Sail
WHO: Griffin O'Conner. Appearances by: some Paladins (including Roland Cox and Mary Rice), Sarina (Laughing Beauty), Carrie Kelley, Gabriel, Michael Xavier (Erik Lensherr/Magneto), Tifa Lockheart, Khisanth, and Anna.
WHERE: Anywhere without SP people/with Paladins: Griffin's home world. Anywhere with SP people: Siren's Port.
DATE: Fluctuates between Griffin's years in Siren's Port and when he's put back in his world.
WARNINGS: LOL WHAT IS LINEAR STORYTELLING.
SUMMARY: After some twenty-five years, Griffin finally learns how to identify "home."
STATUS: Complete
Flying a tourist plane was more complicated than the instruction book made it out to be. Griffin swerved all over the sky. Between the shaky flight skills and the fact that “¡Vuelo Mèxico!” was painted on the side (he was flying in Canadian airspace), the scene might’ve suggested that the pilot was drunk. Griffin had no drinks to speak of yet he looked rather strung out. He was smiling anyway. It took some extensive cartography, but he finally got the location. He found the island.
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“Here? Seriously?” Griffin used his free hand to gesture to the covered windows which blocked temporarily horrific surroundings. His other hand was smoothing down a large bandage on Sarina’s arm. She chuckled nervously due to her strange compulsion. He was used to it. He continued on, “I might be able to live with the monsters and the frankly alarming amount of talking animals. Maybe even the angels and the demons. But Canada? I could never properly live in Canada.” Sarina rolled her eyes at him. “Maybe not you,” she said. “But I-- Heh-- I like it here. The people are nice. Mostly. It’s not-- hehehe-- bad here. Maybe you’ll go back one day! Not me. This is my home.”
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Griffin Jumped to fifteen different locations before appearing at his new base. Ten or even five would have been enough to throw off the Paladins, but he couldn’t take any chances at having his location found. Everything rode on him being undisturbed. He shook his head. Rather, it all rode on his hide-out being undisturbed. As many people were telling him lately, Griffin himself was quite disturbed. He leaned against a wall to catch his breath. They didn’t even know the half of it.
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“You’re crazy.” Griffin was hanging upside down off of Carrie’s ratty couch. He lifted his head to look at the girl. He grinned easily and retorted, “Am not.” He adjusted his position, sitting comfortably. “There is only one crazy person here, and it’s the one who likes wearing tights. Seriously, how have you lived life without playing Crash Bandicoot?” Carrie rolled her eyes in response, but when she sat down next to him, she was grinning too. “Future, spud, remember? Future and from a different universe.” He tossed the paddle into her lap. “No excuse,” he admonished. “I refuse to believe that this game isn’t cross-dimensional. It’s classic. Come on.”
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He hauled the machine over to the wall. Griffin was very delicate as he placed it down next to three others that looked exactly alike. Black and bulky, they could have passed for computer modems. He stood straight and brushed his hands off. “There we go,” he announced to the empty cave, “Four down.” His eyes flitted over to The Board to track his progress. He wasn’t doing badly. Where once gruesome drawings were tacked now hung mathematical equations and hand drawn diagrams that wouldn’t be out of place in a physics textbook.
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“Well you’re not a total idiot. Congratulations.” Griffin’s eyebrows narrowed at Gabriel’s remark. The golf clap didn’t help matters. “Come on,” the archangel ribbed, “Cheer up. She likes you too, Dumbo.” Even if Griffin had been the praying type, doing so at the moment to get rid of his blushing ears would have done him no good thanks to present company. “Even if she did—and I’m not saying that I care if she does,” he started, arms crossed and overly defensive, “Why would you tell me? You’re her brother, you’re supposed to keep guys like me away.” When Gabriel rolled his eyes, it was so dramatic that his entire body went with the motion. “Wake up and smell the maple, bucko. You’re not in your crapsack, sorta Dickensian world anymore. You can drop the act anytime now. Truth is, you’d be better to her than most of the knuckleheads in town because you care so damn much. Besides, I’ll take you over a Winchester any day. I say if there’s a chance of happiness for you two kids in this zany, B-horror movie universe, then you oughtta quit being such a girl and take it.”
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The electric tether missed him by centimeters. Griffin simultaneously ducked down, swung out his leg, and Jumped. By the time his leg finished the move, he reappeared at the Paladin’s feet to trip her legs out from beneath her. She fell on her back and all of the air left her lungs. She still had enough of her wits about her to fire again. This time, he couldn’t escape it fast enough. It wrapped around his neck and a powerful shock rocked him. He convulsed and fell to the floor. “Give it up,” the Paladin huffed as she rose to her feet. “We know what you’re trying to do and you can’t. You’re not smart enough, you’re not strong enough, and you have no one to help you. You’re finished.” Knife in hand, she descended upon him. She hadn’t realized that Griffin had a knife of his own.
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“You don’t give up.” Michael tried to help Griffin to his feet but he refused the old man’s hand. He wiped his mouth, having just been sick all over the pier. “Look,” he bit out, “I’ve been at this for ages. It can’t be done. Or maybe you can do it, but I can’t. I can’t beat this fucking Pull.” “Griffin.” Michael used that fatherly tone and Griffin hated himself a little for heeding it. He stood straighter. “I know your story. You know how close it is to my own. If there is anyone here stubborn enough to beat the odds besides myself? It’s you. You already have just by standing here. Don’t stop now.”
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It was ready. Griffin placed the final machine down in the center of the circle. In his manic excitement, it was easy to generate more jagged, gaping Jumpscars. He appeared over each of the nine machines for a split second, going from one to the other without pause. When he finished, he hurried switched on all of the machines. They forced the Jumpscars to remain open, holes in the very fabric of space and time. He hadn’t taken his usual precaution. A handful of Paladins appeared about twenty feet away through the Jumpscar Griffin had left behind when he got away with the final machine. Maybe deep down, he had been hoping for one final battle. Maybe he just wanted someone, anyone, to witness his work and his departure. Fittingly, all three of the Paladins were familiar faces. “What are you doing?” Mary asked, appalled. “You selfish, barbaric idiot, what have you done?!” Griffin smiled. He leapt into one of his scars and Jumped to the center of the circle. He then turned on the final machine.
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“You are a better person than you think you are.” Griffin faux-gagged after hearing the sentiment from his boss. He rolled his head from side to side, stretching out after a long night of bouncing for the bar. “C’mon, Tifa. I hear that from everyone. Don’t tell me you’re in on it too.” She laughed as she locked up. “Does everything have to be a conspiracy with you?” she asked. Griffin nodded and replied solemnly, “Yes.” She shoved him playfully. “Well you are. Just take the compliment, I promise it won’t kill you.” Griffin promptly clutched his chest and faked a heart attack. This earned him another, harder shove.
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The ten scars merged just like Griffin had theorized they would. One machine alone caused a lot of damage when running longer than a minute. The levels of carnage before them now were borderline catastrophic. Trees bent and broke. The nearby ocean thrashed against the shore. It had been clear skies only a few moments before and now clouds rolled in, complete with thunder and lightning. The Paladins rushed over to turn off their stolen machines, but Griffin had broken and disabled the switches. “Not the best planning, that,” he called out cheerfully. They all rushed him, but he Jumped to the opposite side of the circle. The view through the scar was distorted. The scar itself acted very much like the violent ocean to the right of it. “You’ll destroy everything,” Roland shouted. “You fucking child, there’s no point!” “Yeah?” Griffin called back, his voice full of conviction. “So what happens when I do this?” He reached back into his waistband and pulled out the very last thing a Paladin, or anyone, would want near any Jumpscar: a gun. Before they had a chance to even register what it was, Griffin pointed at the scar at fired.
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“I can’t decide if you’re fearless or an idiot.” Khisanth looked down at Griffin after making her observation, idly flicking a claw at the dirt next to him. He was resting against her ankle (or what he supposed was her ankle) and breathing heavily after the fight. He looked back up at her, at ease even though his legs were covered in guts and pus. “Don’t worry, everyone wonders,” he informed her. He adopted a scholarly tone. “It’s one of life’s great mysteries.” She scoffed at him. “What would you say?” He thought about it briefly then just shrugged. “Jury’s out. I have no idea.” She made a noise that Griffin assumed to be a laugh. He was getting better at identifying those. “Wouldn’t most humans decide you’re an idiot based on the fact that you keep company with me?” “What, because you’re a dragon? Well I get a pass on that here, don’t I? Can’t throw a rock without hitting some kind of mythical creature. Anyway, most humans are stupid. They’re oblivious.” Griffin spoke from experience. “They don’t know about danger, not real danger. And they really don’t know when the danger’s worth it.”
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He had only been aiming at Roland to make his point. Bullets were notorious for dramatically changing course once they entered a Jumpscar. There was a decent chance that it would rebound and strike Griffin. He jolted on his spot when the bullet came out on the other side of the scar to hit Roland directly in his face. The other two were so shocked that they couldn’t react. The mutated scar contracted and pulsated, alive with destructive energy after Griffin’s shot. He ripped a hole in the world. Now it was time. Roland’s death merely served as proof that Griffin was right in his path. He had nothing left now. His mission was finally complete, or as close to it as he’ll get. He could leave it now. Griffin joyfully ran to the scar he created. He pictured her, pictured all of his friends. He flung himself into the Jumpscar. Griffin was going home.
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“Come here,” Griffin said quietly, doing his best not to disturb the night. He reached for her and Anna lazily rolled into his arms. He grazed his lips against her neck tenderly and moved up until they were locked in a short but passionate kiss. She delicately ran her fingers over the bandage on his chest, a frown touching her features. He shifted, not seeing her concern so much as feeling it in his belly. “I know tonight it got bad, but…” He lifted her head. “Y’know I’m not going anywhere, yeah?” She sighed, “You don’t know that--" “Yeah I do,” he quickly retorted. “Look. Not that long ago… I didn’t have anything. I was on my shitty Earth with my shitty life. Now though, hell. I’ve got it all. And I’ll be damned-- well, more damned-- if anyone or thing thinks they’re taking that away.” Anna smiled and Griffin thought, just maybe, he had a willpower strong even for even an angel to take heed. She tilted her head, full of attitude that made Griffin rethink that thought. “You’re going to listen to me next time I tell you it’s too dangerous.” Griffin rolled onto his back and draped an arm over her shoulders. “Alright, fine,” he grumbled good-naturedly. “But that’s gonna be your job from now on. Telling me when I’m being an idiot. You have to keep up. Who knows what I would do without you around?”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks so much to the following muns for letting mebutcher borrow their characters: 
deceptive_lulz, girlyboywonder, painhumbles,makes_asteroids, meteor_heart, fantasycliche, and lostmygrace.
WHERE: Anywhere without SP people/with Paladins: Griffin's home world. Anywhere with SP people: Siren's Port.
DATE: Fluctuates between Griffin's years in Siren's Port and when he's put back in his world.
WARNINGS: LOL WHAT IS LINEAR STORYTELLING.
SUMMARY: After some twenty-five years, Griffin finally learns how to identify "home."
STATUS: Complete
Flying a tourist plane was more complicated than the instruction book made it out to be. Griffin swerved all over the sky. Between the shaky flight skills and the fact that “¡Vuelo Mèxico!” was painted on the side (he was flying in Canadian airspace), the scene might’ve suggested that the pilot was drunk. Griffin had no drinks to speak of yet he looked rather strung out. He was smiling anyway. It took some extensive cartography, but he finally got the location. He found the island.
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“Here? Seriously?” Griffin used his free hand to gesture to the covered windows which blocked temporarily horrific surroundings. His other hand was smoothing down a large bandage on Sarina’s arm. She chuckled nervously due to her strange compulsion. He was used to it. He continued on, “I might be able to live with the monsters and the frankly alarming amount of talking animals. Maybe even the angels and the demons. But Canada? I could never properly live in Canada.” Sarina rolled her eyes at him. “Maybe not you,” she said. “But I-- Heh-- I like it here. The people are nice. Mostly. It’s not-- hehehe-- bad here. Maybe you’ll go back one day! Not me. This is my home.”
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Griffin Jumped to fifteen different locations before appearing at his new base. Ten or even five would have been enough to throw off the Paladins, but he couldn’t take any chances at having his location found. Everything rode on him being undisturbed. He shook his head. Rather, it all rode on his hide-out being undisturbed. As many people were telling him lately, Griffin himself was quite disturbed. He leaned against a wall to catch his breath. They didn’t even know the half of it.
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“You’re crazy.” Griffin was hanging upside down off of Carrie’s ratty couch. He lifted his head to look at the girl. He grinned easily and retorted, “Am not.” He adjusted his position, sitting comfortably. “There is only one crazy person here, and it’s the one who likes wearing tights. Seriously, how have you lived life without playing Crash Bandicoot?” Carrie rolled her eyes in response, but when she sat down next to him, she was grinning too. “Future, spud, remember? Future and from a different universe.” He tossed the paddle into her lap. “No excuse,” he admonished. “I refuse to believe that this game isn’t cross-dimensional. It’s classic. Come on.”
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He hauled the machine over to the wall. Griffin was very delicate as he placed it down next to three others that looked exactly alike. Black and bulky, they could have passed for computer modems. He stood straight and brushed his hands off. “There we go,” he announced to the empty cave, “Four down.” His eyes flitted over to The Board to track his progress. He wasn’t doing badly. Where once gruesome drawings were tacked now hung mathematical equations and hand drawn diagrams that wouldn’t be out of place in a physics textbook.
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“Well you’re not a total idiot. Congratulations.” Griffin’s eyebrows narrowed at Gabriel’s remark. The golf clap didn’t help matters. “Come on,” the archangel ribbed, “Cheer up. She likes you too, Dumbo.” Even if Griffin had been the praying type, doing so at the moment to get rid of his blushing ears would have done him no good thanks to present company. “Even if she did—and I’m not saying that I care if she does,” he started, arms crossed and overly defensive, “Why would you tell me? You’re her brother, you’re supposed to keep guys like me away.” When Gabriel rolled his eyes, it was so dramatic that his entire body went with the motion. “Wake up and smell the maple, bucko. You’re not in your crapsack, sorta Dickensian world anymore. You can drop the act anytime now. Truth is, you’d be better to her than most of the knuckleheads in town because you care so damn much. Besides, I’ll take you over a Winchester any day. I say if there’s a chance of happiness for you two kids in this zany, B-horror movie universe, then you oughtta quit being such a girl and take it.”
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The electric tether missed him by centimeters. Griffin simultaneously ducked down, swung out his leg, and Jumped. By the time his leg finished the move, he reappeared at the Paladin’s feet to trip her legs out from beneath her. She fell on her back and all of the air left her lungs. She still had enough of her wits about her to fire again. This time, he couldn’t escape it fast enough. It wrapped around his neck and a powerful shock rocked him. He convulsed and fell to the floor. “Give it up,” the Paladin huffed as she rose to her feet. “We know what you’re trying to do and you can’t. You’re not smart enough, you’re not strong enough, and you have no one to help you. You’re finished.” Knife in hand, she descended upon him. She hadn’t realized that Griffin had a knife of his own.
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“You don’t give up.” Michael tried to help Griffin to his feet but he refused the old man’s hand. He wiped his mouth, having just been sick all over the pier. “Look,” he bit out, “I’ve been at this for ages. It can’t be done. Or maybe you can do it, but I can’t. I can’t beat this fucking Pull.” “Griffin.” Michael used that fatherly tone and Griffin hated himself a little for heeding it. He stood straighter. “I know your story. You know how close it is to my own. If there is anyone here stubborn enough to beat the odds besides myself? It’s you. You already have just by standing here. Don’t stop now.”
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It was ready. Griffin placed the final machine down in the center of the circle. In his manic excitement, it was easy to generate more jagged, gaping Jumpscars. He appeared over each of the nine machines for a split second, going from one to the other without pause. When he finished, he hurried switched on all of the machines. They forced the Jumpscars to remain open, holes in the very fabric of space and time. He hadn’t taken his usual precaution. A handful of Paladins appeared about twenty feet away through the Jumpscar Griffin had left behind when he got away with the final machine. Maybe deep down, he had been hoping for one final battle. Maybe he just wanted someone, anyone, to witness his work and his departure. Fittingly, all three of the Paladins were familiar faces. “What are you doing?” Mary asked, appalled. “You selfish, barbaric idiot, what have you done?!” Griffin smiled. He leapt into one of his scars and Jumped to the center of the circle. He then turned on the final machine.
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“You are a better person than you think you are.” Griffin faux-gagged after hearing the sentiment from his boss. He rolled his head from side to side, stretching out after a long night of bouncing for the bar. “C’mon, Tifa. I hear that from everyone. Don’t tell me you’re in on it too.” She laughed as she locked up. “Does everything have to be a conspiracy with you?” she asked. Griffin nodded and replied solemnly, “Yes.” She shoved him playfully. “Well you are. Just take the compliment, I promise it won’t kill you.” Griffin promptly clutched his chest and faked a heart attack. This earned him another, harder shove.
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The ten scars merged just like Griffin had theorized they would. One machine alone caused a lot of damage when running longer than a minute. The levels of carnage before them now were borderline catastrophic. Trees bent and broke. The nearby ocean thrashed against the shore. It had been clear skies only a few moments before and now clouds rolled in, complete with thunder and lightning. The Paladins rushed over to turn off their stolen machines, but Griffin had broken and disabled the switches. “Not the best planning, that,” he called out cheerfully. They all rushed him, but he Jumped to the opposite side of the circle. The view through the scar was distorted. The scar itself acted very much like the violent ocean to the right of it. “You’ll destroy everything,” Roland shouted. “You fucking child, there’s no point!” “Yeah?” Griffin called back, his voice full of conviction. “So what happens when I do this?” He reached back into his waistband and pulled out the very last thing a Paladin, or anyone, would want near any Jumpscar: a gun. Before they had a chance to even register what it was, Griffin pointed at the scar at fired.
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“I can’t decide if you’re fearless or an idiot.” Khisanth looked down at Griffin after making her observation, idly flicking a claw at the dirt next to him. He was resting against her ankle (or what he supposed was her ankle) and breathing heavily after the fight. He looked back up at her, at ease even though his legs were covered in guts and pus. “Don’t worry, everyone wonders,” he informed her. He adopted a scholarly tone. “It’s one of life’s great mysteries.” She scoffed at him. “What would you say?” He thought about it briefly then just shrugged. “Jury’s out. I have no idea.” She made a noise that Griffin assumed to be a laugh. He was getting better at identifying those. “Wouldn’t most humans decide you’re an idiot based on the fact that you keep company with me?” “What, because you’re a dragon? Well I get a pass on that here, don’t I? Can’t throw a rock without hitting some kind of mythical creature. Anyway, most humans are stupid. They’re oblivious.” Griffin spoke from experience. “They don’t know about danger, not real danger. And they really don’t know when the danger’s worth it.”
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He had only been aiming at Roland to make his point. Bullets were notorious for dramatically changing course once they entered a Jumpscar. There was a decent chance that it would rebound and strike Griffin. He jolted on his spot when the bullet came out on the other side of the scar to hit Roland directly in his face. The other two were so shocked that they couldn’t react. The mutated scar contracted and pulsated, alive with destructive energy after Griffin’s shot. He ripped a hole in the world. Now it was time. Roland’s death merely served as proof that Griffin was right in his path. He had nothing left now. His mission was finally complete, or as close to it as he’ll get. He could leave it now. Griffin joyfully ran to the scar he created. He pictured her, pictured all of his friends. He flung himself into the Jumpscar. Griffin was going home.
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“Come here,” Griffin said quietly, doing his best not to disturb the night. He reached for her and Anna lazily rolled into his arms. He grazed his lips against her neck tenderly and moved up until they were locked in a short but passionate kiss. She delicately ran her fingers over the bandage on his chest, a frown touching her features. He shifted, not seeing her concern so much as feeling it in his belly. “I know tonight it got bad, but…” He lifted her head. “Y’know I’m not going anywhere, yeah?” She sighed, “You don’t know that--" “Yeah I do,” he quickly retorted. “Look. Not that long ago… I didn’t have anything. I was on my shitty Earth with my shitty life. Now though, hell. I’ve got it all. And I’ll be damned-- well, more damned-- if anyone or thing thinks they’re taking that away.” Anna smiled and Griffin thought, just maybe, he had a willpower strong even for even an angel to take heed. She tilted her head, full of attitude that made Griffin rethink that thought. “You’re going to listen to me next time I tell you it’s too dangerous.” Griffin rolled onto his back and draped an arm over her shoulders. “Alright, fine,” he grumbled good-naturedly. “But that’s gonna be your job from now on. Telling me when I’m being an idiot. You have to keep up. Who knows what I would do without you around?”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks so much to the following muns for letting me
deceptive_lulz, girlyboywonder, painhumbles,makes_asteroids, meteor_heart, fantasycliche, and lostmygrace.