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such-expensive-mistakes · 1 year ago

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When Oliver Queen was dead, he ended up in the Infinite Realms, where he inadvertently became the mentor to teen ghost hero Phantom. After Ollie came back to life, he made a point of reaching out to Phantom, just in case the kid needed anything.

DCxDP Week prompt: found family

Author's Notes: I've tried to make this accessible as possible to those of you who aren't familiar with the Arrowfam, but here are links to character primers on Oliver Queen, Connor Hawke and Mia Dearden if you want them. If you are familiar with GA comics, then just know that this is set loosely during the 2001 run. And finally, the idea of a hero in the Infinite Realms helping mentor Danny was largely inspired by Blueseabird2's fic Grave Promises. (It's excellent! If you haven't read it, go do that!)

"Do you remember it?" Ollie asks, looking at Superman out of the corner of his eye. They're standing in front of Oliver's grave. Always made the right enemies. It's a hell of an epitaph; Ollie wonders who came up with it. Roy or Dinah, probably.

"Remember..." Superman says.

"Being dead."

Supes gives him that same look everyone seems to be giving Ollie these days, like he's not quite sure if Ollie is all there in the head.

"Never mind." Oliver waves a hand. "Just thinking."

He does remember it, is the thing. He remembers the endless Infinite Realms, as green as any of Hal's constructs. He remembers the ghosts-- the ones who had originally been alive like him, and the ones that had never lived at all. Humans and aliens and otherdimensional beings, all together in one place. He remembers being in the same costume he'd died in, only color-flipped to red. (That was just wrong. Red was Roy's color, not Ollie's.)

And he remembers Phantom.

He'd met Phantom pretty early on. Time in the Infinite Realms was tricky; it didn't move like time did on Earth. Sometimes it went slower, sometimes faster, sometimes it even seemed to go backwards. So he didn't remember exactly how long he'd been in the Realms before coming across Phantom, but it didn't feel like long.

Phantom had been chasing down some magical artifact when he'd come across Oliver-- or rather, Red Arrow-- who had picked a fight with an asshole ghost way more powerful than him.

Some things never changed. But hey, ghost arrows were pretty nifty.

Phantom had helped him out, and in return Ollie had offered to help Phantom with tracking down the artifact he was looking for. As they talked, it quickly became obvious that Phantom was doing the whole teen hero thing-- and not just in the Realms, but on Earth. He clammed up when Ollie asked too many questions, but it was pretty clear that he didn't have a mentor or anything.

"Do you have the Teen Titans in your world?" Oliver asked, having learned by that point that the Infinite Realms connected every dimension out there.

"Yeah," Phantom had said, looking wary.

"You should talk to them," Oliver said. "It helps to have someone out there on your side, who knows what you're dealing with." The Titans had been good for Roy. Not just friends, although they were that, too, but an extra support system.

But Phantom shook his head. "I can't." And then he'd gone on to describe the Anti-Ecto Acts and the GIW.

Ollie had never exactly been a fan of the government-- too much corruption, too many rich assholes using the system to protect themselves-- but this still managed to surprise him. And while he was pretty sure his own world's Teen Titans wouldn't stand for this kind of thing-- or even the JLA, no matter how badly they sometimes overreached-- he had no way of knowing whether Phantom's Teen Titans were the same ones he knew.

"Tell you what," Ollie said. "Next time you get a chance, track me down and I'll show you a few things. I don't know how much help I'll be with superpowers, but--"

"Really?" Phantom had asked, then surprised Ollie by hugging him.

That was the start of it. They'd tracked down the artifact, Phantom had left the Realms to go back and do his hero thing on Earth, and Oliver was left to second-guess himself until the next time Phantom came around.

Oliver wasn't exactly a perfect mentor. He'd done his best for Roy, but there were so many things he would do differently if he had the chance. But he was better than nothing, which was what Phantom had been working with before.

Phantom didn't need to learn archery; he had superpowers. But Ollie managed to teach him a thing or two about picking your shot and waiting for the right moment. About trusting your instincts and dodging bullets (or ectoblasts).

Phantom was cagey about anything that wasn't hero work, but Oliver managed to glean a few details. He had a couple of living friends who helped him out, he was frequently chased down by ghost hunters, and most of the town he was based in didn't think particularly highly of him. And that was on top of his whole rogue's gallery of villainous ghosts, not to mention the GIW.

"You can't make people like you," Ollie advised him. "Even if you do all the right things. You just have to trust yourself and ignore the public opinion." God knew plenty of people had hated the Green Arrow over the years.

It had been rewarding, in a way Ollie had almost forgotten, watching Phantom grow as a hero. Watching him grow more confident and more skilled-- and Ollie wasn't giving himself credit for all of that, but he'd helped bring those qualities out.

And then, Oliver came back to life.

"Where to next?" Roy asks, as they drive out of Central City. Ollie appreciates that Roy is willing to follow his lead on this, even though it's clear Roy thinks he's being ridiculous. Sure, Wally would probably have let Ollie have that old ring of Barry's if he'd asked, just like the JLA would probably have let him have the diamond-tipped arrow. But those things weren't theirs to keep or give in the first place.

"Amity Park, Illinois."

Roy gives him a skeptical look over the top of his sunglasses. "The hell is in Amity Park?" He's bracing himself to hear about some other memorabilia Ollie left behind upon his death, something else that wasn't disposed of the way Ollie had requested. Something else that other people-- even Roy-- think insignificant.

That would be easier to explain than this.

"Maybe nothing," Oliver says. "But I need to be sure."

Finding Amity Park in the first place is a task and a half. It's not on the map Roy keeps in his glovebox, and they have to ask directions at multiple gas stations across Illinois before they arrive.

It's immediately clear that they're in the right place. Amity Park is a small city-- barely even a city, really. But the property damage evident on the streets and the buildings is on par with the aftermath of an alien invasion.

Roy slides off his shades. "What on earth..." He glances at Oliver. "Ollie, what is this?"

A green streak shoots across the sky, followed by a white one.

Phantom.

"Follow them!" Ollie points at the ghosts.

By the time they arrive, it's a stand-off. The other ghost has disappeared, but Phantom is hovering twenty feet off the ground, dodging blasts from a couple in brightly colored hazmat suits.

The Fentons. Ollie had heard a few stories about them while he was in the Infinite Realms, though Phantom had been reluctant to talk about them.

"Ollie," Roy says. In his voice, Ollie can hear all the suppressed rage he himself is feeling, watching a child-- a superpowered child, but a child nonetheless-- getting shot at.

"Not yet." Ollie wants to help, but he doesn't want to make things worse by jumping in without thinking. Their help isn't needed in the end; Phantom manages to disappear from sight while the ghost hunters are distracted.

Oliver tells the whole story to Roy over dinner at the local fast food joint.

"Jesus Christ," Roy says.

"So you see why I want to talk to Phantom," Ollie says.

"Aren't you already training two kids already? You gonna add all of this on top?"

"Connor doesn't need training. He could probably teach me a thing or two. And no one is training Mia in anything." Okay, that last part isn't quite true; Oliver knows for a fact that Connor has been giving Mia lessons in archery and hand-to-hand. But as long as she's not trying to put on a costume and fight crime, he'll pretend he doesn't know. Hell, it makes him feel better, knowing that she has a trick or two up her sleeve.

"Phantom can't be much older than she is," Roy says, a hint of judgment in his tone.

"Phantom is already dead," he says. Roy flinches a little. "And he doesn't have a Hal Jordan to bring him back."

They go back to their burgers. It's not until Oliver is crumpling up his wrapper that he speaks again.

"Look," Ollie says. "This is a lot bigger than Phantom. And based on what I know of him, he's not going to want to leave Amity Park. But I want to let him know that someone's got his back."

Roy claps him on the shoulder. "More than just one person."

Tracking down Phantom for a conversation is harder than it sounds. Oliver doesn't know how much time he even spends out here, rather than in the Infinite Realms. Not to mention the handy ghost power of invisibility.

He suits up and stakes out a rooftop downtown, with Roy doing the same on the other side of town. He's just getting ready to pack it in for the night and try it again tomorrow when a familiar form materializes next to him.

"Arrow?" Phantom asks.

Oliver smiles. "Hey, kid."

"What-- how-- you're alive?" Phantom sputters a little.

"Am now," Ollie says. "A friend of mine brought me back." He gives a quick overview-- Green Lantern, godlike power, decided what the world was missing was one Oliver Queen.

"I'm going to do what I can about the Anti-Ecto Acts and the GIW," Oliver says. "But if you ever need anything, give me a call. Or just track me down in Star." He hands a slip of paper with his phone number and email on it to Phantom.

"Danny," Phantom says.

"Sorry?"

"My name. It's Danny."

"Oliver." Ollie holds out his hand and Danny shakes it. "Good to meet you, Danny."

For a while, he only hears from Danny through irregular emails and the very occasional phone call. Ollie leans on his Justice League acquaintances to help repeal the Anti-Ecto Acts and get rid of the GIW. It's slow going-- much slower than Ollie would like. Too many JL members are advising caution, wanting to find out more about ghosts and how dangerous they might be before they take a stand. Luckily, neither Superman and Wonder Woman were happy about Oliver's news, and hold a lot of sway with the American public. And rather conveniently, a number of reporters have suddenly begun looking into the Anti-Ecto Acts, stirring up public sentiment against them even more than before.

Things are looking good. And then, Danny shows up at the front door of Oliver's brownstone.

Oliver is making himself a sandwich when he hears the knock at the door. Mia (who had finally gotten Ollie to agree to let her be Speedy a few weeks back) is with the Teen Titans for the weekend, and Connor is working at the youth center for most of the day, so there's no one else here to answer the door. Ollie wipes his hands on a kitchen towel, and opens the door.

Ollie doesn't know it's Danny at first. The Danny he met was a ghost, complete with jumpsuit and white hair and superpowers. The kid that shows up at Ollie's front door is a living, breathing kid. He's got pale skin and dark hair and he can't be any older than sixteen. He's a little on the thin side, though given his age, he could just be going through a growth spurt, and the backpack slung over his shoulder is decorated with a NASA patch.

"Ollie?" the kid asks.

"That's me," Ollie says. "What can I do for you?"

"It's Danny. Phantom," he clarifies in a low voice. "From Amity Park."

He can see it, now that he knows to look. The face and build are the same, just color-swapped.

“I need your help,” Danny continues.

The kid looks like he’s about to fall over from exhaustion or stress or both.

Ollie opens the door a little wider. "Come on in. I was just making myself some lunch. You can tell me what's going on."

Danny follows him into the kitchen and takes a seat at the counter. Ollie finishes the sandwiches and slides one over to Danny.

Danny doesn't pick it up at first, busy fidgeting with the sleeves of his hoodie. “I don’t know where to start."

"Well, I gotta say," Oliver says. "You're looking pretty alive for a dead guy. I mean, same could be said for myself, but I told you how that happened."

Danny grimaces. "About that. It's kind of complicated."

Oliver leans against the opposite counter. "Hit me with it."

He already knows it's bad. He was worried about Phantom in the first place; that's why he gave Danny a way to contact him if necessary. Whatever made Danny travel halfway across the country to see him? It can't be good.

"My parents are the Fentons," Danny starts.

Immediately Oliver knows the story is going to be worse than he anticipated. "The ghost hunters. The ones who built the portal." Ollie had heard all about that portal during his sojourn in the Infinite Realms-- some from Phantom, some from other ghosts.

"Yeah. Well, the portal didn't exactly work at first. My friends wanted to see it, and..." Danny shrugs. "It worked better than anyone gave them credit for, it's just that they accidentally put the switch on the inside."

He can see where this story is going. "And you accidentally turned it on."

"Yeah. It killed me, but all the ectoplasm coming through the portal brought me back to life. So I'm only half-dead." Danny finishes up his sandwich but Oliver, who is familiar with the eating habits of superhero teenagers, hands him another one.

"I'm guessing your folks don't know."

"My sister does. My parents don't." Danny fidgets with the sleeves of his hoodie. "That's not important."

It seems a little bit important.

“It don’t know if there’s anything you can do,” Danny adds. “I just… I didn’t know where else to go.”

“You can stay here as long as you need to," Ollie says. There's an extra bedroom that Stanley used as an office, back when this place belonged to him. He'll need to get the junk cleaned out, but it should work for Danny. "But it might help if I had a few more details. Is someone gonna come looking for you-- or for Phantom?"

"I don't think so," Danny says. "Well, the GIW might, but they're not super active outside of Amity Park."

"We'll handle them if they show up." Oliver would love the chance to put a few arrows in them, and he's sure Connor and Mia would feel the same.

There's obviously more to this story than Danny is currently telling him, but Ollie isn't gonna press. Not yet. Long and difficult experience has taught him how badly that usually goes when dealing with teenagers.

Danny finishes up his lunch, and Ollie shows him around, eventually leaving him to hang out in the living room and watch TV. Ollie himself starts packing up the junk in the spare room. Danny might have to sleep on the couch for a day or two, until they get a bed for him to use, but it's an alright couch. Ollie has certainly slept in less comfortable places.

He doesn't realize how much time has passed until he hears Connor call him from downstairs.

"Dad?"

His tone of voice is carefully measured, but it's enough to remind Oliver that Danny is downstairs-- and that he didn't let Connor know about their new guest.

He dashes down the stairs and, sure enough, Connor and Danny are watching each other warily from other sides of the living room. Danny in particular looks like he wants to bolt.

"This is Danny," Oliver says. "He's gonna be staying with us for a while. And Danny, this is my son, Connor. He's the other Green Arrow."

"Nice to meet you," Connor says to Danny. Then, "Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Ollie follows Connor downstairs to the training room in their basement. He has no idea how far Danny's enhanced senses extend outside the Infinite Realms-- or even if they work at all when he's not a ghost-- but Ollie suspects this conversation might not be as private as Connor is hoping.

"Are you sure about this?" Connor asks.

"He doesn't have anywhere else," Ollie says. "What do you want me to do?"

Connor runs his hand over his face. "I don't know. But have you even talked to Mia about this? When did you even meet this kid?"

"It was a sudden development," Ollie says. "So no, I didn't. But I don't think Mia's gonna tell me to send him packing." He knows that's not what Connor is worried about; for all her bravado, Mia is still insecure about many things. "As for how I met him... that's a bit of a story."

"Okay," Connor finally says. "As long as you're sure."

Ollie clasps his shoulder. "I appreciate it."

They don't explain anything further to Connor that night, which is probably unfair to him. But Ollie doesn't really want to make Danny explain more than once, and Mia won't be back until the next day.

Danny sleeps on the couch, and in the morning, he helps Ollie and Connor clean out the spare room. Mia shows up a little after noon, having gotten a ride back from one of her powered friends, and finds the three of them eating pizza in the living room.

"You better have saved me some," she says, as she tosses her overnight bag on the floor.

"Didn't your friends feed you?" Ollie asks, but he passes her the box of pepperoni.

Mia takes a slice and perches on the back of the couch, right next to Danny. "Hi! I'm Mia." She gives Danny a look that is probably intended to be flirtatious.

Danny looks a little like a deer in the headlights. "Uh, hi?"

Connor raises an eyebrow at Oliver, and yeah, maybe having a teenage boy staying in the same house as Mia is a bad idea. Then again, he's closer to her age than the guys she usually hits on.

"This is Danny," Oliver says. "Danny, Mia is my other kid. She's also Speedy."

They give Connor and Mia the cliff's notes version on ghosts and the Infinite Realms. Danny knows a lot more than Ollie does about all of it, but he's much worse at explaining. He either gets lost on tangents about inconsequential details, or he assumes they have more baseline knowledge than they do.

"I'm sorry," Mia says. "Can we go back to the part where ghosts exist?"

"We've fought actual demons," Connor says. "How are ghosts harder to believe?"

"Ollie was never a demon," Mia says with a shrug. Then she narrows her eyes at Oliver. "Were you?"

Ollie laughs. "Definitely not."

The next week or so is pretty quiet, by their standards. The Green Arrows and Speedy go out and handle low-level crime in the city every night, though Phantom stays in at Ollie's suggestion; if the GIW is looking for him, it's better if he lies low. It's a little worrying how easily he agrees. It had never been that easy to convince him to do anything when they were training in the Infinite Realms.

Mia, who is better with technology than Ollie is, helps Danny send a message to his friends, letting them know he's safe.

"It's better if I don't give them too many details," Danny says. "Anyone who's looking for me will be watching them. All of our devices are encrypted, thanks to Tucker, but I don't want to take any chances."

Danny comes with them to help out at the youth center, even while Ollie tells him that he's welcome to stay home and play video games or whatever. Danny hasn't said anything about it, and so Ollie hasn't either, but Danny doesn't seem to want to be left alone for long.

Oliver wonders if that's because he's worried about himself or about them.

"So, where do your folks think you are?" Ollie asks at one point.

Danny shrugs. "Does it really matter?"

"Well, I'd like to know if I'm likely to be charged with kidnapping." Connor and Mia both shoot him judgmental looks, but it's not like either of them were under any illusions about Ollie's ability to be delicate. "I mean, I can handle it if I am, but I'd like to be prepared."

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Danny says, and that's the subject closed for the moment.

Mia corners Ollie one afternoon at the youth center, while Danny is playing basketball with some of the kids. Danny is losing, badly. Turns out he's incredibly clumsy when he's not using his powers. The kids don't seem to mind, though, and Danny is a pretty good sport about it.

"We're keeping him, right?" Mia asks.

Oliver gives Mia a level look. He hasn't noticed anything beyond some flirting on Mia's side, but that doesn't mean much.

"Not like that," Mia says, rolling her eyes. "I mean, he's cute, but he's kind of dense."

"Funny, I'm pretty sure the same has been said about me," Ollie jokes.

"Whatever he's not telling us... it's got to be pretty bad, right?" Mia says. "But he seems happy here. And we won't let anything happen to him."

There's a lot Oliver could say here: Danny has parents, he has friends, he has a home he obviously misses. By almost every measure, he's far more powerful than Ollie or his kids, and whatever has him scared is quite possibly out of their league. But the truth is, he feels the way Mia does.

"It's up to him," Oliver finally says. "But he's welcome to stay as long as he wants to."

Green Arrow and Speedy are crouched on a rooftop, taking aim at a couple of drug dealers, when Connor's voice crackles across the comms.

"I've got eyes on some guys in white suits," he says. "At Fifty-first and Green."

That's halfway across town, though nowhere near the brownstone. If something goes down in the next few minutes, Connor is going to be on his own.

"Don't engage," Ollie says. "We're on our way."

They break up the drug deal and make their way toward Connor, who has been updating them on the GIW's movements the whole while.

"I think they're looking for something," Connor says. "They keep stopping and checking some kind of device-- I think it's a tracker of some kind."

"They're looking for Danny," Mia says.

"How did they even know he's here?" Ollie wonders, but neither Mia nor Connor have any idea. He makes a split-second decision. "Mia, head back home and keep an eye on Danny. Tell him Connor and I are handling it."

Mia is obviously put out by being sent away from the action, but she complies. Oliver catches up with Connor, perching next to him on the edge of a roof. Down on the street, a couple of men dressed all in white exit a white van and wave around a couple of handheld electronic devices. They don't look up, which seems like a mistake from people who ostensibly deal with ghosts. Convenient for the Green Arrows, though.

Trailing the GIW agents is a piece of cake. Their all-white getup makes them clearly visible from a distance, and they seem to rely on their equipment rather than their eyes or ears.

Their apparent incompetence makes Oliver get a little cocky, and that's where things go wrong. He lands on the building closest to the agents, sure that they won't look up and see him-- and he's right.

Unfortunately, their device starts beeping just at that moment, and the two men are suddenly on high alert. Ollie gets the bad feeling that something about him is what set it off. They pull out their guns and look around wildly, until one of the geniuses gets the bright idea to look up. That's when they start shooting wildly at Oliver and Connor.

Their aim isn't great, and whatever kind of energy weapons they're using are only powerful enough to do some superficial damage to the building facade, but Ollie isn't eager to find out how it would feel to get hit by one of those. Fortunately, he and Connor are both much better shots than these guys.

They shoot the weapons out of the agents' hands first, then Ollie puts an arrow through one guy's hand while Connor puts one through the other guy's foot.

For a minute, it seems like it's going to be that easy. Then, three more white vans come peeling down the street and a dozen more agents pour out. Now, it's Oliver and Connor who are pinned down, ducking behind the roof's edge to avoid getting hit by those energy weapons.

Ollie puts an arrow through another guy's shoulder, and is just a smidge too slow getting back out of the way. The energy blast is going to hit him right in the shoulder. He braces to take the hit--

A green shield appears in front of him. The energy blast hits it and dissipates.

For a moment, Ollie thinks it's the work of a Lantern. And then he sees Phantom, a bright white and glowing target hovering above the street.

The GIW agents have completely disregarded Ollie and Connor, and are frantically shooting at Phantom. Phantom is dodging the blasts easily; there's no sign of the clumsiness that he's beset with when he's a normal human. One of the agents gets an arrow through his shoulder, and Ollie spots Mia perched on a roof across the street.

In hindsight, he really should have expected this. Neither of those kids are the type to sit at home when they could be helping instead. Even so, he doesn't like it.

With Danny distracting the agents, it's much easier for Ollie, Connor and Mia to hit them. They may be outnumbered, but the GIW agents are terrible shots. At some point, the agents seem to realize this, too, and flee back into their vans, limping and bleeding, and drive away.

"Follow them?" Connor asks.

"No," Ollie says. "I don't think they're going to try anything else tonight."

The four of them make their way back to the brownstone.

"I told you to stay here with Danny," Ollie tells Mia, once they're inside and putting away their gear.

"Did you really think I was going to listen?" Mia asks.

Ollie runs his hands over his face. "A man can dream."

"Besides," Mia adds, "from where I was standing it seemed like we bailed you two out. Right, Danny?"

With a flash of light, Danny transforms back to his human form. "I'm sorry," he says. "I don't know how they knew I was here."

"I'm not sure they did," Connor says. "They were looking pretty hard for something before they went after the two of us."

"But they were looking for me specifically," Danny says.

Ollie gives Danny a closer look. He's clearly nervous. More than just nervous, he looks like he's on the verge of taking off and running.

"What makes you so sure they're here for you?" Oliver asks. It's not that he doesn't trust Danny's instincts, but he doesn't feel like he's got the whole picture.

Danny leans against the workbench, almost knocking a set of half-finished arrows to the floor. "They've been trying to catch Phantom since the beginning," he says. "I kind of made their lives difficult."

"Good," Connor says, crossing his arms.

"Plus, a lot of Amity Parkers kind of... don't like Phantom? So the GIW heard about what a menace I was, and that didn't help. But then you got Superman and Wonder Woman and all of them to talk about how bad the GIW and Anti-Ecto Acts are, and that helped, and-- I had it handled. "

"So what happened?" Mia asks.

"My parents found out. And I kind of freaked out? And I flew off, and the GIW caught up to me." Danny looks around, takes in their stricken expressions, and hurries to add, "Not for long! But then I headed back home and my parents were telling everyone I was dead. I didn't know what to do, so I came here."

Oliver's head hurts just thinking about this mess. He walks across the room and wraps an arm around Danny. "We'll get this figured out," he promises, though he's not entirely sure how. "First things first. What do you want to do about your parents?"

Mia scowls at him-- she's clearly already formed her opinion on Danny's parents. Ollie can't say he disagrees, but he's made his own share of mistakes in the parenting department. He hopes that the Fentons might be able to come around, if only because Danny clearly loves them.

"The GIW..." Danny begins.

"I've got a few ideas about them." Ollie is a little torn between hunting them down himself, pointing Supes or someone in their direction, or letting it leak to the public that these government lackeys chased a kid halfway across the country. "Do you want to go back to your parents?"

"I don't know," he says. "I miss them, but... I don't know if they'll believe I'm really me. They think all ghosts are evil. But even if they believed me..." He trails off.

"You can stay here," Mia insists. "Right, Ollie?"

"Of course he can." He didn't actually need Mia's prompting for that. "You're welcome to stick around as long as you want, but you should at least stay until we get the GIW shut down."

Danny looks around the room at the three of them. Whatever he sees must reassure him because after a long minute, he nods. "Okay. At least until then."

#dc x dp fic #dcxdp #dpxdc #green arrow #arrowfam #dpxdc week 2023

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autumn-applepie · 7 months ago

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Fuck exams, more comfort doodles it is /silly

euuhghhh please I don't wanna study anymore,,,, /neg

Anyway,, decided to make some more self indulgent doodles featuring Connor the silly clam man by @goldenstrwbrry , inspired by my silly Character.AI conversation hehe 🧚‍♀️

Actual screenshots under the cut cuz silly <3

#// mike draws #kinito pet #kinitopet #kinitopet oc #oc #ocs #self insert #kinitopet self insert #self shipping #self insert x oc #oc x oc #// art for others #// Aspen

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relentlessgrief · 3 months ago

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Some more fun Connor facts:

If you knock one of his limbs off, they animate and hop or crawl back to him. That includes his skull, except it’s more like a tentacle coming out the eye socket and using it to drag itself across the floor. Kind of like a clam with its foot. (if you know, you know. google clams moving with foot if you want)

Connor has magical dark vision, meaning they can see in darkness and dim light with color.

If you hit on Connor too hard, Connor will immediately shut down because they can’t comprehend someone liking them. At all. He knows he’s hideous. It’s why if you call him ugly he doesn’t give a shit. What else is new. No one hates Connor more than himself.

One time when Connor’s skull was stolen, tendrils sprang out from the neck bones in place of the lack of head. It’s about as gross and weird as it sounds.

Connor loves to hold food even if he can’t eat it. He likes to fit in. He loves to pretend to eat.

Connor’s head can spin 360 degrees like an owl. And they HAVE turned their head 180 to speak to someone behind them before.

#misc facts;

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thepilotanon · 2 years ago

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Hey! I love the way your write Connor- so maybe perhaps some fake dating leading to Connor realizing how much he loves GN!Reader ?

I'm so surprised people are supporting how I write Connor! It really means a lot, so I hope you can continue to support and hope you will like it!

I would think the only way Connor would fake date you is if it's for an undercover case? Like they temporarily remove his LED to make him appear human, have him download files and old how-to videos on fake dating, and you two discuss your own backstories of how you two got together and the likes. I think he would have bonded well with you the instant you two started collaborating together and excitedly tells Hank that he made a new friend.

Probably depending on the case, I'm certain you two would just spend a lot of time together to the point that he knows how you take your hot beverage in the mornings (tea/coffee/etc), how you fall asleep on your desk at a certain angle because it's more "comfortable" than the break room's sofa and he uses his winter coat to cover you for extra warmth (since he doesn't need it...). He also probably would join you during lunches and breaks and asks if you want your favorite snack from the vending machine...

I think everyone else but you two would start to notice a change between you? Hank does immediately, but is rather respectful of it, especially since he knows Connor wouldn't connect the dots right away. Gavin, being Gavin, would be a dick and probably ask why you two are being so cozy with each other - cue Hank elbowing him in the gut on purpose and hard to shut him up. Connor would probably go to Hank and ask what it means to "develop" a romantic attachment when it's suppose to be "fake".

Hank would be blunt but patient with Connor and discuss the concept of romance and that he's developing human feelings he didn't think he was capable of doing before? Certainly, Connor cares a lot about you and doesn't want to ruin it? And he doesn't know how you would feel either, so he's worried about just messing up. I think it could probably be better if you initiate it with Connor, and he just kinda clams up all nervous before going into his spiel of "I have thought very longandhardandithascometomyattentionthatI havestartedtodevelopefeelingssoIspoketoHank..."

#headcanon #detroit become human connor x reader #dbh connor x reader #connor anderson x reader #rk800 connor x reader #rk800 x reader #pilotanonwrites

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wavezhuo · 6 months ago

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Art Fight (Pt 1)

I had fun drawing on the background :P

Here are some art attacks and friendly fire!

1. Pablo (ArtistSince09 on Twitter/X)

2. Mister DG (MadCookie_14 on Twitter/X)

3. Aqua (@aqua2201)

4. Mimic (Hydra/Lilac_Value)

5. Snowflake (@cheesecam21)

6. Connor the Clam (@goldenstrwbrry)

#art fight #artists on tumblr

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sunwarmed-ash · 10 months ago

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SS Poll Winner: The Eden Club

Can't say I'm not surprised. Thank you guys for being so patient with this one, it's coming along! Here's a smutty preview as a treat

🔞😈🔥

(sinful sunday deferred this week, I have a craft show)

Here are also two other sneak peaks of the last chapter I've already posted: preview 1, preview 2

Ch 16: Take this to your grave, and I'll take it to mine.

The first couple days after the truth(s) comes out and the three are left with no choice but to process, are tough on everyone as they attempt to regulate back to baseline. But it's worth it, because as it turns out, none of them are happy when one part of the triangle isn't.

It's October now, Gavin’s more or less moved back into his house and Sumo’s happier than a fucking clam now that the house is full of sound and body heat again. Hank returns that sentiment. He can honestly say he’s been feeling more like a whole person again.

Tonight, they are all sitting on the couch watching the first season of True Detective, because Gavin insisted. Now that they are suspended, they’ve got alot of free time. And too much free time for Hank or Gavin can be dangerous. Hank finds himself already falling subject to plotting Reynolds ultimate demise every free moment he gets, but for Con’s sake, Hank’s trying not to make a big deal out of it. Because no matter what, if his actions hurt Connor more than it helps him, Hank ain't gonna do shit.

And speaking of Connor, the android next to him is flushed and Hank can hear his internal fans kick on, working overtime by the sounds of it to cool his suddenly overheating system.

“You okay Con?” Hank asks, concern growing by the second.

“Yes,” Connor lies, tight lipped. His cheeks are bright pink, even Hank can even tell that in the evening, tv lit darkness.

“You sure? You're flushed,” Gavin points out.

“Ye-s” Connor hiccups, pupils dilating, clearly focusing on something that was not in the room. “V’s… sending me… pictures.” Connor finally confesses with a very specific kind of pant.

Hank feels his cock twitch in his pants as his grin splits his face.

“Pictures eh?” He asks.

“Whoa, like dirty pictures?” Gavin asks, voicing Hank’s suspicions.

“...Yes,” Connor gasps as he seemingly gets another one. “Fuck,” Connor whines and his fingers slip over the fabric of the couch cushion he’s sitting on and squeezes. And then, when another came through Connor sobs and the thin material under his fingers tears audibly.

“You just get another?” Hank chuckles.

“Yeeees,” Connor gasps, eyes staring forward, “A video. Fuck, Hank, I’m sorry about the couch.”

“So we buy another one,” Hank shrugs because a replacement couch is the last thing on his mind.

“Can you tell us about it?” Gavin asks hopefully.

Connor is quiet for a moment, and then,

“Fuck. Y-Yes.”

“Can we touch you while you do?” Gavin asks and Connor lets out a strangled sounding moan.

“Please,” Connor begs, his knees rubbing against each other in efforts to get some much needed friction.

“What are they doing?” Hank asks, taking over the dialogue while Gavin sinks to his knees in between Connor’s legs.

“Playing with themselves,” Connor pants, sitting on his hands to not cause any further casualties.

Gavin’s hands make quick work of undoing Connor’s pants and pull them down to his feet. Hank’s moves a little closer too, resting his large hand over the back of Connor’s neck, chuckling when the androids skin peels back automatically to expose the port.

“How are they playin’ baby?” Hank asks, starting his own teasing trail across the sensitive port with his fingertips without ever pushing inside.

Connor’s entire body shudders under their combined touches.

“They’re fucking into a fleshlight, telling me how it’s nothing compared to my ass.”

“I mean, they’re right,” Gavin shrugs before moving to lick the first drops of pre cum dripping down Connor’s cock.

Connor moans loudly.

“Can I send V a picture of you?”

Connor’s question causes a joint groan from both Gavin and Hank.

“Phck yeah,” Gavin says, “hang on though, let me get in position.”

Connor and Hank assume Gavin’s just gonna change his stance on his knees. Instead he pushes Connor's bare legs apart, as open as they can go before sucking down every inch of Connor’s cock into his mouth. Gavin then makes a show of locking his wrists behind his back before looking up at Connor with the biggest, neediest eyes anyone’s ever seen. Surprising the hell out of them both.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ Gav,” Hank pants, breaching the port in Connor’s neck with just the first knuckle of his finger.

“Oh my god,” Connor agrees, “please, d-don’t stop, either of you,” he begs and then suddenly he’s shuddering through an unexpected orgasm. Gavin’s mouth continues to suck him through it. Mouth torturing the head until Connor pleads for him to stop.

Hank’s finger comes free of the port and rests on the back of Connor’s neck, waiting for their android to come back online.

“You know I’ve never asked this but is this shit safe to swallow?” Gavin asks, now 10 seconds too late if not.

“Yes,” Connor laughs, post sex grin on his face, “it’s a non-toxic lubricant.”

Hank chuckles and kisses Connor’s temple, the side where his LED used to be.

Gavin is still on the floor, and Hank wonders if he’s waiting for something. When Hank finally makes eye contact with Gavin he just juts out his chin towards Hank’s crotch. When Hank’s eyebrow raises in question Gavin says,

“Take em off.”

Hank did not need to be told twice.

#detroit become human #hankconvin #vonnor #connor rk800 #hank anderson #gavin reed #v cyberpunk #hank x connor x gavin #dbh gavin #dbh hank #dbh connor #dbh rk800 #hankvin800 #sunwarmed ash #find me on ao3 #links in pinned #i post new stuff every sunday #*this sunday deferred- I have a craft show #sinful sunday

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goldenstrwbrry · 3 months ago

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HAIII FINALLY BRING ART !!!! Some silly doodles with @the-autumn-apple-artworks @maxzemillian @pacifyai @asteix0 n @mrzoomzies !!!

a SpongeBob design I literally saw in a dream ???? Then some comfort doodles, axolotl oc, and then pressure sonas !!!!

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peridot-tears · 11 months ago

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What are your Connor headcanons? Also if you answer this can you make a spoiler warning for anything past ac3 ?

Ooohhhh, sure! Most of my headcanons are post-AC3, though, so be warned, they're all under the cut.

I think Ratohnhaké:ton did date Dobby for a brief period after AC3, and while it didn't pan out, they parted amicably and continued to work well together over the years.

He was a total mischief-maker in his youth, which is canon, but I think Oía:ner and the others didn't have the heart to punish him very severely after Ziio's death. Luckily, only a couple of his antics were actually heart attack-inducing. Like that time he tried to get a clean shot at the eye of a bear while hanging from a tree and almost fell out in the process.

Despite the debacle when Achilles first gave it to him, he took to Shao Jun's shengbiao faster than most people would, because he understands how to use weapons that aren't just some kind of pointy stick. Despite his preferred method of running headfirst into doors and using brute force, he does have a good sense of bodily control, and knows when he needs to use more gentle force instead. A battering ram isn't necessary where only an arrow will do.

He totally delivered Norris and Miriam's baby. Didn't want to, would've preferred giving Miriam a sense of "decency," since westerners are so strict about separating men and women and covering up (I don't know what Kanien'kehá:ka norms are, but from my limited reading, it wasn't as strict?), but the doctor was picking up medicine in town, and Prudence couldn't do it alone. Norris didn't freak out as much as he could have! He and Ratohnhaké:ton hugged it out after the baby was born.

If I understand correctly, wampum jewel-making is a specialized skillset, but because at the Davenport Homestead, he was separated from his people for a long period of time, he tried it himself with the hard clams he fished out of the bay.

Ratohnhaké:ton is totally arm-wrestling Kassandra in the afterlife.

I subscribe so hard these headcanons about Ratohnhaké:ton's wife and daughter.

He also wove a wampum belt commemorating the life of Achilles and his final days.

He didn't hunt Shay, not because Shay wasn't active in North America, but because Shay was so incredibly subtle in his later work after the events of Rogue, and by the time Ratohnhaké:ton even became an Assassin, most of the Brotherhood had been wiped out. Achilles did mention Shay in passing once, not by name, just a quick mention of, "I drove someone away once, and it made all the difference." Ratohnhaké:ton, while investigating some particularly fishy deaths, had his suspicions that this "someone" was responsible, but he never really encountered Shay. He eventually uncovered more of Shay's backstory, figuring out he's the Assassin traitor, and managed to find out his name. That's as far as he got.

Ratohnhaké:ton would go on to support some of Handsome Lake and Thayandanagea's efforts to reconcile with the colonists, though they quarreled and didn't see eye-to-eye on many things.

Ratohnhaké:ton was a staunch abolitionist, for sure, for sure. The Davenport Homestead was a huge haven for freedmen, and he had to pull teeth to get white slaveowners and bounty collectors to gtfo his land. Although he would "dissolve" the Davenport Homestead before he died, it continued its operations in secret and would become a huge stronghold in the Underground Railroad.

Speaking of. "Dissolving" the Homestead. There was this huge post-AC3 storyline one of the writers was working on where he pretended that the Homestead was dissolved and that his life ended miserably, which would feed into the Abstergo disinformation later on about how his wife left him and took the kids. He did have to set fire to a few precious buildings with the help of the Homesteaders, and make a few fake documents to throw out a false paper trail, and several residents had to scatter for safety reasons, but the Homestead lived on, and stayed a particularly secret base for the Brotherhood.

Girls aren't supposed to hunt in his wife's clan, but I headcanon that he taught all his kids to defend themselves and hunt in the same manner he did Ionhiote. His own mother, after all, did things unconventionally and probably taught him a thing or two.

He eventually reunited with Oía:ner when he found them in their new home. She felt incredibly apologetic for what she did, even though she knew it was the right decision, nearly dissolving into tears, but he was just happy to see her. She lived long enough to hold her grandchildren in her arms and see her family happy at last, even in the face of losing their ancestral home.

#connor #tears falling like peridots #ac connor #ratonhnhaké:ton #ratohnhaketon #ac 3 #assassin's creed #assassin's creed 3 #ac iii

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ticklishraspberries · 2 years ago

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Giggly Glam (Connor, Zoe)

Summary: Connor buys himself makeup, then realizes he has no idea how to do makeup. Zoe tries to help. (Take this Connor lives and gets to heal his relationship with his sister thing I wrote. No one asked me to, I just have an obsession with this stupid fandom. Enjoy it or else /lh.)

He wasn’t sure what had possessed him to buy it. He’d only gone into the beauty aisle to buy a new bottle of black nail polish, and had somehow ended up picking out a few cheap makeup products. It was a completely impulsive, stupid decision, and if Connor had an ounce of sense, he’d turn back around and return it all.

But he didn’t. Instead, he decided to use it as an olive branch, or whatever the saying was. You see, almost dying had sort of knocked some sense into his head. Well, that plus some therapy, and seeing the looks that Zoe kept shooting him across the table at dinner.

So, maybe when he got back from the hospital, he’d made a whole big scene about how sorry he was for the way he’d acted towards her, towards them all, and maybe he’d cried harder than he had in years, and clung to his mom like a scared child on the first day of school.

Yeah, looking back, that had been pretty embarrassing. But it had shattered the layer of ice between him and his family, which he supposed was a good thing. He just hadn’t worked up the courage to dip into that murky water again, afraid he’d do something stupid like cry again, or make it worse by clamming up and telling his sister to fuck off like he would have a few months prior.

But a gift? It was an olive branch, he supposed. Not an apology, not an explanation, but it was something. So when he got home, he went right up to Zoe’s door and knocked.

“Come in,” she replied, and she looked surprised when it was Connor who entered, not her mother. “What do you want?”

Her tone wasn’t overly harsh, just a tad annoyed, mostly confused. Connor cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh, I got you something. At the store. I don’t know if you even really wear makeup, but I just…Yeah. Here you go.”

He placed the bag on her dresser, and turned to leave, but paused when she spoke.

“Makeup?” Zoe asked, standing up off of her bed and walking over, snatching up the bag and looking inside. “Thanks, I guess. I don’t wear it that much, but it’s good to have.”

Connor nodded. “Cool.”

“Why though?”

“Why what?”

Zoe raised an eyebrow. “I can’t remember the last time you got me a gift. At least, one that wasn’t clearly bought by mom, who put your name on the label. So why?”

Connor shrugged. “I mean, honestly, I bought it on impulse and realized I was never gonna use it, so I gave it to you. Not very thought out, I guess. Do I get points for trying?” he asked, his tone light although there was a pit of anxiety in his stomach. He still wasn’t used to talking to Zoe like this; normal, casual conversation wasn’t really his forte.

“You got it for yourself?” Zoe asked. “Why wouldn’t you wear it?”

“Cause I get called gay at school for wearing nail polish, I think eyeliner would be pushing my luck,” he replied. When she didn’t seem amused, he continued, “Plus, I have no idea how to use any of it.”

“Where do you think I learned it? It’s not some inherent skill that comes with being a woman. Look up a tutorial online or something,” she said. “Fuck what kids at school think.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” he shot back. God, could he not get through one conversation without being an asshole? He opened his mouth to apologize, but it got stuck somewhere in his throat and wouldn’t come out. It was like every time he tried to swallow his pride, he fucking choked on it.

Zoe just rolled her eyes. “I was gonna offer to just show you myself, but if you’re gonna be a dick, I’ll just keep my secrets to myself.”

“What do you mean show me? I’m not just gonna sit here and watch you do your own makeup,” he said.

“I could do it for you. I mean, I’m not great at it, but at least you’d get an idea of what it’s supposed to look like. And if you don’t like how it looks, I’ll keep the makeup and we can pretend this never happened.”

Connor thought about it for a moment, nibbling at his bottom lip. “I guess. Uh, thanks. And sorry for, um, snapping at you.”

“Whatever,” Zoe replied, but she had a small smile on her face. Almost fond. “Sit on my bed. Wait, but take your shoes off first.”

He obeyed wordlessly, feeling incredibly strange. Zoe’s room had changed a lot since they were kids. The walls that had once been covered in stickers of flowers and photos of boy band members were now decorated much more tastefully, although Harry Styles was still making an appearance. Her twin bed had been upgraded to a full-sized one, and it was in the middle of the room rather than pushed against the wall like it had once been. Her sheets were no longer Disney princess themed, but rather soft blue ones with stars on them.

As he sat down, Zoe began peeling plastic off of each makeup product: A stick of black eyeliner, and a palette of four eyeshadows, in varying shades of purple, and a tube of mascara.

“Just your eye makeup, or do you want a full glam?”

Connor furrowed his brows at her, chuckling. “Full glam? Nah, I’ll pass.”

“Okay, okay, fine.”

She placed the products on the bed, then went back over to her dresser to grab a cup of brushes. “Your first mistake was thinking that the little wand this eyeshadow comes with would be enough,” she said. “You’re lucky that mom keeps buying me sets of brushes for every holiday.”

“Every holiday?”

“Every. Holiday. Three Hanukkahs in a row, two birthdays. So many brushes.”

Connor snorted. “I guess she thinks you wear ‘full glam’ every day,” he said, putting air quotes around the phrase she’d used, which made her chuckle.

She sat down on the bed beside him, her tongue poking between her teeth as she thought. “Okay, I think I’ll do your eyeshadow first…Just close your eyes and try to sit still,” she said.

“Yes ma’am,” he muttered, shutting his eyes as he was told, and he heard her shuffling around with the products.

After a moment, he could feel her hand hovering in front of him, and braced for impact, ever so dramatic. A somewhat flat, stiff brush touched his eyelid, and his face twitched despite his best efforts. He got it under control quickly, the sensation surprisingly easy to get used to.

“So, I’m putting the lighter color on your lid right now,” Zoe explained. “And after, I’m gonna use the darker one sort of, like, around it.”

“Sounds fancy,” he replied.

Zoe snorted, using her other hand to hold the side of his face, keeping him in place. Connor couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so close to his sister, or shared this much physical contact with her. It was weird, but it somehow felt natural, still so familiar. Her fingertips were rough from guitar string scars, and her hands were steady.

He heard her switching the brush, presumably also switching the color. The heel of her hand pressed against his jaw as she continued.

The brush was much fluffier than the last, and she was doing it so lightly, it felt like an annoying itch, and he scrunched his face up on instinct.

“Stay still,” she reminded him.

He huffed, but attempted to comply. He managed to keep his composure for a bit, but as the brush stroked against his face, turning the outer corner of his left eye the striking color of artificial grape candy, the feeling turned from an annoying itch to a feather-light sensation.

Connor couldn’t help it; he giggled, turning his face away from her.

“Stop moving!” Zoe said, retracting her hand.

“I can’t help it!” he replied. “It…feels weird.”

She ignored him and attempted to continue, but when the brush touched his skin again, he giggled again.

“Does it tickle?” Zoe asked, sounding almost incredulous. “There’s no way your face is ticklish.”

He felt his cheeks turn hot, and scowled. “Shut up,” he said, knowing he had no argument that would convince her that she was wrong.

Zoe’s lips twitched.

“Shut up. It’s not funny.”

She lost it, starting to giggle herself. “I’m sorry, but it is funny.”

Normally embarrassment felt white-hot, a rage-inducing humiliation that sent him running for the hills or taking out his anger on whoever was closest, a pit in his stomach. He was expecting that feeling to surface at that moment, but all he could feel was the color in his face and Zoe’s gaze on him.

Maybe it was because there were very few things his sister hadn’t witnessed: She knew him when he was still a gap-toothed child that was afraid of bugs, or when he grew into a pre-teen with braces and a constantly cracking voice.

So, instead of freaking out, he just glared at her half-heartedly. “Whatever.”

“Are you gonna survive if I continue?” she asked, grinning.

He rolled his eyes but nodded, bracing himself for the brush to return. He managed to sit still for the rest of the process, perhaps by sheer willpower or because Zoe was using a firmer touch to spare him some dignity.

“I’m kind of terrified of poking your eye out if I do your mascara,” she said to fill the silence. “Or eyeliner. I’ve never done it on anyone else.”

“Very reassuring,” he muttered.

All the brushes were away from his face, but he kept his eyes shut in case she went back, which was apparently a mistake, as Zoe had taken his sass as a chance to poke him in the ribs, making him flinch and huff out a laugh.

“I can’t believe I forgot you were ticklish,” she said.

“Please forget again,” he replied. “And, if I remember correctly, you are too. I’m not above revenge.”

Zoe laughed. “Okay, truce. But it’s nice to see you smile again.”

The sincerity of her statement made Connor freeze up, just for a moment. He was wading into foreign territory enough, but genuine conversation was almost too much. “Uh, thanks. I think?”

“Sorry, I just—You know, it’s just been a while since…” she trailed off.

“I know.”

She nodded, twirling the eyeliner pencil between her fingers. “So, do you trust me to not blind you?”

“...Not really, but fuck it.”

It turned out that Connor really rocked the color purple, and he loved the way that black eyeliner looked on him, and Zoe offered to show him how to do it himself next time.

He left his sister’s room and walked down the hallway with a giddy feeling in his stomach, something he hadn’t felt for a long time. It occurred to him that he had really missed his sister, no matter how hard he’d ignored it in the past. They still had a lot to work on, but Connor felt like something healed in them both that day, and it was all thanks to an impulsive purchase.

#deh fic #deh ticklefic #deh tickle fic #dear evan hansen fic #dear evan hansen fanfic #dear evan hansen #connor and zoe #connor murphy #zoe murphy #connor & zoe #connor and zoe murphy #murphy siblings #ticklish!connor murphy #ticklefic #tickle fic #deh #raspberry writes

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m0stlygh0st · 2 months ago

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oooo 11 for Lucas :3

'Sup, Connor! Good to see ya.

Let me just check the list...

[What do you do to comfort them?]

Okay, so, let me start in saying that as much as I love Sav, she isn't easy to get to when she's sad. By that, I mean she clams up-- shuts herself away for a bit while she sorts her feelings out. She's gotten better at letting me and the others in when she's not doing too hot, but she still hates being a burden. Which is frustrating because I actually like being able to dote on her when she actually lets me.

But... when she eventually feels okay enough to talk, I try to listen. She's good at laying things out without being too cryptic, thank goodness. But... after she gets her feelings out, I usually like to make her some tea, and we'll sit and watch old movies together. And I don't mean 'old' like 90s old-- we're talking classic Hollywood stuff, especially the musicals.

I don't know if she's talked about musicals with Matthew or not yet, now that I think about it... huh.

After that she's usually good to go! And if she's still feeling down, she just likes to rest her head in my lap, and we'll chill on the sofa together with some music playing on the TV. She's not the kind to ask for a whole lot, but I'd give her the world if I could.

Thanks for the question! 😎

Lucas

#f/ovember #lights camera kisses #<-- is that the tag she has for me? that's actually adorable

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bropunzeling · 1 year ago

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Mattdrai 47.

Brady/Quinn. 18.

a kiss as encouragement

"Quinn! Quinn!"

"What?"

Brady waves him over to the lawn, away from where Jack and Trevor and Cole are arguing over who gets to start off. It's shirts and skins; Brady's on the skins team, glowing in the early evening sun. Sometimes Quinn remembers him as he was back in Michigan -- tall, gawky, outgrowing everyone and everything as he shot towards six feet and higher.

Sometimes, though, he gets reminded that neither of them are teenagers anymore. That Brady's been solid for years now.

"Quinn." Quinn flushes, jerking his eyes up to Brady's face. He's been pretty good about not staring, but they all had a few beers before Jack and Trevor decided soccer in the yard sounded like a great pre-dinner activity. His mind is running a little slower than usual. He can't be expected to keep it together all the time.

In any case, it doesn't matter. If Brady noticed, he doesn't mention it. "Aren't you going to play?"

Quinn shakes his head. "I'm grilling, remember?"

Brady grins. With one hand, he reaches out, flicks Quinn on the nose. Quinn jumps. "So responsible," Brady says.

"Just making sure we don't starve," Quinn mumbles. It's not like any of them are great cooks. "Is that all you called me over for?"

Brady's grin gets wider. His eyes crinkle. Looking at him hurts, like staring down the sun. Too bright. Quinn does it anyway. "Well, if you're not playing, I'll need your luck."

"What," Quinn says flatly, pulling away.

Brady's too fast, though, one hand snaking out to grab Quinn's shoulder. "C'mon," he says, cheeks pink, still with that broad smile. "Wish me luck. Gotta beat Jack and Trevor."

"No," Quinn says, rolling his eyes.

"Quinn." Brady tugs him closer. All of him is warm. Too warm. Quinn will burn up just by being near him. "Don't you want me to win?"

Maybe it's the heat and the beers, making him woozy; maybe it's the sun, dropping low in the sky, burnishing Brady's skin. Maybe it's Brady's hand, holding Quinn in place, keeping him close. Quinn has any number of excuses for popping up on his toes and brushing his lips over Brady's cheek, the corner of his mouth. None of them explain the way his heart thuds in his ribcage at his own daring.

"There," Quinn says when he pulls away. He licks his lips. "For luck."

Slowly, Brady blinks at him. When he smiles again, it's smaller. Almost a secret. "Alright," he says. "For luck."

a kiss out of spite

Leon knows he's looking too long. He doesn't have an excuse. Not the drinks, which started flowing as soon as the skills competition ended and haven't stopped since then; not the ebb and flow of bodies in the bar as people came and went, making him light-headed. Leon's been drunk before; Leon's spent plenty of time in crowded rooms. None of that explains why he can't look away from Matthew Tkachuk holding court, grinning and cracking jokes, right in his element.

Stuart doesn't say anything, but he's a kid. Connor doesn't say anything, but he doesn't have to. Connor thinks he knows all about Leon and Matthew.

Matthew laughs, obvious even over the noise of the bar. It rasps against Leon's spine. He clenches his glass harder.

Connor glances at him sidelong. "Ease up, Drai."

Instead, Leon drains his glass and drops it on the tabletop, not bothering to say anything before heading off towards the bathrooms. Connor doesn't know shit.

In the bathroom, Leon splashes his face with some water, fixes his hair. He looks hungover. He is hungover. Spending a week third-wheeling before showing up at the circus will do that. He wishes he looked better than he felt.

Matthew looked great. Matthew looked -- fucking fantastic. Leon had noticed that in November, how good Florida looked on him. Happy as a clam in his shorts and short sleeves and stupid slides. Carefree, careless. Nothing weighing him down.

Leon runs the sink again, splashes his cheeks again. His beard drips. He doesn't care. He should head back to the hotel.

The bathroom door bangs open, and speak of the devil. Matthew steps inside, looks at the urinal, the stall, the sink. At Leon, staring at him.

"So this is where you ended up," Matthew says. It's nonsensical, but then again, Leon's never pretended to understand all the thoughts careening around in Matthew's head.

Leon grunts, which is rude, but he doesn't care. Grabs a paper towel and dries his hands.

"So," Matthew says. He stands casually, almost relaxed, but there's an edge to his posture. "You gonna go back out there and spend the whole night looking at me like you hate me?"

Leon presses his lips together. "I don't -- whatever," he grits out.

"Sure. I believe it." Matthew isn't fidgeting, but only just.

"You know --" Leon's not sure how he's going to end that sentence. That it's unfair of Matthew to want everyone and anyone to like him. That he has no right to go barging after Leon after he's been the center of fucking attention the whole fucking weekend. That saying no hard feelings? in November doesn't mean hard feelings won't appear. Not when Matthew made it eminently clear that Leon, like everything else about his life in Calgary, was something to be left behind.

Matthew's eyes flick to Leon's mouth.

It's been a while since Leon's kissed anyone like this, sharp and mean and with too much teeth. Even towards the end of things he was gentler with it. With Matthew.

Not tonight, though. Tonight, he bites down on Matthew's lip, gets one hand tight around his bicep and another against the back of his neck. His nails must be cutting into Matthew's skin. He can taste blood.

After a moment, Leon steps back. He's breathing hard. As he watches, Matthew licks his lips. Looks at his face.

"Come on," Matthew says, and Leon is viciously pleased that his voice shakes. "Is that the best you got?"

#ask meme #the second snippet..... im thinking. im considering.

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