Returning to the underground after a supply run in Aventine was always a bit jarring. Mouse liked to spend as little time on the surface as possible – for one, it was fucking cold, and they preferred the stagnancy of their home to the biting wind chill up above. And for two, it was just... weird. Unsettling, in a way. It was all just a tad too much of everything, and yet not enough of others. Too peaceful, too relaxed, too clean. Too quiet. Not enough dirt, or shouting, or people doing shady business or making out in alleyways.

Aventine was nice, they supposed. Beautiful, certainly, but not their particular cup of tea. They always left it behind with an unsettled feeling in their gut - something just didn't feel right about that place.

But they might just be biased.

The oppressive quiet followed them as they made their way down through the dark, narrow tunnels that led back home. Their heavy boots were uncomfortably loud against the metal pipes they balanced across, but they knew that they were the only one present to hear the soft clanging. It was safer this way – creepy and nerve-wracking, yes, but they didn't have to worry about any law enforcement following them down like this.

At the pace they were going, the trip should only take about fifteen minutes, but it felt like much longer without the hustle and bustle of their home to help pass the time. They felt the tension melt off of their shoulders as that uncomfortable silence was ultimately broken as the sound of the underground gradually made its way through the pipes.

It was never really quiet in The Gutter. For as much as the people above liked to pretend there was nothing going on beneath their designer footwear, the underside was a hub of activity. Vendors and kiosks lined the dirty streets. Some sold food that was almost certainly out of date, others had trinkets and shit they'd stolen from their illegal excursions to the surface, or perhaps cheap wares they'd made themselves. Noise flooded through the subterranean city – fights and cheers and music, gossip and laughter and parties. A nonstop, abrasive cacophony that one would only come to appreciate through years of residing in Aventine's inglorious basement.

Mouse basked in the racket, but rarely contributed to it. Sometimes, they felt as though they were the only thing in all of The Gutter that didn't create an excess of noise - not that that bothered them. They were content to enjoy the chaos rather than partake.

They picked up the pace as the tunnel widened and opened up and the shadows began to fade. There was no natural light in The Gutter, of course, but that didn't mean that they lived in complete darkness. A kaleidoscope of bright color emanated from the intricate underground cityscape – neons, mostly, with some purely magic-made light, halogen bulbs, and fires in back alleys.

There was life down there, in The Gutter. More than the people upstairs could ever know.

Metal turned to dirt, and then stone beneath Mouse's feet as they jogged toward the bustling, buried conurbation. They dodged past a group of drunken individuals, all howling and stinking of whatever bar they'd found themselves at tonight. Mouse smiled a little, wading through the crowded footpath that made up one of the main streets. This particular one led to the larger of the city's bazaars, which was relatively near to where they were heading at the moment.

They ducked beneath a large, muscular man's arm, grateful that few glances were tossed their way. If there was anything Mouse was good at, it was going undetected. And going un-stepped on or run over, as well, because many of these people were not watching where they were going.

It was fine, of course. Mouse could watch where they were going well enough.

"Mouse!" called a familiar voice, sultry and deep, but distinctly feminine. The teen perked up at the call, glancing to their right to find where it had come from.

Bonnie was an imposing figure. Six feet of solid, portly woman with a jagged, bleach-blonde undercut and sharp, elongated canines leaned up against the wall outside of her shop. Her violet dress was sheer, hugging her curves, and the slit on her hip revealed a dagger – one that Mouse had witnessed her use in the past. The smoke from her slim cigarette meshed with the oppressive smog that had settled over the city.

Purple light drifted through the curtains behind her, and the scent of jasmine and musk was heavy in the air. They had never been inside that building, but they could make an educated guess as to what went on behind those doors. Oh, how the topsiders would blush.

Mouse approached the woman without hesitation, unable to prevent the smile that crept onto their lips. Bonnie had always been one of their favorite people, ever since they'd first been sent to live downstairs. She was scary, but only to the people she wanted to intimidate. Only to the ones who deserved it. To Mouse, she looked very huggable.

They wrapped their arms around her waist and buried their face against her chest, and basked in the feeling of large hands against their back as she hugged them in return. After a beat or two, they separated, and Mouse found themself having to tilt their head back to look up at her. Her brown eyes were soft, and the scar on her right cheek almost looked like a dimple.

"Where're ya headed, Mousey?" Bonnie asked, cocking her head to the side and taking another drag from her cigarette. There were red lipstick prints on the white paper held between her fingers.

Mouse raised their left hand to fingerspell a reply. D-O-C.

Bonnie nodded her head, gaze half-lidded as she took in Mouse's disheveled appearance and the heavy backpack they were toting. "Doc, huh? You ain't hurt, are ya?" One thin purple brow raised as she regarded the young mage.

They shook their head in a negative, then reached back to pat the canvas bag they were carrying.

"Ah, a supply trip," Bonnie drawled, placing a hand on her hip and clearing her throat. "Got any presents for yer Auntie Bonnie, then?"

Mouse adjusted so that they could reach into one of the pockets to retrieve a thin, golden chain to give to the woman. Not something Doc had asked for, but the jeweler had just had it sitting out on display, ripe for the taking. How could they possibly resist that? They never wore jewelry, really, aside from the cold metal band around their left wrist. This one had been intended to be a gift for Bonnie – the woman always liked shiny things, if the gaudy rings on her fingers and pearls around her neck were any indication.

Bonnie preened over the gift, long teeth glinting in the light. "It's beautiful, darlin'!" she rasped, ruffling a hand through Mouse's short hair and quickly fastening the chain around her neck to join the rest of her necklaces. "I'll be sure to wear it all th' time."

There was no doubt in Mouse's mind that she would, too. Bonnie loved her jewelry – especially if it was gifted to her by someone she cared for.

Mouse gave her a thumb's up, and then lifted both hands to point loosely in the direction of Doc's place. They should probably get a move on if they wanted to get all of this stuff to him before he closed up shop for the night – not that he wouldn't begrudgingly let them in after hours, but they didn't want to hear him complain about it.

"Right, right. Y'should get goin', then. Don' wanna keep the Doc waitin' – the man's a saint for what he does down here, but damn does he know how to bitch about shit," Bonnie drawled, leaning back against the halfway dilapidated wall behind her. "Take care o' yourself, Mousey. Stay safe."

With a short nod and a wave of their hand, Mouse turned to head off toward Doc's. It wasn't a long walk – not in comparison to what they had done earlier – but it was a fair distance away, and they needed to jog a bit to get there on time.

They did not get there as on time as they'd hoped.

The door to the doctor's swung open just as they approached it, and Mouse had to step back to avoid having it slammed into their face. Footsteps scuffled as Doc stepped out, half-shoving his poor customer out onto the sidewalk. It was an older man – bigger than Doc, but most men were bigger than Doc, so that wasn't surprising.

"-gotta stop smoking those goddamned cigarettes, Harrison! You come to me asking why you're running out of breath so easily, but you smoke two packs a day. My magic's no good if you keep on damaging your body like that."

It was true that Doc liked to bitch about shit, as Bonnie had put it, but it was pretty rare to see him this worked up about anything in general. Mouse hid a smile behind their hand and made no move to conceal their presence, instead content to just watch the scene unfold.

The customer – Harrison, apparently – had the decency to look a little ashamed of himself. He scratched at the back of his neck, studying the broken cobblestone underfoot. "I... well, I guess I do smoke a bit too much, here and there. Things've been tough, lately, s'all."

"You think so?" Doc snapped rhetorically, one brow raised and his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the door. Mouse watched as he studied the scolded Harrison, watched his gloved fingers tap thoughtfully against his bicep, watched his jaw clench a bit. He softened after a few seconds of glowering at the poor guy – the irritation left him in one measured sigh, and he relaxed his shoulders. "Look, Harrison. There's... a lot of stressful shit happening right now. I'm no therapist, but if there's anything I can do to help, I'd like to try."

Harrison's eyes glinted a bit, and he offered Doc a sly grin. Mouse could sense the mistake he was about to make. "My, my, Doc, y' should be more careful with yer words. A pretty boy like you shouldn't go 'round makin' offers like that," he flirted, and honestly, Mouse couldn't blame the guy for trying. Doc was certainly eye-catching, from an aesthetic perspective. Dark, warm-toned black hair and soft hazel eyes – rounded cheeks that gave his face a more youthful appearance. He looked kind and gentle, and certainly fit the definition of attractive. That kind of handsomeness was difficult to find down in the Gutter, so it drew quite a bit of attention to him.

But he didn't take kindly to those kind of remarks.

The vein in Doc's forehead throbbed angrily and he clenched his jaw up. Doc rarely yelled, but Mouse could tell he was getting close to losing his temper with this guy. As he opened his mouth, Mouse decided it was their time to step in – before he really tore into this man.

They took a step forward, purposefully crunching some gravel beneath the heel of their boot, and both men turned to face them.

"Mouse," Doc said, instead of whatever poison he was about to spew on Harrison. "I forgot we had an appointment this afternoon."

Harrison frowned and furrowed his brows, glancing at the hours listed on the window. "Ain't you supposed to be closin' up for the night?" he asked Doc. Mouse couldn't tell if he was upset about losing their potential (nonexistent) hookup, or if he was just genuinely asking. Their money was on the former.

"I am. Get lost," Doc responded, shooting a venomous glare at his patient. Former patient, Mouse supposed.

Before they realized it, they were whisked inside – Doc slammed the door and locked it in one fluid motion, cutting off any of Harrison's protests in the process. The man groaned and thumped his forehead against the door, his dark curls smashed flat between him and the splintered wood. Mouse didn't hide their smile this time.

Instead, they tapped on his shoulder until he turned to face them.

Rough day? they signed, a small smirk on their lips.

"You can't possibly imagine," he groaned, raising his hands up to rub at his temples. The poor guy looked exhausted. "I've been on my feet all day."

Mouse nodded their head in response. Same, they replied shortly. Long walk topside and back.

Doc hummed in sympathy. "And those topside dickbags are hard to deal with," he sympathized softly.

Gutter people can be dickbags too, Mouse responded breezily. Harrison was gross.

"Harrison is gross." Doc sighed and headed over to the table to sit down, motioning for Mouse to place the satchel down. They did so, moving to unzip the top and reveal the supplies inside. It wasn't as big a haul as they were hoping, but... it was better than nothing.

And Doc seemed pleased, so they supposed it was a job well done. "Thank you," he said, running gloved hands over the syringes and medicines laid out on the table. "I was almost out of all of this – seems like everyone's been sick or hurt lately. It's been rough, relying on just my magic to heal people."

Mouse cut their gaze over to him, eyes narrowed. Show me your hands, they requested, and Doc rolled his eyes.

"You don't want to see them, Mouse," he declined. Doc rose from his seat to place the medicines in their respective cabinets, and Mouse watched. His hands trembled slightly – it was almost imperceptible, really, but Mouse had known him for so long now. His hands hadn't always trembled like that.

And normally, Mouse would push, but it really had been a long day, and Doc was about as stubborn as they come. They didn't have the energy to wheedle him into doing what they wanted at the moment.

Instead, they patted their hand on the table, searching for attention again. Doc turned to look at them with a soft, inquisitive noise.

Feed me, they signed, a small smirk crossing their lips.

Doc sighed fondly and shut the cabinet door, shaking his head. "That'll be your payment, then. For the medicine," he agreed, and Mouse couldn't complain. Doc's food was good, and he cooked so rarely, so this really was a treat.

Dessert, too? they tried with a grin, nudging the doctor's arm. He huffed and glared at them, which was about what they expected.

"Don't push it."

An - Hi guys! There's chapter one of Aventine done. I'm sorry for the wait - I know I've been working on it for a while, but things kind of exploded in my real life and I had a ton of stuff to do. But I'm here and I'm planning on working on Aventine a lot more now that I'm settled into my new place with my partner!

So, I'm gonna need a lot of characters for this one. As you can see, it's an AU - there will be no canon characters, or even canon references. This is set in two places - Aventine and The Gutter. Aventine is a beautiful utopian paradise - the magic is beautiful, the people are beautiful, and the laws are strict. The Gutter is underneath Aventine, underground, and the people there struggle to make ends meet. There are difficulties in both areas, which I'll get into in the chapters ahead.

Note: Mouse uses sign language, but I will be typing it out in full sentence form rather than ASL grammar, to make the writing flow a bit easier.

For now, I've put the rules and form on my profile! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you guys decide to submit characters.

-van