A Tale of Two Kingdoms, part 1/11 (2015-08-15) [1]

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Magic is a delicate topic on the Isle, as much as something can be considered delicate in such a place. It’s true that the worst villains, the most powerful ones, were so successful due to magic. Curses and shapeshifting and mind control, as impressive now as they were decades ago. But magic is also the reason why everyone is trapped on an island in the middle of the ocean with no way to escape.

Magic is a double-edged blade, has always been one, and while usually villains don’t care about the collateral damage when using magic… In this case… well.

Four determined magicians shatter the barrier around the Isle; but they also manage to tear a hole in something along the ocean floor. And there are things bigger and badder on the other side.

—

Auradon first learns of the kaiju when one comes up off the coast of Charmington and proceeds to decimate the town.

It takes a while to understand the situation, to call for help, to get effective aid. By the time Fairy Godmother arrives, wand in hand to wave the problem away, over one thousand people have been killed.

The once beautiful resort town empties within the week, a rubble strewn graveyard.

—

Magic has gotten them into this mess. The ambitions of one sorcerer and three witches, the sacrifice of one boy’s life. Jafar, Maleficent, Grimhilde, and Ursula, the Isle’s foremost magicians. Uri, who would have been a sea wizard had he been born underwater, with tentacles instead of legs.

“That bastard was my best friend,” Jemma says, a pirate who has been land-locked her entire life, “He was going to send storms after my enemies, and I would throw all the prettiest prisoners overboard just for him.”

It’s as close to a declaration of love as they get on the Isle. Carlos understands that this is an act of trust, of desperation.

“Build me something to avenge him,” Jemma demands, because she cannot ask. Cannot ask Carlos to build something to save them all.

Magic got them into this mess. Science is going to have to get them out.

—

The kaiju are not from the Isle. The kaiju are getting bigger and stronger. The kaiju can learn.

Soon, Fairy Godmother’s magic can no longer contain them, can no longer destroy them, can no longer stall them.

The coasts are no longer premium real estate, the nobles and royalty move inland–not that titles mean much anymore.

Futilely, Auradon sticks to what they know, they attempt to contain that which they fear. They begin to build the Wall.

—

The Isle of the Lost is less tempting a target for the kaiju, but they are still conveniently right next to the tear. There is no more barrier around the Isle, but there are also no more barges from Auradon.

Many islanders make confused, fearful noises, surely the heroes won’t leave them to die? But they are villains, and the kids of villains, what do heroes care for their lives?

“Are we Auradon? Scurrying around in fear whenever things get tough? Do we run and hide behind barriers like those spineless sea-slugs? No!” Jemma Hook shouts, standing atop a tin roof, every inch a brave captain her father only pretended to be, “We fight!”

Even villains know that in the face of a greater force, cooperation is key to survival. Carlos is given whatever he needs.

—

Auradon no longer cares about what happens to the Isle of the Lost. They are too busy trying to survive. Many citizens escape inland, to other kingdoms and nations and entirely, if they can. But not all can, not all choose to.

The royal family will not leave, not while there is still someone under their protection that remains. They were once the kingdom to which others sought refuge, besieged by their respective villains. But this time, the enemy is not a single megalomaniac whose pride will ultimately be their downfall, it is not something that can be outsmarted or outlasted.

The Wall means nothing to the kaiju and, soon enough, distance from the ocean will mean nothing to them either.

—

The first jaeger is an ugly thing, cobbled together from defunct ships and old automobile parts. Carlos still has it painted red and white and black. It is ten times the size of the tallest building on the Isle, and still smaller than the most recent kaiju sighted.

“If anyone is going to captain this crocodile killer,” Jemma says, back straight and chin up despite the suicide mission it entails, or maybe because of it, “It’ll be me.”

That first jaeger is named Jolly Roger. Despite being a prototype, it holds up remarkably well against the kaiju. The same cannot be said of it’s captain.

After the Jolly Roger’s fourth battle, Jemma has to be helped out of the cockpit, blood streaming from both nostrils. She waves it away as no big deal.

It takes three more battles for Carlos to realize that it’s not enough, One jaeger is not enough. One captain is not enough.

—

This is not a story about the heroes defeating the villains. This is not a story about villains’ kids realizing their potential for heroism. This is not a story about good versus evil and the unlikely places both can grow. This is not a story about a boy defying both nature and nurture to save the world. 

This is a story about survival.

~

A/N: WHY WOULD I DO THIS TO MYSELF?

Uh, so… here was my thought process. I gave some sample prompts here, a little jokingly but then it stuck in my head, then I happened to see this post regarding how socioeconomic levels in Pacific Rim works and how the poorest would be most grateful for the jaeger program, than I saw Kristen Stewart’s recent cover of Nylon– 

image

–and while I don’t actually fancast her as Captain Hook’s daughter, I definitely fancast her outfit. So… yeah.

Unsure if I actually want to continue this or not. And, I know, there’s such a distinct lack of the actual canon characters that it’s weirding me out too. The next part would definitely have more of the movie-canon characters, but I do have some non-movie characters I want to play around with a bit before that, and then there would be an eventual Ben as one of the last Auradon, decides to help with the jaeger program. He’s drift compatible with Mal, but it would maybe still be Benlos? I dunno. Maybe both?

This was just bugging me while I was trying to write Ain’t No Rest, and I figured if I didn’t get this out, it wouldn’t leave me be. This one’s probably only three parts max, so if it wouldn’t take long for me to get the entirety scraped out of my head. I dunno, we’ll see.

(Also, it’s my birthday today. Hooray me!)

EDIT: NOW WITH TITLE: “A TALE OF TWO KINGDOMS”

Ain’t No Rest, part 2/? (2015-08-14)

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The Barrier Observatory in Charmington reports a system down emergency at least once a month. Magic is outlawed because it’s something that villains can abuse, true, but it’s also just highly incompatible with technology–even technology meant specifically to monitor magic tends to go on the fritz. So it’s not too surprising when the system designed to keep an eye on the barrier around the Isle of the Lost sends false alarms to the Auradon police department.

This is something that Lonnie, as the newest member of the dispatch unit, gets the honor of dealing with. Her fifth time handling a BO red alert happens at two in the morning, which isn’t as bad as it sounds–she’s always been a bit of a night owl. However this particular time, when she calls the observatory for the all clear, instead of a sheepish and embarrassed Jane on the other end, she gets a frazzled and panicked Jane.

“It’s not just the sensors this time!” Jane says, voice high and wavering, “It’s not a glitch!”

The shock of it stuns Lonnie for a beat before her training kicks in and she responds calmly, “Are you and the rest of the Observatory staff in any physical danger?”

In her peripheral vision she sees the dispatcher in the desk beside her turn, eavesdropping and as surprised by half the conversation as Lonnie is by all of it.

“N-no,” Jane stammers, fear lingering, before she pulls herself together, “We’ve had our technicians go over everything. The sensors are all in working order, and there’s nothing wrong with the program either. Our readings show that the barrier really was down.”

“It was down?” Lonnie repeats, and now she can spot more of her coworkers in the corner of her eyes as her call continues, “Is it still down?”

There’s a moment of silence, in which Lonnie can feel her heart begin to speed up, before Jane answers, “No, the barrier is back up now,” but then she adds, hesitant and worried, “At least–if our readings really are correct–”

“Okay, stay calm. For now we’ll assume that the readings are correct and the barrier is up,” Lonnie interrupts, to cut off that line of thought. It’s as much for her own sake as it is for her fellow dispatchers crowding around her and Jane on the other end. “We’ll send a couple of uniforms over now to confirm it’s not someone pulling their idea of a terrible prank,” Lonnie waves a hand at her neighbor, prompting him to begin calling the Charmington precinct, “And we’ll have a Knight head over in the morning to investigate further. Does that sound good?”

Jane sighs–in fully earned relief, no doubt, but it just creates a burst of static-filled noise in Lonnie’s headset–before asking, “Can I stay on the line until the officers get here?”

“Of course, let me transfer you to the dispatcher in contact with the local police. He’ll keep you updated on their location until they arrive at the observatory.”

“Thanks, Lonnie,” Jane says.

“It’ll be okay, Jane,” Lonnie says back, before rerouting the call to her fellow dispatcher. She takes a moment to breathe deeply, rubbing a hand over her face, somehow exhausted even though she only started working a few hours ago.

The shift supervisor is standing behind Lonnie when she turns, and she does her best not to startle too much.

“Well done, new kid,” he says, which Lonnie knows to be enthusiastic praise coming from him. Bill Packard is a crotchety, old man in the body of a thirty year old; more cynicism than serenity, but still damn good at his job. If there were such a thing as dispatcher nobility, he would be king; his grandmother, Wilhelmina Packard, was the radio operator during the fabled Atlantis expedition.

That compliment puts a little bit of positivity in what is looking to be a terrible night.

“Better call up the Knights,” he says, before returning to his desk, “See which sad s.o.b. is going to be leading the charge on this one.”

—

The Knights of Auradon are an elite agency designed to keep the peace. They are trained to handle any and every situation, are expected to maintain peak levels of fitness, and look quite dashing in their dress uniforms.

Which, really, is what most of their duties consist of now. With over two decades of all the major villains, the minor villains, and even some of the more despicable minions being imprisoned on an island, there really hasn’t been much in the way of crime. Nothing that requires the Knights’ high standard of skillsets at least.

Instead, Knights are mainly used for security at major political events, particularly diplomatic ones with foreign ambassadors who can admire the glittering guards and ask, “Are you really trained in such and such?” or “Is it true that Knights can do…” or, in Ben’s case, “It must have been such a surprise when the President’s son decided to be a Knight.” As if they weren’t speaking directly to said President’s son, as if he were just a statue they could speak at.

They’re not difficult assignments, but they are tedious. So it’s not surprising when, after only two hours of sleep following one such event, Ben wakes up to the sound of his phone ringing and heaves a reluctant, weary sigh into the pillow. He nonetheless reaches out for it, squinting blearily at the bright screen in his struggle to answer it.

“Hello, this is Ben,” he slurs, attentive but unable to put the effort into sounding so. Seriously, two hours of sleep, they’re lucky he even bothered to answer.

“This is Lonnie,” he hears from the other end, “Sorry Ben, you’re the Knight scheduled for on call duty,” she says apologetically.

He muffles a groan into his pillow, the arm not holding the phone to his face flailing out in agitation, before he composes himself, “What is it this time? High schoolers with alcohol crossing county lines?” he guesses from past experience, “Illegal night boating?”

“It’s the Barrier Observatory,” Lonnie says, seriously enough that Ben drags himself up and out of bed, “They’ve reported an actual red alert. Only a temporary system down but still, it’s correct as far as they can tell. We’ve already sent local police from the Charmington precinct to check things out, make sure it’s not some asshole messing around. But if it’s serious…” she trails off, almost afraid, as if saying it aloud will make the worst case scenario true.

“Yeah, I get you,” Ben says, struggling to put on his work uniform which, while less intricate than the dress uniform, is still difficult to do one handed. Frustrated, he sticks his phone between his ear and his shoulder, only to teeter sideways into the wall with a resounding thud.

“Ben?”

“I’m okay,” he mostly yawns, “I’ll be at HQ in twenty minutes. Fifteen if I speed.”

“You’re supposed to uphold the law,” Lonnie admonishes, but at least she doesn’t sound scared anymore.

“Ten minutes, you say? That sounds terribly dangerous, Lonnie,” Ben says, affecting a scandalized tone of voice. Or as much of one as he can with his shirt still up over his head.

It elicits a laugh from Lonnie who ends the call with an amused, “Be good. Dispatch is always watching.”

Unhindered by his phone, Ben manages to dress himself without a problem and leave his apartment within a few minutes. At this time of night, there’s hardly anyone out on the streets, but he does not get to HQ within fifteen minutes. Not even in twenty.

En route, Ben gets another call from Lonnie. Tonight is apparently the night for alarms, because he gets redirected to the museum. If he hurries, maybe he can catch the intruders.

An hour later, Ben is sitting on the other side of an interview table from a stubbornly silent, unidentified young man who refuses cooperate in any manner. He wonders to himself if it would have been more or less frustrating had he caught all of the intruders instead of just the one.

~

A/N: Hell yeah, making up how a fake multi-functional government agency in a fictional fantasy world works. And apparently I enjoy writing Ben as a flailing dweeb. It’s okay, Ben, you don’t have to be suave, we all saw you ride the poor horse mascot while singing your love for Mal to the entire school.

Like I said, this story is going to be hella slow. There will be more Carlos in the next chapter, I promise. Can’t promise the next chapter will come out tomorrow though… BECAUSE I MIGHT HAVE ACCIDENTALLY STUMBLED ACROSS ANOTHER PLOT BUNNY. THE BUNNIES, THEY ARE TOO MANY, AND TOO GREAT.

I will try my best though.

I actually wanted to just read it. There’s something about having something to look forward too that I like a lot so i don’t wanna spoil it for myself. However I’m pretty sure I’ve heard Aladdins kid get called Amir or Amyr a lot. Just a thought.

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

Oh, yeah, you can definitely prompt with non-movie-canon characters such as Aladdin’s kid. Or any other Disney character/their kids. But I’d appreciate it if the prompts were like: “Ursula’s kid, legs” instead of something like… “Jemma Hook, James Hook’s daughter, is fifteen years old when she loses her hand, but her best friend Carlos helps her deal with it by building a prosthetic”

You know… something short that I can adapt into the story fairly easily or isn’t too constraining.

Ain’t No Rest, part 1/? (2015-08-13)

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Here is a secret about magic: when it does get passed on, it is always stronger in the next generation. Some of that has to do with compounding knowledge–usually, parents and teachers will share with their children–and the fact that magical objects absorb ambient energy over time. But neither of those apply to the Isle of the Lost.

Why would villains pass on their knowledge or artifacts, when both have been made useless? On a barren island, surrounded by an impenetrable barrier, the greatest witches and sorcerer of the age found that they were unable to use their powers. They accepted their new, mundane way of life with ill humor, but they did accept it.

Never again would they raze kingdoms with a mere blink of their eye. Never again would they hold the fragile lives of royalty in their hands. Never again would they break the laws of nature and humanity just to prove they could. They were trapped on a rock where no magic could happen, and from which no one could escape.

But… neither of those are true; not exactly, not completely.

—

Carlos is fourteen and they are sixteen when their lives change. Not necessarily for the better.

It’s subtle at first, starting with Jay, the oldest of the four. He’s been stealing for over a decade, hardly ever gets caught, but in the rare occasions he does? He can always use flirtation or fear to get out of trouble. But his powers of persuasion have been improving, to the point where Lady Tremaine even let him take her emerald ring directly off her finger.

“I’m just that suave,” he’ll say, rattled but unsure why and unwilling to show it. The rest of them suspect it had more to do with the temporary, unnatural glow in Jay’s eyes than any charisma, but they let the matter go.

Later it begins happening to Evie; small, near-unnoticeable things. She knows where to find the best food, the best fabrics, the best spare parts–but she’s always been pretty good at that. Once, she decides to take a different route than the usual and happens to avoid falling pieces of rubble–surely its just coincidence. It develops further: she knows the answers to questions she shouldn’t, to questions that have yet to be asked.

Then one day, out of the blue, she says, “There’s a book of spells inside the freezer.” They look at her, surprised, and she, too, looks shocked at herself. It’s not worrying until she adds, “We’ll need it.”

And they do end up needing it, sooner rather than later: the next day Mal is startled and somehow turns her own hair green. The four of them manage to steal the spell book and she easily reverses the color change on her very first try; all without their parents knowing.

Thus, the crux of the matter: their parents not knowing. There is a tense moment where they all stand and stare at each other, knuckles pale, breathing shallow, nervous and uncertain. Carlos looks away first, this is not his decision, but Mal is the one to close her eyes next. She’s always wanted to impress her mother, and surely being able to perform magic on the Isle would finally do it. But they don’t know what will happen, don’t know how their parents will react. They decide to keep it a secret.

They manage to do so for five years; at which point they then find out their parents’ reactions. Unsurprisingly, it’s nothing good.

There are two things capable of taking down the barrier around the Isle of the Lost. One of them is the Fairy Godmother’s Wand, the artifact that originally created the barrier. The other? The other is a teenaged genius without magic, desperate to save his friends’ lives.

~

A/N: And thus I present: my Criminal/Detective!AU fic, Ain’t No Rest.

I’m going to be honest here–this fic is gonna be slow. Especially in comparison to Only Fools Rush In which I wrote in some kind of hazed, feverish, insomniac state. (Which I only now realize the irony considering this one is called Ain’t No Rest).

I actually have high hopes for this story; I intend for it to be a nice sprawling epic with crime and justice and magic and multiple groups with different, rational motivations in play. I will try to include every named character in the movie (and some not named in the movie, trust me, I have plans for some of the book-only characters) though I will be picking and choosing details as I please.

And I do plan on it being Benlos, but again, this is going to be slow. So it probably won’t get there for a while, and it won’t be the main plot.

That being said, I NEED YOUR HELP, please prompt me. Seriously, give me a character (or two, max) and a word or a phrase (or a sentence, max). I have a lot of general ideas, but it’s easier to focus on specific scenes and stuff with prompts. And, well, if it doesn’t fit into this story, I’ll try to write a drabble based on it anyway. It’s a win-win! So, again, prompt me, please? Either respond here or shoot me an ask. I look forward to it.

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

sticky-note-doodles:

Benlos…

So, I’ve been a little obsessed with the Disney Descendants TV movie, and thanks to tumblr I’ve jumped onboard the Benlos ship.

Pencil, fine point Sharpie, fine point marker, colored highlighters, and white gel pen on a 3×3 inch post-it.

Special shoutout to jacksgreysays, whose fic and drabbles have taken me from “oh, that’s cute” to “I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP” 😉

This is absolutely gorgeous!

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Only Fools Rush In (a BenxCarlos story)

  1. All The Weird Kids Know by Built By Snow
  2. L-O-V-E by Louis Amanti
  3. Such Great Heights by The Postal Service
  4. Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran
  5. All Of Me by John Legend
  6. I Would Do Anything For You by Foster the People
  7. Fly Me To The Moon by Westlife
  8. What Is Love by Jaymes Young
  9. At Last by Daphne Loves Derby
  10. You Make My Dreams by Hall & Oates
  11. Baby, It’s Fact by Hellogoodbye
  12. A Thousand Years by Boyce Avenue
  13. Can’t Help Falling In Love by Michael Schulte

Find it here!
(The link sends you to a mediafire folder, only the zip file is necessary for the entire mix)

~

A/N: Ahahahaha, this is my first fanmix… in commemoration of my first completed multi-chapter fic, Only Fools Rush In. Like I’ve said before, it was a lot of fun to write, so here are some of the songs which helped with that process.

Embarrassingly enough, the most difficult part of this was creating the cover art. I have, like, zero skills, which you can probably tell by how simple and how poorly made it is. Also, I was unsure what Ben’s “symbol” would be since Evie’s is already a crown–I thought maybe a rose? but then he only wears blue… so then I was like, duh. Blue rose. So there you go. I don’t know if the Benlos ship wants to make this the official symbol, feel free to go for it. But please make a superior version of it, because, seriously, the pixels are bugging me!

And again, since this is my first fanmix, there may be some issues with the download link. If there is, please let me know so I can figure out how to fix it. Again, only the zip file is necessary to download the entire mix.

Enjoy!

Are you going to write a part 2 for the untitled Benlos Drabble you posted?

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

Hm… I don’t think so… I mean, I was considering splitting it into two pieces because it’s pretty long for a oneshot, especially a tumblr post oneshot, but I feel like it’s fairly comprehensive.

The first half was just a “re-telling” of the movie–the conflict of Carlos being in love with Ben but either denying it or having to let Mal have him–and the second half was the resolution. So in my mind a part two for that specific drabble doesn’t contribute more to the story. Presumably they have sex and live happily ever after, but I like the build up to sex better.

And, to be honest, I can’t really write smut. Or at least, not well enough to do it justice.

But I’m flattered that you like it well enough to want a sequel. If you want more Benlos stuff you can check out my Only Fools Rush In series, and hopefully I’ll come out with more Benlos stuff in the future too. 

Untitled Benlos drabble (2015-08-11)

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The C in ‘Plan C’ does not stand for coronation.

Plan A had always been their parents’ plan. Brute force, obvious, simple: use the magic mirror to find the wand, steal it, take down the barrier. It was luck on their part that the wand was being displayed in a building so close to campus, with such lax security. Even if they did have to retreat and scrap the plan after the alarms sounded.

Plan B, well, that had been in action since the very beginning. It was more their style than their parents’, a little more subtle, and maybe with time it might have worked. Carlos had been making pretty decent progress.

The B in ‘Plan B’ does not stand for Ben. But it might as well have.

—

Carlos just really enjoys sex, okay? He’s a teenage boy and it feels great and it’s fun to make other people feel great too. He just doesn’t like the implications that come along with it. They say he’s callous, but it’s not because he’s a snobby sadist like his mother. He’s actually rather nice–charming, one might say–it’s just that after he’s had his fun, well, he’s not obligated to fulfill any expectations, okay.

Their gang of four are notorious on the Isle–if the girls haven’t asserted their dominance over someone, or if they haven’t been robbed by Jay, then Carlos has probably seduced them then jumped out the window at the first opportunity.

To him, people are as easy to program as machines. Easier even, maybe. While Jay likes to base his flirting on his lack of sleeves, gorgeous body, and raw predatory sexuality, Carlos likes to take a more controlled approach. With Jay’s targets, if they’re not even the tiniest bit attracted to him at first sight, then there’s no helping it. Jay doesn’t chase after anyone who doesn’t want it.

But for Carlos, that’s all just part of the game. Actually, he specializes in making those who don’t want to be chased do the chasing instead.

—

There are a few tricks, easy body language stuff, that Carlos uses, but the bulk of his seduction is actually neuro-linguistic programming. It requires having a little knowledge on the mark, though, and since cold-reading is always a risky venture, he tends to keep first impressions… vague. Sexy, but vague.

Eye contact is an obvious one, a person can fall in love just by gazing into someone’s eyes for long enough. Not Carlos, but he’s heard it’s happened–has made it happen before. So when they are first introduced to the crown prince, Carlos makes sure to match eyes with him, gaze steady and open. But while eye contact is necessary for a good seduction, that alone is not sufficient.

Everyone knows that mouths can be the most suggestive body part, and Carlos knows his is more so than others. It’s so simple to draw attention to his mouth–smeared with that delicious sweet stuff they found in the limo. Sure it implies he’s a messy eater, but sometimes messes can be fun. How a mark decides to clean up a mess is a fantastic insight into their personality.

Ben makes it so easy, too, his fingertips automatically going to his mouth instead of the more proper option of a handkerchief or even the unrefined but impersonal wipe onto his clothes. Mimicry is another effective tool for seduction, and if Carlos’ own hand to mouth action is a little more obscene, well, like he said–messes can be fun.

—

It’s pretty easy to get a read off of Ben–he’s not interested in Jay’s overt masculinity, or Evie’s upfront femininity–in fact, Carlos’ biggest competition for Ben’s attention is Mal, who could not be less interested if she tried. But that in itself is informative. Ben wants to prove himself to Mal; he wants her to want his help. Ben is a provider, a protector… a hero.

Carlos can easily be someone who needs saving.

A yelp at the statue’s transformation is enough to bring Ben’s attention back from Mal onto Carlos and it starts building foundations in Ben’s mind.

Carlos needs someone to help him, to make him feel safe. Maybe that someone could be Ben.

—

As it turns out, Ben is almost ridiculously susceptible to neuro-linguistic programming. Or maybe just susceptible to Carlos.

After that first tourney practice, which Carlos was unsurprisingly terrible at, the coach recommended Carlos quit the team. Which would have been stupid, considering his mark is one of the players.

He had honestly expected to have to suffer through a few more such practices, pretending a steady disheartening before shyly approaching Ben for advice. After Jay’s performance during that first skirmish, Carlos would hardly have to explain why he’d decided to turn to Ben for help first.

But immediately, with barely effort on Carlos’ part, Ben volunteered himself.

An additional hour alone with his mark every day? Almost too easy.

—

The thing with Dude was brilliant, if Carlos may say so himself. Unplanned, of course, but still absolutely brilliant. The fleeing in fear bit was completely truthful, not just an exaggeration to foster more protectiveness in Ben. The fact that it did, though, was very helpful. Vulnerability can be attractive, Carlos knows, but he’s never encountered anyone on the Isle as attracted to it than Ben.

And “good boy?” Carlos could not have planned that any better himself. With such delicious Freudian slips like that, it’s best not to disrupt the mark’s train of thought, let them stew in their own wild imaginings with a few visuals tossed in. Carlos doesn’t get belly rubs, maybe he would like them; any positive physical contact, really, and praise is always appreciated. Carlos hasn’t been appropriately cared for, doesn’t he deserve to be cherished? Wouldn’t Ben be the best for that job?

From that point on, Carlos keeps Dude with him. Not solely for seduction–because Dude is adorable and adoring and lets Carlos hold him and pet him and dress him and Dude is Carlos’ now–but, like Dude’s introduction into Carlos life, the association of pleasant feelings and protectiveness is an excellent bonus. 

—

Given more time, Carlos is sure that Plan B would have worked. Hell, if the goal were just to sleep with Ben before the coronation, Carlos probably could have done it. But to make Ben so obsessed with Carlos to the point that he would not only break up with Audrey but officially declare Carlos his boyfriend? In a week? Impossible.

He says as much to the rest of the gang, a little ashamed but mostly frustrated. The coronation is their best opportunity, and Mal is the best choice to have at the front. Not only because she’s actually a girl and her gender won’t inspire political backlash–her parentage, sure, but not her gender, not like Carlos’–but because, if there’s a need for it, she can actually use the wand–again, not like Carlos.

Love potion it is, then. Carlos tells himself that its the use of magic that bugs him, not the fact that it’s Mal instead of him. He’s definitely not relieved when Evie suggests he stick close anyway, just in case.

—

The song was… well… ridiculous. But it may have also been the most fun he’s had since leaving the Isle, possibly the most fun he’s had without sex being involved, so he just gives in and enjoys singing and dancing with Ben while he can. 

—

Carlos has to coach Mal in seduction for her date, which is honestly not something he ever thought he’d have to do. Not just because people don’t date on the Isle, but because Mal has always been as uninterested in sex as Carlos has been in romance. But in such a short time, lust can be confused for love; though, with the potion is already in effect, the seduction is more of a safety net.

She’ll have to use slightly different techniques, though, because her relationship with Ben is different from Carlos’. Not that Carlos and Ben had a relationship; Carlos doesn’t do that.

Anyway, while Evie prepares Mal’s outfit, Carlos prepares her. Having been friends since they were children, Mal knows at least some of Carlos’ tricks, even if she needs a little help in polishing them up for her own use.

Eye contact? Yes. but in Mal’s case, turning away every so often might be best. She has to make Ben feel like he needs to earn her attention, either by talking more or reaching out to touch her–both outcomes are good.

Accentuating her mouth? Also a yes. Makeup can do some of the work, which Evie eagerly breaks out her lip glosses to test colors at the suggestion, but if she can add some kind of action that would be even better. Carlos is a big proponent of sensual eating.

But the hardest part for Mal? Hints of vulnerability. It goes against her nature, and Carlos has no idea how to teach someone vulnerability. But maybe in this case truth is the key.

Carlos leaves before Ben is due to pick Mal up from the girls’ dorm room. No need to complicate matters.

—

After the coronation, as the fireworks go off and everyone is dancing, Carlos stands aside. It’s kind of warm. He just needs some air, is all, too many people trying to breathe the same oxygen. And he didn’t get much sleep last night, so he’s a little tired and his eyes ache.

He wants Dude now.

Evie, taking her own break from dancing, stands beside him and follows his gaze. “They look good together,” she says gently. And Carlos wants to agree, wants to compliment Evie on putting together Mal’s gown because it is honestly some of her best work.

But instead, purple and blue blur together in his eyes, and Evie silently draws his face to her shoulder. It’s just the fireworks, the smoke and the light probably too much.

When Carlos composes himself, he manages to say without his voice trembling, “I guess we don’t need Plan B anymore.”

“Did you want to?” Evie asks carefully.

“I think it would have been decent,” he answers, but then they both reconsider. It’s highly doubtful Ben and Audrey have ever had sex, considering how high society Auradon acts with each other. Certainly not good sex, with the way they were both so willing to end their relationship. Carlos and Evie know Mal hasn’t, doesn’t want to.

“It would have been fun to teach him,” Carlos amends, which is in itself a confession.

“Okay,” Evie says simply, letting them stand off to the side for a few moments longer, before dragging Carlos back into the fray.

A lot of good came out of tonight. Carlos knows his future has changed for the better, there’s no need to ruin it with melancholy and random regrets. 

—

A few weeks after the coronation finds Carlos hanging out in the girls’ dorm room with Evie, helping out with her latest project. She’d been draping what looks to be a jacket of some sort over a chair before he came in, now Carlos is being used as a live mannequin instead. It looks more like a Lost style jacket, leather and asymmetric cuts, different than her more recent works which have been trying to incorporate Auradon’s aesthetic. But the color scheme is sea foam green and a soft maroon, more pastel than any of their gang’s colors.

“Hold still,” Evie says, when Carlos’ mind drifts away and he twitches out of her careful positioning.

“Sorry,” Carlos sighs, moving back to the original configuration, “I’ve been kind of restless recently. It’s probably because I’m not burning off so much energy at tourney practice anymore.”

“I thought you enjoyed the Future Engineers Club,” Evie says, pinning in one more fold before carefully peeling Carlos out of the jacket.

“I do,” Carlos says, because he does, “Just, you know, in comparison to running up and down a tourney field, tinkering isn’t as physically draining.”

“Are you sure it’s not because of the dry spell you’re in? It’s been a long time since the Isle,” she says. A long time since your last sexcapade, she doesn’t say.

“It’s not a dry spell, I’m just focusing on other things right now, okay. I have my whole life in front of me,” he says, and it might have been somewhat convincing if he hadn’t added, “And no one has really caught my interest… and plus, everyone has roommates.”

Her raised eyebrow is enough to show she’s unimpressed with his excuses. Especially since he’s just been repeating the same things every time he gets asked.

Doug knocks on the door, a little unnecessarily since it’s open, to get their attention, “The FEC meeting is in ten minutes.” Doug, also a member of the Future Engineers Club, has been very helpful in getting Carlos transitioned from tourney player to… well… nerd.

Fondly, Evie waves the both of them off, eager to return to work on the jacket. Now that Carlos has the answer in front of him, it’s not too difficult to figure out who it’s for. He knows that Doug and Evie aren’t dating–she wants to revel in her independence–but it’s not just friendship, and it’s clearly not sex. Carlos wants to ask, but he decides to wait, thinking he’ll have the opportunity to do so after the meeting.

He does not.

Because as the meeting lets out, Ben is standing there; far enough away from the door that the rest of the club members can leave, but close enough that he can easily see every member exiting. And every member exiting can see him.

They’re a little unnerved, because for all that Carlos is a Lost kid, he’s still a ginormous nerd who likes to build stuff out of other random stuff. He’s one of them. In comparison? Ben is the king. More than that? He’s the captain of the tourney team. He’s a jock. A nice jock, yes, but still a jock. Never mind that a few weeks ago Carlos was a jock too.

With a sigh, Doug manages to wave the rest of them off before turning to look between Carlos and Ben. Neither who have said a word since their eyes met.

“You okay?” Doug asks Carlos, reaching out for his shoulder. Suddenly, Ben looks at Doug’s hand like it had personally offended not only him but his entire kingdom.

“Yeah,” Carlos says, then, because Doug is actually very observant, he repeats more confidently, “Yes. I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Okay,” Doug nods, careful to make slow motions as he pulls his hand back and walks away.

Carlos and Ben stand in silence for a while longer, this time both looking at where Doug disappeared, before almost reluctantly dragging their eyes back to each other. Well, it’s reluctant on Carlos’ part, that’s for sure. He’s been trying to reign back all of his flirting, but it’s difficult. A lot of it is just automatic and he doesn’t know how much interaction is expected for just friends–or at least, friends you haven’t grown up alongside and committed burglary with. He doesn’t know how much eye contact or touching is allowed, so he kind of just… hasn’t.

“So, you and Doug have gotten pretty close,” Ben says, which Carlos is confused by but goes with because he doesn’t know what else to talk about.

“Yeah, he’s been a big help in getting me into the club, even if it was after sign ups for the year. The other members are pretty great, too. And, uh, Mr. Gepetto has a lot to teach us. I mean, he says I remind him of his son which is a little weird but, yeah…” Carlos trails off, uninterested in his own rambling, “I… what are you doing here?”

Because there’s no reason for Ben to be here. Carlos has been backing off. They still eat at the same table, sure, but Carlos has been practically neat in comparison to before, and he always makes sure there’s at least one person between them at the table. Unless…

Ben shrugs, mouth open to say something before his expression twists, “No, you know what. I’m going to be honest.” And when Ben stares into Carlos’ eyes, he can’t help but match it, “It kind of feels like you’ve broken up with me before I even knew we were dating,” Ben steps closer, near enough that either of them could reach out and touch the other.

… Carlos has accidentally been pulling an apathetic seduction. The sudden absence of flirting making Ben want to get Carlos’ attention, the same as Mal looking away causes Ben to reach out.

“We weren’t,” Carlos spits out, because he never dated, he’d know it, and he sure as hell wouldn’t have let go if he had been dating Ben.

Ben steps closer, hand reaching out to land on Carlos’ shoulder, thumb lined up with his collarbone. Ben has yet to look away, and so Carlos hasn’t either.

“It was just part of the plan, okay, I was supposed to seduce you to get the wand. But then there was the coronation and you needed a girlfriend not some fucktoy,” Carlos blurts, throat going tight, “It had to be Mal, not me. So I’ve stopped, okay, that’s all.” His eyes are starting to sting, and there aren’t any fireworks to blame.

Ben steps even closer, other hand cupping Carlos’ cheek, “I know,” Ben says, simply, easily, as if Carlos hadn’t had to tear the truth out of himself.

Carlos lets himself close his eyes, unable to handle Ben’s stare anymore, and the motion lets a tear escapes.

“What I want to know,” Ben murmurs, thumb swiping across Carlos’ cheek to intercept that fallen tear, “is if you actually like me,”

"You’re dating Mal,” Carlos says, which is not an actual answer at all. And can’t stand up against Carlos’ nod, the way he leans into Ben’s hand.

“Who do you think told me about the plan?” Ben asks, a smile in his voice, and now both of his hands are cradling Carlos’ face, “Carlos, open your eyes” he says.

Carlos does so, eyelashes heavy with nearly shed tears. This close, and with their height difference, he can’t help the way his gaze goes to Ben’s mouth; can only feel a thrill up his spine as that mouth edges sideways into a smile.

“I learned a lot from you,” Ben begins, leaning forward so that he can lower his voice and still be heard, “I’d like to learn a lot more.”

Carlos’ hands clench into the fabric of Ben’s shirt, unsure whether to pull him closer or push him away because they are still in the middle of the hallway. But then, Ben says six words that makes the decision for him.

“I have a private dorm room.”

~

A/N: I dedicate this to jalencolbert and awesomestlonerever because this wouldn’t exist without either of them. Like, literally, I would not have thought of this. But with awesomestlonerever’s gifset and jalencolbert’s comment in this post my brain just went into overdrive and I had to analyze EVERY interaction between Ben and Carlos as Carlos deliberately seducing Ben. And it was so easy to do, I can’t undo it. Damn it! What happened to my precious adorable baby? Now he’s all grown up and seducing kings.

Uh, so yes. Neuro-Linguistic Programming is an actual thing, but as the hyperlink will show you I’m using the Leverage version of it so I cannot say whether or not my portrayal of it would actually be successful. A lot of it has to do with associating yourself with something they find pleasurable, but also letting them do most of the talking. Any talking on the seducer’s part is more to prompt certain thoughts or connections.

I don’t know, I’m hella ace, flirting and seduction is just this whaaa~? kind of thing in my mind. I can appreciate it from a psychological point of view but in action I just… uh, no thanks. I’ll stand way over there.

But, yes, ~SEDUCTION~ and the seducer falling in love with his target, then the target seducing the original seducer. That’s totally a thing, right?

edit: can now be found on ao3 here, under the title “(This Feeling) Without A Name” since… well… I still don’t know what to call it.

I just wanted to say thanks for writing “Only Fools Rush In”, it was amazing! I started checking tumblr a few time a day to see if you had posted the next installment (should I be embarrassed to admit that?) I kind of shipped BenxCarlos when I first watched Descendants, but after reading your story my head-cannon will never be the same! I like how you gave the characters and their worlds more depth. I hope you feel inspired to write more BenxCarlos some day :)

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

Thanks! It was a lot of fun to write, and part of that is due to so many people’s enthusiasm. I know a lot of times writers are like “I don’t write for the notes,” and I don’t really but it’s easier to be excited to write something when you know people are reading it. Like, I have a lot of ideas percolating in my brain but since they’re mostly uninteresting to other people I have no motivation to continue.

That was clearly not the case with Only Fools Rush In. I don’t know if it’s because I wrote this at the right time (ie, the first two weeks after the movie) or it’s because the ship is particularly lovely, or if it’s because the fandom is growing, but it’s great! I definitely have a few more BenxCarlos ideas but we’ll see if I can get those articulated enough for a fic. Because those boys totally deserve all the fic I can possibly manage to write about them.

And trust me, checking tumblr multiple times a day for a fic installment is not embarrassing (I do the same thing with some of my favorite authors, too!), in fact I’m flattered that you liked my story that much! 😀

I’m also really happy that I managed to help shape someone’s head-canons. If you liked Only Fools Rush In, then I hope you enjoy my Untitled Benlos drabble that I’ll be posting later today. It’s a bit of a different take on the ship, but hopefully just as good.