Log: Complete

[pineapple-pimp.livejournal.com]

When; December 8th evening
Rating; PG (Hints of male relationship, mild swearing)
Characters; Mars pineapple_pimp and Kevin Mask 1maskfitsall
Summary; Mars goes to take out the trash and finds an unexpected surprise. Contains spoilers about the Ultimate Muscle manga.
Log; [RP notes at the bottom of this post]

Because of the increase of people in his apartment from that last curse, Mars already needed to take out this week's trash. He grumbled to himself about the city "Gods" and the cold weather. Like many birds, Mars preferred warm weather and the fact that he couldn't leave the city due to being dead made him even grumpier.

As he dragged out the trash to the dumpster out back, he thought about his friends back in his world. Jeager, Kid Muscle, Kevin, everyone.. had Kevin and Kid been able to defeat Boltman and Ashuraman? And if he was dead, why weren't Barrier-freeman, Turbinski, and Hanzo here as well? He had made a lot of friends here.. but it still wasn't the same. Christmas was coming up, and this would have been the first year he had gotten to spend it with the other Chojins... if he were still alive.

Mars sighed and tossed the trash bags into the dumpster, then turned to head back indoors.

.. Wait a minute.

He turned around again to face the dumpster and looked at it. Had he been seeing things? Mars lifted up the dumpster lid and peered inside. Yes.. there definitely was a body.

The Chojin sneered at the sight (and the stench) and moved some of the trash bags out of the way, wondering if the person was dead or just a hobo. And to his surprise..

"... Kevin?!" Mars yelled out loud, "Holy shit! It can't be.." He grabbed the body and lifted it out of the trash. He couldn't believe it. Gotta find out if he's alive first.. Lord, please let him still be alive..

He moved the Brit's trench sleeve and glove out of the way and checked for a pulse. His shoulders slumped as he sighed in relief. Good.. I better get him up ta' my room. .. And get him inta' some clean, warm clothes.



Once Mars returned to his apartment, he set Kevin down onto the couch, took off his mask and changed him into some clean clothes. He looked at his former lover and felt his heart skip a beat. It felt like forever since he last saw Kevin.. and he was still as gorgeous as he remembered. Pulling himself away for a moment, Mars gathered the sheets from his bed and wrapped up Kevin in them, trying to keep him as warm as possible.

He hoped the Brit would wake up soon. He had so many questions to ask. I should let him rest.. and probably clean up da place. So that's what he did.



"Hnnnnn."

Reality bled back with a throbbing gravity centered in his head. Moaning, the British Chojin brought up a hand to rub at the bruise on the side, underneath the wild dirty blonde hair, immediately finding himself in the comforts of someone's... apartment. His eyes adjusted for a moment as they pulled open. Yeah, apartment. The mountain top gloomy came back in dreary fragments. Distant echoes.

"Bloody hell," he mumbled to himself. "Where am I?"

Mars peered over as he heard the voice, butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. "Hn? Kev'? Yous awake?" He asked, walking over to the couch.

He was trying to keep himself calm. It was hard not to just jump ontop of the other Chojin and smother him in affection.

Kevin's reaction was hardly mutual. His blue eyes were wide instead: "Mars?!"

“Yeah!” The bird beamed happily, “You feelin’ okay? I found ya in da dumpster out back.”

"The dumpster," Kevin echoed, blinking. "Bloody awful. Why did you take me back?"

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s snowin’ out and yous were unconscious.” Mars sat down next to Kevin, “How did yous end up in da city?.. Unless.. whut happened after I died?”

Now this was different. Looking around again, Kevin realized this place was anything but the Asylum, remembering the bird's room all too well. This wasn't the bird's room. "Wait, isn't this the Asylum?"

Mars arched his brow and frowned, “Asylum? Whut da hell yous’ talking about?”

"Didn't you live there? With Jeager? And Croe was there." Didn't Mars move out? Was this a joke? What's going on...? "I left?"

“I never lived in no Asylum.” He snorted. “Jeager? I thought he was wit’ da other Chojins.. and Warsman hasn’t been seen since you won da Chojin Crown.”

The Chojin Crown. That memory had been so far away, so distant, especially compared to what had happened in that wretched place. He could taste the bile rising from his throat thinking about what constituted as a daily Asylum occurrence. Was this Mars in front of him a different Mars? Or a wiped Mars?

"Alright, mate, what is this City?"

“Still not really sure myself.. I woke up infront of dis carousel when I died during our match against Boltman and Ashuraman. A lotta’ other people are here too. I can’t leave, because I’m dead.. but I’ve heard some living people can. It’s really hard though. And there’s these curse days. Da last one was a family day curse.” Mars sighed and crossed his arms, “So whut happened after I got fried inta’ nothin’? Is everyone alright? Did ya get all’a Meat’s body parts back?”

Kevin hadn't seen a fighting ring in months, perhaps even years he felt. How could he have had any contact with Meat? Little arse in panties.

"Where are you... from?"

The bird tilted his head to the side, “Whut’cha mean?”

"I've lived in a bloody Asylum, mate. You've never heard of it. You and Jeager... You had a soddin' kid."

Mars burst into laughter. “Me ‘n Jeager?! A kid? We’re both guys! What da hell have yous been smokin’, Kev? No wonder dey put yous in an Asylum!”

Maybe Mars was right. The Asylum... was a place of madness. Had he been dreaming for years? Or so he thought. He didn't know anymore. Already this Mars was confusing him. "I really mean what I saw, mate. You had a kid!"

“Unless I accidentally knocked up some chick, I’m pretty sure I ain’t got no kids. Although I DID have a daughter a few days ago thanks ta’ dat curse..” He stroked his chin, “So, you tellin’ me you don’t remember da new Devil Knights?”

You had a son, Kevin wanted to say. Instead: "What Devil Knights?"

“Akuma Shogun’s new army! Dey took Meat an’ split up his body parts. Turbinski, Barrier-freeman, and Hanzo died, but they managed to get back some of da pieces..”

"Now you've lost me." Kevin felt the throbbing in his head pick up as if in response. Jesus!

“Well, shit..” Mars pouted as he tried to think. “…What year is it?”

"2006."

“Just like dis city.. Where I came from, it wus 2016! So den dat means..”

"I'm... somewhere else," the British Chojin groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Mars, what's going on here?"

“I ain’t sure.. but we must be from separate universes.” Mars could feel his stomach sinking. What was happening back home? If this was another Kevin, then was the one back home still alive?.. And that meant that this Kevin would have different memories of them being together, if they ever were.

This Kevin's memories were perhaps more bitter than the bird would have liked, but what was a fresh start? Was this the greener pasture he had left the Asylum to seek? "You could say that."

Mars sighed and slumped against the couch. He wasn’t sure what to say. In a way, this was a blessing but right now all he could see were the negative parts. Kevin had said that he and Jeager were together? He wondered what else was different in that world but something told him he was better off not knowing.

Kevin watched the bird for a moment, sensing the weight of being worlds apart seizing him. He pulled himself into a weary sit, placing his forehead in his hands. His hands were somehow cold, an almost uncomfortable contrast to his burning forehead.

Time's up. You've been wishing your life away.

No, he had more to live, more to live for. Perhaps it would benefit him to recognize the chance he had been given, a gift almost no other human or Chojin or any other sentient being would receive.

"It could be worse, Mars. It could be so much worse."

"Yeah.. I guess you're right. There's still hope for da Chojins in my world.. and.. heh.. I had been wishin' another Chojin would join me here. I was getting' kinda lonely." Mars rubbed his upper arm nervously. "I mean.. da flirtin's nice wit' those other people, but it just ain't da same, ya know?"

Same old Mars. Kevin wanted to smile, he guessed. Flirtatious in the Asylum, probably the same here. A slight comfort in that, he decided reluctantly. "Other people. So we're the only ones?"

“Da only Chojin, yeah. There’re people from all sorts of worlds. Like da Silent Hill people, Naruto.. it’s amazin’. I’ve gotten pretty popular here. Just lucky not ta’ be in any’a dat holy drama.” He leaned back and moved his arms over the back of the couch, “I’m still homesick though..”

Kevin had to wrinkle his nose at this; so what was all this then, a popularity contest? Christ, he took up the lone wolf wanderer mantle for a reason. His fingers reached for his temples. Still throbbed. "Same old Mars."

Mars looked over at Kevin and smiled, “Ya t’ink? I hope your version’a me hasn’t treated ya’ badly or anythin’. I hate seein’ ya hurt.”

That evoked feelings the bitter Brit did not want to linger on. "What have I done to you before you died."

“Mm.. We started datin’ back in da dMp.. I saved your ass dat one trainin day. I still have dat scar.” He shot a playful glare at Kevin, “It wus goin’ pretty good until Kid Muscle showed up, den yous dropped outta’ da dMp and left without even sayin’ goodbye. We didn’t see each other until my match against Terry. Well, I didn’t see you. I was too busy gloatin’. You didn’t show your face until after my match wit’ Jeager. Hahah.. disguised as a waiter ‘n spilt juice on me so you could get me all alone and ambush me. Dat failed. Den you watched my match against Kid an’ squealed on me.” Mars reached over and pinched the Brit’s cheek. “Ya’ asshole. But I guess it was a good thin’ I lost..”

“After dat, I went inta’ hidin’. I watched da Chojin Crown. Totally thought there wus somethin’ happenin’ between you ‘n Warsman but I guess not. After yous won da Chojin Crown, Kid went inta’ hiding for months.. den da new Devil Knights showed up. You found me, we caught up and let bygones be bygones, and den suggested we get some other strong Chojin ta’ start up a team. So we got Turbinski, Hanzo, and Barrier-freeman. Team Idol. Heh. We sound like cheerleaders.”

Mars took a moment so Kevin could gather all that, then he continued; “Kid finally showed up and we helped defeat da Devil Knights.. but the other Idol members died, despite winnin’ their matches. You an’ I fought against Boltman and Ashuraman, a famous Legend Chojin. It.. wasn’t goin’ very well an’ I sacrificed myself so you and Kid Muscle could fight together and defeat those two.”

"I never did get a chance ta' apologize ta' Jeager.." Mars sighed, the sentence mostly for himself rather than Kevin.

Kevin listened. He remembered the Chojin Crown and Croe, but what was this? Apparently things had happened, or would have happened if he, no, Croe had not strayed the van away and they had ended up at the Asylum instead. There was momentarily an appreciation for the fragility of probability and the tree branch of universes; things could have been differently, whether it would be the death of a man or a simple gesture or wink of an eye.

But Kevin, should he have still remained in the wrestling ring instead of a pit for refugee fools and illogical madness, would have reunited with Mars on his own time. They seemed destined to cross paths, always.

He smiled.

“So, yeah. Dat’s what you did.” Mars nodded.

"I see," he replied. "So what shall we do now?"

The bird shrugged, “Dun matter ta’ me. Although…” He grinned for a moment and leaned closer to Kevin, then pretended to pout, “I’ve been so lonely at night.. Maybe yous can keep me company?”

A smug grin. "Maybe. In exchange for food and shelter, we'll talk."

Mars chuckled, “I was plannin’ on lettin’ ya stay wit’ me anyway. Can’t have ya’ roamin’ around wit’ no place ta’ go. Besides, it’s freezin’ out.”

"It must be." Kevin ran a hand through his hair, careful to avoid the bruise. "Winter's coming. No, winter's already here, innit?"

“Yeah. It sucks. I hate winter.” Mars crossed his arms again and pouted, “Da only good thin’ about winter is Christmas. Oh, but enough’a me bitchin’. You need anythin’ right now? More sheets, food, aspirin?”

Typical bird, needing to fly south but couldn't quite take flight. Perhaps it might have been that weight of his, or lack of wings. The thought tickled the Brit. "Aspirin." A simple request. He could endure the pain, but all this? A new universe? Too much to take in and that did not need the aid of a headache.

“Alright.” Mars said and went to retrieve some aspirin from the bathroom cabinet, and a glass of water. He sat back down next to Kevin and handed him the pill and water.

There was comfort to be had in the proximity of the giant bird, even if this one was so different than the one he knew, but that was probably what made it comfortable. He took the water and pills, downing both with the latter first. The water was nothing less than absolutely refreshing; he had been thirsty for awhile.

"Cheers."

“You can just set da cup on da coffee table.” Mars replied, not taking his eyes off the Brit, taking in his features.. everything about him. He looked very content, and if Kevin had sharp eyes he’d notice Mars’ headdress becoming a bit fuller. He was a happy bird indeed. Happy and falling in love again.

Kevin complied. He did not notice the changes in Mars, although he was aware of his avian tendencies. Why a bird, sometimes he would ask. An attempt at originality from the normal bestary of ferocious lions, tigers and bears? Aw well, he wouldn't have his Mars any other way. This one was better.




[RP notes: Kevin's talking about the RP universe between myself and FG. All of our characters live in a giant Asylum. Her Kevin is from our RPs together, while my Mars is from the official story-line.. minus the man-love part. XD MAN LOVE. BUTTSECKS.

Croe/Warsman was Kevin's lover in the Asylum RP. Croe actually leaves Kevin, as he has fuffiled his orders in making Kevin one of the strongest Chojin ever, then goes into hiding.]