#impulse au

A Rook that's picked for thier fire. For their anger and strength. They manage to kill 14 Venatori by the time the bastards get them to the Ossuary.

A Rook that sits in a cell one corridor across from another prisoner. He's Zara's favourite, the poor bastard. A Crow from what they've heard between sessions on the table and the rack. Between blood spilt and bone cracked, sand and salt and Other Voices. Has heard the words 'potential' and 'nuisance' in equal measure in reference to him.

The first time they see him try to escape, they understand why.

14? Chump numbers. He creates a red river under the ocean and Rook thinks he might just do it--

He's twisted like a ball joint doll to kneel before Calivan. The mage holding a small vial to fuel the obedience spell. His phylactery.

The crow is pressed down, bled until nearly unconscious, but Rook sees his eyes, staring at them, vicious and determined.

Rook makes a plan.

It's not a good plan, but it's better than what they had before.

They're pliant when hands grip them. Go lax after a blade cuts. They need anonymity. They need to fly under the radar as best they can.

The first time they manage to get free, they get as far as the door. They need to appear hopelessly weak. Down trodden. They're getting out of here. They're getting back to their people. The idea of a rescue doesn't even come to mind.

The next time, they get to his cell door.

Possession hasn't happened yet. They're just two people meeting in the dark for the first time.

If he has a phylactery, so must they too. Somewhere.

"There's not much time," Rook begins. "How do I get you out?"

This attempt ends much the same as the last. They're further separated. They start leaving notes to coordinate escape plans. Mostly just markers as time stamps. Items may be stolen and hidden in the dirt for the other to find. A pin, a shard, maybe a knife if they're lucky.

Then it's food that's shared. Cloth found and shred into bandages, rolled up and shoved into crevices.

They know eachother without ever knowing eachother. Their sanity becomes dependent on these few and far between gifts, between long stretches of nothing. Of numb, hazy thoughts of elsewhere.

Then the crow sprouts wings in his next attempt.

Demon, Rook's mind hisses. Abomination.

But then he's reaching for their cell without a thought, breaking them out, bodily lifting them to stand. There's barely any strength between their physical bodies, but something else, something new is driving him.

"Hey," Rook murmurs, heavy on his shoulder. "Name's Rook."

He breathes out his nose in the facsimile of a snort. "Lucanis."

They're caught that time, too.

They need those vials. Need them destroyed. There's no escape for either of them otherwise.

Then Rook hears of plans of them being transferred elsewhere. Another dungeon. Another torture chamber.

That's when Lucanis gets his hands on their phylactery.

"For such precious cargo, they didn't even lock the box." And he's handing it to them outside their cell. Just like that.

"They'll know it's gone."

"So we better make this chance count."

'We.'

When had it become 'we'?

They were using eachother. It was the best option. If they were free of Calivan's influence they could fight him. Give Lucanis a chance at his own phylactery.

Or they could run. Forsake this fragile trust and flee like a coward. A free coward, but a coward nonetheless.

Not Rook's style.

...

The vial is a fake. A trap. They all realise this too late, and then it's Rooks turn in the chamber. Rooks turn to be forced to house an inhabitant that does not want to Be. A spirit dragged from its place in the fade kicking and screaming and--

I'm thinking Faith. Faith that things will work out. Faith that every leap you take there will be ground to land on. Faith in others, in thier ability to come together and fight.

But that Faith can so easily become Recklessness. Carelessness. Rash and unwise but so passionate. A good, strong emotion.

The Venatori wanted Despair. They wanted Envy. A Good, Strong Emotion.

Instead they got Impulse. Something far too chaotic and wild to use for thier needs. Spite is tempered with rage and -- at a push-- patience if a goal is set. Impulse... really isn't.

Shaped like Rook, this creature wants freedom. Demands it. Consequences do not exist to them. They push Rook to try and escape again and again without reprieve, has no understanding of conserving energy, of careful planning and execution. It wants action. It wants. To leave.

Anyway yeah I'm thinking Rook does get transferred and somehow escapes but has no way of finding that Ossuary, of knowing if Lucanis is even still alive. They're searching for it when Varric turns up/gets in trouble/gets them out of trouble.

Yuuri’s frustrated by the fact that he can keep his anxiety at bay with his Idol persona but can’t do it with figure skating.

The entire idol group goes to college in Detroit as part of their international expansion efforts.

They all know about Yuuri’s crush on Victor and try to mention it during interviews but Yuuri is vigilant with their shenanigans

They live in a house together just off campus, Yuuri invites Phichit to come live with them after his first semester because Phichit had a terrible roommate. He has no clue Yuuri is an Idol until then.

Phichit gets along really well with the other Idols. Their fans adore Phichit when he moves in with them. In turn, Impulse gets a strong following in Thailand.

Yuuri unfortunately gets compared to JJ when people realize they’re both skaters with singing careers, this gives him anxiety because he doesn’t like being compared to others.

Yurio becomes a full fledged Impulse Stan to annoy JJ.