Clark: why are you like this

Bruce, three seconds away from dropping a glass of champagne on the floor, dramatically slipping in the pieces, and falling into the lap of the senator they’re trying to get information out of in a bizarre, sleep-deprived, but likely wildly successful seduction attempt: can you just let me have this please

previously

Earlier Rory had encouraged Amelie to use her VAMPIRIC ALLURE, and is now finding themselves wondering what on earth they've unleashed upon the club.

"Um, kid. A word?"

Something that had never been fully appreciated, especially not by their father, was that when one had a lot of Fury, one also got real good at keeping that same Fury on a tight leash. When they wanted to. She liked to swim in it, sure. To be surrounded and kept afloat by it. But she always kept the shoreline pinned in the map of her mind and likewise knew how to make her way back. Well, mostly. So perhaps that was why that even though they could scent the uptick of pheromones in the air, they had been keeping their snout and their wits free of it. Those regular normies, however...

JOAQUIN: I'm being truly sincere when I say that you are absolutely the prettiest girl I see here tonight. RORY: Didn't I catch you saying that very same thing to some other unfortunate all of five minutes ago? Also not 'girl.' Don't infantilise an actual grown woman, my guy. GHOST LADY: Ooooh, you got him good....

He and Amelie continued to develop a friendly relationship. In that one of them was very much just being friendly, whereas the other appeared to want something more akin to a relationship.

JOAQUIN: Interesting cocktail you have there. AMELIE: Thank you! It's less unseemly than someone else's neck, don't you think? JOAQUIN: Actually, I don't mind if you get a little unseemly... AMELIE: Actually, I prefer the wrist. Is that all right? JOAQUIN: Unconventional but whatever. You're hot, I'll roll with it.

And that was the story of how Joaquin gave his first ever blood donation.

No one seemed all that bothered, except for this one lady. Who always seems to be perpetually bothered anyway (in my saves at least).

LADY: EXCUSE YOU, HOW IMPROPER- LILITH: Ma'am, you came to a night club in Windenberg and you expected propriety? Although I'm not quite sure what you were expecting, considering that outfit. Fly fishing hat, really?

Across the room, Rory observed as Amelie remained the oblivious calm eye in a storm that was entirely of her own making. Really, she had been concerned that the child was manipulating Lou? This kid truly had no ducking clue.

"Uhh, Amelie? Maybe tone it down a little? You've got Lemon McSqueezy over here looking like he'll never smile again a day in his life."

(I still have no idea why 'Lemon McSqueezy' was pouting so much.)

With the VAMPIRIC ALLURE now safely on 'standby' mode (or... however it worked) Rory was free to attend to other matters. They had of course sniffed out Lilith's significantly more pronounced undead presence the moment they entered the club (Amelie as a newfanged vamp was so much easier on her snout) . But they were in neutral territory and so far, the vampire matriarch was behaving... neutrally. Thus Rory figured that they could be cordial. Ish.

RORY: Everyone has an Opinion on it, I'm sure, but you've kept out of Moonwood business and you've never said shit about my pack or how I raise my pups. So likewise I can't give a duck what you do with your...fledgling. But seriously. She thought that a 'honeypot' meant bees... LILITH: [eternally suffering sigh] Tell me about it...

Rory must have caught Lilith in a rare vulnerable mood, with Lilith likewise catching them in an even rarer vulnerable mood, because they had as close to a heart-to-heart as two bad bitches from such opposing occults have likely shared across the ages.

LILITH: Caleb and I never intended for her to be so... isolated. But she's only recently acquired even a small degree of solar resistance and - well, you know how people can be. With us. RORY: Suppose I do at that, yeah. LILITH: Anyway, while I doubt it was your primary purpose in bringing her here, thanks for looking out. RORY: Anytime. [squints] Is this the part where we're supposed to... hug it out or something? Because I'm passing. LILITH: Oh, with that I can concur.

What happened in the Vatore household later that night, I can only imagine. Likely Amelie went to bed wondering if people in nightclubs were normally so friendly and obliging, while Lilith interrupted one of Caleb's many waterworks fests for a Chat.

Cyberpunk 2077 Spoilers and just opinions on how everyone in game is just way too nice to johnny given his personality in my opinion

Okay I know I just made a post about how I would have loved if Smasher didn't remember who the fuck Johnny is. But I also just generally wish people in the game gave less of a shit about Johnny.

Which I get sounds mean, but I'm going somewhere with this.

Johnny's arc is based around him realizing that his selfishness and cruelty got him nowhere, then deciding to change for the better, to right his wrongs before he's wiped from V's mind. He's meant to be a selfish, violent asshole who's obsessed with changing the world, but until now was never willing to change himself. It's actually very interesting to me that he has this conflict of ideas where he preaches about external change but is so stuck on the idea of remaining true to himself that he refuses to do any internal changing; saying he wants to world and the people in it to change when he speaks about the fan, but until the grave scene any notion that he's changing in the slightest is met with dismissal and disgust. And his turning point culminates at that grave scene where he realizes all his behavior got him was an unmarked shallow grave in an oil field. He's forced to confront that he didn't leave behind the legacy, the memory, that he thought he would.

But...the issue is, that's not really true. Johnny is suppose to be having this realization that no one fucking liked him, no one could stand him, that no one remembers or cares that his asshole self is gone.

However, other than the grave scene, we don't actually see any evidence of that. And even the grave scene is undercut with the fact that, part of Johnny's sorrow is seeing that no one is mourned him. No headstone, no marker, no memorial.

BUT HE HAS A NICHE IN THE COLUMBARIAN, RIGHT NEXT TO ALT!!!! It's just under his birth name, (though i do have a theory regarding that that could explain it, but thats a post for another day or in twenty minutes when i decide no, I can't be quiet) And he never comments on the columbarian niche.

Culturally, his music and Samurai is still extremely well known. Hell, his music gets played more than Kerry's and Kerry is a current artist. He's got fans who are still dedicated to him and his career. There's graffiti asking where he is. People still wear Samurai merch, there's pants with his face on them.

Even the people he hurt; don't really seem that bummed out or like they hate him. Rogue calls him a bastard, leaves him during the date, and gets mad if he ends up in V's body permanently. But, overall, she falls right back into her 2013-2023 habits. Johnny says with a cocky attitude in Tom's Diner, that she'll dance to any tune he sings her. And she does. Drops everything to go after Smasher once Johnny shows up, "Johnny being back changes things.", gives V a replica of his jacket, asks V if he talks about her, and depending on the ending even dies for him. Doesn't matter that Johnny was a cheating bastard, she still jumps when he calls even fifty some years later.

Kerry gets mad at first and then is just happy his friend is back in some way/shape/or form. Time to get the band back together!!!! And I get that he's depressed to the max, so I can totally understand why he's just happy to have something. But, we don't really see any of Johnny's shitty behavior being addressed beyond initial anger and yeahhhh johnny's an asshole.

Him being a dick is treated more like a quirky personality trait at times, like oh that johnny with his devastatingly cruel words and tendency to put everyone around him in danger, aint he a rascal.

Even AI Alt who at first is blaming Johnny for her death with basically very little reason to change her mind, ends up admitting that to at least a degree she still cares about him. That she wouldn't have even considered helping V if not for him.

So, why the hell does Johnny really feel like he has to change, other than V who's still hurt and holding him accountable to some degree. Rogue still fifty years later came running when he called. Still has fans who see him as an anarchy legend. His music is still beloved. Sure Arasaka threw him out without another thought, but that's Arasaka.

Like, to me it would have been so much more impactful. If yeah, okay he still has some fans who think he's awesome, like the vinyl seller. His music is even still a big hit on classic stations. But the people who knew him, who were hurt by his shitty fucking personality, want nothing to do with him when they realize he's back.

I would have loved if Rogue had just told Johnny to fuck off at first. As much as I love the scene of Rogue being in the room after Johnny's bender. Give me V waking up alone, pissed at Johnny's bender and asking what the fuck he has to show for it. Because all Rogue did when she realized it was him; was throw a punch and tell him to never fucking talk to her again, that she's done with his shit and has been for over fifty years. And now Johnny is hit with Rogue and V both hating his guts at the same time. Give me V who's determined even though Johnny fucked up his promise, they won't fuck up theirs. So, they decide to talk to Rogue, maybe at first they're not even allowed in the Afterlife. Rogue telling him not to let V through unless Rogue has a chance to see them, to check to see if it's really V or Johnny. Because Rogue doesn't want Johnny near her. V having to talk to Rogue and just say, I get it, you hate Johnny and have every right to. Not my favorite person either. But I promised I'd help him axe Smasher, if you're willing to help at all, I'd appreciate it. If not, I understand too. And Rogue having to decide she wants to kill Smasher more than she wants to avoid Johnny, but V better keep him on a tight leash.

Like, i think that alone, actually seeing that yes, when you treat people like shit. They don't want you around, would have been much more pivotal and impactful in his decision to change and let him have to fight harder for it, have to beg V to beg on his behalf.

V having to beg Rogue to agree to the date, he's trying to change, seriously. Just one try and if he's the same dick weasel he was before, beat the shit out of him. Rogue being really fucking resistant, trying to explain to V, this is what he does.. don't let him manipulate you kid.

Just shit like that, him having to beg Kerry to give him a chance to do the reunion show, that it'd be good for both of em. Just god, I want Johnny to more clearly feel the consequences of his actions. Rather than everyone just being like, yeah he's a butthole, but Johnny's just sort of like that and I'd still die for him. Everyone's a Johnny simp and mood, but also, THAT DOESNT LEND ITSELF WELL TO HIM ACTUALLY CHANGING HIS BEHAVIOR

Cruelty of the Beast - Part 11

( previous. )

Characters: c!Dream, c!Tommy, c!Techno, c!Phil Word count: 2398 words Content: hostages, kidnapping, manipulation mention, brainwashing mention, betrayal, acceptance, bonding,

-----

“I don’t understand, why couldn’t I have gone with Wilbur?” Tommy grips the crossbow tightly as he follows Dream. He looks back over his shoulder as the portal they’d come through is washed out by the falling snow. He doesn’t like where he is, he doesn’t like where they’re going, and he especially doesn’t like that he and Ranboo have been separated again.

“Because yours and Ranboo’s little stunt set us back, and we don’t have time to gather what we need, so we’re going to get help,” comes Dream’s curt reply.

Above all else, Tommy really doesn’t care for how snarky the man is.

He’s coming to accept that Dream is a man, slowly. He’s coming to accept that the tall, blond man is not a god, just a pathetic loser who’d dabbled in powers he shouldn’t have been messing with. With this mindset, Tommy can almost tolerate him. Without his mask, he looks no more intimidating than Tubbo.

They’re both armed with crossbows and heavy jackets. Tommy’s hair is now almost as long as Dream’s, and both have their hair pulled back in tight ponytails. It had been Wilbur’s idea. The idea of them looking similar doesn’t disgust Tommy as much as it should; maybe he’s grown too used to being around Dream.

“By help, you mean we’re taking hostages,” Tommy replies. “This isn’t a good idea, they could easily kill us.”

Dream stops, turning around to face Tommy. There’s a tight-lipped smile on his face, and his eyes crinkle with amusement. “Tommy, why on earth would they kill us? They like us, remember?”

“You. They like you,” Tommy corrects. “They made it rather clear they detest me.”

Dream snorts. “Everyone always says they hate someone, but deep down inside, we all cherish the moments when we were all friends.”

“If you’re talking about you and me, I was never your friend. I was always your toy.” Tommy scowls. “You say you’re okay with me hating you, but you never actually address why that is.”

Dream seems to study him for a moment. The grin fades, and his eyes droop. Tommy can’t tell what that expression means, but Dream’s turning away again, head bowing forward. He starts walking again, with Tommy hurrying to keep up.

“I made mistakes, Tommy. I made a lot of mistakes that I regret. You were one of them.”

“I’m not anyone’s toy, you know.” Tommy lowers the crossbow, tapping his fingers against the wood. “Not yours, not even Wilbur’s. I’m my own man, and I deserved way better than anyone gave me.”

“You did. I can say all I want that it was yours and Ranboo’s stunt that got us in this position, but really, I just wanted to get a moment alone with you. Wilbur’s had you on a leash.”

His hand snakes out and grips Dream’s jacket, yanking firmly. Fingers grip the man hard enough that his hand starts to ache. Tommy glares at Dream, bottom lip trembling. “Let me repeat myself, Clay. I’m not anyone’s toy. I’m not attached to anyone’s fucking leash. If you had trouble getting me away from Wilbur, it was because I wanted to stay by his side, because he’s more safe than you are.”

“Let go of me.”

“No, I want you to fucking listen to me for once. I have had it with being used and manipulated. I am so sick and tired of being everyone’s pawn in whatever game you’re all playing. Don’t think for a second that any of you are using me. I’m with Wilbur and Ranboo because I want to be. I could have run off at any time I wanted, and none of you could’ve stopped me. I want to end whatever miserable existence I have because I’m tired.”

“Tommy-”

Tommy lets go of the jacket, but he’s grabbing at Dream’s wrist next to hold him in place. “And maybe you’re right, I don’t actually hate you. I hate what you’ve become though. Arrogant, maniacal, playing around with death and life like it also is your personal toy.

”I’ll accept a dragon, I’ll accept this apocalypse you’re all planning. Maybe deep down inside, I want it too. Not because I hate the world, but because I have nothing left to live for, and that’s all your fault.” With those words, he turns and marches toward the tundra cabin he’s starting to loathe.

“I never meant to break you.”

“Yeah, well, you did. Over and over again. I think I’ve suffered enough, don’t you think?”

“That’s why we want this. None of us are whole anymore.” Dream’s voice is barely a whisper against the rising wind. The snow is falling harder, turning Tommy’s ears red and numb with cold. He can see his breath more vividly, and a part of him wonders if this is just a sign of what’s to come.

He’s about to massively betray Technoblade and Philza.

“You get it though, don’t you?” Dream continues. “Wilbur lost himself to paranoia, Ranboo lost himself to forgotten memories, I lost myself to hubris and you...”

“I’m still lost,” Tommy replies. “It’s a neverending cycle of pain and hurt and betrayal. I’m just cementing the opinion that I’m the bad guy in everyone’s minds.” He nods in the direction of the cabin. “If he threatens me-”

“Then I’ll protect you.”

It’s not something he’d expected to hear from Dream. He still hasn’t heard any sort of apology, just more excuses. But he’s starting to see Dream in a new light. Minutes ago he’d been coming to terms with the fact that Dream is only a man, but now he wonders if he’d been too clouded by his own pain to really see Dream.

Or maybe he’s just growing stupid because of the cold.

Snorting, Tommy shakes his head. “I have a crossbow, I don’t need your help. Thanks for the offer, but your ‘protection’ is why we’re here to begin with.”

“It was you and Ranboo drugging us that brought us here. You both could have just asked, you know.” Dream laughs. “I wouldn’t have said no.”

“Well I guess Ranboo doesn’t trust you either then,” Tommy chirps. A grin spreads across his face when Dream stumbles forward, swearing under his breath. He catches himself and continues walking until the cabin is appearing in their view.

“I know you want to hear an ‘I’m sorry’,” Dream says, reaching back to grip Tommy’s shoulder. “But that wouldn’t make up for everything that happened. “So here’s what I’m going to do instead: I’m going to make sure we make it out of this in one piece and unharmed. We just need temporary help. Now go up there and-”

“Wait, you’re not coming with me?” Tommy jerks back. “You’re seriously going to make me talk to them alone?”

“You want to prove yourself to Wilbur, don’t you?”

“We just had this conversation about manipulation,” Tommy growls. “Don’t do this.”

“I’m not manipulating you. I’m asking you a genuine question, since you’re so attached to your brother. Do you want to prove you can do this? Because if you don’t want this, you can go back to the taiga and prepare the tnt with the others, I can do this on my own.”

He stares for a moment. That offer does sound tempting, but so does seeing Techno. It won’t be on the best terms, but...

Standing up for himself is outweighing everything else.

“Alright, so what exactly do we need from them?”

“Them. Their supplies.”

“Great.” Tommy rolls his eyes as he brushes snow off his face. “More kidnapping. As if kidnapping me wasn’t enough.”

“You were more or less willing. I promise Phil and Techno won’t be. Which is why I gave you a weapon. Can you do this or do you want to head back?”

“No, I’ll do it.” He grips the crossbow tightly again and marches forward, leaving Dream behind, next to a tree. He’s trembling with anxiety, but he can’t back down now. Everything over the past several days had been leading up to him betraying people for some dragon.

Gods, that dragon had been cool, though.

Knocking on the door, he fidgets in place while waiting for a response, It comes seconds later in the form of Phil answering the door. Phil looks surprised to see Tommy aiming the crossbow at him.

“What are you doing?” Phil asks, stepping back.

“Hi Phil.” Tommy tries to keep his voice casual. It doesn’t work, as it cracks. “Miss me?”

“Word on the street is you’ve been kidnapped,” Phil says. “By Wilbur. How is he alive? How are you alive? We all thought you were dead.”

“I was,” Tommy says. “Then I was alive again, with Wilbur. Thanks to Dream.”

“Phil? What’s happening, who are you talking t-” Techno’s voice comes from above. There’s the sound of footsteps on a ladder before the pig’s feet come into view, followed by the rest of him. “Tommy?”

“Hey, Techno.” Tommy’s trying really hard now not to falter. Part of him wants to rush into Techno’s arms for a hug, but he remains rooted in place. “Yeah, it’s me.”

“What are you doing?” Techno asks. “Put that down!”

“No. In fact, I want you both to come with me,” he continues. “Actually, I want you to pack all your things up first, then come with me.”

“He said something about Dream,” Philza explains to Techno. The pig nods as if he understands, then shakes his head.

“No, Tommy was dead. He’s supposed to be dead. You’re supposed to be dead, along with Wilbur. How are you here? Where’s Wilbur? Why are you showing up with a crossbow?”

“Things have changed,” Tommy mutters, looking down. He’s losing his resolve; he can’t actually do this. He cares about them too much. “Things are so much different than before, and I can’t tell you what, but you just have to trust-”

“Trust you?” Phil laughs. “We did trust you once, until you turned your back on Techno. Now you show up after being dead, or kidnapped, aiming a crossbow at us, and you expect us to believe anything you have to say? You know better, Tommy. You’re supposed to be better.”

“I do know better!” Tommy snaps. “I know better than anyone what shit feels like, alright? That’s why I’m here, because you two are the most well-stocked people around, you have more shit that could be useful for us to do something big.”

“Tommy.” Techno’s voice is softer than Phil’s. “Tommy, put the crossbow down and come inside. We can talk about this, we can go over everything, and maybe-”

“I’m afraid he can’t do that.” There’s a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. The teen flinches when he realizes Dream had finally stepped in. “See, Techno, Phil? He’s with me.”

Oh.

For a few seconds, not even the winds are heard over the deafening silence. Tommy can see the way Techno is trying to work out the statement and what it actually means. There’s confusion, followed by anger, followed by resignation. The last expression hurts the most, because it means there really is no going back and fixing things.

“You’re calling in that favor, aren’t you?” Techno asks. “You’re using Tommy to get me to comply.”

The warning shot is fired in between the two men in the doorway, hitting a far wall. Everyone jumps before turning to stare at Tommy in shock over his sudden action. “Let’s get one thing straight,” Tommy practically yells. “I’m no one’s, no one’s fucking pawn anymore! Everyone can shit on me all they want, but I’m finally taking my life back! For once I’m where I want to be, and no one can stop me!”

Techno and Phil hold their arms up at the same time, stepping back to give room for the other pair to enter the cabin. “Okay, okay,” Phil says softly. “What do you need from us, how are we helping?”

“Depends, you want to see Wilbur again, don’t you?” Dream is back to looking confident. “Wilbur’s in great condition, by the way. He’s actually the one calling all the shots, so if you have a problem with our current venture, you can file a complaint with him.”

“Do you have them brainwashed?” Leave it to Techno to be blunt.

“No. In fact, Tommy was bitching at me the whole way here,” Dream chirps, ruffling Tommy’s hair. “He’s been doing nothing but tell me I’m an awful person for days. He really meant it when he said he likes it with us.”

“If you’re in trouble, blink twice,” Techno faces Tommy. There’s a grimace on his face, as if he’s trying to smile, but it’s not quite working. “I’m serious, we’ve got ender pearls and swords and so many other things, we can slay him-”

“Don’t touch Dream,” the teen instructs. “He’s on his last life, remember?” The crossbow is waved toward the chests. “But we do want the ender pearls and weapons and potion ingredients.” Tommy smiles sweetly. “And you two, of course. And food.”

There’s no more snark. Phil and Techno are packing silently, moving up and down ladders and throwing everything they can hold into sacks and backpacks. Tommy watches them for a moment before turning back to Dream.

“I feel like shit,” Tommy admits.

“Yeah, me too.” Dream presses his hand to Tommy’s shoulder again as they head back outside. “I like Techno. But some things have to be done.”

“Does being a villain get any easier? Like, do you get used to it?”

“Honestly? No. It’s always shit. Especially when you have attachments and can’t fully get rid of them. I tried, but I just really wanted to pretend I wasn’t hurting the people I loved.”

“Cause I still love them,” Tommy mumbles. “And I’m hurting them.”

“It’ll get better soon, I promise.”

Phil and Techno eventually come outside. They stare at each other before moving foward, falling into step behind Tommy and Dream. There’s a heavy silence weighing in between all of them as they move back toward the portal.

“Oh, Tommy?” Dream breaks the silence.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry, for everything.”

Tommy nods, liffting one foot to rest against the edge of the portal. He turns away from the swirling purple to give Dream a genuine smile. His first one aimed at Dream, in months.

“I know. Thank you.”

“Look if you don’t want her she’s going to the pound,” Wyatt says, “she’s too fat to be of any good on the farm.”

“Do you need to think of the most dickish thing to say? Or does it just naturally come out of your mouth?”

Wyatt’s face screws up but Alex snatches the leash from him before he can say anything. He’s done listening to assholes with the last name Long. On the other end of the leash Buffy regards him with a mix of wariness and disgust. It’s more tempting than Alex would like to admit to shove it back at Wyatt, but his grip tightens on the leash.

“Glad you got a souvenir,” Wyatt sneers and storms off.

Alex tries not to rub the most recent addition to his scar collection and instead looks down at the dog. Buffy whines loudly and the sound matches whatever’s going on his recently repaired gut. Emotionally at least. Physically he’s been given the almost all clear, which for him is good enough. He kneels down and looks at the beagle who backs away.

“Yeah, I get that,” Alex tells her, “do you remember me?” He holds a hand out for her to sniff but she turns her snout up, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

He straightens up. Buffy looks in the direction she came from but Wyatt’s long gone. Alex has no idea what to do with a dog, much less a beagle who seems to like him about as much as her owner actually did, but standing in the road with her leash he realizes they’re in the same boat. Both left standing there, wondering what the hell they’re supposed to do now. When he glances down again, Buffy is looking up at him. She’s still reproachful but she hasn’t run and Alex is at a point where he’ll take what he can get.

“You wanna go home or should we go to the pet store first?” He asks. She perks up slightly at that, “pet store it is,” he says, “come on.”

* Since losing his leg Alex has been in several hand to hand situations, gotten kidnapped, discovered aliens and blown up a handful of buildings. He’d say he’s good with his prosthetic. Some days he uses his cane but it’s far and few between. He’s good but he hasn’t had a consistently strong pressure yanking his cane arm walk after walk. And there have been so many fucking walks. Buffy is overweight and though her diet is the main thing, walking helps. It helps one of them at least.

“Buffy, come on,” he says, “heel.”

Buffy huffs, lowers her body and digs in her paws.

Her blatant disregard makes the military man in him seethe. He doesn’t know how one beagle is more difficult to control than than a group of soldiers, but here they are. Buffy does not respect the chain of command. Or maybe she just doesn’t respect him. Alex thinks he’d be used to the universe ignoring what he wants but the manifestation of it in an overweight beagle left behind by a man who manipulated him so openly is a fresh wound on his ruined ego.

“Buffy,” he says.

Buffy puffs herself up and erupts into her signature barks. How such a loud noise can come out of such a small creature is beyond him. Buffy spends a lot of her time napping and laying on her back, but when she gets going it’s impossible to stop or ignore. Alex is used to people staring at him on the street. He’s learned to dismiss the judgement about things he knows he can’t change. For the first time though he gets it. He’s pretty sure he’d cross the street too if he saw what was happening.

“Buffy—“ he starts. She keeps going crazy, “Buffy come on,” he’s got nothing else so he scoops her up again. Immediately she stops barking, “seriously?” He sighs, “you know we’re both supposed to be walking,” Buffy looks over her shoulder at him, “God, fine,” he shifts the weight in his arms and starts walking, “I need the workout anyway.”

“Aren’t you both supposed to be walking?”

Alex turns around to see Michael standing there looking confused. He’s not close enough to hear what he just said, but the fact that it’s the first thing that comes to his mind makes Alex’s chest tight. Buffy gives Michael a look of complete disdain. Michael raises his eyebrows at the dog’s reaction, though Alex is fairly certain Michael is just glad to have an excuse not to look at him. Not that he can fully blame him, not with everything that’s happened recently.

“When did you get a dog?” Michael asks.

“A few days ago,” Alex says, “it was me or the pound,” he explains, “I wasn’t looking to get one.”

“Right,” Michael says slowly.

“Her name’s Buffy,” Alex volunteers. Michael finally meets his eye, arching his eyebrows at him.

“You sure you weren’t looking to get a dog?” Michael asks. Alex looks at him questioningly, “if I had to guess what you would name a dog, Buffy’s pretty high on the list—“

The truth smacks him across the face. Buffy squirms in his arms and he’s all too glad to put her down, even though that means he’s forced to figure out something else to do with his hands. Something that doesn’t involve punching things. All he can do is laugh bitterly at how stupid he is. Laugh and pretend that he doesn’t see the alarm on Michael’s face.

“You okay?” Michael asks. 
“I’m good,” Alex says, shaking his head, “I just realized how much of an idiot I am,” he looks at Michael who looks confused still, “Buffy was Forrest’s dog,” he explains, “he left her behind,” he sighs, “I thought the dog was real.”

“She looks real to me,” Michael says.

“He named her Buffy,” Alex retorts. Michael winces, “like I said, I’m an idiot.”

They both look at Buffy who gives them a look back that says they are both idiots. Alex doesn’t think either of them would disagree after the things that have happened lately. But realizing that there’s a good chance the dog was adopted just to manipulate him is salt in that wound. Not by Forrest necessarily but by someone in Deep Sky.

“Your dog seems to agree,” Michael points out.

“Shit,” Alex mutters looking down at the beagle, then he looks at Michael, “what do you know about microchips?
 “What do I know about what?” Michael asks blankly. 
“I need your help,” Alex says.

It’s got nothing to do with what just happened but Michael goes serious and nods. Alex tries not to be affected by it. Or by how Michael seems committed to being open after months of them lying to each other. 
“Whatever you need,” he says.

There’s a weight to his words that lasts a moment before Buffy decides right there is a good place to go potty.

* “Up you go,” Alex says and gets Buffy onto the table, “good girl.”

Buffy huffs at the compliment but when she spots Kyle she immediately starts wagging her tail. Because Kyle has that effect. He grins and scratches her ears as Buffy rolls onto her back. Alex looks over at Michael who seems surprised by this turn of events. 
“Good thing he wasn’t trying to seduce you,” Michael says, “she’s already fallen for it.”

Kyle looks at him sharply and Michael realizes his mistake with a swear but Alex waves him off. Whether or not there were genuine feelings is an issue for another day. Or another lifetime, if he gets his way. Thankfully neither Michael nor Kyle have made the mistake of suggesting he get rid of the dog in case Deep Sky is spying on him with her. Kyle picks up the device and scans Buffy as best he can until Alex reaches out to help hold her steady. They find the first microchip easily enough. It’s just surprising how easily they also find the second one.

“They put a tracker in the dog?” Kyle shakes his head.

Alex agrees. It seems stupid with all the messed up shit they’ve done, but looking at Buffy with her upturned nose and disdainful glares and imagining her being picked out and named and then used like that makes him ache. Especially if it was in the pursuit of him. It’s not the only thing that’s wrong but Alex has always had a soft spot for animals and it’s the first thing that makes his throat tighten.

“We have to get them out of her.”

“We will,” Michael says, “first lemme make sure they don’t work.”

“It’s not going to hurt her, is it?” Alex asks as Michael reaches out.

Kyle and Michael trade looks and Alex knows his voice sounds odd but the dog’s been through enough. Especially on his behalf. A part of him thinks giving her away might be best but if Deep Sky is still using her then who knows. He could give her away and bring more people into this.

“Alex,” Michael comes around the table and stands next to him, doesn’t say anything when Alex shifts back, “look, it’s not gonna hurt her. I’m going to just disable them. We’ll figure out how to get them out of her after.”

Buffy rolls over and gives Kyle’s hands a lick before she reluctantly belly crawls to Alex. She doesn’t look thrilled about having to come to him, but she sits in between him and Michael and looks at Michael with her usual disdain. It’s not full on affection but Alex appreciates the defense all the same. He looks up at Michael.

“Okay, do it,” he says.

Michael puts his hands on Buffy’s shoulders and focuses. Alex waits for her to yelp or do anything but she just glares at Michael like this is the most ridiculous thing she’s ever been subjected to. He pulls his hands back and blinks rapidly, going a little pale. It’s one of the effects of whatever they did to him, his powers are there but using them takes more effort than it did. No-one knows when they’ll fully return.

“Kyle get the—“

Kyle gets the bin just in time for Michael to puke in it. Buffy flattens her ears and decides she’s done enough comfort one day. She trots back over to Kyle and flops on her back, bracing a paw against his arm so he has maximum access to her belly. Before Alex can think about what he’s doing his hand settles on Michael’s shoulder as he heaves. It’s another sign of how badly he’s fucked up and Michael consenting to it under duress doesn’t make him feel any better. But he forces himself to hold onto Michael’s shoulder as he empties his stomach.

“Shit that sucks,” he mutters, unthinkingly wrapping his hand around Alex’s elbow. Alex doesn’t let go of his shoulder as he wipes the back of his mouth. He looks up at Alex and gives a quick, shaky smile, “I disabled the chips on both, they’re dead,” he says.

“Thank you.”

Michael nods, looking more relieved than Alex is comfortable with at the words. He tears his eyes away to look at the love fest going on between Buffy and Kyle. It’s honestly hard to say whose fallen more for who. Alex pulls away and tries not to focus on how cold his elbow and palm feel without Michael’s signature heat.

“Now we just gotta get them out,” Michael says.

Kyle seems to be aware they are all looking at him intently. He opens his mouth to reject whatever they’re going to say and Buffy whines for him to continue the belly rubs. It’s written all over his face that of all the ways he saw his life going, this definitely wasn’t one of them. He looks down at Buffy.

“Am I still gonna be your favorite?” He asks her.

Buffy huffs.

“I think that’s a yes,” Michael says.

* “Your back hurting?”

Alex winces at the question, he thought he had done a good job of hiding it. The concern is there in Michael’s voice and it’s not well hidden at all. Alex looks over at him, seeing the guilt in his eyes.

“It’s from picking up Buffy,” he says, “she’s having trouble getting on the furniture.”

It’s almost laughable how furniture is so complicated in his house. Alex never thought the height of a seat could make such a difference in someone’s life. The perfect height for him though is apparently too much for his still overweight beagle. His best solution is to pick her up but for all her laziness Buffy isn’t good at staying put. It’s not overly painful but it’s not ideal while he’s still healing.

“Oh,” Michael says.

“She’ll get better,” Alex says, “she just has to lose some weight,” he rolls his shoulder, “and I have to heal.”

“She can’t stay off the furniture?” Michael asks. Alex glares, “just asking!” Michael says holding up his hands, “I never had a pet. I had a foster home where I wasn’t allowed on the couch once, it sucked.”

Alex doesn’t know how Michael can stand to be so casual about things like that. Mentioning something so devastating hasn’t even interrupted his rhythm in eating his fries.

“I’m sorry,” Alex says quietly. Michael acknowledges it with a quick nod, “I want her to be able to go where she wants,” he explains.

“Except maybe the bunker,” Michael points out.

“Okay maybe the bunker,” Alex agrees.

“What about stairs?” Michael asks, “they make stairs for dogs right?” His brow furrows, “your furniture is custom heigh though, right?” Then he perks up, “I can make her stairs.”

Alex almost chokes on his water. Michael’s response to everything was to throw his tools in his bunker and seal it up. Alex isn’t even sure he has the materials to build dog stairs. But it’s the first time he’s seen Michael look excited about building something.

“Are you okay with that?” He asks, “I can pay you.”

“You don’t have to,” Michael says, “if it gets Buffy to stop constantly stink eyeing me we’re good.”

“Just tell me how much they cost,” Alex says after a moment’s consideration.

He texts Michael the asked for measurements.

Michael doesn’t want to be alone with him and Alex can’t blame him. He doesn’t really want to be alone with Michael either. Not yet. It’s not until he hears the truck in the driveway that he even thinks more about it. The truck pulls in, parks and Michael gets out before Buffy starts going crazy. Alex feels a rush of affection for her.

“It’s Michael,” he says, “and he’s already almost inside.”

Buffy still puffs up like she’s done her job and Alex scratches her ears before he opens the door. Michael is standing there with two stairs in either hand and a black bag slung over his shoulder.

“Can I come in?” He asks.

“Yeah,” Alex says, his mouth dry, “of course,” he says, “come in.”

“Thanks,” Michael says. Buffy looks at him and howls. Michael glares, “the hat isn’t negotiable,” he tells her firmly, even as he takes it off and sets it aside.

Michael puts one of the stairs by the couch and hands Alex the other for his bed. Alex puts it down where it is and follows Michael to the back part of the house. Michael drops the bag and picks out a few tools before moving to the trap door.

“What’s all of this?” Alex asks.

“Eh I could tell you didn’t mean it when I said Buffy wasn’t allowed in the bunker,” he says, “so I put something together.”

“You built her an elevator?”

Michael shrugs and goes pink around the ears.

“Yeah I mean I want her to feel welcome,” he says, “and if you gotta hide I know you aren’t leaving her behind.”

Alex looks over at Buffy whose stink eyeing the stairs like she’d prefer to be carried. He wouldn’t leave her behind. He wouldn’t leave Michael behind either but just being alone in the same room is a lot. He doesn’t want to push this. He doesn’t know if Michael feels that as well.

“Can I get you anything?” He offers, “I have lemonade?”

Michael hesitates for a moment. Alex wonders if he’s read this wrong before Michael nods and Alex finds he can breathe again.

“That sounds good,” Michael says, “thanks.”

Dark Siblings AU-Characters

A while ago, I wrote my own version of a Dark Siblings AU, an AU from glowamber (Be sure to check them out.) about if Cass and Eugene were siblings and raised in the Dark Kingdom. I may write a story about that someday, but for now, I wanted to go into a bit more on how the Tangled characters would be in this AU. Also, Warning, this post will be long. And to keep it from being too long, I will be dividing this into parts. This first part will feature the main characters of this AU. Eugene, Cass, Rapunzel, King Edmund, and Gothel. The next will have Lance, Varian, Quirin, Adira, Hector, and Eugene’s mother.

Eugene: The crown prince of the Dark Kingdom. He would’ve grown up with all the privileges and riches a prince would have, though he wouldn’t be that happy about it, since the honor of being a prince comes with a lot of responsibilities that he wouldn’t like. He would be unpopular by other nobles, but with the peasant-class of the Dark Kingdom, he would be very popular with them, especially with kids. Due to him being the most approachable of the Royal Family, I imagine he would a “Prince of the People” and would try to get involved in improving the lives of the people, as well as being a fun guy. He would find his royal life dull and the pressure to be the perfect prince and future king to be too much for him, so he would often sneak out, dress like a commoner and just do what regular people would do, going to pubs, attending parties, etc. He would go under the name Flynn Rider, as a way to separate himself from his royal life. He loves his father and sister, but the relationship with them would be tense, especially with Cass. His relationship with his father would be tense because he thinks his father is trying to shape him into being someone is not and force him into a role he doesn’t really want. Cass always calls him selfish and lazy, and Eugene tries to get her to understand that he never asked for any of this and that he would happily give her the throne. He tries to civil with Gothel when others are around, but he doesn’t like or trust her and he is one of the few people who know how emotional manipulative she really is. He would probably be the one person in the Royal Family she can’t get to do what she wants. He wouldn’t be thrilled about his arranged engagement to Rapunzel at first, seeing this as losing some of his freedom, but would come to genuinely fall in love with her.

Cassandra: The daughter of King Edmund and Royal Consort Gothel, younger half-sister to Eugene.She would be more popular among nobles than her brother, since she is more serious and more dedicated to her role as princess than Eugene would be. She would work hard to try to be the perfect princess the people of the Dark Kingdom expects her to be, but, much like in the Canon show, her people skills are in need of some work. She would care for her subjects and has a strong sense of justice, but she can often come off as a bit aggressive and intimidating towards the people, so the citizens are often wary of her, she doesn’t mean to appear like that. She would be an excellent fighter and would often train and study to be the best princess she can be, but she would often push herself past her limits because she would feel that she’s not doing enough. She desperately wants to prove herself to her family, especially to her parents that she is just as worthy, even more, of their love and attention as Eugene. She loves him, but would definitely feel jealous that the people seem to like him more and that their parents spend more time with him than her. Deep down, what she desires more than anything is to just get out of her brother’s shadow and have her moment in the spotlight.

Rapunzel: The Princess of Corona and fiancee to Prince Eugene. She would still have the power of the Sundrop and her long blonde hair at the beginning. When her parents realized the power she held in her hair, they were worried what could happen to her if she loses that power, since it was the healing powers that healed her mother and allowed her to be born healthy. So they would keep her hair long, though they wouldn’t tell her and anyone else in the kingdom of Corona about it’s power, to protect her. So Rapunzel would be unaware of the power of her hair or why her parents won’t let her cut it, but wouldn’t question them about it. Because of her power, the King would keep her on  tight leash, not allowing her to leave Corona and assigning guards to stay with her whenever she leaves the castle, so this will cause her to have the same desire for freedom and see the world like in the movie and show. Her engagement to Eugene would be arranged, and she wouldn’t like it, she would try to make it work, for her parent’s sake. But much like with Eugene, she would eventually fall in love with him.

King Edmund: The King of the Dark Kingdom and the father of Eugene and Cassandra. He would be much like he was presented in the first episode of season 2: Serious, dedicated to his duty as King and Protector of the Moonstone, and a bit paranoid at the dangers of the Moonstone. He would love both of his children equally, but like a lot of parents, would have some difficulty balancing the amount of time he spends with him. As a King, he would be very busy managing the Dark Kingdom, and since Eugene is his heir, he would spend a bit more time with him than with Cassandra, which he would feel bad about. He would also have difficulty with Eugene because although they love each other, he can get frustrated at Eugene for not taking his role as Prince of the Dark Kingdom and Heir to the throne seriously enough. As for his relationship with Gothel, he would be polite and civil with her, but he wouldn’t really love her, at least not as much he loved his first wife, Eugene’s mother, and he would still be mourning her death. Unfortunately for him, he would still be manipulate by her from time to time. He would confide in the Brotherhood about his frustrations towards Eugene and his guilt about not being able to spend as much time as he wishes he could with Cass.

Gothel: 2nd Wife of King Edmund, mother to Cassandra and stepmother to Eugene. She would commonly be praised by the people of the Dark Kingdom for her beauty and she would bask in all of the praise and as well as relish in the riches, privileges, and splendor of being the wife of a king. She clearly wouldn’t love Edmund, she just loves that the fact that he is a king and being his wife grants her a royal, luxurious lifestyle. Although people admit she is an attractive woman, those who really know her know that she is a manipulative, selfish, and wicked woman who is using the king, and even the prince and princess for her own benefit, not caring at all for the Dark Kingdom or its citizens. She is a very neglectful mother to Cassandra, seeing her as an unwelcome distraction from her lifestyle and a waste of time, though she would act affectionate to look good to the public and to Edmund, but it wouldn’t be sincere, and it would be just to keep Cass obedient enough and to keep her and others from bugging her about spending time with Cass. She wouldn’t spend a lot of time with Edmund, but when she does, she would be very manipulative to get her way. Out of everyone in the Royal Family, the only person she would willingly spend time with is Eugene, but again, only because she believes that if she plays the role of the sweet stepmother to the future King of the Dark Kingdom, she could manipulate him into doing whatever she wants once the crown is his. Though Eugene would easily see through her sickeningly sweet facade and would know just how emotional manipulative she really is, so her efforts never work, doesn’t stop her from trying though.

Black Leather - Chapter 17

Weekends were actually good for me, and not because of the stereotypical teenage bullshit of parties and shopping, but because they were the two days I could actually work.

It’s not that I didn’t like school or home; they were pretty bearable most of the time.

It was just sometimes it felt like work was the only place people took me seriously.  

Sure; you still had customers who were total dicks. Thought that the only reason a pretty girl could work there was for eye candy and blatantly refused to talk to me; insisting they wanted to speak to a mechanic of “experience”.

Still; it was better than some of the other pricks who just took me working on their car as an excuse to ogle me.

I mean; Jesus, some of these guys were older than my dad and really should know better than perving on underage girls; especially ones related to police officers.

As a general rule though; most of the customers were okay, choosing to yell at me over the price of an oil change, rather than my whether my “womanly hands” were capable of using a lug wrench.

My boss; Charlie, was a lanky tattooed mech in his late forties. He was an old friend of my dad’s from his army days; worked as an engineer out in Nam, and didn’t have any sons, so when my dad brought me into the shop saying I was looking for a job doing something other than stacking shelves, he didn’t bat an eyelid.

Just handed me a torque and asked me how I felt about tightening wheel nuts. I said I didn’t know much about nuts; didn’t have any, but I’d be willing to try.

We’d hit it off after that, and Charlie had been my boss for the past two years, teaching me everything from how to change a tire, to how to strip out an engine in its entirety.

If any of the boys gave me crap; they didn’t last long. Charlie had no time for sexism, stating he didn’t put three daughters through tech college, for some prick with a screwdriver to tell them they couldn’t build aeroplanes because they had vaginas.

——————————————————

Marty’s pickup was a real bitch of a job; the clutch had gone, and I’m pretty sure he’d totalled the break pads getting it over here, but the man was practically married to the machine, so anything short of a head on collision wouldn’t get him to give her up.

Charlie had set me on her; stating it was a challenge to see if I was finally capable of wielding the big guns, which in this case was full on rebuilds from the scrapyard.

I usually just stuck with bikes; the anatomy already familiar to me, and there was much less acrobatics involved in reaching a bike engine than a car’s.

But Charlie said it was a right of passage, and Johnny had bet me fifty bucks I couldn’t fix the thing before the week was out and I’d already spotted a new pair of motorcycle boots that had my name on them.

So here I was, practically bent double into the hood of Marty’s Chevy, straining my arms because of course; I couldn’t quite reach the flywheel.

Johnny had offered to help, snickering the entire time, because at a generous 6’7”, he had no worries about the reach of his arms.

Still; I’d refused point blank, because as frustrating as being short was, having him lord it over my head all the while was worse.

I almost had it; the first nut almost in reach of my wrench, when Charlie’s voice rang out through the workshop.

“Lola...” He called out, and I could hear the fall of his steel toed boots against the concrete.

Still; I didn’t surface quite yet, because goddamnit; that nut was almost in my reach, and I’d be screwed before I left it; no pun intended.

“Lola...” He called again; now right next to the cab, and fuck it; I wasn’t going to reach that flywheel without growing at least another inch.

“What?!” I spat, emerging from under the hood like a demon summoned, and I guess a pint sized pissed off woman with a pipe wrench wasn’t a poor comparison.

“There’s a guy out here looking for you...” He explained, not at all fazed by the oversized hunk of metal in my hand as I attempted to clean the grease off my face with a greasy rag.

“Steve?” I asked; overly familiar with the preppy pretty boy turning up unannounced to pester me, usually coinciding with when his car needed a service; the tight assed prick.

“Not this one.” Charlie shook his head, already well versed in chasing Steve off with a tire iron, though usually the threat of hard labour was more than enough to frighten the boy off from looking for free maintenance.

I perched my wrench on the edge of the chassis, thoroughly confused over who the fuck would be visiting me in work hours, other than the esteemed Steve Harrington.

I followed Charlie back through to front of house, wiping layers of grease off on the rag, because fuck; if engine maintenance wasn’t messy.

Johnny had already started on the Mustang Charlie got in from Kentucky last week; lucky shit, elbows deep in engine oil as he flushed the system clean.

Johnny was a dick, but he was a pretty decent mechanic, though I’d sooner bite off my tongue than tell him that.

I tore my eyes away from the midnight blue machine, gazing out onto the mysterious visage of my visitor.

“Recognise him?” Charlie asked, arms crossed over his chest; though if my facial expression was what I thought it was, he already knew the answer.

“Oh; I know him alright.” I replied; my eyes staring at the primped up posture of Billy Hargrove, leaning prettily against his Camaro, smoking a cigarette.

“Do you want me to call the cops?” Charlie asked, picking up off my mood and clearly deciding my dad might be needed for it.

“Nah; I got this one...” I reassured him, tucking my oiled up rag into his overalls like a knightly token.

——————————————————

Billy had some fucking nerve showing up unannounced at my place of work. I know he thought the world revolved around chasing pussy and looking pretty, but some of us had actual work to do!

He didn’t even look guilty, perched against his car smoking, like he was on some fucking poster for cheap cigarettes.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I barked, wasting no time in marching out of the auto shop straight towards him.

“I wanted to talk to you; you wouldn’t speak to me at school, so...” He explained as if it was the most normal thing in the world, dropping his cigarette to the floor and putting it out with his boot.

“Well; that’s fucking funny...” I grinned, but there was no warmth to my smile; just pure venom.

“I’m working, jackass.” I deadpanned, already tired of this fucking conversation.

I span around, already heading back to the shop, because I knew Charlie would hit Billy over the head with a tire iron before he let him bring this inside.

“I know that, but I only need a minute...” He countered, reaching out to pull on my wrist as if I was a dog on a leash.

“Let fucking go.” I spat, turning to glare at him; steel in my words.

He loosened his grip, but didn’t let go, keeping a soft hold on my wrist like a lover.

“C’mon Lola; please...” He petitioned; blue eyes suddenly soft, and I was starting to wonder if he was sincere. “I only need a minute...”

I stared at him, taking in his hunched posture and softened facial expression.

This wasn’t the Billy I was used to, brimming with arrogance and overconfidence.

He seemed... humbler.

There was a tension in his shoulders, but not one that spoke of aggression; more like he was genuinely bothered that I was mad at him.

Of course; Billy had tricked me before.

He was a master at manipulation; his dirty tricks going far beyond easy smiles and charm, though he rarely needed anything else.

He’d demonstrated that at the party, using a combination of genuine sympathy and subtle flirting to make me think he wasn’t the complete asshole I now knew he was.

Still; there was no one here to impress.

No Carol or Tommy H to tantalise with tails of conquest.

Against my better judgment; I folded, sighing in defeat as he finally let go of my wrist; the smallest of smiles tweaking at the corners of his mouth.

“I clock off in twenty minutes. Then we can go and talk.” I stated, not leaving room for negotiation on the terms of our discussion.

“And I swear to God; if you try anything..,” I hissed; raising my finger into his face, because I knew Billy was a sneaky shit and this could all be a ruse to get in my panties.

“I know; I know. You’ll hang me by my entrails.” He conceded, raising his arms in surrender; and I was kinda impressed he came up with that threat all on his own.

I smiled back at him, because as much as I tried otherwise; I found Billy’s humour oddly refreshing.

Maybe because it was nearly as sick as my own.

Then I disappeared into Charlie’s shop, because I knew he was totting this as my break, and if that tight fucker thought he was docking this from my pay; I’d shove a catalytic converter up his ass.

Something’s Amiss

Pairings: Donald Pierce x Reader Words: 1,571 Warnings: Angst, swearing, bit of self-hatred Request: @vanessabarnes : hey <3 Can I request # 6 #7 & 10 with D. Pierce?;) Maybe, The reader works for Transigen being a mutant (they know) 'cause she does not like to be at all, but sometimes she just feels bad for that, start crying & Pierce find her or something;3 Summary: Reader is a mutant and works for the Transigen. When the pressure and guilt become too much there’s only one person who’s able to lift her spirits.  A/N: Thank you for the request and I hope you will like it! 

[Donald Pierce + “I won’t tell anyone you were crying”                              “I just don’t want to see you get hurt”                               “Don’t look at me like that“]

I was hunched over medical records, trying to ignore a splitting headache that was successfully putting me off stride. 

I was assigned to a new group of mutant youngsters which was equivalent to a lot of extra paperwork and detailed information to ingest. I had to go through the whole medical history to learn their weak and strong points. My boss was very keen on keeping his possession out of harm's way, after all, the investment wouldn't pay off itself. It wasn't my place to complain. Nobody forced to me seek job inside their walls. On the contrary, Rice couldn't believe that a mutant was willing to help him with his experiments and I couldn't blame him, he might have had some flaws but at least he knew what side he stood on and was keeping it that way. A single knock followed by the sound of opening doors broke my reverie. I didn't have to look up from the documents to know who let himself in so nonchalantly.

"I don't even know why you bother," I said, my eyes were fixed on the records even though I couldn't read the words anymore. My vision became blurry and it was impossible to distinguish one letter from another.   "I wasn't raised in a barn, you know," Donald replied and stepped closer to the desk, placing both of his hands on the wooden desktop, "Busy?"

"As you can surely notice," I sighed and glanced at him. As usual, he was wearing this smug smirk of his. But something felt a bit off, he looked tense and somewhat anxious. I'd never thought he was capable of putting on an act or at least I'd never seen him wanting to hide anything,"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," he replied, picking up one of the envelopes. He opened it and scanned the piece of paper with no real concern, "Rice wants to see you in the office in half an hour."

"I know, we scheduled the tests yesterday. You didn't have to trouble yourself." I didn't have to read his thoughts to know there was something more. He had it on the tip of the tongue but for some reason refused to share it with me. And I was in no mood to psychoanalyse him, "If that's everything you wanted then I would love to get back to work, I have to finish it before the meeting." He didn't move or offer any kind of response. If I hadn't known better, I could assume he didn't hear me but I could feel him staring at me and the atmosphere in the room was getting thicker with every passing second. I fought off the urge to roll my eyes and peered back at him trying to get him to speak. Apparently, it wasn't enough since he was still standing in front of the table not uttering a single word, looking everywhere but at me. Whatever it was, if it was able to stress Pierce out, it must have been a nightmare for the rest of us. I stood up and came up to him so that we were standing inches apart from each other. He took a deep breath and gave up on his fake smile. "Truth is, I just wanted to check on you," he confessed. "Did I give you any reason for that?" I folded arms on my chest, beginning to feel more and more threatened. I tried to remember if I had fucked something up in the last few weeks but my mind was blank suggestion-wise. The heart was pounding in my chest as I was trying to guess what was the real reason for him to be in my office. "You did actually," he said. He didn't look angry, disappointed or irritated. The only emotion I could read on his face was a concern, "Look, I know you don't want to discuss it but it pains me to see you on edge every time we have to work with those kids." I felt a sharp sting as my nails pinched into my skin deep enough to leave red marks on its surface. I was doing everything within my power to keep my emotions on a leash and not let my coworkers see how exhaustive it was for me. And he dared to show up in my office with an intention to destroy all my efforts. "Look away then, it's that simple," I spat out, smiling bitterly. He didn't even flinch. I knew that my reaction would only assure him that I'm not as fine as I claim to be. To be completely honest, guilt, pressure and anxiety were piling up in my mind for a while now and it became too much of a burden to function properly. I was constantly on the edge of mental breakdown. Being a mutant and working for Transigen wasn't very popular and it definitely had an impact on my mental condition. My mind was telling me that I could do more good for my kind while working for the company. Someone could think that I was there to steal their intel or sabotage their work but truth be told, I was trying my best to prevent a massacre within the compound. But then I also felt deeply conflicted. I was a mutant myself and even if I felt nothing but hatred towards my so-called gift and how it was affecting my life, my gut was telling me that I should stay side by side with those like me. Disobeying felt like a treachery. Sensing that I was on the verge of tears, I tried to turn away and leave the room, but Donald wouldn't let me. He took my hands into his own and squeezed them in a reassuring way before I had the chance to pull away. My lips began to tremble and even though I was trying my best not to cry in front of him, a lone tear involuntarily traced down my cheek. Don immediately reached out and wiped it off with his thumb. I wanted to push him away, I really did. But at the same time, I needed as much comfort as I could get and he was the only one offering it. I gave into his touch and he pulled me closer, locking in a tight embrace. "I just don't want to see you get hurt," he whispered, brushing my hair with his fingers. "I thought I could handle it," I replied, my voice cracking with emotion, "I still want to work here and help. But my conscience is tearing me apart." I took a step back and looked at his face, trying to decide whether he was taking it seriously. His mouth formed a faint grimace and his eyes made it obvious that he cared more than he probably wished he had. "You know, you don't have to take a side. I could arrange something, help you leave this place and let you live a normal life. At least as normal as it gets." "No," I shook my head, trying to think of proper words to use. My mutation was much more needed here. I could manipulate emotions, force someone to calm down or infuriate them with a snap of my fingers, without putting any reason in their head. That's why Rice was using me during his tests when he realised that the kids he'd created couldn't be contained by regular means, it was already too late to change it. I was trying to protect them from potential harm coming from his soldiers,"I might not be the biggest fan of myself or my powers but those kids need me, I owe them that much." He nodded and a slight smirk appeared on his lips. This time it was sincere. "We should work on the not liking yourself part." "Maybe after the meeting," I said, trying to get rid of the wet stains with a sleeve of my blouse. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a short while. I had to collect my thoughts. Controlling other people emotions was so simple and yet I still couldn't command my own. When I opened my eyes I felt much better. I was thankful that Pierce stopped by when he did but seeing this amused look in his eyes I knew he was giving himself even too much credit. "Don't look at me like that," I scolded him, but it didn't sound too intimidating, "and Don, can you not-" "I won't tell anyone you were crying," he pressed his hand to his heart and raised the other one as if he was making an official promise. I chuckled at his pretended solemn expression and I knew it must have been his goal because he threw his arm over my shoulder and his muscles finally relaxed. "Let's get it done and then we'll have a moment to ourselves, what do you think?" I agreed with a single nod. I would never admit it to his face but I was scared it was the day that I would finally break down but with his reassuring touch, the world didn't feel so hostile anymore.

Thank you for reading and as always - comments are greatly appreciated!