bakerstreet | a 10?

[He's a ten, but he works for a company that basically tries world domination. He's not involved in the human experiments, but he does their dirty work like murder, spying, blackmailing and torturing, or dropping a plate that killed thousands. He does at least have a conscience and feels bad about the last bit?]

I really do wish that you'd be kinder to yourself, Alistair. You're easier on the eyes than you think.

[Teasing, of course, but she's also being genuine.]

I-- Well, thank you, of course, but--

[But he shrugged.] Not a ten - on whatever scale that's being judged, anyway.

Really? [Luciana gives him a once-over, humming a little as she does so. Dark eyes noticeably sparkling with playfulness.] I'd happily declare you a "ten", but perhaps I'm a little biased. Though I'll insist I'd still find you handsome even if we didn't know each other.

O-oh. Well.

[There were downsides to having red hair and pale skin, most definitely - and just now, one of those downsides was how easy it was to see the blush climbing up his ears. Not just his cheeks, no. His ears.]

That's... That's a very sweet compliment. Thank you.

[She can't help it-- the sight of his blush brings a smile to her face, quickly covering up a little laugh with a clear of her throat.]

You don't have to thank me, I mean it. Seeing you blush like that is sufficient enough. [Another tease, before she visibly softens.] Though... I do also wish you could see yourself the same way.

Oh, Maker, can you imagine? Me, seeing myself as handsome? I already get chided for everything I say and half the things I do. I'd be insufferable.

[And this was a convenient way to deflect. Yes, there was a difference between confidence and ego, but he was erring on the side of arrogance for his own comfort.]

Now that you've said something, I think you might be right. Perhaps it would be safer for me to avoid inflating your ego further? Just to be safe.

I quite like you being shy, anyway. It's adorable.

[Trying to boost his confidence aside, she's familiar with his humorous deflection by now. It does make her pull back, though part of her wants to insist she'd never believe he could have an insufferable ego.]

I honestly have no idea what to say to that.

[He knew it was a compliment, knew it was flattering, but that kind of interest in him? That just.... It never happened. Well, except it was apparently happening now, which...

Well. That was why he was being awkward.]

You needn't say anything-- I'm mostly teasing, anyway.

[She tries to wave it off a little too quickly, managing a quick smile to try to diffuse it at least some. There is absolutely no way that she's going to get shy now.]

But I did always like that you were nothing like the arrogant noblemen or the ones I knocked down in a swordfight because they didn't take me seriously.

See, that's ridiculous.

[Alistair shook his head, expression changing to judgement - against said noblemen.]

Those types - I can tell they've never actually seen the inside of a monastery or the guards anywhere like Redcliffe. There are just as many women as men, and so many of the Banns are women as well. Andraste was a woman and she led an army! I'm glad you knocked them on their rears.

Very, but this is how a lot of them see women. They see a pretty face and think they wield only a sewing needle, not a sword. [Not that she hates more 'feminine' things-- far from it. You can look pretty and still be deadly. That doesn't make it any less frustrating.] My mother, she... even suggested that I turn to more softer pursuits if I wanted a husband. I don't think that was ever going to be me.

But-- yes, as am I. Every look of shock and surprise was more than worth it, I think. And all the more grateful that you never once treated me like some delicate, breakable thing.

Duncan wouldn't have recruited someone who was only able to sit and look pretty. You don't get Wardens who can only be pretty. I knew if he intended you to join us, you were there to wield whatever weapon you preferred against this Blight.

[Even if it was still a bigger thing than anyone had really ever anticipated. And the dreams... Those were rough. But they were livable.]

Of course not. And I happen to know that I'm just as pretty covered in dirt and wielding a sword as I am sitting around.

[A small smile, playful even as a hint of sadness flashes in her gaze. Joining the Wardens had both saved her life and changed it in a way that she could never take back. Dreaming of battle and a chance to prove yourself is nothing like the real thing-- for one, reality is often far more cruel.]

I'm grateful that we met, Alistair. Even moreso that we were able to get through so much together.

It's...

[So much. Certainly more than he'd really even thought possible. There was what was expected, and then there was this. The two were wildly different, and so much heavier - but how could any of it really have been less than what it was? Saving the world meant facing huge things. How could it be anything else?]

That we can keep fighting. That's one of the most important things.

Of course. As long as I still draw breath, I'll keep fighting. No matter how impossible the odds might seem.

[And now she can manage another smile, though it's small. The time for dreams is long gone, wondering what her life might've been if it hadn't been for Howe's betrayal. There's a tinge of sadness that she has to ignore for her own sake.]

But it's a lot less daunting with friends, yes?

Even when those friends are a slightly faith-crazed lay sister, a grumpy ex-caged giant, and a stabby elf.

.....And Morrigan.

[Sneaky witch thief prone to swooping. He wasn't sure he'd ever manage to trust Morrigan.]

[Luciana lets out a laugh, shoulders shaking a little-- somehow it helps her feel lighter.]

Precisely. We've all been brought together by circumstances that are... less than ideal, but I wouldn't have chosen anyone else. The most important thing is that I trust all of you to be by my side.

We're the ones that chose to face this, while everyone else, it seems like, is busy putting personal problems before the world-ending Blight.

[His nose wrinkled but then, after a sigh and a shake of his head he looked at her sincerely.]

Your family name does us a lot of good out here. Even as much as it might not have been your ideal outcome, it means we might have a chance.

I suppose I can't blame that line of thinking. They chose to join for their own reasons, yes, but I believe that they'll be there when it counts regardless. Just like I can count on you, Alistair.

[She falters a little-- she can't help it. After all, she'd never gotten the chance to properly grieve her parents. There was never any time, a tiny part of fearing that if she stopped fighting then they'd have died for nothing.]

I'm... glad for that. I never really realized how privileged and safe I was until that night at Highever. That my noble blood can be of some use out here is more than I can ask for.

I know you know exactly how storied that name is. Both Cousland and Highever. Without your Teyrnir, there'd be no Ferelden.

[He'd not been a great student and he didn't pretend otherwise - but history? That, he knew. And he knew how many figures of import, from the Alamarri that produced them all, came from Highever.]

I grew up with the stories, I read everything I could. My brother would follow our father, of course-- but it never bothered me that I wouldn't inherit the title. I was our father's daughter all the same. And I looked up to him, to our name.

[That she now holds the sword is... strange. What does the name mean for her now, when she has no idea if Fergus is even alive? She lets out a shaky, soft sigh.]

It's a lot to live up to.

Family names always are. I'm... I was taught so much about the history of Ferelden. Strange to think that all it takes is one Blighted dragon and that might all be over. But when I hear the song...

[He shook his head again, this time like he could chase that sound away - even though he knew better.]

It's easier to believe.

We won't let that happen. I know that I can't claim to be some great leader that'll pull us through unscathed, but if nothing else I'm determined to end this Blight any way I can.

[Beacon of light and hope, right? Is that what she aspires to be in a time so dark and uncertain? She finds herself hoping almost desperately that she doesn't sound like a child, still.]

[He couldn't help a chuckle, though it wasn't entirely from humour.]

We are quite scathed already, I agree, but... Luci, you've already done things Cailan neglected to do, like actually ask for help from forces within Thedas that are as affected by the Blight as anyone else. Even with everything that's happened -- horrible things... You're still focused on saving as many people as possible.

[He gave her a shaky but sincere smile.]

Do you know how many freeholders are going to swear to your Teyrnir after this? If you thought the Couslands were respected before...

[A soft, weak snort escapes her. Not much humor to be found indeed, but his words do comfort her.]

I can't deny that, the scars I shall soon bear can attest to it. Thank you, Alistair. This... isn't what I thought my life would be, but I do truly want to save our world and its people. I only wonder when I'll see what other people see in me. I do what I can, yes, but I'm not some great hero in the making.

[His smile brings a small one to her own features. Despite how small it is, however, it still reaches her dark eyes.]

I can only imagine, I suppose. I dreamed about that when I was little -- how I might bring honor to my family name someday.

[Now his smile turned encouraging.]

Not just your family name. They're going to make statues of you, just you watch. One in each village square.

[This was verging, he knew, on their discussion from earlier. Right now, though, he was counting himself as successful. He'd managed to turn the conversation all the way around to her. Success.]

Statues of me? Do you think they'd be able to accurately capture my beauty? I take it very seriously, you know.

[Now Luciana manages a genuine laugh, brushing dark curls out of her face like she's getting ready to pose. Of course she realizes-- she's always been sharply observant. But she'll let him have the win, at least for now.]

I suppose I never considered that they might do that sort of thing.

It's part of the basic handbook. Which I know we ran out of before we recruited you - my apologies, we'll have to go get one from Weisshaupt. But I specifically remember that the page at the very end said 'and if you save the world, you get at least five statues'.

[It didn't. And there was no such handbook. But to him, it sounded like something that would be in one - if one existed.]

Does it now? I'll admit, not something I'd expect from legendary heroes. But who would decline statues, really? If I am to become legendary myself, I will have to be immortalized in some way or another.

[But it does make her think. Joking is nice, she just isn't sure how exactly she wants to be remembered yet. Grey Wardens who ended a Blight were revered all over, the kind of heroes you just looked up to. Could she really be such a person?]

Joking aside, maybe I'd like to be remembered in stories.

That's going to be Leliana's purview, then. She's the storyteller between us. If you rely on me, it'll be stories about close calls in the Lothering inn and cookie-eating white-haired giants who think we don't notice when he's been playing with kittens.

[Joking aside? Sorry, this is Alistair, but beneath the teasing bits, there was honesty. Leliana was the storyteller, the singer, the one who will probably be telling the real and respectable version of this story.]

If it's told right, it'll be about your hope and determination, even when things are darkest. The rest of us will get appropriate footnotes.

Maybe some people would like to hear the stories about close calls and cookie-eating giants. Makes us all sound a bit more real.

[Yes, she knows he's mostly teasing. But it helps to have the lighter moments like this and to still be able to laugh. That despite the danger, the darkness-- she is still herself. Though she does know very well that Leliana will probably be the one to tell their story, too.]

More than footnotes, I hope. You may argue if you want, but I believe especially deserve far more than a footnote, Alistair. You and I survived at Ostagar, and you've stuck with me since.

The stories about Shartan were called Dissonant Verses and taken out of the Chant. When the Fifth Blight is remembered? It's gonna be you.

[He chuckled, shaking his head.]

And I am fine with that. Let me just keep right on going, right under their noses, and maybe I can just end up with my nice little cottage with a few sheep.

...failing to see a downside.

Only idiots believe all the stories.

It's not the stories. Well, for some people, it certainly is, but those aren't people that matter to me in the first place.

Then...what? Your legacy? Title?

Your past?

My... me-ness, I suppose?

Well, I happen to quite enjoy your you-ness. When you aren't trying to give me a heart attack, anyway.

I doubt I'm the only one who'd think that way, if you really wanted to find someone.

( because why would bucky be an option, haha... )

Mm. Part of my me-ness is that I always leave.

[it's not you it's me etc]

Sure. But you always come back.

I do the same, too, so I don't exactly have room to talk, on that point.

... It's different.

Thor lived on Midgard for a time, long before he became the Avenger that he is today. He fought and feasted amongst them, even fell in love. As son of Gaea, he felt at home.

One day, he was called back to Asgard. We were in the midst of war, as we often are, and the All-Father required him. The battle itself was not terribly long, I forget now who we were even fighting against, such is the way of these things. Thor thought little of it, and returned to his viking friends.

Only to find that decades had passed in the time he was gone. The woman he loved was long dead, having spent her life awaiting his return. Thor realized that his father had allowed all this, knowing well the outcome. These people's lives were but lessons in the end.

( why does every new story he hears about odin make the guy seem even more unlikable? and people chose to glorify this asshole?

bucky tries not to grimace, frowns instead. after a pensive beat, )

So this issue is how shortlived humans are compared to aesir, then? Or a frost giant, in the case.

...there must be others who could live longer that would understand. I don't think she would have blamed, Thor. Knowing what it meant to be with him, even for what little time it might have felt for Thor.

The issue is, we exist on different levels. Myself, even more so than the others. The story illustrates an obvious one, that of time.

There are many who can match me in that regard, and there are mortals who can achieve godhood.

But those who match my perception of reality, well, the dating pool's a bit limited there. Everyone knows everyone and none of us particularly like each other.

So! Stuck with the ephemeral! I don't mind it, but it still leaves me as Loki, pros and cons.

( silence for another moment. then: )

What does that mean, mortals who can achieve godhood? What does that take?

[Loki waves a hand, who cares]

Oh you know, Jane Foster became a Valkyrie after her run as Thor, Billy's fated to become the Demiurge, things like that.

Billy's not in that very small pool, by the way. Not yet. His mom is, though.

So. It's possible, but just. Very, very, very unlikely to add to the pool from the mortal category.

( well, damn. )

...well, still. Mortal or not, I feel like there's definitely people that'd get you. A lot of the bullshit you've had to deal with and all the family drama because of it is pretty relatable to a lot of people on Earth.

A lot of people know what it's like to not be the golden child, too.

You don't think that's enough to meet someone?

It's plenty to meet someone. And I've met plenty of people.

That's not what we're arguing, however.

( sigh. )

Fine. You don't think you're enough to keep someone interested, then?

Even with that parts I've said people would relate to?

Still not what we're arguing!

My argument is simply that there would be downsides to dating me. Which is true of anyone, if you think about it.

...then, yeah, I still don't see a problem.

But, you do agree there are downsides?

If everyone has downsides, then are they not just the average rather than the detriment?

Perhaps. Such was my trick from the start!

Wh.

...what.

This is essentially a dating advertisement, yes? Why would I list my negative traits?

But, I can't come off as full of myself so I have to list something. It's like in a job interview, when they ask what your biggest weakness is and you rattle off something about working too hard or caring too much.

...I've. Never had a job interview. Usually, when I offered, I just got the job.

( he's mostly speaking historically, and it was a very different time, back then. point is, he doesn't know what they mean by the working too hard or caring too much thing. still. )

I think you could have just said "they're a 10, but they're full of themselves" and gotten the same results, though.

I'm just seeing more red flags with other entries, I guess. You being you never seemed like a detriment. To me, anyway.

And you think I have?

[Loki shakes their head to that, to all of it.]

I wouldn't have gotten the same results. After all, this way, I've gotten you to go on and on about me.

"Only an 11 out of 10? C'mon, sounds like you're selling yourself short. I'd say a solid 'Most gorgeous lady in the realm' out of 10," He gives her a wink, "More than suitable for a marriage to some old weirdo with a crest."

He manages to quell his smirk for a moment but he can't help breaking a little at his own terrible joke.

And speaking of people who would be hard-pressed to convince her of their genuine affection...

"Sylvain. You're as charming as ever, but I'm not interested in marrying just any old 'weirdo with a crest'. Besides, I would hope that any prospective partner of mine would be interested in me for reasons beyond my good looks."

"Oh, come on. If he's already old, that's even less time you have to put up with them. I dunno, the math checks out to me," He says with a shrug, still smirking at his increasingly morbid joke.

"And you never know, maybe old-crest-weirdo would also like your singing voice and headstrong independent nature."

"Oh, of course. Because the older they are, the sooner they'll die and leave all their wealth to me, right? Because someone's money is all I care about."

Uh-oh, looks like we've hit a sensitive topic. Even his amendment about her independent nature doesn't seem to satisfy her. She crosses her arms.

"If this is an attempt at flirtation, you might want to rethink your strategy."

...

So?

Yeah, I don't know either. I just think trashcans are neat. Is that a crime?

Not at all. You'd be surprised how well you can know someone by their garbage alone.

Plus there's lots of cool stuff that just gets thrown out?

That sounds like it makes her a worthy opponent.

Edited 2025-01-03 13:24 (UTC)

[She cracks her knuckles with deliberate intent.]

Different day, different Supergirl.

[She glares, but there's a hint of a grin on her face.]

You'd best not get ahead of yourself.

[And she'll start stretching a bit, getting ready for what she assumes will be some good old fashioned throwing down.]

Look a li'l different there, bee-tee-dubs - so what's your deal? Still all up in the Justice Chumps' business?

[Kara looks just about ready to throw down, until she doesn't and she looks very confused.]

Wait- What is bee-tee-dubs? And I've never heard of any Justice Chumps.

I'm a Kryptonian Warrior- Who has recently relocated to Earth.

[Well that makes two of them, and nobody tell her how closely her confused look mirrors that of the other.]

By the way. I'm catching up on - doesn't matter. Kryptonian Warrior?

[She tilts her head.]

So you're not out there pretending to be a hero?

[It's weird how familiar that confused look is. Kara isn't really sure she's a fan of it.]

Yes. I fought for the pride and glory of the Kryptonian Empire.

...Or at least I did until I realized it was all a facade created by Brainiac.

[Still a bit of a sore spot with her.]

I am... Making amends for mistakes I've made. I'm not sure if that qualifies me to be a hero.

Oh, yeah, never fight for a government, government-adjacent authority, or robot intelligence, they're all assholes.

[She nods.]

Is he as big an asshole in your universe as he is in ours?

[For the moment at least, she's sort of forgotten the hostility that was feeling pretty good a moment ago.]

[ shrug ]

And that's a problem... how? Not knowing is half the fun.

Edited 2025-01-03 08:28 (UTC)

[...Not to mention he's incapable of caring about another person as much as he ever will himself, stalks those he does feel like he's formed a bond with, and has no problem resorting to killing as a first solution to problems.]

...Well if folks put effort into making nice with Towa, I'm sure that first bit'd be null 'n void!

a 10?

(S)HE'S A 10, BUT...

Reno || Final Fantasy VII Franchise || OTA (m/m for shipping preferred)

She's a ten, but she participates in illegal street fights for money.

She's a ten but she's sex-focused and afraid of her feelings.

She's a ten, but she'll distance herself from you for your own safety without much, if any, warning.

He's a 10, but he constantly complains that everyone else is an 11.

he's a ten, but he's a (literally) cursed, jaded immortal who prefers to keep things casual

he is NOT a ten, and he’ll blame everything on you.

He is shyly holding one finger up. Swede is only a one, ja?

He's a 10, but he never drinks...wine.

he's a 10(?) but he can frustrate at a power level of 100

She's a 10, but smokes like a chimney

He's a ten, but he really isn't, he'll insist, because he has no self-esteem.

if a Cousland is okay!

Absolutely!

!!!

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He's a 10, but thinks most people are just too unsanitary to bite and he's short...

they're a 10 but they're also loki

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he's a 10, but he's a liar.

He's a ten, but has a habit of kissing co-workers.

she's a 10 but she runs an illegal proxy service out of the staff lounge of her video store

she's an 11 but it's gonna take some convincing for her to believe you really love her

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