#maybe that'll calm him down

[truly-sincerely]

Dark Star Falling (8 of 9)

The room has marble walls with bronze embellishments lined with disorganized scroll racks. It is an unusual shape, not quite a trapezoid. Enver Gortash has never seen architecture quite like this. His best guess is Dwarvish.

“--I’m running along the outer ledge, trying to line up a shot on the Emperor when suddenly I am just horny as all get out.” He can hear Darling’s voice from the hallway outside, but all he can see in that direction is a sickly teal light.

A triangular table-like outcropping extends from the shortest wall and on it sits an embroidered cushion, and on top of that, a skull with all of the teeth removed except the very long, very pointed canines.

“Right that minute, in the middle of the fucking apocalypse, Haarlep is going at it in my body.”

Gortash looks down at himself and sees unfamiliar clothing but otherwise he seems to be fully intact. Of course the netherstone is gone.

“I’m sorry, darling,” that lilting, upper city voice replies.

“No, this is a funny story. I know you’ve got autonomy issues but it’s not as bad as that. I can still do things, it’s just kind of distracting. I get inappropriately horny in lots of situations unrelated to incubi.”

“I suppose that’s true. You are a freak,” he laughs.

Gortash sits up and immediately regrets it, but keeps going, swinging his legs over the side of the stone bed and overturning a metal tray with goblets and such.

“Anyway, that was when Gale hit him with a fireball and he went up like woomf, so–” Darling stops mid-sentence at the clatter.

“Have a nice chat, love.”

“Right. Yeah. You sure you don’t want to stick around?” Gortash doesn’t hear a response but Darling appears in the doorway alone. They don’t say anything as they walk to the table, pick up the skull, sit down on the pillow, and let the skull sit in their lap. Gortash feels lightheaded and nauseated, still trying to get his bearings.

“Where am I?” he croaks.

“The Tourmaline Depths, underneath the Szarr Palace,” Darling says, looking at him with an amount of concern that makes him deeply uncomfortable. They pick up a goblet from somewhere he can’t see, wiping it out with the hem of their shirt. “It’s been… about a day and a half.”

That’s right, he’d been in his office at Wyrm’s Rock Fortress. Darling had walked in the door with Minthara, a wizard with a Waterdhavian accent, and the high elf that had attended the coronation with them. The elf didn’t say anything during the meeting, but Gortash was confident that he was the owner of the upper city accent.

– – –

“It’s time I take matters into my own hands. We could have–”

Darling cuts in, “I’m gonna stop you right there. You need to hear this. I believe it’s too late to regain control of the brain.”

“Why in Bane’s name would I listen to anything you have to say? You destroyed my Steel Watch,” he’s trying to hide how much this hurts him personally, but the facade is cracking.

“They were controlled by tadpoles. When the brain breaks free it would’ve taken them with it. I couldn’t let that happen,” Darling pleads. They try not to sound like they’re pleading, but they aren’t sure if it’s working. Gortash starts to interrupt and Darling barrels over him, “I’m acting on your hypothesis, Enver. You voiced a concern to Ketheric that the energy of the Crown would cause the elder brain to metamorphose into something more difficult to control.”

“You couldn’t possibly know about that,” he says with uncertainty.

“Good ol’ Ketheric hid his private thoughts in the floorboards next to his thrice damned bed. When he wasn’t leaving them lying around for anyone to read, that is. He concluded that the solution was to consolidate the netherstones in a single wielder. You came to the same conclusion, tho your offer to share the stones with me was...” they trail off with a shrug.

“That’s precisely why I put the brain under the upper city.”

“Yes, I read your journal too. Something, something perfectly formed to concentrate the psionic force of the netherstones? And if we lose control it’ll be perfectly formed to concentrate the psionic force of a metamorphosed brain against us,” they pause, and glance back at their wizard. “I spoke to the brain at Moonrise. It knew my name. It called me kingmaker-returns-pawn (which would be a really good title for a ballad about me).”

“You’re not a pawn,” Gortash says, briefly forgetting that he’s furious with Darling.

“That’s not the point. It also said I made it–that I gave it everything. It’s blowing smoke up my skirt. I don’t like it. You should be deeply concerned that it has the will to screw with me. I didn’t ‘crawl back from my bloody disgrace’ by frolicking into traps (I’m usually the one who sets them) and I’m telling you that it’s hiding something.”

An awkward silence follows. Darling reaches towards him, but pauses and puts their hand back down at their side. His eyes dart around as he works the problem in his head. The wizard whispers something about trustworthiness in Darling’s ear.

“Faithful, to me,” Gortash commits to the decision, and the faithful all start advancing on Darling’s troupe. “I think I will hang your corpse in the Wide–the Archduke’s would-be assassin. The people will celebrate your fall, and my part in it. Your bones will be a souvenir of–”

– – –

And then nothing.

“That’s when Astarion shot you full of drow poison, Gale put you in a resilient sphere, we killed all of your guards, fed you a bunch of potions of sleep, Minthara (reluctantly) carried you, and we all jumped off the tower to a skiff we had waiting for us on the beach by Wyll’s old fishing spot,” Darling says, petting the skull in their lap as tho it’s a cat.

“So the brain has been destroyed,” he posits. “Or else you’re hiding in this moldering ruin from an army of mindflayers.”

“The first one, tho not before it turned all the tadpoles, so there are likely still hundreds of mindflayers wandering around the sword coast, but that’s not why we’re down here.”

“And you were right about its treachery?”

“About it being up to something? It gave me a whole monologue about sending you dreams so you’d put the astral prism into play which would give it the opportunity to rebel and there’s nothing I could do to stop it, et cetera, et cetera.”

Gortash puts his head in his hands. He was so sure he had covered all the angles but Darling being correct meant he’d failed months ago and had been digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself ever since. He can feel Bane’s disapproval like a fist clutching his heart and knows that if he died now he would be tortured for eternity for his failure. His cult is surely scattered, his holdings seized or destroyed, and his reputation obliterated. Darling could have killed him in Wyrm’s Rock. Should have killed him. He deserved death for such a complete and utter failure. What use is he to his god like this? Did he already know he had lost when he sic’d his guards on Darling?

Finally, looking up at Darling, he asks, “So what is this? What do you expect to happen here?”

Darling’s mouth shifts to the side and they say, “I was thinking we’d have a conversation that’ll become a fight that’ll become a fuck that’ll become an ultimatum.”

“I accept your premise but tell me the ultimatum now and I’ll answer it at the end,” he counter-offers with all the gravity of discussing lunch plans. 

“You have to renounce Bane,” Darling pauses, thinking. An ultimatum needs to come with consequences. Gortash waits for the rest, trying not to have an emotion about the beginning. “We can be whatever you want, but not in the name of a god, any god. If you insist on remaining with His cult then I’m going to turn you over to the Flaming Fist or the Watch–whatever’s left upstairs.”

“Whatever I want?”

Darling hesitates, realizing they’ve maybe left that clause a little too open-ended for someone who's spent as much time as Gortash has among devils. “I could add ‘within reason’, but what I’m hoping for is that, if you want to be with me, you’ll want something that’s compatible with what I want.”

He opens his mouth and then closes it again, frowns, and looks away thoughtfully. “I assume the tadpole is gone already and you have your elf… I don’t know what you want beyond that. I suppose that’s what the conversation is meant to be about.”

Darling is taken aback that he remembered what they had said on their first (no, second) visit almost a tenday ago. He always gives the impression that he’s only barely listening for what he wants to hear. But still, he’s so subdued. He had tried to kill them. Maybe destroying the steel watch really was too much of a betrayal. “Assuming you even want me, that is," Darling says, hesitantly.

First - Previous - Next

[the-headless-horsedude]

agent florida/mark temple crackship, call that a flemple

[pondslime]

Jenny Agutter as Alex Price in An American Werewolf in London (1981)

[shions-chin-scar]

[mrsoharaa]

˗ˏˋ ❥ Miguel has you blindfolded, hands confined/cuffed to your head board while he titi fucks you with a beaming smile on his face. Telling you how soft and tender you feel around him. How much of a good girl/boy you're being for him. Will occasionally rub slow, gentle circles around the growing nubs that immediately catches his attention on the plushy flesh from time to time as he immensely wallows in the flawless perfection that splayed out beneath him. (your moans and writhing only gets him going even more!) :)

[silenthillmutual]

mulder/scully is so t4t bi4bi aro4aro to me you don't even know they're the blueprint

[arsonistsfirefly]

I woke up with the worst headache. The cat ears and tail are gone thankfully.

I think everyone else will miss them more than I will.

Catnip is dangerous.

[parricider]

⋆｡°✩@timelocker 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞

                                             “ --TH'RESILIENCE !? ”

メ ♕ ━ the despot's sclera cowardly dilated as FIZZY FLIGHT ADRENALINE inundated his blood vessels that once were the ruthless hydraulics pressing & DROWNING that irritating glint of her rose-tinted star gazers in the fucking cess-puddle below them LIKE THE PITIFUL MOTHERFUCKING WRITHING REBEL FILTH SHE WAS. the screeching tires of the uninvited party crashers LACERATED his ear drums, disorientating him & splintering his despotic shtick for a disconcerting moment. his nostrils huffed in smoldering diesel, inebriating the spry tyrant like a tranquilizing injection; paralyzing him & disarming the padlock to the kennel of their spitfire ANARCHIC HERO for ONE EMBARRASSINGLY EXPLOITABLE MOMENT.... .

                                             HOW LONG WERE THEY--

メ ♕ ━ A STIFLED YELP LACERATED HIS THROAT when the said spitfire hairball SMASHED her hard-headed skull against the now LAUGHING STOCK OF A HARD-BITTEN MOEBIAN’s nose, cracking it open as easily as a JUNK BOTTLE he’d smash against pavement in a spur of aggression stimming…. . a river of scarlet POURS OUT of both of the hedgehog’s nostrils, drenching his mug & percolating into his mouth. before his paralytic palate could register the metallic-tasting concoction of slabber & minerally filth, bulbous azures were blinded by a flash of purple light, the blood-coated mug getting another CHEAP RECONSTRUCTION of his face & disorientating him once again…. . 

                                             NO. don’t let this bleedin’ hearted, party crashin’ hairball with a lack’a braincells claw ‘n rip right through yer safeguardin’ shtick. DON’T LET ANYONE SNIFF OUT THE FEAR YOU THAT YOU REEK OF. if yer swings ain’t hittin’, BARK. SPIT INTO THEIR FUCKIN’ EYES. 

メ ♕ ━ A GROTESQUELY AUDIBLE SNAP was heard as the hedgehog snapped his head down to lock his sickly azures with gleaming amethysts of the hero. the beating now aroused heart palpitations & pumped WANTON DOPE through his veins; the idea of making her own dumb fucking ‘ i am holier-than-thou so therefore i don’t kill ‘ shtick the gun against her was DEPRAVEDLY CATHARTIC.

メ ♕ ━ A GRUNGED GLOVED-HAND seizes rascal by her assailing wrist, forcing the razor-edge of her star duster to do a cut-throat motion across the curve of his gullet…. . a sickly purr almost unfurled from the hedgehog. 

                                             that’s right, you fucking cunt. hit me again. HIT. ME. AGAIN. bury me deep into the asphyxiating depths of your bed disguised with roses; wrap me up in fucking MERRILY, MERRILY DELUSIONS…. . set me free from having to look through the shades of an enlightened psycho . CUT ME OPEN ‘N WHISPER TO ME ALL ABOUT WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME !

                                             “ THEN C’MON–! DO IT, Y’FUCKIN’ GABBLIN' CUNT ! GIVE IT T’ME. JUST TRY N’ FUCKIN’ PRY OPEN TH’JAWS’A MOEBIUS’ EUTHANIZER ‘N POUR TH’PLACEBIC ‘ ELIXER ‘ SHIT DOWN MY THROAT SO THAT WE COULD HOLD HANDS ‘N JUST BE FUCKIN’ MERRILY SENILE TOGETHER. JUST TRY ‘N ‘ CHANGE ‘ ME ! I’LL JUST KEEP REGURGITATIN’ THAT SHIT RIGHT. BACK. UP. ONCE YER PATIENCE RUNS DRY, YER JUST GONNA WANT T’WRING ME THROUGH’A GUILLOTINE IF I HAPPEN T’CROSS PATHS WITH YA ON ONE. BAD. DAY. ”

OH HO…. . he wanted to PISS HER OFF SO BADLY; grab her by the fucking throat & drag her out of the rose-tinted reality that she’s instilled for herself. the idea oozed so much residual BREAKNECK ADRENALINE out of him that it surged the hedgehog forward– & HE SMASHES HIS FOREHEAD INTO HERS AS HARD AS HE FUCKING COULD. his head slumped down as RINGING LACERATED HIS EARS; his face slotted into the side of the rebel’s head, but one VULTUROUS AZURE bore directly into an iridescent amethyst. the scarlet pooling between them made him weak.  

                                            “ y’fuckin’ reek…. . ONE. BAD. DAY, e h ? ’s all it takes t’finally BREATHE instead’a drownin’ in that false sense’a hope once ya been kicked over th’threshold’a that PLACEBIC BULLSHIT….. ain’t nothin’ else more invigoratin’ than that first huff of FUCK IT.  NOW…. . ”

��� HIT. ME. AGAIN ”

[valcaira]

what a Creature sombron is. i want to put that danger noodle into a blender

[bazelgeuce]

I can't sleep :(

Rant in tags it's long

[lxvvie]

Y'all know that whole trend that was going around social media with women calling their significant other by their full name? Yeah, that one. Yet another conversation was had, this time it was about the reactions your favorite babygurls would have if you called them by their full government name because of reasons. Maybe.

Capt. John Price - He's, uh, startled but not enough to drop his cigar this time. Does take a puff of it, though, before addressing you like it's the calm before the storm. Isn't too fazed because he heard it enough from his own mom growing up and he figures he's suave and diplomatic enough to placate you.

Gaz - Pointedly ignores you while giving you side glances here and there which is a major indicator that he's gotten into some shit. Probably. More than likely. Yeah... it was Soap's fault.

Alex Keller - Actually did get into some shit. Does not answer the call of duty.

Soap - You hear 'ah, shit', heavy footsteps, probably a crash, and Soap's peeking his head out from the other room. Has a deer-in-headlights look about him. It was Gaz's fault, goddamnit. He's so adorable. It's enough to make you giggle.

Ghost - You get a grunt. And then it hits him. He stops doing whatever it is he's doing. Fuck, he knows that tone. Simon turns to look at you and he stares into your soul or something like that. What in the hell kind of made-up middle name is that? You spend the better part of a good minute staring each other down before you're all, "I love you ♥️," and Ghost groans and rolls his eyes and goes back to whatever it was he was doing. But not before he grunts out a "Love ya, too." in return.

Alejandro - This is one of the few things that'll actually faze the man. Will damn near break his neck turning to face you to see what's wrong and his eyes will be wide. Oh, the last time he heard his full name called like that was from his beloved grandmother and he'd gotten into some shit then, okay?

Rudy - Ducks his head. Doesn't show his face; he can't bear the sternness of your voice, your gaze. It wasn't him this time, he swears; it remains, though, the way you say his name, an echo in his mind: Ro-DOL-fo. Why'd you have the emphasize THAT part of his name, huh?

König - König.exe stops working. Actually does break something trying to get to you. His eyes are fucking saucers, okay? Oh shit, what did he do this time, Schatz? Are you getting him back after that one time he snuck up on you to surprise you and you dropped dinner? Did you find out about the time he accidentally messed up the laundry and the white clothes came out pink? WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO DO FIX THIS?! Oh, you... just needed him to grab something off the top shelf for you.

Horangi - Also did some shit. Is unapologetic about it. Hits you with a nonchalant, "Yeah?"

Graves - STAYS IN SOME SHIT, OKAY? Saunters in like the smug bastard he is. Smirks and winks at you. "Haven't heard that name in a while, darlin'. What's your fancy?"

Valeria - Pulls a Uno Reverse and calls you by your full government name. Wait―

[cyxnidx]

LANGUAGE BARRIER !

characters: choso, gojo, nanami

summary: them with a bilingual-partner & their kids

ー# CHOSO didn't know just how big of a mistake he made letting his little girl learn an extra language. at first, he didn't think it'd be a big deal. his two year old learning your native language? that was an amazing idea - he loved it. the importance of maintaining your culture's language and spreading it through family made him think he was completing an aspiration he never knew he wanted. that was, until his you and his little angel decided to take things to the next level - insults. you taught her insults. and he didn't know it until he ended up upsetting her at the dinner table, and she blurted something incredibly disrespectful in your native language.

your jaw was on the floor. and choso was, rightfully so, incredibly confused. "what'd she just say?" he asks, genuinely confused about what she just told him. you begin laughing, scolding your little girl. "honey, you can't say that to daddy! that's bad." choso looks at her concerned. "what'd you say?" she crosses her arms, sticking her tongue out at him. he sighs, looking at you. "what'd she say?" collecting yourself, you sigh and whisper it to him, watching as his face contorts to complete shock. "that is so rude!"

ー# GOJO loved the idea. i mean, think about it? his little girl, stomping around, arguing with you in your language, and lowkey winning? he thought it was hilarious! of course, until she gets old enough to truly say something hurtful, but that'll be a while. or, at least, that's what he thought.

your daughter pouts, sitting in the middle of the living room floor, back facing you. she's six now, and far sassier than anything on plant earth. meanwhile, gojo is simply getting a snack bar from the kitchen. though, when you least expect it, she yells at you to shut up in your native language. your eyes go wide as you begin to slip off your sandal, walking toward her in spite of her screams. gojo wraps his arms around your torso, yelling 'calm down' and 'it's okay', having to catch your sandal when you attempt to throw it at her. your daughter approaches, just far back enough to not get caught by you, and apologizes formally before leaving to hide in her room. and now, gojo has to deal with you cursing at him. which is all fine, of course, except.. its somehow worse than you cursing at him in English?

ー# NANAMI thought it to be an interesting experience. he was the one to convince you that, no, it wasn't going to confuse him, and no, he wouldn't be upset if his daughter spoke to him in the language. because, unbeknownst to you, he's learning the language. ever since you were maybe six months pregnant? he wanted it to be a surprise for the little ones birthday. and that, it was.

you smiled, answering one of your daughters many questions for the day while nanami sat at the picnic table outside. today marks her fourth birthday, and she was ecstatic. she never really understood the significance of birthdays until recently, when nanami's been explaining to her how exciting they tend to be. "daddy! daddy! today's my birthday!" she exclaims, grinning ear to ear. "and ー and mommy made me my cake! and i helped!" she says, happily pointing to the cake, basically jumping off the ground and to the moon. nanami smiled at his daughter's excitement. "i see, darling. did you put the candles on it, too?" he asks, stifling a laugh at the slightly messy placement of the candles on top. she nods and grins. "you did a great job, darling." he praises, kissing her cheek. she asks you a question in your language, asking if it was time to cut the cake yet. before you could respond, nanami shakes his head, telling her she has to wait to light the candles first. your eyes go wide, while your daughter simply nods with acceptance. "since when did you-?" you ask, generally confused. nanami smiles. "i've been learning for some years now."

[fabulouslygaybean]

man. things r getting bad again

[owwllly]

last art is literally gojo going "i can't fix him but I can fuck him, maybe that'll calm him down"

Either I draw drunk inlove satoru or unhinged satoru, I love both ♡

[vwoop-prince]

YJ S3 Dick, still in the midst of his fever dream, hides underneath the 'souvenir' instead of behind some boxes, and accidentally opens the airlock trying to take care of the Parademons. The others get it to close... but not before Nightwing is thrown into space.

There, he stares at the ship holding his friends and mentors. There, he wishes more than anything that he can, somehow, survive. There, he tries to live, if only so his family don't have to bury him like Jason.

There, Nightwing dies, wanting to save everyone, even with the cold seeping into his bones far too quickly for a regular section of space.

Then, Dick opens his eyes to... Earth? There's a little house, and grass, and trees, but there's a bubble of green over it all. Outside of that green was an entire castle, one that looked like it should have far more support beams than it does for even a hope that it stays standing.

And the sky was swirling shades of that same green. It makes him think of Lazarus.

"Well, that's something you don't see every day." He whips his head behind him, a bit too fast for Earth's atmosphere, but it doesn't hurt him. Past the bubble of green was a blue-skinned adult in purple robes, the insides of a grandfather-clock fitted inside their torso, and a black staff with a stopwatch on its top. Beside them was a man with snow white hair, glowing green eyes, a crown of frozen fire dancing above his head, and the most galaxy-like cloak Dick's ever seen clasped to his shoulders. He's wearing... a hazmat suit? Maybe? The twinkling stars and odd lighting of wherever he is were giving him a bit of a headache.

But in front of those two, within this bubble, was...

"DICK!" Wally shouted with unrestrained glee, a blur overtaking his spot for barely a heartbeat before Dick's stuck in a crushing hug that he reciprocates once his brain stops feeling like its melting.

He doesn't know how long it took for them to calm down, but the man with the crown spoke up after a time, as Wally was still wiping their faces free of tears. "Welcome to the Infinite Realms, Nightwing." Dick barely even registered that he was still wearing his suit, but now it felt suffocating. "I suppose you're the one Clockwork was holding out for; There shouldn't've been enough Ectoplasm around you to form a Ghost, and your physical body's still in space. I can see why you like this one, though, Clockie," he states flippantly, turning to his companion. Almost like he didn't expect Dick to pay too close attention to what he was saying.

"Either way, there's two options for you." The man didn't let Dick swallow his tears and question anything. Dick's not sure if he's grateful or not. "First: Stay in the Realms permanently. You'll see Kid Flash whenever you want and learn to be a Ghost with the denizens of the Realms. Maybe find your parents."

"But..." Dick pulls away from Wally, keeping him at arms length, eyes flitting between them. The two outside the bubble were distinctly... ghost-like, so the mentions of 'Ghosts' make sense. But Wally looked... alive. A bit pale, a bit thin... but alive. Dick can't see any of his own skin to see if it was blue or tinted that way, but the Nightwing symbol on his chest kept flickering between its own blue and this 'Realms' green. "But--What about the others? What about you? Why can't you come home?" The last two, he focuses on Wally, because now he can feel a heartbeat beneath his gloves. Wally's alive. He's alive.

His friend just shrugs. "Something about their portals not fit for the living? I'm meant to wait for someone to figure out a permanent portal, but they won't tell me how long that'll take." Wally glares at the... 'Ghosts'? There was a heat to it, but it also seemed like this was a well-worn argument.

"The permanent portal was always an 'if', Wallace West. And that is entirely dependent on if Richard Grayson takes the second option," the clock Ghost--Clockwork?--speaks up. But instead of the adult Dick was expecting, there was an elderly Ghost in their place. Still with the time motif. Was that... more literal than Dick took it?

"Yes, the second option..." The crowned man glares daggers at Clockwork. The temperature dips below comfortable. Dick tries to blink the spaceship and stars out of his sight, withdrawing his arms from Wally to try and warm himself. Tries to remember he's not in space. "The second option is that you return to your body... changed. You'll be able to protect Earth better, stay with your alive family, save the Lost Ones... for a price."

Dick doesn't know if he should ignore the plural in 'Lost Ones'. He doesn't know if he's reading too much into how, in this Realm, apparently only his parents were able to be found. Where's Jason? He doesn't dare hope, but...

"What's the price?"

The man smiles and a ring of blue forms around his waist. It splits in two and travels up and down his body, replacing the cloak and whatever clothes he was actually wearing with a NASA shirt, worn jeans, and red sneakers actually duct taped together. The blue tint to his otherwise tan skin fades completely. His hair turns black. His eyes turn blue.

He was like a taller, slightly slimmer, way hotter version of Bruce.

The man walks through the bubble, but doesn't disturb the grass beneath his feet. "You become the Ghost King's vassal." Dick flinches away and almost hides behind Wally. "Not my idea! But, well... it is either this, or your permanent death."

"What does becoming a vassal do to him?" Wally asks, gently trying to stop Dick from breaking his ribs with how tightly he was hugging himself. Does he even have ribs?

"He gains my powers. Ice, electricity, invisibility, intangibility, flight... He becomes a Halfa. He becomes what I was, in life. Just... needing to make offerings to me, now and then. Something like that, at least. I give him powers, he gives me a chunk of, I don't know, chocolate once a week. Like a warlock."

Wally keeps talking to the man, keeps getting information that he knows he should pay attention to, but something in his chest screams to accept this deal, and he can't focus on anything else.

Nightwing can protect. He can return to life and go back to Blüdhaven, be the Vigilante they need. He can visit Gotham every now and then, help with cases and stop criminals from harming others. He can see his brother. He can see his friends. He can eat Alfred's cookies, and have little get-togethers with Babs and the Team--hell, he can argue with Bruce.

And all he has to do is... give an offering to this guy? The Ghost King? Every once in a while?

"There's no other price?" The King turns his attention to Dick. His eyes had shifted to a blue-green that almost hypnotize him. The green swirls, the blue forms and melts like snowflakes, and he can't look away.

He takes another step forward and Wally steps to the side. There was familiarity between them. Wally deferred to him. Dick can't quite tell why. Though, with how Wally hasn't once looked at Clockwork, maybe it's because he's... grounded? Are all speedsters in trouble with, what, the Ghost of Time? That... actually makes perfect sense.

"I'll be honest, Nightwing: You've impressed me." The weight behind the King's words lifts the ones that've been on his shoulders since he was nine. "You remind me of myself. Maybe, if I wasn't a Halfa... If I had a mentor... I could've been like you.

"Despite Clockwork's insistence over the years that I get back in touch with the living, I've held off. When he eventually suggested that I help create another Halfa, I locked him in his tower for twenty years. I didn't want anyone to go through what I had. But, now... I see that you won't. You can't. Even if you hide this deal--our shared powers... You'll still have people by your side. Strong people. Smart people. You can already handle yourself. And I'd love to see what you can do--who you can save--with my help."

There was maybe two inches between their faces when the King finishes speaking. Dick roves his eyes across the other's face, trying to find the common and familiar ticks that show lies and deceit and manipulation. All he finds is sincerity and genuine care.

Wally plays with his fingers from the corner of his eye, gaze hopeful as he looks between the two of them. Wally, who was alive and breathing and able to leave if he accepts. Eventually. Somehow.

Dick Grayson sends a quiet apology to his parents and hopes they will forgive him for being a little bit selfish.

"I accept."

He flings his eyes open. Above him, domino mask too wobbly to be properly secured anymore, was Robin crying and begging him to wake up. His hands were sloppily placed over his heart. Batman was trying to drag him away, the firm set of his jaw screaming grief.

Nightwing gasps once he registers his lungs burning.

There's a large cacophony of noise, multiple bright suits and people hounding over him, and the distinct artificial taste of slightly-too-much oxygen that the ship with the Parademons had. That he flew out of and died. He was still too cold.

Someone moves their arm beneath his knees and shoulder and Dick passes out.

(Dick 'Nightwing' Grayson dies in space. Ghost King Danny Phantom likes this too-human Hero. They split their souls in half, take one piece of the others, and all they know is that Phantom is now Nightwing's Patron Deity. Danny uses ice, for electricity killed him. Dick uses electricity, for ice killed him. They are opposites, and yet so incredibly similar. Clockwork was looking forward to when Danny starts putting off his paperwork to hang out with his new 'friend'.)

[restinslices]

Lin Kuei Bros: Play Fighting

Smoke so dramatic-. Anyway, don’t ask why I thought of this. The voices were loud

Bi-Han

Play fighting with any of them is bold as fuck but HIM? You don't like your life 

I'm not saying he's gonna straight up assault you but out of all the brothers, he has the highest chance of hitting you hard as shit on accident 

He probably wouldn't even like play fighting that much. He'd prefer sparring cause at least you're working on your skills. Why you just fucking around?

You gotta catch him on the right day. Some days he's busy and some days he's just legit not in the mood. 

“Imma start it off slow. Imma scope the scenery out-”

If you somehow get this man to cooperate, first of all good job. Second of all, y'all do not stop until you give up. 

The type to pin you down and not let go until you admit he won. If you refuse, you're legit not moving. 

This is a big guy so you're not moving him. You give up, he lets go and you manage to crack a smile out of him

We never see him smile in the game but listen bitch, I'm here for the fantasy-

If he's not in the mood, I can see him just saying “no” like you're a puppy or smth. 

You'd go to swing on him again and he'd either grab your hand or give you a look that tells you he's being serious 

Going back to him accidentally hitting you hard as shit, he's used to sparring with two other buff ass men. Imma guess you're not as buff as them, and some of y'all reading this ain't men. Accidents are bound to happen 

You'd think the Grandmaster would have more control but I just think it slips sometimes. He's stupidly prideful and he's used to sparring so sometimes that's where his mind goes. Also once again, he probably sometimes forgets a hit Kuai Liang could handle is a hit that'll take years off your life. 

I would love to say he gets on his knees and apologizes but this is the same man who betrayed his brothers and was like “why y'all tweaking?” so um… 

You're gasping for air and he's “see why I always say no?”

I feel like I'm making him sound abusive but as someone who's play fought with my older siblings, they hit you hard as shit then tell you you're a bitch when a tear slips out. Why the fuck are you hitting me this hard in my chest? You got 5+ years on me-

He's an older brother. He's gonna hit hard. I swear it's in their DNA 

And if he does apologize it's not really verbal. He checks to make sure your limbs are alright then offers to do something else. 

“Are you gonna say you're sorry?” “For?” “For almost breaking my damn lung” “You started this”

You'd expect that the next time you wanna play fight he'd decline cause he doesn't wanna hurt you again. Wrong. 

Remember he's an older brother. THE older brother. Y'all squaring up again. You don't care about your health so fuck it. 

Honestly would be super fun besides the limb you're gonna lose 

Kuai Liang

Would be more cooperative than Bi-Han but still isn't overly excited to play fight 

Bi-Han is the “tell mom. I don't care” older brother. Kuai Liang is the “wait wait wait, I'm sorry. You can hit me back. Calm down. You want some candy?” older brother 

Fully aware he could cause terrible injuries but as time passes on, he relaxes more 

Definitely play fought as a kid but after Tomas started jumping everytime he heard his voice, he thought “maybe I need new hobbies”.

You’ve interrupted his recovery

He actively focuses on holding back and being soft even if you tell him not to

“Hit me harder” “No❤”

Honestly a fun time though. He holds back when it comes to strength but still tussles with you. Also let's you get hits in even when he could easily dodge them. 

If he accidentally injured you frfr, he's checking up on you immediately and says y'all stopping for today. 

“No, I'm ok” “Can you even breathe right now?” “Uhhh… yes😀” “We're done”

For sure feels like an asshole depending on how bad you're hurt. He's not sliding down the wall in pain but he's like “damn, that was a little too hard”. 

“You can hit me back” “No. I've seen Twilight” “What?” “It's gonna hurt me more than it's gonna hurt you. I'm not doing that”. (Now I wanna write you making them watch Twilight. I'm never gonna be rid of this addiction-)

You gotta hit him back so y'all can be even. It's the only way to move on

Y'all are not doing that shit again for at least another week or so. 

“We gotta scrap right here right now” “No”

Does the thing older siblings do when they put their hand on your head so when you swing at them, you're just hitting air. 

It's so infuriating so you gotta stop. 

The next time though, you swear you're gonna win. You will not. 

Tomas Vrbada

The most willing and having the most fun 

Tomas has two older brothers that probably jumped him on several occasions growing up and you're gonna try and convince me he doesn't have aggression to get out?

People would probably expect he's the softest but no. He's the youngest. As the youngest myself I can assure you, we are used to putting our all in these fights cause we gotta use all our strength to defeat these evil mfs we live with. Sometimes it's not enough-

You're not his older sibling so he's not scrapping like his life depends on it but I do think he's hitting somewhat hard 

Not as hard as Bi-Han, not as soft as Kuai Liang 

You feel his hits but it's not knocking the wind outta you 

Super fun cause he's also using the environment. Definitely is grabbing a pillow and starts swinging it at you. Definitely is running around the couch to chase you. Definitely has thrown you but made sure to aim at something soft. He's probably even turned off the lights then threw a folded blanket at you 

“Cheater” “Don't be upset you didn't think of it first”

You're fighting but laughing at the same time. There's no real tension. Just fucking around. 

Probably starts initiating it too

If he does injure you fr, for a split second he'd actually see it as a victory then he'd remember you're not his older brothers and is like “oh shit-”. 

Injuring those two would mean freedom (or a worse jumping. really depends), injuring you is not good. 

He knows how bad those hits can hurt so he makes sure you're alright. He's not watching you as much as Kuai Liang would but he'd still make sure you're not overly sore. 

He doesn't feel as bad as Kuai Liang would cause he kinda knows this shit happens. Kuai Liang kinda got a little bit of guilt cause Tomas gets into a fighting stance when he raises his hand up. Tomas hasn't victimized anyone so he's more chill about these situations 😭

Tells you random ass stories about when he used to play fight with his brothers. 

“One time Bi-Han threw me in the air and Kuai Liang jumped to catch me only to throw me against the wall”

“This reminds me of when Bi-Han swept my feet from under me and Kuai Liang jumped on me”

“What is it called when someone jumps on you elbow first?”

“This one time I woke up to them standing over me. I knew it was a wrap”

“One time Bi-Han slapped the back of my neck so hard, it was red for at least a week”

“One time Kuai Liang-” “Tomas… you need a therapist” “I don't think that's what it is”

Unlike Kuai Liang who makes you wait, he's cool with scrapping days later. 

Actually says “time out” when he wants a break. Also says “time in” fast as fuck though to catch you off guard 

Legit the most fun brother. I don't make the rules (except I do). 

I did not mean to write the least for Kuai Liang but I was really brain empty for him. Y’all should give me ideas, thanks bookie