#with: Fleet

[zackastor]

starter for: @fleetsummers

location: Fleet's green-roofed house

It was past noon when Zack woke up. A crack of winter sun fell through the drawn up curtains, casting a line across his face. Zack groaned softly, blinking as it took a moment for him to orient himself as the dull ache across his face came back to him, helping him to wake up properly.

He'd pretty much passed out when everything had been said and done. Fleet and him had come back together, their walk back to the farm mostly quiet. Everyone had made it back to Redwood, if some severely injured, but neither of them seemed to feel like talking. After a short report to the council, they'd trudged their way to Fleet's house. Zack had managed to pull off his jacket and jeans, kick off his boots before he'd laid down and went out like a lightbulb.

Zack shifted, the sheets rustling as he turned around to face the weight next to him. A familiar head, eyes still closed. Zack, admittedly, didn't make an explicit effort to not wake up Fleet, but his movements were gently as he reached out and pulled Fleet closer, up against him. Burying his face in the curls, he breathed in. Fleet smelled of dried sweat, faintly of smoke and iron, tangy, and below that like himself.

"Wake up, kid." Zack muttered, his voice muffled against the hair as he held Fleet close, the warmth of his body seeping into his still weary body. It'd always been like that, after war. Exhaustion. Pain. Comfort, sometimes. "We're back. And we both need a shower and food."

[aresmelaina]

HEY

Where Ares and Fleet talk about their lives, issues and resolve to do a movie night @fleetsummers

Ares Melaina "Hey. Mind having a customer? Or… Company? Partner? Whatever you call it." Ares grins as he makes his way into the kissing booth, a little slow. "Thought I'd check out what you're offering.

Fleet Summers "Ares!" Fleet keeps it a little less than a shriek, although he's delighted to see his friend, darting out to help Ares to the stool on the other side of the booth before he goes back behind. "Customer, maybe? Although we're not charging. Obviously."

Ares Melaina "You guys would probably make a killing with whatever people pay with." Ares leans back on the stool with a relieved sigh, regarding Fleet. "You look good. How are you holding up? Or is right now not the right time to catch up? Does the booth have a talking option?"

Fleet Summers "We can talk. Although if somebody else comes, then I'll have to attend to my duties for a minute." Fleet flutters his eyelashes with a laugh. "It's a tough job! I'm a national hero." He reaches across the narrow booth for Ares' hands, saying, "I'm doing all right. Lots to think about that's hard to think about, but. C'est la vie, n'est-ce pas?"

Ares Melaina "The community appreciates your service." Ares reaches out and grabs Fleet's hand, soft and warm, squeezing them. "Still what we talked about on the ranch? With your dad?"

Fleet Summers Fleet sighs a bit, almost instinctively, when Ares brings up Cole, and then says, "Sort of. It's gonna be him for a while, but it's Uncle Sol missing too. And the … everything that happened on the ranch. To you, to Nicki…" He looks at Ares, squeezing his hands back. "Do you want to talk about that kind of stuff, though? I'm fine with being more fluffy, if you want. You've got a lot to get better from, Ares."

Ares Melaina "Hey, I was the one who asked." Ares grins, reassuringly, his smile only faltering a little at the mention of what had happened to him. His thumbs trail over Fleet's knuckles. "Want a hug?" Ares asks, suddenly. "You're gonna have to do most of the work, though. But nobody can interrupt us, because you're doing your job and all. I could use a hug."

Fleet Summers "Of course you can have a -- oh, Ares." Fleet rounds the end of the booth again, wrapping his arms around Ares and pushing his face against the side of his friend's head. Ares isn't the sort who'd groan about being hugged too tight, so Fleet doesn't temper it much, and kisses the shell of his ear to boot. "I'm a murderer, now," Fleet murmurs against him. "I don't know how the rest of you stand it."

Ares Melaina "It gets easier." Ares wraps his arms around Fleet, holding him as tightly as his body would allow. His fingers rub circles into the lean muscles on his friend's back. "If it hadn't been them, it would've been you. It's survial. You get used to it, in some way." Killing a person was different than killing a walker. Even if that person was trying to kill you. It'd probably mess with anyone, if they had to. "Want to talk about it? What happened? What you did?"

Fleet Summers "I don't think I want it to get easier." As he said that, heard himself out loud, Fleet realized how true it was. "I can accept that I had to do it out of survival, but I don't want it to be something I'm ever used to." He stayed in Ares' embrace, breathing him in; a scent of illness, a little bit oily and antiseptic at the same time, but also something orange, almond. Ares' usual warm-fur scent under that. It was astonishing how quickly Fleet had acclimated to it, but it had been like that with Nicki, too. The Ranch had some good aspects to it.

Ares Melaina "Yeah. That makes sense. That's good, I think." It was a conscious choice Fleet was making. The opposite probably would've been easier. There was something admirable about it, the choice to not get used to it. "That's how the rest of us stand it though. We get used to it. I think we'd go crazy if we didn't. We have to. It just happens."

Fleet Summers For a moment Fleet almost rushed to temper his statement and assure Ares that he hadn't meant to sound critical, that he was only speaking for himself, but he bit down lightly on the sides of his tongue and didn't, in the end. Ares hadn't meant it that way. Ares meant everything he said, just the way he said it. That's good meant that's good. "And I don't want any of you going crazy, so however you get through it, that's enough for me." Fleet giggled, slightly, adding, "…some people in town don't need to get any crazier."

Ares Melaina "Different ways of getting through it." Getting numb to killing people wasn't a great thing, but it was survival. The addition made Ares smile, a little sadly, though with the hug Fleet couldn't see that. Ares reached up, petting the back of Fleet's head. "Nicki? Yeah. She doesn't need to get any crazier." He breathes in softly, feeling the warmth of Fleet's body seep into his. "She talks to you, right? Do you think she's… getting better?"

Fleet Summers "Oh, hey." Fleet might have moved back a little, so they could look at each other for this, but the way Ares was holding him made him reconsider. Ares didn't seem like he'd flinch from hard conversations but everyone had their few subjects that were harder to talk about, that they had to push themselves to reach. So instead he cuddled closer and said, "We talk. I think it's hard for her. She's super defensive about things, and she avoids thinking about motivations -- anybody's motivations -- so her world is very … flat? One-dimensional. Maybe that makes her feel safer, if she thinks she can see everything laid out." Fleet nosed behind Ares' ear, where the skin was soft and almost vulnerable, deerlike. "I think she's on her way to trying, but she has no idea where to begin. How to start seeing in dimensions."

Ares Melaina One dimensional. It sounded harsh, but Ares knew what Fleet meant, how he meant it, and suppressed that initial urge to jump to Nicki's defense that gnawed at him. "Yeah. I didn't even think of it like that. I just .. I'm glad she isn't running out of the walls anymore and getting herself into danger." Ares laughed, though it wasn't really funny. He took a soft breath. "I think it helps. People telling her her own motivations. That's how I try to do it." He leaned his head to the side, pressing himself more against Fleet. "I think she's getting better. I hope she is. I'm… Worried she isn't."

Fleet Summers That laugh of Ares' was so much like all the rest of Ares: his innate habit of making everything just a little bit sweeter, a little bit simpler, like he was constantly sanding the edges off life. Even the unfunniest, not even slightly simple or sweet things that had happened to Ares, he did that with. Fleet stroked his hand over Ares' strong shoulder, kissing it a few times compulsively, like he used to do with his plushies as a child when he'd accidentally kicked or dropped them. "I think," Fleet said slowly, "it's good to be concerned, but not worried. She gets a whiff of that and it makes her all--" now it was Fleet's turn to laugh though it wasn't funny, "--crazy. You're very calming, Ares, and nothing shakes your love. That's an incredible thing to give her.

Ares Melaina "Yeah. You're right. She would just get worse." He knew how Nicki got when people were worried about her. More eager to prove she was okay, even when she wasn't. She had enough trouble asking for help as it was. "I love her." He muttered, slightly muffled as he nuzzled against Fleet. He took a breath, a soft smile and then a huffed laugh breaking out of him. "Are you okay? I don't think I'm okay."

Fleet Summers "No. I'm not okay, I don't think I was even when I was going into all this. But mine's different from yours." They stayed nosing against each other, holding close, soaking up each other's presence. "Mine's a bunch of … I hate to say it this way, but it's new. Meeting Daddy, him dying, learning to fight and then killing people -- it's all brand new to me. You being raped, Ares, that's something that's happened to you before. It's bringing that all up again. Ares Melaina "Doesn't make ot easier, huh? We're both struggling." Ares buried his face against Fleet, whatever part he could find. "You know, I thought maybe it would be easier to handle, because it isn't new. But it isn't. I don't really… got a way of handling it well." His grip on Fleet tightened again, fingers twisting in his shirt. "I want it to happen again. I miss it."

Fleet Summers "Is it … because of Clint's brother?" Fleet had heard the rumours, but had also heard terse shards of information from Zack. Those, he tended to take on board with more immediacy and weight. "That he was in prison too, like you? So it's bringing all that up again along with the Daybreakers hurting you?" Fleet moved closer to Ares when his friend tugged on him, tightened his grip. "I felt that way too, sometimes. It's a weird thing your brain does to cope."

Ares Melaina "Kind of? He's making it worse." Ares had to swallow. "He calls me Daisy. That was what they called me in prison. I got a tattoo. He saw it when he found me and he keeps calling me that. Fuck, it's-" Ares soaked in a deep breath. One of his hands trailed up to the back of Fleet's head, feeling the curly hair there. It'd been cut short on the ranch. "How do you deal with it? With… everything? With missing the fucked up shit and what happened with your dad and the shit on the ranch?"

Fleet Summers That was a huge question, and Fleet gave a terse, wild little laugh at it. "I deal with it badly," he said, inhaling through the statement. "I cheat on my boyfriend and I feel insecure about how I look and I snap at people for doing nice things for their loved ones because I think it's a waste of sugar or milk. I shave my hair off." Fleet slumped into Ares, melting against him. "I make myself be productive and organize feel-good things that I bully people into participating in, when really I want to curl up with Rex in bed all day, or take a really hot shower and jerk off until I'm exhausted, or swim out into the middle of the lake and scream till I cry."

Ares Melaina "Hey. Some of those don't sound like bad ways to deal with it. Like organizing the pot of gold. Or shaving your hair, or getting upset with people wasting things." Ares can practically feel Fleet relax and leaning into him. They both needed this contact. "I wish the stuff we wanted and the stuff we should do was the same."

Fleet Summers "That would be too easy, I think. One of those great moralistic lessons about life, that we need to resist temptation in order to … I don't know. Keep safe. Get better. Be healthy." Fleet stayed crushed up against Ares, the solidness of the other man a comfort; even wounded and recovering, Ares felt so there. So present. He was that kind of person, who was always right in his body and not mentally wandering elsewhere. "I wish I could get over my dad. I knew him for a few months and it's screwed me up so much! I had years not knowing him and I was fine." Fleet repeated that, a little less surely. "I was … fine. Mostly. Not like other kids haven't grown up without a dad."

Ares Melaina "Mostly?" Ares asked, noticing the doubt in Fleet's voice, slight but still there. "I don't think you're supposed to compare it. I mean, it messed with you, didn't it? Him not being there?" Ares remembered their talk at the ranch, the way Fleet had spoken about his dad. Had wondered what sex with him had been like. Ares didn't loosen his grip. "Maybe… it really isn't all that new for you?" He suggested, thoughtfully. "Not that you already lived through it. I mean… it kinda sounds like it brought up some old stuff for you to. Like what the Daybreakers and Mike are doing with me."

Fleet Summers "I suppose." Fleet made a disgruntled sound, frowning. He sat with that for a while, then leaned his head back, making a sound of frustration, then dug the heels of his hands against his eyebrows. "Fuck." That felt good, so he said it again: "Fuck. I'm so tired of trying to figure everything out. Sometimes I wanna just -- stop, y'know? Switch my brain off, take it out of my head, rinse it off. Maybe stick it in a jar and spend a day not thinking about anything before I pop the … the fucking thing back in."

Ares Melaina "Yeah, I know. That'd be a lot easier." With Fleet leaning back, Ares could see into his face, see the frustration and exhaustion in it. Ares leaned forward, bumping their foreheads together. "Wanna spend a day together? You and me? We can go and bunker down in the cinema room and watch whatever movies they have. I'm pretty good at keeping people busy, you know. You won't be able to think about a thing." He huffs softly, opening his eyes so he can meet him. "Would that help?"

Fleet Summers Fleet laughed at Ares so earnestly taking on what he'd said, almost to a literal point with the promise to get Fleet to not think at all. He nudged his nose against Ares' face, so close and so familiar now after the Ranch, one of Fleet's pack. In a manner of speaking. "That would help tons," Fleet agreed, getting his fingers pleated into Ares' shirt so he could give it a tug to seal the deal. "Just you and me, though, nobody else. I only want it to be the two of us, minds off, brains empty."

Ares Melaina "That's exactly how it's gonna be. Just us. No thinking at all. It's gonna be good." He grinned and softly bumped their foreheads together again, a response to Fleet's tug on his shirt. Ares went quiet for a moment after, before speaking up again. "Would it be weird to kiss now?"

Fleet Summers "No. That's what the kissing booth is for, silly." Fleet pushed his fingers gently through Ares' hair a few times before bringing his hand down to cup just behind Ares' ear, holding him gently as he pressed a soft, squashy kiss to the other man's mouth, then repeated it a few times. "Fuck," Fleet murmured against Ares' mouth, then dissolved into a fit of giggles, like somebody might scold them for saying bad words at any moment.

Ares Melaina The kisses were affectionate, a wet crush of their lips that vaguely reminded Ares of how he kissed people as a child. Ares stayed still, Fleet's breath warm on his lips when he cursed and then giggled, in such an infectious way that Ares laughed, a short, huffy laugh. He grasped Fleet's face in his head and kissed him again, harder, crushing their lips together and holding, just holding. When he let go, both of their lips were flushed. "Sorry. You okay?"

Fleet Summers "I'm okay. You're the one who's mega wounded." Fleet petted at Ares for a bit, not moving away yet, staying in the circuit of their shared damp breathing and slightly reddened skin. "I'm holding you to that promise. The just you and me watching dumb shit together and eating popcorn. We have a lot of dry corn, at least, so even though we don't have butter we can have the popcorn. Sound good?"

Ares Melaina "Sounds great. Just the two of us. With popcorn." As if to confirm and seal the deal, Ares pressed a kiss against the corner of Fleet's mouth. He let himself linger, letting their warmth and breath mingle, soaking it up, grinning against Fleet's lips. "It's going to be amazing. You can hold me to that promise, too."

[solreznik]

Starter for: @fleetsummers

Sol finds his nephew the morning after Cole's death. He'd waited in the precinct, like he promised he would, but when the deed was done and Fleet left the cell, his eyes were set somewhere else. He trusted the boy to find his comfort where he liked.

But he'd made a final promise to Cole and he didn't want to let it sit for long. So as soon as he woke the next day, he found the letter right where his brother said it would be. He found it and read it--against his better judgment--and felt angry all over again. He thought, for half a second, about sparing Fleet. Why not leave him with whatever final memories he'd managed to make? But his nephew isn't a child in need of protecting. And a dying man's wishes aren't to be fucked with.

The walk to Fleet's place is bracing--it's snowing now, the sticky, wet sort that chills a man to his bones. The tension in his shivering body is a welcome sensation, grounding him in his frustration. He's glad to be doing this in the winter, he always felt tougher in the winter.

He knocks on the door and Fleet answers right away, fastidious as always. But his riot of curls is gone, and Sol feels like he's looking in a mirror that reflects the past. It breaks his heart. It makes him a little queasy.

"I uh..." he has to tear his eyes away from the kid's face just to collect his thoughts. "I wanted to check on you. You got a minute to talk?"

[ijemmaokafor]

Winter is Coming (with @fleetsummers)

Fleet and Jemma organize the pantry, indulge in some gossiping, and philosophize on matters of the heart.

Fleet: -bounds in from outside, pink-cheeked and bright-eyed- Jemma! Sorry, sorry, I think I'm a little late, I got in a tiny bit of a leaf heap situation with Luna. -laughs, brushing stray leaves off his coat and then strips off his gloves and scarf- It's still kind of weird whenever something normal happens. Like running through raked-up leaves with a dog.

Jemma: Don’t you ever apologize for a bit of frolicking. Besides, it gave me time to get uuuuus -she retrieves the item from her bag with a flourish- a new scale! It’s got a tare button and everything!

Fleet: -his eyes light up and he claps, clasping his hands as he looks at the scale with hearteyes- No! OH my gosh, that's gonna save us so much time. And math. I'm good at math, don't get me wrong, but I'm also lazy.

Jemma: I don’t know it’s max capacity, so we should probably save it for the small stuff, but I’ve asked the raiders to look for one of those hanging scales, like in grocery stores? But bigger, if possible. Gonna need to raid a butcher shop soon now that we’ve got a real livestock operation.

Fleet: Stop, stop, you're making me wanna make a shopping list. Do we ... can we do that? For the raiders? Or is that frowned upon?

Jemma: DO IT. They won’t be able to get all of it, or something might have to wait. It’s kinda up to the head guy to prioritize things, and he does right by the town so we trust him to make those calls. But I’ve got an in with him that I’m not averse to exploiting.

Fleet: -pauses in pawing at the scale, a little taken aback- Really? We're talking about Isaac here, right? The one who bit my dad?

Jemma: -tempering her excitement- Yes. Not his finest moment. Is he alright? Your dad?

Fleet: -is quiet for a moment- The thing is, Jemma ... I kind of understand why Isaac got mad. I don't think Daddy's exactly the sort of man that you'd want going after a woman you care about. It's just Ike didn't have to hurt him like that, so savagely.

Jemma: I don’t think anyone would disagree with you there. Probably not even Ike, if he were able to be objective about it. Ike on his own has a lot of demons. Add his complicated history with Mayra to the mix and…well it’s no excuse. He usually has raiding as an outlet. He hasn’t had that outlet in a long while. Your dad just said that wrong thing at the right time.

Fleet: I know my dad's far from a saint. Even Uncle Sol didn't want to go see if he was okay after he got hurt. -toys with his scarf, thinking about it- I mean he did go, after I poked him a little, and that's probably not great of me because they have their own history together and I'm sure Uncle Sol has valid reasons for being estranged, but ... look at where we are now! Look what we've survived! I want them to move past it all!

Jemma: -she smiled, a little sadly- Maybe they will, some day. And hey, if Sol went and saw him ‘cause of you, that’s a hell of a testament to how much he cares about you.

Fleet: -frowning slightly, looking down as he folds his scarf up- It's probably hard for other people to understand why I'm so protective of Daddy since it's almost like he...enjoys riling everyone up. But I think it's just a show, y'know? Deep down I think he wants to belong, it's just being rejected outright if he shows how needy he is would mess him up worse than existing as some kind of pariah. I dunno. Maybe that doesn't make sense.

Jemma: It makes a lot of sense. You been told before that you have high emotional intelligence?

Fleet: No! I've been told before that I'm high maintenance, does that count? -laughs, shoving his scarf and gloves aside- I come from a big family so I'm used to all the work, y'know, all the compromises and stuff to get along. Did you? Come from a big family? Or is it working with the public that makes you so diplomatic?

Jemma: -pulling out her notebook and pen- Working in local government is what did it. I was an only child, and I was lucky to have a really level-headed family. Not calm, exactly, but…gracious. Gave each other a lot of grace, immediate forgiveness, that kinda thing. Didn’t have a lot of need for mediating, y’know? Did you like the big family thing?

Fleet: -pushes up his sleeves, taking out his own notebook and pencil as they're getting down to business, as well as one of their prized calculators- I loved it. So many cousins, and then family friends on top of that who were basically cousins, and aunties, and uncles, and everything. It was messy but I always had an audience and a shoulder to cry on. -sucks on the tip of his pencil, looking at Jemma thoughtfully- It shows. The graciousness. I don't mean this in a dismissive way but you seem sorta ... unburdened.

Jemma: I always wanted siblings. I had tons of friends all through school, so I was never without company, but I was SO jealous of my friends with brothers and sisters. -reflects for a moment- I try to let go of as much as I can. Make room for carrying the good stuff with me. Easier said than done sometimes.

Fleet: I'm nosy. You might have noticed by now. But! -tosses his head a little- You are, as we just discussed, a very gracious person so I'm taking full advantage of that. -smiles, reaching over to hold her hand for a moment- Plus if we're gonna be doing a job as persnickety as this one together, I think we should feel comfortable with questioning each other! I get extremely shirty about how to categorize certain things and I fight with claws.

Jemma: Oh, I love a workshop mentality, by all means, reconfigure our systems if you’ve got ideas for improvement. But you don’t have to bring out the claws, I rarely put up enough of a fuss to warrant them.

Fleet: Really? Okay, good, I'll take you at your word on that. -heads towards one of their shelves- I thought I might be stepping on people's toes doing things my way but honestly, every here's very agreeable. Except Zack. But I think I found my own way around him.

Jemma: -raises her eyebrows as she starts making a chart- Oh, do tell. He’s one of the tougher nuts to crack around here.

Fleet: -in between reporting back on their stocks for her chart- We got off to a rocky start, that's for sure - I didn't think I'd get bullied for being queer the minute I got to town! -he snickers at the ridiculousness of it, clearly unbothered- I think Zack isn't used to people not being afraid of him, but understanding what he's capable of. He doesn't scare me but I know what he could do if he's pushed. It's a delicate balance. Gotta get a boy too puzzled by you to keep on trying to threaten you.

Jemma: -she hums in laughter to herself- Well then, maybe we’ll just make you the town Zack-whisperer. Between you and that ex-wife of his, it sounds like he’s in good hands. Nobody else has given you trouble, though?

Fleet: Nooooooo, I'm a ray of sunshine, nobody has any beef with me. Maybe they will with his House of Usher ex, but that's none of my business. -trots over to Jemma- Level with me. Has anybody in town ever given you trouble?

Jemma: Nothing serious. Council meetings have involved spats sometimes. I’m a big proponent of getting rid of the precinct protocol, so that causes occasional head-butting. Your dad flirted with me a little more than I cared for, but it seemed harmless. The only person I ever had genuine trouble with got booted from town ages ago, for unrelated reasons. So nobody these days!

Fleet: -hangs on her word, eager for the gossip- Who is it who likes the precinct protocol? Ermano and Isaac? Dr. Brandon doesn't seem the type. My dad flirting with you - that I believe. I hope he hasn't tried anything since then. He seems a little ... -shifts, measuring this out- ...fixated on Mayra. Has nicknames for her, got this healing salve from her....

Jemma: I think it’s mostly that they’re just comfortable with it. No one is opposed to another option, it’d just take a lot of work and it’s taking a while to convince them to make it a priority. -she winces a little at the mention of Mayra- That seems like potential trouble. Not to meddle or anything, but she’s awfully vulnerable right now. And no disrespect to your dad, but Cole seems just the type to foster all her bad habits

Fleet: -pushes in a little closer to Jemma- That's what I'm worried about. I don't know if she's overly trusting, or if she thinks my dad's attractive, or she thinks she's just being nice and helping him out, but it's ... it could be trouble. Maybe I should talk to her. Maybe it would have more of an impact coming from me, because I'm his son and I love him.

Jemma: My guess is equal parts trying to be helpful and lowkey attracted to him. But if you talk to her, maybe be gentle about it? She’s not one to be told what to do.

Fleet: -breathes out, gratefully- Thank you. That's the best possible advice. This isn't something I wanted to really have to try and find somebody to talk to about, who wouldn't act like Daddy's already committed a crime right off the bat.

Jemma: -she shrugs- I’m a woman dating a guy with a propensity to rub people wrong. I’m all about benefits of the doubt.

Fleet: Yeah. What's, uh ... what's that about, anyhow? -holds up his hands for a minute- Not trying to be confrontational, believe me, considering the Zack of it all. But I think mine's a little more to do with vanity. I'm horribly full of myself.

Jemma: I love the guy. Our first interaction was kind of insanely vulnerable. He’s shown me his soft underbelly and…and I love him. Can’t help it. Wouldn’t want to if I could.

Fleet: -chews this over for a few moments- I've never felt that way with a lover, insanely vulnerable. Physically sometimes but that was the point. Never emotionally. I always went for older men who were emotionally unavailable because then I didn't have to worry about their feelings. -grimaces, thumbing his nose- Kind of obvious that I have daddy issues, that's unavoidable, but at least I figured that out early.

Jemma: Sometimes that makes all the difference--just knowing what your issues are gonna be. The emotional stuff is my favorite part, truth be told. Even when that means heartbreak, I just can't pass it up.

Fleet: You're braver than I am, Miss Okafor. -shakes his head, going back to the shelf- Maybe someday it'll seem worth the risk to me. But not now. Right now my heart stays in its shellac.

Jemma: Nothing wrong with that. But all that talk you were doing about reconciling and making the most of the end of the world? Seems like that heart of yours is already eager to be put to use.

Fleet: -pauses, then turns to look at her- Okay, you are reaaaaaally good at this. Anybody ever tell you you have astronomical emotional intelligence?

Jemma: -full-on belly-laughing- Yeeeaaahh, it was a self-selling point on my resumes back in the day. Believe me, I can verge into preachiness with it, I've had more than one friend remind me they wanted a vent session, not a therapy session. But it comes in SUPER handy nowadays.

Fleet: -laughing too, distracted from what he's doing- PLEASE tell me you used it as a humblebrag! I love a good unrepentant humblebrag. But seriously, though - this really is the time for it. Have you found that? Like, your most exaggerated traits seem almost mild now because everything else is so amped up? It makes me wonder just how OTT some of the people in town were normally!

Jemma: -nodding aggressively, then patting his arm- Y'know actually, my favorite thing to look for in people was how into the whole rat race they were before everything went down. Like sure, life has gotten objectively way harder and worse, in a lot of ways. I don't blame anybody that misses the things that used to bring them comfort. But in some folks, you can almost watch them, in real-time, totally come to life in this new reality. There's a guy named Doug who used to run a hedge fund, dude was almost a billionaire, but it turns out his great peace and passion is water filtration. The guy's obsessed with charcoal and experimenting with ash. He never would have known!

Fleet: -repeats, solemnly- He ever would've known. I'm kinda looking forward to discovering what I never would've known about myself. I'm starting off small, I guess - branching out the kind of guys I'm into. I wouldn't have done more than glance at Clint before, since he's undeniably cute, but now I'm going on an honest-to-god date with him.

Jemma: Clint!? Quiet bayou Clint? Oh, now he must've taken a shine to you to come out of his shell like that. Good for him. Good for you! -sighing with a smile- This is all a shit show in so many ways. It's easy to forget that here behind the walls, with all the safety. And it's not a smart to forget it. But, it's also kind of a gigantic gift.

Fleet: Maybe that's my thing. Sniffing out diamonds in the rough, at least when it comes to paramours. -giggles a little, considering that word that had puzzled his uncle- It's probably bad that now that I'm here I've completely switched off the part of my brain that thinks about that kind of survival skills, for past the walls. -makes a determined face- I'll give myself till the end of the year to purposely not think about it and then I'll go back to being more mindful.

Jemma: It’s not bad, honey, you’re still very new to the whole concept of safety we’ve got here. Enjoy it while you can, there’s always a reality check around the corner.

[little-eye-guy]

"this is too raw of a line to come from—" shut up. beauty and meaning is everywhere

[angel-bitch-boy]

ah ha ha no girl don't use Vampirism, Religion, and/or Cannibalism as a metaphor for all consuming love and obsession you're so sexy ah ha

[forestofsprites]

THINGS DON'T NEED TO BE PERMANENT TO BE BEAUTIFUL!!! VALUE IS NOT STORED IN PERMENANCE!! TO BE ALIVE IS TO EXPERIENCE EVANESCENCE!!!

[fleethall]

time itself has slipped away

now you are mine

[petricorah]

meeting on the fire nation stairs [ids in alt]

[jvlianbashir]

"the creator said in a reddit thread -" "the official twitter account posted that -" "the actors confirmed in a livestream that -"

i don't care and that's not real to me. put it in the text.

[retellingthehobbit]

Here is just "The Misty Mountains Cold"/The Song of the Lonely Mountain, from Chapter 16 of my webcomic adaptation of The Hobbit! I noticed I had never posted the song in isolation. You can find my full webcomic adaptation of the Hobbit on Tumblr here, Ao3 here, and Webtoon here. You can also support my art in general/see things early on Patreon here.

[zackastor]

starter for: @fleetsummers

location: community center main room

Zack wanted some fucking blood on his teeth, and the little getaway with Fleet had only really staved off that desire for just long enough to make it through the evening. Maybe it was the alcohol he filled up his flask with, or the memory of Ike leaning into him, breathing in the smoky air of Zack's lungs, or the feeling of Lucien's cane pressing against his chin and the sound of his smooth voice telling him to go wait. Whatever it was, it was still inside of him, lying in wait with bared teeth. Zack pretended he didn't feel it, making his way across the room, sometimes talking, sometimes just drinking and listening, but his gaze slipped over to Fleet, working the music, singing. Fuck, even if Zack didn't like to admit it, that kid had a nice voice. He wanted to fucking ruin it.

Zack had left the main room for a moment. Where he'd been, he'd never tell Fleet, only that by the time he came back, the prom seemed to have calmed down entirely. It didn't take long to spot Fleet in the remaining people, back turned to him. Zack felt something tug sharp inside his gut, maybe just the feeling of watching Fleet without him knowing, but whatever it was, it made him slip towards him.

"You waited." Zack's voice was a low hum, too quiet to be heard by the remaining stragglers as he spoke. Nothing about his face betrayed anything on the inside as he let his gaze flick over the younger man's face. "Good. You wanna go home, kid?"

[aresmelaina]

starter for: @fleetsummers

location: community center (prom)

Ares knew that he and Nicki were eventually going to split up and go their own ways over the course of the night. They both had people they wanted to talk to and maybe dance with. And he wasn't bothered by that. And yet, soon after she'd disappeared into the crowd, movements sleek and elegant like a cat in spite of her heels, he'd started trailing the outskirts of the party, rather than joining the fray. While Nicki seemed to effortlessly slot into place and soon after was dancing with someone Ares recognized as Cole, the raider was wandering around aimlessly, looking more lost than anything.

He used to be good at parties, mingling, talking and getting along with people. He'd always been part of the central group at parties, not the focal point but someone who settled into gatherings with ease and confidence. Hell, even during his first party in Redwood, he'd felt on edge, but he'd still slipped into conversations as if he belonged. And he had with Nicki. But alone, somehow, he couldn't work his way in as easily as he thought he would.

Maybe he just needed more to drink. That would make things easier. Loosen him up. Yes, that should work. Determined, the raider weaved his way through the small crowd towards the bar. He'd been so fixed on his goal that he didn't notice some stepping into his path until it was too late. Ares ran into them, not hard but hard enough to unbalance them. "Shit, sorry-" Ares reached out to grab the person by their elbows to stop them from falling over, and found himself almost nose to nose with someone familiar.

"Oh, Fleet. Hey. Sorry, I didn't see you there. You okay? Was just on my way to the bar." Ares hands lingered on Fleet's arms for just a moment longer before he realized he was still holding onto him. Letting his arms slip back to his side, Ares offered an apologetic grin as he took a step back. "How are you enjoying prom so far? Gotten to dance with your date yet? Heard you were gonna do the music later, too."

[solreznik]

The Rezniks (& Associates)

David Reznik (deceased) || Deborah Reznik (status unknown)

Cole Reznik (living) || Miriam Reznik-Amos (status unknown)

Solomon Reznik (living) || Elijah Reznik (deceased)

Perlita Concepcion Liwayway Lopez (deceased) || Fleet Summers (living)

[ilovelosermen69]

My emotional attachment to fictional men that kill people is insane.

[cat-cosplay]

"Studying is good. But in real life, there’s going to be times when you need to make a mess of things before you can fix them." ~ T'Ana