previously known as tubborucho

The altar had been lit, and the book in Lukey’s hand started to glow. He slowly stepped out of the circle of candles, watching as the reagents broke down, one by one, into motes of green energy full of life. The scent of freshly furrowed earth filled the air.

CRACK!

Lukey frowned and wrinkled his nose.

CRACK!

The earthy tones quickly soured, filling the area with a disgusting stench of rot.

His eyes continued to watch the ball of energy, which had slowly faded to a dull gray. The fact that it hadn’t collapsed yet meant that the ritual wasn’t a failure. The energy wavered violently, as if boiling. Lukey’s heart tightened. The magical energies became discordant. He braced himself and pulled the ritual book closer, only then noticing that it had lost its previous luster. The ritual had failed.

He stepped further back from the ritual circle.

And as if the world itself started narrating itself to his ears, he saw the cause of the dissonance.

The Void had remembered it was nothing; its influence in the ritual was still too strong. The black wool, which was supposed to be the earth for the seed, ignited. Lukey clicked his tongue.

The Woodland remembered it had nowhere to lay its roots; without Megii, the influence of Nature was too weak compared to his Void and was devoured.

He watched as the invisible flames corroded the last traces of the ritual, gray energy and all, eaten away.

The Void Seed ritual had failed.

Void symbolism is too strong. Trying to make nothingness into something goes against its nature.

Lukey let out a deep sigh and placed the inert book upon a pile of other books on his makeshift desk. He sat down on his chair, skillfully pulling out another book and quill, and laid it open. With his other hand, he placed another book on the desk, this one nested with loose papers between its pages, and opened it to an empty page and quickly jotted down his observations and conjectures:

Make it the carrier instead of the sustenance? Would have to change the shell of the seed; amethyst is too fragile. New problem: what could hold nothing?

Concepts that could hold nothing:

Storage (void chest) - would have to add new concepts to make the chest see itself as a seed

Time

Air? Possible…

Matter - maybe if I wanted to create a singularity, it would probably destroy the corruption

Woodland symbolism too weak, compared to Void. Still don’t know why Megii chose this as an anchor.

Powers seem to stem from flowers and nature. Possible replacements:

Saplings - Oak or Jungle? Check room for inspiration

Flowering azalea? Cherry could work too

Moss?

Glowberries?

Lukey spent more time pouring over the material changes in the ritual, often opening up failed ritual books to cross-reference what worked and what didn’t. Rex lay comfortably on his lap, occasionally stirring when he got agitated. Eventually, after a long period of deliberation and lamentation at the idea of having to carpet search the entire resource world, he settled on the final materials for what would legitimize the ritual.

Mangroves! Roots! Possible connection with watergrass? I really need to talk to her more…

Black glass would be the anchor for the void. With the intention of being used as a container, its weight shouldn’t crush the concept of life and nature brought about by the other reagents, but instead protect it from the void’s nothingness. Of course, in conjunction with resin, which replaces the fragile nature of amethyst and provides nutrients, it would make the perfect carrier. Luckily, because of his earlier ventures of finding a creaking heart, he had some resin clumps left over.

Then to balance out the ritual’s need for woodland magic, he opted for mangrove propagules. They were an inherently better and deeper form of symbolism than watergrass. Not to mention, their roots run wildly and deeply on land, air, or water. Surely, that adaptability extends to nothing. He hoped so.

Lukey listed the set of materials and intent of the ritual within the new book, but paused right before he wrote down the core materials of the ritual: the flowers. The quill hovered over the page as an idea glossed before his eyes. The nib touched the bottom of the page, but instead of listing the flowers by name, he wrote:

Two flowers that represent the individuals, and another to represent the bond.

A pang of guilt surged in Lukey’s heart. Rex seemed to notice his emotional turbulence and nuzzled him from beneath his neck before putting his little head on the desk. He looked around in interest and tried to nip at some loose bookmarks, prompting Lukey to smile. He gave the little guy a head scratch before he continued to write the rest of the ritual book.

On the final page, he stated the purpose of the ritual. To create a seed symbolizing the bond of two individuals that can withstand nothingness.

He closed the book and looked at the cover. It was empty of any marks and decorations reminiscent of other successful ritual books he’d had a chance to study, but the moment the ritual was accepted, it would complete itself.

Lukey copied the book, leaving the original on his desk.

Tonight! He was determined to finish this ritual and show Megii he wasn’t completely useless.

-----

Lukey hovered over the altar. All the materials were in place, and all he needed to do was light it up. His heart was thrumming with two points of anticipation and three points of worry…

“Bawr!” A pitched bark snapped him out of his daze. He looked back to see Rex jumping around the edge of the ritual circle, and the apprehension in his heart melted away. If it failed… no, it wouldn’t. Lukey lit the altar and slipped the journal embossed with entwining flowers into his hands.

The book started to glow, rising towards the altar where the fire had been lit. Lukey backed out of the ritual circle, scooping Rex up in the process, and watched with bated breath as the ritual came alive.

The reagents broke down one by one into motes of different colored energy before gathering together above the book.

Green energy separated from the amalgam of magical essence and formed itself into a seed-like shape. A scent of flowers and fresh water filled the air. In Lukey’s arms, Rex sniffed the air with excitement.

Lukey then felt his magic drain from him, something subtle, as it wrapped around the mass of vitality before solidifying. From this distance, he could see the prototype of a seed forming. It had a black shell streaked with gold, almost like a sunflower seed.

He chuckled at the irony.

The glow surrounding the nascent seed turned a brilliant green. Lukey felt space vibrate.

Then, with a shower of illusory petals and sparks, a seed floated in the air right above the book.

The ritual of the Bonded Garden had been completed.

Lukey put Rex down before he tentatively walked over to the altar. If it weren’t for Rex nudging him from behind his knees, who knows how long it would’ve taken him to get there. He held the seed in his hand while pocketing the ritual book and headed in another direction, toward a section of the Void where an old memory lay further away from the usual clutter.

It was an empty test tube, but big enough to fit an adult-sized being. Against the emptiness of the void, the test tube stuck out like a sore thumb, like it was ripped from a section of the world and forcibly transferred there. In his mind, Lukey could hear the sounds of cheering and a deep voice asking him to put on his helmet, but that was all in the past.

He looked behind him. Past Rex, beyond the messy ritual corridor he’d set up, all the way to the little campfire where he’d settled himself in when he first awakened Void magic. In between the wooden seats and around the randomly placed door, torchflowers lit up the small region like fireflies. Their light reflected off the white’s of the lily of the valley. It was a pretty sight. He hoped… he hoped it would be the same here.

Lukey went up to the test tube and gingerly knelt. He placed the seed onto the void and willed his magic to infuse its shell.

Crack!

A surge of brilliant green and gold energy pulsed from the broken seed. It left a carpet of greenish starlight along the Void, penetrating shallow layers. Within seconds, sprouts grew and rapidly entered maturity.

Lukey stood back, petting Rex’s head, a smile tugging the corners of his lips. In his eyes, a small field of cornflowers and lily of the valley surrounded the test tube. Along the top edge of the large construct, small branches peeked from where the entrance would’ve been covered in pink leaves. Blossoms drifted down and fell upon the petals of the flowers below.

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1. ao3: SnarkyMagpie

2. @.ironfamjam

3. The Backseat Lovers – Snowbank Blues

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9. @.pencap https://www.tumblr.com/pencap/152685439505/please-let-him-be-soft-i-know-you-made-him

"Ah- damn! Fuck!" Lukey hissed and dropped the X-Acto knife he'd been holding. He winced and lifted his finger against the light of his small desk lamp; there on his index finger, a small line slowly beaded with red liquid. He squeezed his fingertip, trying to see how deep the paper cut actually was, but stopped as the stinging only got worse. Shit.

There was a scramble from outside the office doorway before a fluffy head poked out from the side. It was Pangi, and he looked like he just came back from his run. 

"Yo, you good?"

Lukey looked toward him with a raised brow. "How did you even hear me from all the way downstairs?"

He was still holding his finger up, but the stinging had dulled from the concern shown by the other man. "And it's just a paper cut; I was just checking how bad it was."

"Hold up, lemme see." Pangi walked up to Lukey's desk, swinging his chair out to face him, and knelt; eyes level with his hands and took them for inspection. Lukey couldn't help but lean in, taking in the scent of summer sunshine mixed with sea-salt and sweat. He could almost see Pangi doing his afternoon run along Brighton beach. Pangi’s hands were warm too. He felt… safe.

"Tsk, tsk." Pangi clicked his tongue, shaking Lukey out of his trance.

"What? It's not that deep, dude. It'll stop bleeding in a minute."

Lukey tried to pull his hand back, only for it to be held in place.

"Sem?"

Pangi was looking up at him, brows furrowed in thought, with the light cascading over his features highlighting his more defined features. With the differing height, the overall feel of the current situation sent a bubbling heat down Lukey's body as his thoughts went in different directions. He audibly gulped.

"Yeah, but you need to disinfect it."

"I- I can get up and go to the l-" Lukey's voice cut off as Pangi inserted his finger into his mouth.

The sudden and slick warmth sent a shiver down his spine, almost drawing a groan from him, but with what little self-control he had left, he held it back. Lukey’s eyes momentarily rolled to the back of his head.

“Fu…”

There they were. Right in Lukey's office, which he technically didn't own and was just offered it in good faith, with his finger in his best friend's mouth. A scenario he could’ve only ever dreamed of or read about come true.

Pangi kept his gaze up at him, his eyes that radiated with concern now hidden in the dusted shadows formed by eyelashes and hair. Lukey could feel the pressure around his finger tighten as Pangi sucked and the tentative brush of soft flesh as Pangi's tongue wiped over the shallow abrasion. Fuck.

He'd be so good... he'd be so fucking good. Lukey moaned, his head tilting back slightly with his eyes. "Fuck... Sem."

"What?" Lukey froze, along with his finger, which was now out in the open air.

"You like something, Lucas? Your finger should be fine now, by the way. Saliva is a good antibacterial thing and helps speed up healing. Or I think it is; I heard it from somewhere. Definitely from an animal documentary!"

Lukey kept his eyes closed, ignoring the searing heat that had made its way from his stomach and now wrapped around his neck and cheek. This fucker. Talking like he didn't just...

"Yo. Dude, you okay?" Lukey opened his eyes and saw the toothy grin Pangi was giving him. His lips still glistened and were wet from where his finger had just been resting. He was standing over him now, a hand on his hip while he leaned against the desk, as if he had just shot an impossible three-point goal.

"Ye-yeah." Lukey coughed, bringing a hand to his face. The same hand that had just been ministered by the man before him. He faltered and peeked up through his eyelashes. Pangi was smiling even wider.

"Shut up."

"What?! I didn't even say anything!" There was mirth in his voice.

Lukey ignored him and turned back to the mess on his desk. Pointedly ignoring the hovering heat that lingered even closer to his arm.

"Lucaaaaaaaas~" Pangi dragged out his name. "You know you can't ignore me, I DID just help you out after all."

Lukey brought the already-cut pieces of paper together, feigning doing any work, as if he could even think straight at the moment. Pangi pressed up against him again, this time bringing his entire body over Lukey's back, bypassing the chair’s back, both arms caging Lukey between his chest and the desk.

He felt it before it even arrived, the warm breath of temptation.

"We should still get that bandaged up, ya know? And disinfected properly. We wouldn't want you complaining when you start dying in Minecraft."

He wasn't going to fall for the bait (ten thousand mini-Lukeys tried their best to keep his desire in check; they failed). He leaned back until the back of his neck rested nicely on Pangi’s shoulder and turned his head to meet the Dutchman’s surprised look. "Didn’t you say you already cleaned it with your saliva? Something about it being a disinfectant… Or, were you just lying so you could suck on my finger?"

There was a beat of silence.

"It doesn't hurt to be extra safe."

Pangi nudged his head against Lukey’s. He felt the heat and scent of the other man fully crash into him, and he breathed it all in. He was so fucked.

"Yeah, extra safe..." He whispered as he lifted his head higher, giving access to the tentative lips that grazed his jaw. They were deft as they moved upward till they reached his ear. He could feel Pangi smile, and then he whispered.

“You need to shave.”

----- BONUS ---------------------------------

Lukey looked at the smiling, happy faces on the bandaid that wrapped around his finger. His mind wandered as he chewed his food, trying to sear the memory of what happened the moment he and Pangi both went into the bathroom to try and get him a bandaid into his brain.

The sudden closeness. Being lifted onto the sink counter. The hands cupped around his face as Pangi practically stole his breath. The shitty attempts of trying to hold himself back from making noise as Pangi reminded him how skilled he was in taking care of him. Then the peck on the cheek and cheerful, "All good!" that left him shell-shocked.

"Lucas?" Someone else's voice finally became clear.

Lukey shook himself awake. "Huh?"

Ben looked at him from the other side of the table with a confused look. "You alright? You kinda zoned out there."

"Uh yeah, sorry, was thinking about... video ideas. Uh, Sem pitched one today when we were hanging out." He stopped looking at his finger and brought another forkful of veg into his mouth.

It wasn't a lie. Because Pangi did pitch one today. Just… not a video.

"Do you feel guilty?" The question came with a warm breath that tickled the back of Pangi's ear. He attempted to sit up a little, hands finding purchase on the arm loosely hanging around his neck; Pangi relaxed into Lukey's embrace.

"Guilty bout' what?" He asked, as he trailed a finger up Lukey's arm until he eventually lost interest and instead nuzzled his face under Lukey's neck. "Getting comfy with you instead of being out there to party?"

Lukey hummed into his hair and pressed a soft kiss against his head.

"I don't think anyone noticed."

Lukey scoffed. "With how much my phone was vibrating in my pocket when you dragged me away, pretty sure they're already concocting all the gossip to tell on stream."

He pitched his voice higher and put on a tone reminiscent of a YouTuber. "Guys, you won't believe it! Pangi dragged Lucas away and ditched us. It was crazy! I know they be fucking!"

Pangi burst into laughter. Somehow, he could tell that one was supposed to be Tubbo.

"Well... he wouldn't be wrong." He felt his heart jump at the sudden confession. Lukey nudged him and pulled him in closer, pressing another kiss onto his forehead.

Pangi smiled at his concern and thought of a way to lighten up the mood. "I mean. We DID just make out sloppy style, AND we didn’t use a condom."

"SEM!" Lukey pushed him away as he laughed.

"What! We didn't!" He giggled and crawled back over to the Brit with a hungry grin.

"You're gross! Stay away-ah!!!"

Pangi pounced on him, pulling Lukey back down onto the mattress before his lanky lover could get away. They struggled for a bit, hands tangled together as one tried to overpower the other; luckily, though, he'd been working out since their last wrestling match. What happened on that stream wouldn't happen again.

He pinned Lukey's hands above his head, their faces inches away from each other. They were both still laughing, taking breaths in near synchronicity. A faint sheen of sweat had built up on both their foreheads.

Pangi stared into the shadowed eyes beneath his own, carefully carving the details of Lukey’s face into his head as if he’d forget if he didn’t. It wasn't too bad being a little gay. He could kiss Lucas all he wanted that way. As for everything else… There was plenty of time in the future.

He smiled, drawing a worried look from the struggling man beneath him. "What? Why are you smiling like that?"

"Nothing," he said. "Just think you look way better under me is all."

"Fuck-" Lukey was cut off.

----- Twitter-----

Tertel (@EditorTertel) I come home and the door to my room is locked… Tertel (@EditorTertel) With the boss and his not-tuationship @PangiLive @Lukeyttv [[image of Tertel with his arms around Lukey and Pangi’s necks]] ⤷ Tertel (@EditorTertel) @PangiLive @Lukeyttv whered u guys go?

-------------------

The next morning…

"But did you guys HAVE to use my room?" Tertel whined as he poured his coffee. He took a sip, wincing slightly from the heat, and lifted the mug toward the hallway where they had both stumbled around in before. "Lucas, your bedroom was LITERALLY BEFORE MINE!"

Lukey looked up from his spot on the couch, which coincidentally was being sidled right up against Pangi. A faint blush rose to his cheeks as he swallowed the toast in his mouth, and he shrugged. "But, he didn't know."

"You could've told him!? You could've said 'Hey Sem, this is your employee's room! Joel’s room! We shouldn't fuck in here because we're decent people.' And then swung back ‘round the hallway into YOUR room."

"That's not what Lucas sounds like," Pangi interjected.

"Shut up!"

A piece of toast flew over from the kitchen, drawing a plethora of curses from the couch as it landed. "Next time you fuck in my- NO! There's no next time! You guys STAY OUT OF MY ROOM, or I’m making sure Pangi books a hotel somewhere not here next time he visits!” Tertel sighed and took another, longer sip from his coffee mug before shooting another glare at the two perpetrators for his high blood pressure so early in the morning. He started to leave, but before he fully disappeared into the hallway, took a step back to look at them and squinted his eyes. “No funny business on the couch either!”

They could still hear his grumbling from the hallway till the sound of the door closing ended their little… intervention.

Pangi looked at Lukey with genuine confusion and worry on his face. "He does know we didn't actually do anything on his bed, right?"

Lukey shrugged, focusing on getting the crumbs from the rogue piece of toast off his shirt before continuing to eat his toast. He recalled his little episode with Tertel while Pangi was out on his morning run. The corners of his lips rose.

"I may have left out a few details."

The three stages of confusion, realization, and disgust that flickered on his roommate's face were priceless. He would do it again if he could. Who told Tertel to take up all of Pangi's time while he was in Brighton? Plus… if they did it again, would the hotel be paid for? Maybe they could actually try something then.

-----Twitter, later that day-----

Tertel (@EditorTertel) Looking for a new flat! Somewhere where my space is RESPECTED ⤷ Tubbo (@TubboTWO) @EditorTertel OH GOD WHAT DID THEY DO????? ⤷ Tertel (@EditorTertel) @TubboTWO wat didn’t they do 🥀[[image of a washing machine]] ⤷ Tubbo (@TubboTWO) @EditorTertel OH MY GOOOOOD ⤷ Pangi (@PangiLive) @EditorTertel WE DIDNT DO ANYTHING 😭😭😭😭