#2927

"The Demon is clearly a First Guardian, and appears to be on a rampage - he's a creature of instinct, like Bec!"

...says Sally, not making the obvious connection.

If you connect two sessions, you have to be prepared to face the consequences.

Jack invaded the troll session through the Rift, the Devilbeast becoming the Demon. Everything fits - the Green Sun connection, the rampant destruction of the planets, even the fact that Karkat 'recognized' Jack!

Both sessions' invincible bosses are the same person. I can't even be mad that I didn't figure it out, it's just too good.

I also feel like it's worth noting that Jack took Aradia completely by surprise. She didn't know these were Alpha events, which means her response wasn't planned in advance, to preserve the timeline.

Hell, for all she knew, the timeline had just been doomed.

Why is that important?

Because Aradia's instinctive response was to save everyone.

Even assholes like Eridan. Even her murderer.

Unfeeling robot, my ass!

Poor Karkat. I wonder if he thought that literally was Slick?

I'm making a note of that bloody hand, too. Looks like Jack's about to eschew the knives, and become more of a bestial fighter.

Shit's fucked. It was fucked before, but now it's double - no, triple fucked. This guy can - I assume - teleport around the Medium at his leisure. He's lightning fast, bulletproof, and - oh, god - and he might have Doc Scratch's clairvoyance.

And all he wants to do is kill.

It started in Winnipeg. Well, in started in Halifax.

But it started AGAIN in ‘Peg.

“You play better after you fuck,” Nate said to Jo over coffee the morning before the game.

They were alone at the little cafe attached to the hotel, Jo’s anxiety and shit sleep schedule easily folded into Nate’s early morning routine back in September so now they always wake early and go for a run- or a swim or whatever hotel gym equipment will provide.

Nate, asshole that he is, had waited until Jo was mid sip before speaking.

So, probably exactly according to plan, Jo choked on a mouthful of hot coffee.

Nate smirked, all smug asshole about it, as Jo tried not to aspirate coffee and DIE about it.

“Fuck off,” Jo said when he could.

Nate shrugged, still smiling a bit.

“I’m just saying- you hooked up before we played against the Sabres. And before the game against the Ducks.”

Job has questions.

Questions that started, really, with,

“Dude are you tracking my fucking habits?”

Nate shrugged again, completely unashamed.

“I mean, it’s not a problem with your game. You’re putting in the work, Joey. So I’m just- trying to figure out what else we can do to help. Gotta be something mental, right?”

It took a minute, for Jo to translate Nate’s words into talk about his HOCKEY game and not, like, Jo’s sexual prowess.

“Yeah, well, Alex lives in Denver,” Jo said, giving up the name without any prompting at all.

Nate arched an eyebrow.

“Alex, eh?”

“Met on Grindr,” Jo admitted and knew he was blushing even before Nate scoffed.

“Well, we aren’t gonna give your Grindr hookup press credentials and fly him out with the team.”

Jo had never suggested that, obviously never WOULD.

“So I’ll fuck you on the road.”

Nate said it like-

Like it was a favor. Like it was a circuit in the gym. Like it was already decided.

Jo stared at him.

Nate stared back.

And then he arched an eyebrow, a silent little dare.

“Fine,” Jo growled. “Fine. See if you can fuck a few goals out of me.”

Nate’s most feral grin spread over his face.

“More than a few, bud. Come on. Let’s go, this coffee is shit.”

“What- you want to do it now?”

Nate shrugged and got to his feet. Jo was helpless to follow. Always.

“You used to like morning sex.”

Jo wanted to argue.

But-

“I didn’t bring any condoms.”

“I’ve got you covered. Or well. I’ve got ME covered.” Nate winked at him.

Jo wishes, really, really wishes, that he didn’t find Nate Mackinnon so impossible to refuse.

-o-

They lose that night.

But Jo scores a goal.

When they get back to Denver, it just makes sense, it’s just easier, to stop trying to align his schedule with Alex’s busy graduate student life.

Easier to just call Nate.

if nate is so scary, why does he date the whole avs roster??? also the newest nate victim being dewey is shocking but i’m here for it