AUTHOR: cosmoscorpse CAST: Rose/Kanaya, Dave/Jade; John, Eridan, Feferi, Aradia, Tavros, Sollux, Equius RATING: T WORD COUNT: 48029 ADDITIONAL TAGS: incomplete, steampunk AU, violence, politics, worldbuilding, pseudoscience, #incest, polyamory SUMMARY: In which terrible mistakes are made, often costing others their lives, there are politics, and the espionage that comes with them, a curse or two and far too much involvement of the old gods in modern affairs. Or: Dave Strider pays for something he didn't do, Rose Lalonde grieves, and Jade Harley sets out to correct her wrongdoings. Eventually. EXCERPT: Youâre terrified. The waves move and you can hear them slapping against the side of the boat, but you canât see them. Youâre blindfolded and your breath stinks with fear. Youâre sixteen, and youâre terrified. You lick your lips, try to get some moisture back into your parched mouth, and try to keep from throwing up. You speak. âI didnât kill him,â you say, your voice cracking, and the boat shifts. The chains around your ankles clank against each other. The rope around your wrists burn. You swallow, your Adamâs apple bobs up and down. The thing is, with your sight removed, your other senses seem enhanced. You can hear every shifting of people around you, every rush of waves, and every creak of boat. You can identify each of the five people here to witness this by the way they smell. âI swear to God, I didnât kill him, please, listen to me.â rec'd by astralazuli