World's Largest Ball of Yarn

Deimos takes a moment to just breathe. The past few days had been absolute hell for the half dragon, having to see his face plastered all over every news outlet and every Tom, Dick and Harry knowing his name like this was the absolute last thing on earth Deimos needed right now. The lulling engine of the 70’s chevrolet did a small bit to calm his nerves but he hadn’t slept well since the London fiasco, still trying to figure out what cosmic entity he had infuriated and why on earth any god of potential would want anything to do with a 19 year old half dragon who was nowhere near having his shit together?

Taking the opportunity to knock back about a third of the coffee he had in his tumbler he just presses on to go pick up Jordan, bags packed in the rear bench seat and shoved to one side to make room for Jordan’s luggage. Enough clothes to be able to be out for a week before they found a laundromat or a hotel with a laundry service given the scope of this little trip they’d thought up. Something to ease the mind and soothe Deimos’s mountain of anxiety.

Pulling into the driveway of Jordan’s rather large home he hesitates before fumbling around in his pockets… it was always the pockets these cards seemed to show up in, no matter where he actually set them they always came back to the pockets. With a defeated sigh he experimentally draws three cards. The knight of pentacles, the three of cups and the Tower reversed. The exact meanings of the other two cards were relatively unclear, but over the last few days of toying with the cards, he realized they liked to use the knight of pentacles to refer to Jordan as it often was used to represent a headstrong man, the exact meaning of the card wasn’t perfect, but it was a pattern he was beginning to take note of. Part of him cringes as the tower all but flew out of the deck but the entire world breathes a sigh of relief as it came out reversed meaning a restructuring rather than a reckoning. Cryptic ass cards throwing in a three of cups just to mess with him he assumed. He had to consult his notes on his tarot research to try and come up with a meaning for that one, only to come up with some vague prediction about trusting and confiding in people. After a moment of staring at the cards he rolls his eyes, stuffs them back into the deck box and musters up the courage to go out in public for the first time in three days. It was only for the ten feet from the car to the door, but baby steps.

Jordan moved around the massive compound they called home. Shoving clothes into massive trunks, mostly ones he was sure that someone else had bought. “Need some help with that?” Yasuo queried, eyebrow raised and watching him pull a few shirts from the floor and fold them into neater shapes.  He turned, considering the man.

”Nah I’m good. I think I’m almost done. Wait…do I need anything else?” He started and then stopped, slamming the lid of his luggage trunk closed, zipping it up and letting it slam onto the floor. ”Should I bring some snacks? I think Deimos might like snacks,”

“You think so? Not to complain, but you two just fly off to London, it gets blown up and then road trip? Sounds like you’re moving a little fast. Don’t think any of us witnessed any mass catastrophes before,” He could hear the sarcasm in the mans tone, though he couldn’t help the color creeping into his cheeks.

”I’ll be back soon. He just needs some time, and...I want to be there for him, you know?” He had gathered a few large bags, one of them enchanted to hold more than it looked like it could.  It had a few hidden cold compartments for things that needed it. When the probing questions were ignored, all he felt was a small amount of excitement.

“Yeah...I gotcha. Just lookin out for you too big guy,” Well, the guy did stand around 5’4, so Jordan did look big too him.

”I know. I promise when I come back we can do something, just you and me. Still like laser tag?”

“Now you're making me sound like a child,” Despite the complaint, he was smiling looping an arm around Jordan and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Just don’t do anything stupid. Aaron doesn’t act it, but I think he might actually be sad if you get hurt,”

Both of them chuckled. As for the front door, Aaron answered the door. A man standing around 5’8, hair a dirty blonde and jaw strong with facial hair dusted along it. ”So you’re Deimos right? I saw the news report, good work,” He stated rather plainly, seeming to appraise the man silently. ”Come on in. He’s getting ready. ” He motioned, stepping aside to let the half dragon in. Deimos likely felt a little force pulling him in, likely to make escape difficult.

”Jordan, he’s here!” He called out, cupping his hands around his mouth. The two of them stepped into a massive looking living room, richly decorated with book shelves, game consoles and the like with a massive tv hanging on the wall.

”Comin!”  Bags were thrown over a railing by stairs that lead to the upper stairs, seemingly caught by an invisible force and slowly floating to the floor.

”Dammit Jordan, don’t throw your things!”

”Sure thing Dad!” He leapt over the railing too and landed, a super hero-esque landing and looked up. ”Deimos!” he quickly ran across the space between the two of them and wrapped the other half dragon into a tight hug. ”Glad to see you! How you doin? You eatin good?” He let the man go, smile wide  as if his excitement were obvious.

Deimos could hear rustling around behind the door, and all he could think was 'such a huge house for two or three people'… little did he know there was a little gay village in there. He just about jumped out of his skin as not-Jordan answers the door and immediately prods at the subject of all despair for the half-dragon at the moment. He legitimately wanted to just turn and leave, this was a bad idea. Time to go home, crawl back under his sheets and stare at the ceiling.

No time to run, only get in the door as this man hauls him in. He didn’t even really have time to say anything at all before a trunk goes hurling over the banisters. This place was a chaotic mess and if he wasn’t already nervous as hell he’d be intrigued. There was no advice in the cosmo magazine for meeting your… boyfriend(?)’s numerous other boyfriends.

By comparison to what had been on the news, Deimos looked terrible. His skin a good modicum paler than normal and his hair in a state of epic bedhead, as if he hadn’t been outside the house in days. His fingers had the skin around his nails sporting abrasions from the nervous picking anxiety had caused, so much so that about three of his fingers had bandaids wrapped around them and he was currently picking at his own fingers again. As Jordan wraps him up in a hug, he does visibly relax, the weight of his wings slouching down to a more natural posture. Stopping his worrying with his fingers to return a hug.


“Hey-” His voice was a bit hoarse. Last thing he wanted was to admit he hadn’t been well at all. It was bad enough that his parents were quite literally pushing him out of the house to get him on this trip. “Um. I think I had a poptart yesterday.” He hums in defeat, realizing that yes he had been neglecting himself for a bit.

Soon as he pulled away he noticed how bad Deimos looked. Excitement turning to disappointment in a second, especially at the concept of only a poptart. ”Okay, we’re gonna have breakfast. Aaron, we’re having breakfast!” The mage arced a brow and then nodded, trailing into another room while he continued to give Deimos a few more, lighter hugs. His heightened senses made acquainting himself with the males scent easier.

”Not gonna be a fun road trip without a big meal, right? I promise Kyle makes the best pancakes,” Gently grabbing his band aid covered hands, Jordan tried to lead Deimos into a massive kitchen connected to the living room. There was already the smell of bacon, grease cracking and popping heard throughout as well as what he assumed were eggs being scrambled and fresh flapjacks being made. He never understood why they were called hotcakes but they tasted good.

A tall man with short dirty blonde hair and freckles dusting his face was working over a massive griddle. He seemed even taller than Jordan, probably standing around 6’4. ”Smells good!”

”Thank ya kindly. If you and Deimos want to have some, come over and grab a plate.” There was already plenty of food, piled on various plates which were floating over to a long dining table with around at least twelve chairs circling it.  Jordan motioned for Deimos to sit down and picked a seat next to him, already digging into a massive pile of pancakes smothered in syrup.

Everything about Deios was off, his smell included… an odd smell of smoke and sulfur lingered in the undertone. It was unlike the usual sweet kerosine scent he usually put off. Each little hug worked a bit more to put him at ease, ceasing the insistent picking at his own fingers. Now that the nerves were cooled he couldn’t help but realize he really was hungry and the smell of bacon called his name like a sweet siren’s call.

His attention perks to the familiar pull of magic, realizing Jordan was not just with one mage but two as a plate of goodies floats his way. A light smile was the start of pulling him out of the funk he’d been in. “Thank you! They do look very good.” Deimos picks up a fork and starts on what had to be the best pancakes he’d ever had. He couldn’t tell if it was because he’d neglected even his most basic need for food for three days or if they were truly that spectacular, could have been both honestly.

This was better, for a moment he was forgetting about FUBAR-ing London.

That was until the television in the background droned up that a new queen of England was being ground and the background was footage of London from a distance on a cellphone. With a blink he chooses to ignore the news with a deep sigh. “How have things been on your end?” Deimos asks, as if realizing Jordan seemed a bit more put together than he currently did.

Jordan could even smell something was up with Deimos. That only increased his worry, so he tried all he could to make sure he was alright. He wasn’t sure if the others knew, though they all seemed to be smiling and putting on a face of friendliness. Except Aaron, who was just being his usual self, sarcastic and sardonic. Not that he didn’t love the guy, he just had a certain way of being.

Deimos commented on the food as Aaron sat down once he did his little telekinetic trick, Yasuo following though he seemed to have a plate of something separate.  Jordan grabbed a hand full of bacon and shoveled it into his mouth, chewing a little loudly before answering Deimos. ”I’ve been fine I guess. Trying to duck the media attention, so mostly helping Aaron with his little underground mushroom farm,”

”He has. His strength is a great help in digging out underground tunnels when I don’t have those golems my brother loans me,”

He looked a little proud in his service as a living shovel. ”They also wanted to know everything they could about you. Apparently I gave a glowing review,”

”Somethin like that.” Kyle agreed, settling next to Jordan with a plate perhaps half as full as the ever hungry dragon. ”Though I guess magic dragon shouldn’t sound too surprising now,” The man spoke with what could be called a southern twang.

”Me being magic and Jordan being a dragon I imagine,” Aaron added, eating a more conservative plate of food.

”I mean...aside from you and me the rest of us are...human I’m pretty sure,”

”I offered magic lessons. Not my fault they were too...hard for some people.”

Deimos had been a bit down but he did immediately perk up. “A mushroom farm?” He asks, blinking at just how cool that sounded. Now he wanted one too. He wondered if he batted his eyes at Jordan if he’d dig himself one as well, but mentally shot that down as he realized his mother would be upset at a new basement. “Your brother makes golems?” He asks. “Golems are fun, but a pain in the ass to store. I’ve only ever made one but had to deconstruct it after it squashed my mom’s petunias.” Before he knew it he was spilling all the details, but he supposed that wasn’t so bad since apparently Jordan had already spilled a few proverbial beans.

“Ah- Well I am only half dragon. Mom was a dragon and dad was a mage of some kind. Have not been able to get much in the way of detail on who he was.” He shrugs before shifting, starting to settle in a bit more. The topic of magic made him feel a bit more comfortable here, especially with the minor prodding going on. He supposed this was a group he’d just joined so might as well familiarize himself with them. “I have to see this mushroom farm when it’s finished. Might even buy mushrooms off you if you’re growing them for alchemical purposes. Beats flying all the way to Boston for them.”

“Anyway, Hi, I’m Deimos.” He waves, realizing these people definitely knew who he was, now he just wanted to get to know the rest of them since he assumed this was like his initiation into the cult of Jordan or something.

”Mhm. Some of them are alchemical, the rest are for cooking. Apparently people wanted me to grow some for that purpose,” He said with a nod, nibbling at a piece of bacon.

”Yeah Brandon right?”

”It’s a talent of his. He makes golems of all size, anything to fit the want,” Aaron continued, Jordan nodding along with the conversation as he shoveled food into his mouth.  ”Well since you’re part of the group now, you don’t have to pay for the mushrooms,”

”Howdy Deimos,”

”Hi Deimos,”

”Heya Deimos”

All three of them said one after the other said,  before returning to eating the generous piles of food, though not as much  Jordan who was more like a ravenous wolf.  ”If you want, I can get you a few golems. He likes to commission them. They’re basically premium things. A lot of mages these days swear by them basically,” He explained seemingly done with eating. ”Heard Boston was having some troubles. Something about being turned into a Dungeons and Dragons game. I’ll have to visit it eventually,”

“Problems? It’s a feature not a bug.” The half dragon shrugs, finishing off his pancakes. “ There’s a neat goblin with an alchemist shop. Only place I’ve been able to find the more obscure things. He can hook you up with stones too.I might be commissioning a gollum then. ” He was starting to ramble again, he could already feel his own magic creeping up. A map flies from his pockets, coated in the thin blue dust of magic.

“So road trip. My parents have circled some places, as have I. Anywhere in particular you want to go?” He asks, having highlighted a few routes and trails.

A pen also levitates itself out of his bag revealing a mark clawed into the plastic… a carving that allowed him to cast spells without burning spell slots to get the pen to levitate. It lays itself across the paper showing quite a few things written in Deimos’s fine scribbling handwriting.

‘Grand Canyon,
Mount Rushmore
Disney Land
Herkimer diamond digging in NY
Skinwalker ranch’

“You’re free to shoot down skin waliker ranch… I’m just curious.” He looks back to the kitchen clock to realize it was getting late and if they wanted to make sure they got to do something today they’d need to get going soon. “Think there’s some kind of tourist thing for area 51?”

”Goblin shopkeeper huh? Take it with a grain of salt, but I haven’t had the best luck with goblins.” Aaron offered, seeming to deeply think about the concept. Jordan was busy eating while listening, looking infinitely interested in what was being said.

”I always wanted to meet with a goblin. Heard they’re different than in my D&D games,” Jordan noted, likely imagining something vastly different than the truth.

”Maybe Deimos can show you one sometime. We Hales have mixed relationships with them,” Okay, now that just sounded even more suspicious.

”Enough about goblins at the table. I’m still getting used to the concept they exist,” Probably one of the only normal people around the table noted.

”True. I really wnaty to see where we’re traveling to. I’m kinda excited now actually,” Jordan leaned over to see where the circles decorated the map. There were a few placed of interested highlighted and trailed lined out they could go down. ”I dunno, a Skinwalker ranch sounds pretty fun. Do they wear the cowboy pants there?” He jumped into questioning the concept, imagining pale dopplegangers with those chaps cowboys were known for. He wasn’t sure if they could wear them, but anything was possible he learned.

”You’ve always wanted to go to Disney Land too,”

”Oh yeah, I really did always want to go there too. Wear some mouse ears,” He was getting real excited. ”So am I gonna be driving on the trip. Got my truck repaired recently, so I think it could survive the drive. If that’s fine with you Deimos, He offered this between bites of breakfast, eyeing his boyfriend curiously.

“I'm sure there's nothing stopping us from wearing cowboy pants if we like. Although the other tourists might look at us funny.” Deimos gave a light hearted shrug as he set his fork on his half-empty plate. It didn’t take long for his previously pale complexion to gain a bit of color back to it. “We’ll be sure to get you some ears too.”

He was really starting to perk up. Never had he thought finding himself in what was essentially a harem would make him oddly happy but these people were incredibly friendly. Part of him wanted to stay and hang out with the rest of his boyfriend’s boyfriends.However, they had a trip to get to if they didn’t want to make it to their first stop too late at night. “My dad actually let us borrow his for this but if we take his you have to be able to drive a stick. I’m happy to take either truck and we can trade off driving.” Deimos then makes a sudden realization.

“Oh… and also my parents want to meet you at some point. I apologize in advance.” Never had he thought his parents would take the “Im dating a boy” revelation as well as they had. His mother was just happy he found someone… his dad… was quiet. Deimos’s dad was always quiet, but he was particularly quiet about this. He didn’t feel as though he was angry or even disappointed, but just silent. The fact that he let them borrow the truck was a good sign, even that he spent the previous afternoon washing it. However, as usual his mom was too much and his dad was not enough.

“Any places you want added to this list? Im sure theres a lot of pit stop on the way too like largest rubber band ball, largest cast iron skillet… the entirety of Austin, Texas.”