the battle of omogo

[bossymarmalade]

The rookie Lantern’s eyes showed J’onn all he needed to know. She was scared. She had just seen her comrades shredded to bits. This raven haired Rannian female had the resolve of her race and the will of the Green Lanterns behind her, but she had never seen such darkness and evil as Darkseid and his minions. It was enough to drive anyone mad.

“Have fortitude child” the Martian Manhunter told her. “Remember your training. Kilowog teaches well.”

“I, uh, I just joined two days ago” she stammered as her ring translated. She dropped her shoulders. “That’s why I wasn’t in the first waves. That’s why… why I…”

“What is your name?” J’onn asked, quickly trying to change the subject and get her mind off of the horrors she had just witnessed and on to the job at hand.

“Kaaranine” she offered.

“Kaaranine” J’onn repeated, speaking with an easy tone. “I am J’onn J’onzz of the planet Mars. I need you to focus right now Kaaranine. Think of the last fight you were in. Did you see which way Darkseid’s forces headed. We must pursue Kaaranine. But do not fear. I am with you. I bring you hope.”

“There is no hope left here” she replied. “There is no more hope on this planet.”

( memories of hope )

everybody's laughing/birds gotta fly

[bossymarmalade]

This is Summer Gleeson reporting for Gotham Live.

Watch out, Gotham! Looks like there’s a new playboy in town! Although he’s always been in the public eye as Gotham’s second Most Eligible Bachelor (the title still held by none other than Bruce Wayne), last night Dickie Grayson finally came out of whatever cave he’d been hiding in and rocked the Gotham party scene.

The first of many videos we have shows the young socialite arriving at uptown gay club Le Cordon Blow in a looooong stretch limo. As you can see, his arrival is at first only noticed by a few, but once he pays entrance fee for the line, he clearly becomes the center of attention. He’s quickly lost in the crowd, but he doesn’t stay lost for long as a mob forms around him, everyone trying to get a dance with the hot playboy of the evening. A few drinks and some new partners later, and it’s off to a new spot while the night is still young.

Dick Grayson disappears from the club radar for a while until he’s found at The Garden of Eden dancing on their main stage. As you can see, he can certainly give those girls a run for their money on those poles. Once again, he leaves with a new group of followers. Their videos show Dick Grayson cruising and partying around town, abandoning his limo in the middle of heavy traffic and taking to the streets. There’s footage of him climbing one of the horses outside of a P.F. Chang’s, hollering from atop it to his adoring fans.

( dick's night out )

at the crossroads

[bossymarmalade]

He stared at their hands, watching her fingers move back and forth. ”We talked about what happened, how we felt about it all. What we wanted to do now. It wouldn’t be fair if we just decided on something without talking to you. You don’t deserve that.”

Dick stroked her hand in response, looking up at her. ”I love you. You know that, right? I do love you.”

Was there supposed to be a “but” after that? “I do know. And I love you too. Dick, what do you want to do now?”

She looked down, swallowing against the lump in her throat. ”Did you want to break up with me and go back to Guy?”

He caught up her hands between his. ”No. No, I… I don’t.” His eyes flicked between their hands, the wall, her chin, her shoulder, and back to their hands. Finally, they settled for staring at her shoulder, an even split, but just far enough to not seem…challenging? But maybe a little too distant. Her neck. That was the good spot to be.

“How would you feel about a…closed open relationship? You and me…and me and Guy?”

( choose )

tower power

[bossymarmalade]

TXT: Let’s say the Watchtower, I know Star City makes you itch.

TXT: I’m up here anyway, needed some time to do work without protestors outside or worrying I’m accidentally closing a door on invisiMia

TXT: a little bit alarming how this shit hasn’t worn off.

Kyle decided to meet her in the Observatory, because it was generally empty after the Tower School and it was incredibly quiet. Maybe almost too quiet. He had gotten Mr Terrific to help him rewire this entire part of the floor for sound (for the karaoke room mostly) so Kyle took advantage of this.

He sent Kate a text, letting her knew where he was, and then started fiddling with the satellite radio, trying to find musak that was unobtrusive but also not too boring. Something cool and fun…Kyle settled on some sort of 60’s/70’s World Music Folk playlist, and waited for Kate. He almost wished he had a sketchbook, right now.

While Kate hated to admit it, she did sort of feel some trepidation in talking to Kyle. It’d been such a weird thing, lately, touch and go at the best of times. The situation made her sad, considering that he was her mejor amigo, and she was frustrated with herself more than anything else—frustrated that she couldn’t seem to figure out how to reach him, frustrated that she didn’t seem to have anything to help or to give, frustrated that she was turning into a little ball of near-explosive frustration and nothing else.

At least she hadn’t started thinking Godfrey was right about her, yet.

( two fer )

vidiri

[bossymarmalade]

J’onn searched for Guy’s mental signature on board the Watchtower. When he found it, he prepared a telepathic message. Then thought better of it and typed out a message over his computer instead:

“Guy - if you would be so kind, I have need of your presence in my quarters. Please make sure your affairs are in order and your ring is fully charged.”

After a moment’s pause, he added “And bring plenty of Chocos” before sending.

Guy raised his eyebrow at the strange note, and typed out a reply:

“Chocos I can do, but…. I need my affairs in order? What’s this about, J’onn?”

J’onn replied in kind: “I simply wanted to impress upon you that if you had other affairs to put in order, they should take precedent over coming to see me. Was this stated incorrectly? The structure makes perfect sense when translated to my native tongue. I apologize.”

The Martian hoped he had not needlessly troubled Guy. J’onn did not even know what he and the Lantern were needed for in the first place - only that Kyle had asked for assistance from the pair of them. But he did hope that Gardner would arrive soon with Chocos. J’onn had run out two days ago and was beginning to feel… well, itchy.

The Green Lantern made sure his last will and testament was still on file with HR (the H stood for “hero”, since “human” was rather xeno-exclusionary), and he took a Zeta beam down to New York and bought three bags of Chocos, and soon was pressing the door buzzer outside J’onn’s quarters.

“I got the Chocos, J’onn. What’s up?”

( green and red )

mother

[bossymarmalade]

It didn’t smell right at all, that was the first problem. Vanilla and musk and Damian’s stomach turned at the syrup in the air, but the woman behind the candles thought her offering delicious indeed. He could see it in her practiced smile, lipstick a shade of red dark enough to be dried blood. He moved toward her, but she held out her hand.

“Money on the table,” she ordered, and he opened his wallet.

Two hundred, three hundred, and still she nodded for him to continue. Five crisp one-hundred-dollar bills were fanned across the silk runner. “That’s all for now. I’ll take it back if you don’t earn it,” Damian warned, and she laughed low and musing.

“I think I’m going to enjoy you,” she told him. She sauntered toward him, slow, careless. Damian decided to make certain she didn’t enjoy him at all. But he obeyed when she said, “On your knees.”

( you had me but i never had you )

belle vivre

[bossymarmalade]

Kyle woke up in a room he didn’t recognize. It had happened before, many times recently, but this was an all-new room with an all-new smell and - Kyle’s head lolled to one side and he noticed a tousle of blonde hair next to him - and all-new person. Maybe he was still dreaming? Did Alex go blonde again?

His groggy mind slowly cleared as he stared at the cascades of golden hair. Steph and Kyle’s great adventure to Louisiana, specifically New Orleans last night had landed them smack dab in the middle of spring break. That meant partying and crowds everywhere. Kyle and Steph got into the groove easily, but they stayed up late enough to warrant a night in a hotel. But only one room was available in all the hotels they looked in - on room, with one king-sized bed. Kyle tried to insist on sleeping on the floor, but Steph would have none of it, citing the bed was large enough. So they slept together (except not slept together, although enough jokes were cracked until Steph’s cheeks were permanently red, cute thing) and Kyle had to admit, he had a pretty damn good sleep.

He slid out of the bed carefully, not wanting to wake the young woman while he tooled around with his half-asleep morning routine in the bathroom. As he slowly brushed his teeth, he grinned at his ruffled self in the mirror. Spring Break. Man, sometimes Kyle really missed college.

( blonde and brown )

accountable

[bossymarmalade]

Guy was supervising the unloading of a large delivery of supplies to the Watchtower, and was using the area in front of the Zeta tubes as a staging to direct where various crates were to go and placing them on anti-grav lifts for the technicians. He should have been done by now, but a few things had been misdirected and had come back. So what if he mistook rice cakes for urinal pucks? Anyone could have made that mistake. The damn things didn’t even look like food, and from what he’d heard, they didn’t taste much like food, either.

He was just double-checking the delivery order to make sure nothing had been missed, when the Zeta tube hummed to life behind him, and Superman stood where there had been a bright light only a moment before. “What’s new, Big Blue?”

Clark greeted Guy with a warm smile as he dismounted the transport pad, his cape draping down the stairs behind him. ”Hi, Guy! Just checking in to see how my son is doing with Monitor Duty. He takes it much more seriously than some among us,” he added with a fond chuckle. He used his penetrative vision to help Guy check the rest of the supply order before the two walked the vast corridors of the Tower together. ”How have you been, Guy? Any luck in rebuilding Warriors?”

Guy tensed for only a moment at the mention of the destroyed bar, and Clark heard his heart rate increase slightly. ”Well, kinda, yeah. I got an investor willin’ to partner up, an’ I’m talkin’ to John Stewart about designin’ the new place. Not sure if I’ll call it Warriors, though… too much history.” He looked absently at the walls of the corridor of his current home. “At least the Watchtower’s back to 100% after Sinestro blasted it. She’s all shipshape an’ ready to be shot at by the next villain who wants to give it a try,” he joked.

Clark responded with a polite chuckle, but the muscles in his jaw bunched and a heavy silence fell between he and Guy. Clark broke it when he paused in their stroll and turned to face his colleague. ”We were fortunate this time,” he said pointedly. ”We were taking a big risk with the League initially being told to stay out of the fight.”

Guy frowned a bit, annoyed that Clark was questioning his judgement so conveniently long after the fact. He fixed a hard glare into the eyes of the Man of Steel, and then figured out where he was going with this. “Yeah, well, it woulda been a bigger risk havin’ the League get in the middle of that ruckus. When it comes the Sinestro Corps, Green Lanterns don’t fool around. We needed the freedom to open up our rings on ‘em, not be constantly bubble-shielding everyone else that wanted in on the action. John an’ I kept ya out of it for yer own good, and ours.”

Clark folded his arms across the shield on his chest. ”I understand the intention behind your decision, and I, along with everyone else, agreed to respect it at the time. But surely you understand the League doesn’t ‘fool around’ when it comes to a threat of this magnitude, either. We all had a lot at stake, not just the Lanterns.” Clark frowned, his lingering frustration over the situation with Parallax and the Sinestro Corps rapidly surfacing despite his effort to keep it contained. “The League is a team. When something threatens the people we protect, we respond as a team. This is something I have to remind myself of when it comes to Darkseid. It’s easy to fall into the trap of making it personal and thinking you’re the only one who can handle it.”

Guy blinked. “Yer kiddin’ me, right? I’m gettin’ a lecture from the Boy Scout himself about bein’ a one-man show?” He matched Clark’s posture and crossed his arms, keeping his increasingly-sparking ring visible as his fingers curled over his broad biceps. ”When it’s a Corps matter, we call in our own reinforcements to handle it, and WE respond as a team. In case ya haven’t heard, we got some experience protecting planets. Oh, wait, I mean the universe. For millennia. We don’t got time to get permission from OR explain our battle tactics to whatever local heroes happen to be livin’ there at the time. That’s like… the U.S. Marines gettin’ a local county sheriff’s department to rubber stamp their battle plans when fending off an invasion! Besides…if four Earth GLs could kick even your ass, you can be damned sure the Sinestro Corps working collectively would. The League isn’t a match for them.”

Clark held his hand out in a placating manner, but his expression was stern. ”When it affects people on Earth, it isn’t only a Corps matter. I’m not questioning your ability, Guy. I am questioning your implication that Corps jurisdiction gives the Lanterns the right to bench the League.” His eyebrows shot up at the condescending analogy and declaration that the League is no match for the Lanterns, but Clark kept his voice even. “The League has faced many serious threats before and prevailed. I don’t think it benefits team unity to claim that any of us are more powerful or ultimately more useful than the others. If you believe the Lanterns could conquer the League, then what do you gain from being a part of the team? What you’re saying makes it sound like you think we hold you back in battle.”

“Wow, you thought I meant four GLs could take out the whole damn team, when I was only talkin’ about YOU. Ya really DO think you’re the whole damn Justice League, don’t ya Boy Scout? Ya sure got the speakin’ for them part down pat!” He pointed a finger at Clark as he said it, then folded his arms again. It didn’t escape his notice that they were starting to attract the attention of others passing by or in nearby rooms.

“Ya know, I could understand the others bein’ so naive as to think the League could hope to defeat the entire Sinestro Corps without our help, but you got the ability to get off this rock without a ring an’ see for yerself how powerful they are. But now that ya know I wasn’t talking about Earth GLs conquerin’ the League, ya raise a good question: what DO I gain from bein’ a part of the team? For your information, rejoinin’ the JL wasn’t my idea in the first place. I only did it because my partner did!”

Clark shook his head insistently. “I did misunderstand, but I’m not trying to speak for the League as a whole. Though I don’t think I’m the only one troubled with how the situation was handled,” he couldn’t help but add. “I was concerned for Kyle and Hal too, you realize. We all were. Do you really think it was safe to let Hal face Parallax alone? We could have lost both of them, easily. We could have at least had backup nearby in case anything went wrong.”

Clark sighed and cut the air with his hand. “I’m not saying the League intended to attempt defeating the Sinestro Corps without the Lanterns’ help. It seemed very much the opposite, which is what I can’t understand. And as far as your being a part of the League is concerned, it shouldn’t have anything to do with who else is or isn’t a member. If you’re a part of this team, you’re a part of it because you believe you better serve the people we protect alongside others who share your goals than as an individual putting up the fight alone.”

He looked at Clark like he’d lost his mind, and laughed a little in disbelief. ”First ya wanna get between two intergalactic armies collectively armed with literally hundreds of power rings, and then you think you could stop Parallax and save its host once it’s taken over a Green Lantern. Riiiiiiiight. Because that attempt worked SO well the last time, didn’t it? You’ll pardon me if I didn’t wanna see Kyle wind up with a fuckin’ arrow through his goddamned chest,” Guy said coldly.

“Face it, it was Hal who defeated Parallax the first time, and the four of us and Kilowog who defeated it when it took over a Guardian, in spite of Batman trying to get in Hal’s way, and it was Hal and Kyle who defeated it this time. It took a Green Lantern every time. What the hell do you think the League could have done to help Kyle that wouldn’t have killed him?

Guy again unfolded his arms, this time punctuating each of his statements with jabbing his finger right in the centre of Superman’s insignia. “The Corps had every authority to bench the League, and every reason as well, given their shitty track record with Parallax. This ain’t about skills and ability, this is about the League’s precious illusion of autonomy from the authority of a universal body of law enforcement! I’m startin’ to think Godfrey might be right about one thing, you really can’t stand havin’ to be answerable to anyone!”

Clark’s eyes tightened a millimeter more with each jab to his chest. He finally seized Guy’s wrist when the other tried to poke him again and held it tight before releasing his arm. ”Trust me, my memory of what happened when we previously encountered Parallax is just as distinct as yours,” he advised lowly. ”But as long as the Lanterns call themselves members of the Justice League, *it is not exclusively a Corps problem.* The League complied with the directive to stand down until John gave us clearance. We proved ourselves willing to cooperate, and rather than acknowledge any concern about the League’s role in resolving the situation, you insist I’m challenging you on the grounds of some power-play?”

“Godfrey has expended all his efforts with the goal of tearing the League apart. Do you really want to side with him here, Guy? The League in itself is a means of making certain meta-powered individuals are held accountable for their actions. I answer to every other person on this team, and as long as you’re a part of that team—” Clark stepped closer, jaw set and voice hard as flint, “—*so do you.*”

Guy didn’t balk, and stood his ground even in Clark’s attempt to intimidate him by stepping into his personal space. If he hadn’t been focussed on forming his next argument, he might have laughed at the thought of the Kryptonian trying to intimidate a Green Lantern. ”Just because I think he’s got a point about the League tryin’ to be its own authority don’t mean… Christ, you think I wanna tear the League apart like Godfrey? You’re actually accusin’ me of bein’ on his side, Clark? What, I gotta drink the League Kool-Aid an’ THINK just like you an’ Queen an’ all the other Liberals around here just to be deservin’ of an opinion?”

“You answer to me? Like hell you do! When was the last time this League even had a fuckin’ committee meetin’? Nothin’s changed in years, it’s still you an’ a precious few callin’ all the shots an’ speakin’ for everyone.”

He reached into the pocket of his vest and removed two objects. ”Ya know what? SCREW YOU, Superman! You were a sanctimonious bleedin’ heart hypocrite five years ago when ya booted me out of the JLI, an’ ya still are, except this time I ain’t givin’ ya the satisfaction…” He threw down a plastic card and a standard-issue communicator onto the small amount of floor space separating their feet, and turned away. ”I QUIT!”

Clark watched Guy’s retreating back in silence until the Lantern was out of sight, stone-faced and unmoving. He finally stooped to retrieve the communicator from the floor and turned to meet Kate’s eyes, knowing she’d emerged into the hallway before he looked at her. Something was exchanged in their gaze, but neither spoke. Superman handed Manhunter the communicator that once marked Guy Gardner as a member of the Justice League, and they parted ways as well, the corridor now eerily quiet in the aftermath of the confrontation.

catchup

[bossymarmalade]

kylewithenvy said: I’m so good!! It’s so good to see you!! I’ve missed you so much. What’ve you been up to? Still taking photographs? I bought a Polaroid camera, but it got destroyed, but. I thought of you when I bought it. 8D

It’s good to see you too, honey. And yes, I am, a lot more recently then I was now that I think about it. That’s what photographers do. What about you? Have you been painting anything, recently?

I’m just glad you’re still doing it, you were so good at it. At taking portraits and all that stuff. Ahhhhh, Donna, lemme take you out to dinner! I mean, for a coffee. Just a coffee, to catch up and stuff, y’know. Just friends, and all. Maybe a bagel.

Haven’t been painting much at all, my home got destroyed. By me…kinda. *laughs sheepishly* Green Lantern stuff, you know how it goes.

*Arches an eyebrow, then laughs and cuts him off* Coffee sounds fine, Kyle.

Oh really? Wow. That’s too bad, I’m very sorry to hear that. I know starting things over from scratch is probably really hard.

Kyle nodded and walked with her to the Watchtower cafeteria. So it wasn’t a Starbucks, or even a cute little niche coffee shop, but Kyle had to admit the cafeteria did make pretty good coffee. And best of all, it was free.

He knew Donna wouldn’t mind.

<lj-cut text="remember that time?" They got their coffees and settled into a quiet booth nestled against one of the glass walls, giving a great view of the moon nearby. “It’s okay. Well, it was bad, but now it’s getting better, uh. Parallax,” Kyle said, by way of explanation. Usually, invoking that name pretty much filled in all the rest. “That’s why it was all yellow skies across the West Coast a couple weeks back, but. It’s all better now.” He stirred the soy milk into his coffee and beamed at her. “But tell me more about Donna! Don’t tell me you went off into some alternate dimension again. Or got some weird not-death experience, or…” Donna fiddled with the packets of sugar dumping them one by one into her coffee listening to Kyle as he explained what had happened. Not in much detail, but she wasn’t asking for details. She sent him a sympathetic look and stirred her coffee, “I’m glad everything is better. You said everything was destroyed though? Do you mean everything? Are you staying up here for now or something?” She licked her stirrer and set it on the napkin next to her coffee before laughing lightly, “Nothing like that, thank god.” Like she needed anything that crazy in her life again. “I’ve been laying low for a while. I spent some time in Themyscira, then some time traveling around doing photography in different places, trying new things.” Donna took a sip from her cup setting it down lightly, “It was fun. But I felt like it was time to get back into… my real life again.” If Donna knew anything it was that you could take the girl out of the superheroing but you couldn’t take the superheroing out of the girl. Trying for a ‘normal’ life was fun for a little, and was a good vacation. But she had learned a long time ago it wasn’t something that would work in the long term. ”So, here I am.” Kyle waved, arms expansive to illustrate. “Everything everything. I was rooming with Guy above the bar we owned - and all of it went kaput. Hal’s place in Coast City too. Parallax, man. So yeah, we’re living up here for now…” Except now Guy had gone back Earthside, but not exactly in a good way. Kyle frowned to himself. ”There’s so much like, I feel I wanna catch you up on! I mean I wish I could say it’s been the same old same old, but it hasn’t. Oh! Wonder Girl and a bunch of the other younger kids got together a new Titans team.” He grinned. ”Thought you might like to know that, since you’ve come to terms with this being the ‘real life’, ha ha. Maybe you can be, like, their mentor…” He elbowed her a bit teasingly; okay and maybe just as an excuse to get a bit closer to her. So what? They were exes, it was okay to feel this way after all. “You seeing anyone?” he asked, and immediately as it left his mouth he could tell how freaking awkward that was, so he distracted himself with drinking more coffee. “I’m really sorry to hear that, Kyle. That sucks.” Donna said frowning slightly, “If you need help with anything just ask. Any of you actually.” She took a sip of her coffee setting it down and running her fingers along the rim absently as she listened to Kyle talking about things that had happened. She smiled when he said that Cassie was now on a new Titans team, “That’s great. I think I’ll pass on the mentoring. I’m sure Cassie, and whoever else is on the team will do fine on their own.” She said. She didn’t know that, she had no idea who was on the team, but Cassie would probably be able to handle it. Donna leaned towards him slightly when he nudged her and bumped him with her shoulder. Kyle’s next question probably wasn’t supposed to make her laugh or send him an amused look, but it did. “No, I’m not seeing anyone.” Her tone was almost bracing and her amused look seemed just a bit exasperated. “What about you?” As usual, Donna was like…like a warm blanket. No that was too silly an analogy, but regardless, she made Kyle feel warm all over. Because when she offered her help, she meant it. It wasn’t just a passing ‘yeah gimme a call’ it was literally ‘I will help you’. He still remembered when he relocated to New York, and she helped him move in and unpack and…and other things. “That’s true. They’re all ridiculously capable. Gar’s on the team, too.” Kyle mentioned, because he knew Donna and Gar were from the old cadre. Bringing up the Titans also reminded him of Donna, since she was the reason he made a half-ass attempt to join. She really was there for a lot of his initial Green Lantern life…and whenever he saw her again, it always brought up such distinct, almost powerful memories. He looked properly sheepish at her response to his blurted question, grinning into his coffee and turning the mug in his hands. ”Sorry, that was pretty freaking rude of me, I just. Not that I have anything to do with that, or like, it’s not like it’s any of my business, any more. Or ever, I guess. Since, I know we’re friends but we’re not that kind of friends because of…well. Anyway.” Donna fiddled with her coffee cup and watched as Kyle tried to back track from his question, and smiled slightly shaking her head. “It’s fine, Kyle.” She said placing her hands on the table in front of her and giving him an amused look. He was such a dolt. And she meant that in a loving way. Kyle was a really sweet guy he was just… well. He was Kyle. That much hadn’t changed since the last time they spoke, apparently. “Calm down. Really. It’s okay. I don’t mind. And, no, I’m not. I thought it would be good to stay single for a while.” She reached over and patted his hand to reassure him that really she wasn’t mad or offended he asked. This guy sometimes, really now… “You didn’t say if you were or not thought. Really, it’s only fair if you get to ask then so do I.” Donna added the corners of her mouth quirking up as she lifted her cup and took another sip from it. “So, are you seeing anyone?” She asked as she set the cup down again, looking genuinely interested because she hadn’t seen Kyle in a while. She missed catching up with her friends. Things moved fast, so you really never knew what you were going to miss out on. Kyle realized he was acting a little discombobulated, and maybe it wasn’t just because he’d blurted. He grinned, rubbing his neck a bit as he looked up at her. She was looking so amused and sweet, but she also knew him. “It was kinda nice being single for me, too. I hadn’t dated anyone since Jenny, you know. After we broke up and then she died…I guess it’d kinda been a year or two, but. You know me. I like being in a relationship…I love being in love, heh.” Okay he was still stalling, so he might as well just say it. “I am seeing someone! Actually. We’re…like together-together, uh, it’s great. It’s Hal.” He felt slightly dazed. He wasn’t thinking Donna would react in any way but happy for him - she was an Amazon and an ex-Titan after all, nothing surprised her - but it was more the first time he’d had to tell someone new about this, and actually acknowledge to himself that he was with a dude. “I…” Something occurred to Kyle. “I know I should just let the past lie, but can I ask you something? About us, when we were together, I mean.” Donna rested her chin on her hand as she listened to Kyle nodding her head to signify that she was listening to him. “Yes, you’ve always been a bit of a serial monogamist.” Granted she had been as well, either she went from relationship to relationship or she was singled for extended periods of time. There wasn’t much in between, Donna never really had been the type to date around. There didn’t really seem to be much time for that in her life. So, she really did understood where Kyle was coming from. She raised her eyebrows when he said he was together with Hal, “Jordan?” Like they knew another Hal. “That’s really great, Kyle.” She was assuming, she didn’t really know Hal that well. Of course Kyle did though. While Kyle could always be a bit of an idiot, he really didn’t tend to commit to people who were bad for him. She laughed slightly when he next spoke and nodded her head. “Yeah, honey, go ahead.” It couldn’t be anything bad, right? Anyway, it wasn’t like she was going to say no now that her interest had been perked. “You too,” Kyle said with a grin. “Relationships are always so much more funner than all the playing the field kinda stuff.” Plus, it was always really easy for Kyle to fall in love. Maybe it was for Donna too…but he’d talk to her about that after he nodded and confirmed. “Yup. Jordan. And thanks!” He grinned brightly, feeling better about himself, because her reaction was exactly what he wanted it to be - low key, normalizing. Reliable Donna, still helping him stumble through life in her own way. “You know I always had a thing for older people…” He kicked her lightly under the table, teasing her. “So yeah anyway…” Kyle drew circles on the formica table, green dots rising and dancing in his fingertip’s wake. ”I started to wonder. Ha ha. S’funny, Wonder Girl…” Kyle shook his head, not allowing himself to get distracted by stupid puns. “So you know how, like. When we got together first, my girlfriend Alex just g - got killed and you and your husband…Terry…you guys just split.” He looked up at her, wondering if she remembered this. Of course she would. Terry and their son, it’d be awful for her if that had been erased from her psyche. “Both pretty recently out of relationships, on both sides…do you think…do you think maybe we got together because we were rebounding?” He leaned forward, splaying his fingers at her. “I know, I mean, you don’t remember us, like…and. Hah…you’re probably wondering why you dated me in the first place. And. And I started to think, maybe that’s why we weren’t ever meant to be.” He was two relationships away from Donna and in a very committed one right now, and yet it still broke his heart a bit to say that out loud. He was just so bad at letting go of the past, it showed clearly on his face. Donna was silent and contemplated his question as he spoke, “First off, I remember a lot more then you think I do.” She said honestly. She really did, she pretty much remembered most things, maybe she didn’t remember specifics of what it was like to be with Kyle, or things of that nature. But she remembered a lot of things. “Though,” She added in a light voice and smile, “while we dated I was probably wondering why I dated you in the first place.” She teased. Because Kyle was looking a little pained and she felt like she should lighten the mood a little. Anyway, that playful jab was a little too easy to be passed up. “Anyway,” She continued on to answer his actual question, “It’s possible that we were just rebounding, yes.” Donna nodded her head, because it made sense. “I think most of my relationships have started out because the other person needed help, or comforting, or to be taken care of. Even Terry had just gotten over a divorce when we started seeing each other. That may have been part of it with you, but you were there for me too.” She said looking over at Kyle seriously, “I don’t think it really matters if we were rebounding or not, because I did love you.” Her demeanor turned lighter again. “I don’t think I did too bad for myself.” She hadn’t really ever thought about it before, if she were being honest. But it made sense. It also probably played into why she knew she would never have been able to stay with Kyle while she was dealing with Terry, and Robert’s deaths. “Why are you asking, anyway?” Kyle broke out into a grin as she teased him, and his tense shoulders fell as they relaxed. He chuckled, taking a gulp from his now lukewarm coffee as she continued talking about Terry and her son. He had really liked that kid. “Hahaaaa fair enough.” He did like knowing that it wasn’t a one-way street, that Donna wasn’t picking up the pieces of his life while she staggered alone through her own heavy burdens. He knew he was pretty self-centered back then (maybe just a bit now, too) and he’d wanted so badly to be the man Donna could be proud of dating. It was good to hear her confirm about the mutual rebounding, for both of them. “I don’t know, it’s just something I’ve been wondering,” Kyle said. But no that wasn’t entirely true. He looked at a star, past her black shiny hair. The two seemed to blend, the stars twinkling from hair. “It’s just I mean. If I was rebounding but you weren’t, then that would’ve sucked. Or the other way, then I’d feel like I needed to make it up to you? I don’t know. It’s totally irrational, it’s just. If we were both hurting and both…needing something and we found that in each other, right then. Right?” Kyle smiled, a little dreamily. “Then I think we both did the right thing. And we really had a great run, didn’t we? You’re amazing.” He drained his cup and held up his finger has he remembered. “Oh! And something I never told you. I took Robert to the zoo that day you left us to get acquainted, then I lost him and he was with tigers in the tiger cage somehow, but I saved him and we had a great time in the end. Phew.”

new digs

[bossymarmalade]

[Ring Txt] Guy is everything okay? — Kyle

Guy was shuffling around in the little kitchenette of his mom’s old trailer, trying to remove the clog in the propane line. She hadn’t used the thing in years, not since his father had died, and he wasn’t really sure why she had kept it all this time. He’d flown it from Baltimore to Barstow easily enough, and it wasn’t much, but it met all his needs. He smiled to himself when his ring alerted him again to another transmission from Kyle. He was a good friend, there was no question about it.

[Ring Txt] Well, okay as they can be, amigo. You wanna come down and see for yourself?

[Ring Txt] Sure thing! On my way.

Kyle used Guy’s ring to bead in on, eventually landing by…a trailer?

“This is so cool!” Kyle exclaimed, as Guy emerged from the doorway. Kyle threw up his arms, turning on his heel as he looked at Guy’s set up so far. He grinned. “Pretty swank, vato, I love it.”

Yes, okay, he was being cheery - because first off, he genuinely meant it, he loved trailers; and second off, it was always better to start of in good spirits, before eventually talking about what exactly happened between Guy and the League.

After all - everyone was alive and well, right? Of course right. And so everything else could be figured out in time. Kyle held out his arm, clasping Guy’s.

“How you doing, man.”

( whole new look )