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starry-bi-sky · 1 month

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I am absolutely loving your Danyal Al Ghul au. While I have a soft spot for the whole plotline of Danny becoming his canon personality almost right after breaking away from the LOA all because of Jazz, I'm just as much for your take in which he goes through the same character development as Damian.

Now I'm curious. You already tackled his relationship with Dani, will you eventually take a stab at when he, Sam, and Tucker meet Gregor? Given that it's one of my hated episodes as I couldn't stand Sam's infuriatingly hypocritical attitude to Danny's suspicions of him, I'd kill to see your spin on it.

Aw, thank you! Danyal Al Ghul aus are what got me into DPDC first, so I have a major soft spot for them. That being said, uh, its exactly that soft spot that causes me to have Many Opinions about the trope you just mentioned. Like the trope is all fine and dandy, i don't blindly hate it, my main issue with it is that most aus i've seen treat his backstory as an ex-assassin more like a pretty cosmetic accessory rather than something that actually should have had an impact on him. Especially if he remembers being in the league.

Like i cannot stress enough the fact that being in an ecofascist assassin cult (regardless of his standing in it) should've left him, in some way or another, screwed up morally and psychologically because that's just how development works. Nature vs. Nurture is like a game of tug-o-war that never ends, where they are constantly fighting against each other and one side usually has the upper hand or greater influence. Children model the behaviors of the adults around them (ex: bobo the clown doll experiment), and what impacts them in childhood can stick with them permanently.

Like how my psychology professor put it: a baby's brain is like wet cement; if you slap your hand on it, it leaves an imprint, and the cement dries that way. The same rings true for small children.

I could go on, but I frankly have so many thoughts on that alone that I would end up completely derailing from the second half of your ask, and I don't want to be more critical than I already have. Especially since you just mentioned you have a soft spot for the trope.

[Okay, hold onto your hats because this is long. Naturally lmao.]

Gregor! Man, I'll admit I last watched the show back in middle school on a dodgy illegal website (it had surprisingly good audio and visual graphics, and full episodes. But really annoying porn ads.) but I only made it to like season 1 before my hyperfixation faded and I lost interest. So I never actually saw the Gregor episode.

But... it is relatively easy to find free websites that stream Danny Phantom :), so finding the episode took me like. Thirty seconds. Plus the Tv.Tropes recap page because my damn earbuds just died and im out in public as of rn.

I'm not sure if I'll write something for the gregor episode like I did with Dani, since Dani's a bit of a special case in that she's a clone and tends to be a reoccurring presence in DPDC, and I thought the new dynamic with Danyal would be interesting.

Plus, I'm not a big amethyst ocean shipper for the pure reason of I'm just not all that interested in it; its kinda bland to me. I'll admit I've entertained the thought in this au due to the whole balcony scene i wrote, but I would've entertained the thought anyways if it was Tucker in that position instead. Big multishipper, me.

But, if I had to make it official? Danyal is not interested romantically in Sam when the Gregor episode happens, regardless of his relationship with Valerie. Who, speaking of I'm trying to think about how that would go, and I'm torn between including him almost-dating Valerie or not.

Because on one hand it helps point out Sam's hypocrisy (and i love her but i am always happy to point out her flaws and address them in au) in this episode in terms of Danny spying on them, but on the other hand I'll want to include a lot of set up in order to make Gray Ghost work in this au and wow will that take a while.

Especially with the Flirting with Disaster episode because it happens due to Technus' meddling, and Danny is, well, the son of the Batman? A trained assassin? An ex-assassin nonetheless, but still an assassin? A prodigy child in this au? He might not have needed to use most of his skills in the last few years, but like... there's just a bunch of 'what if' and 'well technically...' and 'would he? he could, but would he?' things that is getting in the way of my thought process and making my head spin.

Mmm. Okay. Flirting with Disaster occurs relatively the same as canon with a few exceptions; like Danyal noticing the strange coincidences, and he might take the idea into proper consideration because Sam has a point it is strange, especially out of nowhere.

However,,, he really enjoys Valerie's company, and he does really like her. He's been adjusting to civilian life for the last four years and while he's made a lot of progress, he's still. an ex-assassin child living like a wolf amongst sheep. This is normal, typical teenager stuff, and usually his friends like to encourage him doing normal teenager stuff.

So he's stubbornly holding out on the thought that this is normal, that ghost stuff isn't interfering here. He's a little hurt that his friends are discouraging this, he's not bothered by the fact that Valerie is a ghost hunter and he a ghost -- his mother is an assassin, and his father is Batman, and they still had a relationship. (Granted, he's not gonna tell them that)

If anything, being diametrically opposed to each other but still being in love is part of the family! Granted, usually both parties are aware of said opposition to each other, but he'll make a special exception this time around.

(And man now that i'm thinking about gray ghost, im now thinking about various like. scenes i could write between the two of them. maybe in a reblog.)

Anyways uhhh things relatively go the same as canon. Yeah. I think Sam still has a crush on Danny and still spies out of jealousy with Tucker.

Now, the Gregor episode! With that out of the way; the TVTropes recap for this episode isn't the best because it doesn't go into detail about the entire episode like it does with Flirting With Disaster and Shades of Gray.

(which i looked at earlier because I made a section of this post talking briefly about what changes I'd make to the Shades of Gray episode to help set up Gray Ghost, but ended up deleting because it was kinda irrelevant for the matter at hand.)

So I'm taking in bits of the episode clips at a time, I'll try not to get too nitpicky about how each scene goes because then it's gonna take me a longer time to write this.

But! First thing's first; since Danny is not romantically interested in Sam, he is also not jealous of Gregor. He is however, a bit eyebrow-raisey at him in their first introduction, but that's because Gregor is coming off as obnoxious.

Danny thinks he's kinda annoying, and it doesn't take a genius to see that Gregor is trying to impress Sam. But since they've only known him for five minutes he takes the good faith assumption and assumes that Gregor is genuinely trying to show interest in Sam's interests too because he likes her, so he keeps mum. The fake hungarian accent is weird, but it's overall harmless, so he doesn't point it out.

He does do the spying thing when he starts suspecting that Gregor might be working for the GIW. The episode only has this happen twice, but for the au this happens a handful of more times over the course of the week, with Danyal's suspicion steadily rising more and more each time.

Hah, when he brings up wanting to spy on Sam and Gregor because of this reason, Tucker still does his "woah! you wanna spy on Sam?" thing.

Danny immediately turns to him, completely unimpressed, and crosses his arms. "Tucker," he says, deadpan, "you and Sam spied on me and Valerie."

He uses a combination of his ghost powers and his regular stealth ability to spy on them. He's hiding in a tree when they're skipping rocks, close enough that he can use his powers to hear them talk but far enough away that he has a good view of their surroundings.

He's invisible in the cinema, but doesn't accidentally get in front of the projector. He checks the inside of the room for the GIW, and then waits outside the actual room itself, keeping an eye on the area and occasionally flying in to watch the movie out of boredom. It reminds him of being back on a recon mission with the League, but it doesn't end with him orchestrating someone's death.

Then when they're at the mall he stays in human form, blending in with the crowd. He runs into the GIW there, but realizes that they're not there because of Gregor; they're just shopping. They didn't show up at either of the last two locations, and he follows them to make sure they're not also trying to blend in. But they're literally just there for shopping.

Danny is rather pleased with this turnout; so far Gregor isn't a spy, he's just annoying. The next day at lunch he asks Sam how her date with Gregor went, and that's how she figures out he spied on them, because well, she didn't tell him that.

"Have you been spying on me?"

Danny messes with his food a little bit, and Tucker is sinking into his seat with embarrassment. He frowns, "Only last night. Those incompetent government dodos--"

His lip curls up; he gets all 'Shakespeare-y' (as Sam and Tucker put it) when he's insulting someone, "--kept appearing whenever Gregor did. I followed you and him last night to make sure he wasn't a spy."

A roundabout way of saying, "I was worried".

Sam is, as canon, furious. Danny understands why, he knows generally speaking that people don't like being spied on. But he's confused on just how angry she is, and is a little irritated by it.

"Why would you do that!" She exclaims, "That's way out of line, Danny."

"How? You spied on me when I was going on dates with Valerie." He narrows his eyes, and points his fork at her, "I'm not blind, I noticed."

"That's different, we told you why we were suspicious. And we don't have ghost powers like you do."

"I don't need ghost powers to sneak around, Sam, you've seen this firsthand. And I just told you why I followed you, I thought he was working with the guys in white--"

"So you think someone can only be interested in me if they're after you?" (this is a paraphrased quote, folks ;D)

"No! If that was the case I would have voiced my concern the moment I thought it. I don't get why you're so angry, you spied too."

Iiits.... a mess. Sam storms off with Gregor, Tucker tags along because okay, yeah, maybe Gregor isn't with the GIW, or maybe last night was a fluke. Either way he ends up tagging along. Danny overhears that conversation between the GIW and Mr. Lancer, and maybe he's right, maybe he's wrong; but something is up.

I've gotten to that scene in the locker room where Gregor tells Danny that he knows he doesn't like him, and I've paused at Danny's reply to say this: Danyal doesn't even bother trying to deny it.

"I know you do not like me."

"You're right; I don't."

"Ah, let me finish. I know you do not like me because you want to protect your friend, Sam, and I respect that."

"...That's correct."

"Good! Because I am going to ask her out."

"I had a feeling you'd say that," he stands up, claps his hand tight on Gregor's shoulder, and leans close to him with a threatening smile, "so you understand me when i say; if you break my best friend's heart, you're as good as dead, right?"

"Ah,, yes. I am so glad we got that cleared out of the way, and now I hope after we can.. how you Americans put it, hang out?"

In the episode he hugs Danny and gives him a la bise (which is that french greeting where you kiss someone on the cheek two or more times) after they end their conversation. But here, when he goes to do that to Danyal, Danny leans away, points an accusatory finger at him, and says; "Absolutely not; we are not close."

The next scene after that is like, end of day. Sam, Tucker, and Gregor walking away. Sam looks over her shoulder to glare at Danny, then gets forlorn. Tucker looks back and just looks forlorn.

(When did I start narrating each scene?? Eh, I'm writing this in brief spurts of time throughout the day. Don't fix what's not broke)

After that there's this whole scene with the two GIW agents that have been chasing Phantom all episode. They're there because they have Tucker's PDA that Skulker took, and it's got the information of their purple backed gorilla assignment on it. They've been going around seeing who Tucker associates with in hopes of catching Phantom.

Uhh ahaha and that is where this gets a little interesting imo, and also allows me to mention that im retconning Danyal's (already) redesigned ghost form. Which I've wanted to retcon even before this moment bc it was just too busy. I'll get to that in a moment.

The GIW suspect Gregor for being the Phantom because of his white hair and green eyes, which is all fine and dandy until you remember: Danyal (and by extension Phantom) has that very noticeable, rather identifiable facial scar that goes across the middle of his fucking face. The GIW could easily suspect that Phantom hides his scar with makeup if he's in disguise, but if they meet a kid with a seemingly identical facial scar and similar disposition? Hoo boy.

Solution? I've got two: Gregor is canonically a kid from Michigan who faked everything to impress Sam. Considering he knows she's gothic and knows that she's ultra-recyclo vegetarian? He probably watched her from afar or got information on her somehow. His hair is dyed, his eyes might just naturally be green, but if he notices that she's got a crush on either Danyal or Phantom? A little sfx makeup could help him recreate a similar looking scar.

My second solution that's gonna happen anyways bc its that suit redesign; Danyal does hide his face as Phantom. Ghosts are emotional creatures and its a popular headcanon that their interests, ambitions, etc, influence the way they look as a ghost, not just their death. A big reoccurring theme of my au is that Danyal did not leave the League unscathed, and that being an assassin is an important part of his identity.

So i'm discarding the hazmat suit look entirely and leaning into the 'assassin' thing. But the general (stylized) feel is like, white ribbon/cloth vambraces that he has used as a garrote at some point, a hood, a gaiter scarf-type thing. I'm keeping the cape. I did a doodle a few days back that's not the official redesign, but a redesign for Phantom. I may reblog this post with that attached because it's got the general feel down. There's very little white involved, but the inside of his cape flares out and looks like the night sky.

Now, the hood and gaiter scarf gets rid of most of the problem, but Danny's hood doesn't stay on all the time, so the GIW have likely seen the upper half of the scar. :] Gregor's own drawn-on scar doesn't have to be 1:1, but it looks close enough, right? A small scar cutting through the edge of his brow and ends right below the corner of his eye. A 'cool, badass' one opposed to Danny's 'garish' scar.

But! Back to the episode scene. Canon Danny gets written off as being 'too prepubescent' to be Phantom, and honestly it'd be hilarious if Danyal was written off for the same reason (he's calling them idiots in his head if they do). But instead -- leaning into the GIW's incompetence here -- he gets written off as being too mature or too talkative. Or something equally as absurd.

Sam breaks up with Gregor for canon reasons, but when Gregor does his "i really like you, but, come on-!" and gestures to tucker, he adds on "and that scary friend of yours too, seriously!"

Things go relatively the same as canon after that. Danny does end up apologizing for spying, however. Sam does it first. Sorrows, prayers, all that.

Things usually end up changed or different when I actually write it down, so I'd likely add more or adjust different scenes according to the flow of the oneshot. This is just like, a general vibe of how things would go, and where some of the more obvious changes would be if I did write this oneshot.

Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for the ask :]

#dp x dc #dpxdc #dpxdc crossover #danyal al ghul au #danyal al ghul #i dont even mind the trope that danny becomes like his canon self i just want *some* kind of impact on him. but as it stands most aus i've #seen lowkey treat his assassin background as an accessory. like dyeing your hair or piercing your ears. that being said its also a silly #au where they're brothers and are related to each other and thus doesn't have to be that deep at all! im just bored of seeing the same thin #all the time. especially considering danny is usually depicted as the paler/whiter passing twin and being the 'kinder. more compassionate'#one between the two of them. give me danny who suffered crises of morality! danny whose morally darker than a cloud #morally orange and blue danny who sooner understands 'dont litter' than 'dont murder'. arrogant danny! he dotes on the people he loves but #is an utter bitch to everyone else and thus has to learn to be kinder. danny discovering himself outside being an assassin #his brother remembers a kind and compassionate older brother because thats how danny interacted with him. But danny had no qualms turning #around and slicing the tendons of one of the other assassins because of smth they did that displeased him.#he can still be like his canon self but shouldn't there be something that stays behind? Lingering like a blast shadow?#danny who carries weapons on him always even though he knows he doesn't need it but it makes him feel safer.#danny who spits out the oddest. most foreboding shit sometimes and his friends just stare at him and go 'bro what the fuck??'#idk if i can share the website where i found the episodes bc of risk of copyright. but just search up #'where can i watch danny phantom for free' and look for a reddit post with that question. the comments give website options.#i keep thinking about gray ghost now. valerie finds herself becoming a member of the 'danny fenton protection squad' with sam and tucker #danny takes a page from his beloved mother's book and calls his partners 'beloved' and equally sappy pet names.#he also throws the BIGGEST shitstorm of the century when he finds out about what Axion Labs did to the dogs. hoo boy.

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dreamwatch · 7 months

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STWG daily drabble - 28/09/23

Prompt: horse

Warnings: mentions of chronic pain

This is the longest thing I have ever shared, and the weirdest thing I have ever written. I have literally zero idea where this came from. It's not beta'd, apologies for typos etc. This is just shy of 2.5k words, so yeah... not so Drabble actually.

****

“So, what’s on your mind today, Eddie?”

He sees Doctor Pearcey every Wednesday at 2pm. Has done now for two months. And it’s the first thing she says to him every time he sits down. What’s on your mind today, Eddie? He’s responded in various ways. With anger. With humour. With distrust. On one particularly memorable day, with silence, which Doctor Pearcey matched in spades. The two of them sat there for an hour and didn’t say a single word. Eddie wanted to peel his skin off about ten minutes into it.

He’s in more pain than usual today, has a lower tolerance for her psychobabble mumbo jumbo, so he’s already looking to derail the session before he gets in the room.

“Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?” Eddie asks her.

“No, I haven’t. Have you?”

“Hmm, couple of times.”

There’s silence for a minute or so. It’s like they’re playing therapy chicken, who gives in and speaks first? It’s usually him.

“I like them. Like how fast they are, you know? How free you feel on them.” He digs his thumb into the leather of the armchair, leaving little crescent nail marks.

“And what’s got you thinking about that today?”

The beautiful purple Kawasaki he passed on his way here today would be the easy answer. But when did he ever do anything easy?

“Wayne hates them. I’ve been wanting one for years, but he begged me not to. Asked me to wait till I was twenty one. I think he thought I would just grow out of it.”

“And have you?”

“Fuck no. I want one more than ever.”

She waits.

“I’m twenty one next week, and I won’t be getting a motorcycle because my leg is fucked, and I can’t twist or move properly.” He doesn’t bother hiding the bitterness. “It doesn’t matter, I mean, it’s whatever at this point, just another thing I can’t do, add it to the fucking pile, right?”

He changes the subject and she follows along behind waiting for breadcrumbs. Eventually their time comes to an end and he’s desperate to get out.

“Do you trust me, Eddie?”

He lets out an incredulous laugh. “You work for the spook agency that started this fucking nightmare. So, no, not really.”

She smiles back. “That’s fair.” She walks to her desk and scribbles a note before handing it to him. Eddie takes it from her like it’s poisonous.

“Meet me at that address on Sunday. Two PM. I’ll be waiting.”

And that is definitely not how the sessions usually end.

——

Wayne is working so Steve offers to take him. And Eddie isn’t going to say no to spending some time with him, especially when he’s walking into the unknown. Although the unknown appears to be…

“A horse sanctuary? Why the fuck does she want to meet you at a horse sanctuary?”

“Maybe she’s going to shoot me and put me out of my misery.”

Steve slaps him against the chest with the back of his hand. “Dude.”

“Sorry.”

He sees her standing at a fence watching a couple of horses wander around the paddock. The ground is a little rough below his feet and his leg has been a complete nightmare all week, so Steve walks with him, hand gently resting at Eddie’s elbow as he traverses the uneven ground with his cane. It makes him grateful and fucking furious all at the same time. Such is his life these days.

“You came. I’m glad,” she says, smiling brightly.

“Well, my curiosity door was opened,” replies Eddie and Steve stifles a laugh beside him.

Steve heads back to the car, squeezes Eddie’s elbow gently, before saying goodbye to the Doc. She watches the exchange intently, and Eddie feels entirely scrutinised. He hasn’t spoken about Steve in the sessions, has no intention of doing so and the last person he would want to know about it is someone that works for the fucking feds.

“So, why am I here, exactly?”

“I thought you might like to get out of that stuffy office for a change. You never seem very comfortable.”

Eddie laughs. “Uh huh, and what is it that gave you the impression I’d be comfortable in a field full of horses?”

She shrugs. “Humour me.”

See, it was shit like that that drove Eddie crazy. Humour me. It’s Sunday. Right now he could be lying on his bed playing guitar, reading, hanging out with Steve. He could be jerking off. All of which was preferable to standing in a field full of horseshit.

“Okay, well I’m not in a humorous mood, so I’m going to leave you to your equine endeavours.” He turns to leave.

“There’s someone I want you to meet. Before you go. Will only take a minute.” The Doc waves at a stable hand and a few minutes later Eddie is face to face with a beautiful white horse.

“I swear to god, if you tell me his name is Shadowfax…”

She laughs. “No, this is Tony. Tony, meet Eddie.” Tony whinnies, nodding his head up and down, his mane blowing gently in the wind. Eddie smiles. God damn her.

Eddie reaches over the fence to stroke Tony. This gorgeous, graceful animal, and it’s called fucking Tony.

“He’s beautiful. How come he’s here?”

“He was a race horse, I believe. But he was slow, didn’t make his owners any money. So now he gets to live here and lead a good life.”

“Doesn’t he miss racing? Like, aren’t they bred for that? What does he do all day if he can’t race anymore?”

“It wasn’t meant to be. But he’s patient, and kind and now he helps people learn to ride. And he’s very, very good at that.” She turns to face him, one arm hooked over the fence. “You said you were disappointed at not being able to ride a motorcycle? Correct?”

Where the fuck was this going?

“Yeah… ?”

“Why ride a steel horse when you can ride the real thing?”

Eddie splutters. “You have to be kidding me?” She just keeps smiling. He stares at her, open mouthed and wide eyed. “You’re fucking serious?”

“I’m fucking serious,” she says, with a glint of mischief. “You wanted the freedom and the excitement of riding. Well, I’m offering it to you. Or, Tony’s offering it to you, really.”

He looks between her and Tony. “Did you miss the part about my leg being fucked? How the hell am I even supposed to get up there? And what if I fall? No, absolutely not.”

The Doc gives him a long hard stare. “Do you trust me?” she ask him.

“No.”

“The sanctuary has a programme for disabled riders. Tony is the best of the best. You’d be perfectly safe. Come on, Eddie. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“This was… very nice, I guess, of you to think about this, but no. Sorry. It’s not the same as a bike, like at all. I have control of the bike, my bike can’t just run off and start jumping over fences and shit.”

“No, but your bike’s not smart. Tony is smart. He’s kind. He feels his rider, he knows what they need, knows when they’re scared. He fills in the gaps, takes the lead when a rider needs it, hands them back control when they don’t. He can guide you. Look after you. Your bike can’t do that.”

He feels his resolve wane. He sighs. Animals, they get him every time.

“People get hurt riding horses.”

“Sure, but they don’t call motorbikes donorcycles for nothing, Eddie.” Touché.

He shakes his head, this is such a stupid idea, but eventually that little pixie voice in his head just says fuck it, and within fifteen minutes he’s wearing a very unflattering helmet, climbing a mounting block and being helped into the saddle on Tony’s back.

He feels like he’s going to slip off the other side, and every time Tony moves his head forward toward the ground Eddie panics because it feels like he’ll just lean forward and drop like a rock to the ground. It's incredibly disorienting.

Eddie grips the reins so hard he sees his knuckles go white until the instructor shows him how to hold them properly. They show him how to guide Tony but ultimately Tony is doing all the work here, Eddie is just along for the ride.

He’s led around the paddock, and yeah, he feels stupid at first, self conscious sitting up in the air for everyone to see. But eventually he gets into the swing of it, and it’s… nice. Nerve wracking, but nice.

They’re going at walking speed, he can feel the rhythmic sway of Tony’s body, and it’s comforting. Why is it comforting? It’s not exactly the Kentucky Derby, but he can’t stop himself from grinning.

Eddie knows fuck all about horses, less than fuck all actually, but if he didn’t know better he’d say that Tony was enjoying himself. And as much as he hates that she’s right, he feels at peace. Feels like he trusts this animal, who he literally just met, but who seems to be having a ball wandering around with this asshole on his back.

“Wanna pick it up a bit?” asks the instructor and Eddie’s about to say ‘fuck no’ when Tony comes to a stop. Like he knows Eddie’s not sure. Eddie strokes along Tony’s thick, white mane, and pats his shoulder.

“Eurgh, yeah, shit, okay,” he says before leaning forward and whispering in Tony’s ear, “look after me, okay? Cause I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing up here.” Tony answers with a swooping nod of the head and then they’re off.

They’re barely going any faster as Tony trots around the paddock, but Eddie can definitely feel the difference. The soft, comforting sway has been replaced by a harder jolt. He’s going to pay for it tomorrow, can already feel it in his hips and back, and he hasn’t got the strength in his leg to properly push up from the stirrups, but it doesn’t matter.

The last time he was on a motorcycle he was seventeen, and it belonged to a friend of Reefer Rick’s. He was riding pillion and they were going way over the speed limit, and he’d never felt more alive, more free. He was young enough and dumb enough to think he’d never get hurt. He was invincible at seventeen. He wasn’t even a little bit scared of falling off. The folly of youth.

In three short years the folly of youth has been replaced with constant dread and a little bit of paranoia.

This isn’t the same as that careless charge up the highway, not by a long shot, but it’s exciting in it’s own way, like going on a roller coaster instead of walking through an alternate universe.

He feels at peace. A moment in time when he’s not having to think about doctors appointments, worrying about Wayne, worrying about his future. His life has got so small since March. The kids are at school and he’s not, but he can’t work so he spends endless unfilled hours at home, waiting for other people to have space for him.

The constant churn in his mind slows, his thoughts empty, his worries silence.

They go back to a steady walk, Tony’s body lilting from side to side, a gentle rock. Eddie already loves him. He’s a fucking sap. Horses? Rich people pets? No way man, not for him. But this guy, this is Eddie’s guy now.

As they turn in the paddock he sees Steve leaning over the fence, grinning.

“Nice hat!” Asshole.

Eddie flips him off but Steve just laughs, sunglasses pushed back up on his head. Steve can read him like a book, and Eddie knows he can see it. The complicated emotions today is bringing out in him. The joy and the excitement and the little bit of sadness. Steve raises his eyebrows, that little silent okay? Eddie smiles shyly and nods in response. They’ll talk properly later, when Eddie is trying to unpack everything.

It’s over too soon. Eddie’s helped down and fuck, yeah he’s in a little pain now, but Jesus it was so worth it. He pats Tony, strokes his neck, tells him what a beautiful boy he is, and Tony leans over nudges his nose against the side of Eddie’s face. There is a conversation happening between them, just this little quiet acknowledgement of something. Eddie doesn’t want to leave him. He feels… changed, weirdly. Like it was spiritual. Like something inside him got cracked open just a little.

“So?”

Doctor Pearcey stands behind him, looking pretty pleased with herself.

He tilts his head to the side, makes a big show of it. “Yeah, it was okay.” Eddie knows she sees through his bullshit. They’ll be talking about this next week. No need to go through it all now.

They head back to the car, Steve at his elbow again, and Doctor Pearcey hands him a card with the sanctuary number on. “Just in case you’d like to come back.”

He does. Wayne is going to enjoy giving him shit, and he doesn’t even want to think of the number of jockey jokes in his future, but he really does want to do this again.

The car ride is quiet on the way home, just the sound of some top forty shit in the background, but Eddie’s mind is elsewhere. He feels still, his head is clear and quiet. Ridiculously relaxed.

“How’s your ass?” asks Steve.

Eddie grins. “Haven’t had any complaints.”

“Jesus Christ.” But he’s laughing. They’re both laughing.

“So, you want to do it again? We can make it regular, I’ll just make sure Keith doesn’t schedule me for Sundays.”

Eddie stares at the side of Steve’s face. This guy. This fucking guy.

“You’d do that?”

“Of course I would.” Steve looks studiously out at the road, hands firmly at ten and two. “I’d do anything for you.”

Eddie feels like he’s skipped a breath, but tentatively reaches his hand across the console and pokes at Steve’s thigh. Steve takes a hand off the wheel, reaches blindly to find Eddie’s, gives it a little squeeze before letting go. They don’t look at each other.

He leans back in his seat, imagines Tony, galloping, mane trailing behind him in the wind. Just beautiful.

Why the fuck did they call him Tony?

#stwgdailyprompt #steddie #steddie fanfiction #eddie munson #steve harrington #cw chronic pain #stranger things #not really that angsty #little bit fluffy in places #who am I?#my writing #dreamy writes

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digitalcactusblog · 6 months

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Trick or treat! 🧛

TRICK OR TREAT!!!

okay so. not to bring up the elephant in the room that is my still as-of-yet unfinished Hades-inspired ff7, but when i first came up with the idea, i had a little idea-friend to it that also came with, that came out of the thought process of "huh, what other indie games could i crossover ff7 with?"

spiritfarer is a very pretty indie game where you play as a ship captain trying to help the spirits who come aboard your ship address their past and, eventually, cross over into the afterlife

with this idea in hand, my brain immediately derailed off the deep end, and so the snippet i have that i'm actually still really goddamn proud of has no boats or anything, because this is genesis' side of the story (angeal gets to have the actual spiritfarer side of things because he's dead as a fucking doornail)

under a readmore because it's about to get long XD

Genesis does not know where to go.

It’s not an altogether unfamiliar feeling, these days. Living in a world where Shinra is but a figment of a nightmare of the past, where the exclusive apartment allocated to him in Shinra Tower as part of the benefits of being a SOLDIER First has long been destroyed, first gutted out by perfunctory cleaners after his desertion, then thoroughly, utterly wiped out alongside Midgar during what the quaint survivors are now calling Advent Day. Genesis is, at this point, no stranger to directionless, purposeless wandering, of being at a loss as to what to do in the face of a reality that has no need of him anymore; a reality that he has never, in his wildest dreams, conceived of.

The circumstances now, however, are very, very new.

He does what most of the denizens of this broken-down, rebuilt city of Edge do, when faced with something beyond their normal ken.

He goes to find Cloud Strife.

Later, he will argue that he should be forgiven for forgetting the time of day; that most people don’t tend to be up and about at four in the morning.

The joke is on them; Genesis simply never sleeps.

He’s slept for long enough.

For now, he slams his fist against the door, over and over, just on this edge of not being strong enough to dent it. Again and again, especially when there’s no response. Because he knows Strife can hear him.

“Open up, you little–!” he cuts himself off, with a glance at his newfound cargo.

Then the door swings open.

“Usually when you’re asking for someone’s help,” Strife says, wearing an off-white, oversized t-shirt and faded chocobo boxers, “you don’t try to insult them right off the bat.”

“And usually when you knock on a door, you get a response,” Genesis replies.

“It’s four fucking AM, Genesis. What’s so important it can’t wait–”

Strife’s eyes zero in on his arms. At the small creature in his arms.

At the small, silver-haired creature in his arms.

Cloud Strife, hero of Gaia several times over, announces, “Nope,” and slams the door shut–

–on Genesis’ boot. He’ll kill the man himself if he finds scuff marks on them later. For now, he leads with his shoulder and forces the door open, and pretends that Strife is jumping back out of his way because the man holds at least some amount of respect for his superiors.

“Absolutely fucking not,” Strife continues, pointing a sword—where the fuck did that come from—at his arms. "Why did you come to me.”

Do I look like someone who knows what to do with children?” Genesis demands, half-hysterical because it’s four in the morning and his beloved Goddess has apparently seen fit to gift him with a baby, a baby he is far beyond woefully unprepared to deal with.

#ff7 #sephiroth #angeal hewley #genesis rhapsodos #my writing #asks #THANK YOU FOR THE ASK AND ALSO FUCK I KINDA REALLY WANT TO KEEP WRITING THIS NOW???? WHY AM I LIKE THIS. WHY DID I STOP. I WANT MORE

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dragynkeep · 8 months

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(1/2) If you don't mind me sharing some more thoughts on your Everafter AU, including some constructive criticism on how Penny's time in the Ever After ends: I feel like Curious staying in the Ever After while Penny returns to Remnant wouldn't really work, because even if Curious' heart was fixed by Penny's time with them, they're immortal and they would still have their insatiable curiosity, with no way of answering their present and future questions while remaining trapped in a realm that they've already known top to bottom for eons: the way I see it, once Penny's presence leaves Curious' immortal life in the Ever After, then it could take centuries or millennia, but it would only be a matter of time until Curious starts mentally and emotionally suffering from their situation again and they eventually end up back at square one. It reminds me of an argument the cast of Coeur Al'Aran's 'White Sheep' posed about Salem's redemption: that the above scenario would basically happen to the fic's pseudo-redeemed Salem after she started outliving her new husband, all her eight children and her descendants, even if it took centuries for her to reach her breaking point again; unless the cast ended her immortality first.

(2/2) I feel like the only real way Curious can gain permanent peace and redemption in your AU is if Penny takes Curious with her through the door out of the Ever After, fulfilling Alyx's broken promise at long last. (From what little we know in canon V9 about Curious and Alyx's relationship and the broken promise, it seems to me that a Remnantian can carry the Cat through the door with them consensually, and that the reason Curious never considered this option again after killing Alyx in favour of solely turning to bodyjacking was because Curious' pain, rage and newfound Tragic Bigotry made them absolutely refuse to believe any human would ever go that far for them when Alyx did not.) As for the question of what'll happen to the Ever After now that its psychopomp and heart-healer has been removed from the ecosystem (one of the many things V9 refused to address, and yet another reason why Post-Character Derailment Team RWBY are narcissistic, mass-destructive monsters whom are far more fit to be the antagonists than the actual villains :P)... well, I imagine the Blacksmith could repurpose another ascended Afteran to take over the Curious Cat's duties without the Brothers' design flaws that made Curious go insane. Maybe Somewhat, given Little's relationship with Ruby. Once Penny and Curious are through the door, I can imagine Curious and the Blacksmith finally get a direct face-to-face for the first time ever, and the Blacksmith can give the Cat some closure by answering their questions about why the Brothers left and abandoned them. I think any one of several things could ultimately happen to the Cat after going through the door: 1. Curious accompanies Penny to Remnant, seeing it at long last, and they become a permanent supporting character. 2. Since Curious' design flaw of being unable to ascend because the Brothers didn't make them with a connection to ascension has effectively been bypassed by Penny bringing them to the Blacksmith's realm, the Blacksmith is able to finally ascend Curious, promising to make sure that Curious' new incarnation in the Ever After won't have the immortality and other fatal design flaws that the Brothers left in them. 3. The Blacksmith offers Curious a chance to stay with them in their realm permanently, where - given the Ever Tree's Yggdrasil motif and the Blacksmith's ability to open a portal to a desired location on Remnant - Curious would be able to observe any and all of creation for eternity via windows, resolving the problem of Curious' mental state suffering when they can't learn new things. And who knows, this whole "watching creation" deal would mean that Curious really would be always able to watch and be with Penny wherever she is on Remnant after they've parted ways. Sorry, just had to share these.

Don't be sorry to share these, I enjoy critiquing and talking about my projects and AUs with people who're interested.

And yeah, what you have to say does make sense, in that the Cat never getting the answers they need to move on wouldn't be a good conclusion to their story. I made it that way because I just phased the Brother Gods out of my mind and don't want to think about them.

But, I think changing it so that they get to at least meet the Blacksmith first, and shown how they changed through their friendship with Penny, would be a good ending even if they don't go to Remnant with them. Because I don't want Curious to go to Remnant to be honest because that's not where they belong.

Their home is the Ever After, and they can make a life there without having to attach themselves to the first thing that comes along. First with Alyx, and then with Penny. Only Penny allowing them to find the answers and push the Ever After to be a place where the people can make their own paths without having to hit the reset button would show the message more than just treating the Ever After like stage dressing that Curious has to leave.

#rwby #penny polendina #curious cat #au: everafter penny #answered #luke.txt

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ask-spider-lore · 2 years

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"Hey, Lore..."

Peter Parker is on his way to his English class, hands in pockets, eyes firmly fixated on the floor in front of him, when a sly, almost teasing voice cuts through the cacophony of white noise.

He stops in his tracks.

There are only two people that call him Lore, and that voice did not sound like Gwen Stacy nor Henry Osborne, which means one thing...

This must be MJ. The girl who's cryptic message had been haunting him for days.

Peter slowly turns his head around, looking for the source of the voice, but finds no one addressing him. All he sees is the horde of his fellow high schoolers, a sea of people pushing past him on the way to their classes. He notices a shock of bright red hair disappear into the middle distance, but nothing else.

After a couple seconds of searching for that distinctive crimson shade, Peter decides to quit being a roadblock and get to class. He'd figure this out later, he tells himself.

...

Peter takes a moment to thank his lucky stars that his Aunt May respects his privacy, because after a long and overwhelming day at school, he really needed some alone time.

Recalibrating his senses was not the only reason he needed to be alone, however. His web shooters had broken the day before, and they required a bit of tinkering. He allowed himself to enter a sort of flow state, fiddling with his tools and humming to himself as he worked on various fixes and upgrades, until his train of thought was violently derailed by... singing.

"Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can..."

Peter jolts in his seat and rushes to obscure his mechanical project with his body as he turns to see an auburn skinned girl with a dramatic poof of hair that was dyed a familiar shade of red. She leaned on his door frame, smirking at him mischievously.

There's only one thought that enters Peter's mind. This must be MJ.

Realizing that, if he weren't Spider-Man, he'd have no way to know who this is, he opts to begin the conversation with:

"Who the hell are you?"

"Now, now," MJ tuts. "That's no way to greet a new friend."

"That is a way to greet someone you don't know who just showed up in your apartment."

"Oh! I must've forgotten my manners. The name's Mary Jane Watson, but you... can call me MJ." She says it teasingly, as if waiting for a reaction. Peter refuses to give her one, frustration churning in his stomach.

"Say, what's that?" MJ points at the web shooter behind Peter.

"It's a personal project," Peter lies.

"Oh, neat!" She begins to approach him, and he begins to panic. Before he can react, she reaches out her hand.

"What does that button do?"

"Don't press that-"

She presses the button. Immediately a blast of web fluid fires out of the nozzle, sticking firmly on his bedroom wall. MJ turns and smiles at him, like a child who had just been caught doing something bad and was not sorry in the slightest. She turns and shuts the bedroom door, offering them some much needed privacy.

Peter throws up his hands, cursing himself for being so easily outmaneuvered. "Alright, MJ, you got me. What do you want?"

MJ blinks.

"You... do want something from me, right?"

"I honestly didn't think I'd make it this far."

Peter can't help it. He laughs. Loudly, unapologetically, and to be perfectly honest, rather rudely at that.

MJ scowls. "Hey, cut me some slack! What would you do if your neighbor was a superhero?"

As Peter's giggles subside, he for some reason fixates on a very particular part of the question. "You're my neighbor?"

"Y-yeah. Right next door. Your aunt and my mom go out for drinks, like, every Friday. Did you really not notice?"

"I don't... really pay attention to people..." Peter rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well... how about starting now?" She extends her hand. "Hi, I'm MJ, and I'd like to be your friend."

Peter arches an eyebrow. "That easy?"

"That easy!"

He pauses, but eventually decides to shake on it. She smiles, wide and bright so that her dimples are visible, and he tries to ignore the flutter in his chest when he sees it.

"You can call me Lore," he says.

#spidersona #my writing #mj arc

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screendimdotcom · 2 months

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In a cinematic landscape where suspension of disbelief is often the price of admission, the 2020 thriller "Run" demands not just suspension but outright catapulting of disbelief into the stratosphere. Directed by Aneesh Chaganty, this film attempts to weave a tale of suspense and maternal manipulation but ends up serving a hodgepodge of plot holes so large, you could pilot the Starship Enterprise through them.

First off, let's address the elephant in the room – or rather, the completely ignored elephant stampede. Our protagonist, Chloe, portrayed with commendable effort by Kiera Allen, somehow manages to overlook the glaringly obvious fact that her mother, played by Sarah Paulson with the subtlety of a neon sign in a monastery, is up to no good. The villainy is so over-played I half expected Sarah to be stood in a corner at one point, twirling a mustache between her fingers. The audience is expected to believe that Chloe, despite being a tech-savvy teenager, never once Googles her own medical condition until the plot decides it's convenient for her to do so.

Then there's the matter of the mysteriously replenishing stock of dangerous drugs and medical equipment in their house. The mother, Diane, seems to have an Amazon Prime account with unlimited next-day delivery to the middle of Nowheresville, USA, for all her illicit pharmaceutical needs. It's as if the filmmakers expect us to believe that every suburban home comes equipped with a fully stocked pharmacy hidden behind the kitchen cabinets, just between the cereal boxes and the canned soup.

One of the drugs, which is solely to blame for Chloe's legs, was prescribed under the pretense that Diane has a dog which is in pain… but we're also led to believe that Chloe has been taking these drugs for years. So nobody questions where Diane's dog is? Has there even been a dog? Nobody mentions never seeing Diane with a dog? How long has this dog supposedly been in pain for? Is it the same dog over all these years?

At one point, the film shows Diane in the shower with a scarred back - this also never gets explained (eventually I found that there's a deleted scene which gives a very throwaway explanation about it - she's also a child of abuse).

While I'm at it, what happens to the postman? We know Diane knocks him out but is he alive or dead? We see Diane dragging a bloodied body away but did she actually finish him off or not?

Oh, and why did Chloe go through the whole process of taking a soldering kit to ultimately break a window? It's like the film just needed an excuse to remind us that Chloe is, in fact, a rather clever girl… So clever she doesn't think to just use the handle of the soldering kit to break a window instead of a stupid science experiment.

Moreover, the world around Chloe and Diane seems eerily devoid of curiosity or concern from others. This lack of outside interaction or intervention is perhaps one of the film's most glaring omissions. In an era where community and connectivity are more pronounced than ever, the film's insular setting feels less like a deliberate choice and more like a narrative oversight, making the story's progression feel not just improbable but impossible.

"Run" takes the concept of a helicopter parent to new, absurd heights, with Diane's overprotectiveness bordering on supervillainy. The film tries to keep you on the edge of your seat but instead leaves you falling off it, laughing at the ludicrous lengths to which it goes to manufacture tension. By the time the climax rolls around, with its attempt at a heart-pounding resolution, the only thing racing will be your thoughts on how such a hilariously hole-ridden plot made it past the drawing board.

This is a masterclass in how not to construct a thriller, with plot holes you could drive a fleet of plot trucks through. It's a rollercoaster ride that derails before it even leaves the station, providing a comedy of errors that's unintentionally funnier than most deliberate attempts at humor. One can only hope that future filmmakers will run – not walk – in the opposite direction when drawing inspiration from this cinematic curiosity.

#Run (2020)#Run #Film Review #Movie Review #movie #cinema #movie reviews #film #movies #Film Reviews #just watched #movie recommendation

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lalawrites17 · 1 year

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This One Thing Needs To Be Changed When We Talk About Teenage Pregnancy In The Philippines and Here is Why

Well there is no other way to say it.

We are all well– Curious beings that really like answers to every question that comes up on the top of their minds and sometimes, we seek these answers so much that we ignore the repercussions that would happen or in this case, you might be acquainted by the phrase “caught up in the heat of the moment”.

If you haven’t caught up yet, this phrase is a staple answer when someone is asked “how did you get pregnant?” mostly addressed to teenagers aged 13 -19.

The common subjects for teenage pregnancy.

A quick recap of what “Teenage Pregnancy” is and Why it is a problem.

I am assuming that you really know what it is, but for others that are still a little bit out of the loop– Teenage Pregnancy is known as “early pregnancy” usually around adolescent females.

To blatantly speak, people like to classify them as “early” or “unprepared” pregnancies as it is unusual for individuals that are usually in this age bracket to be pregnant. I guess teenagers that are currently reading this blog know exactly what I am talking about– Either they are currently thinking about finishing school or that one is either funny, informative, or cute Tik Tok video.

There are a lot of things, but I think we could all agree that being pregnant or starting a family right now is definitely last on the list.

You don’t like it when your plans are ruined right? This is what happens when someone gets pregnant as something that is miles away from their original plans, is definitely last on their list and clearly unexpected happens that really derails the train that they are currently riding. Into a completely different path that they are obviously not ready for.

So What Happens Next?

To be honest, a lot really.

The most positive response would be that the parents, along with their family, accept the child wholeheartedly and eventually a happy family– A really rare occurrence.

In countries like the Philippines, being pregnant early could mean a lot. It is especially hard on women, with being discriminated against even by your family members as the “easiest” of all the challenges ahead. Most are abandoned by their partners, are completely disowned by their parents and according to an article by the Philippine Government (2021) unable to complete the rest of their education.

The worst of all however, are the effects that it would have on children.

They would live their lives without one of their parents and possibly without even meeting them. There is research that proves how a child’s mental health is affected once they know they are missing a parent with the article from Annie E. Casey Foundation (2022) as one of the most prominent examples along with hundreds if not thousands of articles concerning this issue.

Well now that you know, This is where I think the problem is.

The One Thing That We Need To Change That Could Lessen Teenage Pregnancy In The Philippines

Definitely our mindset, how we view things and what perspectives we should consider.

To explain, the Philippines is closely tied to religion. Which comes from the mindset that sexual intercourse before marriage is a big “no-no” and thus, the century-old machine gun of warnings coming from parents to their children is in full-effect.I mean, I have been th– sorry, I am currently there. Nothing like the classic “don’t have a girlfriend/boyfriend yet and get/get her pregnant” every time I go outside or sit in one of those uncomfortable family gatherings.

Well what’s really the point here?

My point is that Filipinos, especially parents, teach their children all about sex education based solely on fear. Sometimes, without even teaching it at all. They just downright deny it or say that it’s bad whenever the word “sex” comes out of their children’s mouth.

It does not address the problem at all.

This would sometimes be the reason they disassociate themselves with proper sexual education that involves the use of contraceptives and other reproductive options, as they are thought that these are against the wills of their religion. The more they are denied information, the more they are curious about it and the more they are ignorant and disgusted of it. Which is why:

The more they are curious about something that is considered “illegal” the more likely they are to do it.

The society’s mindset is also being in the center.

Based solely on experience, women are expected so much when it comes to virginity. So as much as even someone that has engaged in sexual intercourse only once, they are branded differently– Entirely different. As if women weren’t given too much in their plates.

We need to stop treating it as a disease, of being so ignorant of it and definitely of being so indifferent of it.

We need to disassociate sexual intercourse with something as bad as a sin. I intend to not hit the views of the Catholic religion towards sexual intercourse but we need to recognize that it is something that is clearly happening whether our views match or not.

As a young adult myself, I understand the curiosities that come from someone of my age, and I understand that this is an issue that would not be lessened by continuing to use scare tactics. When someone is asked the question, we all need to explain. With all the scientific facts in place, as well as the unbiased explanation of the effects once it is done.

Please stop treating it as some secret treasure only exclusive to adults. Everybody wants to know about the treasure.

Scaring instead of informing is honestly so lame. As someone that has parents that are also resorting to such tactics, I was really confused as to why they barred talking about it so much when it could have been so easily explained.

In Conclusion….

Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines is caused by a lot of factors and I mean a LOT. But all it actually takes to somehow address almost half of those factors is to recognize that sexual intercourse is not something that is banned and mysterious. We just need the right people to educate young adults like me about it rationally.

Finally, this solution does not, in any form or way, intended to counter the views of religion. It only hopes to advise people to treat sexual education as important in today’s society.

This wraps it up, see you next time!

-Basaca, Dionisio Norwin

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forever-rogue · 3 years

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since you're open to write for Max Phillips now, how about 21 with him? 🥺💖

Hi, my love, anything for you! I hope my first time with Max isn’t too horrible! 🥺

21. Birthday

»»————-　♡　————-««

Max was...a lot of things. Arrogant, loud, demanding - all consuming really. When he entered a room it was like he was suddenly taking up all the space and you could focus on nothing but him. And it wasn't just the hypnotic gaze that reserved for others either. He was just...everything.

And it was his birthday. You doubted that he even remembered telling you the date, something only mentioned in passing, and even more so, you doubted be cared. He'd even made it a point to dismiss the importance of any sort of dates. After all he would remind you, what was so important about a little thing like a birthday to a man that was immortal?

But unlike your boyfriend, you were a mere mortal, a little fact he often reminded you of. You continued to mark birthdays with each passing year because you would continue to age and eventually you would be old and fragile as he remained evergreen. It was a harsh reality that you had chosen to ignore until now, a simple fact of consequence that would need to be addressed eventually.

At least that's what Max insisted upon because whenever you'd bring it up lately he would immediately push it the side and bring up another topic. But it had been on your mind nonstop, almost as loud as the tick-tock of the clock in your silent office.

But you had a plan, you always did. If Max Phillips was prepared and had a plan for everything, then you were him tenfold. Polar opposites in many ways, but well working counterparts more often than note.

Sighing lightly, you picked up your phone and dialed Max, deciding to put your plan into motion before it got too late.

"Well, well, well honey," he drew out his petname as you heard the creak of his chair as he sat back and put his feet on his desk, "to what so I owe the pleasure?"

"Happy birthday, Max," you told him softly as you nervously twirled your pen in your fingers. You heard him sigh heavily, a steadfast habit from his human days, "before you say anything else, I love you."

"Its not..." he trailed off and you heard him shuffle something before coming back to you, "oh."

"What are you doing this evening?” you tried to change the subject, although not entirely, which was of course, unbeknownst to him. Your simple question seemed to shift his mood immediately and you could practically hear his spirits lift.

“Well, I was hoping it would be you,” you could just tell there was a smug little grin on his face as you jokingly scoffed at him, “I’m just joking, sweetheart, more or less. What did you have in mind?”

“Come over to mine?” you asked softly, trying to keep your tone even and balance in order to avoid rousing his suspicions, “I was thinking dinner, a movie, you. Have you fed lately?”

“It’s been a minute,” he admitted quietly, as you realized your plan was going to fall into place much easier than you had originally anticipated. But you knew he wouldn’t ask; for as much of an arrogant ass as he could be, he rarely, if ever, asked to feed off of you. It was often times you that had to persuade him that it was okay and you really didn’t mind, “but-”

“Perfect, come over tonight. Does six work?” you interrupted him, deciding it was best to stop a Max train of thought before it could get too derailed.

“I’ll see you then,” he agreed softly, “is everything alright?”

“Of course, Max,” you lied insisted, “see you this evening.”

»»————-　♡　————-««

As you studied your outfit in the mirror you wondered if it was a little too on the nose; red lace lingerie covered by the little black dress that you knew Max adored on you. Whatever, you quickly concluded, it was his birthday and you wanted to do this for him as much as you.

“Honey?” you gave yourself a quick nod of approval when you heard him walk up the stairs, quickly dashing to meet him in the doorway and pose as seductively as you could. He was softly singing under his breath to himself but as soon as he spotted you he stopped dead in his tracks, “hello there.”

“Hi Max,” you wasted no time in reached for his face and pressing your lips to his, kissing him gently but with a sense of purpose, “happy birthday, handsome.”

“Hello to you,” his dark eyes raked over your form and you could practically hear the gears turned in his mind as he realized something was up, “I told you it doesn’t matter. Today is just like any other day.”

“Shut up, Max,” you tugged on his tie and pulled him into your bedroom, making quick of pushing him onto your bed. He could have easily stopped you or fought you, but he acquiesced to your touches and desires, “if I say it’s important, it’s important.”

“Fine,” he held up his hands in mock defeat before reaching for your hands and pulling you into his lap. You sat on his thick thighs as you faced him, wrapping your arms around his neck before carding a hand through his dark locks. His large hands found purchase on your waist as he tried to figure out what on earth was possibly going on, “honey.”

“Max,” you kissed him quickly, just a peck, nothing more but to quickly punctuate your point, “you know I love you, right? More than anything?”

“Of course,” his brow furrowed slightly as he watched a small smile cross your features, “okay, out with it, what’s going on?”

“I want you-”

“I want you too,” his grin was nothing short of cheeky as he reached up and put his hand under your chin, tilting your head as his nuzzled his nose against your pulse. A small content sigh escaped your lips as you tried to keep him from derailing your plans completely, “especially looking like that. Wearing my favorite dress...and the little red lace set?”

“Max, listen for once,” you reached up and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look into your eyes, “I’m trying to be serious and for once, I want you to listen and not talk.”

“Hmmm,” he hummed in content, “serious business, huh pretty girl?”

“Max,” your voice was laced with venom as you tried to get him to look into your eyes, “can I have one serious moment?”

“I’m sorry,” he gave in when you noticed that you were indeed not messing around and clearly something heavy was on your mind. He took his hands off of your hips and set them at his side, as if to prove his point that he wouldn’t interrupt anymore, “go on.”

“I’ve been thinking...a lot actually,” your eyes raked over his as you felt your heart pound in your chest, sure he was able to hear it easily,”especially since it’s your birthday. And I know we haven’t really talked about it much because a certain vampire keeps changing the subject, but its something we have to address.”

“We don’t have to right now-” you cute him quickly by clamping your hand over his mouth. You should have know better than to expect Max Phillips to try and keep quiet.

“Yes, we do,” you insisted, “we can’t skirt around the issue forever. You have forever and I have...limited time. Limited time until I am older than you and until I die. And I...I want you to turn me.”

“I don’t think you know what you’re saying,” he gently reached for your hand and pulled it away from his mouth, but not before pressing a kissing to your knuckles, “I would not turn you into...this until you know what you’re saying. Forever sounds good in theory, but forever is a long time. Do you really want to do this forever?”

“Well I wasn’t thinking this would be some sort of temporary relationship,” you joked, “I was always all in from the smart, before I knew what you were and even after. Besides, Max, who else is going to is going to put up with you for the rest of eternity?”

“Honey,” his eyes softened as he watched to look for any sign of remorse or reluctant. But when he discovered nothing but honestly and truth in your eyes, his gently cradled your face before placing a kiss on your forehead, “are you sure about this? It’s not like picking what’s for dinner...”

“I know, Max, and yes,” you promised, “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time now. I know what’s it like for you, and I don’t want a life if you’re not going to be in it. Even if we get another thirty years or whatever, I want you, forever.”

“It’s going to be a big change,” he stated the obvious as you laughed lightly, wiping away from of the tears that had rolled down your cheeks, “you’re positive?”

“Yes,” you promised, “as long as you’re okay with it. You’re going to have this warm body to keep you company at night or a fresh meal on demand. Are you okay with that?”

“If you’ll be with me always,” he whispered as he pressed his forehead against yours, “of course. There’s no one else for me.”

“I love you Max, you’re an insufferable asshole of a bastard sometimes, but you’re the only for me,” you laughed before kissing him, “make me yours. Feed off of me one last time and then turn me.”

“Is that what the whole dress and lingerie thing is about?” his hands skimmed the tops of your thighs as started to push your dress higher and higher, almost as if to see if you were doing to stop him. Naturally, you didn’t.

“I mean it is your birthday Max,” you whispered in his ear, “I wanted to give you a little something. One last night with a warm body, and then you’re stuck with me for eternity.”

“Eternity sounds perfect,” he agreed as he kisses along your jaw before working his way down your neck and grazing his teeth over your pulse, “but first I’m going to fuck you like you’ve never been fucked before.”

#max phillips #max phillips x reader #bloodsucking bastards #pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #one word prompts

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whatifxwereyou · 3 years

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Ashes Chapter 13: Perception

Fandom: Mortal Kombat 2021

Pairing: Liu Kang x Reader

A/N: Maybe it's inevitable. Definitely cried like an adult while writing parts of this. I'm a weepy baby. I hope you imagine an ugly MySpace style sparkly gif every time Y/N uses the word "kidnapping". As always, appreciate you guys <3

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Buzz.

You peeked one eye open and caught sight of the smart phone dancing around on the nightstand close by. Strong arms were wrapped around you and there was no mistaking who they belonged to this time. Liu. You’d fallen asleep next to each other and somewhere along the line, in unconsciousness, he’d cuddled against you.

This was fine.

This was all fine.

The phone continued to dance and nearly vibrated right off the edge of the nightstand and onto the floor. You grabbed it from its place near the edge and wiped your eyes with your other hand. Johnny Cage. Rubbing your eyes again, you checked the time on the phone. It was nine at night. Carefully you snuck out of Liu’s arms without waking him. You’d mastered sneaking out of bed while you’d been dating Kung Lao. He was so heavy a sleeper that in the beginning of your relationship you had wound up trapped beneath his arms for hours. Then when you tried to get away, you’d wake him up. Eventually you’d mastered maneuvering from his grasp without waking him because waking him led to fooling around or talking and then you were either trapped having to pee or late for some responsibility or another.

Liu adjusted behind you but didn’t wake up. You fixed your askew shirt, grabbed your keycard, and then answered the phone and stepped into the hallway, carefully closing the door behind you.

“This is weird. I don’t think I even got your name earlier.” Johnny spoke without waiting for you to acknowledge him. You chuckled beneath your breath then cleared the sleepiness from your throat. “I know that may seem like it’s a pretty common thing for me but…”

“Y/N. You can call me Y/N.” You interrupted what you were sure was a very cleverly crafted explanation about his popularity and fame. Johnny Cage seemed like the type to be easily derailed from a topic with banter. You’d become skilled at wrangling men like that given that Kung Lao had been your other half for so long.

“And you’re from China, right?”

“Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“Just trying to make sure I spell your name right…” His voice was distant, as if he spoke nowhere near the phone. You spelled your name for him with a sigh. “Is that…?”

“That is not important right now.” You interrupted him again. You had to keep him on task or this conversation was going to go on forever.

“Right, yes. I’ve been thinking about this morning.”

“And?”

“I was hoping to hash out the details with you guys before I officially agree to anything.” Johnny Cage tried to sound like he was bargaining with you but you were already convinced that he was joining you. This seemed like a formality. Or like he was dragging it out. Why? You couldn’t think of a good reason. Maybe to try and land a date with Sonya? You didn’t think that was going to happen and also it seemed petty. Then again, you and Liu were a hot mess in the middle of all of this so you couldn’t criticize anyone else’s motives. “I’ve begun clearing my schedule for the next few weeks but I’m a busy man, you know. Takes time.”

“I understand that. I’m sure that we can meet tomorrow to answer any questions you may still have.” There was no point in arguing with him on that. It was a reasonable request though not entirely necessary. Besides, you were still ready to jump to the kidnapping stage of this endeavor. If he caused too much trouble tomorrow then you would promptly lure him somewhere quiet and knock him out. Then you’d go from there. You could probably convince Cole to help you if you had to but you didn’t think it would go that far.

“That’s exactly what I hoped to hear!” You could hear the smile on Johnny’s face. “When we’re off the phone, I’ll text you where to meet me.”

“Sounds like a plan.” You yawned.

“I wanted to ask you something. You seem like a nice woman.”

Oh, how misguided a man Johnny Cage was. Oddly trusting for someone in his position. Here you were planning out an elaborate scheme to kidnap him and drag him to China and he thought you were nice. It was probably the tea thing from earlier. Ah, well. You’d fooled him.

“Ask away, Mr. Cage.”

“Just Johnny, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure.”

Then he sighed as if trying to word his question or embarrassed to ask it. You waited patiently. There was no need to rush him. You weren’t sure that Johnny Cage could be rushed. “Are you guys for real? Or are you just dicking me around? No one put you up to this, right?” After everything that you had showed him that morning, he was still stuck on the idea of this being a prank. Was Johnny often victim to silly pranks? Did he find himself the butt end of a joke amongst friends? It was funny to imagine.

“I know that this is… what’s the saying? Difficult medicine to take?” You weren’t so good with the English idioms. Maybe that was why he thought you to be nice. You were far more sarcastic in your native tongue. Your English was good but stuff didn’t always come out right.

“Hard pill to swallow but I got the point.” Johnny chuckled. “…so yeah? It’s true?”

“Trust me, Mr. Cage, I have much better things to do than play silly pranks on you.” You reassured him but he scoffed as if insulted. “That and I’d never heard of you before this.” It sounded like you’d punched him. Ah, yes, the delicate male ego.

“Low blow. Never heard of me?” You could picture the horror on his face.

“No offense meant.”

“I bet you just didn’t remember my name. Dragon Fist? Cage Match? Aquatic Assault? Exiting the Dragon of Death? A personal favorite of mine…”

“Exiting the Dragon of Death?”

“Yeah? You’ve heard of that one?”

“No.”

“Come on, don’t play with me like that.”

“I couldn’t resist.” You spoke over him as he made to list more movies. “I’m sorry to have offended you.” You were certain this could go on all night and you were still tired and now you were hungry too. Your appetite was back and you were far less shaky than you’d been earlier that day. “I did watch one of your films last night with a friend so that I could be familiar with your movement patterns.”

“For that crazy duplication thing you did?”

“For my arcana, yes.”

“…and?”

“It was a fun movie.”

“Which one did you watch?”

“Mr. Cage, this is a conversation for another time. Can we stay on topic?”

“Just Johnny, please.” Apparently no, he could not stay on topic. You pulled the phone away from your face so he wouldn’t hear your heavy sigh. Hearing footsteps behind you, you turned and found Cole approaching holding an ice bucket and offering a wave. He stopped next to you and nodded toward the phone. You mouthed that it was Johnny Cage. Then he offered you a thumbs up, pointed toward the end of the hall and walked away, presumably to get ice. “I’m making a choice to trust you. I don’t think you’re lying to me. I hope I’m making the right choice.”

“I’m a terrible liar so good choice.” He continued going on about something but your brain was tired of the babble. You needed food! This conversation felt like it would have gone on all week if you let him talk the way he wanted to. “Can I trust you no to dick us around?”

“I promise. You’ve got a deal, Y/N.”

“Text me the address and we’ll meet you just before noon.” You assured him.

“Got it. See you then.” Johnny hung up and you breathed a sigh of relief. At least this part of your trip was going smoothly. Seconds later your phone buzzed with a message from the same number. You selected the address and put it into the browser of your phone after figuring out how that worked. From what you could tell, the address seemed legit. A house by the shore. Of course, a beach house. Why wouldn’t he take the opportunity to show off?

“How’d it go?” Cole returned with his bucket full of ice.

“Mr. Cage is going to meet with us tomorrow to discuss details.”

“I anticipated us having to use your devious plan B so I’m surprised he’s going to meet with us.” Cole adjusted the bucket in his arms. “What do you think of him? I’m having a hard time taking him seriously.”

“I meant it when I said that I thought he was funny earlier. Honestly, if we had met without any of this pretense, I think that he and I would get along quite well.” You shrugged. “I also think that he’s going to do what he thinks is right if that’s what you were really asking. Seems like the type to talk a big game but ultimately a good guy.”

“That’s optimistic of you.”

“I usually have a good read on people.”

“I can tell.” Cole gestured toward your door. “You just getting in? Maybe not.” He looked down at your bare feet.

“I was napping.”

“And you came into the hallway to take a call?”

“Yeah, I was uh… going to grab food.”

“Without your shoes?”

“Are you always this nosy, Cole?”

“Not really but this afternoon has been especially boring. Plus, your reactions are entertaining.” Cole smirked. “You have more color now. That’s good to see.”

“Why does no one believe me when I say I’m just tired?” You gestured back to the room. “I’m gonna go.”

“We’re about to grab a bite to eat if you want to join us. Late dinner.”

“No, no, thank you though. That’s sweet. I’m okay.”

“You just said you were going to get food.” Cole laughed.

“…I think I’ll order something.” You pointed to your bare feet but was sure your expression was one that screamed you’d been caught in the most pointless of lies. Cole had inadvertently talked you into a corner. You hadn’t even meant to lie! It had just happened. This was why you didn’t usually bother.

“You’re lying.”

“Yeah, turns out I am. I’m not good at it.”

“I can see that.”

The door to your room opened behind you and Liu Kang peeked into the hall, still looking sleepy.

“Hello Cole” Liu stepped into the hall and kept the door propped open a crack, back leaned against it. Then he bowed his head politely in greeting. He turned to you and spoke Chinese as if this weren’t suspicious. You didn’t think it had the intention that he wanted it to have. “Everything okay?”

“I had a call to take with Mr. Cage. No big deal.” You replied in English to try and make it seem like you had less to hide. Why? Because Cole was already giving you a look as if to say it was ‘nothing’. You sighed. “I’m just about done.”

“Good.” Liu replied in English. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” You snapped at him without meaning to then took a cleansing breath. He was just worried about you but you were tired of the worry. You felt far better than you had earlier. A few hours of sleep had done you good. “I really am fine.” Liu bowed his head politely to both you and Cole and then disappeared back into the hotel room.

“What was it you were saying earlier? About that being nothing?” Cole teased in a whisper after you made no move to offer any explanation.

“If you recall, I also said it was none of your business.” There was no point in trying to lie again. You folded too easily. Instead, you’d be evasive. That was easier. Avoiding the truth was far easier than twisting it at least for you.

“Liu looked pretty tired. You guys have a nice nap?”

“We fell asleep talking.” You narrowed your eyes at his implications but also hated how close he was to the truth.

“Sure, is that what the kids are calling it these days?”

You shoved his shoulder with a laugh. “Your ice is melting Cole. It’s nothing.”

“Yeah, I’m going to have to mentally shift my definition of that word to better fit what I’m seeing.” He teased. “You’re trouble, Y/N. I’m making note of it.”

“You have no idea, Cole.” You pointed to the room behind you. “I’m going now.”

“Enjoy your nothing.” He called after you. You disappeared into the hotel room and then leaned against the door once it closed. You fiddled on your phone and sent a message to Jax, relaying what you’d learned from Johnny Cage along with the address and what you’d agreed to. The door to the small bathroom to your right opened and Liu stepped out, closing the door behind him. He waited patiently for you to finish on your phone.

“When I woke up and couldn’t find you, I was worried.” He nodded to the messy bed where you’d been sleeping. And snuggling. You mustn’t forget that there had been a fair amount of snuggling.

“My phone was ringing and it felt rude to answer it with you asleep so I stepped into the hall.” You shook the phone in your hand and then filled him in on the conversation you’d shared with Johnny Cage. You left out the exhausting banter that had kept you on the phone for far longer than necessary. Even if it had been mentally exhausting, you had also enjoyed talking with him. Your phone buzzed with Jax’s response. “Okay, Jax is going to arrange a ride to take us to meet Johnny tomorrow. He’ll also let everyone else know where to meet.”

“Good.”

Silence followed and you stood awkwardly in the small entranceway of the hotel room.

“So.” You began.

“So.”

“You should probably go, right?”

“Yeah.” Liu shifted but made no move to leave and a smile played on his lips. “Or… I could stay. We could order some food and continue our… getting along for the day.”

“Mostly getting along.” You corrected. Maybe he’d chosen to forget when he’d pushed you against the wall and you’d nearly undressed him. You blinked the mental image away. If you thought about it for too long then you’d probably end up right back where you’d started. “We could. Is that what you wanted to do?”

“Are you okay with that?”

“I guess.”

“There was a menu around here somewhere.” Liu walked back into the open area of the room and you were grateful he’d taken the initiative to make the decision to stay. In all honesty, his presence was comforting and conflicting. You craved the comfort but the guilt and pain made you want to push him away. Your brain was such a mess. Your emotions were even worse. You joined him and mulled over the menu, trying to discern what was safe for you to eat. Liu called to place the order since he had several questions about the food. His diet was more specific than yours was. You had never quite taken to the vegetarian diet completely. Your food arrived and you sat on your bed and ate while making quiet conversation. It was pleasant, if not a little awkward. In a way, it was reminiscent of when you would spend time alone together when you were first dating Kung Lao. You had often avoided discussing the difficult things then but not for the sake of each other. Instead, it was for Kung Lao.

“Cole seems to have taken a shine to you.”

“Yeah, he’s a nice guy and his family is cute. I think he feels guilty about Kung Lao so he’s compensating a little.”

“I could see that. I tried to reassure him that he isn’t to blame.”

“I did too.” You clicked your tongue in amusement. Liu gently nudged you with his shoulder.

“Today was nice.”

“I mean, parts of it were.”

“We had a bit of a rough start but things didn’t end so horribly.”

“Well,” you began in a higher, nervous pitch, “we didn’t exactly fix anything.” Liu laughed. “And I think we definitely made things worse but… all things considered, neither one of us is dead and we aren’t screaming at each other so that’s something.”

“I was thinking and… maybe we don’t have to fix anything.” Liu avoided your eyes and began to clean up dinner. You knew why he was avoiding your eyes because you were looking at him like he’d lost his damn mind. He had. He was insane. You couldn’t keep going like this. You both knew that. “We can’t ignore it, obviously. But we can’t expect to resolve anything when we’re like this. We’re grieving, Y/N. We hurt each other. But I also think that it could be healthy to try and find a way to be content amongst all of that too. We can’t force a resolution, Y/N. I think that’s clear.” Liu’s smile was soft but strained, like talking about it so analytically pained him. “I don’t think I can handle this much misery all the time.”

“I understand.” You didn’t necessarily disagree with him you just couldn’t see the end either. He seemed to think there was some kind of happily ever after waiting for you and you didn’t think there was. The only end to life was death. Even if you found happiness eventually, life would continue moving. No amount of happiness would erase your history nor would it erase your trauma. That didn’t mean you wouldn’t find joy. You were just being realistic. “It’s weird, isn’t it?” You helped him gather the dishes. Liu then placed the tray aside on the desk. You picked up the tray and placed it carefully outside the door and then returned to him. “Surreal is maybe a better word for what we are right now.”

“Surreal works.” Liu’s smile was forced and it pained you. “We’re going to be okay.”

“Oh, you think so, hmm? Confident in that?”

“I am.” He grinned but you could still see that worry behind his dark eyes. Liu had never been a good liar either. It was a wonder that he’d fooled you all those years ago. Perhaps because he’d said all the things that you’d been afraid he’d say.

“I suppose the worst thing that could happen is that we decide not to talk to each other anymore and lose touch. Then in like, thirty years, we’ll reunite and reminisce about the old days. Then this won’t seem so complicated anymore.” You hadn’t realized how much you’d considered that as an option until then. Liu seemed alarmed. “What?”

“Is that what you plan to do?”

“That would imply that I’ve thought past today so… no.” You sat on the side of the bed facing the window. There was no way to open the window so this was as close to the breeze and the stars as you could get. “But it happens. People drift apart even after being as close as we were especially after traumatic stuff like this. And this is a pretty messed up thing we’re dealing with, Liu. I can’t pretend to know what will happen.”

“I don’t want to drift apart.” He sat next to you and cautiously placed a hand over yours on the bed between you. There were times where he treated you like a ticking time bomb. This was one of them.

“Of course not, Liu. I don’t want that to happen either.”

“You had that scenario pretty thought out.”

“This time, Liu? You’re the one overthinking things.”

“Maybe.” He watched out the window, but you felt his thumb brush over the back of your hand. Looking at the night sky was easier than looking at each other. But right now the night sky looked empty. You didn’t see the stars. Just the lights of busy Los Angeles, a thing which brought you no peace. “Do you think you’ll still be this cute in thirty years?”

“I uh…” You laughed and pretended to consider it. “I didn’t think about it. For the brief moment I considered this make-believe scenario, you were still cute.” You joked and nudged him playfully.

“You’re beautiful Y/N, so I’m sure you will be too.” Liu still didn’t look at you. “I always thought so. Even when I used to tease you.” You rolled your eyes at him in disgust and he laughed again. You were well beyond being bashful at his compliments.

“Cut it out, Liu.”

“I just don’t want to leave it unsaid.”

“It feels like you’re trying to butter me up.” You narrowed your eyes in suspicion.

“Maybe. Or… perhaps this last week I’ve been cruel to you. I thought that I’d pay you a compliment instead.” That was as good an excuse as any. You had dug at each other quite a bit the past few days.

“I’m not vain.”

“I know. I always liked that about you.”

“Stop it, Liu. You’re freaking me out.” You laughed and shoved at his shoulder.

“I won’t.” He leaned back on one arm. You reached for your phone on the bed behind you as it buzzed. Jax had verified the location online as legitimate. He’d even found out that the property belonged to Johnny. Apparently, Jax had been much more suspicious of him than you had been. You’d decided to trust Johnny. And if he lied to you then you’d just go to plan B. Kidnapping. Jax continued on to say that he’s pretty sure the asshole just wanted to show off his beach house. You chuckled. You’d thought the same thing. You replied quickly to ask if you were still to meet in the morning in the same place. Jax replied to be in the lobby by ten. “Going off without a hitch?”

“Are you spying on my conversation?” You cradled the phone protectively against your chest and pouted.

“I didn’t mean to.” You set the phone aside face up. You had nothing to hide anyway, you’d just been trying to lighten the mood. Then you watched the dark sky out the window and tried to find something positive to say about it. He was right. You’d had too much unpleasantness lately. “Kung Lao would have loved…”

“Do you think about that a lot? What Kung Lao would have thought or felt?”

“Don’t you?” You thought that was obvious. “We spent most of our time together. This is the longest I’ve been alone in years.”

“I… hadn’t considered that.” Liu’s eyes fell to the floor. There was plenty that you hadn’t thought regarding each other. “It must have been hard waking up next to me.” You sighed heavily. There were those difficult conversations you couldn’t seem to avoid. You didn’t know how to respond. That wasn’t an easy answer. If you could have lied and said it wasn’t weird than it would have been simpler. But lying had gotten you into this in the first place and you didn’t want to lie. You were so tired of hurting.

“I… yes.” You sighed and then closed your eyes tight. “But I confess that I miss being held.” You hated saying it and even got the chills as you did. You and Kung Lao had spent most nights at least next to each other if not tangled up in each other. Liu was watching you with those big sad puppy dog eyes of his again. “But I also feel selfish and awful for having briefly thought it was nice.”

“It’s okay to be selfish at times.” He clasped his hands together in his lap, as if nervous they would betray him as they had often done. “I confess that when I woke up alone, I panicked.” You smiled a little. You hadn’t considered that he would be upset to wake up alone after falling asleep next to you. Oh, boy. You were both a mess. “But then I remembered this was your room and you had nowhere to run, really.”

“Did you briefly consider that I was so dedicated to running away that I went and got another hotel room to avoid you?”

“No.” He laughed and then furrowed his brow as if trying to picture you doing that. “You didn’t consider that, did you?”

“Of course not.” You chuckled, resting your elbows on your knees. “The phone rang and I didn’t want to wake you. That’s about as far as I had thought.” Your head was pounding and you realized all at once that you were clenching your jaw. Ugh, tension headache. “At least this time I woke up with all of my clothes on.” Liu laughed softly and avoided your eyes. Then he laughed harder as if he’d just gotten the joke. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s kind of like déjà vu, isn’t it? You woke up next to me again and then I woke up alone.”

“You know, Liu, I’m trying, but that’s not funny.”

Still he laughed and you watched him in disbelief. Was it you? Were you the one cracking up?

“I have to laugh, Y/N. I have to or I think about how screwed up it is.” He leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. His face fell. You turned to watch him in disbelief and your stomach twisted up into knots. “I just couldn’t help myself, could I? I had to… cross that line.”

“Liu…” You didn’t want to fight again. You thought you had made a truce for the day.

“I have to say this, Y/N.” He turned his head to the side to look at you and you leaned on your side to better meet his eyes. They were so sad and it was killing you. “The woman that Kung Lao planned to spend the rest of his life with. Only a little while after he’s gone and I just… how selfish I am.” You searched his troubled eyes and then couldn’t help but laugh but you weren’t smiling either. Liu knit his brow in confusion.

“Liu, I… I said the same things to myself.” You offered a sympathetic smile but he didn’t seem relieved to hear that. “Not about you, obviously. I don’t think I’ve ever used the word selfish when describing you, really. Or at least meant it. Maybe out of anger… but I… how could I? Kung Lao’s best friend. His brother. I feel like I just lost him and I still, somehow, couldn’t manage to keep myself together well enough not to sleep with you.”

“Sometimes we’re a lot alike.”

“Most times it feels like we’re oil and water.” Now you avoided his eyes, afraid of what yours might reveal to him. “I’m sorry that I ran off that morning, Liu. I panicked. I didn’t know what else to do. I was terrified and embarrassed and ashamed and… the idea of having to talk to you about it was too much.”

“Why were you so scared?” He turned on his side to face you, as if eager for this answer, as if he had been caught wondering that same thing for too long. “I know it was a… big thing but I…”

“I guess no matter how I played it in my head, it went wrong. You uh…” You were having a difficult time saying the words without getting upset. “I kept picturing us having to find a way to… be okay with… it being a mistake because… I…” You were frustrated with yourself for not being able to say it. “It felt like a mistake. Like we’d fallen into an old habit. Or that it was just… a transaction and I couldn’t hear those words again after everything. I was already falling apart and I don’t know what that would have done to me. And then… you being receptive to it would have been just as painful… I… Kung Lao…” You had to stop there. You were pretty sure you’d made your point.

“I think I get it.” His eyes were taking you in while yours were avoiding him and were most likely glassy with tears. “Maybe I didn’t consider how much I’d hurt you back then. It never crossed my mind until you brought it back up and I realized the damage I’d done. I hadn’t considered myself that important.” There was that similarity again. Neither one of you thought yourselves to be important to the other when it was far from the truth. “I wish I’d had a say in the matter that morning.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I understand now.” He sat up and offered you a hand to help your back up too. you took it and sat up with him but he didn’t let go of your hand. “I’m sorry too. I’m sorry that I reacted so angrily. That I was so cold to you. I thought it might make things easier and put distance between us.”

“Did it work?”

“No. No, it didn’t. I wish, more than anything, that I could go back.” His eyes were dripping with sincerity and you avoided his gaze again. You couldn’t help but think that if this had been Kung Lao, you never would have had this conversation. Nothing ever would have gotten resolved. You had both avoided your emotions like the plague.

“To that morning? Hard pass, Liu.”

“Think about it. I could wake up with you. Keep you from running. We could talk.”

“That’s a fantasy, Liu. It wouldn’t have ended the way you want.” You threw him an accusatory glance. “You’re fantasizing. I was too panicked. I would have lashed out.”

“And maybe I could have kept a level head.”

“It’s a fantasy.”

“Let me have my fantasy, Y/N.” He laughed and gave your hand a squeeze. His smile faded as he let go of your hand and closed some of the distance between you. Your instinct was to pull back but you didn’t. He pushed your hair away from your face and tucked it behind your ear. The loose strands of your long hair tickled your neck as they fell back into place. You turned your gaze away. His hand was warm as it rested on your cheek and you could feel him admiring you.

“Seems dangerous to let you.”

“Many good things can be dangerous, Y/N,” he whispered. You got the shivers and moistened your lips nervously. You should have moved back when you’d wanted to. You were so much closer than you’d realized and his lips brushed just against yours. He was going to kiss you and you knew what would happen. Tender kisses led to feverish kisses. No kiss between you had ever stayed just that. You had never once exchanged a soft, momentary kiss. Every single time you had wound up in his arms. His lips would treasure yours like they were something priceless and yours would tease his in return to make him want more. Then you’d be naked.

The more time you spent this close to Liu the more inevitable it seemed to wind up in his bed and you weren’t sure that was the right thing. You weren’t sure it wouldn’t destroy you. It was a dangerous way to think but he was right too. Many of the best things were often dangerous.

“Don’t.” You managed and caught his eyes, half-lidded and admiring your lips. His gaze snapped back up to yours and you watched as he took a careful breath. You could feel it against your lips. He was thinking it too. How dangerous this had become.

“Probably a bad idea, right?” His voice was low and just for you.

“An incredibly bad idea.” You tried to joke but your words fell flat. It was miserable being this close to him and not kissing him, against every instinct in your body. You could feel as he ran his tongue over his lower lip, as he weighed the pros and cons of defying you. You held your breath.

Then he scooted back a few inches. You felt like you could suddenly breathe, like the air was less thick than it had been so close to him. Your heart was hammering away and it was a headrush, as if to punish you for having wanted that kiss. You cleared your throat and put more distance between you. But try as you might, you couldn’t stop thinking about those marks you’d left on his back that you had so clearly felt earlier. Did he think of how you’d clung to him in passion every time he shifted and felt those scabs? That was truly a dangerous thought.

“It’s late. I should go.” He had turned away, but his eyes were wide and his breath was short, as though he were also fighting dangerous thoughts.

“Yeah. Good idea.” You got up and walked past him and around the bed. He followed you and then walked past you to the door. Then he bowed politely.

“Goodnight, Y/N.” He looked hesitant, as if he were still considering crossing that line again.

“Get out, Liu.” You gestured to the door behind him, making the choice for him. He laughed and did just as you asked. Once he’d gone, you leaned against the door with a thud and whined. “What am I doing?” You closed your eyes tight and felt a wave of guilt weigh you down. Then you flipped the swing bar lock shut on the door as if this would provide you with protection from your stupid feelings.

Maybe you had to reconsider the situation.

Maybe this was inevitable.

Maybe guilt wasn’t enough to keep you from being attracted to Liu Kang.

It felt wrong. It felt like you were betraying Kung Lao. It was too soon and you were too broken. But maybe someday it wouldn’t be those things. You weren’t sure how long either one of you could wait either. Spending the afternoon with Liu had been eye opening.

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detectivecarlosreyes · 3 years

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In Case of Emergency (Ch 9/10)

Ao3 | 2.9/18.5k | Buddie | Status: Incomplete

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Chapter 9: It’s about time In which Buck and Eddie try to disclose their relationship; if only calls didn’t keep getting in the way. Set in mid-3x18: What’s next.

Things were going well between them. After recovering mentally and physically from Eddie’s ordeal, they were closer than ever, with Buck spending most nights in the Diaz household than he ever was before. He was there for Chris’s first sleepover party, being an incredibly helpful chaperone to a bunch of hyperactive 9-year-olds. He was as much a parent as he was both a form of entertainment for the kids and was a welcome relief to the stresses of parenting such an event.

It was good, practically perfect really, having him home all the time, helping, basically being an integral part of the family. He was rarely in his own apartment anymore, only returning to collect his mail and restock on clothes really.

Buck was effectively living with them full time, his wardrobe slowly but surely integrating into his own and their relationship had progressed to the point that it was near almost impossible for them to keep it to themselves anymore, considering how intertwined their lives had become. So now, in their downtime between calls, nearly every recount of what they did on their time off involved the presence of the other.

They were pretty sure the others were finally catching on. It was hard to miss the side-eyed glances when he mentioned something involving Buck and Chris or when Buck did the same mentioning him and Chris. They were also noticing long considering looks coming from Bobby, especially when they were doing something together alone when at the station, but it was hard to say whether he knew but was waiting for them to come to him or if he just suspected something was going on.

In any case, they knew it was long overdue for them to officially be seen as a couple in the eyes of the team and the universe, except the problem was, anytime they tried to get Bobby alone for a chat or tried to bring it up when there was a dip in conversation, something else became more important.

Their most recent attempt was the closest they had ever gotten, having managed to catch Bobby alone in his office looking at them expectantly behind his desk.

Buck had just managed to utter, “Bobby, there’s something that Eddie and I have been wanting to tell you. We’re in a--”

He was cut off before he could finish the sentence, the call alarm blaring for their attention and distracting them all from the conversation at hand. It resulted in a rushed promise from Bobby that they would finish the chat when they returned after the call.

The call being the train derailment; bringing Eddie face to face with a person that he has only ever heard of.

Abby.

Buck’s ex-girlfriend.

As soon as Buck appeared by his side and said her name Eddie knew exactly who she was. How could he not? Buck had been living in her apartment in the first half of the year of him knowing the man and he remembered how long Buck carried a torch for her. How long he desperately held on to the idea that she was still his girlfriend until he finally let go and moved out of her apartment.

And now here she was, just showing up after all this time; no text, no call, no warning at all that she was coming back into town. Returning with a fiancé no less. He saw the way Buck reacted, how that revelation affected him. And then Buck, his kind-hearted, selfless boyfriend goes and promises her that he’d bring back her fiancé with the heavy implication that he would make sure they brought Sam back alive.

He didn’t understand. He didn’t understand why Buck would make that promise, she had ghosted him for months before he had finally given up on the hope that she’d return. It made him nervous because he knew exactly how far Buck would be willing to go for a promise, and that terrified him.

And he was right. Buck wouldn’t listen to reason, so focused on being able to deliver on his promise that he seemed willing to ignore rational thought. He was so hell-bent on trying to save Sam even though there was no feasible way of rescuing him and the girl, that he was willing to put his life on the line. It was maddening and enough to make him snap out of fear and frustration in a last-ditch attempt to make Buck see reason.

“Buck, stop! Alright, I know you made a promise.”

And then for him to see Buck to back-track and fail to divulge pertinent information to Cap as to why he was acting the way he was, well, it set his teeth on edge and it had him spitting out, “Abby! His fiancé is Abby.”

Unable to look at Buck as he continued to blatantly disregard his own safety for a promise he shouldn’t have made, he left Bobby to deal with him, hoping that maybe the Captain would have more sway in talking Buck down from his dangerous plan. But it seemed not even Bobby could talk Buck down, especially when, much to his chagrin, he was offering admittedly sound reasoning.

That didn’t stop him from worrying about the man the whole time he was out there, hanging off the side of this awfully unstable car. It was one thing to be on the inside if it destabilised and falls, it was another thing entirely to be attached to it on the outside with no way to protect one’s self from the fall.

Thankfully, it was a situation that didn’t eventuate, and for that Eddie was enormously relieved because he wasn’t sure his heart could take it if it did. In the end, he was left with Buck watching as the ambulance drove away and could only imagine how Buck was hurting from seeing Abby and Sam together. It was enough to dispel any residual feelings of frustration and anger that he might have felt about the situation.

In fact, the whole situation was enough to put things in perspective for Eddie. Reminding him of how far he and Buck’s relationship has progressed and how much he wanted it to keep progressing and take the next logical step. But first, they were going to have to deal with Bobby who seemed to have remembered their previous meeting, despite the exhausting call, as he muttered to the two of them to join him in his office once they returned back to the station and restocked the trucks.

“Now what was it that the two of you wanted to talk to me about? Don’t tell me it has something to do with the way you were both acting today in that train car,” Opened Bobby when they finally joined him, looking up from his paperwork with a tired sigh.

“Well, it does, and it doesn’t,” Eddie answered vaguely, causing Buck to shoot him a look as he closed the door and took a seat beside him.

“What’s that supposed to mean, Eddie?” asked Buck in a hushed tone, half-turning in his chair.

“Nothing. We can talk about it later,” he muttered back, not wanting to talk about it right this second.

“If this is about Abby, you know I had no idea that she was coming back.” Pressed Buck.

Before he had a chance to respond to Buck and say that yes it was about Abby but not it the way that he thinks, Bobby was clearing his throat, reminding them that he was in the room and waiting for an answer to his initial question.

“Right, sorry Cap. What Buck and I have been wanting to tell you is that we’re in a relationship.”

Bobby looked between them as if he were trying to gauge whether or not he was joking and must have come to a conclusion because his next question was simply, “How long has this been going on for?”

“Over eight months.” Buck jumped in, answering resolutely, “We wanted to be sure before we told anyone.”

“Well, that clears up a few things.” They heard him mutter under his breath as he pulled out a manila folder from his top desk drawer before addressing them again, “I had a feeling this might come up at some point, I’ve been waiting with the paperwork for the last couple of weeks.”

“You knew?”

“Well,” Bobby drew out as he slid across the relationship disclosure form, “I didn’t know for certain, but I have been suspecting that something was going on, so have Hen and Chim, just didn’t realise exactly how long it’s been going on for.”

He waited patiently after handing a pen to them to fill out the form and sign it before sliding it back to him.

“As your friend, I am happy for the two of you but as your boss let me make one thing clear. If your personal relationship starts to affect your work on the job, I won’t hesitate to transfer one of you to one of the other teams in the station. Understood.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We promise to be 100 percent professional at work just like we have been when you didn’t know about us-”

Bobby raises an eyebrow at that, giving them a pointed look.

“- but we will try to do better at controlling our emotions if and when one of us is in a dangerous situation?” Buck tacked on questioningly, assuming that was Bobby’s look was alluding to.

Bobby nodded in approval before adding in good humour, “I should hope so, however, I have a feeling we might have to revisit this conversation sometime in the future.”

Eddie chuckled as he stood up, “That is entirely possible, but we will do our best to avoid it.”

“Good.” Bobby said with a grin as he offered his hand to both of them, grasping each of their arms warmly with his free hand, “I really am happy for you both. Now go, tell the others.”

With a sigh of relief, they left the office feeling somewhat liberated over finally disclosing their relationship. Admittedly, one of the reasons for their hesitation was that they weren’t sure they would be allowed to continue working in the same team and they wanted to prolong the moment for as long as they could, not wanting to be separated. But it seemed they were worried for nothing and now they could bring Hen and Chim into the loop.

Funnily enough, they didn’t have to look far for their friends, finding them not so subtly loitering nearby. Feeling Buck’s fingers thread between his own as they move to greet the other two, Eddie found himself unable to keep the smile from his face, knowing that this was something they could now do freely in front of their friends.

They barely had to say anything, with Hen immediately zeroing in on their joined hands and crowed in delight over their announcement before a group hug was instigated by Chim, celebrating their news, and declaring how overjoyed they were.

“Can I just say you two are adorable,” Hen remarked when they relocated to the couches, causing him to blush over the comment, knowing that he and Buck had left little room between each other on the couch and had yet to relinquish the other’s hand. “And it’s nice to see that you guys are so comfortable about it after only a couple of months, I honestly thought you’d be more awkward about it.”

“Well,” Buck drew out in a contradictory higher register, “I’d say that’s because it’s been a bit longer than a couple of months.”

“Uhh, how long is ‘a bit longer’?” chimed in Chim, parroting the short phrase back at them.

Eddie looked at Buck who in turn looked at him, and they had a momentary silent conversation based on eyebrow movements and head tilts over who got to break the news. It ended with him sighing and turning back to the waiting pair, knowing what their reaction would be, “Some time since before Halloween last year.”

Their collective response to the admittance had him both wincing and trying to suppress the laughter that was bubbling in his chest over Chim and Hen’s affronted exclamations that they had waited so long to tell them.

“In our defence, we stopped actively trying to keep it a secret at the beginning of the year, we thought you’d figure it out sooner.”

“So, at all the gatherings this year, when you just happened to be dressed similarly and always also came in the same car together with Christopher and seemed to spend your days off together more often than not, that was you being a couple?”

“Yep!” Buck confirmed, popping the p as he relaxed further into the couch cushion and pressed himself more heavily into Eddie’s side.

“Oh my god, that makes so much sense. I can’t believe we didn’t see it.”

They watched as Hen and Chim withdrew into themselves re-evaluating all the moments together and realising what was so blatantly there. It was after a few more drawn-out minutes that Chim startled and stared Buck down.

“Wait, does Maddie know?”

Naturally just as Buck is about to respond, the call alarm sounded sending them all into a flurry to head down to the trucks. Chim however stopped at the bottom of the stairs and repeated his question more loudly. “Buck! Does Maddie know?”

Eddie watched out of the corner of his eye as Buck stopped mid-step and turned back to Chim gesturing for him to hurry up as he does so, “Yes Chim, Maddie was the first to know, now come on, we’ve got to go!”

This jump-started Chim back into action, “Right, yes, of course.” But that didn’t stop him from muttering that he couldn’t believe she didn’t tell him sooner.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

It’s not until they make it back home, do they revisit the aborted conversation that started in Bobby’s office.

“So Eds,” Buck opened with from the bathroom doorway having just finished brushing his teeth, “it’s later. Want to tell me what you meant in Bobby’s office.”

He sighed, realising that he might have been a bit dramatic about the whole situation as he shucked on his bed shirt, “I didn’t really mean anything by it, honestly.”

“I feel like that sigh said otherwise,” Buck observed as he turned off the bathroom light and flipped back the covers, and slid into bed.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Buck! In that train car, I was just so worried about how far you’d go for that stupid promise. That’s all,” he ended up saying in hushed exasperation, turning on the bedside lamp and moved around the room to turn off the bedroom light before moving to climb into his side of the bed.

Buck wrapped an arm around his shoulder when he did and he let Buck pull him into his side, “I only said that because I was thrown. I haven’t seen or spoken to her in almost 2 years and she came back with a fiancé.”

He huffed at that and pushed his mild annoyance aside, relaxing into Buck’s embrace instead, “Okay, so maybe I was being a bit irrational too. But so were you promising to save him, you know that we’re not supposed to do that.”

“I know. And as much as I know I shouldn’t after the way things ended between us, I do still care about her, I didn’t want to be the reason she didn’t get to be happy.”

He repositioned his head to settle it more closely to Buck’s heart speaking softly, “I get it,” and then after a period of quiet as they listened to each other breathe he suggested, “You should go see her.”

The was a beat of hesitation from Buck, “…you sure?”

“Yeah, of course. I mean, I may resent her as your friend and boyfriend for what she did, but this is about you. You deserve to get the closure she owes you.”

There’s a long considering pause as Buck thought it over, long enough that Eddie actually thought he might have fallen asleep, so he shifted across Buck’s warm chest to turn off the lamp and resettle back onto his pillow.

“Eddie?” is spoken softly into the darkness, the sound of a head turning on a pillow.

Rolling back onto his side to face Buck even in the darkness, he places a hand on Buck’s bare chest, “Yeah Buck?”

“I just want you to know how much I love being part of your life. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I promise to do everything in my power to keep it that way for as long as you’ll have me.”

Smiling softly at the heartfelt declaration, he uttered immediately in response, “I love being part of your life too Buck and I know how seriously you take your promises." He pressed a kiss to the tip of Buck’s shoulder, "Don't worry, I don’t intend on letting you go anytime soon.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” He felt as Buck adjusted his position slightly to drop a kiss to the crown of his head with a contented sigh.

The conversation trailed off after that and he could feel Buck slowly drifting off beneath him. He wasn’t lying, after everything the day had brought and the months leading up to it, Eddie knew one thing for certain; he wanted to take the next natural progression in their relationship and have Buck move in properly, officially. Now he just needed the assistance of one Christopher Diaz to make it happen.

#jess writes #my fic #911 fic #buddie fic #eddie diaz #evan buckley #911 on fox #buddie #911 fox #userkourt #userkimmy #userpauline #userjillian #eddiesdiaz #gracieli #useraninha #javachik #tuserjamie #buddie4ever20

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awhitehead17 · 3 years

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jason and dick bonding as siblings ,

I had this idea and ran with it, then it accidentally derailed and here we are. I had fun writing this and I hope you like it. Please enjoy Dick and Jason bonding because their chaotic younger brothers are too much to handle!

The unexpected sound makes Dick startle. He looks around for a moment in confusion before it clicks to what the sound is and where it’s coming from. Getting up from the couch Dick glances at the clock and frowns, why would someone be knocking on his door at 11 at night?

Dick sighs as he makes his way to his apartment’s front door, where the rapid knocking was coming from and opens it up. He’s surprised to find Jason standing there with his fist raised to continue knocking, a scowl plastered on his face, wearing civvies and a plastic bag hanging from his other hand.

“Jason?”

Jason looks up and rolls his eyes. Without an invitation he barges past Dick and wonders into his apartment. “About time Goldie! I thought I would be out there all night by the time you answered.”

Dick stares at his brother trying to work out what’s going on. Coming up short with answers, he simply shuts the door and follows Jason into his living room. Dick silently watches as his younger brother makes himself at home as he settles onto the couch (where he had been sat previously), and as he empties the plastic bag’s contents out on the coffee table in front of him.

Beer and takeaway boxes now cover the table surface. Dick raises an eyebrow in question, when Jason finally spots his look he gives Dick an innocent shrug. “What? I was in the neighbourhood, I wanted food and a beer and thought why don’t I go see my wonderful big brother who lives nearby?”

Shaking his head in disbelief Dick doesn’t say anything as he goes to the kitchen to grab some cutlery for them to use. When he returns to the living room he settles down next to Jason, he trades a knife and fork for a takeaway box when Jason holds it out. He couldn’t help but hum appreciatively when he opens it and finds Chinese food.

After a moment of silent eating and drinking Dick turns to Jason. “Okay so that was your bullshit excuse. What’s the real reason why you’re here. No one has died have they?”

“Unless you count my dignity then no. No one has died. The kids were being brats so I left the Manor to get away for a bit.”

Dick pauses at Jason’s explanation for his unexpected appearance. “So in order to avoid your younger brother’s you’ve driven to a completely different city and decided to visit your older brother?”

Jason shoots him a grin. “Exactly! You’re one of the last people they would think that I would hide with so I’m currently safe from them hunting me down.”

Dick blinks. “Not that I’m complaining about your presence Jay, but why? Though the food is appreciated, so thanks.”

“Well, like I said they’re being brats and I wanted to get away. Bruce is off on some conference in Tokyo or something. Damian keeps pestering me to show him more violent moves, like League of Assassin stuff. I refused to teach him anything which resulted in him becoming more annoying and even more bratty. Tim is constantly getting on my back about cases and reports, like does that kid ever take a break? Jesus. Oh and not only that but he asked me for advice Dick! Advice. No one comes to me for advice!”

Dick continues to blink at his brother. Trying to work out what he should address first. He wants to laugh because it’s hilarious thinking that their younger brothers have annoyed Jason enough for him to leave the city to get away from them. On the other hand he feels like he should be concerned about them all. He wonders how they survive without him there meditating between them.

Instead of speaking Dick shoves a fork full of food into his mouth and chews as he thinks it over. Next to him Jason huffs and takes a sip of his beer. It’s strange, he thinks to himself, who would have thought he and Jason would just be chilling in his apartment eating and drinking while they talk about their younger siblings. Or the fact that Jason had decided to come and visit him in the first place.

Eventually Dick asks, “So what advice did Tim want? You seem more distraught over that than sparring with Damian.”

Jason swallows before answering. “Well if I sparred with the gremlin Bruce would have my head. We’re already on a thin line and believe it or not I’d rather not do anything to destroy that.”

Dick hums knowingly in response, he knows that Jason is slowly integrating himself back into the family. There’s still a rather lot of tension between him and Bruce but from what Dick’s witnessed, it’s slowly improving.

“As for the baby bird well…” Jason trails off before turning to look at Dick with an almost fearful look, “well he wanted sex advice dude. Sex! Like what the hell!”

Upon hearing that Dick ends up chocking on his food. The unexpended answer making gasp in shock but burst out laughing at the same time. He dumps his container on the coffee table and coughs into his arm until he gets control of himself before turning back to Jason.

“What? Tim went to you for sex advice, why?”

Jason throws his hands out in disbelief. “I don’t know! I couldn’t work out if it was a prank or not but he was genuinely being serious.”

“Did he say why he went to you? What did he ask?”

“He told me that he approached me because I wouldn’t dance around the bush with answers, or so he thought.”

Dick couldn’t help the laugh that escapes his lips. Just the image of Tim asking Jason for sex advice is too amusing. He wonders which one of them blushed more or who happened to be more embarrassed.

“What did he want advice on?” Dick asks again, genuinely curious to find out what Tim wanted to know. “Did you come here to avoid talking about sex with our teenage hormonal younger brother?”

“I’ve come here to save my sanity that’s why. I’m not telling you what he asked, it’s too traumatizing to repeat. In response to his questions I told him to approach you, but obviously he hasn’t yet or else you wouldn’t be as curious as you are asshole.”

“Why me?”

Jason shoots him a look like he’s being stupid. “Because between us you’re the womanizer, not me.”

Dick snorts as he grabs a beer and leans back into the couch, taking a sip of the drink as he does. “Like you haven’t been laid plenty of times before.”

“Still not as often as you dickhead. Anyway, expect a call from him soon or something. Why couldn’t the kid just ask Google or some shit, isn’t that what they do these days.”

“You sound like a grandad speaking like that. You’re part of the same generation Jace.”

Jason raises his eyebrows and points his drink in Dick’s direction as if making a point. “Ah you see, being dead for a couple years changes that.”

Dick shoots his brother an unimpressed look at the mention of his death. Jason just couldn’t go one night without bringing it up or making a joke about it. He chooses to not comment on it, instead saying, “I’ll go buy some condoms and lube and put it in a gift box for him in preparation then. I’m sure that’ll help.”

That comment makes Jason bark out a laugh which Dick soon joins in with.

“Oh I bet he’ll love that.” Jason says grinning after a moment.

It was then that Dick notices all of the food has now been consumed and most of the beer has been drunk. He glances at his brother. “What are you doing for the night? Do you want to stay here because the guest room is free if you want it.”

Jason pauses and frowns, Dick has the feeling that he hadn’t actually thought about that at all in his haste to arrive at his apartment. There’s a moment of silence between them and Dick is picking up on Jason’s hesitance for the first time that night.

Not wanting to make his brother uncomfortable Dick insists, “take the room for the night then in the morning we can go for breakfast if you want. There’s a 24hr place down the road that serves a fantastic fry up.”

As if food is the deciding factor, Jason nods and sends him a small smile. “Sounds good.”

Dick climbs up to his feet and starts gathering up the rubbish. “Okay, so go ahead and use the bathroom, there’s spare wash gear underneath the sink, and go to bed. I’ll clean this up and then see you in the morning.”

He pins Jason with a pointed look when his brothers goes to argue. After that Jason bids him a goodnight and retreats to the spare bedroom. Dick sighs and begins clearing everything up.

He certainly hadn’t been expecting that this evening, though it certainly wasn’t unwelcome. Their relationship had always been rocky but since Jason is slowly getting involved with the family again, Dick has to admit he’s really liking the way their relationship has progressed. They still have a long way to go but with how well that night went he thinks everything will be okay.

#dick grayson #Jason Todd #brotherly bonding #batfamily #bat boys #humour #chaotic siblings #fanfiction #anonymous #This was fun to write #Jason can't handle being the big brother #tim and damian are too much #maybe not what you hand in mind anon but hopefully you enjoy it!

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posi-pan · 3 years

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hi, i love your blog but as a bi person (i’m both bi and pan) i’m just having trouble letting this ask slide and feel the need to respond to it. for one thing bi people did not “pick” or “make” the label bisexual for ourselves, it was first used in a sexuality context (after previously sometimes being used as a term for intersex people) by cishet doctors who considered our sexuality a medical condition and was eventually reclaimed by bi people as an identity term. we didn’t choose the label itself. also, sorry anon but i 100% guarantee you that literally all bi people, even terrible ones like babs, do in fact know that bi means two because people online literally NEVER stop telling us. we literally had to alter our preferred definition (from ‘more than one gender’ to ‘two or more genders’) bc every single time you define bi without using the word two on the internet people froth at the mouth over the prefix and derail the conversation by going “but bi means two!!!!” over and over again like it’s the only sentence they know. like yes, we KNOW bi means two. i promise you, we’ve heard.

i’m not trying to be rude or anything bc of course it’s true that claiming the community or the most used definitions of bi have never been binary is ahistorical nonsense but like……i really don’t think responding with different ahistorical nonsense, while also blaming bi people for a term we didn’t coin being binary and going “haven’t those silly bis ever heard of prefixes tho? checkmate” as if bi ppl who use social media don’t hear about prefixes ten times a day, is a good or useful response

yeah it's a word that was given and reclaimed, not picked. so thank you for adding that. as i said previously, sometimes i miss stuff from reading too fast or literally just forget to address one part from being so focused on a different part.

i will say though, the anon was talking about babs who literally deny there ever being a time when bi was defined as two or in a binary way. that's something they are actively saying in order to be panphobic (like claiming bi has only ever been defined as all genders). it wasn't really the way you're portraying it, like they're just another biphobe telling bi people their sexuality is only two because ~prefix. they were just trying to make a point about the claim of it never meaning something it very clearly has meant in the past, albeit not worded very well (and yes, by also saying something ahistorical themselves).

#asks #anonymous #bi antagonism #long post

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theropegeek · 4 years

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What To Do If You're Banned From Your Local Kink Community For Consent Violations

An open letter to myself 4 years ago

1. I know you didn't mean to hurt anyone, but you did, and you're going to have to learn to accept that.

It will be an ongoing process that lasts the rest of your life and will never be fully complete.

But you need to do it, and it's never going to get any easier, so you better get started.

2. Your guilt and self-flagellation do not help anybody. I know you think that openly punishing yourself to the point of ongoing depression is the best way you can show that you're sorry, but ultimately, it's just masturbation. It gives you a sensation of motion and accomplishment without actually doing anything.

People want for you to change, or maybe just for you to leave them alone; they almost certainly don't want you to make yourself suffer for years on end in some misplaced attempt at penance.

3. I know you think this was a fluke, but perhaps the most important thing for you to understand is: it absolutely wasn't.

The violations you've been called out for seem like anomolies that came out of nowhere. But in reality, they're the tip of an iceberg of shitty behavior patterns, and it extends down almost to the core of who you are and how you interact with other people.

Consent Violations are like cockroaches. By the time you've realized there are two of them, I promise you have roughly 1,000 lurking unseen in the walls of your past.

Their presentation may have been as simple as friendly feedback, passing awkward moments, or people who didn't call you back--but I promise, they were there.

4. The problem is that you have a shitty sense of boundaries--both your own and other people's. Normally it's mostly harmless (though it's certainly much more annoying than you realize), but when you carry those behaviors into kink situations, the stakes are much higher and the results are potentially tragic.

5. You need to realize that asserting boundaries is work. Your insecurity leads you to assume that telling you "no" is effortless, but in reality, needing to tell someone "no" almost always takes something out of us.

Your shitty boundaries mean that you expect others to shoulder nearly 100% of that burden, while you yourself take on little or no responsibility in remembering or clarifying what the people around you are and aren't okay with. Sometimes that's exhausting for them, other times it's utterly overwhelming or even tragic.

It's absolutely not enough that you would never knowingly cause anyone harm. You need to realize that "No" is hard, and so when it comes, it won't always sound the way you'd expect it to.

6. I know you're aching to do "the work," that will make you better; you're praying for a bandaid you can rip off that will put everything back to the way it was. The reality is more complicated.

A. You need to address your underlying mental illness. That's as hard as it sounds: therapy, tweak your meds, more therapy, tweak meds again; support groups, volunteer work, meditation, exercise routines, spirituality, positive affirmations, gratitude lists, psychology articles, classes on emotional intelligence, learning to recognize and purge negative people and influences, re-learning healthier forms of social interaction--not to mention the daily work of improving your focus, practicing better self control, and perhaps most of all, learning to actually process emotions instead of drowning them in distractions.

It sounds like a lot because it is, and it will likely be an ongoing struggle forever.

The bright side is, all you need to do is pursue the goal of being even slightly better today than you were yesterday--and, when that's not possible, continue to Hold The Line as best you can. Eventually, the almost imperceptible individual changes will add up in ways that astound you.

B. You need to become a student of boundaries. That isn't just about kink; it's about life. Every day, people around you are setting their own boundaries and reacting to yours. Study that shit, and don't assume that just because you're treated a certain way that it's acceptable.

Perhaps the single biggest problem here is that you're just plain pushy. You need to work on identifying and derailing that tendency in yourself whenever it manifests, big or small.

7. Be slow to declare yourself "cured." It's now four years later, and "cured," isn't accurate. You're still just someone who cares about these issues and works to be better when you see opportunities to do so.

Remember how you thought your early TKs were good, and now you realize they were abominations? This will be an ongoing process as well, and you'll continue to suck at it for embarassingly long.

8. Sometimes you will blame others--mostly for being too critical of you, or not working harder to assert their boundaries.

I've come to believe those feelings are a normal part of the grieving process that you or anyone in your position likely goes through; feel free to experience those emotions and then let them go.

Don't let them define you, your perspective on what happened, or your priorities regarding what to do next. Your focus should always be on what YOU can do differently moving forward.

9. Your boundaries still matter, too, and you need to learn how to express them in healthier ways.

When you have a problem with how someone is treating you or what they're asking of you, your default is to ignore or rationalize it until the situation is truly intolerable--at which point you're prone to exploding on people. It's not healthy for you or anyone else.

You need to learn to identify what you're actually okay with, and then express that as needed--long before you reach a "meltdown" point.

Learning to identify and express what you're okay with will also make it easier to recognize and respect this process in others.

10. Don't plan on forgiveness from anyone. Maybe it'll come someday, but thus far it hasn't and frankly it probably won't.

Either way, don't hinge your growth or recovery on the ways other people feel about you. They're on their own journeys.

-RG

#theropegeek #consent #rgx

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echoes-of-the-clockwork · 3 years

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Book One: Gold (Prompto x Reader) Chapter XIV

After stopping at Leirity Seaside and Spelcray Haven, the group makes it to Cape Caem. Iris departs from the party and heads into the house to see Talcott. While the boys spoke with Cindy, (Y/n) wandered off towards the cliffs. She admired the beautiful view of the ocean with the lighthouse at her back. She inhaled deeply, the salty sea breeze bringing her a semblance of peace. The gentle breeze also cooled her heated skin. She stretched her arms towards the sky with a hum of content. "This place really is nice."

Glancing across the surface of the glistening ocean, (Y/n)'s peace of mind was shattered by Callyx. Unconsciously, she raises a hand and presses it against the back of her neck. Her smile was vanquished by a melancholic frown. Although hidden by her clothes, she felt as if she could feel the one thing that connected her to the empire-the barcode. Unlike Prompto, hers was located on the back of her neck. She knew the truth behind his existence, but he didn't. Nor did he know the truth behind hers.

"Hey!"

(Y/n) was startled from her thoughts when she heard Prompto yelling. She turned around and watched him run towards her. "Hey, I thought you'd be with the others."

"Why would I be when my favorite person is missing?" He asked with a smile. She wanted to smile, but her dark thoughts kept her from doing so. Of course, Prompto could tell she wasn't cheerful as usual. "Y'know, frowny faces aren't allowed here. The view is way too beautiful. What's wrong, (Y/n)?"

She looked away from him. "Dark thoughts, that's all. I thought I had managed to push them aside, but they keep resurfacing."

"Are these "dark thoughts" because of Callyx?"

She nodded her head weakly. "Yeah..."

"You listen to me anytime I need to talk and always know how to cheer me up. Whenever I needed a shoulder to cry on, you were there. You're the reason I've come this far and think I'm actually a worthy person and not just some waste of space. I just want to let you know I'm here for you just like you are for me, and I'm not going anywhere, okay?" Prompto reaches out and takes her hand in his, squeezing it gently.

(Y/n) could feel the sting of tears forming from his kindness. She bit her bottom lip to keep the tears at bay. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him in fear she'd begin crying. All she could do was squeeze his hand in return. "Thank you, Prompto, but I'm afraid this is something I can't share with you just yet."

Prompto didn't want to force her to do anything and respected her decision. "Well, when you're ready, I'll be here."

The guardian inhaled a shaky breath. She managed to turn and look at him, but the thing she was trying to not do happens. The tears she's been holding back spring free and cascade down her cheeks. Before she could even attempt to wipe them away, Prompto was already on it. His hands cradled her cheeks, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears. He was taken aback at her sudden tears and couldn't help but worry. "H-Hey, it's okay. Please don't cry, (Y/n)."

"I'm sorry, Prom," she sniffled.

"Don't apologize, silly." Prompto presses his forehead against hers with a warm smile. He wipes her tears away for a little longer before slipping his arms around her smaller frame and hugging her gently. She didn't hesitate to reciprocate the hug and wrap her arms around his torso. They remained in each other's arms until they heard Noctis shouting their names. Prompto pecked her on the forehead before grabbing her hand and rejoining Noctis and the others.

Once back with the others, Ignis explained how they learned where to find the mythril to repair the boat from Talcott. Their next destination would be the Vesperpool. As they were about to make their way into the house, Gladio stopped them. "So yeah, gonna have to ask you to handle this boat business without me."

Prompto gaped in shock. "Say wha?"

"Got some business of my own to deal with," the shield vaguely responded.

Noctis knew Gladio all too well and didn't try to change his mind. "Do your thing. Not like we could stop you anyway."

"You know me too well." He walked past the three boys and came to a stop beside (Y/n). He patted her on the shoulder. "Keep these guys in shape while I'm gone, short stuff."

She smirked in amusement. "You can count on me. Take care of yourself, Gladio."

"Don't have to tell me twice. See ya 'round." With that, the shield left.

<-------------<<<<<

Several days later, everyone minus Gladio was in the Regalia. Noctis was driving, Prompto was in the passenger's seat, and Ignis and (Y/n) were sitting in the backseat. The strategist recognized their surroundings from their earlier expedition in the area. "The waterfall cave was right around here."

"That means the lake should be somewhere north of here," Prompto said.

"Be wary, though-where we go, the empire seems to follow."

"Which means we might see Callyx again..." The marksman muttered with a slightly angry undertone.

"You hate the guy that much?" Noctis asked.

"Yeah, I do!" Prompto sat up in his seat with a huff of annoyance. "He hurt my beautiful goddess!"

(Y/n) chuckled slightly at his reasoning. "Trust me, I made sure he felt some pain before I left."

Eventually, they pull up to a tunnel whose gate had previously been locked. It opens and allows them passage. Prompto was puzzled at the entire thing. "Wait-what happened to "under imperial lockdown"?"

"They all but turned the key and left the gates open for us-as if awaiting our arrival," Ignis commented.

"And if anyone's waiting for us, I bet it's those guys," the sharpshooter grumbled.

"Chancellor Izunia and Callyx."

"Can't complain as long as they let us in," Noctis said.

"Who's to say they'll let us out? Not to mention we're a man down. Would that the marshal were with us," the advisor stated.

"But we have (Y/n) now!" Prompto chanted. "And whatever happened to that guy?"

"As I understand it, he's put his tomb raiding on hold to help the hunters take care of some troublesome beasts."

"No rest for "the immortal"," the prince said.

(Y/n) was curious to ask about Cor since she's only heard a few things about him from Prompto, but her train of thought was derailed when Noctis slammed on brakes. She braced herself as the car swerved from the harsh braking, her nails digging into the leather of the seat. Wondering why he made a harsh stop, she looked up to see an imperial blockade consisting of an MA Veles and imperial troopers.

"No way through," Noctis mumbled.

"So they give us access to the Vesperpool, but still intend to stop us by setting up other blockades," (Y/n) stated as she got out of the car.

"Yeah, it totally doesn't make any sense," Prompto commented. "But what do you expect from the empire?"

"Good point," Noctis said.

Once everyone was out of the car, they summoned their weapons. Ignis, wielding his daggers, warned his companions. "We must be doubly cautious."

"Right. No Gladio, no room for error."

Even without Gladio's presence, the battle went smoothly. They were able to easily dispose of the imperial forces and continue down the road. This time, Ignis was behind the wheel. Noctis, even with (Y/n) in the backseat with him, was able to spread out. "I could get used to havin' all this room back here. Too bad Gladio isn't as small as (Y/n)."

"It is quite cozy back here without him," the guardian said, stretching her arms into the air as her (h/c) locks were tousled by the wind.

Prompto glanced into the backseat at his best friend and girlfriend. "I'll let the big guy know you guys said so."

After a few more minutes of driving, Ignis parks the Regalia near the Vesperpool. Everyone exits the vehicle and heads into the nearby swampland in search of the ruins they heard about from Talcott. Down the trail, they spotted two familiar cars. One was red and the other was black.

"Oh, great..." (Y/n) groaned.

As they come near the ruins, they find Ardyn and Callyx waiting for them. The female spirit smirked in satisfaction seeing her fellow guardian's right eye was foggy. The skin around it was pink and puffy from where she burnt him. The boys also noticed the man's maimed eye. Prompto leant over and whispered to the golden-eyed spirit. "You did that to him?"

"Yeah. He deserved it," (Y/n) replied.

"Damn..." Noctis mumbled at seeing the damage.

Ardyn addressed the group as they made their way over to him and Callyx. "Gentlemen." He then took off his hat and bowed in (Y/n)'s direction. "And lady. What a pleasant surprise."

Prompto glanced between the two men with a groan. "Ugh! Told you they'd be waiting!"

"With my imperial friends, no less."

"Splendid," Ignis rhetorically retorted.

The chancellor quickly tried to assuage their concern. "But fear not-I'll put in a good word. Well, come along, then." He turns and begins walking toward the ruins. Callyx, on the other hand, didn't budge. He glared at the girl with his only remaining eye. He took a few steps towards her, but was stopped by Ardyn. "Do behave yourself, dear friend."

Callyx gritted his teeth, clenching his fists tightly. "If I could, I'd rip into your flesh again, right here and right now."

(Y/n) wasn't afraid of the man and stood her ground. "Did you not learn your lesson the first time? Guess you didn't and now don't wanna keep your left eye. I don't mind burning it like I did your right one."

"Why you little-!"

"Callyx," Ardyn gently called out in warning.

The male guardian reluctantly backed away with a snarl. He turned his back to his fellow spirit and followed after the chancellor.

Ardyn smiled at the group as Callyx took the lead towards the ruins. "I do apologize for his unruly behavior." He adjusted his hat and walked alongside his spiky-haired companion. "Now then, don't stray too far, lest you get left behind. And surely you'd rather avoid unnecessary scuffles, seeing as you're now a quartet. Oh, dear. Touchy subject?"

"One we won't discuss with you," Ignis quipped rather harshly.

"Then let's discuss why you're here. Hmm.... It can't be archaeology... Mythril, perhaps?"

"This guy's reading our thoughts!" Prompto gasped.

"Mythril-it's a precious resource. We can't just let anyone get their hands on it," Ardyn claimed.

"But you'll help us get ours on it, right?" Noctis asked.

"I never said that!"

"Of course you didn't," Prompto muttered.

"Where is the fun in that?" The chancellor questioned. "I thought you'd rather dig it up yourselves."

"We'll make you all do the damned dirty work yourselves. You're capable enough even with one person missing," Callyx sneered.

(Y/n) couldn't hold her snarky remark at bay. "Oh, so you won't dirty your hands for mythril, but you're fine with killing your own people. Nice to know."

"You're making it very difficult to not kill you," Callyx growled.

"You won't because your tail wags for your master."

"So does yours," he retorts.

"But mine doesn't keep me on a short leash and actually trusts me."

Callyx's self control shattered. He reached out to grab the girl, but his arm was grabbed by her and she twisted his arm behind his back. Using her foot, she kicked the bend of one of his legs and forced him to a single knee. He grunted in pain as he struggled against her, but his current position made it difficult.

The guardians' argument didn't go unnoticed. The boys and Ardyn had watched the entire thing unfold. The chancellor was smirking in amusement while the others were shocked. The auburn-haired man strolled over with a chuckle. "As I believe this is a suiting punishment for Callyx, I do beg of you to release him, my dear. His punishment will come at a later date, I assure you."

(Y/n) glared at the chancellor before releasing Callyx. The male spirit got to his feet, rolling his shoulder and trying to ease the pain. "Damn you..."

She crossed her arms with a victorious grin. "Run along, kitty. Your master's tugging on your leash."

Without another word, Callyx walked away. Prompto watched the emerald-eyed guardian stalk away, clearly consumed by anger. He then looked over at his spirit with an astonished expression. "Wow, (Y/n). I've never seen you so angry before."

"I'm not someone who usually is easily angered," she sighed. "But Callyx just grinds my gears. Knowing he's willingly working for the empire and killing our people is what irks me the most."

"By that display, I do believe we won't be needing Gladio's assistance for this endeavor," Ignis said.

Noctis glanced at Callyx's retreating form before looking over at the golden-eyed girl. "I thought you were gonna break his arm."

"Oh, trust me, I wanted to. I already broke it once, but I'll gladly do it again," she responded. "Guardians are more resilient than humans and our injuries heal quicker, but it seems Callyx is still experiencing issues with his arm after I broke it at the fort."

"Indeed, he is," Ardyn sighed. "You did quite a number on him, my dear. The poor man was brought back to me with his eye singed and arm shattered."

"And you're not mad?" She inquired.

"Of course not. Callyx fought and lost. Tis a mere outcome of battle."

Hearing Ardyn's confession, (Y/n) felt a tinge of sorrow for Callyx. The chancellor wasn't saddened if the man was injured in battle. He doesn't care for him like Prompto does her. She shook her head, ridding herself of the thoughts. "Putting all this aside, aren't we here for mythril?"

He tipped his hat with a faint smile. "Right this way."

They continued to follow Ardyn down the trail until they reached the ruins. Outside the entrance to the ancient structure stood the woman they had fought against at Fort Vaullery. Beside her were two imperial officers.

Ardyn turns to Noctis and the others. "Fear not-I'll be but a moment." He walks over to the woman and begins to speak with her.

Prompto looked over at his best friend. "A moment doing what?"

Noctis shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me."

(Y/n) looked around at the number of imperials were stationed in the area. She could feel their eyes on her as their grips on their weapons tightened. She grimaced at the unsafe feeling she was experiencing. She was the conduit, the spirit the empire was seeking to kill. Now she was standing in the middle of an imperial hornet nest, afraid she'd stir the insects and wind up dead. "I'm not so sure I should be here..."

The prince glared at the imperial troopers who were eyeing the spirit. "Nah, it's fine. If they really wanted to kill you, I'm pretty sure they'd already done it."

"Perhaps the chancellor is the reason they remain inactive," Ignis speculated.

She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. "I just hope we get this mythril as quick as possible..."

Just then, Ardyn calls out to them. "All clear! Go ahead."

The group approaches the woman, who was eyeing them closely. "So, you're the "new recruits" they sent over for "special training." Nice cover, runaway prince."

"Thanks," Prompto replied.

Noctis groaned at how casual the blonde was being. "Oh, c'mon!"

The woman shook her head with a sigh. "At ease, "recruits." There's nothing in it for this ex-mercenary to turn you in."

"Well that's a surprise," (Y/n) muttered.

This caught the ex-mercenary's attention. "Good thing because your name and the prince's are on the empire's list. The very top, I might add." She took a few steps towards the girl and examined her appearance. "But I know I'm already gonna like you, firefly."

The guardian blinked in surprise. "Why's that?"

"You're the one who fried Callyx's eye. If you hadn't done it, I would've. Bastard's been a thorn in my side for a while now." She patted her on the shoulder, grinning. "I look forward to working with you, firefly."

(Y/n) glances up at the sky, noticing the sun was beginning to set. "Then let's get this show on the road."

Her grinned widened. "Took the words right out of my mouth. Let's get moving, "recruits"."

Seeing the group had become acquainted with the ex-mercenary, Ardyn chimed in. "I trust you'll be civil. Commodore Aranea Highwind, I leave them to you."

Aranea puts on her helmet and guides the group towards the entrance of the ruins. As they trudged through the shallow water, Prompto noticed the strange design of the ruins. "What kind of place was this? Any idea, Ignis?"

Ignis was also intrigued by the ancient structure, but he had no answers for the blonde. "None."

"Gee, I wonder what happened to the locals."

"Why not head inside and look for 'em?" Aranea suggested.

"I'm not so sure if we want to find the locals," (Y/n) said. "Who knows if they're hostile or peaceful."

"Guess we'll figure out the hard way if there are any locals," Noctis spoke up.

When the sun set behind the horizon and the moon rose into the sky, the entrance to Steyliff Grove was open. As they entered the ruins, (Y/n) took note of the design. She ran a hand across the wall. "Hey, Prom. Don't these ruins look a lot like the ones we hid in a while back?"

Prompto also analyzed the structure of the ruins. His eyes widen when he too saw the similarities. "Oh, yeah!"

"You must be talking about Costlemark Tower," Aranea voiced. "Place is crawling with daemons and has the same strange mechanism that prevents anyone from entering during the day."

The marksman glanced over at the ex-mercenary. "Does that mean this place is gonna be crawling with daemons too?"

"Most likely."

"Oh, yay..."

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