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huilian · 4 years ago

Text

Statera

AO3

Characters: Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne

Summary: Moments in time, where Damian discovered who Dick Grayson is

A/N: i finally finished this! i had to rewrite this like, four times because i keep losing my draft. oh well.... thanks to @caramelmachete for beta-ing this fic!!!! hope you enjoy it!

***

Damian always loved tinkering with something. Being able to build his own technologies showed that he had enough skill to do so, so Mother did not discourage it. Sometimes she even brought Damian things to tinker with.

It was also one of the only activities approved by Mother that was fun.

There was one rule that Damian knew, however. One rule that has been drilled into him ever since he could remember. Mother’s permission is critical. There was nothing that Damian did that was not pre-approved by his Mother. If he breaks that rule, well, there are only two options. One, Damian was commended for his extraordinary thinking. Two, he was punished because what he did was not acceptable to Mother.

Mother may approve of his tinkering, but Damian did not live with Mother anymore.

It was almost involuntary. When he drove the Batmobile, the mechanics of the car astounded him. It was years beyond all the vehicles that the League possesses. After Pennyworth repaired it after a crash, it stood there, almost inviting Damian to tinker with it. Damian had been almost helpless to its call.

He really should have known better. Mother would never tolerate this kind of behavior. Damian was getting reckless by being in Gotham.

Damian had opened up the Batmobile while Grayson was at work. He had planned on only opening it up and closing it again, just a peek on the pinnacle of engineering that is the Batmobile. But then Damian started thinking about ways to improve the already impressive car. To make it more efficient would require tools and understanding of physics that Damian did not yet possess. To make it more aerodynamic would threaten its structural integrity. To make it more powerful would also require tools and understanding of physics that Damian did not yet possess.

Oh! Father had a blueprint for making the car fly, hadn’t he? Damian remembered seeing it somewhere in the cave. He had been entranced with it, before. A car, flying! It was almost surreal, had Damian not known that Father was capable of making that a reality.

A simple search on the computer yielded the blueprints for making the Batmobile fly. After that, Damian could not resist the call. There were the blueprints and the tools, and the car that Damian could make better than it was before.

When Damian realized that Grayson was standing behind him, he panicked. The Batmobile was still stripped down to its parts, and Damian was standing in the middle of it all. Damian had forgotten the one rule he had grown up with. Never do anything without Mother’s permission. Except now, with him being in Gotham and with Father being… gone, it was Grayson’s permission he should have sought.

This Batmobile was the one Father had used before. Grayson might not wish for anything in it to be modified. Damian did not know whether Grayson approved of him tinkering or not.

Damian froze. He decided that he would not cry. He was an al Ghul and a Wayne and Robin to boot. He would not cry. No matter what happens, Damian would bear the punishments Grayson deemed appropriate, and he would not cry.

Grayson did not seem mad. He seemed to be regarding Damian’s work intently, taking the piece that Damian had finished and viewing it from different angles. Throughout it all, Grayson made no sound. Damian did not know if it was something Grayson just did, or if Damian was slacking in observing his environment. He did not hear Grayson come into the Cave, after all.

(With Mother, not noticing her presence would have merited him another punishment on top of the one he would have got for acting without permission.)

What if Grayson found his work subpar? That would merit another punishment. If Damian had dared disobey Mother, he better make sure that what he did is satisfactory, at the very least. If he did this with Mother, and his work with the vehicle was subpar, it would have been inexcusable.

Mother would have given him so much more training. Mother preferred to punish Damian by lessons, experiences Damian would dislike but was still ultimately useful. Grandfather was fond of physical pain. Damian did not know what punishment was by Grayson’s standards, but whatever it was, he would get himself through it. He always did.

“Did you do this?” Grayson signed.

“Yes,” Damian said. He really should stop here, but he continued. “Flight would have been very useful in combat situations, Grayson. Why has it not been implemented into the Batmobile? Father must have…”

“Stop.” A chopping movement from Grayson’s hand. Damian could not contain his flinch. It seemed that his rambling had not been appreciated by Grayson.

(Damian would not cry. He would not.)

Grayson saw the flinch. He must have. But instead of getting even angrier, Grayson relaxed his entire body. Damian did not understand.

Grayson signed something that Pennyworth told him was his name. It used to irritate him, to have a name given to him by this ingrate of a circus brat, of a failed Talon, but now it brought him comfort. If Grayson was still signing his name and not fingerspelling it, he was not angry. Damian had learned that distinction early on. The first sign that Grayson is angry at someone is when he fingerspelled their name.

“This is amazing.” Grayson smiled.

“Really?”

Grayson nodded. “Are you using Bruce’s blueprints?”

“Yes. I adapted some of it to better improve the car’s maneuverability, but Father’s blueprints are serving as my base.”

Grayson walked over to the bench that held the blueprints while Damian worked. “Are you making adjustments for the exhaust system? I don’t think this exhaust system can handle all the additions you put up.”

No, Damian had not. He hadn’t reached that part yet, hadn’t considered the exhaust system yet. He was too focused on maneuverability that he forgot that adding power would also require adapting the exhaust system to work better. “I…,” Damian considered lying. It would not work. “No. Not yet.”

Damian waited for the punishment. He’s failing again, failing to consider all angles. Amateur mistake. He was too excited to work on maneuverability that he forgot about everything else.

Damian had accumulated punishment after punishment in just the short time he was here, but why wouldn’t Grayson do anything about it? Was he waiting, luring Damian to a sense of security only to then burn that sense of security?

Grayson lifted his hands. Damian braced for a hit.

The hit never came.

Instead, Grayson signed something that Damian didn’t recognize. Grayson must have sensed Damian’s confusion, because he then spelled, “T-O-R-Q-U-E-W-R-E-N-C-H,” then he repeated the sign that Damian did not recognize before.

Grayson thought that Damian was confused about the sign. He was, but that was not what Damian was truly confused about. Grayson waited for a moment, then repeated the spelling, slower this time.

That brought Damian out of his confusion. Grayson was asking for a torque wrench? Was he going to join Damian in working with the Batmobile?

“I understood what you said, Grayson,” Damian said. He almost blurted out what he truly wanted to say, but he reined himself in at the last moment. If Grayson wasn’t going to punish him yet, Damian was not going to ask for it and risk making it worse. Of course, Grayson could be testing Damian, testing how much failure could Damian recognize before he knew he had to be punished, but Damian could not see the man being as cruel as that.

Grayson waited with his hands outstretched. Oh. He was still waiting for the torque wrench. Damian gave it to him, and then returned to what he himself was doing. If Grayson wished to work on the Batmobile too, who was Damian to question it.

They worked for a while, together, but separately -- Damian with his maneuvering system and Grayson with his exhaust system -- until suddenly, Grayson asked, “Do you think you can finish this before we move to the Bunker?”

Grayson had spoken to Damian about that a couple days prior. Apparently they were moving their base of operations to the Wayne Tower, at the center of the city proper. It was a strategic move. Moving to the Wayne Tower would mean less time in transport, but Damian suspected there were other reasons that caused Grayson to move. Father worked from this Cave for years, after all. Damian did not ask, because contrary to popular belief, he did possess a modicum of propriety. “Yes. I think I could,” Damian said. It was a challenge, even if it was phased as a question. Damian would rise above all challenges Grayson could give him, and it would prove to Grayson that Damian was the best.

Grayson just smiled. “Good. Now come on, let’s go shower. We stink.” He then put the tools he had been using back to the toolbox, wiped his hands, and ruffled Damian’s hair.

Damian could agree with taking a shower. He had, after all, spent almost the whole day tinkering with the Batmobile, and his clothes were stained with sweat, grease, and other unidentifiable things. He could not agree with the hair ruffling. “What was that for, Grayson?” Damian demanded.

Grayson just laughed his way to the showers.

After the showers, Damian couldn’t take it anymore. He had racked up enough failures throughout the day to warrant punishment, surely. Mother would have made sure of that. The combination of exhaustion after a day of working at the Batmobile and the sense of calmness that came after a shower made Damian’s mind to mouth filter off enough that he actually asked, “Are you going to punish me?”

Damian regretted the words as soon as they were out. Grayson, still putting on clothes after his own shower, froze. The calm, almost relaxed atmosphere tensed immediately.

Grayson turned around slowly. Very slowly. Damian, for the third time today, braced for a hit. And for the third time today, the hit did not come.

Grayson walked towards Damian, still moving very slowly. He stopped, then crouched down, also still moving slowly. Damian could not look at him, but he also could not take it anymore. The..., the carefulness of Grayson’s movement. But maybe this was punishment in and of itself. Keeping Damian on his toes, forcing him to be hyper-aware of all his actions. “Well?” Damian asked again, after Grayson had crouched in front of him. Damian kept his eyes trained on his feet. “Are you going to punish me?”

Grayson signed something. Damian could not see what it was. Damian did not want to see what it was.

A sigh escaped Grayson. A hand gently lifting Damian’s chin, coaxing him to look up. Damian was used to people forcing him to do something he did not want to. Normally he could outlast them by sheer stubbornness, no matter how rough they were to him. But somehow, this gentle touch from Grayson unraveled him thoroughly, because Damian let his gaze be pulled towards Grayson.

Once Damian looked at Grayson however, Damian knew. Grayson understood. Grayson understood what Damian meant. Grayson had lived it himself.

It was not by Father’s hands. Damian knew that much before Father had… gone. But now that Damian knew Grayson understood, his refusal to punish Damian perplexed Damian even more. Didn’t the man know what sort of results that system produced?

“That will not happen here, Damian,” Grayson signed. “Whatever you think you deserve to be punished for, it doesn’t work that way here.”

“So there will be no punishment? For anything? What sort of operations are you building, Grayson?” Damian knew he shouldn’t push. Damian knew he should be thankful that there would be no punishment today, and left it at that. But he can’t. Grayson was very confusing. He knew the system, and he knew that the system works, but he’s saying that it was not like that here? Damian needs to know.

“We’ll have a very long conversation about what sorts of things will get you punished, and what kinds of punishment those actions entails. But whatever you were thinking before, Damian?” Grayson’s eyes clouded. That look again. The look that tells Damian Grayson understood. “That will not happen here.”

And despite everything, Damian believed him.

***

Damian was silent while stripping off his costume. He might have put on his usual chatter when riding back from that confrontation with the damned Pyg, but here, now, in the relative safety of the Bunker, Damian found himself unable to keep his shield up. He had failed, before. He had promised a girl and then failed to deliver on that promise.

Would Grayson also fail to keep his promise of not punishing him?

Grayson said the girl must have gotten out. Damian didn’t truly fail, then, because the girl managed to get out of that place. But Damian had promised the girl that he would get her out, and he simply left her to fight Pyg. A fight that he needed Grayson’s help to finish.

What did that say about him? He had given his word that he will not kill anymore, but then he also failed in protecting people. What good was he now?

A touch on his shoulders. Damian looked up, startled, only to find Grayson’s concerned face hovering near him. “Are you alright?”

Was he alright? Before he could think about it more, however, old instincts came out, and he gritted out, “Yes.”

Grayson simply looked at him. What was it about that look that made Damian so helpless? Grayson didn’t even look threatening.

“No,” Damian eventually said. There was no point in answering otherwise. Grayson would know. Grayson always knows.

“It’s about the girl, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

Grayson smiled. “Will I get something other than monosyllabic answers out of you tonight?” The movement was light, but there was an undercurrent of … something in Grayson’s smile.

Damian considered answering in a full sentence, just to annoy Grayson, but he really didn’t feel like doing so. The fight had taken more out of him than he thought. “No,” he finally answered.

“Can I say something anyways?”

Damian wanted to say no. He wanted to storm off and reject Grayson’s attempts at… something. Instead, what actually came out of his mouth was, “Fine.”

Grayson’s face turned kind. Was that right? Yes. It was kindness, Damian was sure of it.

“Sometimes we can’t save everyone, Damian. You have to learn to live with that. Even,” and here Grayson does a sign he can’t recognize, “can’t save everyone.”

“I know that!” Damian almost shouted out.

Grayson ignored him. “I know how you’re feeling right now. I wish I could say it gets easier, but it doesn’t. So you learn to live with it. And you try to do better next time. She got out, remember?”

“I know that!” If the first one was shouted out angrily, then this one was choked out. He should be better than this. He’s Robin.

This time Grayson stopped. “Then why are you so angry?”

“Because I promised her I would get her out!” The tears almost came out, but Damian pushed it down. He’s Damian Wayne, he’s an al Ghul, he’s the heir to the Demon, he’s Robin. He would not cry over this stupid mistake.

Grayson seemed to think otherwise. He pulled Damian close, hugged him, even, and stayed there. Eventually, as hard as Damian tried not to, the tears fell out. “I … promised her… I would get her out!” Damian said between gasps of breath. “And then… I didn’t. What did that ... say about me… Grayson?”

Grayson pulled apart. Damian knew that he did that because Damian needed to see him to be able to understand what he’s saying, but it still felt like a loss.

“It says that you’re a hero, Damian. Because even in the middle of everything, you still thought about getting her out. That makes you a hero, okay?”

Damian wanted to believe Grayson’s words so much, he did. He couldn’t quite believe that though. Damian nodded anyways.

“Grayson?” Damian said. The man hummed his acknowledgement. “What does this,” he repeated the sign he didn’t recognize before, “mean?”

Grayson smiled at him, more real this time than the one before. He spelled out, “S-U-P-E-R-M-A-N.”

“Ah. The alien Father was so fond of.”

“Yeah, kiddo.”

“... Do you really mean that? What you said earlier?”

“I meant every word of it, Damian.”

***

It was a day like any other. Grayson went to what could charitably be called work, while Damian was left at the Penthouse to do what could charitably be called schoolwork. Then, Grayson returned, and they came down to the Bunker to suit up for patrol.

After patrol ended (much too early for Damian’s tastes), they were supposed to be training. It was an acceptable routine for Damian. School, patrol, then training. But strangely, that night, Grayson did not lead Damian to any of the training facilities, from the sparring ring to the computer where Grayson usually ran simulations for Damian to solve. No. Grayson led Damian into a room full of… was that trapeze equipment? How had Damian missed an entire room of trapeze equipment?

Grayson was, for lack of better word, jittery next to him. He gave Damian a smile so wide it should have been fake (somehow, when it was Grayson who did it, it was as true as the sun), and then signed, “I thought you might want to try this? Learn trapeze, I mean.”

This was a test. Of course. How foolish Damian was, thinking that the tests ended when he had left Mother’s doorstep. Grayson might have promised no punishment, but he did not promise no tests. Batman and Robin were the best, and so Damian would have to be the best too. That was the only reasonable explanation. Nobody asked Damian if he wanted to learn something. They simply gave the information to him and expected him to learn it. To excel in it. Mother did. Grandfather did. Father did.

So this was a test. It has to be. Only Damian could not figure out what was going to be tested. Was this about Damian’s ability to learn new things? Was this about his knowledge of Grayson? Was this about his focus on the mission?

If this was Mother, Damian would refuse. Trapeze has nothing to do with the mission. Acrobatics are very useful on the field, it allows Damian to move unhindered, but trapeze is another thing entirely. Damian could see no use of it in his mission to be Batman.

With that, Damian has decided, and he said, “No.”

Grayson’s smile faded in an instant. It left only hollow eyes, nothing like Damian had seen before. All the energy that always seemed to be buzzing underneath Grayson’s skin disappeared.

“Okay,” Grayson signed. Only that. Then he went out of the room.

Has Damian miscalculated? No. Impossible. He did what Robin, what Batman was supposed to do. Focus on the mission. If Grayson forgot about that, it was none of his business.

It was Pennyworth who came to Damian in his room, hours later. That seemed significant, but Damian could not figure out why.

“Master Damian. May I have a word?”

Damian scoffed. “Even if I say you may not, you will say it anyway, Pennyworth.” He would. Damian had learned that much throughout his stay with the man. The question was asked out of politeness than an actual question.

Pennyworth nodded. “That is wise, Master Damian.”

“Well?”

“I believe that today Master Dick offered to teach you the trapeze. And I also believe that you refused that offer.”

Was this another test? Was Grayson not satisfied with the previous one, that he sent Pennyworth here to test him again?

“What is the matter with that, Pennyworth?” Damian finally asked.

Pennyworth sighed. “Master Dick had gone through a … difficult childhood, shall we say. You know that. The trapeze is one of the few things that the Court did not take away from him. It was one of the last things he had from his time with his parents.”

Damian stood up. “I know that, Pennyworth! Get to the point!” Damian felt a chill through his body. He did know that. Grayson and Pennyworth had said all of that already. What was the matter? Why did both Grayson and Pennyworth make such a big deal over it?

“That was not all, Master Damian. Please, sit back down.”

The butler’s tone was kind enough, but Damian knew it broke no argument. Pennyworth waited until Damian had sat back down, then continued. “Teaching the trapeze is how Master Dick connects his new family with his old one. He taught it at some point to every single person he considered family. Master Bruce, Miss Barbara, Master Jason, Master Tim, Miss Cassandra, myself, and his closest friends.”

Oh. Oh.

“Teaching you the trapeze is his way of showing you that he considers you family.”

Damian had miscalculated. Badly.

“Are you certain of this, Pennyworth?”

“Yes, Master Damian. I am quite certain.”

Damian looked down to his lap for a moment, then looked back up to Pennyworth. He had to fix this. If trapeze was Grayson’s way of showing Damian that they are family, then, earlier that night, Damian had just blatantly rejected Grayson’s offer of becoming family.

Months ago, Damian couldn’t care less. He was not there to become family to the other children of his father. He was there to succeed Father. Nothing more, nothing less. But now, well, now Grayson has somehow made Damian care about him.

Damian had to fix this. Fast.

“How do I fix this, Pennyworth?”

“Well, Master Damian,” Damian could almost hear the smile in the butler’s words, even if Pennyworth would never do such a mundane thing as smile, “I believe you should ask to be taught.”

Damian found Grayson working. Of course. He would not expect any less.

Damian had to play this right. He had already offended Grayson by dismissing his offer of family. He would not offend Grayson furthermore by being callous about this.

“Grayson?” Damian finally settled on asking. He would base his next actions on Grayson’s reactions.

(If Grayson did not react… No. Grayson will react.)

Grayson did not turn to meet Damian, as he always did before. But he stopped typing, at the very least. It was something.

“I…” Who knew that this could be so hard? It was not as if the next words out of his mouth might push Grayson away forever. “I have reconsidered your offer. I would like to learn the trapeze, if you are still willing to teach it to me.”

That got Grayson to turn towards Damian. The smile was still missing, but at least Grayson’s eyes were not hollow. Progress.

“Do you want to learn?” Grayson asked.

Without hesitation, Damian said, “Yes.”

The answer brought a smile to Grayson’s face. Small, yes, but it was a start.

“Who ratted me out? Alfred?” Grayson asked, after they had geared up and climbed the trapeze rig.

“Nobody ratted anything to me, Grayson. Are you losing your mind?”

Grayson snorted. “Nah. Just trying to distract you from this.”

“Distract me from what?”

A smile. Then the bastard pushed Damian down from the platform. He had made sure that Damian was grasping the bar properly, but still. The bastard pushed Damian down from the platform. Alone.

If Damian was laughing all the way down, well, that was between him and Grayson only, wasn’t it?

(Besides, he was not just laughing all the way down. He laughed throughout the whole lesson, and even more after that. Damian could not recall when he last laughed that much, if that occasion even existed. The experience was something Damian would not balk at experiencing again.)

***

Sometimes, when the city wasn’t as chaotic as it could have been, when it seemed that they could actually have a handle on the situation, Grayson and Damian could spend hours just being in Grayson’s room. It was not often. More often than not, Grayson would be too busy from being Batman and all that entails from that and trying to get a handle on Hush and the Wayne Enterprises, to be able to take a few minutes off of his day. More often than not, Damian would be too proud to seek comfort from this man who claimed to be his brother. So these moments, where Grayson and Damian could just be, were rare. And Damian treasured every single second of it.

In the rare occurrence when Grayson actually finished everything he meant to do that day, he would lay down on his bed, tired from all his responsibilities. When Damian could swallow his pride enough, he would join him. (Sometimes Damian wouldn’t not because he was too proud to do so, but because he was afraid that the mere sight of him would remind Grayson of the abundance of responsibilities he had now. After all, Damian knew very well that he was one of those responsibilities Grayson had taken upon his shoulders when Father had.. gone.)

In those moments, Damian felt safe.

How absurd was it, that he felt safe with a broken man, when he could not feel safe in the company of his own mother and grandfather? How absurd was it, that he felt safer inside this admittedly secure room than inside one of his mother’s compounds, where every single person there was sworn to protect him? How absurd was that?

Damian usually slept in those moments. He was never a deep sleeper. His training with the League had made him aware even in sleep. Being left, alone, in an unfamiliar country with unfamiliar people had not done any favors for his sleep. But with Grayson, in those moments, the infamous Canary could unleash her cry inside the room and Damian wouldn’t have woken up.

He knew he was safe. Grayson himself never slept. As tired as he was, whenever Damian joined him in his bed, Grayson always kept himself awake. He rarely even moved. The only way to describe it was that Grayson kept watch. It perplexed Damian. He could take care of himself. But Grayson always, always kept watch in those moments. It was as if he knew that Damian couldn’t completely relax if there was no one keeping watch. And so Grayson kept watch. Like a bird.

Like an owl.

(If pressed, Damian would admit that the reason he felt safe with Grayson was that he knew that Grayson would never hurt him. Not intentionally, anyways. He made that promise months ago. Damian kept waiting for Grayson to break that promise, to hurt him anyways, but he never did. Damian allowed himself to believe that Grayson was telling the truth.

Damian knew perfectly well that Grayson was able to hurt him in other, unintentional ways. His promise could only extend so far. Damian knew that. Mother made sure that Damian knew that. Sometimes Damian cared. Sometimes he didn’t.)

***

Every breath was painful. Damian knew it could have been worse. The bullet could have pierced his uniform, and then instead of just cracked ribs, Damian could have a collapsing lung. But it was hard to feel grateful when every breath felt like fire.

He should have seen the bullet coming. He should have dodged that bullet. He should have forced himself to fight through the pain and help Grayson anyways. But it had been too long since Damian had to fight through this much pain. Sloppy. Weak.

And so, after he incapacitated the man who shot him, Damian could only sit down in the alley, just watching Grayson fight. He should be helping Grayson, instead of just sitting like some helpless child. It was not the first time he had been shot. The bullet didn’t even pierce his skin.

Weak.

Damian could hear the sounds of the fight winding down. It seemed Grayson finished it shortly after Damian was shot. Good. Damian didn’t want to have to stand up and fight again.

Weak.

A hand touched Damian’s face. He looked up to see the emotionless cowl staring down at him. Was Grayson mad? Would he be punished for letting himself get shot?

No. Grayson had promised. Months ago. He hadn’t broken that promise. Yet. What if this was the time he broke it?

Grayson made the field sign for hurt. Damian nodded, not wanting to speak when just breathing already hurt.

Would Grayson force him to continue patrolling through the pain? Damian could do it, but he didn’t want to. It had been so long since he had to continue being functional even through the pain. He didn’t want to.

Damian waited for the order to stand up, to continue anyway, to brush off the pain, but it didn’t come. Instead, Grayson called the Batmobile. He lifted Damian, so very gently, but it still jostled Damian’s ribs. Damian hissed in pain.

Grayson mouthed, “Sorry.” Why wasn’t he signing? Oh. Both his hands were full with Damian. Damian tried to stand up, only for Grayson to adjust his grip so that Damian couldn’t.

Okay then. Damian let himself be carried by his older brother. It was safe, those hands. He didn’t even realize when Grayson gently strapped him inside the Batmobile.

Damian woke up to the sound of Grayson pacing. Grayson must have been very worked up. Normally, Damian wouldn’t even be able to hear Grayson moving, much less be woken up by it.

“Sorry,” Grayson smiled sheepishly. “I’ll be quiet.”

“It’s fine, Grayson,” Damian said. “I’m up anyways.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“No, I was shot,” Damian said. He meant it to be sarcastic, because getting shot is basically an occupational hazard at this point. Besides, Grayson knew about his training at the League. A shot that didn’t even pierce the skin was not worth mentioning.

Grayson apparently missed that memo, because he started to sign frantically. “Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I wasn’t fast enough. I wasn’t good enough. I’m so sorry, Damian.”

Damian frowned. “I was joking, Grayson. It’s fine. It’s just a few cracked ribs.”

“Bruised.”

Ah. It wasn’t as bad as Damian thought. It made his inability to keep fighting much more shameful, though, because bruised ribs were not even worthy of a mention back at the League. “See? It’s fine. Bruised ribs are practically nothing.”

“You were shot, Damian.”

“And it didn’t go through. I’m fine, Grayson.”

“It was so close to your,” and here Grayson signed his name.

“It was close to me? I don’t understand, Grayson. I was shot, yes.”

Grayson froze. His face did a complicated thing before going blank, something Damian now knew meant that he was pushing his emotions away for later. It would have been admirable at the League, but why did Damian hate it now, when it was Grayson who did it?

“H-E-A-R-T.”

“Pardon?” It couldn’t be. Damian must have seen it wrong.

“It was so close to your H-E-A-R-T.” After he spelled it, Grayson signed Damian’s name again. Only it couldn’t be, because that sign meant heart. So it couldn’t be Damian’s name, because, because.

Grayson named Damian ‘heart’.

“What?”

“Do you want me to change it?” Grayson looked away. His face was still blank, but his eyes were sad.

Heart. Grayson named Damian ‘heart.’ Was this why it was always Pennyworth who explained his injuries to him? Did Grayson not want Damian to know what his name meant?

“D-A-M-I-A-N,” Grayson spelled out his name. Was he angry? He only ever spelled out Damian’s name when he was angry. Only, the usual sign for his name apparently meant heart. And Grayson was… “Do you want me to change it?”

Did Damian want Grayson to change the name? He should, anyone who knows ASL would instantly know about Grayson’s weak spot. He didn’t even want to be Grayson’s weak spot.

But he found himself not wanting to. He wanted the name. So he said, “No.”

The smile that adorned Grayson’s face made the entire fiasco worth it.

***

After he and Grayson had stormed into Mother’s base, Damian stood next to Grayson back in the bunker as he typed reports into the Batcomputer.

Damian waited for Grayson to start the conversation, but nothing seemed to be coming from him, so Damian had to start then. “Why me?” he asked. “You could have had Drake be your Robin. He was practically begging for it.”

Grayson hummed.

“Grayson. Why me?”

Grayson finally looked away from the report he had been typing. “Because you’re you,” he signed.

“What does that mean?”

“It means you’re you, Damian.”

“So?”

Grayson sighed. He turned his chair around, facing Damian. “You need Robin. And I need you.” Grayson shrugged. “That’s all there is.”

“No,” Damian shook his head, “that can’t be it. Drake could have been Robin.” Damian remembered all too well the sensation of his body moving without his control. Of his body moving to hurt Grayson. All because he had been returned to Mother after he was shot during that altercation with Red Hood and Scarlet. Mother, never the one to throw away opportunities, had planted a machine in Damian’s spine and used it to control Damian’s actions. After all, it was why they had stormed her base in the first place. “Maybe better. He wouldn’t have allowed himself to get shot. He was right about Father, after all.”

Damian forced himself to look at Grayson. To face whatever judgment Grayson would give him without flinching. He had failed, after all. He had allowed himself to be shot. It was his fault that Mother was able to make a tool of his body.

Grayson put his hand on Damian’s cheek. Damian steeled himself for the worst. At the very least, his actions merited a slap from those hands. (Those hands that had cared for him much more than anyone else in this world, Mother included. Grayson had promised, way back in the beginning, that he would never punish Damian like that. Grayson had never broken that promise before. Damian kept waiting for him to break it.).

At worst, this was the last act of kindness Grayson would ever give him.

The slap did not come. Grayson’s hand retreated, causing Damian to follow it before he remembered himself. He would not give Grayson even more things to be disappointed in.

“Being Robin saved me.” The hand was only retreated to sign with, not because of anything Damian had done. Damian suppressed a sigh of relief. “I hoped it would save you too.”

“But why?” Damian couldn’t stop himself from asking. He knew he should stop, before he gave Grayson even more reasons to throw him out. He had cut ties with Mother earlier today. He did not need Grayson, the only person left who cared for him, to throw him out too. But he needed to know. “It would have been easier with him. You did not have to train him anymore. He knows you, have been your Robin before. You told me that. Why me?”

“Tim needed to be his own hero. I can’t be his Batman.”

“Bullshit. You can. He was ready to let you be his Batman. Even if that’s true, you didn’t have to take me in. You didn’t have to make me Robin. Why, Grayson?”

This was it. Grayson was finally going to realize that Damian is a failure and he was going to kick Damian out. Damian felt his spine, the spine that Mother had implanted machines on, stiffen.

“Because you’re you, Damian,” Grayson signed.

Damian did not understand. What kind of answer was that? Taking someone in, training them, caring for them, simply because they are themselves? Damian knew he was not an easy nor agreeable child. Damian knew that by keeping him, Grayson had sacrificed so much. But he still did it, because, because Damian was … Damian?

“I don’t understand,” Damian said.

“Maybe it’s because you’re Bruce’s son. Maybe it’s because you don’t have anywhere else to go. Letting you go back to Talia was not an option, as you know now.” A twist of displeasure on Grayson’s lips. Some misplaced sense of charity then, or a sense of obligation to Father. Damian could work with that. He was about to say that he did not need charity when Grayson continued. “Maybe it’s because I saw myself in you.”

Oh. Damian stopped. That was unexpected.

If Grayson had said it a few months earlier, Damian would have raged. How dare he equate Damian’s own superior upbringing with his time with the Court of Owls? But now, after what Mother had done, Damian was starting to doubt about the so-called superiority of his upbringing. After all, if Mother could implant that machine into Damian’s spine, was she any better than the Court? Not to mention the clone of himself that Mother was making.

His destiny, Mother had said. But it was not his destiny, was it? It was the destiny Mother had wanted for him. As if Damian was nothing but a pawn to be played with in her plans.

Grayson had a destiny too, from the Court of Owls. Damian knew that. Mother had played with him like the Court of Owls had played with Grayson.

Grayson smiled sadly at Damian. Damian could see from his face that Grayson knew Damian had understood what he meant. “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” Grayson signed.

Grayson had rejected the Court. By being Robin, by being Nightwing, and now, by being Batman. From what Damian knew about the Court of Owls, it should not have been possible for a Talon to live in defiance of the Court. Except Grayson escaped. Except Grayson was courtless, and he was here.

Damian was born, no, he was made, designed to be an assassin. He was designed to fulfill Mother’s plans, and so he was designed to thrive within the League of Assassins. Mother had made that abundantly clear with the clone she was making. Months in Gotham, under Grayson’s tutelage, had shown Damian how ill-suited he was to live outside the League. Except, hours earlier, Damian had stood in front of his mother, and rejected her. Rejected the League. An enemy of the House of al Ghul, Mother had said.

What would he be, without the League behind him? There had never been a member of the League that left. They were all killed immediately. Damian was the first person to leave the League without being killed where he stands. It was uncharted territory, now.

But was it, really? There’s Grayson in front of him. It was not uncharted territory as long as Grayson was there. Grayson would help him.

So Damian nodded, and said, “Yes. We’re quite the pair.”

A courtless talon, and a leagueless assassin. Two things that should never have existed in the first place.

Batman and Robin.

***

“You want to return to Nightwing.”

Grayson, still with the damned bandage on his head, turned around to meet Damian. He had his smile on. Damian didn’t like that.

“You were ready to… to throw away Batman just like that!” Grayson still had his smile on. Damian wanted to wash that smile off his face. “What about us?”

“I didn’t, though. I’m still Batman.”

“Only because Father had that Batman Incorporated idea,” Damian refused to be calmed down so quickly. “You would have, wouldn’t you? Give Father back Batman, just like that.”

“He is Batman, Damian.” Damian usually liked it when someone is rational and able to argue their points calmly. He didn’t like it now, when Grayson turned that to him.

“What about us, Grayson?” Damian shouted out. When no reply appeared to come, Damian said again, softly this time, “What about us?”

“I’m still Batman, Damian. This is not about Batman and Robin, not really, right?”

Damian hated it when Grayson figured him out. He sighed. “You… You want to become Nightwing again.” He stopped there, not wanting to say it out loud. Somehow, saying it out loud would make it tangible, make it real. Grayson waited patiently, though, so Damian continued. “Is it, is it because Nightwing… doesn’t have a partner?”

Doesn’t have me. That was what Damian actually meant, but he couldn’t bear to say that. The answer might still be yes.

“Damian. I want to be Nightwing because it’s mine. Batman was Bruce’s first. It has nothing to do with you.”

Damian looked up at Grayson. He knew, now that his father was back, Grayson no longer had any obligation towards him whatsoever. “Nothing to do… with me?” There were multiple meanings underneath that question. Am I still your partner? Am I still your Robin? Do you still want me?

“You’re mine. Yeah?”

Just like all those months ago, when Grayson told Damian that there will be no League-like punishment here, Damian believed him. It worked both ways, after all. Grayson was also his. “Okay,” he said.

***

#dc #dick grayson #damian wayne #lian writes #fic

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recentanimenews · 4 years ago

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Random Reads 2/18/21

Are You in the House Alone? by Richard Peck Are You in the House Alone? came out in 1976 and though I totally could’ve read it when I was a teen—and thus still a member of its target audience—I never did.

Gail Osburne is a sixteen-year-old high school junior and native New Yorker who’s not at home in the quaint Connecticut village her family relocated to several years back. I knew that the plot involved Gail receiving menacing anonymous notes and phone calls, and I was expecting these events to get started quickly and the suspense to remain high throughout. But that doesn’t happen.

Instead, the story is told retroactively, so we know Gail survives. Also, obvious culprit is obvious. (I hope the reveal wasn’t intended to be a surprise, but perhaps readers were less savvy about such things in 1976.) Initially, much more of the focus is on Gail’s relationships with her parents, boyfriend, and best friend, and in particular how the latter two are in the slow process of dissolution. Eventually she receives some threatening notes and creepy phone calls, gets scared, is let down by people in positions of authority, and comes face-to-face with said obvious culprit. That happens halfway through this slim novel. The rest of the book is about Gail’s recovery from her ordeal.

I thought Are You in the House Alone? was going to be fun, suspenseful fluff, but it turned out to be fairly serious and occasionally (intentionally) infuriating. I really appreciated how Peck was able to weave in a couple of threads that seemed very random at first and make them integral to the denouement, too. Ultimately, I didn’t love the book, but I kind of… respect it, if that makes sense. It didn’t go the cheap route.

The Automatic Detective by A. Lee Martinez Mack Megaton is a hulking robot who was created to destroy. He developed self-determination, however, and went against his programming. Now, he’s a probationary citizen of Empire City, where mutagens and pollution have created a very diverse population. While some “biologicals” are still “norms,” others have been physically transformed (like rat-like Detective Alfredo Sanchez) and others have been changed in not-so-visible ways (like Mack’s friend, Jung, a talking gorilla with refined literary taste). Mack works as a cab driver and is trying to keep a low profile, but when his neighbors are abducted, he can’t help but try to rescue them. This gets him into all sorts of trouble, of course.

Despite its name, The Automatic Detective isn’t really much of a mystery. I suppose it’s more… sci-fi noir. Mack meets various thugs, beats some of them up, gets beat up himself, etc. Slowly, he makes progress on uncovering a huge conspiracy. At times, I felt like Martinez was a little too enamored of the gimmick he created, and places in the middle dragged a bit as a result, but the ending is pretty satisfying and overall the book was enjoyable enough, even though it’s quite far from the sort of thing I usually read.

As a final note: I really liked that Martinez limited himself when it came time to invent universe-specific profanity. Instead of the text being liberally sprinkled with words like “frell” or “frak,” the phrase “Oh, flurb” appears but once (during a moment where the meaning is 100% apparent) and made me laugh out loud.

I don’t know if I’m necessarily eager to read more by Martinez, but I’m glad I read this one.

The Inimitable Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse When I read My Man Jeeves back in 2010, I was somewhat disappointed because so much of it was repetitive. While there are some common elements that recur within the eleven stories that comprise The Inimitable Jeeves, it is still so very much superior that I’d now say… forget about that first book. Start here. Go back and read My Man Jeeves for completist purposes, if that’s your inclination, but start here for the best introduction to these characters and Wodehouse’s uniquely charming and amusing writing.

First published in 1923, The Inimitable Jeeves contains a linked set of stories that typically involve affable Bertie Wooster being imposed upon by either his eternally lovesick friend Bingo Little (who is “always waylaying one and decanting his anguished soul”) or his mischief-making younger cousins, Claude and Eustace. One plot thread involves convincing Bingo’s uncle (who provides him with an allowance) to agree to Bingo marrying a waitress. Jeeves comes up with the idea to ply the uncle with romance novels featuring class differences to soften his heart, and it ends up that Bertie is compelled to go visit the old fellow and claim to be the author. In addition to containing the most elegant description of sweat I’ve ever seen—“The good old persp was bedewing my forehead by this time in a pretty lavish manner.”—this situation is referenced a few times in subsequent stories until Bingo succeeds in getting married to a different waitress who really is the author of those romance novels.

So, even though you’ve got episodic happenings, it’s rather a satisfactory conclusion. Bertie is endearing, Jeeves is competent, the writing is excellent, and it made me laugh. (I especially liked when a character was described as resembling “a sheep with a secret sorrow.”) I’m so glad that I didn’t give up on the series after the first book; now I feel as though I finally see what the fuss is all about. I’d also like to give credit to the fabulous narration by Jonathan Cecil. I’m not sure if it’s deliberate, but I hear echoes of Fry and Laurie in his performance, and I heartily approve. I will certainly seek out more unabridged versions read by him.

The Murders of Richard III by Elizabeth Peters This is the second in the Jacqueline Kirby series of mysteries. I haven’t read the first, and wouldn’t normally begin with the second, but the book promised an English country mansion plus “fanatic devotees of King Richard III” so my usual routine flew right out the window.

Even before university lecturer Thomas Carter likened himself unto Watson, I’d noticed the similarities between how this tale is told and the Sherlock Holmes stories. We are never permitted inside Jacqueline’s head. Instead, we see her how Thomas, hopeful of one day securing her romantic affections, views her. It’s fairly interesting, actually, because Thomas’ opinion of her fluctuates, sometimes peevishly. “You drive me crazy with your arrogance and your sarcasm and your know-it-all airs,” he says at one point. And though he soon after claims “I’m no male chauvinist; I don’t mind you showing off,” the fact is that earlier he was grumbling inwardly about her feigning “girlish ignorance” to reel in mansplainers and then walloping the “unwitting victim” with a cartload of knowledge. It’s true that Jacqueline isn’t especially likeable sometimes, but for remorselessly trouncing the sexist louts she encounters throughout the book, I must commend her!

The mystery itself is somewhat bland, unfortunately. The leader of a Ricardian society has received a letter purportedly written by Elizabeth of York, which would exonerate Richard of the deaths of her brothers, the “princes in the tower.” He calls a meeting of the society, with each attendee costumed as one of the historical personages involved, and summons the press, planning to unveil his find with much fanfare. But someone begins playing practical jokes on the Ricardians reminiscent of the fates of the people they are pretending to be. The book isn’t a long one, and soon the pranks start coming right on the heels of one another. Because of the swift pace—and some shallow characterization—the solution is rather anti-climactic.

Still, while I’m not sure I’ll seek out any more Jacqueline Kirby mysteries, this was overall a decent read.

A Perfect Match by Jill McGown The series of books featuring Detective Inspector Lloyd (whose first name is a secret for now) and Detective Sergeant Judy Hill begins with a short yet enjoyable mystery in which a wealthy young widow is found dead in a small English town on property she’d just inherited from her recently deceased husband. Unlike some mysteries of which I am fond, there’s no preamble where readers get to know the victim or the circumstances of their life. Instead, immediately there’s a policeman discovering the body and then Lloyd turns up to question the victim’s next of kin. This same lack of character development hampers the romantic tension between Lloyd and Hill, leaving me with no idea what motivated Hill to finally decide to act on her feelings for him, betraying her marriage vows in the process.

The mystery itself is interesting enough, however, involving long-married Helen and Donald Mitchell who have ties to both the victim, Julia—her late husband was Donald’s older brother and Helen thinks they were having an affair—and chief suspect, Chris, originally a friend of Donald’s who has fallen in love with Helen. I can’t claim to have mustered anything more than a mild curiosity as to what the outcome would be, but neither did I guess the specifics, so that was good. I liked the interrogation scenes, too.

McGown’s writing had some fun moments. I loved the super-evocative imagery of Lloyd telling Hill that her new perm makes her look like Kevin Keegan. I also really appreciated a recurring bit where each chapter ends with the point of view of wildlife. When Chris is eventually brought in by the police, his arrest is depicted from a bird’s perspective, for example. There are also ducks, a moth, a fly, a cat… I don’t know if this device recurs in later books in the series, but I look forward to finding out.

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight This is the second mystery/thriller I’ve read in which a single mom who is a lawyer with a cold and unfeeling mother of her own attempts to work out the mystery of what happened to a family member (the other being Girl in the Dark by Marion Pauw). Is that some kind of trend these days?

Kate Baron has a demanding job at a swanky firm, but she’s trying her best to be a good mom to her fifteen-year-old bookworm daughter, Amelia. She’s shocked to get a call from Grace Hall, the prestigious private school Amelia attends, saying that her daughter has been accused of cheating, and by the time she makes her way to the school, Amelia has evidently jumped to her death from the school roof. The police are only too happy to classify her death as a suicide, but when Kate gets a text that says “Amelia didn’t jump,” she starts trying to put together the pieces of what happened.

Reconstructing Amelia has quite a few problems. Despite her better judgment (and a promise to her best friend), Amelia joins a clique of bitchy girls at school who end up publicly humiliating her and trying to get her expelled when she falls in love with someone deemed off-limits. It’s hard to muster sympathy for what she ends up going through when one remembers the cruel prank she was willing to pull on someone else as part of the initiation process (largely kept off-camera to keep us from disliking her too much, I guess). We’re repeatedly told about the great relationship Amelia and her mom share, but never shown it. The subplot about Amelia’s dad is the literary equivalent of wilted lettuce. And the fact that the new detective who gets assigned to the case allows Kate to question suspects is absolutely ludicrous.

And yet, I couldn’t hate the book, largely because of Amelia’s friend, Sylvia. For much of the book she comes across as shallow and self-absorbed, but when Amelia really needs her, she’s there. She gives Amelia this tour of “great moments at Grace Hall” to cheer up her impressive pal, right before breaking down about her own legitimate pain. I never would’ve thought at the outset that I would have such immense sympathy for Sylvia, but I do. I find myself hoping that she’ll be okay.

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane It sure is nice going into a book unspoiled, particularly one as twisty as Shutter Island. I was quite happy with the book as it began, with U.S. Marshals Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule taking the ferry to Shutter Island to track down a patient missing from Ashcliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. It’s late summer 1954, and these guys are manly but accessible, and surprisingly funny. Consider this relatiely early exchange that cracked me up:

Pretentious Doctor: *makes remarks on the lives of violence the marshals must lead* Chuck: Wasn’t raised to run, Doc. Pretentious Doctor: Ah, yes. Raised. And who did raise you? Teddy: Bears.

For a while, all seems straightforward. Then Teddy confides to Chuck that he’s actually come there looking for a patient named Andrew Laediss, who was responsible for setting the fire that killed Teddy’s wife two years before. Gradually, one starts to doubt everything (and there was a point where all of the uncertainty got to be a little much for me) but the ultimate conclusion is a very satisfactory one.

Why Did You Lie? by Yrsa Sigurdardottir Set in Iceland, Why Did You Lie? starts out with three different storylines taking place a few days apart. The first involves a photographer on a helicopter journey to take pictures of a lighthouse on a rock in the middle of the ocean, the second is about a policewoman whose journalist husband has recently attempted suicide, and the third is about a family who returns from a house swap with an American couple to find some of their stuff missing and weird footage on the security camera. Of course, as the book progresses, these storylines converge, and it’s pretty neat when the police activity the helicopter flew over in chapter one turns out to be almost the culmination of the policewoman’s plot thread.

For some reason, I can’t help wondering how Ruth Rendell might’ve written this book. I think Rendell would’ve done a lot more with characterization, for one thing. There’s certainly some here, especially for the anxious husband who struggles to make his wife admit something really has gone wrong with their houseguests, but the primary concern seems to be getting on with the suspenseful action. Quickly, each plot features some kind of creepy lurker and then ominous notes (variations on the “why did you lie?” theme) figure in to all three, as well. Nina, the policewoman, digs around and talks to people and works out that everything connects to a supposed suicide from thirty years ago.

The result is certainly an entertaining book, but not one I could really love. One major issue I had is being able to predict something very significant. The number of characters who could’ve been angry enough about the 30-year-old lies in question to terrorize people in the present is very small. And once the existence of a certain person is oh-so-casually mentioned two-thirds through the book, I thought, “Oh, well, it’s them, then.” And then a little later, I figured out which of the characters it must be and I was right. This made for an anticlimactic ending that was clearly meant to be a shocking one. Also, I would’ve liked to have cared more that one character ends the novel poised to move on with life but, in reality, still in jeopardy.

I still would read more by this author, though.

By: Michelle Smith

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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morallygreyprompts · 6 years ago

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Hello, I love your prompts! Could we get one where it’s the usual ‘the hero is held captive by the villain’ prompt, except the hero is gradually being possessed by an Eldritch abomination, and the villain doesn’t even know it existed until the hero is completely possessed?

Ask 97

I did it!!! Thank you, anon, for getting back to me. Okay, so for those who don’t know. An Eldritch Abomination is a creature that like, doesn’t follow any of the natural laws of this universe and long story short if you look at it, generally you go mad and die from the revelation. You can get by with this post without understanding any of that.

Catching them was painfully easy. Going for a walk in the park shouldn’t have meant that Villain found Hero barely conscious under a tree without so much as a mark on them to explain it. Villain opted not to question it and accept the gift that fate had given them. Villain phoned for assistance to take Hero back to their base with them and waited for their men to get there. In the meanwhile, they did what little they could make sure Hero was not dying or in need of emergency care to survive. Villain always found gloating to dead enemies was far less satisfactory- well, most of the time anyway.

They watched Hero as if they were a coiled-up snake. Villain daren’t blink in case they woke up and somehow slipped through their fingers, but Hero did not stir. Illness, they could only guess. Hero had pushed themselves too far and now they were paying the price for it. The way they started talking in their sleep definitely gave Villain the impression that they were delirious.

Villain leaned in closer to try to hear what was being said but it sounded abnormally foreign to them. The syllables were almost impossible to even describe and the longer Villain tried to make it out, the more they realised they were getting a headache. To save themselves from Hero’s mumblings, Villain pushed Hero’s bottom jaw against the top one and held it in place.

“Wouldn’t surprise me if they were high,” Villain remarked with a shake of their head.

The mumbling stopped, but Hero started squirming and whimpering. Villain was certain that any second they would wake up, panic, try to escape, but it didn’t happen. Hero stayed in their strange little slumber. It was almost laughable that Hero sleeping made them more on edge than in any fight or confrontation, but Villain would risk making noise in case it brought them around. They hardly dared to breathe too loudly until they got Hero back to the base.

It wasn’t until the next morning, trapped in their cell, that Hero came around. Villain waited at the iron bars with bated breath, waiting to see what happened. Hero groaned and held their head in pain. Villain could almost feel their headache.

“Looks like our dear little hero is poorly,” Villain teased, not caring for how loud they spoke. “What happened to you? One too many? Try something new?”

Hero glared at Villain, but then softened their gaze. “I don’t know… Can’t remember.”“Ha! Such a good time you can’t remember? Well, that is rich.”

“Something like that,” Hero murmured. “What did you do to me? My head…”

Villain watched them as they sat up and shuffled to the edge of the bed, their head lowered. It was surprising to see them not fighting or even protesting. Of course, Villain wouldn’t admit it, but they were concerned. If there were ill, then it must have been something serious. They’d expected them to be chewing on the bars like a dog by now.

But Villain furrowed their brow when Hero started to move their head in an odd way. It was freakishly snake-like, squirming to the side, craning their neck, grunting in discomfort. Villain could see all the tendons in their neck protruding.“What the hell are you doing?” Villain asked. “Don’t you even care that you’re trapped in here?”

“Not trapped!” Hero suddenly shouted, almost at a screech, their shoulders hunched and they bared their teeth. “I can get out whenever I want!”Villain whistled as though impressed, “that’s quite the mood swing. That hungover are we?”

Hero’s neck craned again and they groaned for a long time, curling up tight on the mattress. “Just shut up and leave me alone. My head hurts.”Villain wasn’t sure whether to laugh or frown. “Suit yourself.” They left Hero in peace and themselves in deep thought.

Villain didn’t bother going to see Hero for a few days. They were too busy trying to pull a plan together while Hero was in captivity. It was an opportunity for them to do near whatever they pleased and they fully intended to make the most of it. But their thoughts on how to rob the bank were shattered when there was a knock at the door. It was one of their henchmen.

“What is it?” They snapped.“I understand you were not to be disturbed, Sir/Miss, but the others and I- we thought you’d see it as important.”Villain huffed out a breath and gestured for them to come closer. “Well, what is it?”

“[Hero], Sir/Miss. The way they’re acting, it’s making your men uneasy. They don’t want to be anywhere near them.”Villain shrugged. “Why? They’re secure, they can’t do anything.”Henchman rubbed the back of their neck, “they’re saying things, boss. Saying things they shouldn’t know, things about our families, commenting on any troubles some of us are having that we keep to ourselves. We’re thick-skinned, but some of what they’re saying is cutting right through us. They just shouldn’t know.”

Villain studied Henchman’s face for a moment, the unease they felt looked very real.“They know about my [spouse], Boss, they know everything and I don’t understand how.”“I’ll go and see them. I’m sure it’s just a mistake- that they’ve overheard some of you.”

“Yes, but-”Villain raised a hand. “I’ll go and see. I understand what you’re saying. I’ll gag them if needs be, I don’t care. Now go home, your shifts over anyway if I remember.”

Villain found Hero draped over the bars of their cell, breathing haggardly and their face shiny with sweat. The two guards acknowledged Villain with a dip of their heads. Villain could see how relieved they were at their presence, how they relaxed tense muscles.

“You’re looking well,” Villain remarked, “You’d look better if you let me help you. It’s quite obvious you’re ill.”Hero sneered at them.“I’ll be well very soon.” Villain came closer to them. Hero reached for them sluggishly through the bars. `

“Hmm, you’re an interesting one. So much pain cooped up in there,” Hero said.“Stop with the psychic crap. I really am not in the mood for it. How are you getting all this information?”“We just know.”

Villain paused. Instinct crept up behind them and started whispering in their ear. There was danger here, real danger. Their spine tingled, trying its best to make them step away. Something was wrong with this whole situation but they just couldn’t get their head around what. Nothing was making sense. This wasn’t like Hero at all.

“Are you going mad?” Villain asked. “Where the hell did ‘we’ come from?”“Hmm,” Hero smiled. “You’re not used to hearing ‘we’, are you? You’ve never had it in your life, always it’s been just you.”Villain shrugged it off again as best they could. “Sort of obvious when you get to know me. Now just shut up and go and sit down.”

“Though there was a time, a short and terrible time where you had love. Death must have been such a sweet release for them, getting away from you and your crimes.”

Villain couldn’t remember moving, but the next thing they knew they had an arm through the cage and clamped around Hero’s neck. “Shut up! Who is telling you this?! Answer me!”“I can’t do both,” Hero gurgled. “But now I can do other things.”

Hero’s eyes started to glow, they shone, they irradiated light like the sun, in a deep purplish blue colour. Villain tried to drop Hero in alarm but they were stuck. The bars of the cage moved with ease and pressed against either side of Villain’s arm.“What the?!” Villain exclaimed. They winced as the pain kicked in where the metal was digging into the flesh. The two henchmen on guard made to try to fight, but there was a blinding flash of light behind Villain. Then there were screams, God, the screams made Villain want to vomit, the raw sound of searing agony pierced through them, and then, nothing.

Villain resisted turning around, keeping their eyes clamped shut. “[Hero], what the hell is going on? What did you do to my men?!”“Not [Hero] anymore,” Hero purred. “We. [Hero] and I are combined. We are one a true,” Hero took in a deep breath as they thought of the word. “Abomination.”

“What are you on about? Let me go!”Hero came closer, within whispering distance to Villain’s ear. “If I told you that, you would die.” Villain could feel their icy breath on their collar and shivered. “Fine, whatever, Just don’t hurt my men, please. That’s all I ask.”

“Hm, too late for these two.”Villain was powerless to stop Hero from walking away, leaving them trapped. Villain tried to pull their arm free but Hero made the metal move closer together to stop them. They cried out in pain.

“Thank you by the way. It seems that by putting adrenaline into this mortals body, I was able to take over entirely. It made it so much easier to get past their defences. I will let you live for that.”

Anon, you also said, “I ran out of room, but I wanted to compliment you on taking your time to research and ask for help with writing a prompt on a subject you aren’t familiar with, it shows a real dedication to writing and willingness to get out of your comfort zone!”

I just wanted to thank you for appreciating what I do. It wasn’t something I’d ever written before but I really enjoyed it. So thank you, I hope you liked what I’d written :)

#hero and villain #writing prompts #ask #hero #villain #henchmen #possession #This ended up being quite the challenge #But fun #I pity my friends for trying to explain what this creature was

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maedarakat · 5 years ago

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Markless - Chapter 3

28th Oct: Soulmates AU // “I don’t need this now.”

Summary: A Mark showing up is like a rite of passage for young Vikings of the entire Archipelago. When Tuff gets his, he tells nobody - afraid it means what his Elders have always suspected about him. Likewise, Dagur’s own Mark remains secretive, due to his fear of making him seem weak.

Too bad the Gods never sent down instruction manuals, since they were so keen to pair humans up this way.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

—————-

Three blue lines.

That was the Mark on Hiccup; Dagur had seen it himself on their last encounter.

Granted, not in the nicest way possible - more like tackling him outright onto the forest floor on one of their many encounters. Dagur had paused to stare at Hiccup’s shoulder for far too long - enough for Toothless to swat him off his rider and nearly bite his face off in the process.

There had been three blue lines, just like Dagur had tattooed across his eye and arm. Not exactly the same angle or shade of blue, but who cared - it was close enough that it couldn’t just be a coincidence; Hiccup was meant to be his.

The initial plan had been to find the Skrill, tame it, and then ride it in battle against Hiccup and his Night Fury.

He figured the Greek chorus that rode around with him would be distracted defending all of Berk from his Armada, while he flew in and collected his soulmate.

Hiccup would probably thank him later; he was too good, far too clever for living some sad banal existence on Berk. Even his rider friends couldn’t possibly appreciate him as much as he deserved; Dagur had often felt deep pangs of sadness and loneliness whenever he looked at the Mark on his wrist.

Even knowing that, nothing could have prepared him for whatever he'd felt Hiccup experience just three nights ago.

Dagur had woken in a cold aching sweat, heart hammering in fear. His back and hips had been in unbearable pain, for no reason that he or the hastily summoned physician could determine.

It only confirmed the Berserker’s worst suspicions: his soulmate was being severely mistreated.

For that? Berk was going to pay dearly - just as soon as he captured and trained that Skrill.

Or so had been the plan. There was now just one teeny, tiny annoying little snag.

The Outcasts had found the Skrill first.

Despite the fact Dagur and his clan had ancestral claim to the dragon, Alvin was not interested in handing the Skrill over. The only thing keeping Dagur from annihilating the entire island with his Armada was Alvin’s threat of outright killing the dragon if he tried attacking them.

Well. A dead Skrill was zero use to him.

Put out and without any alternative choice, Dagur grudgingly agreed to work with Alvin - putting his Armada on the table in the quest to attack Berk.

At least they had a common goal, but Dagur was still going to watch for any opportunity to change things around in his favor.

Currently, all Dagur's ships were docked at Outcast Island - which gave the local wild dragons pause in attacking the village. Alvin had moved his people to subterranean caves, which accounted for the pallor and obesity of most of his men; starved for sunlight and vegetables.

They were eating wild dragon meat, cave mushrooms, and the occasional potato - which was why Dagur agreed to Vorg’s suggestion to slaughter a few boar and sheep and share out better provisions. Better food definitely made these talks go smoother, and had raised the morale of the Outcasts greatly.

Huh. By comparison, they didn’t seem too happy with Alvin. That could prove useful later . . .

He nodded to Captain Vorg, who extracted himself from the group of mingling Berserkers and Outcasts, who were playing a game of dice and cups. The man joined him in stride, as together they walked toward the arena where the Skrill was kept.

Alvin didn’t care if he went near the cage, so long as it was under guard. Dagur wanted to take a good look at the Skrill to make sure the Chief hadn’t injured her, or caused her to be unable to fly, though he’d been warned not to get too close. The dragon was angry, and had already electrocuted the wits out of some old man who had made that error.

“Sir,” Vorg inquired, jarring Dagur out of his thoughts.

“What is it?” Dagur snapped, not looking at him.

“When we gain ownership of the Skrill from Alvin, how do you plan to keep it from flying away? Have you figured out yet how Hiccup subjugated his Night Fury?”

Dagur scowled. He hadn’t figured that part out, but how hard could it be? Dragons liked to fly, didn’t they? If the Skrill wanted to fly again, then she’d just have to realize he was the boss and therefore she would fly wherever he wanted her to. Otherwise? She would just have to sit in her cage and think about it.

“If the dragon won’t obey me, there’s always chains to keep her grounded. I have no idea how scrawny little Hiccup managed to chain down his Night Fury - probably had his little friends all helping him,” Dagur snorted.

He wouldn’t need anyone helping him, though. All that dragon hunting, sparring and training had paid off; Dagur was now much stronger and faster than he’d ever been.

It was too bad Oswald had abandoned him - the weak fool might have had a son to feel proud of, had he stuck around.

Oh well, all the more reason to let people believe he’d ended his father’s life. It was rather amusing, really - and it garnered him both respect and fear.

Vorg was talking now, going on pointlessly about some kind of repair work on one of the ships, and Dagur tuned him out, approaching the Outcast who was on guard duty.

Instead of the usual slouching idiot, this one was already standing to full attention and straightened further upon Dagur’s approach.

“Sir! Your man has already begun his preliminary inspection of the Skrill cage ahead of you. I hope you find his results satisfactory.”

“My what has done what now?” Dagur asked after a confused pause. He didn’t bother to wait for an answer, stepping past the guard and storming into the arena.

There was a thin blond boy sitting on the ground before the Skrill cage.

He was cooing at the dragon within, who looked decidedly less grumpy. She trilled back at him, blinking her eyes like an overgrown house cat.

Dagur scowled and stomped towards them both, dead set on hauling this intruder out of here and tossing him into the nearest Whispering Death hole. The Skrill hissed at him, retreating further into her cage, but the boy jumped to his feet and grinned at Dagur, running to meet him.

“Chief Dagur!” the blond shouted joyfully, and then hugged him - of all things.

As the young man’s arms encircled him, Dagur made as if to grab his elbows and shove him away. Upon skin contact, he froze - a plethora of emotions nearly crumpling him.

Relief, joy, anxiety - all crashed against his brain, leaving his thoughts a confused and tangled mess. Dagur stood still and stared at the intruder mutely, unable to help but listen to his strange babbling.

“The Skrill is doing just fine - she’s a bit under the weather, but if you feed her roasted hagfish with some onions and garlic, it’ll probably do wonders for her. Also, there’s a few patches of broken scales that need attention - I have some salve that should help. It’s got comfrey in it, which Mom says is great for healing wounds and skin irritations. It will help you bond with her if you put it on her yourself.”

Dagur shook his head, trying to clear it. “Who are you?” he demanded, trying to sound both scornful and imposing. It was not very effective, given that the boy was still holding onto him, and Dagur had yet to enforce some distance between them.

Captain Vorg stepped in, yanking the boy away and shoving him a couple of feet back. “Answer him! What is your name and why are you here?”

“Tuffnut,” the young man answered, not appearing bothered in the least. “I’m here to help Dagur train his dragon.”

“. . . Who sent you?”

“Uh, myself? Duh. I sent me.” Tuffnut shook his head, as though Vorg had asked a stupid question. To be fair, Vorg did that sometimes. “Chief Dagur, when’s the last time she got fed or pet?”

“Pet? He’s mad! She’ll have your arm off as a chew toy if you try to pet her!” Vorg scoffed to Dagur, shaking his head. He reached for his sword to chase Tuff off, but Dagur stopped him with a gesture.

“If you want to help me train my dragon, prove to me that you can.”

“Okay,” Tuff agreed, grinning. He walked over to the bars, and the Skrill perked up, sniffing at him as he put his hand in.

She licked her nose and stood up, stretching as best as she was able. It was a tiny cell, not nearly big enough for her to unfurl her wings.

“Aw, poor baby girl,” Tuffnut murmured soothingly as she got her head under his touch, moving around so his scratching fingers got all the best spots. “We’ll get you feeling better soon and out of this tiny little kennel, I promise.”

She purred loudly under his ministrations and eventually flopped onto her side so Tuff could get under her chin.

Dagur tilted his head, more than impressed. “Okay. So she won’t attack you - that’s a good start. How long until you can get her to let me ride her?”

“That depends on you,” Tuff grinned. “You have to bond with her even better than I do. Come here, give me your hand.” He reached out to Dagur, unflinchingly.

Dagur was unaccustomed to be reached out for; by now even his most trusted men had learned to keep a careful and respectful distance. Even Captain Vorg was wincing in anticipation that the boy was going to lose his hand after all - which honestly rankled Dagur.

Vorg didn’t know him.

Drawing himself up, Dagur put his slightly larger hand in Tuffnut’s and allowed the scrawny Viking to direct it - palm outward - to the Skrill. The dragon regarded him with an odd purring growl, but she didn’t snap at him.

Tuff sweet talked her into drawing nearer to the bars, where she sniffed suspiciously at Dagur’s fingers. Eventually, she nuzzled the Berserker’s palm and Vorg let out a breathy exhale of relief. Dagur glared at him.

“What? Didn’t think I could do it?” he snapped, tone dangerous.

“No, of course not, Chief! It’s just, you know, dragons are dangerous and unpredictable -“ the man stammered.

“Eh. They can be, it’s true,” Tuff put in amiably. “Just like people. That’s what makes them so awesome, though. Dragons aren’t meant to be broken in - you have to earn their loyalty and trust.”

Dagur made a noncommittal noise, watching the Skrill with open admiration. “So . . . how do I do that exactly?”

“Well, you could start by trying to see things from her point of view. Some big smelly men caught her in a gross fishing net and tossed her into this awful cell - with no food or water or enough room to lie down properly. I mean, what would you do?”

“Well . . .” The Berserker Chief paused, thinking about it. “I’d start zapping people too, honestly. Huh. Good point, uh . . . What was your name again? Buffnut?”

“Tuffnut. You can call me Tuff.”

Normally Dagur would snap that he could call Tuff whatever he felt like, but he didn't quite feel like himself.

“Nice. Tuff. I’ll remember that. What do I feed her?”

The boy smiled at him rewardingly, making something in Dagur’s chest feel warm and cozy. “How about it girl? Do you want fish? Mutton? Boar meat?” The Skrill perked up at the last food mention, charring and licking her chops. “Boar meat it is then.”

Dagur grinned, surprised the Skrill was so intelligent. He liked her, and he liked this weird boy too - even if he had come out of nowhere to help him. Maybe this would be easier than he thought. “There’s a banquet this way, and I know for a fact there’s some boar roast, because it came from my ship.”

He slung an arm across Tuff’s shoulders to lead him there, not noticing when the boy hitched in pain.

Tuff kept pace with him nonetheless, offering a shaky grin. “A banquet? What’s the occasion?”

“Oh we’re just celebrating a new alliance. Us Berserkers and the Outcasts against that sorry pile of volcanic puke that calls itself Berk.”

The boy let out a scornful laugh. “Yeah, Berk. I’ve heard of Berk. West til you smell it, North til you step in it, am I right?”

Dagur laughed, surprised, and tightened the hold on Tuff’s shoulders. His pained whimper was too faint to be noticed.

“You should eat something too. You’re way too skinny and scrawny for someone who trains dragons. Try some mutton and barley cakes. They’re my Mom’s recipe.”

“. . . Okay,” the boy said eagerly, and if Dagur thought he looked hungry now, it proved to be an understatement once they reached the banquet itself.

Tuff tore into his plate of food like a starved pup, eating like it would be wrested away from him at any moment. Dagur watched him carefully as he ate his own meal, more than once having to admonish Tuff to slow down. If the men looked at him oddly for the unusual care he was showing a complete stranger, Dagur didn’t notice - mostly because none of them dared to question him out loud.

After his second full plate, Tuff finally slowed down, looking beyond exhausted. Some of the Outcasts had unfortunately decided to sing as entertainment, despite the fact they could neither carry a tune nor remember how the song went.

Dagur left Tuff’s side briefly to load a platter with chunks of boar roast and bone for the Skrill, preferring the relative quiet of the arena to this cacophony. When he turned around, it was to a raucous cheer, mad gibberish, and the sound of blows falling.

Fantastic. Some idiots had started a brawl.

He wouldn’t have cared if not for the long blond hair of his companion visible on the floor. Dagur gaped in shock for only a second, then roared and charged forward, shoving Outcasts twice his girth out of the way.

The scrawny old man that the Skrill had electrocuted was straddling Tuff, trying to choke him. Furious beyond measure, Dagur grabbed Mildew’s arms and bodily lifted him off Tuffnut, throwing his attacker at the table with enough force to send dishes and mugs flying in all directions. His sword’s edge pressed across Mildew’s throat, irises shrunk to pinpricks of rage.

“How DARE you lay so much as a finger on MY companion?! Give me one good reason I shouldn’t RIP YOUR LEGS OFF and throw them down a Whispering Death hole!” Dagur roared.

Mildew only whimpered and babbled nonsense, pointing to Tuff, who was groaning on the floor. The attack had caught the boy by surprise it seemed, and now Dagur noticed vivid bruises on his arms as he shakily tried to lift himself up. He gestured to Vorg, who stepped in to help Tuff right himself.

Alvin wasn’t present and it must have been the leader of the Outcasts that Mildew’s frantically rolling eyes were searching for, because when they came back to rest on Dagur’s infuriated face, the old man whimpered and fainted dead away.

Dagur snorted in disdain and let him fall limply across the table. “When your village idiot here wakes up, tell him how lucky he is to still have his legs,” he snapped at the gathered men. They laughed and cheered in amusement; clearly there wasn’t too much concern held for the old goat.

He stormed over to the table and picked up the boar meat, gesturing for Vorg and Tuffnut to walk back to the Skrill’s cage with him.

Tuff, he noticed, was shaking.

“Are you alright?” he asked immediately, not liking the way his own voice trembled or the confused look Vorg was giving him.

“I’m fine,” Tuff promised, giving Dagur a strained grin. They walked toward the arena in silence, Dagur’s brain sorting through possible reasons why anyone would have attacked the boy. He had gotten the message through that it wasn’t to happen again - but he still wanted to know why.

It wasn’t until after the Skrill greeted them with chirps and excited wriggles and tucked into her platter of boar meat that Dagur asked about the incident.

“What was that back there? Does the village idiot know you?”

“. . . Mildew? Yeah, we know each other. He, uh, really doesn’t like dragons,” Tuff supplied nervously.

“Oh.” Well, that explained it. “You like them, though. So I guess he just doesn’t like you.”

When Tuff nodded hesitantly, Dagur relaxed. “Well, he won’t bother you again. You’re with me now, and he knows that. In fact, nobody will ever hurt you again.”

Tuffnut looked at him with a sharp inhale and Dagur felt his face grow warm, not sure why he’d said that. Vorg wasn’t in earshot - talking to the Outcast guards that Tuff had past earlier.

“. . . you guys are planning to attack Berk, right?” Tuff asked, and Dagur was surprised to see his face was also a bit red. “Can I ask what you’re after? I mean, I’ve been there before, and I’m good at stealing - if there’s something you’re after, maybe I can help?”

The Berserker snorted dismissively. “I know Alvin wants vengeance. Some long ago exile or something, it doesn’t interest me really. What I want is . . .”

Dagur trailed off, confused. It had been so clear in his mind what he’d wanted - less than an hour ago.

Hiccup. He’d wanted to kill that Night Fury and whoever was hurting Hiccup, and take him to where he’d be safe. But now it didn’t seem as urgent as before. “You’ve been to Berk before, you say? Do you know anyone there?”

“Yeah, I know some people,” Tuff answered guardedly.

“There’s a boy. Reddish brown hair, pretty green eyes. Missing a leg. He’s the Chief’s son. He knows how to tame dragons too.”

“I can do it better. I promise, I really can,” Tuff interjected immediately.

Dagur looked at Tuff and saw hurt written all over his face. Oh no. He was messing everything up, wasn’t he?

“Oh - don’t worry. I know you can, and I want you to. Hiccup would never help me train a Skrill, or any dragon. He hates me too much.”

Tuffnut seemed to relax almost instantly. Dagur glanced at Vorg, who was watching the guards instead of them. He leaned closer to Tuff to whisper in his ear. “Does he . . . do you know if . . . if Hiccup’s been injured recently?”

Tuff’s expression changed from heart sickness to confusion. “If he’s been injured . . .?”

“Has anyone been hurting him? That you know about? His father?”

The boy looked bewildered for a moment but swiftly shook his head. “No, his father is kind. To him at least. The Chief would die to keep Hiccup from harm.”

That brought some peace to Dagur’s mind and he sighed in relief, turning back to watch the Skrill lick the now empty platter. She picked up a nearby rib bone and sat down to gnaw on it happily.

“You care about people a lot more than you let on, don’t you?”

The question caught him off guard, as did Tuff’s sudden adoring look.

Dagur huffed and shrugged, feeling his face heat up. “No. I mean, I guess. Nobody’s son deserves to be mistreated, is all. Because ... more fathers should care about their kids. There’s no point in having a son and just knocking them around all the time. Or abandoning them when things get hard,” he sneered, crossing his arms. “Would have been better to just not have had a kid if they didn’t even want one.”

Tuff stood a little nearer to him. “Yeah. That’s true. They didn’t want to treat us better, so they got exactly what they had coming to them,” he said quietly. The boy’s words were odd, but Dagur didn’t put any thought into why.

“Right.” It was a comfort that Tuff seemed to know what he was talking about. Anyone else would have probably given him some Odin-loving drivel about how one should always be a dutiful son.

Dagur offered him a grin and decided to change the subject. “Well, Tuff - the Skrill is fed and she looks happy. What do I do now?”

“She needs salve on her wounds. Here.” Tuff walked over to a bundle of cloth that turned out to conceal a bag made of burlap. He rummaged through it to produce a tin of greenish-looking slime. “I’m gonna have you do it. But first, let’s tell her what we’re doing.”

Dagur blinked and turned back to the dragon. “Uh. Hey. So we have this stuff - smells like medicine. Does it sting?” he asked Tuffnut. The other boy shook his head. “Okay, it doesn’t sting, and it’ll heal you, so just . . . “

He didn’t need to explain any further; the Skrill purred and got to her feet, turning in the small cell and lifting a wing until her flank was pressed against the bars. Dagur beckoned for Tuff to bring one of the torches closer so he could see better, internally marveling at how smart this dragon was.

She had framed the wounded area of her scales between the bars, allowing him easy access to spread the salve over the reddened sore areas. She even raised her scale plates a bit so he could coat in between them.

“Pretty girl, clever girl,” Dagur crooned, without really thinking about it. He didn’t care how silly he sounded; in the moment, nothing seemed to matter but tending to the comfort of this dragon.

The Skrill turned and circled until he got all her trouble spots, then tried to make herself comfortable with what room she had. Dagur pulled out the platter but left the bones to give her something to play with.

“We’ll be back in the morning with something tasty, I promise. You sleep well, okay?”

A purring trill was his answer and the Skrill licked his hand before curling up, tucking her nose into the curve of her tail.

It was ridiculously adorable and Dagur found himself unable to look away until Vorg coughed. He glanced over his shoulder to see the man tilt his head meaningfully to the Outcast guards, who were watching them closely.

Tuff touched his arm, bringing Dagur out of whatever spell the Skrill had him under. “It’s okay, we’ll come back to her in the morning, like you said. I can distract the guards again.”

Dagur regarded him for a long moment. “You know, wherever you’re from - I’m really glad you’ve showed up. I don’t know why. Usually I don’t care much for strangers. Do you have a place to sleep tonight?”

Vorg gave him a look, but Dagur glowered at him until the man sighed and let it go.

“N-No. I was hoping to find someplace to lie low until morning.”

“Well that sounds dangerous, considering you were already attacked once today. You can bunk with me.” Putting an arm around Tuff’s shoulders pointedly, he started steering them toward the docks where the Armada was waiting. Tuffnut winced as though his touch hurt, but gave him another bright smile.

“Okay. You want me to take the floor?”

“The floor? Are you being bashful?” Dagur teased. He gave Tuff a friendly side-hug, leaving his heavy arm across his companion’s shoulders. Tuffnut swallowed, looking pained again, but he didn’t duck out from beneath Dagur’s arm. His paleness sent a spark of concern through Dagur.

“Did you eat enough? I can have more food sent to the cabin. You never got to try the mutton stew or any of the bacon-fried bread - it’ll put some weight back on your bones. You still look way too skinny.”

Tuff glowed at the attention, pressing against him. It made Dagur’s heart flutter almost annoyingly. “I’m okay. Though I wouldn’t say no to mutton stew and bread - that sounds amazing.”

Why was this guy growing on him so fast? Dagur didn’t even consider himself a friendly person, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that Tuffnut was somehow meant to be here - now, and with him. And not just because he was useful and smart and interesting . . . there was just something special about him.

Despite the stress of having to work with Alvin, Dagur had to admit - he’d never felt so calm in his life. The moment Tuff had embraced him, everything had changed. It wasn’t as though the feelings of painful anger and despair were gone; no, they were still there, but there was a difference to them. They felt bearable now.

On top of it all, a Skrill liked him - a dragon actually liked him. He wondered if Hiccup might be proud of him for that, if maybe even Oswald would.

Tuff was going to have to show him all kinds of things - like how to fly on her at breakneck speeds and train her to do barrel rolls. Eventually he’d have to get himself a dragon too - probably a Nadder or maybe a Razorwhip. Or maybe he had one already.

“Do you have a dragon?” Dagur asked once they got to the door of his ship’s cabin. Tuff had gone a bit glassy eyed, but he looked up sharply at the question, like a deer caught in the hunting lanterns.

“Uh. What?”

“You know, a dragon. Surely someone who knows how to train a Skrill has his own dragon. I understand - it probably would have caused some alarm if you just flew in here on one, so you must have told the dragon to hide in a cave somewhere. Right?”

Tuff blinked and then shook his head. “No, I rode a Gronckle here, but I told him he could take off. I figured I’d just meet another wild dragon and coax them to take me somewhere else - you know, if you’d told me to get lost.”

Dagur stared. “Well, I’m glad I didn’t tell you to get lost. But seriously - you can just go up to wild dragons and ask them for rides and they don’t bite your head off?” He looked Tuff over critically. “Are you a sorcerer?”

The boy snorted with laughter, apparently finding that hilarious.

“Okay, not a sorcerer, that’s fine. Still pretty cool. In you go. ” He opened the door to his cabin and put a hand on the middle of Tuff’s back, gently pushing the boy in ahead of him.

That wrung a sudden yelp out of Tuff and he jerked away. Dagur felt a surge of panicked loss, automatically reaching out to grab the other boy’s arms so he couldn’t retreat any further. “Sorry! Are you okay?”

Tuff blinked but instead of pulling away, he drew closer to him.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” he grinned, apologetically. “Old wounds acting up. You know, Viking wounds - it’s an occupational hazard, right?”

Wounds? Frowning, Dagur lit a lantern and pulled Tuff further into the light, looking him over carefully. If that Mildew jerk had injured Tuffnut after all, he swore he was going to use the old fool’s severed head as a tether ball.

The dragon-rider swallowed nervously, but said nothing until Dagur touched his shoulders, tugging at the material of his tunic. “I can’t have you wounded and going untreated for it. Let me see?”

Tuff looked anxious for far too long a moment - making Dagur’s chest ache.

“It’s okay. You can say no. Nobody will hurt you, remember? That includes me. But if you’re hurt, I’d like to help.”

Gray eyes widened, then filled with tears. Dagur stared but didn’t mention them, even when they spilled over to fall freely down Tuffnut’s face, leaving him shivering and leaning in close.

Where had Tuff come from? Had his family abandoned him too? Dagur made his best attempt at soothing noises and tugged again at his tunic, until Tuff nodded reluctantly and assisted in removing it.

Dagur drew in a sharp hiss of air at the marks on his body; dark purple lines of bruised flesh and inflamed blood-crusted weals. He recognized infection when he saw it.

Tuff’s wounds had been washed and treated a few times, but clearly by himself more often than with any help. As a result, he’d missed several areas and now Dagur knew why he’d been carrying that tin of salve in the first place.

Where was the salve now? He had to help Tuff treat these first - then he could maim whoever was responsible. He’d chop their hands off, he decided. So they could never hold a whip or anything like it again. Yeah, that was what he would do - but later.

“Sit on the bed,” he muttered and Tuff nodded, obeying him.

Dagur opened the cabin door, bellowing for Vorg. His captain showed up within moments, with his ever-present scowl. He opened his mouth to give an order and then shut it when he saw that Vorg was not alone.

The captain had in one hand, Tuff’s satchel. In the other hand was the scruff of the scraggly old man who had earlier attacked his companion. The old man was stubbornly clinging to something leathery.

“Thought your guest might want his things,” Vorg explained. “So I went back for them and found this guy going through his pack like a filthy Bog Burglar. He’s apparently found something he wants you to see.”

Mildew’s beady eyes were full of terror and malice as he thrust the object out in front of him as though it could ward Dagur off. The Berserker sneered at the man but glanced at the object.

“Okay. A saddle. Was it a worthy find, you goat? Now not only have you attacked my dragon trainer, you’ve gone through his personal belongings. If he’s not offended by that, I am.” Dagur made as if to draw his sword, but Vorg stopped him.

“Sir, you should know something first. Mildew here is from Berk. He’s a traitor who has told Alvin many secrets - from Hiccup’s dragon-taming techniques to details of Berk’s new defenses and where their guards will be during an attack. It’s likely he knows your companion better than you might.”

Dagur scowled. “Wherever my companion is from, I think it’s safe to say he doesn’t miss home all that much. I need that salve.”

Vorg handed the bag over, still frowning. “Whether or not you trust him, sir, if Alvin finds out Tuffnut is from Berk, he may demand you hand him over.”

“Too bad for him because I won’t. Alvin can huff and puff all he wants. Technically, I caught Tuff, so that makes him my prisoner,” Dagur said distractedly, feeling through the bag for the salve. He found the tin and set the bag down on the floor of the cabin. Then he yanked the saddle away from Mildew and whacked the old man over the head with it.

“Listen up, old coot! I'm going to give you some free advice. Right now, my companion is injured - injuries that you no doubt aggravated with your pointlessly stupid attack. When I find out the person responsible for him needing this in the first place -“ Dagur waved the tin under Mildew’s quivering nostrils - “I’m going to hunt them down and make them wish they had never been born.”

He gave Mildew one of his sharpest most devilish smiles. “So I advise you to think about that, before you say or do anything that might cause my friend further discomfort or pain. Think about the lengths that Dagur the Deranged might go, to protect what’s his. Nod if you understood all that, and I’ll permit you to leave my sight with every limb still attached.”

Mildew, eyes wide as saucers, nodded frantically. Vorg let him go and he scrabbled frantically off the ship and down to the docks, clearly terrified Dagur would change his mind.

Dagur took a breath, pulling himself together. He noticed Vorg staring at him oddly.

“What?!”

“Sorry sir, it’s just . . . Are you certain you don't have a Mark?”

Dagur blinked, too taken aback to fume. He had assumed everyone figured it was Hiccup, that Hiccup was who the Gods had given him.

But then - why would they? Dagur had never given anyone an explanation as to why he wanted to hunt Hiccup down. For all they knew it was a vendetta thing. The son of Chief Stoick had humiliated the entire clan by his treatment of Dagur, after all.

And yet here they were - all still following him.

Dagur swallowed a sudden lump in his throat, temporarily unable to meet Vorg’s gaze.

Maybe his people were hoping his Mark would come soon to calm him, like his mother had calmed his raging father? Oswald had been a madman in his day; Dagur had grown up knowing all the legends, but he’d never actually seen his father rage.

As annoying as it had seemed to have such a kind and understanding father . . . he sort of missed it. He even missed the stupid smacking noises when Oswald chewed.

Dagur frowned, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. “I . . . will go check,” he muttered distractedly. He went back into the cabin and shut the door behind him, leaving behind his very perplexed and concerned captain.

—

Tuff was on the far edge of the bed, his tunic wadded up in his hands and currently hiding his face. His body was curled over and trembling, and Dagur approached slowly, so as not to alarm him.

He wondered how much of all that Tuff had heard.

“Hey there,” he muttered awkwardly, sitting next to him. “Um. You alright?”

After a long moment, Tuff lowered the tunic to peer at him, looking only slightly calmer.

Dagur didn’t know what to say, but he knew he could at least do something. He opened the tin and coated his fingers in salve. “We found your medicine. Lay down so I can treat you. However comfortable you can make yourself.”

He tried to keep his tone calm, like his mother’s had always been. Tuff responded to his efforts like a kitten to cream. He crawled toward him immediately, draping himself across Dagur’s lap and burying his face in his arms. Oh … okay ….

Dagur felt his pulse kick up at the eagerness Tuff showed to be so close and vulnerable to him but kept his movements slow and purposeful, gently moving Tuff’s long hair so it hung away from his back. As gently as he could manage, he started to coat the welts curling over the tops of those thin shoulders. “Who did this to you?” he asked after a while. “And … when?”

“My Elders,” came the mumbled answer after a long silence. “About three days ago.”

A formal beating. And … three days ago? Dagur's heart did a funny skip in his chest and he paused, processing that for a moment. Shaking his head, he moved on to the next cruel laceration on Tuff’s back.

“Why did your Elders have you whipped?”

Under Dagur’s fingers, Tuff started trembling again.

“Oh. You don’t have to be ashamed,” Dagur assured him. “It’s me, the ‘evil’, deranged Berserker Prince, remember? Go on, try to impress me.”

Tuff either hiccoughed or snickered, Dagur couldn’t tell. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and looked up over his shoulder. “I - I released a dragon. I wasn’t supposed to. The Skrill.”

Dagur stared at him. He’d expected something like a carelessly broken wagon or shattered prized dishes, or maybe even a theft of sheep. But releasing a dragon . . .?

“Are you Berkian? Did Hiccup catch the Skrill first? Was he trying to train her himself?” Dagur blurted. Tuff made a thin noise of distress, starting to look panicked.

“Of course you’re from Berk. It explains how you know so much about dragons and why Mildew attacked you and also why I’ve never met you until now. Look, it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you for not telling me. Because of you, I have my Skrill, so why would I want to?” Dagur reassured him, beginning to treat the lash marks further down his back. “Looks to me like you’ve been punished enough.”

Tuffnut swallowed and looked up plaintively, trying to gather his nerve.

“It’s more than that, actually. I . . . I was a dragon-rider - one of Hiccup’s.”

Dagur stared at him, trying to jog his memory. He'd never really looked close enough at Hiccup’s Greek chorus but he’d figured there were about four others. “I don’t remember you fighting me.”

“I … generally I was just air support,” Tuff said, flushing. “We never … we never fought up close. My sister and I rode the Zippleback.”

“Oh yeah, the green one. So what made you not want to be a dragon rider anymore? Leaving Berk I understand, but … your sister? Your dragon?”

Tuff looked sad, but nodded. “My sister will take care of Belch. I couldn’t stay on Berk anymore. Some people in my family … didn’t think I’d been punished enough.”

“What?” Dagur asked, fury swelling inside of him. “What does that mean?!”

“I’m okay,” Tuff said quickly, sounding scared. Dagur took a breath and tried to calm down.

“Sorry. You’re just … I think you were overly punished for letting some dragon out of a cage.”

“She wasn’t in a cage. ” He hesitated, but went on. “She was completely frozen in a block of ice. Hiccup knew Berserkers revered the Skrill and he was scared of you getting a hold of her. But I couldn’t leave her like that. I decided I wanted her to be free to find her own way, even if she was dangerous and even if it did mean you’d find her. Hiccup went off to talk to his father and I was left with my sister and Snotlout to guard her frozen body.”

“So you just - what? Chipped her out? Melted her out?” Dagur asked, entranced.

“Blasted her out,” Tuff admitted sheepishly. Dagur gave a delighted cackle. “And within minutes, she thawed out and was able to fly away, no problem.”

“Bet old Stoick and Hiccup had piglets! Oh boy, if I could have seen the looks on their faces! I bet they didn’t like that one bit!” Dagur laughed. Tuff shifted with a pained expression on his lap and that smacked the jubilance right out of him. “Oh, sorry. Right. Yeah, that probably wouldn’t have been so great for you.”

“It’s fine. It was worth it. Hiccup wasn’t going to train or even revive her, he was just going to keep her in the same big chunk of iceberg we found her in. He cared more about you never getting to fly than what became of her. Dragons aren’t problems to solve - they’re living, breathing, harboring era of destruction and chaos! Hiccup needs to realize and respect that! I thought … I really thought we were the good guys, but I guess I was wrong.”

Dagur blinked, made solemn by Tuff’s sorrow.

“Well, it sounds like you had a good reason to free her and then leave. Now you’re here and you get to help me. I can help you find a new dragon. Probably not another Zippleback though. Oh, ooh, awkward memory - that wouldn’t have been your dragon I almost killed for dragon blood ink, was it?”

Tuff regarded him with surprise and nodded, in a way that made Dagur flush self-consciously. Of course - it had to have been his dragon that Dagur had nearly beheaded, all for the sake of exposing a theory that Berk was secretly raising a dragon army.

Well, he’d been right about that part, sort of.

“Really sorry about that. Wish I’d had a better introduction to the fact you Berkians all loved your dragons. I mean, the Skrill is just - she’s amazing. If I’d just known what they could be like - I mean, I don’t think I ever would have lifted a finger to -“

He was cut off by arms wrapping around his waist in a tight hug. Dagur nearly dropped the salve. He stared down at Tuff, who had curled closer to bury his face in Dagur’s chest.

“I knew you wouldn’t,” Tuff hitched after a long moment, pulling back so he could talk. “I knew that and I tried to tell them that everything was because we lied to you. We made you think dragons were still the enemy because Hiccup wanted to protect them - he wants to keep it all a big secret! I told them that if they just had explained, and given you a chance, maybe you wouldn’t have been our enemy. Everyone told me that was treasonous to say - even the Chief -“

He was getting wound up again. Dagur hushed him and coaxed Tuff to lay back down across his knees. “It’s okay, you don’t have to explain. I get it. I’ve always been the troublesome kid, so it makes sense that nobody would trust me. I’m not mad at you about it though, so just try to relax, okay?” Looking shocked, the other boy obeyed, again resting his head on Dagur’s thigh.

Dagur’s mind was a maelstrom as he worked, reanalyzing the Mark on his wrist, and how it applied to Hiccup. How and why would the Gods give him someone who didn’t trust or even like him, when this boy - this complete stranger - saw enough worth in him to help him train a Skrill? Trusted him enough to let him clean and treat his wounds?

He couldn’t help but notice each time Tuff’s breath caught painfully whenever he touched a point that two lashes had intersected. He was so thin - almost as scrawny as Hiccup - how had this not killed him? Dagur ran a careful hand across Tuff’s sides, not liking how each rib felt defined through the skin. The way Tuffnut had bolted his food earlier made too much sense for his comfort.

Normally, Dagur loathed traitors, but there was no way on Midgard that Tuff had done any of this through malice. Rather, he had spoken up against injustice and had been punished like a criminal. Dagur couldn’t honestly claim he wouldn’t have switched sides had his own family treated him like this.

If anything … if anything, Berk had betrayed Tuff.

When all Tuff’s welts and lacerations had been cleaned and coated, Dagur’s fingers smoothed down across his ribs once more, then hesitated at the boy’s waist.

“Is there any more?” he asked awkwardly. He could see the beginnings of a red welt curving down across a hip to disappear beneath Tuff’s belt. “I mean, this is the only beating you got for all this, right?”

Nobody could have punished him more, surely. Nobody could be that cruel.

Wishful thinking … hadn’t Tuff said some of his family members didn’t think he’d been punished enough?

Tuff closed his eyes, hesitant to answer. “There’s . . . a little more. It’s okay, I’ve been treating it. I can get it myself.”

“It’s not okay,” Dagur snapped and cursed himself inwardly when Tuff flinched. “Sorry. I’m not mad at you,” he reminded, voice gentle this time. “All I want is to just take care of you. My mom was a healer - she taught me a lot. This salve has comfrey in it, which is a good move. Did you make it yourself?”

“Mom made it and sent it with Ruff. My sister. She helped me get off Berk the night it all happened, and treated my wounds.”

So his sister and mom were the good guys here - that was useful to know. “What about your dad? Did he help get you free?”

Tuff swallowed and went silent, not answering. He’d started shaking at the mention of his father though, which spoke volumes.

Gut dropping, Dagur carefully started to undo the boy’s belt, sliding it off him. When Tuffnut didn’t stop him, he eased down the waistband of his leggings to be greeted with yet more welts and bruises - and something far worse.

There was a horrible burn on his hip, and worst of all, it looked intentional, as though made with a branding iron.

Dagur’s blood ran cold. “Is . . . that a . . .?”

“I'm sorry.” Tuff muttered, hiding his face behind his hands, “I’m sorry, he thought it was a tattoo - and I couldn’t get away - I couldn’t stop him -“

What? Dagur looked closer and saw a shape beneath the branded circle. He realized instantly the horror of what had been done.

“Who did this - who dared brand your Mark? Was it your father? Did he leave all these welts too?” Dagur demanded, fury thick in his voice. He was going to kill the man slowly and enjoy it. There was no excuse whatsoever for anyone to treat their own son like this.

Tuff had started shaking hard, starting to cry. Dagur cursed again as he realized his anger was probably affecting Tuffnut.

“Hey, Hey, I’m sorry - “ The Berserker murmured, leaning over Tuff. He pressed a palm to Tuff’s cheek, stroking away the tears. “I’m mad at him and your Elders, not you, though me yelling about it is probably the last thing you need to deal with right now.”

Sobbing, Tuff nuzzled Dagur’s palm, clutching his wrist tightly. “It’s fine, it’s okay,” he managed. “H-He didn’t know it w-was a Mark and then he - I had to -“

“Shh, you’re safe now, just let me see.” He stroked Tuff’s hair trying to calm him, and looked again at the Mark, making himself focus on the shape of it rather than the scarred flesh beneath it.

A Skrill. Not just a Skrill, but fashioned after his own tribe’s symbol. His heart started to pound. There were a million questions he wanted to ask Tuff, but now wasn’t the time, not with Tuff’s current state.

Dagur banished all thoughts of vengeance from his mind and leaned down to kiss Tuff’s temple gently, stroking his hair again - the only area that didn’t look too painful to touch. Tuffnut hitched and started crying harder, but he sat up on his uninjured hip and wrapped his arms around Dagur’s neck, holding on to him tightly.

For the first time in a while, Dagur felt tears on his own face. He cupped the back of Tuff’s head and held him close until the storm passed. Eventually the rider relaxed in his arms, breathing steadily and only sniffling.

Gently, Dagur coaxed him out of the rest of his clothing, then got him to lay on his stomach. Tuff nestled across his lap again, hiding his face in the crook of Dagur’s arm, leaving the other free to tend to the rest of his injuries. Tuff’s arms moved to Dagur’s waist, clinging to him as though he was a lifeline.

He trusted him, utterly, and maybe it was the Mark, and maybe Tuff was just a brave soul - brave and courageous in ways Dagur couldn’t understand.

It boggled his mind, honestly, why the Gods thought he, Dagur the Deranged, was worthy of this boy. He wasn’t even worthy enough for Hiccup.

And a chicken? Really? The idea Tuff could appear as a mere chicken on anybody was laughable. Well, one thing was certain, he should probably end his long-fought crusade against all poultry kind and leave the poor birds alone.

He put the thoughts away for now, closing the tin and putting it aside. He drew one of the fur blankets up over Tuff’s body to give him cover and laid his back against the wall, blowing out the lantern so Tuff could sleep.

In the dark, Tuff hitched his name, sounding terrified, uncertain.

“It’s going to be okay, Tuff,” Dagur murmured. “You’re safe now, with me. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you like this again.”

Tuff gave a few shuddering breaths, saying his name again. He shifted until he could rest his head on Dagur’s shoulder, nuzzling under his chin. “N-No-ones going to hurt you either. Not Hiccup, not Stoick - nobody.”

His bold promise was utterly charming, not that Dagur didn’t believe him. It was just … nobody had ever vowed to defend him.

Come to think of it, nobody had ever wanted to cuddle with him before either.

Dagur felt a surge of protectiveness and carded his fingers through Tuff’s hair, stroking his cheek with his thumb. He was not at all prepared for Tuff’s hand caressing his face, or pressing soft lips against his. The Berserker’s heart fluttered and started to pound.

“Are you mine?” he murmured in a daze, as soon as the spine-tingling kiss was broken.

Dagur could make out standing tears in the silvery gray eyes before him, and thought to himself ‘how pretty’ before Tuff’s mouth hungrily met his again in answer.

****

Tbc

#tuffnut #dagur #rtte #httyd #tuffgur

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fanesavin · 6 years ago

Text

Soapberry Pride 2018

Iann looks around for Fane amidst the hubbub and growing excitement at the Savin Museum. It seems like the whole town (or almost the whole town) is there. And everything looks impeccable - which really, Iann wouldn't expect anything less from Savin. Funny how both Savin and Freddie had vision and also an ability to execute that vision to their exacting specifications, so everything looked professional and polished and downright gorgeous. This was a Euro-expertise, maybe, Iann thought in amusement given his own basic American brain. "Savin! Yo Savin, I got the gl - the disco ball!" Iann called out, hoping the vampire would just hear and locate him.

Fane had been in the process of tinkering with the last minute details for the event, having been texting back and forth with Iann during the day to coordinate what would hopefully achieve their own personal little mission to save the very town that would be participating tonight. Between them they had amassed a collection of weird and wonderful performances which should hopefully amass into a good evening all around. The main stage was set up, rainbow banners, confetti canons and lights not to mention a rather neat karaoke system on a stage a little way away. He'd even driven down the enchanted instrument set from the estate should people want to sing along to songs on the main stage. Around the square little stalls selling drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic along with snacks) catered to the milling individuals ahead of the event's commencement. So, when he heard Iann's voice he ducked up from behind a soundboard grinning "nice! We'll hook it up above the stage seems the best place I think." He pointed to a piece of rigging that he'd fixed up for the globe.

Iann shielded his eyes and squinted up at the rigging. "Great. I can get it up there and put it in," he nodded, noting the staging catwalk that led to the rigging. Iann feared a great many things but for some reason teetering heights never bothered him. He looked at Savin and clapped the vampire on the arm. "And hey!! This all looks great too. Better than great, this is one helluvan event." Iann wagged a finger at Fane. "Y'know after this you should consider a side-job as an event planner." Iann was joking of course; first of all because Savin already wore a lot of hats and second because Iann believed the vampire preferred to conceive and pull off own ideas, not catering to the whims and changeable fancies of random fickle clients. "Y'know I just realized that all I have to do once I get the globe up, is stand around and cheer people on. Unless you have some last-minute thing you need me for...?"

Fane smiled cheerily, "alright, just don't fall off the ladder I don't want to have to do a superman catches a falling Lois Lane on you, yeah?" But he pointed over to the ladder for Iann to get on with that job. "Cheers, it took a bit of work but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out... Hopefully people will want to get involved in the bits and pieces. Plus there's drinks and food, who wouldn't want to be here?" The concept of him being some sort of event planner caused him to chuckle, in all honesty, it wasn't the terrible idea of them all, "I don't know how well I'd work being beholden to other people's schedules." Going over to adjust a few of the stands he glanced at Iann, "awh, and there was me thinking you'd be helping to host. It is our event after all and you are great a bigging people up."

Iann blinked. "Host? For this??" Iann started to laugh and he shook his head. "Ohhh no no no, I'm - I'm not a stage...talking...guy. With the microphones and the snappy announcements and the nice outfits. Hosting, ah, performance stuff? I couldn't." Just looking at the stage, and the space where an expectant monolith audience would eventually assemble - it made Iann sweat. Spotlights were for bright shining stars; and Iann considered himself more of a random dark spot on a small moon. He tugged at his collar and then grinned at Fane. "You're a ball of charisma, huh? I guess, uh. Okay well I guess with you there I can totally stand there and do the occasional 'Yeah' and 'Right on'. And thumbs up. I can do the thumbs up." Iann demonstrated using two thumbs.

Miguel The problem with being an introvert that loved people and spending time with them, was that Miguel would get himself into all sorts of shenanigans. After a long three days of being the go-to guy for the Soapberry Pride festival, and the Gender & Wellness Q&A, well he was absolutely exhausted. He was supposed to be helping set up for the open mic night (which had somehow gotten blown up to talent show and... whatever else Iann was turning it into). He didn’t mind because that meant he didn’t have to help set up so much as watch Iann and Fane bumbling around. And there was the everlasting curiosity that meant Miguel wanted to know badly what was in the backpack Iann had insisted on tugging around for the past couple days.

Babs wasn't often flustered, but admittedly being put on such short notice to perform onstage was making that rare occurrence a reality as she hustled into the museum. She didn't have much in the way of props, but she'd commissioned Justine to use some magical shortcuts to whip her up what she needed, and she'd hired the woman's son Justin to lug the props to the venue for her. "We're here. Am I done now?" Justin moaned as he dropped the bags and boxes at his feet the second they entered. Babs sighed. "Take them backstage and you can leave." After glancing at the stage, brimming with pride and anticipation at the sight, she spotted Iann talking with someone nearby that she couldn't quite see. She approached them with a hastened step, every bit of her movement ready and raring to go. "Quite the set up you've managed, my boy."

Iann turned at the familiar voice, his face lighting up with joy. "Auntie Babs! Oh - no this wasn't me. I didn't do any of this, my talent show partner in crime did - Savin, this is my - this is Babs Fitzgerald. Auntie, this is Fane Savin, the bankroll behind the show." Behind Babs in the distance, Iann noticed that Miguel showed up as well and Iann gave the witch a wave and yet another thumb's up. Did Miguel come to do his poem slamming, or just to watch the show? Either way, Iann was glad he showed up.

Maya was curious as to what exactly this talent show put on by odd couple Iann and Fane would look like. Although she supposed Freddie and Iann could also be considered an odd couple and they had an excellent inn together. She arrived quietly, having no interest in being roped onto the stage again and not wanting to disturb the preparations. Upon spotting the group she smiled and waved, but didn't yet go over.

Fane looked at Iann with a slanted grin. “Oh come on, you can’t always hide in the shadows, knock a few drinks back and you’ll be fine and dandy, plus, who doesn’t love a thumbs up” Fane responded with one of his own. However, he was fast taken with a very, very familiar voice. Turning to look at the woman approaching he blinked once, then twice just as Iann introduced he spoke almost simultaneously – “Oh my god, Babs?” immediately forgetting what they had been discussing he stepped out from behind the bits and pieces grinning toothily "well I'll be damned, you are a sight for sore eyes darling."

Babs spoke with Iann as he finished, her grin taking over her entire face. "Fane Savin, yes, I know." She stepped forward and brought Fane into a quick hug, before turning to Iann. "Small world, this town. We met in Madrid decades ago." The memories flooded back to her, and without realizing, her hand went up to touch the area around an eye that had once been a bruised mark of shame and pride all at once. "I can't believe you're here, darling."

Iann "Well I'll be..." Iann said, sticking his tongue into the side of his cheek. Still watching them keenly, Iann took a step back from the pair and then another, then turned to let them get acquainted. Re-acquainted. Whatever. Iann hustled off towards the ladder, clambering up it to to catwalk suspended over the stage. He had a globe to install, and he might as well get that done now, while the good vibes were starting to roll in....at least it seemed like Savin and Babs had good vibes between them. But others were showing up as well, and Iann figured they were all mild and anticipatory for the show.

Fane happily hugged Babs back. "Too right we did, and we had a good time of it in the end" seeing how Babs subconsciously touched her eye he reached out and gave her elbow a little supportive squeeze knowing just what she was presently thinking of. "I was here back when we met, honestly I was tempted about telling you about it back then but our time was rather cut short. How've you been? When did you get here?" he quizzed with interest.

Babs appreciated the support Fane offered, but she just as quickly tucked her feelings away, standing up a little straighter and adopting a grin once more. "How I've been is a somewhat loaded question we should perhaps put a pin in," she offered. "But I got here just a couple of months ago. That would have saved me quite a bit of time," she said, quirking an eyebrow, "but I don't blame you for not giving into temptation. Despite less than satisfactory events that brought us together, in the end you still didn't know me from Adam to trust me with knowledge of a place like this." She looked around once more, taking in the area around her. "This museum, is it yours?"

Iann Once Iann was done with the rigging the globe, he got one of the stage hands to get the thing spinning, just to see how it looked. Spotlights shone on it as it slowly spun; and although it was smooth and not mirrored or faceted, somehow the globe seemed to refract light, sending beams in various directions like a little sun. It was a delightful surprise that was bound to only look prettier as the venue sunk into the evening. Satisfied, Iann shimmied back down the ladder and dusted his hands. He felt a lot lighter now, no longer toting that thing around; and so Iann took a quick little tour of the transformed town square, assuming Savin was to be held credible for everything arranged. Talk about last-minute work. People were bound to be attracted to it tonight. Iann simply couldn't see them failing at this task to keep Soapberry safe.

Faye had finally made her way to the museum stage, which seemed to still be in the middle of construction. Of a sort. A small crowd was mingling, and Faye moved through them, looking around for any familiar faces. She'd been 'coerced' into performing, so she'd decided to sing a few songs like she used to do back at Morgana's. She'd dressed up in leather jacket with black undershirt, glittering black pants that fit snugly, rainbow heels, and her hair pulled back into a fohawk of curls (sparkling with gold glitter) on top of her head. Her lips were a deep red and her makeup was just a classic smokey eye with winged liner. A bit of jewelry and she was set. She looked up as something sparkled above the stage, so transfixed on the little light that she ran right into someone.

Iann didn't even recognize Faye when she smacked into him. "Hey, I'm walking h - oh it's just you, hey," Iann's testiness faded and he grinned a Faye. "You look all rock-glam. Say, are you performing tonight?? Savin pulled some favours?"

Fane nodded at the topic that perhaps wasn't right for just this moment "another time then, we'll have to get drinks and you'll have to regale me of your life story hmmm?" His shoulders wiggled just a little his cheerful nature exacerbated by the fact she was here. But her summary of the fact he did barely know her was truth enough of the fact "yeah, that's true and it seems fate wanted to bring you here in its own time anyhow." Glancing over his shoulder at the museum and then back at her with a grin, "yep! Founded it all myself, I'm quite proud of it really."

"Jesus, you scared me," Faye said, gripping Iann by the arm. "And yeah. I got... 'coerced'.... Figured if I’m gonna do it should just go all out hm?" Faye said of her outfit. It was a bit outside her norm, but she found she liked it. "You the handyman for all this?" She pointed at the stage.

"As you should be," Babs confirmed. She'd always had a little dream in the back of her mind of founding a theater, but having something so concrete to her name was honestly less than fitting to her nowadays. "It's quite an accomplishment. I'll have to come see your collection when its not being so overshadowed."

"What's that mean? 'Coerced'," Iann said, putting his hands up to use air-quotes. "Unless this is a sex thing in which case don't tell me. And yeah - well - you look good, I like it especially if it's for stage. The hair...you're like a horse," Iann said reaching up and (gently, not to ruin the up-do) flipped a bouncy curl. "Ahhhh no - no this was all your fella's doing. I figured he both knew how to do all this, he liked doing all this, and best of all he could pay for all this." Iann grinned. "I sure do love working with fancy wealthy control freaks. And I mean that in the kindest possible way." In case Faye got offended on Fane's behalf. Freddie was similar in his design for Stonefruit; and once Iann learned that, it had been carte blanche for the fairy as well.

"I mean there was... a countertop and some... chocolate syrup and... I really don't remember the rest past the point where I just said 'YESSS!!'." Faye grinned at Iann, as she slapped her hand to her chest at the exclamation, drawing the eye of a few people standing nearby. But she just snorted at herself and bent her hair down for him to peruse. A bit of glitter floated down. "Thanks. It's been ages since I dressed up to sing anything." Faye grinned as she looked around, knowing Fane had had a hand in all of it as well. "Well, Fane is all of those things, so..." Faye didn't take offense on Fane's part, knowing Iann didn't mean it in a bad way. Hell, by the looks of the place there was no telling how much Fane had put into it. Though Faye was glad to see him out and having fun instead of wanting to hide inside.

Bella showed up with a rack filled with enclosed costume changes, pushing it while wearing an outfit likely more ridiculous than the ones in the bags just because what idiot wore heels knowing that would have to move things around? Honestly she had no idea where to put anything. "Hey, is there like a round back I should be taking this?" Bellamy asked to no one in particular.

Maya looked up as Bella walked in with a full costume rack. She shrugged in response, but having very little use for manners shouted, "Yo Iann, is there a backstage and also point me in the direction of booze?"

Iann shook his head and smiled as Faye yelled out her pseudo-orgasm 'yes' and people paused curiously. He applauded and nodded at the other onlookers to join in. "Our first performance of the night, people of the audience," he proclaimed, as they moved along. "You know what gets me is the clean-up afterwards, like. Oh god, oh yeah, oh baby. And then five minutes later you're both scrubbing with water and some magic erasers. Unless of course Savin's got servants to handle all that." "So you're going to sing! Oh that'll be fun. Good, maybe you can start the show, huh?"

Iann heard his name and looked behind him to Maya, and then further behind Maya to spot Bellamy and what seemed to be a long enclosed rack on wheels. "Oh my god, she's doing the fashion show," Iann marveled to himself, before he yelled out. "Oye, Bellamy! Just wheel it up that ramp there! You'll see the dressing mirrors all partitioned off, you can store your stuff there. Jesus, that girl is creative," Iann grinned proudly at Faye as he said that. To Maya, he replied. "Ahhhhh, there's some food and drink booths just down that path? Follow it and you'll get there. I think it's all open bar too, depending on how generous your benefactor is feeling tonight."

Fane heard a familiar voice and his head tilted in that direction and he almost succeeded in not gawking at Faye's loud exclamation though it was mostly her outfit mostly that struck him. In all honesty, he failed spectacularly and his mouth opened and closed "wow" he mumbled under his breath. Looking to Babs he took her hand and pulled her along with the comment of "c'mon, someone I'd like you to meet."

Maya pointed up at Iann to acknowledge his words and shouted back, "Cool, I'm gonna get on that." She turned to head down the path, knowing that if she had a drink or two she'd be sure to cheer loudly. It seemed like the least she could do considering her lack of stage worthy skills.

Darla beelined for the rack full of couture that looked like it was moving on its own up that ramp before realizing that there was a woman pushing it. A very small, very impossibly incredible-looking woman, right out of the pages of a magazine. "These are yours?" she asked, eyes round. "All these clothes?"

"Did I win?" Faye asked Iann, waggling her eyebrows. "I meanthe cleanup is worth it yeah?" she shrugged. "And the servants only come in if there's broken furniture or something on the antique rugs." Faye nodded. "Yeah. Singin'. And hey wait... no one said anything about starting!" Faye called in exasperation as Iann moved off into the crowd. "Ass!!" she called.

Ephram moseyed around the talent show arena, taking in everybody's outfits and costumes and whatnots with interest. He himself was still dressed down; even though he wasn't technically on duty, the main concession he'd made to changing it up was to wear one of the tie-dye rejects from Lilo's booth earlier.

Bella heard Iann and gave him a nod, so short in stature she wasn't exactly finding the large item easy to maneuver but eventually had it heading up the ramp when someone was there. Sandy blonde hair, evidently taller than her and...well, a figure Bellamy hadn't seen for a while. The vampire actually paused for a second, standing awkwardly on the ramp. "Yeah...I mean, enough for tonight, probably won't wear them again, not a lot of them are totally me," she said, pulling out the Ralph Lauren skirt she had picked inspired by Cassie. "You like any of it?" she asked.

Babs couldn't help but smirking as she saw Fane gawk in the direction of a woman a little ways from them. She didn't protest when her hand was grabbed, though she reclaimed it quickly as they walked.

Ryden had been to a museum... never in his life. But luckily, the decorations made it pretty obvious that the Open Mic Night will actually be happening there. He was pretty much all ready for his five minutes of glory, dressed in all black bartending uniform he wore at Erzebet's during work hours, a white apron shoved in the backpack he carried along with a few additional things Iann might not've been able to provide for Ryden's performance. He still had some remnants of electric blue in his hair from the blacklight party two days ago and it might take him some time washing it completely out. Looking about, because honestly everything just looked amazing, busy and confusing, he noticed Iann near the stage ((or on it I didn't follow through lol)), jogging up to him. "Yo, boss! I'm not late, right?" Because he kind of almost forgot about it.

Darla squealed, clapped, and danced around, swooping down to hug Bellamy tight before yanking stuff off the rack as if she knew exactly what was on there. Since she was only wearing a skimpy string bikini top and the barest little white ruffle skirt, she just pulled on the red-and-pink top, the leather jacket, and the YSL heels, discarding her own cheap stilettos carelessly. Primping her blonde hair, Darla posed and turned for Bellamy, saying, "I'm Darla. I haven't been in town long, and -- can I stick by you?" Her blue eyes shone hopefully as she clasped her hands, one long leg raising like a flamingo's.

Iann The clean-up is worth it. Iann had to ponder that for a moment, and then grinned when Faye protested going first. "Well someone has to go first, hermana. And your singing is a great way to warm the crowd up and get them in the mood." But Iann was distracted once more by Ryden jogging up to him, and before he could stop himself Iann was reaching up to try and fussily try to brush the blue stuff out of Ryden's hair. "You're just in time, Dodger. I got your set-up ready and everything, on wheels so it can just get on stage easy-peasy." It was really the only part of tonight that Iann himself specifically worked on, because he'd promised Ryden he would. He looked slyly at Faye and then back at the werewolf. "Do you want to go first? You're an automatic crowd-pleaser, honestly. People are still talking about the black light party."

Freddie strode in, garment bag over his arm, and looked around for Babs to collect his marching orders - but when he caught sight of her with Savin, the fairy wrinkled his nose, deciding that perhaps discretion was the better part of valour for the moment, and opting to hunt for Iann instead. Iann, however, he soon found to be chatting with Faye, and Freddie let out a small frustrated huff, before situating himself out of the way of the crew and the bustle, but still easily noticeable, should Babs begin to wonder where he'd got to.

Maya Beer and hot dog in hand Maya returned to the stage area. She was curious to see who all had gotten roped into performing. Ryden, Bella, Dani and Sam all she knew and she suspected that Faye had more than likely gotten roped in as well. When she arrived she considered offering to help, but decided it would be a too many cooks in the kitchen situation. And mostly that someone might rope her in to performing as well. She therefore hung back.

Ephram caught sight of Freddie easily -- height was to his advantage in any crowd -- and made his way over, kissing him hello. "Miss Babs better be careful with you," he admonished the fairy. "Sawing you in half is gonna endanger some parts of you I'm right fond of."

Ruby made her way towards the stage, bag over her shoulder. Holy shit there was a lot going on. But she saw a lot of familiar faces at least, as well as several she didn't know. She eyed the crowd for Dani, her friend being a lifesaver and agreeing to perform with Ruby. And it wasn't singing this time. She drifted a bit towards the back stage area, trying to get her bearings before she set about getting dressed.

Ryden swatted at Iann's hand but it was done absently, Ryden too used to his momma being the same way, only she wasn't so quiet about it and always had to point out just how much of a messy child he was on top of adjusting his clothing in public even when he was way past his teen days. "Sweet~" He said, in regards to his props being all set. When he suggested Ryden should go first, the young wolf just shrugged. "Whatever. Is that the backstage there?"

Bella was surprised when her question of whether or not the woman liked any of it induced such glee and in moments she was grabbing at things, Bella smiling as she pulled on the shirt she had chosen for Ephram, trying to contain her ample self in a size that was clearly designed for Bellamy. "Bella," she offered, letting go off the rack with her hand and reaching up to undo the strap of Darla's bikini top, the strings showing over the back of her clothing and the lines of it evident beneath the fabric. "Definitely not a cute look with this underneath but otherwise I think you look good," Bellamy said, not exactly confident enough to reach under her shirt and pull the bikini off completely. "And of course I want someone attractive sticking with me," Bellamy assured, starting to push the rack back up and heading into the back room where likely everyone would end up. "You in town for Pride week?"

Iann "Yeah kid. Damn you're amenable, I fucking love it. Head up the ramp behind the stage, hm? When you spot Bellamy and her giant rack, then you're in the right place," Iann said with a smirk because Bellamy very much didn't have a giant 'rack' in the slang sense of the word"

Faye nodded at Ryden, giving him a small smile in return.

Fane glanced around noting the fact that more and more people seemed to be arriving and present. The crowds were starting to gather out front as well so after a few last minute checks, another remark that he was happy to see her but that he had to go. With a few last moment checks to make sure people who were in the line up were prepped he took up a mic and stepped out on stage to the buzzing tune of 'I'm So Excited' which stirred the people in the Crowne to whoop and start clapping along. So far so good. "Wow!" he started voice echoing a little with the mic "hello everyone! And welcome to the show!" The crowd was buzzing and a glance up at the orb it was glimmering brightly looking at the crowds "what an audience," more cheers "this is it, we now have the ultimate lineup all hoping to leave tonight with an amazing set of prizes and a donation to their charity of choice. So are you ready?" he paused letting the crowd clamour and cheer seeming to start amping up the mood in anticipation for the show.

Iann elbowed Faye. "Holy shit, it's starting. I should go up there. Should I go up there? I don't think I should go up there and kill Savin's buzz. He's on a roll. He doesn't need me, nah, I won't go up there."

Darla wriggled out of the scrap of bikini and left that, too, where it fell as she accompanied Bellamy up the ramp, making no offer to help out and instead admiring herself in her new outfit. "Oh, attractive, me," she said in a dismissive (but clearly not really) way. "I mean look at you! Like you should be floating down a red carpet." Darla flicked through the rack again just in case, saying, "Even your name is glamorous, Bella." She came around it to stand on Bellamy's side, nodding at her question. "Might stay longer, if I feel like it. And find somebody who can help me stick around." Her voice slowed a little, getting more syrupy as she flicked the pad of her thumb over the back of Bellamy's wrist.

Ryden pursed his lips with a little frown. He wasn't entirely sure what 'amendable' meant when Iann said it. But that expression quickly faded to be replaced by a grin. "Ehehehe I see whachoo did there~" Because it was really hard to miss Bella's rack. Of clothing of course. But he caught the pun. With another quiet nod at Faye, Ryden jogged off to the backstage, noticing Bella there by her clothing line, talking to some chick he didn't recognize. Opting not to interrupt their conversation, Ryden listened to the announcements, checking his backpack to make sure everything was there.

Freddie lit up when he saw Ephram coming, and returned his husband's kiss with a smile; the arm holding the garment bag held carefully out of the way. "Hello, love," he said happily, "How's your day been so far?" chuckling at the teasing. "And I promise, hand on heart, that Babs'll get me back to you in one piece tonight - really, you'll be amazed at what she intends to do - but I think you'd best give me a thorough looking-over afterward regardless, yeah? Just to be certain everything's still the way you left it."

Babs broke off from Fane before he could introduce her to whomever he'd spotted before, and seemed to get distracted himself as he made his way to the stage. Just then, Babs caught sight of her lovely assistant, and made her way over to him. "Freddie my dear, are you ready to put our night of practice to good use?" She then noticed the man hanging off of Freddie, recognizing him from a picture Freddie had shown her. "You must be Ephram?" She held her hand out for him to shake. "I've only heard good things from this one," she teased, gesturing to Freddie.

Faye grinned at Iann. "Best to just let him do his thing," she laughed before putting her fingers to her mouth and whistling along with the crowd as Fane started things off.

Fane let the crowd clamour for a bit. "Alright then! Well let's get this show going shall we? Kicking us off tonight," Fane almost stopped to roll his eyes at the name that flashed up on the small screen but his smile remained and he pressed on seemingly unflappable. "Is a young man here to astound you with his skills and incredible mixology skills, and maybe even give you a few drinks if you're lucky and down here in the front" he grinned at a few people. "May I introduce to you, Mister Ryden Bolt! Give him a hand!" the crowd cheered and Fane spun the microphone stepping off to let the stage crew set up the bar on stage for Ryden.

Maya cheered loudly, raising her glass as Fane started off the show. When he introduced Ryden she let out a loud wolf whistle, a skill learned from some of Carson's Army buddies. She knew though that she had probably gotten lost in the crowd, but wasn't worried about it.

Iann When Faye told Iann to just remain off the stage, Iann nodded and waited until Fane had announced Ryden. He whistled and clapped loudly as Ryden took the stage, but bolted up the side stairs and catapulted towards Fane. "Savin! You wanted me there but Faye said I should let you do your thing but then I thought about just standing next to you but then maybe you are doing way better without me hanging around like the creepy weirdo in the shadows so --"

Ruby clapped from her seat in the wings as Fane introduced Ryden. The night was off to a fun start it seemed.

Ephram snorted, squeezing Freddie tight -- it was a good thing his husband had the foresight to save his wardrobe -- and was about to respond with something dirty when Babs approached. Straightening up with a slightly self-conscious grin, he took Babs' hand and said, "Yes'm. I'm glad to hear my darlin' husband keeps it fit for mixed company when he talks about my good features." He nodded at the stage, asking, "You two are gonna look like a million bucks in nickels and dimes up there together. Cain't wait to see the act."

Bella's smile pulled to one said as Darla clearly spoke with a fake modesty, she was obviously beautiful. Not in the same way Bellamy was. Bellamy looked airbrushed, like she wasn't totally real. Darla looked weighted by her beauty, like she couldn't quite carry all of it at once even though she knew exactly where all of it was. "Maybe, doesn't discount how you look," Bella assured, feeling Darla's thumb over over the back of her wrist, her hand twisting up to wrap around so she could run the tips of her fingers over the underside of her wrist. "I'm sure lots of people could help," she assured, a little distracted by the warmth she was getting from her skin, hearing the heartbeat of Ryden's arrival and pulling her hand back quickly. "I helped him get a job," she said, motioning over to the guy. "And have made him look a bit more presentable...are you wearing your work clothing?" she asked him, stepping slightly in front of Darla, like if he couldn't see her then he wouldn't try taking the attention away from Bellamy - even if it wasn't his intention Ryden was clearly gorgeous, it wasn't hard for him.

Freddie turned when he heard Babs' voice and grinned. "I was born ready, love - we're going to put everyone else to shame." And when the older woman put out her hand to Ephram, telling him how Freddie bragged on him at every opportunity, the fairy only smiled wider. "That's because there's only good things to say," he replied, squeezing his sweetheart a little tighter. "I mean, look at him," he said, eyes shining, "-and this is only the tip of the iceberg."

Faye followed behind Iann slowly, in no rush to shove through the crowd of people. Iann and Fane's budding bromance made her smile as she followed up the stairs, getting her first good look at Fane's outfit. "Wow..." she huffed, a stupid grin turning up one side of her mouth. She slung an arm over Iann's shoulder, leaning against him. "Can I take your friend home later?" she whispered to Iann, though it wasn't really a whisper and she was looking at Fane the entire time.

Darla 's eyes brightened up behind Bellamy as she spotted Ryden, something a little more cunning slipping into her expression. But she made no move, instead shifting up closer behind Bellamy so the vampire was aware of her warmth. And Darla was tall, so there wasn't much of a chance for Bellamy to forget she was there. "I want you to help," she whispered.

Ryden: Oh, this was him! Uh... Where are his stuff again??? Ryden looked about, finally noticing the makeshift bar counter on wheels. He carted it onto the stage, waving enthusiastically at the crowds. Positioning everything in place, the music already playing to set the mood. It took a minute to set everything up but he didn't let the anticipation build up for too long before the first bottle was up in the air and then... things just escalatedquickly as the young wolf performed impressive acrobatics in the rhythm of the music.

Ryden’s Act: http://youtube.com/watch?v=60GJ0dJ1xmE

Fane laughed as Iann approached, the lights catching and reflecting off the gold of his attire. "I might need you or at least someone to introduce me when I do my thing I'm totally not introducing myself because that'd just be-- well, weird." Though as Faye followed behind Iann and into sight Fane's smile turned lop-sided itself at her stage-whisper.

Ephram was inordinately pleased to be referred to as an iceberg

Iann laughed loudly (there may have been a snort in there) in relief at Fane's response. "Ah - god - yes. Thanks, that - I can do that." When Faye slunk over all slinky like, Iann loked from her side-smile to Fane's mirrored one. Both the vampire and the witch had the same sort of look in their eyes: one part predatory, one part absolutely goofy in love. "He has to be wooed first, Faye. You can't just go stampeding him straight the bedroom. Tell him he's beautiful before you rip off his clothes, hm?"

Faye: "Go let Bellamy dress you so you can introduce," Faye said, giving Iann a shake.

Bella turned, hearing Ryden's named called onto the stage. She knew what he was doing and had seen him do it a number of times at work so wasn't overly concerned about watching, mostly just hoping he'd save her whatever he ended up making and bringing one by. With him gone she turned, Darla quite close to her now, chest squeezed into the shirt she had chosen for Ephram and her muscles obviously tightened due to standing in heels. "Uh um - yeah - yeah, I can definitely help," Bellamy froze up slightly, she hadn't spoken to a woman who was so evidentally attractive to her in a long time. The large smile on her face had been enough to break Bellamy completely, especially as it was so rare in this town she found any women attractive, but she pulled herself together, stepping back and opening up what would be her first outfit. "Maybe find you some clothes that fit first."

Babs "You two are sickeningly adorable," Babs teased. "But I'm afraid I'll have to break up the love fest and steal my lovely assistant away. I've no word on the act order so we best be prepared for anything." Putting a hand on Freddie's arm, she began to lead him away toward the backstage area. She stole a glance up at the young man throwing bottles around in an impressively coordinated display, but her focus was getting backstage. Once they were more or less alone, Babs turned to Freddie, a rare look of panic in her eyes. "Freddie, darling...I hate to admit this but, my nerves are getting the best of me at the moment," she confessed. "Perhaps this wasn't a good idea."

Faye mock sighed dramatically at Iann. "But I don't like foreplay... But fine..." She stepped away from Iann and walked over to Fane, looking him over before taking him by the lapels. "You look stunning, baby..."

Fane 's eyes crinkled happily at Iann and Faye's remarks. He was feeling, well, he was feeling good , really good. The mood of the situation and buzz generally infectious and plus, Faye taking him by the lapels practically drew his entire attention. Unable to help himself from snickering a little as Iann darted off. "Thank you love, and you-- well, you're looking absolutely ravishing."

The wolf also really knew how to rile up the crowd, which became obvious during the blacklight party. Although he didn't have a microphone on him right now, that didn't stop him from communicating with the crowd, occasionally asking for an applause and cheer. The end product of Ryden's performance where three perfectly made margaritas in tall glasses and the young wolf ended up inviting three people on the stage to try them out - Maya, whom he'd easily noticed in the crowd, pointing her out, Babs and Freddie whom he didn't know but pointed out anyway. They were free to come up on the stage and try what he'd made.

Iann stubbornly thought he looked fine, but he'd been a wingman enough times to know a cue when he heard one and Faye was practically shoving him away by now to get to her fella. "Okay okay okay, I can take a hint. Savin! Let me know when you're on and I'll announce you." Iann stepped back down into the audience, right when Ryden finished up his set with delicious looking margaritas. Iann joined in the applause and hollering for the werewolf's mad skills.

Maya made a big show of being surprised even as she internally rolled her eyes. She should've known that somehow she'd end up stage. Pretending to fan herself she went up on stage before realizing that she had no free hands. "Hold my hot dog?" she asked Ryden before handing it to him. After taking a sip of what he'd created she turned to the crowd and gave an technically over-enthusiastic thumbs up.

Darla pouted at Bellamy's wanting to re-dress her, tugging the bottom of the already short top up so the hem landed somewhere just south of her boobs. "Yes? No?" she asked hopefully, but then pouted some more and said, "okay," when Bellamy decided a change of outfit was needed. Clinging to Bellamy's arm like a limpet, Darla declared, "I just knew I'd find somebody here who I'd be best friends with right away. But I didn't expect somebody with such style as you, Bella." Darla was laying it on pretty thick, but there was a ring of sincerity to her words. Or at least a greedy admiration underneath.

Taking Maya's hot dog for her, he took a bite out of it, much to the audience's amusement. It was his hot dog now.

Iann "YEAH! SHOVE THAT FOOTLONG IN YOUR FACE, HOTSTUFF," Iann cupped his hands to his mouth and hollers.

Ruby watched, a huge grin on her face as Ryden showed off his bartending skills. She clapped with the rest of the audience when he was done, laughing as the 'volunteer's came up to taste what he'd made.

The Watcher: ((Just imagine there's a 6'8" figure in the back of the room, overshadowed by his stenson hat and otherwise obscured by his shadowy overcoat. The figure says nothing but claps loudly after every performance.))

Maya caught Ryden taking a bite out of her hot dog out of the corner of her eye. She faked shock, even as amusement sparkled in her eyes. "I'm never getting that back, am I Batman?" she asked, too quiet for the audience to hear. She didn't set the drink now. It was collateral now, obviously.

Ryden: "Nope~ That's payback for the popsicle."

Bella didn't think anything there would fit her, she really meant later, another day, where Darla wasn't just picking things off a random rack of clothing but it was hard not to want to keep changing her back there, especially seeing her fidget with the fabric. She needed to get a hold of herself. Fortunately she attached herself to Bella and the vampire clung back, and was a pretty big sucker for compliments, even if they seemed oddly specific. "Thanks," she flushed, Darla's warmth able to bring a reddish hue to her cheeks. "Admittedly I can't judge your own, I'm guessing the bikini was because you were at the beach and not because you just wear them around, right?"

Maya shook her head, not surprised. "Then I'm not going to tell you about great you did," she replied, "And also this is mine now." With that she hopped off the stage gracefully, now double fisting her drinks.

Carting his props away from the stage, followed by a roaring applause, Ryden was done, slipping back so that the next performer could be announced. Not phased one bit that he'd just performed in front of a lot of people, he left the props where he'd found them and took off the apron he had on. Well that was a nice experience~

Faye blushed a bit beneath her rockstar glam makeup. "Flatterer. It's a bit of a change I know,"Faye said of her outfit, n ot letting go of himjust yet. "You havin' fun?" she smiled. "It's... this is amazing." She looked around, seeing all the people together and mingling (mostly) happily.

Fane smiled “thanks, it’s come together well hasn’t it?” Unfortunately had to break away from Faye, "I gotta go. Hosting," stealing a quick peck he squeezed her hand the crew signalling for Ryden to depart the stage and moving his things. "What a brilliant way to open the show, quite the display for you all hm? And now! Our local fashionista. Here to give you all a show you're bound never to forget-- Welcome to the stage, Miss Bellamy Barnes!"

Faye just grinned as he kissed her and moved off. She wasn't going to keep him, but it was SO nice to watch him leave.

Freddie leaned up and gave Ephram another kiss - this one much quicker - and said, "I'll be looking for you in the front row," then called back over his shoulder with a sparkly-eyed smirk as Babs led him off, "But if Iann sees you first, he just may try to put you on stage..." winking as he disappeared around the corner. Once he and Babs were on their own, however, and she admitted to her stage fright, fear bright in her eyes, the fairy sobered and took her hands in his. "You, love," he told her, "-are an incredible talent. You're going to knock this entire crowd on its collective arse." He smiled, holding her gaze. "Honestly, darling, your kind of skill deserves an audience to captivate," and then after a moment's pause, he added, "-plus I look bloody gorgeous in my outfit, and I want to show it off." Freddie grinned again. "So no more second-guessing, yeah? You're going to go out there and show all these people what magic really looks like when you work for it."

Darla "I was at the beach earlier, but I was wearing it mostly because of the Pride thing. I never been to one! It's so exciting." She flushed a little as well, looking down. "Well, probably not for you. You must be used to this sort of thing." Fane intro'd Bellamy just then, and Darla looked even more starstruck, if possible.

Maya cheered again as Fane returned to the stage to introduce Bella. She would've clapped too, but she still had no free hands.

Ephram dutifully worked his way up closer to the front, mindful of shorties in the crowd whose view he didn't want to ruin. Hearing Bellamy's name called, he gave a loud hoot and clapped, wondering what his friend would be doing. Surely she wasn't gonna caterwaul in front of all these folks. Ephram grinned at the thought, since he personally adored Bellamy's enthusiastic if not always on-key renditions.

Bella heard her name and it was only the good fortune of being a vampire that she was able to change quickly enough to make it out, unfortunately not able to respond to Darla God, she felt sort of silly. She'd sung in front of people, specifically planned songs to fit the specific vibe. This felt a little silly but it had been Iann's idea and she liked making him happy. Plus it was nice to show off her clothing that tended to sit for months on end in her closet. Iann's outfit was the first one and she went through each of the townsfolk, imagery of each persons name behind her with each outfit so they knew who it was for. There were a lot and she was grateful that Darla had fortunately removed the items she needed for each of the outfits. By the time she was on the final one her hair was messier than it started out and she was feeling a little bit dizzy. Fortunately though she made it backstage as the music concluded and inhaled and unnecessary breath of comfort that it was done.

Ryden decided to stick to the backstage, leaning against a wall at a good vantage point from which he could see the stage itself. He clapped when Bella was announced, vocally cheering for her too.

Darla Bellamy was met with a tall whirlwind of warm perfumy girl who slammed into her, shrieking in congratulations. "That was like a real live fashion show!" Darla screamed. "Ohmygawd you're not real. You're not! You can't be!!"

Maya watched with some awe as Bella displayed outfits inspired by all of them. The fact she'd pulled it together so quickly was incredible enough on its own. When the outfit apperently inspired by Maya herself appeared the witch shouted, "Fuck yeah all black!" She actually kind of liked the jacket and might have to make a point of asking Bella where she'd gotten it later although she suspected it would be out of her personal price range.

Iann was amazed that Bellamy somehow managed to pull it off, and yet she did. "THAT'S ME! That first one - it's me! It's me right?" Iann asked the stranger next to him, who ignored him to clap for Bellamy. To Iann, she was flawless - in execution and design and the way she walked and her hair and everything. Sure he didn't really understand some of her choices but that didn't matter because clearly the kids and the more artistic folk in the audience were over the moon over her style and flair. Ryden set a good precedent, and now Bellamy was carrying the torch of joy seamlessly. Iann glanced up at the globe, and it seemed brighter than ever. When it was over, Iann clapped so hard he almost felt like crying, it was getting a little overwhelming. But he had to stick around for Babs' performance, and to announce Savin's as well.

Ruby figured it was coming up time to get ready. She and Dani hadn't practiced all that much, just a quick run through of things they did during sparring sessions. But much faster and with a bit more... flair.

Ephram was entirely entertained that Bellamy had created an outfit for him and only mildly objected to the fanny pack, giving her a gentle heckling before she moved on to the next one. He resolved to catch up with Bella later and tell her how cool her bit had been, and also to find out what made her hair slowly stand on end like she was being electrified through the entire performance.

The Watcher claps very loudly with a slavic accent. You didn't know claps could be accented but here we are, the stranger did it.

Bella laughed hard when Darla approached her, a little awestruck by the sudden investment of the woman, it was exceptionally flattering. She knew that Iann was going to love it, and that he would likely be amused by her styling of him, and she had heard Maya's happiness at what had come out for her, making her quite pleased she hadn't screwed up, but this woman didn't even know her and while she was definitely intense none of it seemed particularly fake. "I mean, a fake fashion show like they'd do in high school to raise money for like...prom or something," she laughed a little bit, putting her hand on the girls arm. "You should see a real fashion show. I should see a real fashion show," she corrected, Paris Fashion Week was like her entire goal to attend one day. "Did you like my outfit for you Ryden?" she asked, seeing the guy standing all alone.

Babs held Freddie's hands tight when he took them, listening to his words as they soothed her troubles. It wasn't stage fright per-se, though she admittedly had her previous 'failure' at the forefront of her mind whether she liked it or not. "Yeah," she answered, taking a deep breath. "You're right, my dear, let's blow them away." She led them over to where Justin had set up all the props before promptly disappearing, and a stagehand passing them by informed them that they were next up. Babs hadn't been this nervous in decades, but she swallowed it down and stamped it out, focusing all that nervous energy into the cards she was twirling around in her hands.

Darla turned with Bellamy, her arms slung around the vampire's waist, giving Ryden a breathless, sultry smile. "Ryden," she repeated. "Wasn't she amazing, Ryden?"

Fane clapped as Bella finished up her piece, and walked onstage doing precisely that. "Well, wasn't that a beautiful display of our local fashion? Quite a celebration indeed!" The crowd was still cheering and clapping, all going well so far. "Are you ready for more?!" a roar of approval came in response, "alright then! We've had drinks, we've had design-- now what about a little bit of... danger hm?" His eyes glittered as a murmur went through the crowd, "may I present, Dani Savin and Ruby Devereaux to the stage!"

Ryden: The young wolf, too focused on the actual show and what was going to happen next was kind of surprised when someone addressed him during his lone wolf moment. He glanced at Bella and the woman she was talking to, eyebrows slightly raised. "That's my baby doll, yo." He pushed off the wall to approach them, slipping an arm around Bella's waist all smooth-like. "Hey babe. That was effin' amazing."

Ephram idly purchased some kind of fund-raising candy from an atronach child and instantly regretted it when he realized the marshmallows were coated not in melted caramel but in melted hard butterscotch. Still, he whooped when Fane announced Ruby and Dani, wincing as he pried one of the marshmallows coated in rock-hard candy off a tooth.

Briefly distracted by another announcement, Ryden peeked at the stage again. Oh wow, this town was so small. Apparently his ex and Ruby knew each other. Fuck that, the entire world was like as big as a backyard it seems.

Bella had to believe that Ryden was affected by Darla and how she spoke. Between herself and the woman Bellamy had to look about tweleve years old, but he seemed unaffected, walking over she suddenly had both Darla and Ryden's arms wrapped around her waist and was actively convinced this had to be some kind of punishment. "I made a much cuter you than you do, which was quite difficult, puppy, you're terribly handsome," she told him, wrapping her own arms around the two taller companions she now had. "You save me any drinks we can share?"

Darla narrowed her eyes at Ryden for a moment before her expression smoothed out, all breathy anticipation and warm openness again. "Oh," she peeped at Bellamy, "is this your boyfriend?"

Freddie "Course we will," Freddie said, leaning in to buss her cheek, and then quickly changing his clothes right where he stood, not caring at all who was watching. He glamoured his discarded street clothes into a handful of coins, sliding them into his pocket (he could, of course, have not bothered changing at all and simply glamoured the whole thing - but where was the fun in that?) before following Babs to their collection of props, confident that he knew precisely what to do and when, watching appreciatively as Babs handled her cards. Marveling because she really was something to see.

Maya finished off the drink she'd stolen off the stage as Fane came back out to announce the next act. She almost didn't remember to swallow before wolf whistling again for Dani and Ruby.

Ruby was standing with Dani, waiting on their names to be called. She really didn't feel nervous, but she'd only ever done this in the training room. But what the hell. Her sword was in it's sheath in her hand, a long, curved katana that she'd been using for just over a year now. Ruby walked across to the far side of the stage, reaching into a small pouch at her side and bringing out what looked like a black ball about the size of a tennis ball. She didn't say much, just waited on Dani to take their own spot opposite. When they were set, Ruby tossed the ball into the air, in a high arch towards Dani, as they did the same. At the right time, Ruby pulled her sword from the sheath in a great sweeping arch, slicing the ball in half and exploding glitter and sparks all across the stage, while the same happened on Dani's side. "Just in case you thought they weren't real," Ruby said towards the audience as the glitter died down.

"He dreams of being my boyfriend," Bellamy teased, knowing Ryden had no intention of dating considering what had only just happened to him but knowing that wasn't anyone else's business. "No, my boyfriend has his kids right now, he might be by later," she smiled of Miles. "Ryden just enjoys being handsome around me, plus he works at my restaurant."

Ryden, apparently, was absolutely clueless that each outfit was supposed to represent a person. "Oh! So, one was like, inspired by me? Heh, which one?" When Darla assumed something slightly inappropriate but definitely amusing, Ryden barked out a loud but charming laughter, energetic, boyish and showing off the unnaturally white, sharp canines. "Naw. Just her sex slave."

Ephram saw Cassie and rushed to join her, neverminding her fella being around. "Hey!" he greeted her, waving. "Heeeeey! Are you gonna do a talent? Thing? Up there later?"

Bella smirked, shaking her head. "How rude that you couldn't tell," she pouted playfully. "Leather jacket and exceptionally tight blue jeans, that's like all you wear."

Darla took in this information, just listening for now but not letting go of Bellamy one fraction. "I dunno," she mused, "if jeans should be anything other than exceptionally tight. On the right people." She looked at Bellamy, her long lashes sweeping slowly as she then looked over at Ryden.

The crowed around him seemed to explode into cheers when the sliced ball exploded into magical sparks and glitter, which of course gave the globe a further lively shimmer. "Good going Ruby," Iann said, clapping and whistling some more. And Dani too, but Iann knew this wasn't the tiny human's only performance for the night. Savins never did things by halves.

Cassie looked through some of the crowd, trying to spot Lilo with Addie since they shouldn’t have been too far behind. They might have been doing two different acts, but they did in fact arrive together. “Hmm?” Cassie turned eyebrows raising when she saw Ephram. She took a step back so she could see all of him and nodded, fixing her jacket some, “Yeah gymnastics. Balance beam. What about you? Performing some rockin’ Cotton Eyed Joe or something?”

Lilo was standing next to Cassie, colorful rainbow baby strapped to his chest in some kind of new-fangled papoose, his guitar case in one hand. He was feeling pretty good about the whole talent thing at first. Now he was feeling less than chopped liver with how Ephram, rude and unrepentant, breezed past him.

The swords were very, very sharp. Not blunted or charmed. She and Dani had practiced a long time for Ruby to move up to real blades. But they weren't done yet. The color was just to show the authenticity of the blades themselves.

Lilo standing next to Cassie after sneaking up from the crowd of course. He hadn't announced himself yet.

"A boy can dream yo~ Dreams are for free and sometimes they git wet~" Ryden landed a quick peck on her cheek. "Oooh okaaay, nice! And I'm not rude, I'm poor and have no fashion sense." He then realized he didn't really properly introduced himself to this other woman. "And who's your friend?" Now this look from Darla he did not miss. A terribly charming smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. Ryden didn't use his charm on Bellamy, simply for the fact that she was taken and he wasn't the homewrecker type. But with Darla, he turned the charm up full bast, like the perfectly sculpted muscles and a handsome face weren't enough.

Fane pulled out his phone, typing off a quick text to Ryan about bringing Bear around soon since they were presently between acts and he knew he would probably be up soon.

"Only sometimes?" Bella teased, a little defensive as Ryden seemed to have taken the attention of the woman, as Bella suspected that he would. It wasn't like Bellamy was delusional, Darla was...crazy hot and sweet and adorable, least so far, but she had Miles and she still considered it cheating even if it wasn't with a dude, but it had felt pretty nice to have someone be so immediately excited about knowing her. Most people tended to be a little more resistant these days. Even Ryden she'd had to put in a bit of effort with. "This is Darla," Bella said, pulling her closer, to the place Darla had pulled away from.

Ephram paused in accosting Cassie to holler at the stage and clap loudly, highly resembling a Wookie more than anything. "Gymnastics!" he half-shouted at Cassie before remembering to turn down the volume again. "I cain't wait to see it, that's sure gonna be a sight to see." He couldn't help biting his lip at the idea of it, gaze traveling over Cassie's form before he pulled himself together enough to snort at her question. "Din't nobody ask me to do nothin'," Ephram declared, "so I took that as a hint." Belatedly, Ephram noticed Lilo and stared at him with that thoughtful look again before saying, "oh, hey, din't see you there, Lilo."

To say Dani was brimming with excitement might have been an understatement. Nothing thrilled them quite like the prospect of a sword fight, and now that Ruby had honed her skills, they were just as excited to show off what she had learned. Dani held their blade loosely in their hand, giving it a quick spin as they reached the stage. As they had planned, they tossed their sphere of glitter to Ruby as Ruby did to them. It was essential they demonstrate that this wasn't just a mock spar. That wouldn't be nearly as thrilling. "Because what fun would that be?" Dani grinned out at the audience and proceeded to walk to the opposite end of the stage from where the other woman was standing. Her instructor eyed her across the space as if to inquire whether or not she was ready.

"I'm Darla," she repeated, reddened lips curling into a smile as she nestled back against Bellamy but kept looking at Ryden. "Bella's taken me under her wing, isn't that the most sweetest, wonderfullest, kindest thing you ever heard?" She turned and kissed Bellamy's cheekbone, leaving a little slick of gold-flecked gloss.

Lilo offered a small little wave. "Oh hey Ephram, you excited to see Cassie's gymnastying all over the stage too?" He pushed himself into the conversation just as cheery as he could. Bouncing off and on to give Addie a playful and wiggly ride.

Ruby circled a bit as Dani moved, keeping her own place for the fight. When Dani stopped and eyed her, Ruby gave a dip of her head and pointed her sword at Dani in the ready position. Music started playing in the background.

Ruby: http://youtube.com/watch?v=s0hNYub-y5E

“Nothing?” Cassie said a little surprised. After all, it seemed like plenty of people had gotten wound up in the show. She shrugged, “I suppose we need just as many supportive audience members anyways.” Cassie laughed, turning when Ephram mentioned Lilo she smiled when she saw him. “Not all over the stage.” Cassie waved her hand to clear any confusion. “They’re hardly set up for that. Anyways, Lilo’s singing with Addie.” She announced for the other man’s benefit. “Which is just the cutest.”

The Watcher stands up to get a better look. Makes "whoo" sounds, again with a thick slavic accent.

Ephram nodded solemnly. "Wouldn't miss Cassie gymnastying for the world," he drawled, a smirk just barely crossing his face before he was distracted by Addie. "Well now -- ain't that gonna be jes the sweetest thing!"

"Hey Darla~" Ryden practically purred her name, looking her up and down with bright gray eyes. "How come I never seen ya around? I usually notice pretty things real quick." Looking back at Bellamy, his grin widened. "She does that, yes. Took this stray pup in too. Back when I was hangin' out in a cardboard box with an adopt me sign around me neck."

Bella felt the kiss to her cheek and leaned into it, feeling the stickiness of the gold gloss on her now, not wiping it away. "Too distracted by other pretty things maybe?" Bellamy suggested.

Lilo: always seemed to grow an inch taller under Cassie's praise, no matter what it was. "Aww, Addie is going to be the star of that performance, yes she is. Yes she's gonna steal everybody's heart." He held out his hand, letting Addie grab at his fingers.

Darla visibly went all slinky at the tone of Ryden's voice, explaining, "I just got here! Brand spanking new in town and ready to get to know people." She beamed at them both. "Like you two. Already such nice, generous, beautiful company." Darla shifted, a circuit of her hips brushing against them both lightly enough that it could have been deliberate or totally innocent.

"Well we're a beautiful town," Bella agreed of Darla's comment but was confident Ryden couldn't be quite as generous as she could be, as conceited as that was. Darla seemed to draw close to both of them once more and Bellamy knew Ryden's comment about dreams was definitely going to be an issue that evening. "Maybe after the show you can help me take my clothes home," she suggested to Darla.

Cassie chuckled a little nervously at Ephram’s response, “Yeah, I don’t know how well I’ll do. It’s been a little while since I’ve done gymnastics formally. Other talents are probably more exciting too.” Cassie found gymnastics was sort of an acquired taste.

Dani waited for Ruby to find her stance before they settled into their own. They each had their own different styles of wielding a blade - Ruby with her favor for the katana and Dani's for blades with a slight curve to the edge. They were confident in Ruby's ability to both defend herself and advance, which was why Dani hadn't opted for much in the way of skin cover. And again -- this was all about putting on a show, right? As the music started, they allowed for a few tense seconds of stillness to pass before dashing forward to make a strike at Ruby's middle. Simple enough to dodge.

Maya cheered loudly as Dani and Ruby started to swordfight. She absolutely going to have to ask Dani to teach her that.

Darla pressed briefly against Ryden as she bent to fiddle with the strap of her shoe, giving him a glimpse of her breasts. "I am one hundred percent going to help you with those clothes," she said to Bellamy with a brilliant smile, the corners of her eyes crinkling from it. "I would love to see where you live, Bella."

Lilo clapped around Addie to not jostle her too much. "Look baby girl! Look at those cool people fight? Huh? Maybe you wanna be a real cool badbaby fighter. Well There will be two people to ask to teach you." Lilo grinned and smiled at Addie as she mostly cooed at the lights reflecting off the swords.

Ruby pulled the blade back over her shoulder, parallel with the ground as she waiting on Dani to advance. Her own outfit wasn't much different from Dani's, having grown used to the other woman's workout style as they'd trained. Dani came in with a fierce swipe towards Ruby's bare midriff, a move that would have split her open if it hadn't been blocked. Ruby swept her bladedown and pushed Dani's blow to the side, arching back up and advancing with a downwrds strike of her own towards dani's s houlder.

Fane figured that for the time being he wasn't specifically needed stage side, and so he wandered off to fetch a drink. Scanning the audience he spotted Maya and walked over. "Hey!" he gave her a one-armed hug "how you enjoying it so far?"

Bella if Darla wasn't looking she'd have poked her tongue out at Ryden she was that mature in this situation, but fortunately she was and instead just gave herself a short glimpse at what her movements were showing off. "Let's head out then," she smiled, grabbing the rack and Darla, actually poking her tongue out to her friend as she walked her off.

"Oooh, welcome then! Hope ya have a good time in this crazy town. We're all mad here~" Reference perfectly deliberate, Ryden added. "Yes, yes, and beautiful too." Smiling at the light kiss, he looked back to the stage, following Dani and Ruby's performance for a bit. Apparently, there was a sword fight going on there and he totally missed the view down Darkla's titty crack though he still placed a firm hand on her arm to help her balance. "Hooly shit, this is friggin' awesome~ Gotta watch this shit. Darla, if Bella ever gets ya to Erzebet's, I'lll gladly get ya a drink~" He winked at the taller blonde, swooping in to give Bella a quick kiss on her cheek. "Bye, babes."

Maya was so intent on watching Ruby and Dani that she didn't notice Fane until he was right next to her. She jumped a little before laughing. "It's been really amazing so far. Although I lost my hot dog," she wanted to finish that sentence to a hot dog, but decided that as much as Fane might appreciate the pun the person it was about might mitigate that.

Danny was not in the show as he had no real talents but hearing that Freddie would be he knew he had to make it. Unfortunately it seemed as though he had missed a few acts by the time he showed up. Sneaking in the back he patted Ryden on the back. "Hey mate," he said. "Miss a faerie and a human doing some magic?" Danny asked, wallaby by his side.

Ryden: "Oh hey mate! Uhh... Honestly, I didn't pay much attention. I think there weren't none ye-- what is that?" Ryden pointed at the wallaby, kind of weirded out by it.

"Oh, yeah, you didn't meet Steve last time," he said with a grin, looking to his side at the wallaby half his size. "This is my familiar, Steve," Danny introduced, the wallaby holding his hand out to Ryden. "He doesn't come with me on dates often so he was at home when you saved me from that psycho vamp."

Fane lightly jostled her once she settled, slightly playful and mostly relaxed. "I'm pretty happy with how it's come together honestly, surprising considering it was an absolute last minute flying by the seat of our pants put together by Iann and me" he smiled his eyes fixated on the stage as he spoke. The remark about her hot-dog however, earned a side-look from Fane, "you want another one?"

"Whoo!" Lilo whoo-hoo'ed the fight. Holding up Addie's chubby baby arms and letting them wiggle like she was cheering on the display herself. "Ahah, Cassie look at this!"

Cassie looked over at Addie when Lilo spoke to her. She scratched her chin watching the sword fighting for a moment before she said, “You might be better teaching her that. And I can teach her things like ballet and ice-skating.” Cassie leaned in to give the baby a little tickle.

Ryden couldn't help his eyes going wide as saucers as the creature stuck out its... paw? to shake hands. Ryden took it and shook it lightly, a big grin coming up on his face. Shit, he shook a kangaroo's paw! "Oh, okay, yeah, makes sense. What's a familiar??"

Faye had moved off to warm up a bit, and came back over now that the competition was underway. She heard the sound of metal on metal and paused to watch Dani and... was that Ruby?... sword fighting. "Shit," she said to herself, glad she had magic to defend herself with. She'd cut her arm off trying to do that. She moved over to where she saw Fane and Maya chatting. "Hey, girlie," Faye said, giving a lock of MAya's hair a gentle tug. "You joinin' in all the fun tonight?"

Lilo smiled at Cassie, "Hey! a kid who knows her ice-skating and sword-play is a well rounded kid!" Lilo grinned up at his fiance, then nodded at the crowd in general for someone to hear him an agree. He'd expected Ephram but supposed the man was slightly more engrossed with finding show snacks, or biting his husband's ears, or something akin to that.

"Dude, I'm a faerie, he's like my...magical buddy?" Danny tried to explain simply. It was an awful explanation of what Steve was and Danny got a pretty intense glare from the wallaby for it but for someone who didn't know it didn't seem that bad to Danny. "When I was born he just like...suddenly existed and I've had him ever since. He's much smarter than me though, got his own mind and all that."

"Oooh! Faeries get that??" Ryden was seriously impressed, staring at the familiar. "Meanwhile, I obviously get to turn into mine. Balls. How are ya man? Good? Neck healed up?"

Dani grinned when they felt their blade collide with that of Ruby's. Her response was swift and practiced, and Dani couldn't have been prouder. However, that didn't mean they were going to be nice about it. Ruby pushed their blade to the side and Dani moved with it, skipping back only to crouch as Ruby's katana came down. They turned the edge of their blade upwards, but at a slight tilt. When the two swords met, the smaller of the two fighters pushed forward by the balls of their feet, leaving a trail of sparks as blade slid against blade and the lower of the performers used their position to dart under their opponent's arm. They sprung back up behind her with a practiced grace, this time a swipe toward her neck.

Cassie “I agree.” Cassie nodded to Lilo before taking his arm and motioning over to a small group, “Let’s go say Hi to Faye and Fane. The other girl Maya is from last night too – remember?”

Maya nodded, "Yeah. It seemed a little..." She searched for a good word, "Last minute when Iann mentioned it yesterday." It still seemed to her like perhaps something else was going on, but she decided again not to ask about it. She shook her head, "Nah, but I should eat later." Now that she was less laser focused on the stage she heard Faye approaching and therefore didn't jump when she appeared. Shaking her head at Faye's question she replied, "Nah, I don't have any stage appropriate skills." She also wasn't a fan of being the center of attention either, which seemed to make her something of an outlier in the Savin family.

"I bet your wolf is awesome though, dude, most people think I'm a wolf cause I'm just huge and hairy but as you have witnessed I don't have your strength," Danny complimented, running his fingers over top of Steve's head while he watched what was happening upon the stage, it was quite interesting to him. "Yeah, necks all good, bloods all back in my body. Now to find a new vampire to hopefully not murder me," Danny laughed.

Lilo let Cassie lead him to be more social, "Oh yeah! Sounds good!" Along the way Addie saw the big fuzzy wallaby, and wiggled to see it more clearly. "Puppy! Puppy!" It wasn't quite right, but that was Addie's best animal reference, and she made little grabby hands towards Danny's familiar.

Ruby was taller than Dani, and that sometimes gave her an advantage. As she blocked the strike and Dani backed away, she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. Though she didn't let it distract her for one second. Because Dani wasn't going to let up. Sparks flew as the swords met again and Dani used their smaller size to put Rubys' back to them. She felt more than saw the strike coming and dipped forwards, catching herself on one hand before swiping a leg out in an attempt to catch Dani off guard before she pulled around in another sweeping arch.

"I have no friggin' idea, I feel anythin' but cool when I go wolf. Mostly I just end up shittin' squirrels for the next week." Ryden shrugged. "Hey, ya be careful yo, don't let 'um terminally anemic chicks get ahead of ya~" He chuckled but was actually relieved Danny was okay now.

"Everyone got stage skills," Faye grinned, though she knew her opinion was biased. She didn't say anything else about it though, since it wasn't a big deal. EVeryone seemed to be having fun, so that was the important part. "You call Ryan yet?" Faye mentioned to Fane. She knew he was bringing Bear up for an act, and didn't want him to have forgotten in all the other things he had going on.

Danny "Ew, as a freakin' human?" Danny asked, frowning in shocked. That sounded fucking disgusting, no wonder Steve was a vegan. Danny laughed at the guys joke and shook his head. "Nah, I don't normally chase vampires, but it happens sometimes. They're so strong, it's super hot to me. You got anything going on right now, mate?"

Fane smiled, now that Faye was here he slipped his free arm around her waist lightly kissing her cheek. "Yeah, he'll be over probably just after the next act so guess it'll be me up there in the spotlight."

"YUP." Ryden confirmed, his blank expression revealing that he was completely unamused by that himself and definitely really grossed out but unlike Danny, he was cursed to get used to it. "Well, at least I think it was a squirrel. Coulda been a rat. I don't know." He shrugged. "Uhh, right now? No, just watchin' the show. I've already been up there, done my thing."

"I can't wait to see you up there," Faye said, leaning close. It had been a busy day, and they'd not seen each other much, so she'd steal whatever time she could get.

"Least it's just squirrels and rats and not like...humans," Danny pointed out, that would probably not be something anyone could just get used to. "I meant you sleeping with anyone?" Danny laughed, shaking his head. "Tell me what you did though up there."

Maya made a face and said in a perfect imitation of a teenager, "Oh my gawd are you guys going to make out? Is this what it means to have parents? That they make out in public. Ewwwwww."

Ryden: "Hopefully..." Ryden shifted awkwardly where he stood because, well... maybe he did. The mere thought made a shiver run up his spine. But the next much brighter topic put a grin on his face "I've... sneaked into some beds, sure. And uh, I did some flair bartending I guess. You gonna do anythin'?"

Faye snorted. "I mean... we can? I'm up for some PDA if you are, love?" Faye said to Fane. She was kidding - mostly - because this was a family friendly show. But she coudln't help the light teasing.

Danny "Hopefully...I mean, no one in town has died lately, right? Except, you know...old people," Danny assumed. Ryden would have had to have checked if he was worried about it, right? "Some beds, nice," Danny nodded his head. Of the people around here admittedly he hadn't snuck into that many. "Oh nah, I'm a talentless dude, I'm only good at getting my arse kicked and this isn't the place for that."

Fane lifted his eyes from Dani and Ruby on the stage to the orb that spun reflecting the lights across the audience, it seemed to practically be humming with life and brightening all the more with each act that came on and performed. Good. At this rate the town wouldn't be destroyed and they would be able to get their local geologist back from the quagmire she had unfortunately been nymph-napped into. Maya's impromptu exclamation caused him to draw his attention back. "I'd hardly say that classifies as making out," he stage-whispered to Faye then "clearly she doesn't know what it is" giving Faye a gentle squeeze where he had his arm looped about her waist.

Faye had leaned against Fane, looping an arm casually around his shoulders and toying with the ends of his gold-flecked hair as she watched Ruby and Dani start to head towards the end of their routine. "Mmm, maybe we should clarify?"

Maya laughed, "Do you want me to tell you just how much I know about making out? I'd be happy to provide details." She stuck her tongue out at Fane. "I think I'm going to grab something to eat quick, anyone else want something?" she asked.

Fane almost purred under Faye’s attentions, little though they were, but he shot Maya a mildly disturbed look. “Yeah-- no thanks love, as much as I’d happily entertain you I don’t want to be scarred by Maya’s exploits.” Specifically because of who he knew they involved and it was generally a bit weird anyhow.

"True." Which Ryden didn't really check because he just hoped he didn't step over that particular line. He was pretty sure he didn't. He'd remember THAT, wouldn't he?? "Pshhh come on, can't be that bad." He grinned at Danny, giving him a light jab in the shoulder.

Danny "I am exceptionally talentless, mate," he grinned. He had talents really but nothing that could be displayed on stage. "I'm going to go find Freddie and wish him good luck though. Don't eat anyone," Danny taunted, walking off.

Though there was a disadvantage by default fighting someone who was taller than you, Dani had grown up training with people who were taller than them - primarily their father and his progeny. But their father and his progeny had trained Sam, as well. Dani had been sparring with him for over two decades, and fortunately, Ruby was only an inch off his height. The moment her hand hit the ground, they knew what was coming, because they had taught Ruby that trick, as their guardians had taught them. Believe it or not, swordplay wasn't just about sword skills. They timed the move in their head, tapping into the muscle memory of every time they'd been knocked on their ass in practice. Instead of attempting to dodge it, they held fast until it was almost too late. When the moment hit, they hopped, just barely, like skipping a jumprope, and Dani used that brief period between her movement and her return to make a move of their own. As Ruby swept around, Dani stepped into the swing and met her blade at a perpendicular angle. The risky closeness allowed them, with a smirk, to hook their leg around her ankle and pull - which threw her off balance and onto her back. They circled her with their blade pointed down, still wearing that smirk, though an encouraging light still lingered behind their golden eyes. "Tired, yet?"

Ruby had expected Dani to counter, but she was NOT expected to be flat on her back so quickly. She let out a grunt, but immediately brought her sword up into a defensive posture, her eyes following Dani as they circled her. This was a dangerous position to be in, and a few months ago Ruby would have admitted defeat. But she had learned from some of the best. She grinned, breathing hard but not winded. "Hardly." She swiped her up towards Dani's, sparks flying as the blade was pushed away with just enough time for Ruby to leap to her and come at Dani again, using their momentum against them as they had to back up to keep out of range. The two went back and forth until finally, after a flurry of flashing steel and swiftly moving bodies, sword met flesh: Dani's sword under Ruby's chin. With a grin, having no qualms about not being the victor, Ruby consented defeat, lowering her sword. But not the grin on her face. "Took you long enough," she told Dani before the two stood, bowed, and exited the stage for the next act.

The Watcher approves and applauds. "Is good show. Even without ze blood."

Lilo was just minding his business, intent on grilling Fane if there was some sort of bet between him and Iann, and maybe setting up a playdate with Wyn and Addie when Addie started screaming. "Puppy! Puppy! Pet! LET PUPPY!"

Cassie looked over to what seemed to be taking the baby’s attention. Cassie wouldn’t be surprised if it was a puppy, but it wasn’t even close. Which caused Cassie to laugh out loud, “That’s not a puppy, silly girl.” She shook her head, “It’s a wallaby-“ She side glanced at Lilo, “That must, of course, belong to someone.”

Lilo sighed, always one to indulge. "Okay, okay, lets go say hi to the not-puppy and maybe find the, it's a fairy's thing right? The famly-mer, Fairy family member thing?" Lilo asked Cassie beside him as they meandered closer to Danny. Maybe beg the guy to indulge the child who just seemed obsessed with the new animal, eyes boggling, and yup Lilo was already holding her little hands in his so they wouldn't get too grabby.

Realising he would be needed up on stage again, Fane stole another quick kiss from Faye apparently this would be a night of short lived moments and with a final squeeze slipped away from the group. Taking up the microphone again to continue hyping up the audience ahead of announcing, “the marvellous, the mysterious, the beautiful -- GREATEST FITZGERALD!!”

Babs heard the announcement of their act and a rush of adrenaline surged through her spine. Applause hit her like a wave when she entered the stage, and just as they'd planned, Freddie began to glamour up some smoke to make her entrance all the more magical. "Good evening everyone!" she boomed, holding her hands out to address the crowd. Already more were paying attention to her than that fateful night in Vegas. A good sign. "I'm so pleased to be part of this wonderful celebration of love and acceptance. I'm well aware that many of you have magic interwoven with your everyday lives, but tonight I'd like to regale you with my own brand of magic. If my lovely assistant would join me on stage please?"

Freddie When Babs called for him, Freddie stepped out onto the stage, and crossed smoothly to his mark, smiling at the audience and then at Babs herself. She looked beautiful - confident and radiant, nerves quelled in the wake of the applause - and the crowd was clearly already held in the palm of her hand; intrigued at the prospect that this woman might show them something they hadn't seen before. Or hadn't taken the time to appreciate in a very long while. Freddie found Ephram in the midst of that sea of faces easily enough, blew him a little kiss, then placed himself entirely in Babs' lovely and very dexterous hands.

Danny had not been able to find Freddie and assumed he must have been ready to go on stage soon when he saw Lilo and Cassie coming up to him with a tiny child. This must have been the baby they'd mentioned at the Halloween thing, he hadn't seen either since then but remembered their costumes happily. "Hey man, you in the show?" Danny asked, Steve next to him, unaware of the child's interest in him.

Lilo brightened, and almost jumped for joy (were it not for the baby in front of him he may have) to see the fairy in questions was cool-guy Danny. "Danny! Buddy!" Lilo let go of one of his grabby baby's hands and reached out to shake Danny's. "We're both in the show. I mean, all of us, all three." He grinned, Addie's free hand reaching perilously close to Steve's incredibly soft looking fur. "puup puppy...." Addie whispered in aww.

Cassie recognized the fairy when she followed Lilo up to him. Cassie smiled in recognition, giving a little wave. “Hey it’s been a while ah-“ She glanced between the excited baby and the clearly indifferent wallaby, “Would your familiar indulge a super happy baby for just a pat or two?”

Maya returned with a small boat of fries just as Babs and Freddie were starting their magic show. She looked on curious. A magic show wasn't something she expected since it was a magical town. In truth it just made her more curious to see what they might do.

Danny shook the man's hand, giving him a happy and messy sort of grin, surrounded by hair. "Nice, dude, you each have more talent than I got," he assured them, looking down at Addie who seemed to be reaching for Steve, his eyes then moving to his familiar who was already quite invested in getting attention, coming forward and putting his paw on her gently while ducking his head down so she could reach. "Guess he don't mind, sure he's happier being called a puppy than a Wallaby."

Miguel had been enjoying the open mic night a lot. He had thought it would be angsty teenagers and poems but as the night turned into a more fun based talent show he was sort of happy he was wrong. And a little embarrassed because he had definitely been projecting. He watched as his silly blanquita friend did her ‘magic’. Which had a finesse and grace to it that he could appreciate. She was good at what she did, he would give her that. And with her hands not aching, she could do more of what she loved easier. He almost didn’t feel guilty for using her to get to witch bones, since it had helped her too. He watched as the little neighbor family started bothering a fairy and Addie pet it. Miguel thought about waving and offering up his own familiar (who for all intents and purposes was just a happy friendly dog who would LOVE to play with the child) but it seemed like the... kangaroo thing... didn’t mind. Still Miguel waved at Lilo and Cassie.

Faye glanced over at the stranger, eyeing him a bit cautiously. She'd never seen him around. But whatever. There was enough firepower here between everyone that if someone got too weird it'd be handled.

Cassie “Lilo is going to sing with Addie.” Cassie said before motioning to herself, “I’m doing gymnastics so…a little different. They’ll be a lot cuter.” She watched Steve react to happy and mesmerized Addie before glancing back to Danny, “She really likes animals.”

Lilo "Ay! Thanks' man, you are the best." Lilo nodded and took a snug seat besides Steve so Addie could reach comfortable. Her calls of 'puppy' devolving into more baby like babble as she rubbed her hands along the familiar's fuzzy face and ears, even getting her face down in there. Lilo looked up at Cassie for approval. "Hey! let's hope we don't find out she's allergic to marscapones like this huh?" He meant marsupials, but he was just so off. "Oh hey!" Lilo saw Miguels wave and motioned for him to come closer, not wanting to move and interrupt Addie communing with nature, or whatever she was doing. He was still under the impression she was a werewolf baby, and assumed she might be in a phase that involved scenting. "Hey hey! Miguel comeover! you got something planned?"

“Miguel!” Cassie called while waving him over, “You enjoying the talent?” It’s funny, she almost never saw him and then in the past few days she saw her neighbor several several times.

"Damn, this cute," Danny said of Lilo and Addie singing together before laughing a little at what Cassie was intending to do. "Basically going to make sure every guy in this place knows Lilo lucked out then," he said to Cassie before smirking. "I don't even know if he'd have like marsupial fur or anything, she could be and still not react to him, being magic and all."

Miguel held in a groan as he got up and made his way to the cute little family (plus fairy friend and familiar). Moly wagged her tail and trot along next to him. He was just very tired from all the pride stuff. But as he sat next to Lilo he was content with the move and the new seat. “I don’t think so. I mean, I don’t think I’ll do anything. I didn’t sign up or anything. But I am really enjoying the show.” He smiled at everything and then focused on the fairy. “Hey, I don’t think we’ve met before. I’m Miguel.” He held out his hand. “Cassie, Lilo, and Addie are my neighbors,” he explained with a grin. “And if your familiar gets tired of pets, Addie is more than welcome to dote on Molly.”

"Danny," the Aussie man offered, his accent thick as he shook the guys hand. "Nice to meet you mate, I don't think I'm much of anything to them but some guy they meet at parties but I like 'em," he said of the werewolf couple. "Oh he loves kids, better than adults because they talk directly to him instead of to me, but hey, why have just one fluffy thing to play with?"

Lilo nodded at Danny's remark, although the reminder of an entire crowd seeing how hot his fiance was, was a different kind of sensation. He'd break that one down later. "AHah, yeah she sure reminds me of how lucky I am everyday." Lilo winked at Cassie, smiled widely at Miguel, and just about all his attention was yanked away, grabbed, hogtied among many other things by Freddie the Magician's Assistant's suit. It was bright, sparkly, magical, and a perfect accompaniment to the lady magician's sleek outfit. "Ooooh man I love magic shows. Always freaked out at how they did this stuff as a kid. Fingers were too thick to really do a card trick right any time I tried it myself though."

Cassie waved away Lilo’s thought of allergies. Cassie doubted it very much. She was delighted when Miguel and Molly joined them and motioned to Addie still held up in the carrier on Lilo’s chest, “Oh let her out for a few minutes.” Addie’s reaction to animals was almost too precious to handle, “She won’t go far with two fuzzy playmates.” She pursed her lips momentarily when Lilo winked at her. It wasn’t hard to guess what Danny meant, but Cassie took it as a simple compliment regardless. Cassie regarded the magic act for a moment, “It’s probably just real illusions with Freddie up there, right?”

Danny "No clue, he didn't give me the details but I don't know if he'd compromise things that way, less it made him look good," Danny said of his handsome friend up on stage, grinning wildly. Steve might have cared more had Ollie been up there but for now he was content to be played with, the child's fingers feeling wonderful in his fur.

Ephram hoisted Ollie up higher, having dashed home to fetch the little Chin in order for him to witness his fairy's-- "No, he's not making a spectacle of himself, c'mon," Ephram wheedled the familiar. "He's performing! There's a big difference. And look how beautiful he is. You cain't deny he's dazzling." Ollie gave a snuff in response, but Ephram noticed that he held his ears more perkily as he watched the show.

Lilo began to snap off the baby restraints and life Addie to her own seat. Surrounded by soft fuzzy things to hug and no idea where to start she gurgled with joy. "Okay, okay, I few seconds of baby free time." Lilo agreed to Cassie's request and smiled from Danny to Miguel. "Hey! Are we the couple that everyone will hang out with if they through barbecues and stuff? I would love to be that couple." Then as a last minute though he scrunched his nose at Cassie. "Ayyy, lobocita, have more faith in the mysterious magician woman. I bet you ten nights of dishes that Freddie is just up there to look pretty."

Iann there was some minor panic at the food/drink stalls that pulled Iann away from the stage for a bit, but fortunately he returned just in time to see Babs and Freddie take the stage and it felt so surreal and unrealthat Iann. It felt like the past and present colliding, and the oddest and most unpredictable patterns and connections and threads weaving together between Babs here and Babs then, between Freddie and Mala, between himself and...himself. It was enough to make Iann believe in fate, but he still stubbornly refused. Instead he just wobbled on his feet, then reached out to grab whoever was closest to him, just to catch his balance. "Whoa...wow..."

Maya jumped a little as a hand fell on her shoulder. She turned to see Iann. "You okay dude?" she asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

Ephram stared down at the hand grasping him and heard an exasperated huff from Ollie, which really, should have told him who the person was. "Hey," he said without any real anything in his voice. "Hey, Cardero. Freddie looks pretty good up there huh? Real ... assistanty."

As Fane moved off to go meet Ryan and Bear for their upcoming act, and Maya shimmied off to talk to someone she knew, Faye looked around, seeing a few people she hadn't talked to yet. The act on stage - Freddie and a woman that looked... eerily familiar, but who Faye couldn't get a good look at from here - was winding up, so she moved off to say hello to Cassie and Lilo. "Hey there Papa Wolf," Faye said, tapping Lilo on the shoulder. "Long time no see." Her eyes moved around the little group. "Danny. How are ya? Doc," she greeted Miguel as well before waving to Cassie.

"I mean you guys should definitely have a barbecue," Danny agreed. He actually sort of missed stuff like that. They were pretty common back home. Happily he noticed Ollie being held up by Freddie's partner Ephram and the fae smiled as he seemed so happy to see his husband performing on stage. Freddie was a lucky guy.

"Fuzzy!" Addie cooed up to Faye in greeting, halfway onto Steve's 'lap' and only now noticing Molly to crawl toward. "Pups!"

Cassie blinked at Lilo, “Oh I didn’t mean…well it’s just we know Freddie but have you ever seen that woman?” Cassie asked about Babs up on stage. It wasn’t like there was a rule the magic couldn’t be real. Cassie had just been curious. She held out a hand near Addie as the baby moved between the two differing familiars trying to decide how to lavish attention to both at once. “Faye, hi.” Cassie grinned back.

Iann gripped Maya's shoulder tight, but not like tight that she'd crumple or even bruise. Just firm and heavy like a warmed-up beanbag heating pad suddenly slumped on her shoulder. His other hand fish-flopped uselessly on Ephram's back trying to find purchase and failing. "Are you okay?" Iann snapped but it was hardly aimed at Maya specifically so much as a reflex retort. Iann blinked and focused on Maya first, then up at Pettaline. He gave a smile that flailed under his moustache. Iann let Maya go and pointed to the stage. "Look how cool that is. That's my Aunt Babs. We're not related-" She used to bang my mom "- but you know how you call people Aunt. Well, you wouldn't know," Iann said looking down at Maya. "your childhood was a trainwreck. And I don't know about you Pettaline I'm sure 'y'all' had ten different appalachian slangs for all sorts of folk."

Faye smiled. "Yess, Steve is fuzzy... unless you mean my hair, huh baby?" Faye leaned her fluffy hair down towards Addie, a bit of gold glitter drifting towards the little girl and the wallaby familiar.

Molly wagged her tail and crawled low to the ground to seem less intimidating - not that that was a problem for Addie. Miguel just watched with a wry smile.

“There could be a barbeque for the fourth of July?” Cassie offered to Lilo next.

"Hey, lady," Faye said to Cassie, her violet eyes flicking to Lilo and back, eyebrows raising in a 'you didn't tell me daddy was back?' look. Though it was simply curious, nothing more. And Faye continued to smile at her friend and the toddler near her feet.

Ephram nodded, unperturbed. "And none of em were 'y'all'. That's further down South you're talkin'." Ollie grumpily tucked himself further back into Ephram's elbow, possibly so he wouldn't have to entertain Iann's presence if it wasn't strictly necessary. "So yon fancy magic lady up there is one'a your Aunts? She the one who got you all het up for magic business?"

Danny turned as Faye approached her friend, giving the woman a wink and a smirk. "Hey, darling," he said to her.

Maya continued to look at Iann in concern. His hand remained tight on her shoulder, not painful, but still seeming to steady him. "Well I have fries so," she replied to answer what wasn't really a question. When Iann pointed to it she looked at the stage. Nodding she replied, "Yes, my childhood was a trainwreck, but I understand the concept. So she was like your mom's best friend?" It was in that sort of context that Maya had heard other people use the term, so she figured it was a safe guess.

Ruby had put her things away and gotten a drink of water while the other acts went on. Freddie and a lady she didnt' know. Ruby moved closer to watch, seeing Ephram, Iann, and Maya standing around watching. "What about aunts?" she said, sidling up next to Iann and giving Maya and Ephram a wave, unwrapping the tape from her fingers after her act with Dani.

Lilo held out his now free hand to Cassie's to hold. "Oh I didn't mean anything by it either, and no I dunno who that lady is. But a 4th of July barbecue sounds perfect." He was now too busy wrapped up smiling at his fiance to see Addie's conundrum. She had but two hands, one of them reaching to tug on Faye's pretty golden curls, another fisted into marsupial fur, and she needed yet another to pat the good doggy's head. It was almost too much to deal with, she might cry.

Faye: "Hey Danny, long time no see. How you been?"

Danny "I've been good, missed you, darling," he flirted openly. He probably shouldn't have been, considering her boyfriend was hosting the event but Danny figured that Faye knew it was a light hearted thing that didn't mean anything. "Without you I've been getting into a whole lot of mess." Finally he turned to Cassie and Lilo though. "I will show up even though I obviously don't have much investment in Fourth of July," Danny laughed. May 8th had already passed so he would accept it.

Faye said as she had to stand back up or risk Addie snatching all her curls down. Though it left the little girl with a hand covered in glitter.

Ephram shushed Ollie when the little dog made an entirely exasperated noise, and leaned over to hug Ruby in greeting. "Oh, y'know," he said, "how some of us got aunts a-plenty and some've us don't. I would say it's mostly a Southern thing but that wouldn't account for Cardero here, what with one've his aunts bein' up on stage as we stand here."

Ruby: "Right," Ruby nodded. "Like real aunts, and your mom's friends that're aunts, and the little lady down teh street that's an aunt... folks at church you ain't never met that''re aunts..." Ruby craned her neck to see the blonde woman on stage with Freddie. "I can see the family resemblance," Ruby said, grinning back at Iann.

Lilo Addie shook her glittered hand, a solution suddenly found. She moved to wipe the sparkles off in Molly's fur, and giggled when they caught the light.

Iann snapped again, this time focused at Pettaline. "She's not 'one of my Aunts'," he said sounding insulted, then felt a surge of guilt for sounding insulted. God, he could be such a fucking dick sometimes. He fumed though, his anger not subsiding because it felt good and it felt way better than those...other...inexplicable feelings of feelingness. "And how do you know about--? Oh right." Anaxis. Demons had a way, after all, of getting into your head and reading all those delicious little secret thoughts. It made Iann instinctively knock his knees together, just for a moment. "No she's a human," Iann responded. He looked at Maya and the anger subsided into a not-so-pleasant dullness. Iann worried and fretted internally, looking up at the globe. He didn't want to ruin the energy-filling orb's record with himself. Fortunately the ooh's and ahhh's on the stage were enough, he supposed, and Iann pulled himself out of his morass by reminding himself (in his mother's annoyed voice in the back of his mind, no less) that while he was busy being a floppy loser, he was missing Babs and Freddie's performance. "Idiot!" Iann chided himself, then stared at the stage hungrily, hand curled over his mouth as he watched Babs and Freddie. "Hm?" he glanced down at Maya. "Oh yeah, yeah. Family friends and all that. " Ruby showed up and Iann gave her a wan smile at her joke, then returned his attention avidly to the stage. He couldn't miss a second of this. Not for anyone else and damn well not for himself.

"Have you now?" Faye smiled. "And I'm glad you're good. Haven't been by in a bit, I know. " Fane knew Faye was a bit of a flirt, and he knew about Danny, so he wouldn't mind a bit of harmless flirting. "No real trouble I hope?" she asked a bit more seriously. "You know if you ever need anything..." she told him, though something on stage drew everyone's attention for a moment.

Cassie nudged Lilo, “There you go, see we know Danny will come.” One person was all they needed really, but Cassie would never refuse a good barbeque. “It’s a splendid idea.” Her gaze dropped to Addie who was wiping glitter and tugging at Faye, “Be gentle.” She warned softly, crouching down for a moment to try and properly get the baby’s attention. But with so much excitement, it wasn’t very successful.

Maya's concerned expression didn't leave her face. Something evidently was up with Iann. She didn't think he wanted her to ask though. At the very least not at the moment as he focused again on the stage. Therefore she said nothing to him instead replying to Ruby to say, "Yeah, that's definitely not a Massachusetts thing."

Ephram started when Iann snapped at him, at first bewildered at how this had become him being the one at fault when Iann was the one who'd been insulting in the first place. But as fast as he'd flared up, Cardero's ire got knocked back down and he looked weirdly ... crushed, for a moment. "I din't mean nothin' by it," Ephram said after a moment. But Cardero was staring at the act as if he needed to commit it to memory, so Ephram huffed a little breath and responded to Ruby. "I could do with havin' more Aunts in Soapberry," he said. "Or big sisters. I could have a bunch more of those."

"I actually got pretty fucked up - I mean...messed up," Danny corrected as he remembered their was a child present. "By this vampire chick. Bit my neck open, crazy sh-stuff." It was not something he imagined would surprise Faye but it still succked. "I need anything?" Danny asked Faye, moving to Cassie. "And I'll drag Freddie, who'll drag Ephram who'll probably drag some other people. You guys will have a bunch of people for a barbecue."

Ruby quick picking on Iann as he didn't have a snarky comeback. He seemed intent on the stage, on Freddie and on the blonde woman, so she let him be, though kept a nugget of concern tucked tight in her chest. She turned to Ephram. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I got a good big brother finally... outta Tuah. But I'd love a auntie to squeeze my cheek and feed me and tell me i looked too skinny."

Molly grinned her doggie grin and nuzzled into Addie. She cleaned the toddlers face with her tongue.

With Molly playing with Addie, Steve reached out and did the same as his human companion, seeing how the dog would react to this act.

Ephram was faintly bewildered by Ruby's statement. "Tuah?" he repeated. "Is Tuah in town again? Did I know you two was that close?" He squeezed Ollie tighter unintentionally until the Chin ruffed to alert him, and Ephram shook his head, blinking. "Jesus Lord. That one throwed me for a loop. Tuah's like your big brother." Honestly, Ephram couldn't see it, but that didn't mean such a relationship couldn't exist. He watched Freddie onstage, glittering and gleaming, letting the sight settle him back down.

Faye's brow furrowed in concern. "What? When?" She could see that he was alright, outwardly at least. But still. "God... I'm glad you're okay. You are okay right?" She followed the line of conversation to Cassie. "The day you get Freddie Watts to a barbeque is the day I eat one of Iann's hats."

Babs gave Freddie a huge grin as he came on stage, obviously soaking up the attention just as much as she was. Even though they'd only had one night to practice their routine, as they got into it it was obvious that Freddie was a quick study and a natural at this, pulling off all she'd asked of him and with flourish to boot. They began with a simple levitation, Babs laying Freddie out across two chairs and seeming to make him rise before her, pushing the chairs away and running a hoop around him to complete the illusion. Then they transitioned into a metamorphosis, where she locked Freddie into a chest, climbed on top with a curtain, and simply switched places in the blink of an eye. After a few more tricks in every magician's arsenal (she hadn't had time to come up with anything too special on such short notice) and some close up magic involving audience members, they were finally ready for the finale. As she locked Freddie into the rack contraption, she picked someone from the audience. "You there. Miguel, my dear, why don't you come up here and test these locks for me? Prove their real? And no funny business. This show had been free of your brand of magic so far."

Cassie “I’ll have to count on your popularity Danny.” Cassie chuckled. She didn’t even realize how many people they both knew until the fairy spelled it out. “You’ll get the word out better than an email.” She was slightly interrupted by Addie’s high giggles of delight, she clung onto the dog more before watching Steve interact with Molly in a quiet sort of interest. Almost giving Steve his own turn. “What?” Cassie arched a brow at Faye, “He’d come to a barbeque if Danny and I both asked him. And if Ephram made him. Probably.”

"Hasn't been for long," Ruby told Ephram. "Couple weeks? Maybe?" She glanced up at Ephram. "We've been friends for a good long while. You knew that." Didn't he? "He's as close to a brother as I've got yeah. He's... is that strange to you?" she asked suddenly. "I'm stayin' at his place for months now." Her tone was merely curious, nothing more. Did Ephram know that she and Tuah were close? Christ she couldn't remember so many things lately. Everything ran together.

"I dunno, a few weeks ago or something, maybe more recently?" Danny shrugged, not super focused on when it had happened. "Oh yeah, I am, this dude helped me, Ryden? Yeah, dude pulled her off me and called the cops and an ambulance and stuff," Danny continued to act dismissive about thee whole thing. "Of course he'll come if I ask, he loves me," Danny stated with a little shrug. "See, he loves us all. You don't like him?" Danny asked with a confused sort of look. Freddie was so generous to him.

Miguel smirked and excused himself. He left Molly with Addie and hopped up onto the stage. He tugged on the locks and smiled at Babs. “Feels good to me.” He gave her his lopsided wink

Ephram frowned. "Yeah, that shoulda been somethang I recalled." He took a breath and shook his head hard, doglike, and gave Ruby a reassuring grin. "Probly jes wrung out some. I must of ... missed you two gettin' close. Was that while we was together? Oh, wait, wait--" Ephram directed more of his attention to the stage, unconsciously mirroring Iann's stare as he intensely watched the magic tricks and Freddie's part in them. He also unconsciously made a thrumming sound in his throat as he watched his husband get locked down, until Ollie gave a disgusted sneeze. "Awright, awright," Ephram laughed. "I'll indulge in my dirty thoughts when you ain't around."

"Oh my god. Oh my god oh mygodohmyo--" Iann was enraptured. He couldn't remember - he was only three years old at the time, of course he couldn't remember - but it wasn't so much the catalogue of memory and timeline so much as it was of all thing, a feeling. An instinct, a sensory experience that couldn't be explained with words or visuals. Iann just felt a distinct thrill, one that he hadn't felt in a long time. Perhaps as long as almost 37 years ago. Could a toddler hold a memory like this? Iann didn't know and didn't care because all he cared about in this moment was reliving a lost moment. Reliving something that never happened, but it really, really should've. Reliving a sense of need and warmth and comfort and confusion and fear and glee and wonder, all wrapped up and aborted way back then. But it was allowed to carry through now - with The Greatest Fitzgerald and her lovely assistant Freddie Watts. And when Babs asked Miguel to the stage, that was almost a breaking point for Iann. He whooped and hollered and called out, eager to see Miguel do his part for the last trick of the night. It felt like he was watching himself outside, like an out-of-body experience. Connections and patterns and a fate he refused to believe in.

"Well, maybe if all of you ganged up on him," Faye conceded. She didn't get on with the man, but she didn't hate him either. He was important to Ephram, so Faye would be civil and respectful. Honestly, she had no reason not to be. She turned to Danny. "Yeah, I know Ryden. Big guy. Tatts. Jesus..." she said, looking mildly disturbed on her friend's behalf. But she shrugged as Danny asked about her liking Freddie. "We don't get on," she told him. "But it's mutual. I don't dislike him. He loves my brother and he's good to him. Makes him happy. But I don't like him either. I'm... Freddie Watts neutral."

"Yeah, he's pretty good looking for a guy," Danny acknowledged of thee way Faye described Ryden. Danny wasn't into guys but he also wasn't dumb. Girls liked big guys, especially if they weren't as hairy as a baby bear the way that Danny was. "Well I'm Freddie Watts loving, if I was gay and Ephram didn't exist I'd scope him up. As it is I'm straight and totally bombing when it comes to women. How did Fane get you?" he joked.

Ruby narrowed her gaze at Ephram just a bit. Not in frustration or anything of the sort, but with that searching look she'd always used when she was trying to tell if he was alright. "You could use a few days off maybe." It was just her opinion. He worked long, hard hours, and it would wear on a person. "Some of it was. We was friends while you an' me an' Freddie was together. He sorta... helped me through some rough stuff. During. After." Ruby shrugged, giving Ephram a smile as Ollie admonished him.

Lilo scooted to the edge of his seat. "Ayyy, the locks are real locks!" He was totally absorbed in the show and the display of it all, maybe not as much as Iann but then the man had less ties and history all wrapped up on the stage like some kind of psychological morality play. He was just here for the magic. Meanwhile, Addie was wrapped up in watching Steve the 'big puppy' in her mind due to the way she still cataloged information, petting molly the 'good puppy'. She didn't know it could work like this, she was transfixed.

Ephram fell back into pattern as well, giving a one-shouldered shrug as he tended to do when it was suggested that perhaps he should slow down from the steady grind of his job. He loved what he did, and he'd always had more stamina than a horse, so it wasn't something he'd do without being firmly instructed. "I reckon I'm surprised, is all," Ephram remarked in relation to Tuah. "Although Tuah does seem like a listener. Notsomuch a ..." Ephram sucked his teeth, trying to find the right word. Ollie nipped his thumb gently, and Ephram looked down at the dog, then said, "A person who'll say much back to you. Y'know, discuss shit out."

"He's alright," Faye nodded. Her type was a bit different. Still tall and dark. Romanian. Liked bad jokes and hot tea... with... gold dye in his hair that she wanted to just... run her fingers- Faye shook herself out of the daydream and turned back to Danny. "I'm sure Freddie would scoop you up too, fuzzy bear or not. And you can't tell me there's no one? At all?" She blushed as he asked about Fane. "Let's say that... the stars aligned and we both got lucky?" Which wasn't far from the truth.

Ruby didn't say much else on behalf of Ephram taking time off. She was certain Freddie would see to it, though as his friend, and someone who loved him, she would always worry. Ruby gave a small hum to Ephram comment on Tuah. "He listens. But he talks too. Eventually. Once he knows you're not gonna press him for anythin'. He's... hesitant though," Ruby nodded. '"But I think it's more he doesn't wanna bother anyone with his problems." She glanced at Iann, wondering if the two menhad made up since Tuah came back to town.

"I mean, I sort of liked this vampire woman but she seemed not all that into me, like I just felt like...," Danny started to talk but with so many people around clammed up, giving his head a shake as he pushed away the feelings he had about not being good enough for Lina. "Then I slept with this girl, Elena but she's such a mate, you know?" he shrugged his head. There had been a few others but not really many that stood out to him. "I'm not sure I got any stars aligning," Danny shrugged.

Babs gave Miguel an appreciative nod when he confirmed the locks were real and secure. "Thank you, sir." Once Miguel was gone from the stage again, she grabbed the handles of the rack, which was one wheels, and began to turn it on the stage. Once. Twice. Three times. Each rotation increase the speed. On the fourth turn, when the front came around again, it was Babs locked up instead, Freddie finishing the turn with a flourish. "The Assistant's Revenge! I should have known!" Her play acting wasn't the best, but the audience seemed to eat it up nonetheless. Freddie unlocked her from the rack and as the audience cheered, they took their bows and exited the stage, Babs panting with excitement. She grabbed Freddie's shoulders and kissed him on the cheek. "You were fantastic, darling!"

The Watcher stood up to applaud. "Pretty man iz very good. Pretty magician iz better. Thank you for the magics."

Freddie beamed as Babs kissed him, returning the gesture as applause thundered behind them. "Honestly, love, I had a wonderful time," he laughed, "I mean, that many people with their eyes on me, whilst a beautiful woman commands the action? How could it get any better?"

Babs placed a hand on Freddie's cheek. "Ever the flatterer. I feel this act is the ultimate assistant's revenge, given my history," she joked, but it was true. Her heart was brimming with triumph. "Thank you, Freddie. I couldn't have done this without you."

Freddie's smile softened and he covered Babs' hand on his cheek with his own, turning his face to press a kiss to the centre of her palm. "It isn't flattery when it's sincere, love - then it's only the truth." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You were bloody brilliant tonight; I was just lucky enough to have the best seat in the house."

Faye: "It's hard when people seem more like friends, yeah." She hoped she wasn't misreading what Danny was saying. She didn't press him for more, but gave him an affectionate bump with her arm. "Everyone's stars align eventually," Faye said. "It's just a matter of knowin' which ones are yours."

"Which stars look like a gigantic bear having sex with something much cuter?" Danny joked, figuring that at the very least she was a witch and probably knew which stars looked like bears.

Iann laughed at Babs' play-acting, and even though he knew quite well that it was the final act, he was still feeling a loss when it actually ended. It was so great. And when Iann looked around, it was thrilling to see that the audience clearly thought so too. No booing at Babs, no heckling her or telling her a woman should stick to being an assistant. It was...kind of stupid and sad, but for the first time Iann could look around the rainbow-bedecked crowd and comprehend this concept of 'acceptance'. That whole gooshy feel-good bleeding-heart stuff that people liked to promote during Pride, finally Iann actually understood it. And really brought it back home, in an almost literal way. Iann wanted to die. "God, I want to die," he proclaimed, looking over his shoulder and down at Maya. "What's you think? Did you enjoy her act?" Iann was still clapping his hands, even though the rest of the audience had stopped.

Ephram hrrrm'd thoughtfully at Ruby's further elaboration, then whooped and hollered and whistled as the trick onstage came to a satisfyingly mind-bending finish, Babs and Freddie both soaking up the attention and adoration from the crowd. It was good to see Freddie like that, being admired out in public for something so ... homespun and small-town. So domestic. Once the two performers had left the stage, he picked up the conversation with Ruby, saying, "Well, I'm glad the two of you'n found some support in each other. That's the real important thing." Ollie, bored with this topic, set his front paws against Ephram's shoulder so he could look around at what was going on; Ephram held him up instinctively and said, "Oh! Your act was great, by the way. All them flyin' blades."

Maya cheered as Babs finished her act. She looked up at Iann, a little confused, when he proclaimed that he wanted to die. But his tone was happy enough she decided it was more of a if I died right now I'd be happy sort of thing. "It was really good," she replied with a smile, "And you said she was human? So no real magic to help her do all that?"

Iann His tone wasn't so much happy as sedate, his face earnest but unsmiling as he looked at Maya. "Good," he seemed to approve of Maya's answer, as if his question was a test. "Yep, she's pure unadulterated human. C'mon, you had to know that, you're an actual witch. A witch doing those illusions wouldn't be half as impressive. Thank god this crowd enjoyed a human performing our idea of 'magic'....it was the right time and place, I guess."

Ruby clapped too as the act finished up. It was amazing, and Ruby was proud of Freddie, who looked so at home out on stage. The blond woman had been astounding as well, and Ruby thought that she wanted very much to meet her soon. But sheturned back to Ephram whenteh applause - except for Iann - died down. "Thanks," she smiled. "He's a good friend. A good guy. But... I'm sure most folks know that." She figured they did if they knew Tuah. How could they not? She blushed a bit as he complimented her act with Dani. "Yeah? God, I can't believe I've been trainin' with them for over a year now. It's... shit but it's fun. So I'm glad it looked good too, thanks." She bumped him with her arm, careful not to jostle Ollie. "Can I carry a sword to work, by the way? Oh... actually. Hold that thought... I'll be right back." She touched his arm in apology and scooted off.

Babs simply offered a smile, the conversation getting a tad too mushy for her, giving his cheek a few more pats. "You'd better get back to your husband. I'm sure he quite enjoyed seeing you in chains tonight." She winked, before heading out into the audience, spotting Iann and heading straight for him. "Chiquito! Did you enjoy the show?"

Iann pulled himself together when Babs came to talk to him (he felt a little stupid for not charging over towards Freddie and Babs himself, but things were what they were) and grinned huge and wide. "That was fucking incredible. You were perfect. I felt like we went back in time and you did your first ever show and totally stuck it to all those fucking assholes. Jesus, look at you..." Iann couldn't help holding Babs' shoulders, giving her a once over from her flushed face down to her sleek gams (she still got it) back up again. "You're beaming. Must've been such a trip for you, huh? Back on the stage again? Everyone enthralled this time."

Miguel was lingering near Iann and Babs, two of the people who he knew most about and who knew the most about him. There was some level of trust in that but... there was still so much he DIDNT know, which was apparent from the way Babs called Iann chiquito. But Miguel stayed quiet about it and just nodded along with Iann even if he didn’t completely know what Iann was talking about. “You did a great job, Babs. It was really fun to watch.”

"So did you, random audience member," Iann said, calming exponentially in the presence of both Babs and then Miguel. He threw and arm around Miguel and jostled him. "Think you could do any of those fancy magic tricks, brujito?"

Miguel scoffed. “Not without vomiting,” he said and rolled his eyes. “Or storing a lot of magic before hand.... and even then I don’t think I’d be able to pull off teleportation.”

Babs couldn't get the grin off her face if she tried. And honestly, she didn't want to. He was right, it had been a trip for her. The ultimate revenge on those assholes in Vegas. Without them though, she probably wouldn't have had Mala in her life for so long, wouldn't know who Iann was, maybe wouldn't even be here. That in itself was a trip. "I feel young again. Probably won't feel the same in the morning when it all catches up with my body, but I'll ride the high while I can." As Miguel voiced his praise as well, she beamed even brighter. "Thank you, darling. I'm glad you enjoyed it." Seeing Iann and Miguel together, Babs cocked her head to the side for a moment. They had an odd resemblance to each other. Something Babs couldn't quite place. "You two look strikingly similar," she blurted out. "Has anyone ever told you that."

"Ay dios mio, Auntie, don't be racist," Iann joked with an animated roll of his eyes and he looked down at Miguel. She wasn't wrong of course, but Iann just wanted to give her a hard time for it. "We don't all look alike." And when she mentioned not feeling as good in the morning, Iann scoffed. "Just give me a ring, I'll arrange for the Antoinette's professionals to come to Stonefruit and give you a total spa day or something. Massage and foot soaks and...whatever cool stuff you want."

Dani Like Ruby, after their first performance, Dani had wandered off in search of water. They would have to change before Samhain took the stage, but for now, they thought it best to cool off and relax. Their night was just getting started and they wanted to make it through to the end without faltering from exhaustion. They had watched the next routine from the ground to the side of the stage, thrilled to see Freddie taking part. They were equally excited to see that a true magician had come to perform. In a town where literal magic existed, it was refreshing to witness the craft of classic mortal magic as it was meant to be performed. They had tremendous respect for those who could pull off such complicated illusions and tricks, and if Freddie was working with said magician, Dani very much wanted to meet her. As soon as their act ended, Dani made their way through the crowd, though their height made it difficult to follow where the most recent performers had gone. Fortunately, it didn't take them too long to find their bearings. Walking up to the gathered few, they made a quiet approach and offered a smile to no one in particular. "I hope I'm not butting into something," they started, then turning their attention to the mystery woman, "I wanted to commend you on your act. It's rare we get true magicians here. Magic is so abundant... sometimes people forget that magic is more than ley lines and spellwork. You were absolutely fantastic."

Miguel was quiet for another minute, mulling over the fact that he and Iann looked similar. A couple weeks ago he would have made the same joke Iann had made. But... after seeing his foglet versión right next to Iann, he had to admit that they did look alike. “Do you have any witches in your family, Iann?”

"Hell no," Iann replied with surety, but then as he stepped to one side to let Dani speak to Babs, he added with a similar joking tone, "But then again, I have no clue who my sperm-donor was. Never met him, don't know his name, no clue who he is. But I doubt he's - he was - magical."

“Oh...” Miguel pursed his lips. “I don’t know who my dad was either. But I assume he wasn’t human. My mom kind of just... wanted the most magical baby possible.”

Iann grunted, unsurprising that yet one more kid was abandoned by one more deadbeat unpresent father. Water was also wet, and the sky was also blue. Iann was about to add more, when his phone beeped. "Oh shit, I have to go for a bit." Fortunately there was a small break in between the shows, which gave Iann a chance to duck out. "Miguel - behave. Auntie - I'll talk to you later," Iann gave Babs a quick impulsive (compulsive) kiss on her cheekbone. "Dani? Where is Dani? Oh there they are, I almost missed you." Iann grinned. "Catch you later."

Babs simply laughed at Iann's attempt to give her a hard time. As she went to respond, she was distracted by the new face approaching. "Why thank you, darling! I saw a bit of your swordplay as well, it was quite impressive." It was amazing to her that the townfolk was so respective to her brand of magic. She felt silly for even being hesitant in the first place. She grinned at Iann's kiss to her cheek, patting him in a surprisingly loving way on the shoulder before he left.

Miguel Miguel slid up to Babs with his Cheshire Cat grin and his Cheshire Cat curiosity. He wanted so badly to ask her how she knew Iann, but he could wait for her conversation with Dani to end.

Dani huffed, but in a manner that hinted affection, as Iann so subsequently greeted them and dismissed himself. "Later to you too, Cardero." When the ever-curious human departed, the petite figure turned back to the woman. They had always been a tad bashful about receiving praise for their performances, despite their energetic and confident stage presence. "Ah, the thanks are mutual then," they chuckled. "I'm glad you thought so. I've never had a spar in front of such a large audience before. It was quite the experience." They extended a hand then, offering a welcome grin, "As Iann said, I'm Dani. Dani Savin. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Babs extended her hand as well, giving Dani's a firm shake. Her grip had improved tremendously lately with Miguel's help. "Savin? You're related to Fane?" she asked curiously.

Dani returned her shake just as firmly before lowering it to their side. "Sort of," the slightest smirk curled the edge of their lips. "I'm his child. Adopted, obviously." Their head tilted in interest, a hand hitching on their hip. "I take it you two have met?"

Babs nodded, returning the smirk. "Decades ago, yes. Only reunited earlier tonight in fact. He helped me out of a bit of a scrape in the past." She wasn't about to say more and ruin her good mood by dragging up less than savory memories.

Dani A quiet hum of understanding passed through Dani's lips at her explanation. "This town does have an odd way of reuniting distant companions." Whatever it was their father had assisted her with, they wouldn't ask. They knew well enough the sorts of scrapes he got into - and the many unfortunate souls that always seemed to wander into his path. Out of the corner of their eye, they spotted Miguel hovering, clearly eager to speak with the woman. "And in this case, welcome to Soapberry, Ms. ..." Dani hadn't actually caught her name yet, but they wouldn't keep her much longer. "It seems there's someone rather eager to speak with you." Their full gaze flitted to the doctor. "I hope we can snatch a more opportune chat sometime. I'll leave you it." And with a parting nod, they left Miguel to begin his inquiry.

#.pride.#talent show #Talent show part 1 #// Think I've tagged everyone who was there let me know if I missed anyone I'll add them on

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maedarakat · 5 years ago

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Markless - Ch. 3

28th Oct: Soulmates AU // “I don’t need this now.”

Too bad the Gods never sent down instruction manuals, since they were so keen to pair humans up this way.

Notes: This fic is ongoing, but here is what I have. There are some elements of the Twins’ family dynamic from my fic Paradigm Shift.Will post AO3 link to this story once it is complete!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

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