can’t, Moon. I’m sorry. I have to go.”

Magnus didn’t wait for a response. Romune stood up and watched as Magnus went back inside his hive. He could hear his lusus yip in excitement from seeing Magnus again, and then the front door slammed loud enough to be heard from where Romune stood. The warmth in his chest was replaced with a hollow feeling. He looked down at his robotic hand for a moment, wondering what he had done wrong.

Romune turned back to the river that ran behind his hive and through the city. He watched the water rush peacefully below him. The moons and stars reflected beautifully on the rippling water. If the moons and the stars could be so unaffected by the chaos that had so suddenly entered and left his life, then he could be too.

#magnus #magnus cynict #romune #romune iscatu #ghost.art #drabbles

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