OOH! Anon, yes! That is perfect! I like this idea of yours very much. ;D
I can picture the perfect scene for Ain’t No Rest with this prompt, but it may take a while. Chronologically this scene would have to happen after a bit more plot development. Be patient with me please? I absolutely love this, though.
Thanks for the prompt!
Ben has never been on the Isle before. Has never expected to. Even when, before the kaiju, he thought about mending the gap between Isle and Auradon it was always the islanders going to Auradon, never the other way around.
Its like a different world.
It looks a little like they’ve already lived through an attack–but instead of fleeing, they rebuilt. Not as neat or as pretty, but at least they tried. Not like Charmington, not like Auradon.
Not like they had a choice.
There was no option for them to abandon their home. Not without working boats. Not without access to the magic bridge. Not without Auradon. Ben is galled at himself. He didn’t think of them during their time of need and now he comes to them during his?
Then he spots them, the giant machines, standing tall by the docks. As mismatched and unattractive as the Isle they guard, and just as tenacious. The Isle’s answer to the end of the world. Auradon’s last hope.
—
They salvage as much as they can from the Jolly Roger, but it’s not enough to make another two-pilot jaeger. And Carlos is not going to make another single person jaeger. Not again, not yet.
They’re desperate, but the Hell Jalopy is doing well enough, they’re not that desperate. And even then, so what? They’d have one double jaeger and a single jaeger? That’s not sustainable, not in the long run.
The Isle has always been able to make do on the scraps and leftovers from Auradon, but now? Now they need more. But more than that, now they have the means to get more.
No barges, sure, but the Hell Jalopy can just as easily raid Auradon as it can fight kaiju…
… could just as easily ferry the islanders to Auradon.
Wouldn’t that be for the best? Surely it would be better to run than to continue fighting a losing battle?
The painted skull stares at him accusingly.
—
The car that Chip and Ben drive to the Isle is several years old, a sedate silver four door sedan, Chip’s car for personal use. No need to antagonize them, he said, a limo would be patronizing.
As it is, Chip’s car is still the shiniest and cleanest thing on the Isle. Even without the magical glowing bridge of an entrance, the car would stand out simply by how new it is.
And by how it has yet to be deconstructed into jaeger parts. Even without knowing it’s passengers, a crowd of islanders gather around glaring at the car; mistrustful, angry, assessing.
It’s not a secret that the decommissioned Jolly Roger is incomplete.
Chip stops the car, both of them step out.
The crowd grows, but there is an empty circle of space around the car.
For now.
—
Carlos only finds out about the car from Auradon two hours after it is first spotted. Only because he asks someone where Harry and Jace are, and the person he asks instinctively answers with the truth despite what her fellow techies gesture behind his back.
Ever since the kaiju, ever since the jaegers, Carlos has been… revered but not necessarily deferred to. He is the head of the jaeger program and anything he needs he gets, but that doesn’t make him a leader.
Before the kaiju, the Isle was a state of anarchy, and the only thing that had authority was power. Before the kaiju, the closest things to leaders were the strongest, baddest villains. The same ones who unleashed the kaiju on the Isle.
The new post-kaiju Isle is now united under two goals–survive and build the jaegers. With that in mind, the closest thing to a leader wasn’t Carlos. It was Jemma.
Now, perhaps, it is Harry and Jace by default. But Harry and Jace have always been Carlos’ in a way Jemma wasn’t.
He goes to them: his minions, his jaeger pilots, his responsibilities. He goes to their meeting with Auradon.
—
Chip is sure it would have turned into a riot, had the two jaeger pilots not showed up. As it is, he’s not entirely confident that his car will still be there when he and Ben get back. Not completely, anyway.
“Just two people, in that huge machine?” Chip asks, enthusiasm nonetheless shining through. Beside him, Ben looks doubtfully at his mug of slop. What was he expecting from something called the Slop Shop?
Harry and Jace wear their pride like a new, ill-fitting jacket. Like they’re not used to being the heroes.
“The Hell Jalopy was designed for two people, to share the burden of piloting,” Jace says, a strange twist on his mouth.
“The Jolly Roger only needed one person, but it was smaller,” Harry adds, tracing out a shape with her finger, a circle and an x.
“The Jolly Roger, the red jaeger?” Ben asks, “It looked about the same height when we saw it.”
The jaeger pilots share a look, silent and troubled, before turning back to Ben and Chip. They do not explain.
“That’s not the Jolly Roger,” a boy says, from behind them, not much younger than Ben. He is wearing a red, black, and white jacket and when he passes them to snag a seat next to Harry and Jace, Ben can see crossbones on his back.
Ben has spotted the symbol frequently in the past few hours, visible but small on nearly every islander’s clothing. Nowhere near as large as the one worn by this boy.
“Not anymore, anyway,” the boy continues, not even blinking as Jace stands up and moves to sit on his other side, bracketing the boy in between Harry and Jace.
It reminds Ben of himself and Chip, of royalty and their bodyguards. And if Harry and Jace, the two pilots of one of the jaegers, the people that could preemptively stop a crowd from becoming a mob, are bodyguards to this boy. Then that means,
“Are you the pilot of the Jolly Roger?”
–
Carlos can feel a sardonic smile curl onto his lips, “Captain Hook is dead,” he says, and that damned painted panel flashes through his mind.
“James Hook is dead?” The boy says in confusion, blue suit neat and clean and screaming of Auradon as much as his answer does.
“You’ve got a lot to learn, Auradon. That coward is probably alive somewhere,” Carlos says bluntly, “Jemma Hook is the only Captain Hook that matters anymore.”
“If you’re not a jaeger pilot, then who are you?” The man says, suspicion about on par with an islander toddler.
He can hear Harry chuckling beside him, and on his other side, Jace’s shoulders jostle his with silent laughter. He can even hear amused whispers from the other customers of the Slop Shop, eavesdropping unashamedly.
“Someone’s got to build the jaegers,” Carlos begins.
“That someone is you,” the other boy finishes, more wonder than disbelief, but a decent amount of both.
Carlos laughs, “Now you’re getting it, Auradon.”
~
A/N: OKAY, so… I think I know what happened to the other three, but apparently the plot bunny wanted this to happen first. And it has a very interesting take on how Ben and Carlos interact.
I guess it makes sense, they’re on Carlos’ turf after a year of him being creator of the jaegers, so it’s a bit of a role reversal…
We’ll see where this plot bunny takes us, I guess.
Btw, anyone have a suggestion for a title?
EDIT: NOW WITH TITLE: “A TALE OF TWO KINGDOMS”
There’s not much left on the Isle to cannibalize into a second jaeger, but Carlos makes it work. The Jolly Roger is just one against a never ending parade of kaiju, and he knows Jemma won’t be able to last for much longer alone.
The second jaeger is designed with data collected from the Jolly Roger’s battles. The second jaeger is larger, deadlier, and more advanced. The second jaeger is designed for two pilots.
Carlos builds it thinking it’ll be named Gaston the Fourth, thinking that who best to co-pilot a jaeger than two twin brothers with the same obnoxious personality and belief that their father was the true hero of his story.
Fortunately, the second jaeger does not get named Gaston the Fourth because, unfortunately, the Gaston twins cannot pilot it together. Their identical dispositions mean that they both try to dominate the other for control over the jaeger. They think the same but they don’t think together; two people screaming at each other, instead of speaking to each other.
For three days, Carlos stares up at the second jaeger, bewildered and devastated. Its cockpit remains empty.
—
Auradon first learns of the jaeger program when the Jolly Roger’s eleventh battle brings it nearer to the coast than any villain or descendant of a villain has been in two decades. Only those at the Wall see it, but the news of something fighting back against a kaiju, beating it back even, makes its way swiftly to the royal family.
It is hope. They have known for a while that the Wall was just busy work, something to show their people that efforts were being made, but this news–this is good news.
Until word of what the machine looked like is sent. Red and black and white, a skull and crossbones; pirates.
And for the first time in nearly a year, Auradon remembers the Isle of the Lost.
—
It would have been four days, except Harry and Jace come for him. Carlos has never considered them friends, only minions inherited from his mother, but he’s grateful for them now. Jace makes sure Carlos is washed and fed and watered. Harry tells him what has been happening with the Jolly Roger, with Jemma.
“She took out a class two, but it ripped up the connections in JR’s right arm. I’ve had the other techs begin working on repairs, but it’ll be at least a week until it’s back to fighting fit,” Harry says, speaking loud enough so Carlos can hear her while Jace shampoos his hair. Carlos doesn’t care how potentially embarrassing this is, how he’s being treated like an incompetent child, he’s tired and the movements are actually kind of soothing.
“That’s bad,” Carlos says when Harry hesitates, thinking she’s looking for a response of some kind.
“It gets worse,” she says, because of course it does, “Jemma’s in the hospital.”
The chill washing down his spine has nothing to do with the bucket of water Jace pours over his head.
“That’s happened before,” Carlos splutters, spitting water and shampoo and denial, “She’ll be out in a few hours.”
“It’s already been two days.”
—
Auradon is hardly a kingdom anymore, but it still has a king. Or rather, two kings.
“We need to help them,” Ben argues, voice firm with conviction.
“We’ll find some other way,” his father says, more stubborn than logical.
“What other way? What other way can there be that we haven’t already tried?” Ben asks, waving at the Fairy Godmother who has decided to stay in Auradon–after evacuating her school, daughter included, to a neighboring kingdom of course.
“It wasn’t magic,” she says, her now ever-present wand gripped uselessly in her hand, “This is beyond magic,” the smallest, saddest smile graces her lips, “this is human ingenuity.”
Fairy Godmother’s side made clear, Ben knows he has won.
Regardless, his father roars, “You’ll be giving them the means to destroy us!” his fear fueling anger.
“No,” Ben says, “I’m giving them the means to save us.”
—
The first dual event happens less than ten hours after Jemma, finally awake after an eight day long coma, has been cleared to leave the hospital. Cleared to leave but not cleared to pilot.
It doesn’t matter. The Jolly Roger is the only jaeger they have.
Except, not really.
Carlos stares at the second jaeger, built and empty, unpainted, unnamed. There’s a license plate whose letters and numbers are still legible, GB-Y136 slanted on the jaeger’s torso.
The Jolly Roger has barely been enough to defeat one kaiju lately, it won’t win against two. Jemma will die on her own.
Behind him, Carlos hears footsteps and breathing. He knows who they are without turning; they have shadowed him his entire life, his minions, his guardians.
“The Gaston twins can’t pilot it,” he says, because it’s the truth. “It’s built for two.”
Jace says, “It doesn’t need identical minds.”
“It needs compatible minds,” Harry finishes.
—
Ben stands in the ruins of Charmington, the first living person to do so in months. Chip, a few steps behind him, is the second.
Charmington is the closest point of Auradon to the Isle. If they’re going to cross the ocean, they’re going to minimize the amount of travel time necessary.
And it is necessary. Ever since the fall of the barrier, the awakening of the kaiju, there has been no communication between kingdom and island. If Auradon is going to… if Ben is going to help the Isle, he is going to have to be the one to reach out.
“Are you sure you want to come with me?” Ben asks.
“To be honest? No,” Chip says, but he lays a reassuring hand on Ben’s shoulder, “But more because I’d prefer it if you weren’t going at all. I followed your mother back when I was made out of porcelain, I’m a little hardier now. I’m not letting you go alone.”
Ben sighs, a seventeen year old boy, a king of a destroyed country.
“Let’s go to the Isle.”
—
The first dual event leads to the debut of the second jaeger, the Hell Jalopy.
It is also the Jolly Roger’s last fight. Captain Jemma Hook dies in battle, brain too stressed in too short a time.
Carlos has the techs deconstruct the Jolly Roger for parts, to be rebuilt into a new jaeger, because they cannot afford to have it standing empty. But he keeps the panel the skull and crossbones are painted onto, hangs it up beside the docked Hell Jalopy and the construction of the third jaeger. Anyone who passes by, which is nearly all of the islanders, will be able to see, will remember.
Carlos wears the crossbones on his back and fails to stop thinking about– Uri, killed. Jemma, dead. Harry and Jace, jaeger pilots–how he hasn’t heard from Mal or Evie or Jay for almost a year. Not since their parents sacrificed a boy to kickstart the end of the world.
~
A/N: Uh… so, I think I am going to go ahead and finish this series first before going back to Ain’t No Rest… Mostly because… I don’t know what has been done to Mal and Evie and Jay and this’ll bug me until the plot bunny tells me and I can find out.
And… this may be longer than three parts. But probably not longer than five? I DUNNO, THIS THING IS GROWING ON ME.
EDIT: NOW WITH TITLE: “A TALE OF TWO KINGDOMS”
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–
–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”
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.
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!
Only Fools Rush In (a BenxCarlos story)
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!
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.
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.
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.
JackSGreyson Says 