#luc rants

[svnflowermoon]

btw please block me if you feel the need to gatekeep the queer community. cishet aspecs ARE valid and they ARE queer. the "they don't experience discrimination" argument is possibly the most stupid thing i have ever heard because aspecs experience insane levels discrimination and people are extremely dismissive of them. we our more than our suffering. our community is not yours to gatekeep it isn't fair to invalidate people's queer identities just because you can't fit them in your stupid little box of specific labels.

[sasukecouchiewa]

I also watched around 7 episodes of tng and idk....like its interesting and all but im not so sure about the characters...like yes data is funny geordi too picard is commanding and smart riker is competent troi is beautiful bla blablablabla

I find these characters rather interesting but i dont feel any immediate connection to them as ive felt with tos or ds9  where i could feel just from looking at a character for a bit that it was gonna be interesting and promising.

obviously i dont doubt that it has many interesting and fun aspects and will develop into something better and better as seasons go by but it doesnt feel like something i really want to binge nor have to patience to watch. Now i Am watching it but because im interested in the universe per se, in the new worlds, and new interactions with other entities and spacey stuff. 

The thing that annoys me the most are the, well, annoying characters, such as the romantic interest that was made obvious from the first episode (or was it the second) because oooh the captain is losing controlllll hes giving in into his romantic and sexual impulseeeesss noo so funny!!! we now know theyre gonna be annoying af impling stuff and longing for each other for the next??? how many seasons. and her prodigy son! why must there be such a character literally no one gives a fuck and from what ive seen no one in the fandom likes him much either so literally what was the point lmao

another thing i didn't like by far is the constant slapping in our faces that the “humans” are the superior species in confront, for example, of the ferengi because now women have rights! and they have clothes! crazy shit man like i get it because in that period women did actually start getting rights so whatever it was historically important but damn like 5 episodes out of the first 7 were only about that .

also why are the jokes constructed so weirdly like theyd make one single unfunny ass joke and thered be a pause where everyone laughs except that one character and someone will be like OH! IT WAS A JOKE LMAOO hahhahahah like no….please stop its cringing me out please just make funny jokes. Like riker would look around…waiting for everyone to laugh… to giggle… or someone would make joke and linger for a moment like hey think about the fact that i made a joke. also what is that acting and what is that thing where everyone seems to have a frog in their mouth when theyre talking OMG ITS SO ANNOYING i just cant with this series im sorry i dont get it.

[jackstheprinceofhearts]

Someone said that they ship Chaos with Evangeline, and I'm not sure if I should be scared or not.

How do you feel about this information, be honest

hi!! thank you for the ask!!!

i'll be so fr with you right now... that is terrifying. i'm sorry if you ship eva with anyone BUT jacks something is not right in the head.

CHAOS HAD LIKE ONE HOT SCENE AND THAT WAS IT AND HE WAS LITERALLY JUST HOLDING EVA DOWN ON THE BED 😭 and that scene was just there to show jacks's jealousy and eva's attraction to him. also chaos can't even control himself around evangeline with the helmet off, jacks has a literal curse where he has to kiss people and he literally has so much more self control than chaos 😭 like chaos was just hungry

i am scared, i hope they get the therapy they obviously need

[lostmypagewhenyoukissedme]

why, when people see women,

is it their clothes,

their body,

and their makeup.

why is it not their words,

their mind,

and their smiles?

why is it that we are seen for our looks,

rather than our creations,

our jobs,

and our actions?

we can only ever be overemotional,

our emotions can never be beautiful.

we can only ever be oversensitive,

never justified,

because who are we if we speak out?

and because we can't speak out,

we learn to cover up.

cover up our words with nice clothes and pretty eyeliner,

because who are we if not for our looks?

our style? our hair? our bodies?

always recognised for beauty,

never for our art.

[blanketorghost]

If somebody calls Arcana Twilight an Obey Me clone one more time Istg ill shove a media literacy book down their throat

[datasoong101]

I JUST FINISHED STAR TREK PICARD LIKE FIVE MINUTES AGO AND THAT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I'VE EVER WITNESSED!!

I was scared to start the series because I was extremely terrified that they would ruin the story of characters I've held so so dear to me for so long, but they didn't. Instead, they beautifully brought the Enterprise D crew's story to a close and set another Enterprise off on its adventure. I am sure the G will live up to its name. I was surprised by how they fixed things that have bothered a lot of people for a long time. I absolutely hated Nemesis as an end to the story. It ended with Data dying in a way that was seemingly needless, and even though it was a beautiful sacrifice, it wasn't even appreciated. It was clear that whoever made that movie didn't understand the crew's dynamics. They even deleted the scene that showed Geordi mourning for Data. The characters didn't seem themselves, and nobody got quite enough screen time. The whole thing ended with mourning, which doesn't seem fit for a crew with so much life.

Picard changed all that. I was okay with how they resolved Data's death at the end of season one. (I sobbed my eyes out but I mean, at least there was resolution.) The fact that he came back in season 3 was spoiled for me, but in a way that I wasn't at all sure what would happen. I was scared that it was going to feel like a cheap attempt to do a reunion trope or something. I was proved wrong. I was astonished by how it played out. I cried so many times while watching season three. From the crows in his dreams and Pop Goes the Weasel, to watching Lore try to take over and destroy his memories of Holme's pipe and Tasha Yar, I was shaken by how beautiful the execution was, how much care and love was put into Data's rebirth. And then getting to see him reunite with his friends again, especially Geordi, in a way that seemed true to everyone's personality, how they would actually be. They truly felt like a family.

And, after more than 35 years, the mechanical man got his wish.

[fantaje3]

 Jean-Luc-Doompety-doo...

Yeah, it's probably the most random idea I've ever had for a picture, but I couldn't get that song out of my head, and seeing how Bluey's situation is... Well, I think it was fitting XD.

For those who haven't already heard, recently part of the episode "Surprise" was leaked, in which they let us see an adult version of Bluey, but what caught attention is that we see for a few moments someone who seems to be her son (or daughter), who physically looks very similar to Mackenzie, so we can only assume that he is Bluey's endgame partner.

Personally I was quite disappointed, I NEVER saw Bluey and Mackenzie as a potential couple, it was very much a friendship, I never saw anything beyond that. Bluey and Jean Luc always seemed to be a much nicer thing, especially for the fact that Jean Luc learned to speak Bluey's language just to be able to meet her in the future. I am sure that many of us already took for sure that if Bluey ever had a partner Jean Luc would be the right choice, he even won a poll made by the official Bluey community, I am more than sure that it was not something strange for the people who worked on the series. Unfortunately, in this kind of situations  the arbitrariness of directors and screenwriters is more powerful, and it is not the first time it happens, isn't it Lion Guard? It's a mockery. As for me, I'm already decided that I'll wait for the official release of the last season 3 episodes and then I'll drop the show for good, I'll probably only watch if they do Radley and Frisky's wedding episode. If anyone reading this it's a Bluey x Mackenzie fan feel free to unfollow me, I don't care.

[caramelapplesauce]

reading through my book diary and on the “my opinion” section of the book “the invisible life of addie larue” by ve schwab i write:

victoria e schwab is the reason my taste in people needs its own kind of therapy

[mystical-blaise]

When you've been patiently waiting since Oct 2020...

It was delayed AND was cut from 4 to 5 books. It's going to end up being a find/replace Grace and Glory. I can feel it. Mostly because I know she's more focused on FBAA/F&F than this. And I'm not happy about it.

[thrxxchxxrs4tyranny]

fym it's 16:30 already i haven't done shit yet today

[neonsoundbite]

Letting go.

It can be a challenge, sometimes you just want to live in the darkness, to stay in all those negative thoughts.

It doesn't sound like these are things that you would want, right? No one wants to be sad all the time, or angry all the time, or blame others for your unhappiness. But if all you know is pain, it's hard to open yourself up to positive things. It's hard to keep your heart.

But the people that hurt you, that's what they want. They want you to get to their level, they want you to become the same bitter, vengeful person they are. But try to fight it, don't let them win. It's not easy, and I'm still definitely going through it, but I choose to believe when it's over it will be worth everything.

I may have lost control of my mind once, but I will never lose my heart, especially when it has a lot of care for so many people in my life, and even for people that I will meet someday.

🤍

[freestyle-crocodile-trashpile]

Drunk

Summary:You get a little drunk off the wine Diavolo had at a party and offer the brothers to sit on your lap

Type:Short Scenarios: Lucifer X M!Reader: Mammon X M!Reader: Leviathan X M!Reader: Satan X M!Reader: Asmodeus X M!Reader: Beelzebub X M!Reader: Belphegor X M!Reader

Version: One Master

Asmodeus

He was originally dancing when he noticed you sitting by yourself. So, he walked over to you.

"MC? Are you alright"

He was a bit worried since yor head was down, clothes messed up, face red. He wanted to make sure you were okay. You looked up and hummed. Giving a small chuckle at his worried look.

"Ah,*hic* Asmodeus~ Why don't you come take a seat*hic*"

You sounded drunk, but he wasn't gonna back out. Wrapping his arms around your neck, he sat down facing you(like in the gif), leaning towards you he smirked, wondering what you had in kind. You smirked back at him, pulling closer by his waist and putting your face in his neck. He giggled and hugged your head.

Mammon

He was just standing to the side, totally not planning a way to steal something without anyone noticing. But he couldn't help but look over at you a few times, and by few, I mean every few seconds. But could you blame him? His crush, you, was sitting down with your legs spread, shirt unbuttoned, with your tie undone, with a bottle of wine in your hand, OH! And don't forget the messy hair. He'd inch himself closer and closer to you subconsciously. Until he heard your drunken giggles, and you call out his name.

"Mammon! *hic*, lover boy Mammon"

He blushed at that remark, but before he could respond you kept talking.

"You look tense*hic*, need a seat?"

He blushed even harder when you patted your legs, fully inviting him in. He wouldn't shut up about how he's the great mammon and how powerful he was, and how he didn't need to sit on a humans lap... as he sat on your lap. Let's just say he secretly loved it.

Belphegor

He was tired. Honestly, he was looking for a spot to take a nap. And he'd always never near you, from the beginning when you were dancing, to the middle when you were eating and drinking, and to now. Where you were basically blacked out drunk from wine in a nice, comfy chair. You wouldn't even have to ask. He had his mind right as soon as he started heading for you.

"Heyyy~ Belp-"

Before you could finish your sentence, he was in your lap and snuggled up to you. You just giggled and kept drinking the wine. You were definitely gonna take some home.

Lucifer

He was talking with Diavolo. Lucifer was paying attention, just to his brother, since he knows you can hold your own. But it wasn't until Diavolo pointed out your state. Lucifer panicked and rushed to your side. When he got to you, he started asking questions, like if you're hurt, if you need water, etc. Your response never answered any questions he had.

"Aww~ Luc*hic*ifer is worried, hehe~ *hic* come have a seat, you worryyy to much"

Lucifer was taken back by your remark. He stared at your hand as it patted your leg. Sighing he patted your shoulder.

"MC... this is not the place.... and-"

He started to go on a rant about how idiotic you are and how you should have never drank so much. You only got three minutes in before you pulled him into your lap. Causing him to get flustered and stutter on his words. Eventually, he just shut up and crossed his arms as he stared at you. You couldn't tell what he was feeling. His face was unreadable. You giggled and snuggled into him.

Satan

He hadn't been at the party in the first place. He had been somewhere else, until recently. He was bored and had the urge to tick off Lucifer somehow. When he saw you, he walked over, quite surprised at your state. Then he got an idea. As you were drinking the wine, he grabbed the bottle off a nearby table and waited for you to put your glass down. When you did, he gave you more, he could tell you were pleased by this.

"Thannkk you~ *hic*"

Satan nodded before looking over at Lucifer, who hadn't noticed you two yet. Satan smirked as he slid into your lap. You looked surprised, but out your glass down to put both hands on his hips, he smirked as he leaned forward to kiss you. And he didn't stop, he pressed himself against you and all, because he knew this would most definitely piss off Lucifer, and probably mammon. Satan had a fun night.

Beelzebub

He was originally eating, just eating away to his hearts desire. But he would watch you pretty offen. Just in case you hurt yourself or couldn't get up for the wine. But when he got suspicious of you, mainly because you weren't moving, he walked over to you.

"MC?"

You looked up at him, a dazed smile making its way to your face.

"Heeyyyy, pretty boy~"

Beel didn't seem surprised by your remark. He just patted your shoulder.

"You're drunk, you need some rest, and water"

You frowned and pulled him into a hug, pressing yourself against his stomach. His stomach digesting his most recent food made you move your head to look up at him. Giving him a smile, one he has suspicions of.

"Only if you have a seat for a bit"

Beel looked around for another chair. He was gonna get a chair to sit next to you. And even tho he did find a chair, he still ended up in your lap. He was worried he would accidently hurt you, but you just cuddled into his chest.

Leviathan

He had been with you the whole time. He was originally playing on his Nintendo while sitting next to you on a small sofa, one that can fix three. He wasn't paying attention to you or anything else until some succubus came around. At first, they were just chatting while looking at you, probably because of your looks. Your messy hair, unbuttoned shirt, and messed up tie. Levi just realized how you looked and looked away, blushing. But he couldn't stop himself for looking at you, especially your legs. You had a wide man spread, with your pants a little tight near the top. Sooner than Levi expected, the two succubus walked up to you. One sitting on one of your legs and the other on the arm of the sofa.

"You seem lonely tonight~"

The one on your leg said.

"Yeah~ your buddy here isn't paying you any attention~ you deserve better than him~"

You only chuckled, a little drunk to come up with an argument. Your words were slurred and hard to make out. But even if you said your words as clear as day, Levi was too pissed off to hear it. Oh, how much he wanted to take that spot, to be the one pulling at your messy tie and messing with your hair. He wanted to sit on your lap. He wanted all your attention to himself. He only got more and more mad before he finally had enough. Him turning into his demon form, he pulled the succubus off your leg before sitting down on both of your legs. His knees bent and hanging off the sofa as he hugs your chest, giving the two succubus a nasty glare. You laughed as you hugged him closer.

~

[A/n:I love this idea. I hope you enjoyed]

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

I remembered the song All Dolled Up by theOrionExperience and realised that it's SO Holydust besties coded!! A fun night out to forget their troubles for a few hours and just enjoy each other's company.

You can take this as a writing prompt if you feel like writing about it <33

Indigo (platonic holydust advocate)

As a fellow platonic holydust advocate I'm in! And somehow I made it about Adamsapple angst lol It's my superpower apparently.

Feel free to send more prompts/asks!

"Hey, you wanna go out and get fucked up tonight?" Angel asked Adam as he stood in the sinners doorway.

Oh boy did Adam need some fun. "Fuck yeah, ready when you are."

"Great, let's go." Adam followed Angel out and down to the lobby. He didn't miss the side eye that Angel gave Husk. "We're going out, later."

"Where are you going?" Lucifer asked from his spot on the couch.

Adam rolled his eyes. "Out. Later." He stomped out the front door. "Everything okay with you and whiskers?"

Angel snorted, "I could ask you the same thing about his majesty."

Adam looked away scowling. "Fair enough."

"I'm too sober for this shit, let's get plastered."

Adam and Angel went to a popular club in Hell, where they did shots and drank so much their blood was more alcohol than ichor by midnight.

"Can you believe he said that he wanted to slow shit down? Like shit baby if we go any slower we'll turn into fucking snails! We haven't even fucked yet." Angel drunkenly ranted as he downed another shot.

Adam hummed, taking his own. "At least you don't have everyone making fucking jabs at you about being the King's fucking boy toy. Saying that you're just a royal cock sleeve til his cunt wife comes home."

Angel frowned. "Okay you win. That sounds fucking awful. Who the fuck said that? I'll fuck them up for you!"

Adam laughed. "It's mostly that Bambi motherfucker but he doesn't know shit! What Luci and I have is real!...... I hope." He looked down sadly at the table they were drinking at. Adam felt his lip quiver.

"You really love him, don't you?"

"Of course I do! I always have, I don't really believe in all that soulmate bullshit but if I did, I'm pretty sure he'd be mine...... Why else would it hurt this bad? All I ever wanted was for him to love me." Get a few drinks into Adam and he becomes super honest. "I never forgot him. How could I? I tried so fucking hard to hate him Angel, but I can't, not really."

"Well, if he can't wake up and smell the fucking coffee and see how great you are then it's his loss bud. Someone will see it." Angel tried, it was hard to be comforting while half snapped. Sure, him and Husk had issues but they were any sized compared to Adam and Lucifer's drama. Dating a King comes with King sized drama, who knew. "I thought you guys were dating."

"Who fucking knows. Fucker sends so many mixed signals."

"Let's forget about all this shit for now and just have a good time, yeah? We need it." Angel said handing him another shot.

Adam downed it in one go. "Fuck yeah."

By the time they got home to the hotel, it was only Lucifer and Husk still waiting up in the lobby for their boyfriends. Adam and Angel burst through the door laughing and joking.

Adam plopped down on the couch next to Lucifer and Angel was taken to bed by Husk who wished he had breath mints for his baby.

Adam looked at the king. "Heyyyyy.~" He leaned over and poked Lucifer on the cheek. "How you doing?"

"You're fucking drunk as hell."

"Nah uh, you're drunk and short." Adam burst into a fit of laughter at his own joke and Lucifer rolled his eyes playfully.

"Yup, very drunk. Can you even walk?" Lucifer asked as he moved to stand in front of Adam.

Adam picked up his leg and looked down at his foot. He gasped loudly. "Oh my god! I have no toes!" Lucifer had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Apparently drunk Adam forgot he had hooves.

"Those have been there the whole time, Adam."

"And you weren't gonna fucking tell me? Rude." Adam pouted and crossed his arms. He whined when Lucifer picked him up bridal style and held him close. "Hey!"

"Shhh, let's get you to bed." Lucifer thought about placing Adam in his own room, but decided to take him to his instead. Really, he was there so much they might as well just share the damn room.

Adam had taken to playing with Lucifer's bow tie and looking intently at the king. He felt his heart flutter, he loved Luci so much. He wrapped his arms more securely around Lucifer's neck and placed a kiss on his cheek before nuzzling his face into the king's neck breathing in his smell. Brimstone and something more earthy Adam couldn't place.

This surprised Lucifer, Adam wasn't one for gushy feelings or showing of affection. But he'll take what he can get.

Lucifer sat Adam down on the bed and helped him under the covers. Once he was settled, Lucifer got in on the other side. He watched Adam lay there, looking all around until his eyes landed on Lucifer. "Why don't you love me?"

Lucifers eyes went wide. "What are you talking about? I do love you."

Adam sniffed and looked away sadly. "That's not what I hear..."

Lucifer would really rather have this conversation with a sober Adam. "Look, I don't know what people are saying but listen to me when I say this. I love you, Adam. You mean the fucking world to me." He placed his hand on Adams cheek.

"Yeah?" Adam gave him a teary smile.

"Yes." Lucifer kissed him sweetly, he tasted like tequila. "Get some sleep, dove." Adam held out his arms and Lucifer chuckled. Drunk Adam was also very clingy. "Come here, you."

Adam snuggled against Lucifer's chest and sighed happily, he was even happier when he felt a hand in his hair messaging it gently.

Lucifer would have to be sure to show Adam how much he means to him. When he was sober of course.

[genderfluid-insomniac]

I hope this request isn't too specific. It's also pretty silly.

Could I request a modern au of Diluc with a reader who used to be his highschool rival? Reader's always up to no good, super lazy, and has weird talents. Yet, somehow, she's still gets above average grades.

Diluc sees her again few years after graduating, working at a new, little bakery that many recommend for him. Poor Diluc felt his heart stop at how gorgeous she looks. As they converse, he realizes just how calm and gentle she's become and accidentally confesses in the middle of their conversation.

“What baking can do” /// Diluc x baker!reader modern AU (post highschool rivals)

Diluc decided to stop at the bakery for lunch during his break and noted a sign above him decorated with cats and paw prints. “Cats Tail, hm?” Briefly remembering the few arguments the owner had had with him about the wine industry he ran and silently hoping the place was quiet (or Diona would at least be gone), immediately being met with the scent of ground coffee and baked goods.

It….was quite pleasant, reminding him of early Sundays with his brother and father— “Hello! Welcome to the Cats Tail! How can I-“ The friendly voice slowly went quiet as he snapped out of his thoughts and turned to see a familiar face, someone he never thought he’d see again but even after all these years she is gorgeous. “Diluc?” “Name?”

The redhead’s heart almost stopped when his ex-rival smiled genuinely and stepped out from the counter, noticeably holding herself back from running across the room. The name looked more gentle and calm much different from the rebellious lazy troublemaker he knew in high school, their hair was pulled back and her name tag was clipped onto the front of her shirt.

“Hi? Sorry, it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other.” Another moment of tense silence sat between them both before the young CEO was back in the real world, fighting the blush on his face as a part of him created mental images of you sitting with him in the park hand in hand. “Yes, I haven’t seen you since graduation. I’m glad to see you’re doing well, Name. A…friend…recommended this cafe to me saying it was delicious even if he wasn’t a huge fan of the cats.” Cursing himself for the awkwardness creeping in, another reason why he likes to stay out of the spotlight.

Now seeing small cuddle piles of cats napping in the sun and a pristine black cat sitting next to the register, finding it quite amusing his musical friend managed to step in here and reminded himself to ask for the story later. Name brightened up and nodded, nervously laughing and going back to the counter with him not far behind. “Of course! I was guessing that’s why you came here. Do you still like BLTs with light toasting on whole wheat?”

Diluc was visibly shocked before nodding slowly with a confused expression, “Yes, I do. But how-“ As Name was preparing the sandwich she continued the conversation and grabbed the necessary ingredients. “You passive-aggressively argued with the cafeteria about healthier food options and nearly got in trouble more times than you think. ‘Luc, I teased you for months about how uptight and fancy your meal was remember?” He did. Choosing to ignore how his heart sped up and face warmed at the old nickname you gave him.

“For your information, it wasn’t fancy. I just had better taste in food than you.” Name laughed and rolled her eyes when he started to rant about her terrible diet, how eating only junk food will kill you one day and unconsciously petting the Prince the black cat (who kept the customers company near the cashier). It warmed her heart, stealing glances at him and admiring Diluc’s longer hair in its high ponytail. Just barely catching the last thing he said.

“I mean not like I took your jabs to heart, I couldn’t even bring myself to hate you even if we were rivals. Not when you had my heart in your hands already…” He snapped his mouth shut and in panic looked straight at you, looking as red as his hair and nervous. Name nearly dropped the tray she was holding when she heard him and still had enough mental energy to put it down, walking over to him and smiling warmly at his almost silent muttering of apologies.

“I knew it.” He let the hand on his chin guide his gaze back to her and couldn’t find anything to say. “I-“ Nothing. She whispered, “May I?” and slowly leaned forward to press a quick sweet kiss on his lips once he nodded. “I think I’ll take the food for here.”

[edupunkn00b]

Meus ex Machina, Chapter 11: Hesper

Edited public domain image of two hands reaching for each other, lit in deep blue and neon green.

Prev - Hesper - Next - Masterpost - [ AO3 ]

Logan meets Hesper and he's only left with more questions. Everything has a beginning, though, and not even Abracadabra was what it is now.

“Kiddos are all in bed,” Patton sighed as he settled into the seat adjacent to Luc, reaching over to ruffle his hair. Janus opened his eyes in time to catch Luc’s faux scowl at Patton’s tousle.

“Gorgeous as always, mon cher,” he whispered, smoothing Luc’s auburn curls back into place. “Simply gorgeous.”

With a blush that rivaled his hair, Luc smiled but quickly sobered and blew on his tea. “You said you had news?”

Setting aside the little flash he caught from Patton, Janus nodded and straightened in his seat. He took Luc’s free hand as he shifted away from the comfortable home he’d made nestled against his side. “I do,” he began, working to keep the worst of his worries shielded from the other two.

And from the children’s drowsing minds.

Luc and Patton’s expressions told him he needed more practice. “What is it, Jan?” Patton asked, reaching for his other hand as Luc gripped his brother’s forearm. Together, they made a little triangle as the night sky darkened outside the big bay window. “Is it bad?”

“It’s… an opportunity,” Janus licked dry lips and painted on something like a smile. His scars pulled at one side of his face, hampering the intended encouraging effect. “I was contacted by the new mentalists department at Abracadabra.”

“The start-up? How—“

Janus’ eyes flicked down to his own wrist and his great-grandfather’s antique Casio, an anachronism even in that time.

“The ‘Foundation…’” Luc sucked his teeth and he closed his eyes, likely hiding his battle for control. After a moment, he calmed and met Janus’ eyes with a crooked smile. “What did those capos want from you?”

Janus sighed, a low near-growl. “They offered me a job.”

“Me, too,” Patton whispered, rubbing little circles against Luc’s arm. “This morning.”

“You both said ‘no,’ right?” Luc’s eyes were wide as he looked between them. His smile faded at Janus’ silence. “Love, tell me you said ‘no.’”

“I…” Janus slid closer to each of them. Patton only tightened his grip on Janus’ hand. “I believe this is an opportunity we can’t discount. We—“

“We need to stay as far from them as we fucking can!” Luc’s fingers tingled against his skin and he moved up to grip Janus’ sleeve. Safer that way. But he didn’t concede. “You think just because they’ve stopped hunting Powereds we’re suddenly safe?”

“No. I think we’re safer together. I think we’re safer integrated into society rather than maintaining this us vs. them mentality. Let us be a part of the shared solution. We have so much to contribute, we—“

“Oh, open a fucking history book!” Luc closed his eyes, orange flickering beneath his lashes. When he opened then again, his tone was softer. Just barely. “Love, they’ve just moved on to co-option. Sure, now they want to work with the ‘right kind’ of Powerds like you and Pat and—“

“Luc,” Janus warned, stroking his arm. An itch at the base of his spine told him they wouldn’t be alone for long.

But Luc either couldn’t—wouldn’t?—hear him. He released Janus’ arm and had begun counting on his fingers. “Step two is when they tell us it’s only the ‘risky’ Powerds they need to tamp down on. ‘Four legs good, two legs better,’ right?”

“Luc!” Janus said more forcefully, casting a quick glance at Patton.

Both of the elder Powerd’s hands now gripped Luc’s arm and he tugged gently, keeping him seated. “Lukie, maybe Jan’s right. Maybe we—“

“What, we should heel at the corporation’s side? Strap on our own muzzles so we can duck step together when they figure out their final solution is cull the herd of the dangerous Powerds like—“

“Like Re?” Low and quiet from the hallway, Virgil’s voice managed to cut through Luc’s rant. 

Luc deflated, eyes glowing as he swallowed his next argument. “Yeah, Virge. Like Re, and maybe Ro, too. Anyone they think is dangerous and uncontrolled.” He frowned at Janus. “Or uncontrollable.”

“Dangerous?” Virgil asked, sliding into the room and sitting cross-legged on the coffee table between them. He jerked his chin at the pictures of Luc and Patton’s old orphanage. “Like you?”

“Now, Kiddo,” Patton began. “That fire wasn’t his—“

Luc cut him off with a sad smile and a little shoulder squeeze before turning to meet the teenager’s eyes. “Yeah, Virge, dangerous like me, too.”

Virgil’s memory of his truncated hospital stay flooded Janus’ mind, nurses sprawled on the floor, blood pooling from eyes and ears, soaking through their face masks.

“Yeah, I know it wasn’t his fault, Pops.” Virgil’s eyes were teary behind his floppy bangs as he turned to face Janus, hands shoved in his pockets. “What do these capos want you to do?”

~

“Tin Man, let’s go!” V called over his shoulder from the top of the stairs. Orange lights still glowed from the ceiling but at least the alarm had stopped.

Patton and Silvertongue had already run down to prep the transport and map their route. A low whine from the engines filtered up from below, a little shimmer to the air as dust kicked up from the lower landing pad. 

Behind him, The Prince huffed, loudly, as Logan struggled to get situated in his suit. 

Logan focused on breathing, ignoring the pounding behind his eyes and the ache in his arm. He briefly regretted not sleeping while he could, a regret that dissolved when he closed his eyes and The Muse’s shaky smile filled his vision.

Palm sweaty, his hand skid along the edge of the mech’s chest cavity but he caught himself, fingers wedged between the collar and chest plate. He pulled and pushed against the mech’s waist with his stronger stump, muscles trembling. 

“Sorry,” he grunted. “Almost got—“

“Oh, come on!” The Prince snapped, physically hauling Logan higher and depositing him inside the mech. Logan swallowed back a curse and glared at the Powered.

“Don’t ever do that to me again!” he growled.

The Prince rolled his eyes and pushed him toward the stairs. “Or what? You’ll fuck things up?” He glanced down at the mech’s heavy durasteel boots. “‘Sorry,’” he muttered, anything but. “Didn’t mean to step on your toes.”

Heat flooded Logan’s face and neck, hurt and rage warring just under his skin. “You son of a—“

“Princey! Mac! Now!” V’s beckoned from the stairwell, glaring at each of them in turn. “Or we’ll leave you both behind.”

~

The transport door clanged shut and they shot up into the sky and over the churning Atlantic. Logan didn’t know how much of his altercation with The Prince everyone else had heard, but save for a few quiet mutters between The Prince and Patton up at the controls, the team was silent. He felt the brush of Silvertongue’s questioning thoughts, a warm request, no, an invitation to share. Logan simply shook his head and concentrated on checking the mech’s systems.

Satisfied he was powered up and ready, he watched the screens at the front of the transport, following as they raced over greenish grey waters.

Before long, Patton banked right, aiming for a landing platform somewhere off the coast. Which coast, Logan had no idea. Before them stretched a sprawling city, bright lights casting a haze in the low clouds. Silver towers sparkled, rising up out of the jagged reefs of the drowned coastal city that had come before it. 

“I can’t tell if he’s still there.” Patton broke the silence, pointing to a screen where flickering orange lights blipped at seemingly random spots.

“He’s here,” Silvertongue’s eyes were closed but his voice was clear. “Prince? Can you cover our approach?”

“Happily.” The Prince tapped a different screen and it resolved into a view of the landing platform. His eyes half-shut as he watched the dozen or so deck crew move between the ships. Without warning, they ducked low and drew up neon-striped hoods. As though fleeing from a sudden squall, they all sprinted toward the big building at the center of the platform. 

All but one.

The last hold out shielded their eyes from some unseen attack and peered up at the sky. They staggered to the closest ship, a tool in their hand.

“Take her down quiet as you can, Popstar,” V murmured and moved closer to Logan, showing him a tablet. “Any idea what he’s doing, Mac?”

The image on V’s tablet followed their approach, zoomed in as far as it would go. V had set a split screen to infrared. The figure—Hesper?—wielded a gun-like tool, glowing orange under infrared, bright white sparking from the tip. This close, Logan could make out a welder’s face plate under his hood.

“Soldering something onto the hull?” Hesper moved a few feet, leaving behind a rapidly cooling palm-sized circle. He repeated his actions then jumped to the next ship in line. “A tracker, maybe?”

“Not an explosive?” V asked, frowning. 

Logan watched the screen and shook his head. “It’s too cold. And he’s using quick cool-solder. Safer for microprocessors but not as strong.” He shrugged. “Explosive casings are heavier, thicker. He’d need to use standard epoxy or… magnets, maybe?” 

After a long moment, V nodded. He slipped the tablet into his vest and opened his mouth as if to say more, but the transport shuddered under their feet. “Everyone ready?” Patton asked, hand hovering over a door panel.

The Prince nodded, eyes now closed as he moved to the doors, joining V and Silvertongue.

Logan lowered his own face shield and helmet. “Ready.”

Patton slapped the controls and the big door opened with a bang. Hesper didn’t even look up as they circled him, just pulled his hood lower over his head and shuddered.

Before Logan could ask what The Prince was doing to him, Silvertongue sent a single word, -“Now!”-

The Prince’s eyes shot open and Hesper spun around, the movement knocking back his hood to reveal form-fitting headgear.

He tapped the helmet, shaking his head. “Guess this wasn’t worth the price I paid for it if you could still get into my head so easily, dear Prince.” He tucked the soldering gun under his arm and then, finger by finger, peeled off his safety gloves. He left them where they fell and flexed his bared hands. “Glad to see you all came out to play. Well…”

Looking up at Logan, Hesper seemed to stare right through his face plate. “We know how it is. Too bad I have to take a rain check tonight.” He flipped on his solder gun and ran straight for Logan.

On his heels, Patton grabbed at Hesper’s jacket. He wormed out of it then dodged V’s attack. Overcompensating, Hesper slid and landed on his back, centimeters from the mech’s left leg.

Without thinking, Logan stepped up and down, foot pressed—slightly—on Hesper’s chest.

Patton hissed behind him but grew still, arms loose and ready at his sides. Immediate danger passed, V inspected the devices Hesper had fastened to the ship’s hull. He scanned each with the tablet’s sensors before prying off the closest and crushing it under his boot. “Basic trackers,” he said, nodding to Logan, and they all turned to Silvertongue.

“What is all this, Hesper?” he asked, eyes hooded. He didn’t look happy at what Logan had done, frowning in his direction. But he didn’t stop him, either, so Logan just waited, foot locked on Hesper’s chest.

“My, my, my… My dearest Tongue of Silver,” Hesper purred. Head tilted, he managed to look down at Silvertongue even from his sprawled position on the cracked peri-ment platform. “You’ve brought along an extra army of one this time.” He thunked his knuckles against the mech’s ankle servos. “All for me?”

A not-quite shadow flashed over Janus’ face, quick, nearly too quick for Logan to catch. Even with Silvertongue’s back to him, The Prince must’ve felt it, whatever it was, because he stepped closer, eyes boring into Hesper’s obscured face.

“Release him, Machina,” Janus instructed, gaze focused on Hesper. “He’s clean.”

Hesper leapt to his feet with an acrobat’s grace the moment Logan lifted the mech’s foot. “Why, thank you.” He bowed his head with a flourish and Logan watched his mech’s reflection shift and warp on Hesper’s shiny helmet. 

With no way of knowing where Hesper was looking, Logan felt like it was everywhere at once.

For all his theatrics, Hesper now behaved as though they were nothing but a minor inconvenience, impolite visitors who crashed an open house. He hummed under his breath, easily picked up by his mic, and made a show of brushing off his synthcloth tactical pants and straightening an old vest that looked a lot like V’s. Sighing heavily, he produced a pristine white cloth and bent over to polish away a smudge from his boots.

Janus watched him with half-lidded eyes, hands flexing at his sides. “What are you up to now, Hesper?” He gestured around them, voice sharp. Acidic. “Why here?”

“And what makes you think I didn’t trigger your alarms so I could have a little company, hm?” He shrugged and carefully folded his handkerchief before secreting it away in a breast pocket. “You know… just like Re used to?”

“Wha—” 

Before Logan could finish his blurted question, The Prince stomped forward, hands splayed in front of him, a glowing haze forming between his fingers. “Take my brother’s name from your mouth, fiend,” he growled, drawing close to Hesper. “Or I’ll rip it out with your tongue!”

But as The Prince moved, the air… flickered near his right foot. The mirage tugged at Logan’s mind the same way the faulty Pickerbot had back at the DC, the first time, before he’d found the flaw in its circuitry. 

Remembering V’s concern about explosives, Logan flipped on his HUD infrared. Heat poured from the cracked peri-ment, far more heat than could be explained away by the underlying HVAC piping. The ground glowed in blinding purples and white, spiking well past 85° centigrade.

“Prince, look out!” he shouted and pushed his servos to a run. 

Patton’s call to Logan cut off and he copied him instead, half-carrying, half-dragging V and Silvertongue away in the opposite direction.

The Prince swore as Logan slammed into him and knocked them both to the ground. Arms locked around him, he pulled The Prince with him into a roll. He stopped, propped onto the mech’s elbows, erecting a cage of durasteel limbs and torso around the Powered just as the floor exploded behind them.

Precisely where The Prince had stood a moment before.

“Are you—”

“I’m good, Tin Man. Let me up,” he muttered, shimmying his bulky shoulders out from Logan’s mech suit shield. -”Thanks,”- he said in Logan’s mind as he stood.

“Anytime,” Logan said aloud and followed him to Silvertongue’s side. Patton crouched a few feet behind him, inspecting V’s hand.

“Tell me!” Silvertongue was demanding, eyes molten gold. “Tell me how you did that without—”

“Without you poking around in here…” Hesper’s laugh was crusted in ice as he waggled his fingers around his head. “Ma cheri! L’amour de ma—”

“Tell me!” Janus’ shout reverberated through Logan’s skull. Even The Prince took a step backwards, head bowed and one hand pressed to his temple. Patton slid closer, nodding quietly to V and Logan watched them all, waiting for any sort of hint of what he had planned.

Hesper just laughed again. “There was no guilt to sense, my dear Silvertongue,” He shrugged. “Not from me at least.” Hesper gestured, almost bored, at the jagged, steaming hole in the landing pad, then at The Prince. “It was his anger, his rage that triggered the charge. I wasn’t sure it would work, but our dear Prince of Dreams always did have quite the temper.”

He fully faced The Prince then. “Ever since you were a little boy.”

Patton reached out and just rested one hand on The Prince’s shoulder. Given the recordings Logan had seen of Papa Bear wrestling an activated Muse into control, he had no doubt a light touch was all he needed to keep The Prince steady.

“Enough with the games, Hesper,” V said from Silvertongue’s other side. “No-one believes you dragged us out here in the middle of the night for a parlor trick.”

Hesper shrugged again, backing away toward the edge of the landing platform. “Worried I’m going to make it a habit of interrupting your beauty sleep?” 

He stood on the ledge, one foot hovering behind him. “Besides,” he directed his attention to Logan again. “I know you weren’t all asleep.”

Face flushed beneath his mask, Logan’s fingers flexed against the controls but the suit remained still. Then Hesper stepped off the platform and onto a waiting airskiff.

“Ta ta, for now!” he laughed, voice amplified to carry over the roar of thrusters as he flew off into the smoggy night air.

[azsazz]

there's just something about a man in a fucking mask that gets me so 😩💦

like fucking cum on GHOST

that stance?! ^ he hung fr

^^^ lover since day 1, i've always been a whore don't worry

nox from tog...idk who did this art but if someone does send me the hi-res immediately not even joking a little

the WAY i would've folded for tam/luc in acotar...not even ashamed

rant over idk