Characters

Zontik/Brolly

Zontopian — 21 y/o

Born and raised in Zontopia, Zontik lived a fairly sheltered and quiet life in accordance with the principles of humility, obedience, and loyalty ascribed by the religious authority of the land. Though it’s not so uncommon to share a name with the Great Zontik, to be the center of attention when he is called upon doesn't suit him, so he started going by the name Brolly to more easily blend in with the crowd.

Lately, something within him has changed. He'd long known that his romantic interests don't align with the church's values, and that if he ever were to so much as formulate a single fully-formed thought about his sexual interests, he would be smitten right where he stood. He has lost touch with his home nation. The longer he remains complacent with hiding himself away, the more he's convinced that this isn't what he wants. But what can he do when he’s so fearful of attention?

Whispers of a faraway nation reach his ears, promising a freedom unknown to Zontopians. The people may scorn these foreigners for their hedonism, but this Verona sounds like a first place Zontik can go looking to find that part of him that seems just out of reach.

Other trivia

Before he left, Zontik worked as a nurse under the Zontopian Order. While it was his duty to indiscriminately tend to patients in need of medical care, he ended up gravitating towards those who were either comatose or whose consciousness was compromised, as they allowed him to offer care without having to be perceived. Despite often being scolded for his favouritism, he still finds himself isolating more often than not. He has extensive medical knowledge from his training and paying attention to the doctors.

In his free time, he embroiders and makes charcoal illustrations. He’s not great at either, but he finds them calming enough, and he can offer extra care by patching up the poorer patients’ clothing.

Zontik is gay and closeted about his orientation, believing himself sinful and doomed despite deeply desiring closeness with men. He gravitates towards multiple relationships, though he does feel it is wrong due to the church’s teachings.

Due to his general fears and lack of self confidence, he gravitates towards partners who are proactive and who can take the lead.

Romeo 

Veronese — 24 y/o

One of Verona's finest, Romeo is known even outside his nation as a mediator who aims to help strangers rid themselves of their learned inhibitions and discover themselves in an environment where they can be anyone they want. If one ever needed a matchmaker, he'd be their guy, and he tends to service mostly folks inclined towards the same sex who struggle with finding connections or even safety in their home kingdom.

As the first person that Brolly bonds with after leaving his home nation, Romeo offers the complete opposite of Zontopian values: hedonism, union in pleasure, openness, and freedom of expression, identity, and sexuality. Romeo becomes Brolly’s first true friend and a lifelong ally. He’s the one who helps Brolly branch out and explore himself, though he doesn't always correctly estimate Brolly’s lack of experience and the potential danger a looser lifestyle could put him in. Since he so flawlessly balances safety with risk in his own life, he presumes that Brolly can do the same, which is not always the case (see: Halberd).

Though he would gladly let Brolly stay and join his vast, international collection of boyfriends and girlfriends, he understands that Brolly needs to discover what's out there and will do whatever he can to lead him to happiness.

Other trivia

As a low fertility rate is coveted in Verona to avoid responsibilities and rapid population growth, Romeo works as a fertility tech and sex educationist. He’s an advocate of safe sex, informed consent, and kink positivity, though he prefers to spread all of these by going with the flow rather than setting hard boundaries.

The Veronese work week is very short, so Romeo has a lot of free time. This is why he’s so effective at matchmaking, which he offers for free and is a bit of a hobby and passion project of his.

He’s one of the few inhabitants of the card world who has strong personal connections with members of most nations. He hopes to one day start a relationship with someone from Sukhavati or the mysterious nation in the southeast, as those are the only nationalities his collection is missing.

Post-calibration Verona has an equal male-female balance to maintain its population.

Like most Veronese, Romeo is openly bisexual and polyamorous.

Boy’s a bottom.

Kuromaku 

Kurogradian — 28 y/o

Fresh out of an intensely emotional and mutually destructive relationship, Kuromaku might be a little too quick to want to jump into a new relationship, the way one would get on a horse again after getting kicked off. When it feels like he might never find someone who so understands him, so aligns with his personality and meshes with his interests again, his only logical option seems to be to start looking as soon as possible.

Maybe he is too much of a control freak, and maybe Spade had reason to be annoyed at how little freedom Kuromaku allowed him, how rigid he is in his ways and his order. To rush into a relationship with someone as meek and helpless as Brolly and who explicitly requests that he take control in their relationship is unwise, so why is he so excited to continue this new and exhilarating arrangement?

This new relationship will either help him overcome the toxic habits he picked up in his old relationship, or prove that he is eternally unworthy of the warmth of another human being’s touch. Only time will tell.

Other trivia

Kuromaku is employed as a diplomat. On top of communicating with the nations, he also selects which issues need addressing and holds permanence over which nations need to tighten their relations to Kurograd. He travels a lot for work and met Spade and Romeo this way.

He isn’t necessarily closeted about being gay, but he doesn’t announce it and feels uneasy about bringing it up, a trait even heterosexual people from Kurograd often face due to how emotionally closed-off their society is. Part of Spade’s issue with Kuromaku was his refusal to name their relationship as a relationship.

He transitioned at a rather young age, currently on T for about half his life.

Vanilla to boot, and about the least notable partner Brolly may find. Part of this is due to his fear of doing unto others what Spade inflicted upon him, and his lack of imagination means that he hasn’t explored many fantasies. Prefers predicable missionary over any wild escapades, and while usually in charge, he's adaptive to his partner’s needs. Rarely took charge with Spade, but does it a lot with Brolly.

Spade

Spade Empirian — 31 y/o

Military drone turned independent thinker after the mismanagement of his kingdom, Spade was cradled by imperialism and suckled by violence. Once a faceless, nameless weapons tech in the Spade Empire, his search for freedom and pushing boundaries eventually led to his frustration with his leadership and his desire for change.

When a Kurograd delegation was allowed in as a rare visitor from the outside world, Spade didn’t hesitate to use their neutrality to threaten them and hitch himself a ride out of his smothering empire and into the wide world. In the same breath, he met Kuromaku and quickly connected with him, eventually starting a relationship that would end up dominated by their differences in temperament and personality.

Kurograd didn’t turn out to be all that, either. Disillusioned with both the outside world and his failed relationship with Kuromaku, Spade has decided to stay in Kurograd for now, biding his time until the opportunity arises to break free from his shackles and achieve true freedom.

Other trivia

Most of the population of the Spade Empire is named Spade. Spade sometimes goes by Pik to differentiate himself, though it helps to blend in when one carries the same name as everyone around him.

Back in the Empire, Spade worked as a weapons tech, though his true passions lie in his hobby as a blacksmith and his fascination with weapons, armour, and combat. He’s also a proficient locksmith and likes to create complex mechanisms with intricate keys to open them.

He thinks his spiked leather jacket makes him super cool.

Thinking about defining himself pisses him off too much to formulate an identity.

Dominant toxic top. Bites. Soft on the inside, and will show it in the care he displays towards his partners, a bit like a mother panther protecting its cubs. He’s not evil, he just has rabies and an oral fixation.

Halberd

Zontopian — 49 y/o

Once a distinguished figure in the Zontopian religious order, all Halberd is remembered for is his fall from grace, branded with the image of disloyalty, greed, and self-servitude.

Something changed about the Great Zontik—like one day, a piece was torn from Halberd’s soul and he lost his connection to his lord. Gripped by a sense of grief no one else could understand, he went to secretly search for this missing piece himself to fulfil his spiritual needs, and possibly something far more than just the religious. In his first attempt, he pushed things too far and not only lost the affection of his new God, but also his prestige and his freedom. 

His prayers may just have been answered when he found Brolly and pulled him into his beliefs. He dedicates body and soul to him, elevating him to the only thing that could ever matter in life. Love is a religious experience, and Halberd would starve without. Every touch is an act of worship, every whisper a prayer, every taste communion. Even when he needs to make sure that Brolly stays on the right path and keeps himself pure, sometimes through forceful means. He seeks to care and adore, for it’s in his blood to serve; but is it his God or himself that he serves most? 

When a man is so convinced of his worldview, it’s hard to reroute his path. Brolly should probably stay far away from Halberd, but who can fault a recently-liberated man for seeking what’s missing?

Other trivia

Although he was a high-ranking official in the Church, he never got to see the Great Zontik. He has spoken to him from behind a veil, but he never saw his face, and this is part of the reason why he feels like he was serving a false god.

Halberd is immensely sadomasochistic. He has an obsession with control and purity, and he desires to purge the immortal soul of its sins through pain and discipline of the mortal flesh. Usually, he himself is the target of the scourge’s hunger, but if his god were to step out of line and doubt his duties, Halberd wouldn’t hesitate to purify him, too—as painful as it is to harm his lord.

Defining his orientation is pointless when he is only devoted to his lord, body and soul.

Halberd has found himself a husk of a man without his religion. He has no hobbies or other pastimes, he has no passions outside of his worship and planning, and he doesn’t feel like a real person outside of his beliefs. He truly only lives for his God, but with him gone, that has become meaningless.

He craves control in every social situation he's in, and in bed, this isn't different. He sets the tone and pace, makes all calls, and wouldn't let anyone talk over him. Has deeply repressed his submissive traits, only letting them out under the guise of religious reverence.

One could call him the biggest oversight by the force that recalibrated the card world.

Shield

Zontopian — 19 y/o

Young and naive, is what they'll call him at best—blasphemous at worst. He has paid with his eye to prove as much. No amount of persecution can beat out of him the one undeniable truth in a torrent of questions: that this man who has recently returned to Zontopia bears the face that has invaded his dreams since he was but a child.

Obsessed with finding out why he feels like he has known Brolly his entire life, Shield pursues every lead he can and wants to get closer to him at any cost to get to the bottom of this image he has been chasing for so many years. 

Should he ever get the chance, he will make sure that no one can ever cause him harm again.

Other trivia

While mild, well-mannered, and complacent in his base personality, Shield’s history has put him on a path of brash defiance and outward disregard for authority. As a revolutionary, he’s not afraid to speak his mind, though he’s wholly out of his element in this role and yearns for a softer life in which he didn’t have to do everything he does.

Human puppy. When he’s loyal, it’s for life, and he will not hesitate to dote on his object of affection and prioritise his well-being and safety. If he must bark and bite to protect, he will.

Shield may have his biases towards one person, but he still feels a sense of responsibility over a larger group of people. Despite his inexperience, he’d make for a great, caring leader.

Soft at his core, and does everything to serve. While he’s mostly a bottom, he’s both enthusiastic and proactive, easily leading any encounter to be as intimate as it can possibly be.

Shield has enough disdain for Halberd to be willing to kill for it.

Although Shield still needs a lot of development to place how exactly his history was altered during the card world’s recalibration, he likely does not remember that he saw Zontik’s true face.

Dante

Sukhavatii — 25 y/o

No one really knows where Dante came from, or what he’s doing here.

Other trivia

Ah, shit, why didn’t it work?

Relationships

Most of these aren’t fleshed out, so I've listed the most important details.

Zontik/Brolly

💞 Romeo — partner

Romeo is Zontik’s guardian angel. Not only did he offer him a different outlook on life and open up a pathway towards pleasure and self-indulgence, but he also is the first person who has ever truly cared about him. Zontik is attracted to him and enjoys the time they spend together, often missing his warm personality when he’s out of town.

📠 Kuromaku — partner

Kuromaku is the first person Romeo set Zontik up with, and they’re in a stable, sometimes long-distance relationship. Zontik at first wasn’t so sure about dating a resident of Kurograd, but he quickly fell for Kuromaku’s handsome charm and hidden wit. He feels well taken care of, though he sometimes wonders what he can offer Kuromaku in this relationship when Kuro seems to be doing all the work. Still, he hopes that he can stay for at least a while before Kuromaku inevitably rejects him.

📿️ Halberd — partner…?

Halberd is something else. Their relationship started out strictly platonic at first, but it quickly evolved into one of sensual intimacy. Zontik views Halberd as someone who is dedicated to his lifestyle and admires his ability to incorporate it into their relationship, blind to the red flags. Halberd is Zontik’s most extreme partner, and getting to enact his more intense interests with him keeps him around.

🛡️ Shield — partner

Shield came into Zontik’s life unexpectedly, but that doesn’t make him any less pleasant to be around. Like Halberd, he seems rather obsessed with Zontik, but he chooses to prioritise having a good time together over his odd claims that make Zontik feel insecure. Shield reminds Zontik of Romeo, with the way he seems to seek friendship first and love only second, though Shield is more dedicated to the romantic side of their relationship. They by far have one of the more vanilla and down-to-earth relationships among Zontik’s current partners.

♠️ Spade — partner

Spade has been an unexpected entry into Zontik’s life, but not an entirely unwelcome one. This could never work out, he initially thought, but Spade’s ability to push their sex life where the others are hesitant has brought them closer, and Zontik got the opportunity to see Spade unfold beyond that horribly cold jerk that scared him. He wants to further help Spade get in touch with his softer side, hopeful that he can tame this beast with kindness.

🧿 The Great Zontik — God

Sometimes, Zontik wonders if he wasn’t cursed at birth because the world dared blaspheme by naming him after the Great Zontik. To have to live up to such a great God is a tall order, and Zontik often wonders if he truly is as loyal as he presents himself to be, or if he doesn’t, deep within his heart, have doubts about the system that upholds His image.

Kuromaku

☔ Brolly — partner

Brolly is unlike anything Kuromaku has known throughout his life. Vulnerable and emotional, unlike a Kurogradian, but also timid and self-conscious, unlike a Veronese, and harmless and kind, unlike a Spade Empirian. He’s a calming presence, and he offers the softness that Kuromaku has missed in his life, even if he refuses to admit to that. He brings out Kuromaku’s protective side. Though Brolly isn’t the easiest partner due to how timid he is, he gives Kuromaku’s orderly side space to shine and workshop his lover into having a spine. That, and he loves to be pleasantly surprised when Brolly is forward enough to request things from him. He’s just scared he will disappoint Brolly and cause his brittle form harm.

💞 Romeo — friend

Kurograd doesn’t exactly look down on LGBT people and offers both anti-discrimination laws and medical care, but it also isn’t charitable to outward expression of identity and self. Romeo offered Kuromaku a space to find himself and set him up with both Spade and Brolly. Kuromaku respects Romeo but never had a romantic or sexual relationship with him.

♠️ Spade — ex-partner

Kuromaku’s former partner of six years, and possibly the most perfect imperfect lover he could have had. Their interests match scarily accurately, and one might even think that Spade’s a native Kurogradian had they not seen his appearance, putting them on a similar wavelength. The issues come when their political ideals clash and the parts about himself that Spade would rather not show surface, escalating their relationship in later years. Kuromaku’s idea of a healthy relationship was heavily skewed by this one, and he stayed too long to avoid bringing himself shame and making himself seem vulnerable.

Romeo

☔ Brolly — friend with benefits

Romeo is well aware of how sheltered and suppressed Zontopians are and was over the moon finding one skulking the streets of Verona. He sees great potential in Brolly; a warm and loving heart wrapped in layers upon layers of cold somberness, and he fully intends to help him come out of his shell and shine his warmth onto the eight kingdoms. And of course, enjoy his own fair share of this gentle soul.

📠 Kuromaku — friend

Romeo loves a good challenge, and a Kurogradian is about the greatest challenge one could face in the love business. Over the course of their friendship, Romeo has seen Kuromaku evolve from an emotionally closed-off hardass to a slightly less emotionally closed-off hardass, which he considers great progress. He matched Kuro with Brolly specifically because he believes that this collision of soft and hard might help both of them realise their best selves and offer them shared healing from their troubles in life. While he is attracted to Kuromaku, he respects that it’s not mutual but hopes that this can still change.

♠️ Spade — red flag

While Romeo did not directly help Kuromaku in contacting Spade, he did receive a request on how Kuromaku could best approach Spade after realising there may be romantic interest. Spade is someone whom Romeo completely underestimated and misjudged. While right about the hard exterior coating a soft core, he failed to see Spade’s abusive and genuinely violent side, and he regrets setting Kuromaku up with him. He strongly disincentivises his working partners from seeking out a relationship with Spade.

Spade

📠 Kuromaku — ex-partner

Coward.

☔ Brolly — partner

Prey. Brolly is something Spade desperately wants, needs to devour, and he will stop at little to get him. Because Kuromaku has him, and Kuromaku can’t have something as sweet and savory as Brolly. So then why does he feel so protective over him?

💞 Romeo — loose acquaintance

Spade doesn’t personally know Romeo, he just knows that Kuromaku was in contact with him in the early stages of their relationship. He didn’t initially have any issues with Romeo, but he suspects that it was Romeo who caused Kuromaku to leave him, landing him on Spade’s shit list.

Halberd

☔ Brolly — God

Brolly is Halberd’s entire world, the only thing that truly matters. Halberd must protect him, and he must help him realise his true role in this world as the one to overthrow the false idol’s order and establish himself atop his rightful throne. Even if Brolly lacks the proper discipline and poise demanded of someone in his role, Halberd will be the one to purify him and make him worthy of his divine right. 

🧿 The “Great” Zontik — false idol

Whether a mere scapegoat to pad the religious regime’s power or an actual devil who clawed its way to the throne unbeknownst to the people, Halberd knows that the “Great” Zontik is nothing more than an impostor that needs to be cast back into the agonising depths of hell it came from. This is not the god he dedicated his life to.

🛡️ Shield — enemy

Shield is nothing to Halberd. He would be better off ridding the world of himself. Or better, letting the regime destroy him, body and soul, until little is left of him. To burn in hell would be kinder than he deserves.

Shield 

☔ Brolly — partner

Shield is aware that what he feels for Brolly can be considered a creepy obsession, but he can’t help it. There’s something special about him, and he can’t simply let the person of his visions walk away. Over the course of their partnership, Shield has grown to care greatly about Brolly, to the point where he doesn’t even mind if this mystery is never solved, so long as Brolly lives happily. To ensure his safety and well-being may just be the reason why Shield was born.

🧿 The Great Zontik — God (?)

Shield has a complex image of Zontik, mostly negative. His regime is the source of most of Shield’s suffering, and in recent years, he has begun to suspect that nothing is what it seems and the Great Zontik may be nothing more but a corpse puppeteered by those in power. Even if he turned out to be alive and well, is this really the leader that Shield seeks to serve?

📿️ Halberd — enemy

Once praised and worshipped by Halberd, Shield was nearly convinced that the person he saw in his dreams was himself, and that he must have been the true God, and Zontik an imposter. Forsook Halberd when he realised that the relationship they shared was nothing more than a manipulator who doesn’t realise the damage he does to others, and is terrified to learn that Brolly is now in contact with him.

Current plans

I don’t want to start a longfic and then abandon it because it was too ambitious, so I mostly wanna explore some of these relationships in oneshots. If I feel more comfortable and attached to the AU, I might try either a longer fic or a fic told through shorter stories. Either way, there will probably be a lot of POV shift, with Zontik being the focal character of most of the AU.