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kazuchii · 3 years

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Hihi, can I request hcs for Xingqiu, Venti, Albedo, and Diluc with a gn s/o that seems aloof but they're such an idiot? Like for the first time s/o's bf see's how soft s/o really is and s/o is kinda being a tsundere about how soft they really are. I hope that made sense ashbesjks

Aloof GN!Reader w/ Genshin Boys

A/N: Hellooo! Thank you for requesting! You’ll be my first request so I’ll do my best to fulfill everything! I hope everything seems in character, I really need to get used to writing different personality types.

Synopsis: The Genshin boys discover that their s/o is actually softer than they originally thought.

Characters: Albedo, Diluc, Venti, Xingqiu

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: N/A

Masterlist

Albedo definitely didn’t mind you being distant towards him. I mean, he struggles with interactions in general so he just assumed,

“Oh, they must struggle as well.”

He never saw it as an issue between you since he knew deep down that you deeply cared for him.

He knew you’d always come back to him at the end of the day, he fully trusted that fact about you.

Strangely enough, he found you an intriguing person due to this.

Although the citizens in Mondstadt appear to see him in a positive light, there still are many who fear him deep down. After all, he keeps his secrets zipped up inside him. They know absolutely nothing about him or anything he’s capable of.

But you…you didn’t seem to care about that. And he was thankful for that.

And that brings you to today; a bright sunny day with the rays from the sun gleaming down.

The two of you, along with Klee, were outside the walls of Mondstadt, nearby the lake surrounding the city of freedom.

Today, Klee decided to have a little play date with the two of you. While Albedo was painting away, you and Klee were supposed to play around together.

If he’s being honest, Albedo was a little nervous.

You and Klee had never played together before and due to the distant and cold personality he was used to when it came to you, he wasn’t sure how you’d react with being around a bouncy and hyper child such as Klee.

So when Albedo spotted you playing with Klee, a soft smile on your face, he had a mini heart attack.

Not because he was panicking or anything, but more because he wasn’t used to seeing you smile like this. It made his chest feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Later that day, Albedo made sure to comment on the event.

“Well, it appears you two were getting along fondly.”

“You were watching?!”

“Of course I was watching. How could I look away from that fond smile you had on your face?”

“Shut up!”

“It was very cute.”

“I SAID SHUT UP!”

Diluc and you first met months earlier. You were just another customer at first to him while he was simply a bartender.

Immediately though, he found you interesting.

While his other customers were loud and obnoxious, you would just sit at a table in the corner of Angels Share, minding your own business.

You would only ever speak to ask for another drink, which he would always provide.

“Another glass of apple cider, please.”

He doesn’t know what came over him when he decided he mentally decided to court you. He probably will never know the exact answer either.

It wasn’t the easiest either. Courting you was one of the most difficult things this man has ever done, and somehow he accomplished it in the end.

You were challenging with your distant personality, to say the least. It seemed to him that you wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, that you didn’t see him in the way he saw you.

So when you finally accepted him after weeks, the relief this man felt wash over him in an instant is indescribable.

Now present day, Diluc finds himself heading back to Angels Share in the middle of the night. The moon was directly above him as he silently walked through the city, the only other light source being lanturns.

Due to the drowsiness that he was currently feeling, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he spotted you.

“What in the world are they doing out in the middle of the night?”

But what startled him more than the time on the clock was your facial expression. For the first time, Diluc saw you smile.

Diluc just stood frozen in time as you sat there, rubbing the belly of a stray dog, an empty bowl beside you. He could only assume you’ve been taking care of a stray.

“Who’s a good boy? It’s you, isn’t it!”

“(Y/N)?”

You instantly froze in place, your head creaking towards Diluc’s direction.

“D-Diluc.”

“What in the world are you doing up at this hour?”

“I-I could say the same for you! What are you doing up this late, huh?!”

You shot up from the ground, face beet red.

“I asked you first, love.”

“NOTHING. I WASN’T DOING ANYTHING!”

“That dog below you giving you puppy dog eyes says otherwise-“

“WHATS A DOG??”

Venti was simply just strumming away at his lyre, the sound alluring the Mondstadt citizens around him as he stood at the foot of the Barbatos statue in the plaza.

His eyes were shut as he too, was preoccupied with listening to the soothing sounds.

When his fingers came slowly to a halt, his aqua green eyes peeked open, the sound of the citizens around him clapping filling his ears.

A smile morphed onto his face.

But soon that smile increased in size. Beyond the crowd surrounding him, he spotted you. You weren't doing anything special, just standing there.

“(Y/N)!”

The bard could hardly control the excitement of you watching him doing what he adored.

Although your facial expression read that of a bored person, Venti didn't seem to mind at all at that moment. Instead, he craved your attention.

Soon enough, the bard stood in front of you, his grin somehow getting wider.

"(Y/N)! Did you enjoy the song?"

"It was nice."

Nice? Only nice? Your facial expression said otherwise. Was the song boring to listen to? Did he mess up a note? Maybe it just wasn't your type of song.

Venti's eyes narrowed in thought, his lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed. He wanted you to say something more than just nice, he wanted you to smile for once due to one of his songs.

That is how you found yourself in this situation. Daily, Venti would find you around Mondstadt, play a song for you, and then wait for your response. He wanted you to say something more than the song was nice without a single hint of emotion before leaving.

But each time, that was your answer and Venti was getting annoyed. Not at you of course, but that he lacked the power to make you smile. He’s the Anemo God, but he can't seem to make his s/o smile.

So the astonishment Venti felt when he glimpsed his eyes over towards you after he played yet another song and saw you smiling ever so slightly, he almost dropped his lyre.

"(Y-Y/N)...are you smiling...?"

"Wait what-"

"I saw it! I saw you smile!"

When I tell you Venti was all over the place, I mean it. He was like a bouncy ball with him bouncing in every direction. But he couldn't control it. The pure bliss he felt in that moment took over all his actions.

"I-I didn't do anything. My face twitched."

"You can't lie to me! I saw it with my own eyes!"

The relationship between Xingqiu and you happened almost instantly. The two of you went from total strangers to Xingqiu always dragging you on his little adventures.

It all started with just a single sentence;

"Oh, you like Legend of the Shattered Halberd as well?"

Let me tell you, the look on his face when you said that. He always dreamed of having another person he could converse with when it came to books. So, the moment you said that he wasn't about to let you walk away without learning your name and other books you have read.

A friendship sparked between the two of you. He was one of the only people who would constantly talk with you even if you acted distantly. Soon enough, the two of you became a couple.

He wasn't worried about grabbing you from your home and taking you outside on a little adventure after he just finished reading one of his adventure novels. And of course, he'd always have a book with him during this time. You found that cute about him, but you never showed it.

Whenever the two of you would chat about books, Xingqiu was always shocked whenever you told him you haven't read a certain book.

"You're telling me you've never read The Pale Princess and the Six Pygmies?!"

"Never."

That's when he shoved the first volume in your face, an immediate serious expression on his face. Blinking a few times, you accepted the book from him.

"Read it and then tell me how you feel about it. I can give you the other volumes if you enjoy it."

"Okay."

Xingqiu thought you seemed wary at first to read it. He knew you weren't as majorly obsessed with books as he was, so he internally was just preparing for you to end up not reading it.

He didn't mind it though, reading wasn't for everyone after all.

The following day though, he felt the sudden urge to stop by Wanwen Bookhouse. He just wanted to skim some of the books there, maybe purchase one or two.

But those plans immediately ended when he spotted you. You were leaning against the wooden red railings, the book he had let you borrowed flipped open in your hands. And you were a chunk through it already.

Xingqiu could've worn his eyes were bulging out of his eye sockets because the one other thing he saw was the tiny smile located on your face.

You didn't seem to notice Xingqiu before he was standing right in front of you, a huge grin on his face.

"You seem to be enjoying the book I lent you. Would you care for the remaining volumes?"

You almost dropped the book as a shriek left your mouth.

"Where did you come from?!"

"Well, I felt the urge to stop by the bookhouse and saw you. So, about those other volumes..."

There was a moment of silence between the two of you, your cheeks slightly reddish.

"I'll...pick them up later..."

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin x reader #genshin headcanons #genshin impact x reader #diluc x reader #albedo x reader #venti x reader #xingqiu x reader #aloof reader #gender neutral reader #anime x reader #tsundere reader #headcanons #fluff

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blubberquark · 3 years

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Belated Protector Postmortem

I made the game Protector for the 46th Ludum Dare game jam. I did not make a tumblr post about it during the jam. Don’t think Protector is my best jam game, but what can you expect from a jam game? Hardly a glowing endorsement, I know. Download it from itch.io at this link, or don’t.

With some distance, I think it’s interesting to tell you why I don‘t think Protector is that good... or maybe “good” is not the right word. Some friends and other Ludum Dare entrants had encouraged me (privately) to keep working on it after the jam and fix the bugs. In my opinion, Protector is fine the way it is (for a jam game anyway), but any more work on it will be a waste of time. There will be no post-compo releases of Protector.

If you are just getting started making games, Protector could be a good example of when to stop working on a prototype. But first, let’s do the usual “game jam postmortem“ song and dance.

Game Description

In this moody puzzle-ish platformer, you control an invincible character tasked with guiding a small (and very vincible) dog through the level. You cannot control the dog.

Instead you can pick up and throw a bone, but you can’t carry the bone. When you press the bone throwing button a second time, the dog will chase after the bone.

One the dog is running, you cannot stop it. You also cannot call the dog to return to you. You have to clear the path for the dog before you let it loose.

What Went Right

Scope: I scoped Protector aggressively minimal. I remember feeling a bit under the weather on the first day of the jam, so I decided to take it easy and submit something small. I was okay with submitting a small game in the jam category. I just had this idea I wanted to try out.

There is only one level, and it’s not all that big. I submitted on the morning of the third day, with everything I wanted in the game, without losing any sleep, and with some time to spare.

Theme: The idea was my own take on that last level in Bastion, when the kid carries the battering ram, but as an escort mission. The main character was supposed to be some kind of brute or barbarian loosely inspired by the barbarian class in Diablo II. Obviously you keep a dog alive, because that’s the theme of the jam.

Character Designs: I think nailed it with the brute and dog sprites. The brute is big and faceless, and the dog is small and cute. The proportions of the brute convey that he is strong and slow, and his shield (but no sword) should clue you in about his purpose.

Simple Dog Behaviour: The dog runs and bounces around pretty quickly. Once the dog is running, all bets are off, because you are too slow to catch up. You have to set everything up so the dog won’t kill himself, because he’s not a cat with nine lives. He is a dumb dog.

Any kind of AI or pathfinding would have made the dog less predictable, and the main objective of the game is to keep it alive (that was the theme of the jam), so simple, fast, predictable movement was key. The player has to be able to predict the dog’s path before it starts running.

Level Design: The level is not that big. There is a variety of obstacles and set pieces, and these are all easy for the player character to navigate, but potentially lethal to the dog. In addition to multiple platforming challenges, there are two unique “set pieces” that break up the monotony.

There are five different ways for the dog to die, and the level is constructed to make the player experience each of them once. Some are obvious, like the lightning cloud and the tower that shoots arrows, but the level is designed so that every player dies at least once. After mastering an obstacle once, it should pose no challenge on repeat playthroughs.

What Went Wrong

Controls: The controls are very simple, based on only the four arrow keys, X and C. These can be mapped to the left stick and first two buttons of a gamepad. In walk mode, the two buttons jump and call the dog, and the “up” direction is used to raise the shield.

In throw mode, with the left/right axis controls the throwing angle, and the up/down angle controls the velocity. This control scheme feels too cumbersome. The X key is used for calling the dog and throwing the bone, based on context. This also feels cumbersome, but it makes it less likely for players to accidentally throw or call the dog when they want to jump. I still had to resort to putting the controls on the screen at all times.

For gamepad controls it would have made more sense to use the direction of the left stick for the throwing angle and velocity. For keyboard+mouse controls I could have implemented a mouse-based throwing system like in Gunpoint or a parabola indicator that shows where the bone will land. I could also have gone the other way with a Worms style throwing system in which the throwing velocity is proportional to the time the button was held. As is, the throwing uses the same buttons as platforming, but it doesn’t feel good.

Bone Physics: The bone physics was kind of bouncy and floaty. I implemented my own physics because the bone was the only object in the whole game that needs halfway realistic bouncy collisions. The player and the dog use platformer physics, so there was no need for a physics engine like Box2D, libODE, or pymunk. The bone is modelled like a simple spinning ball. I could have made the bone less bouncy to give the player more control, maybe even cheated by making it less bouncy only in the x-direction. I could also have gone in the other direction and modelled the bone as a rectangle or two balls connected by a line.

Dog Platforming: The dog sometimes gets stuck in a wall or on a ledge. This is bad. I could fix this by making the dog fall down or turn around when this happens, but that would make the problem worse. I’d rather have the dog (or the bone) stuck in a weird position until the player gets it out than having it sit inside a pit in an unwinnable position with believable physics.

The way bone physics and platforming work is very janky, but that is because the obvious fix would have unacceptable gameplay consequences.

Main Gameplay Loop: It goes like this: throw bone - move into position - let dog loose - wait for dog - retrieve bone - throw bone - move into position, and so on. There is no way to call the dog back because that would make certain puzzles too easy, no way to set multiple way points for the dog, no way to ask the dog to fetch the bone back to you, and no way to carry the bone - otherwise you could just walk over and drop the bone there.

The gameplay loop as it stands just doesn’t allow that many puzzles, and changes to the gameplay would make the current puzzles too easy. Adding more content is more or less incompatible with the current gameplay, and changes to the gameplay loop would break the existing balance.

Allowing the player to carry the bone, to use different tools than the shield, to call the dog back would destroy the game design.

What I Learned

Escort missions suck. I already knew that hidden complex systems are not fun, but even indirect interaction based on simple systems is hard to get right. Beyond that, I did not try anything new and outlandish. I just had the idea about the big protector and the little dog.

The most surprising thing was how poorly Protector was rated in the “Mood” category given the relatively high theme score. Having no sound really did me no favours, and neither did the GameBoy screen resolution or the 5-colour palette.

But importantly, despite all the gameplay shortcomings, this still works as a short game. If the game is short enough, it can be carried by novelty, and players will forgive janky controls, even if the controls are part of the game’s main difficulty. I relied on this insight in other jam games, but it does not translate to long-form games.

This is a bit meta, but it is important to understand when a game design does not work. To some degree I think game jams even encourage a kind of toxic positivity towards young people learning to program. By all means, you should encourage people who want to try their hand at game design, and you should not go out of your way to disparage teenagers learning to code or programmers who make programmer art because the graphic design in their enterprise software day job is done in a different department. All too often, instead of “keep it up“, we tell people who are getting started to keep working on their jam games. If a game has load of bugs, on some level it would be nice to have them fixed, and these bugs are an obvious starting point for a post-jam version of the game - but when I see buggy games with experimental gameplay ideas, I don’t always encourage the devs to keep tweaking the mechanics until it works. Some experiments have negative results, and that’s okay.

Some jam entries are great games, successful experiments if you will, but they can’t easily be made into longer games. That’s also okay.

Can We Fix This?

“But hypothetically” you ask me, “how would you turn Protector into a longer game if I hired you to be a game designer?”

Okay. Hypothetically. In this hypothetical world, you pay by the hour, no unpaid overtime, and no bonus based on how well the game sells ;-)

We need a story that glues all the levels together, and the dog platforming would be at most a third of the game. Maybe in some levels you and the dog fight side by side, maybe you explore some of the levels with the dog on a leash, maybe you tie the leash to a post at the level entrance and come back when you have cleared everything.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to have through-line that connects different types of gameplay, different set pieces and minigames.

In order to make the platforming and puzzle solving more interesting, you would have a different load-out in different levels. Some platforms are dog-only, and you would throw the bone (or a tennis ball) up there because you can’t reach it yourself. You would need a way to recall the bone (or tennis ball) or a way to recall the dog, maybe a dog whistle. Maybe you just have a limited supply of dog treats per level. Earlier levels just have the bone, and shield, later ones introduce mobility items for the player character, tennis balls, a collar, a leash, dog treats, a dog whistle, and so on.

It would be a fun idea (or a gimmick) to have most of the upgrades be for the dog, but that’s not very fun to actually play.

Another possible problem is if the dog handling becomes an afterthought, or a drag in the player, going back to fetch the dog after the level has been cleared. Escort missions are not held in high regard among players, so this could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

With all these mobility items and larger levels, we would need an improved dog AI. We also could not have the dog fall into a pit of spikes, instead it should refuse to jump into unsafe distances, and somehow communicate to the player. We would also need a way to get the dog back down if it got up the wrong platform, and a way for the player to reset progress to the last check point or re-fill dog treats without creating an exploitable loophole where the player can just walk back and forth to the vending machine and win a level with infinite dog treats.

Oh no, the dog AI sounds complicated now. Complicated hidden systems are not fun, and training AI-powered animals is not that difficult code-wise, but it is difficult to pull off in a way that is fun and legible to the player. I still remember Black&White. Those animals were a gimmick. Somehow we need a way for the dog to communicate things to the player. Can the dog talk? Is there a bark code? Can the dog smell things?

One thing we absolutely must not do is vary the dog AI between levels. Players will have a really hard time as is, because the smarter the dog gets, the easier it becomes to accidentally mis-predict what it will do.

Think about all the parts of this rather comprehensive proposal: Complex AI, some kind of story, different controls, unlockable items, and level/puzzle design that integrates all of the above, all written from scratch or re-written for the bigger game. I’d rather spend the time on something else.

#game development #gamedev #aseprite #ludum dare #ldjam #postmortem #game jam #on the shortness of games

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willow-salix · 4 years

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Random bit of fun because it's been the kind of day where I needed to make myself laugh.

Everyone knew that Selene had a love of classic horror films, the ones that Alan said were boring and not in the least scary. The same ones that John always turned his nose up at because the special effects were non existent. Virgil liked them because they always had great music to them and Scott and Gordon just found them hilariously funny.

But this one was different, while her favourites were made in the 1960s, she had stumbled across one that was positively modern in comparison from the 2010s. She'd put it off over and over again but if there was one thing that hanging out in a floating space station gave you an opportunity to watch all the movies you had previously never had time for. She had quickly run through almost all the movies on her watch list and was down to two, it was scary or the prank show Gordon had insisted she watch, so it was time to watch the scary even if that time was 3am and she couldn't sleep (not that she expected the movie to help). So there she was, camped out on one of the couches in the sunken lounge of the villa, blanket over her legs, tablet balanced on her knees, watching the movie.

It started with three young girls happily playing tea parties in their attic play room when all of a sudden they dropped their dolls and little tea cups and as one, moved to the windows, opened them, and jumped the fuck out.

Selene jumped in shock. "Da fuq was that about?" she yelped, eyes glued to the action which had cut to a young single father having one last chance to impress his bosses at the solicitors where he worked. He was a widow, his wife having died in childbirth and he was fast running out of money, debts mounting, he needed this job.

The owner of a big old house had died and the young father was the one sent to go through all her papers and check the house over, looking for her most recent will, before they could sell. Seemed simple enough, but this was a spooky movie so obviously that wasn't going to go well.

He said goodbye to his son, planning on being done by the weekend when his son and the nanny would join in for a weekend in the country, all very pleasant... Selene was now quite bored after the dramatics at the start. She reached for her cup of cocoa and sipped as she watched the young father, Arthur Kipps, board the train and promptly fall asleep. Cue a dream of his late wife which shocked him enough to wake with a start. A helpful man by the name of Sam offered him a ride from the station to the guest house.

At the guest house Arthur (whom she could see as non other than Harry Potter no matter how hard she tried) was told he didn't in fact have a room booked and must go away. Strange. But the wife of the landlord took pity on him and let him stay in the attic... The same creepy ass attic the girls had jumped from.

"No Harry! Don't sleep there!" Selene warned but of course the twat didn't listen. Though he appeared to get through the night unscathed and proceed to make his way to the creepy ass house he was looking through.

Selene jumped and squeaked her way through his first visit when the bitch in black decided to pop her ugly ass face up now and then and waft around in the background when she shouldn't be.

She got a major case of the sads when a kiddie died due to the black bitch and got rather indignant on Harry/Arthurs behalf when the villagers all seemed to blame him. But by the time he went back again and began to uncover some clues as to the woman in blacks identity and why she might be creeping around like a dick and scaring the shit out of people, Selene was on the edge of her seat and not in a good way. The ghost popped up, eyeballs being all weird and dodgy and it all got a bit much for Selene, though she would blame sleep deprivation from back to back rescues.

"Expelliarmus! " she yelled, waving her wandless hand at the screen in an attempt to make the spook go away.

She might be a super tough witchy but even she wasn't good with jump scares, it was the dodgy plinky plonky music they used to fuck with your head that always got to her and after she had shrieked and almost dropped the tablet for the fourth time she paused the film and, grabbing laptop and blanket, decided her spaceman would so appreciate a late night visit from his witch.

She padded her way down the hallway from the lounge on a hunt for her elusive man. She checked Scott's office where he was known to sometimes hang out but found it empty. The kitchen was just as deserted so she let herself outside, taking a deep breath of the cooler night air. Ahh, target spotted and locked on! He was stretched out on one of the loungers arranged around the pool, which to some would seem strange in the middle of the night, but she knew he enjoyed the quiet. Such a shame she was there to fuck that up for him. Sucked to be him right now.

She tugged his book out of his hands without asking - he didn't need it now- put down the tablet and scooped up the cat that was curled up on his lap, dropping him unceremoniously on the floor.

"My space man." Armstrong gave an outraged meow but she nudged him aside with her foot. "Go find Alan and sleep on his face."

There went his peace and quiet. Much as he loved her she had the subtlety of a cyclone sometimes, even at half past three in the morning. How was it even possible that she was still this bouncy? He tried to catch his book as it was whipped out of his hands but missed.

"I was reading that."

The cat went next and, although he had actually been enjoying the warm weight of the purring creature on his lap, he would never admit it and therefore didn't raise a protest.

Selene pushed his legs apart, ignoring his questioning eyebrow and settled between them. He let his feet fall to the floor, making room, allowing her to wrap his arms around her middle and lean back against his chest.

She picked up her tablet and propped it up on her knees. This wasn't going to be pleasant, he had very little faith in her viewing choices.

"Selene, " he sighed.

There was that tone that they all heard at least once a day, the one that said he was already done with your shit. Good job she was immune to such things.

She wiggled to get comfy and smiled to herself. This was much better, her man would protect her from evil jumping ghost ladies that desperately needed to cleanse, tone and moisturise once in a while, he was awesome and could like…shoot it with a laser or some shit, what more could she want in a movie buddy?

"You know I have no interest in watching this, " he protested weakly as he caught sight of the screen.

She ignored that too, he'd like it once it got going, she was sure of it, and hit play.

The dumbass formerly known as Harry had balls, she'd give him that, he hadn't given up and was yet again back in the house of oogie boogies with nothing but a dog for company. The story was unfolding and Selene was actually beginning to feel kind of sorry for the emo ghost, but she still didn't trust her and said as much, very vocally and frequently.

"Don't go in there…. Shit shit shit creepy rocking chair… ahhh I fucking hate those little wind up monkeys, this, this is why kids were disturbed in the victorian times, look at the fucking toys they give them, what's wrong with the parents…" she paused her mini rant by yelping and hiding her face in John's neck when the ghost popped up again, "not cool, so not cool dude. "

John but his lip, refusing to laugh at her comments, it would just encourage her and honestly, she was bad enough as it was. She was so animated in everything she did, so open, honest and just full on.

He much preferred to sit and watch in silence, but Selene was never quiet for long and with four brothers he was used to never getting his own way. It had been a busy few days and while the others had passed out early, they were both too keyed up to rest. He'd chosen the sensible option of quiet relaxation, obviously she'd had other ideas.

He made an attempt to watch the film but it was almost impossible, having missed the start and with her near constant distractions. He gave up all pretence of paying attention and simply enjoyed having her so close, tightening his arms around her middle.

Once she deemed it safe she looked up again, uncurling a little from the protective shelter of his arms and managed to sit through another five minutes without freaking out, that was until there was a massive ass house fire and Harry/Arthur's friend Sam told him a bit more about his own story, that's when she started to get defensive and head more into pissed off territory.

"Why do you keep calling him Harry?" he asked but received no answer as she launched into another tirade.

"What is wrong with you? Oi, ghost bitch, stop that shit! Don't make me come down there! You might be able to mess with the now non wizard but try a real witch for size."

She cheered and got a little excited when the heroes tried to help the ghost, though the bitch wasn't very appreciative and just did her banshee impression, which lead to Selene screaming back at her, as if that would actually help, making John jump in shock. How was she so loud?

She relaxed when she thought it was all over, only to bounce back up in the last few seconds in complete outrage. "They should have called me, I'd have kicked that bitches arse in less than a day and been home in time for dinner, now look! Look at that! What the fuck was that? Fucking vengeful ghost, what's wrong with you!" She pushed the tablet aside in a huff, crossing her arms, sulk mode activated.

The chest she was leaning against was vibrating against her back as he shook in silent laughter. She turned to glare at him, which just made things worse as he lost control.

John was laughing at her, this was unacceptable. She nipped his chin in retaliation, trying to hold in a laugh and not admit that she had been a massive wimp.

He continued to laugh, the lines of stress and worry that had formed over the past few days vanishing smoothing out as he relaxed and let go. She smiled, glad to have helped. Even if her way had been unconventional, it had done the job.

John hugged her tighter, his amusement fading away to leave him with quiet contentment as she placed the tablet on the ground and rested her head back onto his shoulder. High above them, a bright spot in the dark sky he could just make out his beloved craft, awaiting him, but, as was becoming more and more frequent, he didn't feel the immediate urge to return. They lay in silence for a while, watching the stars, relaxed and at peace.

"Want to take your witchy to bed so we can get some sleep?"

He smiled, turning his head for a quick kiss. "That's an offer I would be a fool to refuse."

They gathered their things, turned off the lights and returned to the silent villa, bed calling.

#John Tracy #Selene is the worst person to watch a movie with #it's 3am #There goes his peace and quiet #Thunderbirds #thunderbirds 2015 #thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderbirds are go #Fan fic #fan fiction #fan fic update #fan fic stuff #fun stuff

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kythen · 7 years

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Haikyuu!! - Slow Dancing [4/4]

Title: Slow Dancing (Chapter 4 - end)

Fandom: Haikyuu!!

Pairing: Kurodai

Summary: A hybrid and masquerade AU. Courtship, like dancing, is best done slowly.

Lord Oikawa of Aobajousai is hosting a masquerade party and all are invited to partake in three nights of masks, finery, and of course, dancing. Kuroo Tetsurou of Nekoma finds himself enraptured by a crow he chances upon while looking out for his young lordling. On the other hand, Sawamura Daichi of Karasuno is drawn in by a cat who seems intent on flirting with him. Welcome to the masquerade, where everyone is everything and nothing they seem to be.

Also found here on AO3.

Word count: 5,839

[Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3]

There isn't a Kuroo Tetsurou in Nekoma.

"There is a Kuroo," Suga says, flipping through a stack of papers and pulling out the relevant sheet, "but she's permanently stationed at the east border, which means she wouldn't be at Aobajousai for a party. Plus she's much older than you are, Daichi, so there's no chance that she's the Kuroo you're looking for."

"Does she have any family?"

"None. She was orphaned at a young age, which is why she entered into service as a knight early. There aren't any records of a marriage or any surviving relatives. She's the only Kuroo in Nekoma." Suga puts the papers down on Daichi's desk and looks at him in concern. "Daichi, have you considered that your cat might have given you a false name?"

"He likely did," Daichi sighs, resting his forehead in his hands. "I should have guessed."

Suga puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It was a masquerade after all. Not many people would want to reveal who they are when they are given a perfectly good reason not to. Your cat probably nearly fainted when he found out who you were."

"He ran away." Daichi scowls.

"You've got to give him some credit for coming back after finding out," Suga remarks thoughtfully. "He's either got nerves of steel or he's just one very smitten cat. But, Daichi, what would you have done if he had stayed until the morning with you?"

Daichi doesn't have a ready answer to Suga's question. It isn't as if he hadn't been thinking about it when he had first kissed the cat in the garden or again in the storeroom, but at those times it had seemed more important to act first and to think of what came next later. For someone who was able to pick Daichi out so easily in a ballroom full of people, the cat was frustratingly elusive himself and Daichi had the impression that if he didn't pin the cat down at those instances, he would just slip away and vanish into the night as he liked. And he had, in the end, and Daichi just wishes that he had held on to him a little tighter.

He was never that familiar with this aspect of parties and it had been fun letting himself get drawn in by the cat's charm and wit, bantering back and forth, dancing with him and ending up in the bedroom by the end of it all. He liked being with the cat, liked the teasing lilt in his voice when he talked and the wicked curve of his lips when he smirked, liked the patience he had when guiding Daichi through their dances and the gentle way he has always touched him. On the last night, he had let Daichi take his mask off for him even though he had seemed so keen on hiding who he was and the raw vulnerability and wonder on his bare face made Daichi think that maybe he wasn't the only one who was a little more than a little in love with the other.

But maybe he had been wrong because parties were parties after all and anything that happened in them disappeared after they were over and done with, and masquerades only made it easier for people to slip away after the fun was over. When Daichi had woken up in the morning, he had found out that the cat had stayed the night with him, and nothing more than that. He hadn't even left the slightest trace of himself behind except for a false name.

"Maybe some things are best concluded in one night," Suga interrupts his thoughts gently. "And you've had three."

"You're right," Daichi says, even though admitting it makes him feel slightly foolish for thinking that something would have come out of his encounter with the cat. "He probably never intended for it to continue after the masquerade ended."

"He must have been really special for you to pine over him this much," Suga comments, his silver eyes glinting in mischief. "Exceptional on the dance floor and mind-blowing in bed."

"He was alright," Daichi says nonchalantly, even as the mere mention of it makes the heat rush to his face.

"That he even got into your bed was a feat in itself," Suga continues, a grin growing wide on his face. "I only met him once but if you ever come across him again you should introduce us. I want to shake his hand. Maybe award him a medal or something. Thank him for bedding our beloved Lord of Karasuno and saving him from his years of monkhood."

"Don't you have work to do?" Daichi says pointedly, his face burning red.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Suga admits, dropping the topic and picking through the stack of papers again. "I was just trying to put it off because the next matter might set you off."

"Just spit it out already."

Suga clears his throat. "The next Lord of Nekoma, Kozume Kenma, is of age to inherit the title and he wishes to pay a visit to all the fiefs in the kingdom. This, of course, includes Karasuno."

---

Kozume Kenma obviously does not want to be here.

Throughout the entire meal, Kenma has only looked Daichi's way once and even then Daichi thinks he might have been forcing himself so that he didn't appear rude to his host. The cat sitting next to Kenma had nudged him a couple of times, picking up the conversation in places where Kenma fell silent with practiced ease and a little bit of exasperation. Daichi remembers him as Yaku from the initial introductions and the curious way he had stared at Daichi for a moment longer than necessary, his brown eyes alight with interest.

It has been weeks since the masquerade ball at Aobajousai and Daichi thought that he had managed to put the cat out of his mind. But when Kenma and his entourage had arrived, Daichi had caught himself scanning the small group of cats, hoping to find a head of terrible hair and a familiar smirk among them. As expected, his cat hadn't been there and the rest of the proceedings went over normally with Daichi engaging Kenma in a bit of small talk as he led the way to their dining hall, trying to distract himself from the sinking sense of disappointment in his chest.

Kenma is intelligent, going by the reports on his involvement in his estate and the way he converses with Daichi, but Daichi can sense how uncomfortable he is with talking to someone who is essentially a stranger to him. His voice is quiet and he looks resolutely at the floor as they walk, hiding behind his curtain of hair. He reminds Daichi of the younger crows in his fief who aren't accustomed to social situations, awkward when faced with strangers and at ease only in the company of friends. Daichi knows that Kenma isn't being rude but if he is to inherit the title from his father, this would be something he had to face on a near-daily basis.

"I hope the food was to your liking," Daichi says to Kenma kindly, noting his drooping ears and tail.

"It was very good," Kenma replies without meeting Daichi's eyes.

"I'm glad. It is getting late but before you return to your rooms, would you like a brief tour of the Karasuno castle?"

"That would be wonderful," Kenma says woodenly, his ears twitching uneasily.

As they leave the dining table, Daichi looks over at the far end of the table where the younger crows are seated, searching for a head of orange hair and beckoning to him. Hinata shoots out of his seat and comes bounding over as if waiting for Daichi's cue, his wings bouncing excitedly behind him. Daichi hadn't missed the way he had been staring intently at Kenma all throughout dinner and he remembers seeing Hinata in the company of a cat with a familiar head of splotched hair at the masquerade ball.

"Would you like to accompany Kenma on his tour of the castle?" Daichi asks Hinata as he comes to a stop before him. "You're closer in age to him and it seems that you've already been acquainted."

"Oh! We met at Aobajousai," Hinata says, fidgeting self-consciously. "I met him on the first day."

"He seemed to enjoy your company during the ball."

"We're friends," Hinata says brightly, confirming Daichi's hunch.

"Then you should go speak to him."

Hinata nods enthusiastically and bounds over to Kenma before remembering his manners and slowing to a brisk, if not slightly bouncy, walk. Daichi watches the two of them meet and the stiff slope of Kenma's shoulders relax as Hinata starts talking to him.

"Nicely done," Suga whispers in his ear as he passes him and Daichi grins back at him before smoothing it into a formal smile as he heads towards the cats.

With Kenma occupied by Hinata, Daichi finds himself walking with Yaku and another cat he remembers as Kai, two of Kenma's inner circle. They are both friendly, polite and genuinely interested in what Daichi has to say about the Karasuno castle, even though Yaku keeps looking at him oddly, his lips pressed together in a thin line as he listens to Daichi.

"The windows in your castle seem exceptionally large," Kai remarks to Daichi as they pass a window, closed and locked for the night. "Doesn't it get draughty when they are open?"

"Sometimes it's faster to get around the castle by flying instead of walking. Hence, the windows here have to be big enough to allow a crow to fit through," Daichi explains, stopping at a window and unlocking it to show them. "They're also built with doors like such to allow easy access from the inside and outside so that we can keep them closed against the cold but still access them as we like. Of course, during the winter months, we don't fly as much so they stay closed most of the time."

"That's convenient," Kai says admiringly. "There seem to be many benefits to having wings like yours."

"There are certain downsides to them," Daichi says wryly. "Grooming them into place in the morning takes forever and having feathers out of place during the day feels like a constant itch. Plus the feathers get all over the place considering the number of us here so you have to excuse us."

"Do they fall off easily?" Yaku asks, interested. "The feathers, that is."

"We do have moulting seasons but other than that, it's rather minimal," Daichi says, his smile freezing in place as a memory of black feathers scattered over an empty bed rises in his mind involuntarily.

He had lost an embarrassing amount of feathers in that one night he had spent with the cat. The cat had tried to be mindful of his wings but he had also tugged on them a number of times during the heat of the moment, catching them between his hands and the sheets when he leaned over Daichi or laying his weight on them when he had snuggled up to him. Daichi hadn't lost enough of them to affect his appearance but he had spent the morning cleaning them up moodily, bagging them up and tossing them into his belongings before leaving Aobajousai. When he found the time, he was going to fletch them into arrows and shoot them someplace far away.

Daichi shuts the window with a snap, bringing himself back to his present company at hand. Yaku's ears are twitching, his short tail swishing behind him as he surveys Daichi. There is an amused glint in his eye and Daichi wonders if he had said something funny. But Kai looks impassive, his expression betraying nothing but polite interest as Daichi leads them away from the window.

A quick glance behind him shows Kenma and Hinata in the middle of the small tour group with Hinata chattering away about the adventures he had in the castle and Kenma nodding along, interjecting once in a while with a quiet remark. Kenma looks more at ease now, as compared to when he had been with Daichi, and Daichi privately thanks Hinata for his sunny and sociable disposition.

"Is the Nekoma castle very different from the Karasuno castle?" Daichi asks, returning to his companions.

"Just a bit," Yaku replies with a small grin. "Smaller windows for one."

"We aren't as high up either," Kai adds. "We don't quite appreciate heights the way winged folk do."

"You should visit us at Nekoma one day. I think Kenma would be happy to see small and orange over there," Yaku says, glancing back at the pair of them meaningfully. "Kenma doesn't open up to many people that easily."

"Hinata would probably like to travel," Daichi says thoughtfully. "The masquerade ball at Aobajousai was his first time out of Karasuno." It would be good to let some of his crows go over to Nekoma for a short visit if they were offering. It would be an eye-opening experience for them and he was a great believer in letting young crows see the world before settling into their place in it.

"And you too, we hope," Kai says with a smile. "We would be glad to have you at Nekoma after you received us so hospitably."

"I'll take your offer into consideration. Thank you," Daichi says politely and tries not to think of Kuroo.

---

Suga is waiting outside his study when Daichi arrives and he grins at Daichi in greeting, his wings rising from his back in a makeshift wave. Daichi unlocks the door and Suga follows him in, leaning back against Daichi's desk as Daichi closes the door behind them.

"I heard something interesting today while eavesdropping on the cats," Suga says as soon as Daichi turns around.

"What is it?"

"There's a rumour circulating in Nekoma that Kenma might not be the next lord."

Daichi frowns. "What do you mean?"

"They say that Kenma isn't the only son of Lord Kozume and that he has another son who has an equal claim to the title."

"We've never heard of Lord Kozume having another child besides Kenma."

"Not with Lady Kozume, that is," Suga says delicately.

Daichi's eyebrows nearly jump into his hairline. "An illegitimate son? But then he wouldn't have an equal claim."

"They said that he's capable and popular enough for it."

"Who is he?" Daichi crosses his arms. "If he's that capable and popular he should be well-known in Nekoma."

"That's the tricky part." Suga's lips lift in a wry smile. "No one knows. Or at least, no one on the outside knows."

Daichi looks at Suga sharply. They had grown up together, lived in the same castle their entire lives together, taken over their respective roles together, and Suga still gets cryptic about withholding information from him when it wasn't vital. He said it was a good mental exercise to keep the Lord of Karasuno sharp. It was enough to make Daichi's hair turn silver like his. "Just who did you eavesdrop on?"

"Kenma and Hinata, of course." Suga grins. "Heard it straight from the cat's mouth."

Daichi feels a headache coming along. "He's jeopardising his position by saying that out loud. Even if it is to a friend."

"I'm pretty sure that some of his inner circle knows about it. Cats have pretty good hearing, you know? Yaku or Kai or anyone else in that group could have heard about it given the distance."

"Is it a coup?" Daichi's frown deepens. "Are we expecting anyone to go after Kenma?"

"In my professional opinion, which is what I'm here for, no. Or at least not yet."

"Tighten the security around Kenma's room just in case," Daichi orders.

"I'll add an extra guard to his door and get another to watch his window." Suga straightens up and pushes himself away from the desk.

"Thanks, Suga," Daichi says, heading for his desk when it doesn't seem like Suga has anything else to say about this matter.

Before he turns in for the night, he wants to see if sending a group of crows over to Nekoma would be plausible. The young crows could go but Daichi would have to arrange for their studies to be continued in some way and for an escort to go with them. Sending Ennoshita along would be a good idea for keeping them all in line and continuing good relations with the cats. Daichi taps his pen against the desk as he considers who else could he spare.

His pen stills. He could go, seeing that the invitation had been extended to him, but he isn't sure if he could handle coming across his cat by chance in the Nekoma castle and having him politely pretend that he has never seen Daichi before. An invisible hand squeezes Daichi's heart tightly. He wouldn't be able to take it, after everything they went through during the masquerade ball.

"He didn't come, did he?" Suga says quietly and Daichi drops his pen.

He had not realised that Suga has not left, still hovering by his desk like a silver ghost. Daichi looks up at him, unable to keep the misery out of his voice as he says, "No, he didn't."

Suga's wings flutter in sympathy. "Daichi..."

"I know, I know," Daichi says, frustrated at himself more than anything. "I should forget about him. It was a three night long fling, nothing more than that.

Suga rounds the desk, running his hand soothingly over Daichi's wings before he starts grooming them. It is a comforting gesture and Daichi appreciates it, clamping down on the awful, miserable feeling welling up in him. He picks the pen up again and forces himself to start thinking, to distract him from all thoughts of the cat.

Suga peers down at his list, his eyes scanning through it quickly before he says, "You know, maybe you should put yourself on this list. If he won't come back to you, you could go looking for him."

Daichi laughs harshly. "I could but he might just spend the entire time hiding away from me."

"It's worth a try," Suga says, his fingers smoothing Daichi's feathers into place for him. "It's been weeks and you haven't been able to forget about him."

"I'm not having this conversation with you."

Suga tugs on a feather harder than necessary. "No, you're just going to mope about it and die lovesick and alone because you couldn't forget about one cat at a masquerade ball."

Daichi puts his pen down and it cracks loudly on the table. "I'll get over him."

"Sure, you will," Suga sighs, straightening out the last of Daichi's feathers before slapping him on the back. "Go get some sleep, Daichi. You've got a long day ahead of you."

Daichi doesn't want to but it is getting late and he has to be a good host to Kenma and the cats tomorrow and not appear dead on his feet so he does as Suga says, putting his papers away sullenly. He walks in silence with Suga through the castle, parting ways with him with a subdued goodnight when Suga goes to talk to the guards and Daichi heads back to his room. At his door, Daichi pulls out his key and unlocks it, reaching for the handle when he hears the faintest whisper of footsteps against the stone floor behind him.

"Pardon me, sir crow," says a voice from behind him, "but I seem to have gotten lost on my way to the guest quarters."

Daichi freezes, his heart thumping hard in his chest and sending a stream of ice through his veins. He knows that voice.

He turns and it feels like he is moving too slowly, everything around him happening too quickly as he catches sight of a familiar smirk and then a hand claps over his mouth, forcing him backwards against the door of his room. It opens seamlessly against his back and a hand catches hold of the handle so that it doesn't slam into the wall as Kuroo shoves Daichi through the open doorway.

Kuroo has momentum on his side but Daichi sees red, lashing out with a foot at Kuroo's shin. Kuroo dodges it, as expected, but Daichi carries through with the motion, kicking the door shut behind Kuroo forcefully and dragging Kuroo along with it. Kuroo's concentration wavers as he just manages to stop the door from slamming and bringing the whole castle down on them, and Daichi shoves him backwards into the door, pulling out his belt knife and holding it to Kuroo's throat.

Kuroo stills, his amber eyes unreadable as he stares back at Daichi. Then he leans back slowly, conscious of the dagger pressing against his skin, and the door shuts with a soft click before he takes his hand away from Daichi's mouth. He raises both hands in the air, his palms turned to show Daichi that they are empty, his eyes never once leaving Daichi's face.

"Sawamura," Kuroo says, his eyes softening as he says Daichi's name and something in Daichi snaps.

"What the hell is your problem?" Daichi hisses at him, his voice frighteningly soft and tempered with a gradually building rage. Even so, he forces himself to keep his dagger steady at Kuroo's throat. "First, you dance with me and leave, then you kiss me and leave, then you sleep with me and leave, and now you come back again to assassinate me?"

"I plead guilty to all those charges but the last," Kuroo says. "I'm not here to kill you, Sawamura."

"Then what the hell are you here for, Kuroo?"

"I just want to talk."

"The last time we talked, I remember that I did most of the talking," Daichi says bitterly. "Is Kuroo Tetsurou even your real name?"

"It's the name I like the most," Kuroo says evasively and Daichi narrows his eyes at him, having half a mind to stick his dagger into Kuroo's throat and be done with it.

"It's my mother's family name," Kuroo says more truthfully, probably having read Daichi's thoughts off his face. "Taking my father's family name would only cause complications."

Daichi frowns, this new piece of information resonating strangely with what Suga had just told him. Then it all comes together for him in a rush of realisations—the illegitimate son no one knows about, Kuroo's secrecy, his closeness with Kozume—and Daichi feels like he has just been struck.

"You're the illegitimate son," Daichi says in shock. "The one who's after the title."

Kuroo winces. "God, the rumours spread this far already?"

A chill passes through Daichi and he tightens his grip on Kuroo's shoulder, his gaze flitting to the blade at his throat momentarily—he had kissed his way up that pale expanse of skin before—before he looks Kuroo in the eye fiercely and says, "Kozume Kenma is under my protection for as long as he is in my fief. I swear if you're going after him I'm going to cut your throat right here and now."

"As it should be," Kuroo says approvingly, with far too much calm for someone who has a dagger to his throat. "I'd die before I let anything happen to Kenma. But, Sawamura, you're getting this all wrong."

"Tell me what I'm getting wrong because things aren't looking very good for you now. You didn't arrive with Kenma so how did you get in here?"

"I did. He knows I'm here. I told him that I was going to see you and he said 'Finally, you big scaredy cat.'"

Daichi frowns. "What?"

Now Kuroo looks nervous, his throat bobbing against the edge of the blade before he blurts out, "I want to apologise. I'm sorry for leaving you so many times. I honestly never meant to go back to you after finding out who you were but I couldn't help it. I meant what I said that night on the balcony. You're stunning, and every time I meet you, you get even more so and it gets even harder to stay away from you." Kuroo's voice cracks and he licks his lips nervously, the colour high on his cheeks as he continues, "I'm not here for Kenma, I'm here for you. I wanted to see you again, Sawamura."

Daichi's grip on his dagger tightens involuntarily and Kuroo flattens himself against the door, eyeing it with some trepidation. "Please don't slice my throat. It took me all I had to get that all out," Kuroo says hoarsely.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Daichi demands. This entire situation is ridiculous, with Kuroo coming back to him in the heart of the Karasuno castle of all places, but Daichi so badly wants Kuroo to be telling the truth. He wants everything he just said to be true.

"Fair enough," Kuroo concedes. "Going by how quickly you put it all together, you know that Kuroo Tetsurou doesn't exist in Nekoma. And that's the way it should be because I don't want anybody contesting Kenma's claim to the title. I've done my best to disappear so you have to know what a bad idea it is for me to be courting the lord of another fief at this very moment."

"And the rumours?"

Kuroo scowls. "Kenma. He's been trying to foist the title onto me because he doesn't want to be the next lord. He'd rather hole up in his room and stay as far away from any social activities as possible."

"I did get that impression from him earlier. So he's the one who started the rumours?" Daichi asks, remembering that Suga's source had been Kenma himself.

"He wouldn't admit it when I asked him but it makes sense. Kenma suddenly wanting to visit the other fiefs as the next Lord of Nekoma?" Kuroo raises an eyebrow. "I was pretty happy when he proposed it but I should have known that he had something up his sleeve. He wanted these rumours to go far so that I wouldn't be able to do sufficient damage control this time."

"You don't want to be the Lord of Nekoma? Most people would die for a chance to rule a fief."

"I already am running it, technically," Kuroo says with a grimace. "But I don't want the title and whatnot that comes with it. I'm pretty happy where I am, lurking in the shadows, doing my own thing, pursuing my interests when they haunt my waking thoughts every single day." Kuroo looks meaningfully at him.

Daichi understands. If he hadn't been the Lord of Karasuno he would have dropped everything to go looking for Kuroo in Nekoma like how Kuroo had come back to him in Karasuno. He can't say that he isn't affected by Kuroo's words and presence because he is, his heartbeat racing and his blood humming low in his veins, his hands itching to touch Kuroo again.

"You have to understand that I'm finding it very hard to let go of this dagger given your track record and who I am," Daichi murmurs.

"I understand," Kuroo says, hurt filling his amber eyes. "If it would put your mind at ease, I could leave now and we could pretend this conversation never happened."

Daichi looks at Kuroo, running his eyes over his face, features that he had memorised after removing his mask. It hadn't been his face Daichi had fallen in love with first but the intangible things Daichi has seen within him during their three nights together. Granted, three nights wasn't the longest of times to be falling in love with someone but Daichi had and it might just be foolishness on his part but he wants to believe in what they had going on between them during the masquerade.

"Don't leave me again," Daichi says to Kuroo, his voice tight and controlled, trying not to sound as desperate as he feels as he lowers his dagger slowly. He keeps his eyes trained on Kuroo as he sheathes it and takes a step back.

"I'll have to leave when Kenma moves on to the next fief," Kuroo responds, breathing easier without the blade at his neck.

Daichi glares at him, his wings ruffling threateningly. "You know what I mean."

Kuroo smiles and Daichi sees a familiar spark of mischief under all the relief on his face. "I do."

Something brushes against Daichi's hip and Daichi looks down to see Kuroo's tail making a reappearance after the danger had passed, curling around Daichi's waist and pulling him in. Kuroo still has his hands raised and he lowers them slowly, watching Daichi's reaction with careful amber eyes. Daichi glances at the tail sneaking around his waist and then back at Kuroo pointedly but he makes no move to stop it, or the hand reaching for his hand.

"I missed you a lot after the masquerade ball, Sawamura." Kuroo takes Daichi's hand in his, grazing his thumb over his palm and twining his fingers with his fingers, looking pleased with himself as he meets Daichi's eyes again.

"That's your fault." Daichi tells him, tightening his grip on Kuroo's fingers. "I told you to talk to me, didn't I? Not to disappear again."

"You wanted to see me again?" Kuroo asks, his eyes alight.

"I tried looking for you," Daichi admits, colouring slightly. "But apparently you're the most elusive cat in Nekoma."

Kuroo smiles ruefully. "I don't actually exist in Nekoma. Not as Kuroo Tetsurou anyway."

"Then who are you in Nekoma?"

"Well, Kozume Tetsurou is one but no one calls me that. We're pretty open-minded but even that would be pushing it. Nekomata is another. That old cat says he wants a heir but he really just wants me to take his place in the council. Only my mother and my close friends know me as Kuroo Tetsurou. And now you." Kuroo grins at Daichi.

"You're a real enigma, aren't you?" Daichi says tartly.

"A real cat of mystery," Kuroo agrees. "But if you take the time to get to know me, I promise you it'll be worth it."

Daichi looks into Kuroo's leering face, that same smirk back in full force and his eyebrows waggling suggestively. The colour had returned to Kuroo's face after Daichi put his dagger away, his cheeks tinged a happy pink as he flirts shamelessly with Daichi. And Daichi bursts into laughter, the awful, miserable feeling that had been bogging down his chest for weeks dissipating into something light and golden. It feels a lot like love, or a prelude to love, even if Daichi never expected to find it in a cat he just happened to meet at a masquerade ball.

"I don't even know how we're going to make this work," Daichi says, shaking his head at the fond look on Kuroo's face.

"We'll figure something out," Kuroo muses, his hands dropping to bracket Daichi's hips and sliding around his back to take his tail's place. "Technically, I don't exist in Nekoma so I'm sure they won't mind me running off to spend time with my lover once in a while. We'll communicate using a set of very complicated bird calls only we know and you'll leave your window open for me to climb in at midnight."

"And just how do you think you're going to scale metres of stone in the middle of the night in a foreign fief?" Daichi asks, a grin already breaking out on his face.

"I won't have to," Kuroo says confidently and his fingers dance up the length of Daichi's wings. "My lover has a set of very beautiful and very strong wings. Remember, I accept all future offers with ready enthusiasm."

"I'll think about it." Daichi leans into Kuroo, his hands finding their way into Kuroo's hair and passing over Kuroo's ears with deliberate care just so that Daichi can feel him purr against him, the sound coming from a warm place deep in his chest. "In the meantime, you better figure out a way to fly, sir cat."

---

The day of the cats' departure arrives too soon and Daichi sees them off at the front gate with a whole group of crows surrounding him, looking solemn with their black wings and long faces. The cats had only stayed for a short while but it had been enough for them to form, or rediscover, lasting friendships with many of the crows.

Daichi had talked to Yaku and Kai about sending a group of crows over to Nekoma for a short visit and they had promised to make arrangements on their side and send word once they were back at Nekoma. Kenma and his entourage were to travel the kingdom for a few weeks more before returning to Nekoma and Daichi doesn't envy Kuroo's job of tamping down on the rumours spreading through the different fiefs they stop at. It is a pity that Kenma doesn't want to be the next lord because Daichi thinks that Kenma would be immensely well-suited to it with the proper support.

Kuroo isn't among the cats gathered by the front gate and Daichi bites down on a rueful smile. He probably left at an odd hour in the morning to avoid being seen, ever the secretive cat. But he had come to see Daichi the night before he left, kissing him so soundly into the wall that Daichi still feels him against his lips.

Even after everything they had talked out, Daichi still doesn't know how much of Kuroo he will be able to see after he leaves. The distance between Karasuno and Nekoma is neither too long nor too short but Kuroo has his responsibilities to his lord and Daichi has his responsibilities to his fief. They will have to meet in the middle, during social events at other fiefs, dancing at parties and blending in with the crowd, sneaking off to balconies or gardens or each other's rooms for privacy. They will make it work.

A bird calls or cries or squawks in the distance and every head in the vicinity turns in its direction, startled. It doesn't sound like any recognisable species but it does sound like it is in agony and Daichi has to turn his face away, biting the inside of his mouth to stop himself from laughing, hurriedly trying to compose himself before anyone looks back.

He had told Kuroo that his bird calls were awful but Kuroo had said they were perfectly useable. Given that he had drawn the attention of everyone within earshot, Daichi is going to make Kuroo reconsider his definition of useable the next time they meet. If everything went well on Nekoma's side, Daichi would see him in the summer when the cats were back in their fief and ready to receive the crows.

He can't wait to dance with him again.

A/N: This is the end of the fic! I’ll be uploading a few deleted scenes, or rather deleted lines, and the playlist for this in another chapter on AO3 so watch out for that if you like. Thank you for making it this far with me!

#kurodai #sawamura daichi #kuroo tetsurou #haikyuu!!#my writing

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dickie-gayson · 7 years

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SHENANIGANS

DUKE VS THE SUN AND DICK’S HAREM OF OLDER MEN

Summary: After a rough night on patrol, Duke just wants the sun to go away. In trying to do so, he manages to drive Dick up the wall about his harem of older men.

Otherwise known as: In which Duke is too stubborn to just move his seat and Dick is in serious denial.

Characters: Duke Thomas, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain, Luke Fox, Stephanie Brown, Harper Row

Genre: Family, Humor

Length: 4k+

Other: Just a funny, nonsense fic (that was only supposed to be like 1k wtf) i tried to give everyone speaking parts w./o making it too confusing. Dialogue Heavy.

Find It On: Ao3 Fanfiction

All was quiet in Wayne Manor as the sun sat high in the sky. Such a thing was not odd for the mostly nocturnal family. Today, however, was a special occasion. The previous night's patrol had been somewhat strenuous for the patrolling bats and birds, and as such, they were given a day to unwind and recover from the fatigue. Naturally, after crashing for a few hours, the members started to slowly rise and shuffle about, none-too-happy about being conscious, but alas, they were never known to maintain a healthy sleep schedule. There was always something more important to be done, even on a 'day off'. A day off in the Batfamily was really just another way of saying 'paperwork and investigation day'.

Duke slumped at the absurdly long dinner table with a loud, beleaguered groan, as if the sheer act of being conscious was a great torment of some form. Slowly, deep brown eyes rose and squinted at the window that let sunshine wash across the room. It almost looked as if the force of his glare alone could close the curtains. There was a soul-deep hatred one could only get after being put through hell and having to stave off the sweet embrace of slumber for more work. That, or being so incredibly hung-over and being forced to attend a third-graders school concert. It was almost impressive, really, how much it seemed that the sun itself personally offended him.

Another person walked into the dining room, loudly munching on their choice of breakfast (and wouldn't you know that's the only sound they made?). Duke was still getting used to living in a house full of goddamn ninjas. He purposefully ignored the person as they drew closer, in no mood to converse. Really, all he wanted to do was curl up and sleep off the rough night he had. That, and throw the sun in the fucking trash because nothing had the right to be that bright and cheery when he felt like he went twenty rounds with Troia.

His attempts to ignore the person were rendered useless as yet another person entered the room and he just knew shit was going to go down. No more than two (2) Bats can be in a room together without some sort of catastrophe going on. It's like a scientific law at this point. He let out another melodramatic sigh and let his head drop to the table with a 'thud'. Then, he winced and groaned again as his headache increased just a bit from the unnecessary abuse.

"Aww, what's wrong baby bird? Long night?"

That soul-penetrating glare was leveled to the owner of the teasing, baby voice. An amused smirk is what met his eyes. Of course, it'd be Jason ready to fuck with him. He was pretty sure the oldest Batkids didn't sleep. Ever. And that they had some unnatural ability to bounce back from the worst situations like goddamn bouncy balls. Duke wasn't fully convinced they weren't secret metahumans. Just last week he caught Tim trying hang-glide with one broken arm so he could meet up with Kon at four in the morning for waffles or some equally dumb shit. And then there was the time Dick walked out of an exploding building while he was on fire and just laughed about it. Duke was almost positive there was some amount of mental trauma at the very least, given all their head and non-physical injuries.

"What is wrong with all of you?"

There was no true venom behind the words; just the understandable irritation of a kid who got clotheslined by some ugly dude in an even uglier suit at two in the morning. Jason just laughed and Dick chuckled around his spoon of probably overly sugary cereal. Great, he had the two oldest to deal with. He could already feel his desire to leap out the window rising. At least he wasn't going to get beat up by a thirteen-year-old again, that's a plus.

"Before or after the Crowbar Incident? You want a list? I bet I have more problems than Dickhead."

At that, Dick gave a derogative snort and flicked some of his cereal at Jason, who dodged it. The bit managed to hit Duke in the forehead and his glare just narrowed just a bit more at the older vigilantes. Jason pointed and laughed as the piece slowly slid and plopped onto Duke's lap.

"I'm going to go out and spit on your grave."

The oldest hero laughed loudly at Duke's irritation. He had to put his bowl on the table and steady himself at the affronted look plastered on the formerly dead man's face.

"Wow, Duke, tell me how you really feel."

It was still odd, adjusting to joking about some of them having died before. But, as he learned over time, they loved bringing it up in every situation. Mostly Jason, if he were being honest. Duke was still too scared to bring it up to Cass and Damian. Cass was too nice and also fucking scary, and Damian already beat the ever-loving hell out of him once. He did not want a repeat, thanks.

The cloud formerly hiding the sun for just a bit finally passed and Duke was, once more, hit full force with the rays of the sun. His look of intense hatred was once more turned to the offending light. Without turning his angered stare from the window, he spoke up.

"Dick, call your leather daddy."

He didn't need to turn to know the eldest just choked on his food and was trying to hack it up from the wrong tube. Jason, meanwhile, was absolutely dying. Duke shifted to glance at the two. The younger of the two ex-Robins had one hand on his knee and was pointing at Dick with his free hand, laughing obnoxiously. Meanwhile, the older was glaring, face red from just having choked on Crocky Crunch.

"Shut up, Jason. And what do you mean 'leather daddy'. I don't have a leather daddy."

Just to irritate him, Jason laughed louder. The laughter seemed to have drawn others in, because Tim slipped in, looking just shy of actually dead. Behind him was Cass, looking graceful as ever. How she did it, he'd never know. Tim looked at the scene with mild suspicion, not that Duke could blame him. There was always a fifty-fifty shot that someone laughing at another member was bad. Cass just looked entertained. Her ability to read a situation so quickly was as unnerving as it was awesome.

"Why does Jason look like he's about to pass out? Did they break out the mullet pictures again?"

Dick turned his glare to Tim.

"Not you too! There were no mullet pictures this time! Jason's laughing because he's dumb."

Jason wiped a pretend tear as he straightened up slightly.

"Wrong, Dickface. I'm laughing because Duke is my new favorite brother."

Duke just looked at him with mild confusion. Tim seemed to mirror his look, though there was a bit more skepticism. Sometimes Duke still marveled at just how much like Bruce the other was. Did they teach 'paranoia' classes here or something? Was it like a required trait when being adopted by the big bad Bat? You had to be at least level 5 in either Paranoia, Nerd, or Athlete to join their cosplay group. Dick was staring at Jason as if just said the Riddler was the new fashion icon.

"That makes no sense Jason, but no surprise here. Also, why is he your favorite? He threatened to spit on your grave!"

Jason just raises an eyebrow in response. Duke wished he could do that.

"Yeah? And he didn't wear a rainbow polka-dot shirt with high-waisted jeans and dad loafers. Not to mention you had The Mullet at the time."

Duke couldn't help but let out the disgusted sound at the mental imagery. Tim visibly shuttered and even Cass looked at Dick with something akin to mild horror. Dick just put his head in his hands.

"Why? Why am I stuck with you all? Where's Damian, I need someone in my corner."

The words basically fell on deaf ears as Duke was still marveling over the atrocious mess that was Dick Grayson's fashion choices. How the man got voted the Most Eligible Bachelor and posted up as a part-time model when he was strapped for cash, Duke would never know. You could tell he grew up in a circus from the way he dressed. Not that Duke would ever say that because it felt like a really douche thing to say and he didn't want to get suplexed by the eldest. If he didn't stand a chance against Damian, he would get demolished by Dick. The guy had more fighting experience than most heroes in the business. So, for that, he could forgive his fashion crimes. But that didn't mean he forgot what he's been trying to get Dick to do before everyone derailed the conversation. Duke snapped his fingers for attention.

"Hello? Leather daddy? Call him."

Jason started to chuckle all over again, and Tim let out a startled sort of laugh, caught off-guard by the words. Dick let out an aggravated breath. Duke could see Cass laughing silently behind her hand as she watched the idiocy unfold.

"For the last time Duke, I do NOT have a leather daddy! And why do you need Midnighter, anyway?'

Everyone went dead quiet for a moment before Jason roared with laughter, almost on the floor at this point. Even Tim was having trouble remaining standing. He needed to lean on Cass to stay upright. He wheezed out between laughs.

"Oh my god, Dick. You just- He never said it was Midnighter."

Dick's face turned an interesting deep crimson, which was still frustratingly handsome. Duke didn't think it was fair, really. When he got embarrassed, he looked something like a frightened chipmunk.

"I...Uh...He's the only one I hang out with that wears leather and you guys tease me about."

Now, Duke was no expert or anything, but he was pretty sure if Jason didn't start breathing soon, he was going to pass out from lack of oxygen. Being that he was too indisposed to speak, Tim had the honors of filling in for him in the 'irritate Dick Grayson' category.

"Bullshit, we keep a list."

Somewhere between the stunned look on the veteran hero's face and the surprising snort of laughter that came from Cass, Luke entered the fray. He looked around the group warily. Good instincts. While Luke was busy eating his apple and surveying the scene, Dick managed to recompose himself. He narrowed his bright eyes in distrust.

"A list?"

After a noisy bite, Luke spoke up, not content with being left out of the loop.

"A list of what?"

From somewhere near the floor, Jason managed to choke out between panting breaths.

"Dick's sugar daddies."

"Ahh, that list. You add Raptor to it yet?"

Duke slammed his hands down on the table, catching their undivided attention. The sun was hitting him just right and it was annoying as all hell. He wondered if he could convince Superman to move the sun. Or the manor. He wasn't picky.

"Focus! I'm the one with the issue here! Call up your scary leather boyfriend and tell him to bring his boyfriend here."

Dick's gaze only grew more suspicious as he eyed up Duke.

"Why do you need Apollo?"

Tim snorted and faux-whispered to Steph, who had shown up with Harper and Barbara in the time that Duke was ranting.

"He didn't even try to deny being Midnighter's other boyfriend."

If one looked closely, they could almost see a vein in Dick's head throbbing like some sort of cartoon.

"Shut. up."

Duke, in a show of almost supernatural willpower, managed to ignore them and press on with his own devastating issues. Really, they should be paying full attention to his issue. He was the new kid and this was serious.

"I need Apollo here...so I can punch him."

His voice had been so calm and serious that it actually garnered incredulous stares. Dick had to take a moment to himself out of surprise. Luke just looked at Duke with something close to disbelief.

"Wha- Why do you want to punch Apollo? You've never met him. Also, he's super-powered, my dude."

Duke gave a flat, dead-serious stare.

"I know, I don't care. I want to punch him."

This time, it was Harper who piped up.

"But why?"

"Well, I can't feasibly go outside and punch the sun, now can I?"

Dick finally seemed to recollect himself, because he took back the reigns of the conversation.

"You...want me to call Midnighter."

"Yes."

"So he can bring Apollo."

"Yep."

"So you can punch Apollo."

"Correct."

"Because you can't punch the sun?"

"You got it."

There was another beat of silence. Then, Dick decided to break it with possibly the most somber voice Duke's ever heard come from the man.

"...Duke, what, and I mean this as nicely as possible, the fuck?"

"Listen, it makes perfect sense. Back me up, Tim. You're the smart one here. I can't fight the sun, but I can fight the guy who is based on the Sun God."

It looked as if Tim was actually debating the merits of the plan when Damian spoke up. The newest addition to the batclan nearly had a goddamn heart attack because he had not seen or heard Damian come in. He eyed up the smaller boy warily.

"Wrong. You can get decimated by the guy who is based on a Sun God. Because that is exactly what will happen if you attempt to fight him, Thomas."

"Hey, all I need is one hit and I'll feel better."

At the disparaging scoff that came from Luke, Duke shot him a Look. It wasn't quite to the Bat-level yet, but he was working on it. Hey, he was pretty proud of his Look so far. It scared a few of the baddies. He'll get there one day. At the moment, however, Luke just gave him a smirk back and spoke.

"Man, you'll feel a helluva lot worse, I bet. Not only would you be fighting a superhuman, but the superhuman's angry superhuman boyfriend."

Steph piped in with a look of exaggerated and obviously fake confusion on her face.

"Dick isn't a superhuman, though."

Dick let out a frustrated growl, clearly having fallen for the bait. Steph just smiled in satisfaction.

"He meant Midnighter! I am not dating Apollo!"

"Right, you're just dating M. Who's dating Apollo."

"For fuck's sake. I'm not dating either of them!"

If Dick got any more aggravated, Duke was betting his hair would either start turning white or just fall right out. He was mentally betting on falling out. A Luthor-style Dick would be hilarious. Meanwhile, Harper figured now would be a good time to join in on the 'irritate the oldest' bonding moment they were having.

"Yeah, he's clearly dating that one angry dude who worked with him when he was a super spy or some shit."

Babs gave an entertained look to Harper at the words. She seemed to be having the time of her life messing with her ex. The look in her eyes made Duke mentally remind himself not to piss her off anytime soon.

"You mean Tiger?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"NO I'M NOT!"

He had to idly wonder where Bruce and Alfred were. They were being obnoxiously loud for being bats. Dick looked like his head was going to pop, either from aggravation or embarrassment, and the rest were having a blast. 'Nothing like family bonding over dragging a sibling.' Jason finally seemed to come out of his laughter-induced coma.

"Duh, if Dickie were smashing anyone, it'd be Constantine."

The look of sheer incredulity on Dick's face was priceless. Duke would admit this one threw him for a loop. He's heard of the tricky magic-user who sold his soul however many times. But, he's never heard of the Brit liking Dick. Not that it'd be a surprise. Duke could probably throw a rock in any direction and hit someone who wanted to bone the original Robin.

"What the hell? John Constantine? Where did that even come from?!"

Jason just gave him a serious, flat look.

"He totally has the hots for you."

Babs gave a sage nod, as if nothing truer had ever been spoken. Even Luke gave a sound of agreement. Dick couldn't help but look at them in surprise.

"No, he does not. Where did you hear that?"

"I heard it from Kyle who heard it from Simon. Apparently, during a meeting of some form where he was with John, John wouldn't stop talking 'bout how much of a beefcake you are."

"Oh my God, just end my life already. For real this time."

Tim snapped his fingers, as if remembering something.

"Oh yeah! I heard about that! It was the talk of the Watchtower for a bit there."

At this point, Dick had his head in his hands once more and looked ready to resign from life in general.

"I hate you. I hate you all."

Duke cleared his throat and waved his arms to garner their attention.

"Guys, we're getting off track. We can talk about Dick's Harem of Older Men later. I have a sun to punch."

"I do NOT have a Harem of Older Men! Where do you guys get this information?!"

The joined 'siblings' shared a look. The fact that this might have been discussed before left a look of true horror on the first Boy Wonder's face. Duke apparently hadn't been around long enough to enjoy these sessions. He wasn't sure whether he should be pleased or disappointed about that fact. Cass started ticking off sources, much to Dick's shock.

"Other heroes. Villains. Oracle. Watching you and enemies. Very obvious."

Babs looked from her successor to Dick with a growing look of amusement.

"They're not wrong. We're keeping a tally on who's in the Dick Grayson Older Men Fan Club. Fifty bucks say you get a new member in the next two months."

"There is no fan club."

Tim shook his head, as if saddened that Dick couldn't accept the obvious. Steph was having a ball needling Dick.

"There totally is. Slade's the president, M's the treasurer, Thomas Wayne Jr. is the VP, Constan-'

At that, Duke shot the blonde a look of confusion. He was still going through the list of criminal profiles and hadn't made it to that name yet. It was the fact that he recognized the name Thomas Wayne as Bruce's father that caught his attention.

"Wait, Thomas Wayne Jr.? Who the hell is that?"

Steph, as if realizing that not everyone gathered witnessed whatever fuckery brought the man around, took pity on Duke and explained just a little.

"Oh, Bruce's older brother from an alternate universe or some shit. Evil. Totally has a hard on for Dick, anyway-'

"That's so fucked up, man."

He marveled yet again over the sheer level of absurdity this family went through on a near daily basis. And he willingly submerged himself into it. Great.

"GUYS! SHUT UP! THERE IS NO HAREM OR FAN CLUB.-'

"I think we established that there is."

'-SLADE IS DEFINITELY NOT THE PRESIDENT-'

"Oh, please, he liked invented your fan club."

'-AND BRUCE'S BROTHER DOESN'T HAVE THE HOTS FOR ME."

"Yeah, cus just anyone goes to an alternate universe to stalk the alternate version of their old partner and kidnap them to keep them."

"That is NOT what went down."

"Suuuuure."

Duke really didn't want to think about ANY of that for more than three seconds, because honestly, what the in the fresh hell. How is Dick alive with that many crazy creeps after him? If it were Duke, he probably would have just hung up the tights and called it a day. He does not need whacked out assassins after his ass, no thanks. Shaking his head, as if it'd rid him of disturbing images of way-too-tight suits and creepy old men, he spoke up. Duke still hasn't gotten to punch the overly cheerful ball in the sky or its metahuman counterpart. This is unbelievable. Bats got shit done except when he needed to beat someone up.

"DICK. Bring your boyfriend's boyfriend here! I need to hit him! This shit is too bright. Gotham ain't ever this bright, what the fuck."

"Oh, for the love of- Duke, if you want to hit someone, go punch Jason."

At that moment, Damian shoved his way to the front and center of Dick's view. There was a look of disgust and irritation scrunched up on his otherwise adorable features. Duke subtly (or tried to be subtle) scooted back from the duo. That look meant he was unhappy. And if it was involving his precious oldest brother/father-figure, Duke was not getting in the middle of that. He wasn't suicidal, despite what his late-night activities might suggest.

"Grayson, we need to discuss this harem of older men dedicated to you."

Dick took a deep breath and tried to appear calm for the youngest of the family. He gave the boy a patient look that only came with years of practice.

"Damian, there is no harem, they're being dumb."

Clearly, that wasn't the answer the young hero was looking for. He gave one of his infamous little tongue clicks and rolled his eyes.

"That isn't new knowledge. However, I have seen and heard things that would coincide with their stories. I do not approve."

Just like that, Dick's calm facade shattered. Honestly, he was impressed it held for even half of the sentence.

"I swear to god, there is no harem. There isn't even a fan club. None that I've heard of, at any rate."

Damian merely gave a contemplative hum. There was that look in his eyes. You know, the look of a Bat who just became obsessed with a case. It was almost worrying because Duke was positive the kid was going to take this way too seriously.

"I need find this 'fan club' and dismantle it before they attempt anything."

Jason was practically vibrating in his seat in an attempt to hold in his raucous laughter. This was clearly the best day he's had in a while.

"That's right, baby bat! Go get 'em! They're out to steal our precious big bird."

Dick shot him the patented 'Batglare', though years of exposure lessened the effects to the smartass vigilante.

"Do NOT encourage him, Jason."

It was obvious Jason heard him, but he pretended not to and merely kept his attention solely on the youngest Robin. Tim, seeing this as a wondrous and golden opportunity to fuck with Damian, pitched in his two-cents.

"In fact, I think you should join the fan club. Work your way up the ranks, like a sort of double agent, and then bring them all down."

"Hmm...this plan has merit, even if it's coming from Drake."

"Thanks, Dami."

Jason scoffed from his position against the table.

"He only wants to join for the t-shirt."

"Tt, no. If I wanted any Grayson merchandise, I could simply go to the dollar store and buy something. I need to ensure that these...miscreants have nothing nefarious planned. Grayson often leaves himself open in such stupid ways around them."

"Excuse me? I do not. And for the last damn time...you know what? Never mind, have fun trying to find this imaginary club. And you,-'

He pointed directly at Duke, the one who started this whole thing. Duke just gave him a squinted look, still waiting for him to call Midnighter for him.

'have fun trying to fist fight something that would destroy your ass. I'm out."

With that, the eldest stalked out of the room, having hit his quota for irritation and insults for the day. Though, Luke managed to slip one more in before he was out of hearing range.

"Try not to pick up any more older men while you're out!"

"FUCK OFF!"

There was a moment of silence in which they all just kind of reveled in the shared amusement. Then, Duke turned his squint to Tim as the sun still burned his retinas.

"Hey Tim, you think you can call Superboy?"

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daniellepatoir · 6 years

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What is "The Dream Bubble Show" & who will be in it??

Hello everyone... I just wanted to reach out as a lot is going on ... I want to have "meetings" or at least stay in touch with those who are interested in being part of this dream bubble show (which is basically my life). Whether it be "face-timing" or "in person" visits. I am working on making it more clear for us all but basically I am planning to go around the world with this show idea... yes a "mini life tour". I have a strong calling to travel with my voice (songs, music, writings, rhyming in the flow, art, prayers, etc), with my soul, mind (philosophy, meditation) & body (movement, yoga, dance, exercise, running, scootering, biking, hiking, etc) around the world, to make a huge difference. I would like to be supported enough that I could go around this planet as "my true self"; fulfilling my mission; spreading "world peace". I'd like to hire myself to "be my greatest version" & show how the "universe" takes care of us along the way. We get what we give. To me, "love" and sharing memorable moments with people are more valuable than the "in -between" "money". Nothing against money (& I appreciate those who work hard for it) but then there is the other side of it all. I feel often people are just "living" to make money.. that they don't even have a "life". It pains me to see unhappy people, or people without time or desire to find out who they truly are. I see homeless people on the streets of NYC that I want to shelter, feed, crack a joke or refreshing thought to, & hug. I believe this world would be a better place if we all were here fulfilling our purposes. Things would get done faster & I feel we would be taking better care of our Mother Earth. I would like to prove that "team- work makes the dream work" & we are all "one"; we are of "equal worth". If we want to see the heart of Mother Earth pumping at a good pace; we've got to fuel her properly with the right fuel of "love". With this complete freedom; we can run wild. To see people in "categories" based off their income ruling every action they make just seems twisted to me. Why does "money" have to mean "power" or "authority"; or give someone the privilege to take over the world. I have often had difficulty understanding it because to me love & happiness is most important. I need to take a breath typing about all of this. There is a lot more to "balancing" life; what about our health? That is true wealth in my opinion. There is more than what meets the eye & more dimensions than the one we are currently "living" in. I don't know about you but I am a people person. I love meeting new people & holding lasting meaningful relationships. Though sometimes I get the general need to hide from society. I need my privacy for when I am constantly surrounded by people & I need my trees and fresh air when I've been in the city too long. I guess; it's just like how you need the dark and light; Yin-Yang. Being able to be alone is crucial in living an honest life though. It gives us time to truly "dive deep" & can put us in that meditative (trance like) state. Anyway, I am going to be like an open book. I have been labeled "bipolar" & been on meds for "ADHD" in the past; though I do not believe in these things. I say drop the labels; we all just have our ways. There is much to a person; a personality, genetics, astrological sign, etc. etc. Anyway, this experience helped me realize how important mental health truly is. I know many people who have been suicidal, extremely depressed, or just have felt so much confusion..' even I have been hospitalized after having breakdowns. In my case I realize it was my environment & situation of "not knowing who I truly was, listening, or seeing the desired results fast enough" that was killing me. I could go on & on but what I mean is; I have been there. Maybe 'cos I have been there too much I have this obsession with being happy. Anyway, I spent years listening to "self- help" & "how to manifest" videos by Abraham Hicks, Infinite Waters, Eckhart Tolle & so forth. I spent all the money I practically had once to take Mary Morrissey's program about living your dream because that is all I wanted to do. The research continued and I studied the law of attraction. Even now I continue to look stuff up & sort through it all. I've always had a strong desire to serve & help others; it was too much so that I would put people before myself; while I was suffering. I realize I have to help myself first; before helping others. I got rehired to working at Equinox in NYC to be a fitness trainer but kept having breakdowns because I knew that was my plan B. I had to listen to my heart & soul. I was trying to build 3 businesses at once; as I was grateful to live at this musician artist loft in Brooklyn NYC for a bit but I realized it was time to focus on "The Dream Bubble Show". I had to take care of myself & learn how to be my greatest version in order to go around the world & help others be theirs. I have held too many jobs for too short of time because of "following my heart"; impulsively I would relocate or quit. I see the value behind having "jobs" in order to "eventually" live your dream but I wanted the "fast track". I guess I just wonder; when can we just "choose to press Play" on our greatest version stories? On "Plan A". Why all the suffering & pain? Ok, maybe it isn't that extreme but time is valuable right ? Though made up? So, how about this one.. why all the wasted time? Why lower your vibration rather than fly high all the time? How can we all just be happy & on "vacation" rather than need a vacation from our lives? People would say to me constantly "cos it's not "realistic"!!" Yes, you have a point, the way "the system" works; how the world is run; & "being humans" we have our emotions but I feel we could be happier overall. There are people who are their own "bosses"; or those "freelancers"; who found the glitch in the magic. Maybe we all would be happy to enter the glitch in the matrix; & maybe it isn't for everyone because they want the security of "a job"; I get it. What if "the glitch in the matrix" was able to support you because the "glitch in the matrix" was the end all be all and doorknob to another world? Did I blow your mind yet? The door is open. You just need to get a grip; this is a lot to handle, right? What is the makeup to feeling "secure" anyway? I would feel secure if I had enough "love" to be me freely. Different things make people feel things & different triggers can make more of an impact. Who is shooting at you & how do you protect (shield) yourself? What is being shot at? Perhaps you let the contrast amplify what you want.. by knowing what you don't want; helping you know 'thyself even more. Do you ever think of your chakras & which ones might need healing? What do you need? Tell me? Maybe I can be a Chakra healer & help you find out & heal you. My "Dream Bubble" can act like a mirror & reflect yourself to you. Yes, I'd love to heal the world but again we can't do it all by ourselves.. but if I was doing this show people could all put their comments down as I go around. So we can get an array of lenses all shining back at whomever is on my show. Let's wash away the belief systems that are preventing ourselves from living our dreams. You are ultimately free to decide & I respect your opinions. I am sure some people will read what I write & say I am in "la la" land or call me ____ (go on fill it in). I say; "why yes, that's great; you are correct; I am whatever you say I am (shout out to Eminem lol). The same goes for you; whenever you are you people "judge you" but why does it bother you? It is what we know; we are separate from their judgements like thoughts we can let pass. I am you & you are me; so ultimately if something I am saying hurts you it's just something you don't want to face within yourself. Yet again, I am here to hold up the mirror. I am the master of my own destiny; I only know life through my lenses (or third Eye lense Dream Bubble ) & I know what works for me. I've got to roll. Ultimately, I have agreed & said "yes" to "living my dream" & that involves being in my "dream bubble" (& you are welcome to join me) It is magical & keeps me alive. If it wasn't for this "dream bubble" I wouldn't be here because this world is too much for me to bare. I "bounced up like a bouncy ball" from a version of myself I no longer recognize; to "fly high on air" all the time to help others with these "high's & low's" of life. I am free of chemicals & medications as all I need is this dream bubble which includes all things I love doing & people who support me. Whatever works for you though; I suggest do what works. You know you best. I feel we ought to find a balance, to sway on the swing & have fun at playgrounds like we are kids if we want to. Why not? Why not do what keeps you happy? You want to stay young? Do what the young do. Frolick around like one. Color in your coloring book, play hide- n seek, games, play with puppets, dress up in whatever fashionable outfit you want, run around, go on the merry- go- round, play games, You want to stay sharp? Go on and read, research, dive deep, travel; by know your sources. I had to choose my Plan A to "help" people be their greatest versions. I aim to help others live their dreams as I live mine; while sharing live footage, film, music, art & "knowledge" & "realizations" a long the way... so you too feel like you are touring the world 🌎 , traveling with me. If you want to meet in person & "be on an episode" let me know.. as all are welcome on my show with the only rules being: 1) Love 2) Peace 3) Come as your greatest version & share your gift 🎁 if you know it. If you don't yet have a sense of purpose we can work something out to discover it together. The idea is: our "gifts"🎁 (Reasons we are here, life passions & purposes) resonate with the "love frequency" & can be found deep inside the "lost & founds" in our "heart". If we were to have one huge "gift exchange" or constant "mini gift exchanges" happening all over the world.. we would be "waking people up". We would raise the consciousness and "vibration" of the planet. Watch out we might fly away to another dimensions' galaxy in this "vortex" spaceship if this happens. Lol.. Anything is possible right!? A new world 🌎 ?!? Did I mention I have a vivid imagination & I am a "creative genius" "lightworker"?? Let me be your guide through "The Dream Bubble" world. It took a lot for me to get to know it here. ;) If you have anything you would like to share with the world, if you want to be quoted, or on camera, let me know. Let's share our passions as I go around in my "dream bubble" of pure bliss; resonating with the universal, DNA healing, "love frequency" of 528hz. Yes, I tune to the frequency (528hz) that has been proven to be "the miracle tone". My debut album is mostly the other earth friendly tone of 432hz. I am here to help fill the cracks with love & resurface the world, with the shiny bubble material so we all shine. If you want to be part of the "Dream Bubble Family" behind the scenes & work together please reach out. You can do both. I am at the point where I need to make some sort of "game plan" so I can make the "right" moves & this show can be a success. I want us all to win our dream life (Plan A) and the more the merrier so feel free share this post & the website etc. Mini games will be played along the way as it is a "real- life video game 🎮 " & the object is to stay in the golden path & live as our greatest versions. Making it a fun adventure for all... so we can attain a state of happiness, world peace, & pure bliss..I truly hope to change history & rewrite those stories vibrating at low levels to beautiful masterpieces of joy. Wouldn't you like to wake up & go to bed each day in the state of pure bliss? Let's balance the swing & stay in that trance state, each moment. We don't need anything outside ourselves to attain this... happiness is an inner job. It is simply a matter of sharing what is inside us... let it unravel & you will see.. Namaste loves 🙏💓💫🦋🎶🦄✨💡👍🚀 ~Patoirlove (Creator of The Dream Bubble Show) PS: If you are a community or organization with similar values & this hit home 🏡 please reach out to me as I've been looking for you.. [email protected] PPS: If anyone wants to sponsor me for the start or lend the materials I need just to get into "the glitch of the matrix" I have to "leave the system"; I will need the following: A vehicle (preferable a van, with fuel, food, water, or other shelter at times when not in van, toothpaste & soap, etc, you know only the necessities, & a film crew with proper equipment to capture & live stream "on air")

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falloncartier-blog · 6 years

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i would take the truth over all your lies [ self para ].

summary: fallon overhears a conversation between her grandmother louise cartier and family friend edith jacobs. the two talk without the knowledge that fallon is listening in on the conversation, becoming aware of secrets regarding fallon & one particular southside serpent cousin. secrets that she’s sure no one intended either of them to know about; kind of like how they’re related at all.

looking back at her childhood fallon could remember an endless number of afternoons spent with her grandmother. over the years the older woman had taken her adoptive granddaughter out for ice cream, taught her card games, watched over her as she coloured within the lines of her colouring book ( and also when she coloured on the walls that one time ). no matter the time in fallon’s life she always remembered her nana louise being there by her side.

the first sign that the elderly woman wasn’t aware of fallon’s presence really had come the moment she stepped through the door after school. fallon was used to the near smothering affection coming immediately. she was used to being ushered into the kitchen to receive a nurturing snack, it was like louise cartier knew all the crappy foods she’d been eating so far. it didn’t come this particular day though, fallon entered the house with a bar of chocolate in hand expecting a meaningful yet hard stare but instead she was allowed to sneak up to her room. the whole thing brought an uncharacteristic frown to fallon’s features.

for a moment as she dropped her bag onto the floor and kicked off the white sneakers fallon considered that maybe her grandmother wasn’t home. that theory was quickly debunked as suddenly when the doorbell rang chatter filled the house. it was shocking in a way, how two women in their late sixties could make the house sound like it was full of people. fallon was sure she could remember parties quieter than when louise cartier and edith jacobs got together.

with the intention of just saying hello fallon ventured back downstairs. she didn’t get there though, on the bottom step of the stairs the brunette froze, a statement echoing through the air “it was that idiot brother-in-law of rose this time around, theodore.”

the words didn’t exactly echo but it sure felt like they did, bouncing through her mind with the ferocity of a bouncy ball thrown by a five year old.

the confession was enough to make fallon stay, to sink down onto the step with her elbows on top of her knees listening through closed doors. this wasn’t what she had intended and she knew it wasn’t right. but, then again, fallon wasn’t sure how many idiots named theodore had been fucking things up recently. the only one she knew of was her biological father betraying the southside serpents, as much as she didn’t want to care she couldn’t help but be curious. she needed to know if that’s who they were talking about.

“careful now, i’m not sure when fallon will be coming home from school. it should be any minute.” fallon heard her grandmother warn, “i was under the impression you weren’t interested in discussing your daughter’s husband and his family.”

the reply that followed took longer “unfortunately this is information i’m afraid you should be aware of, with southside high closing down you never know if rose’s son and fallon will end up finding each other.”

“the only good thing that man ever did was give her up, if i ever meet theodore clark i will thank him, for giving us fallon.”

it felt like her heart had dropped into her stomach, the dark haired teenager had been holding out hope that maybe they were talking about different people. but fallon knew there couldn’t be another theodore clark, they were talking about tall boy and she had a feeling ‘rose’s son’ the women hoped she wouldn’t meet was ricky.

she heard edith hum in agreement, “it is unfortunate that richard is going down the same path as his father, but without rose there never was much hope for the boy. from what i’ve heard he goes by some childishly ridiculous nickname now, ricky slick i believe.”

if the situation was different fallon might’ve agreed about ricky’s nickname. really, nicknames as a concept were sort of weird. but she couldn’t focus on that. she couldn’t focus on anything when her breath caught in her throat and tears stung in her eyes.

they knew, her grandmother and edith knew, these two women who had watched her grow up knew. fallon had been asking about where she came from since the moment her parents had told her she was adopted and all she ever got was the names of her birth parents. now it was becoming painfully clear that the woman she adored, her grandmother, her nana, knew more than that.

louise cartier knew about ricky.

on shaky legs fallon stood, clinging to the banister as she made her way upstairs back to her room. the brunette froze holding onto her door, she could slam it and reveal that she was there and let the women stress over what she might’ve overheard. in the end after what felt like an eternity fallon instead nudged the door closed.

falling against the closed door fallon slid down towards the floor, tucking her knees uptowards her chest before resting her chin on top of them. it was too much and the furrow in her brow felt like it was going to become permanent. there had been things in her life that she wasn’t able to comprehend, why her parents had given her up was one of those things. fallon couldn’t imagine anyone but jimmy and donna cartier being her parents but at the same time there was tess fields and theodore clark. tess and theodore had made a decision that she wasn’t enough, that they didn’t want her, didn’t need her in their lives and fallon couldn’t help but want to know why.

even if the truth might hurt her she was always certain that it would hurt less than the lies.

it was her nana that had told her that. louise cartier had taught her that even when the truth hurts it is better than a lie and maybe that was why it hurt so much. the irony of it all was painfully obvious because despite the older woman’s lesson she was the one who had hurt fallon with omitted truths, and as far as fallon was concerned that might as well have been a lie.

the evening was almost painful to get through. the brunette refused to look at the eldest woman at the dinner table, she didn’t talk to her grandmother unless it was absolutely necessary and ignored her mother’s questions when she left dinner early. she needed to be alone, she needed to figure out if telling ricky was the right thing. after all, fallon had practically just heard her grandmother and apparently ricky’s as well talking about how hopeless he was.

those words she had grown up believing in came to mind, words insisting that people deserved the truth, that ultimately the truth hurt less than lies; at least now she knew it to be true.

with that in mind the brunette pulled her phone out of her pocket, quickly typing out a kick text message before she pressed send.

[ 9:47pm ] ✉ TEXTS ↪ RICKY: we need to talk, i need to tell you something. pick me up in half an hour at my house.

#↪ more than meets the eye — development.

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