#[thread] duke x juliette

[scocbysnacks]

closed starter for @lvciddreamt​

The night before had promised a fitful sleep and Duke could expect much more where it came from now that she was alone. It was difficult to keep track of the time between when she’d left her sorority with as much as she could possibly carry to now with a different bag, woefully limited in its contents. Cicadas screamed around her-- a good sign-- the dead weren’t near and it was the buzzing white noise that she could latch onto while she walked the empty, desolate road towards the gas station a few miles from the motel she’d set up in. Tucked away down a back road, it had been a surprise even to her that it was there, but a lucky find was a lucky find and she dared not look a gift horse in the mouth...wherever that saying had come from. Her clothes stuck to her sweaty skin, the sun blazing hot and the muggy air that promised rain later did little to alleviate the feeling of wading through an armpit. It was almost a relief to enter the darkened interior of the gas station’s convenience store. Dust motes floated and clung to her as she passed, whirring around her to coalesce and settle in her wake, and she took in the ruined store, its shelves knocked over, blood spatters and dirt leaving a grim residue on the floor. 

“Stay focused, Duke.” She murmured beneath her breath and regretted it as the taste of decay laid heavy on her tongue. Quelling the sudden need to vomit, she only acted quicker to get what she needed. She began to fill her bag, removing cans of food, bottles of water, and a first aid kit from where she found them and shoving them into her backpack. Once that was filled, she began filling the duffle bag she’d brought with her only to stifle a scream as removing a box of cereal revealed a person on the other side of the shelf. 

“Fuck me!” She hissed in surprise and tried to stand abruptly but only managed to fall back on her butt as she stared through the opening in the shelf. The person wasn’t undead or... dead at all; injured? She tried to get a better look of the stranger, scrambling to her knees to get closer to the opening of the shelf. “Hey...” She called out to them. “Hey...do you need help?”

[the-broken-truth]

The Intervention (Lorelei Linden x Riza Croft) (Villainous Nights)

Summary: The Members of the Syndicate host an intervention for Lorelei about her overprotective nature towards Riza. Can they get her to listen?

This is the One-Shot Version of Overprotective Lorelei Skit #5

@justarandomanon-me - Behold! My Longest One-Shot Thus Far! 🐾

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Lorelei was bored.

Completely bored and uninterested.

She sat alone with her arms followed, looking at the ceiling of the Syndicate’s Lair, waiting for the others to get there. 

Why was Lorelei alone in the Syndicate Lair waiting for the others? Well, that’s quite simple. 

After kissing Riza goodbye when she was going to work, Lorelei was waiting at home, thinking about what to do until Riza’s Lunch Break to take her out; about one hour before she was going to leave to meet her lover, Lorelei got a message from the other members asking her to come to the lair for an important meeting. As much as she didn’t feel like it, Duke insisted that it was going to be important, so she gave and went to the Lair. 

Just then, the door opened and the others, all in their civilian clothes, walked in and sat at the table.

“About time you guys got here, what is this meeting about? I have somewhere I need to be.” Lorelei said as she sat upright in her seat, looking at the others. 

“Doesn’t it have anything to do with Riza?” Renzel asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“If you must know, I’m meeting her during her Lunch Break to take her out for lunch.” Lorelei said with a huff.

“That’s what we wanted to talk to you about, Badger.” Duke said, causing Lorelei to raise her eyebrow.

“What? Do you have recommendations for restaurants?” Lorelei asked.

“No, it’s about your relationship with Riza.” Zeke said, gently rubbing his aching lower back.

“What about it? I have to say we’re doing just fine.” Lorelei smiled at the thought her of black-red haired lover. 

“Lorelei, we know that you love Riza and it’s obvious Riza loves you but it’s come to our attention that your attitude towards Riza is...what’s a good word for it?” Duke asked the others.

“Clingy?” meowed the Cat.

“Possessive?” squeaked the Bat.

“Suffocating?” cawed the Falcon.

“Overbearing?” hissed the Cobra.

“Overprotective! You’re very overprotective of Riza and we think it’s gone too far.” Duke said.

“What? I’m not that overprotective of Riza; I mean, sure I can be protective, but that’s just because I love her and wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.” Lorelei retorted.

“But there are times when it goes too far, Lorelei.” Juliette said.

“When did it ever go too far?” Lorelei growled as she relaxed in her seat.

“What about last Sunday when Riza and I went to go get some Bobas and hang out? You were literally shadowing her in the backgrounds of everywhere we went.” Andi offered.

[Flashback - Last Sunday]

Andi and Riza walked out of the Boba Shop with their drinks in hand, happily sipping their drinks through their straws. 

“Kinda sucks Juliette couldn’t join us.” Riza said as she looked at Andi.

“Yeah, I’m sure she would have loved to have a day off but her parents can be such assholes. By the way, why didn’t Lorelei come? Did she have a contract with someone?” Andi asked with a raised eyebrow; causing Riza to groan with an annoyed-tired face. 

“Is that what you think?” Riza asked, causing Andi to look confused.

“What do you mean?” Andi asked.

“Just look over my shoulder.” Riza said before locking the straw between her lips again. Andi looked over the taller girls’ shoulder before her eyes locked with a familiar green. Lorelei was watching them, peeking from around a corner like a certified stalker; not even blinking as she stared at Riza.

“Is...Is she seriously stalking you?” Andi asked as she looked into Riza’s eyes.

“She’s always like this. If you think that’s bad, just wait as our day progresses.” Andi was not sure what she meant.

But when she found out, she couldn’t believe it.

Lorelei was everywhere they went, hiding but through their bond, Riza knew where she was and her hiding places were more and more bizarre.

She hid in the bushes when they were sitting at the park. 

She followed them wearing a trench coat and a hat while they were walking through the mall.

She even disguised herself as a server at a restaurant they went to get lunch at! 

How did she even get the outfit?!

[End of Flashback]

“That’s not proof; that’s just me waiting to make sure my girlfriend is alright and out of harm’s way.” Lorelei defended herself.

“Seriously? You couldn’t just call her to make sure she was alright? You had to hide in bushes, and in a trench coat, and a server’s outfit?! Where did you even get that?!” Andi exclaimed.

Lorelei shrugs. 

“I told them I was the newbie and they gave me a suit.” Lorelei smiled.

“And they believed you? Didn’t even check?” Duke asked.

“Hey, they needed help; I was able to help them knock Rush Hour out of the window.” Lorelei smirked.

“What about the fact that every time we finish a mission and get ready to go home, you toss Riza over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes?” Renzel asked.

[Flashback - Monday Night - Syndicate Lair - After A Mission]

The Members of the Syndicate were removing their suits, with their civilian clothes under, after a long mission against Optimus. 

“I have to say, that was one of the longest stakeouts I’ve ever taken part in. Good thing we got all the information we need.” Riza said as she folded her suit and removed her mask.

“Indeed. Bat will analyze the information and will inform us of whatever it could mean.” Duke said.

“Got it, Wolf. It should be done overnight.” Juliette’s voice came over the speakers.

“Well, we all need to make sure we get some sleep.” Renzei said.

“Yeah, I’m pretty tired myself.” Riza said with a yawn.

“Alright, come on, you.” Lorelei said as she bent down before standing back up with Riza slumped over her shoulder before walking out of the doors; leaving everyone to just stare.

[End of Flashback]

“She was tired. As her girlfriend, it is my duty to ensure that she got home safely and in one piece.” Lorelei said.

“Then how do you explain the sewing on the back of Riza’s Shirts? You sewed” Juliette asked.

[Flashback - Tuesday Afternoon]

“Riza, what happened to your shirt?” Juliette asked.

“What? Is there something on my shirt?” Riza asked as she looked up from her phone.

“You have ‘Property of Lorelei Linden’ sewed on my back in golden thread.” Juliette said as she looked at the sewed writing on the back of the Monarch's Shirt.

“Lorelei bought me some shirts and sewed that on the back of them.” Riza said.

“What happened to the rest of your shirts?” Juliette asked with a raised eyebrow.

“She burned them.”

[End of Flashback]

“Just making sure that everyone knows she is taken so they wouldn’t get any ideas on trying to make a move on her.” Lorelei said with narrowed eyes.

“What about what you did to her Syndicate Suit?” Andi chimed in.

[Flashback - Tuesday Night - Mission]

The Members of the Syndicate had just cleared out an Optimus Cell of Goons and were checking their unconscious bodies for any kind of information when Andi heard Riza say she found something. The Lightning Cat turned to face her but was met with her back and her eyebrow raised at what she saw.

Sewed on the back of Monarch’s Syndicate Suit were the words ‘Property of the Stone Badger’; there was even a tiny Badger Paw on the bottom. 

“Monarch...what is?” Andi began.

“Please don’t ask.” Riza pleaded before she was picked up and carried off by the Black and Gold Armored Woman.

[End of Flashback]

“Those Optimus Bastards tend to stare, I don’t want them thinking they have a chance with my butterfly.” Lorelei growled.

“Speaking of your Butterfly, remember what you asked me to do with her necklace?” Juliette said.

[Flashback - Wednesday Evening]

“Hold on, you want me to do what?” Juliette said as she looked at the Golden Necklace in Lorelei’s fist; and not just any necklace, it was Riza’s Necklace. She knew that piece of jewelry anywhere.

“I want you to make an exact replica of this necklace and hide a tracker in it; one that can die on battery life. I need it to work at all times.” Lorelei said as she placed her girlfriend’s necklace on the table.

“Lorelei, don’t you think that’s too much? Don’t you trust Riza?” Juliette asked with a raised eyebrow and confused expression.

“Don’t get me wrong, Juliette. I trust Riza in the highest regard; it’s other people I don’t trust.” Lorelei’s eyes narrowed “I see the way people look at her - like they have a chance with her - like hell they do.” Lorelei said with a growl before she composed herself. “Also, Riza has the tendency to get lost; I need to make sure I can reach her in time in case anything happens. I don’t want her hurt.” Lorelei said, her voice laced with concern.

[End of Flashback]

“Like I said before, Riza gets lost and I had to make sure I can reach her in case of an emergency.” Lorelei said before she looked into Juliette’s eyes. “Also, I’m gonna need another tracker.” Lorelei said, Juliette raised her eyebrow.

“Why do you need another one?” Juliette asked.

“She sometimes leaves her necklace at home when she’s in a rush to get to work. I need a tracker in something she doesn’t leave at home...Hm...Her phone is something she never leaves.” Lorelei rubbed her finger under her chin in a thinking manner. “I wonder if I can inject her with one?”

“Hold it.” Duke said as he looked at Juliette. “She asked you to make her a tracker? She asked me to make her an app for the same reason!” Duke said.

[Flashback - Thursday Afternoon - Duke’s Office]

“Are you serious? You want me to make you an app that will track your girlfriend?” Duke said as he looked at Lorelei with a confused look at a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah. I want to call it ‘Where’s My Monarch?’. I want to make sure I know exactly where Riza is at all times; between Optimus and these fucking bastards thinking they can get my girl, I need to make sure I can get to her in a matter of minutes.” Lorelei said as she followed her arms.

“Lorelei, you can’t be serious. You know that Riza is loyal to you and she can take care of herself; why would you need an entire app just to track her when you could just use the bond?” Duke asked,

“The Bond isn’t long distance. I need to be able to find her at all times if I can’t reach her mind.” Lorelei said before she turned to leave. “Just finish it soon, I need to check on something else.”

[End of Flashback]

“Speaking of the app, did you finish it yet?” Lorelei asked.

“What, No. Why would I…” Duke began.

“Then hurry up and finish it.” Suddenly, a ding of a notification rang through the room and Lorelei knew what it was. “Hold on a moment, I got a notification on Riza’s ChatSphere.” Lorelei said as she reached into her pocket and opened the app.

“Speaking of ChatSphere, you threatened a follower who posted on a picture of Riza and I!” Andi said.

[Flashback - Friday]

Andi was chilling in her room when she got a comment notification on ChatSphere.

Follower Name: Wow, that red-haired girl is hot! 

Andi began chuckling until another comment, chained under that comment, From...Oh no…

Immovable Stone: Hey, I know she’s hot but that doesn’t give you the right to gawk at her. Keep your eyes and mind off my girlfriend if you don’t want to lose them...or your legs.

‘Damnit, Lorelei’ Andi thought.

[End of Flashback]

“Like I said, I know she’s hot but no one gawks at my girlfriend but me.” Lorelei said as she pocketed her phone. “Is there anything else because I need to meet Riza for lunch.”

“What about what happened yesterday?” Zeke said as he rubbed his lower back again.

[Flashback - Yesterday - In The Lair]

“Hey, Riza. Wanna hear a joke?” Zeke asked.

“Sure. What’s up?” Riza said with a raised eyebrow.

“What do you call a snake with no venom?” Zeke asks with a smile.

“A Constrictor?” Riza asked with a raised eyebrow.

“A Belt.” Zeke answered before he started laughing.

Riza began laughing with him before her bond started flaring and her jaw dropped when Lorelei came flying out of nowhere, crashing the heel of her right foot with the spine of Zeke’s Lower Back; sending the Founder of the Syndicate flying with a hiss in pain before he crashed in the nearby wall.

“Lorelei! What the hell was that for?!” Riza asked as she gestured to the man wiggling in pain.

“Sorry, my foot slipped.” Lorelei said as she looked off in the distance.

[End of Flashback]

“Listen, Zeke. I don’t care if you’re the Founder of the Syndicate; Riza is mine and the only person allowed to make her laugh with a lame joke is me!” Lorelei barked as she pointed her thumb at her chest.

“Lorelei, what the fuck?!” Everyone said in unison.