Streets of Fandom, After Sunset

[firstofitskind]

Maybe it was asking for trouble, stalking around the streets and looking for the horse-like creatures that seemed to be causing whatever was happening.

But sitting in his office handwavily, since the player forgot to post today bc interview nerves was accomplishing shit and at least this was doing something.

Even if the 'something' was mostly just 'stomping around looking for ghost horses'.

[ooc: expecting one but open!

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[notallbluemonks]

Hey, look who wasn't going to judge him at all for asking for trouble!

Beau honestly just wanted to be able to punch something after the past few days of frustration and really bad sleep and inability to leave the past in the fucking past. It wasn't going so well, but see if she wasn't going to try anyway.

"Liam," she said after a second of wondering whether she wanted to risk oversharing, then figuring he'd earned it, if it happened. "The fuck are you doing out here?"

[firstofitskind]

"Doing something," he grumbled. "Or at least trying to."

[notallbluemonks]

"Do what, exactly?" Beau asked. "Sorry. Serious question. Because I'm over this shit, and I wanna help."

[firstofitskind]

"...Punching horses," Liam admitted, after a too-long pause. Because yes, he realized how damned weird it sounded.

[notallbluemonks]

"... into it," Beau said immediately. "I mean, provided you mean asshole ghost horses or whatever the fuck they are. Not just any random horses, 'cause that would suck."

[firstofitskind]

"Asshole ghost horses only," Liam confirmed. "They deserve it. Random horses do not."

[notallbluemonks]

"Cool. Just so we're clear on that." Beau made an annoyed noise. "I just wanna fuckin' be able to sleep again, you know?"

She reached out to punch him in the arm in belated greeting, before she could think too much about it.

[firstofitskind]

And Liam, out of habit, didn't even think to deflect the greeting, typical as it was between them.

Honestly, the night mare lurking in the shadows had been ready to act anyway, sensing that what connected these two didn't even need physical contact for a memory to bridge between them, but the punch to the shoulder certainly made it easier. And the night mare wasn't going to argue with easy.

"When the Replicant enters this office, the shield will immediately encase it and disable it with a series of electromagnetic pulses," Sandoval was saying to Liam and Da'an. "Still-" he paused, handing an energy weapon over to Liam. "Insurance," he explained, as Liam turned the weapon over in his hands, inspecting it.

The shield, as it turned out, did not hold as promised, and it looked like Liam would need that 'insurance' after all, as the Jaridian Replicant chased him and Da'an through the halls of the Embassy, intent on killing the Taelon. Liam pulled the trigger.

It let out a weak energy pulse, not even causing the Replicant to stagger. He tried again; more of the same.

Frustrated, he threw the gun aside and started whacking the Replicant with a nearby piece of metal piping he'd grabbed from the ground, which really wasn't any more effective. The Replicant swung out one mechanical arm, swatting Liam to the ground and then taking aim with its energy cannon.

Instinctively, Liam held out his hands to protect himself, two bright spots of light forming on his palms and directing the energy blast back at the Jaridian, destroying it.

Da'an, staring first at him then down at the still-glowing shaqarava in dawning comprehension. And then Lili and Sandoval, running down the corridor, the latter tripping over the discarded weapon. Liam curled his hands into fists, extinguishing the light before they could see.

"I see the weapon proved effective, Major," Sandoval noted, picking it up as he took in the sight of the destroyed Replicant.

"Yeah." Liam met his gaze. "Just as you intended."

It wasn't the worst betrayal his father had ever committed against him, not by a long shot. But it was the first.

[notallbluemonks]

Beau's own fists were clenching as the memory played out, and by the time it was done Liam was just going to have to duck, because there was nothing more urgent in the world right now than punching her fucking father in the face. (Wait. Her father? Right now that seemed correct.)

"Son of a fucking -- !"

[firstofitskind]

"Shit!" Liam hissed, as he just barely managed to duck. "Sorry, sorry. Beau. I'm sorry."

[notallbluemonks]

"Wait, the fuck?"

Reality caught up with Beau half a second later and her shoulders sagged as she rubbed a hand over her face.

"Aw, shit. Liam, man, that was my fault. I didn't mean to --" She sighed. "That was fucked up, man. I'm sorry."

[firstofitskind]

"Yeah, well," Liam shrugged, because the way this week was going he was out of the energy to pretend he didn't know what she was talking about. "Fathers. What're you gonna do, right?"

[notallbluemonks]

"Right?" Beau asked with a weak laugh.

She was standing in her father's study, struggling to wipe blood away from the corner of her mouth. And absolutely failing, given that the monks in blue and grey Cobalt Soul robes, standing on either side of her, had both of her arms in vise grips.

"This is bullshit, I'm not fucking going!"

It felt like the thousandth time she'd objected, and neither her father nor the monks were any more swayed than they had been the previous 999 times.

She spat the blood out onto the floor of the study instead, like it was the only way to vent all that anger and sense of betrayal, as the monks started to drag her away.

Her father's hand cracked across her face, and through the ringing in her ears the last thing she remembered hearing him say was something about her being his greatest misfortune.

[firstofitskind]

A white-hot rage burned through Liam, the kind that he thought he'd mostly managed to rid himself of over the last few years.

It was his turn, now, to curl a hand into a fist and aim a punch- although his was aided by the soft pink-purple glow of the shaqarava.

He swung out, and- suddenly, they were no longer in the study, but back on the streets of Fandom, a phantom horse skittering away from the pair.

[notallbluemonks]

"Fuck!" Beau staggered forward a couple of steps, looking more exhausted than angry. Though only slightly. This was the second time today she'd had to relive that moment, which was two times too many, so ... yeah, she was still pretty damn angry.

She glanced in the direction of the fleeing Night Mare.

"Could've at least let me get in a punch too, first."

[firstofitskind]

"Sorry," Liam said in a tone that probably belied just now not-sorry he was. "Instinct."

Which was, at least, more or less true.

[notallbluemonks]

Yeah, Beau didn't think he was actually sorry.

"Did you at least hit it really fucking hard?"

As long as they weren't talking about what he'd just seen ...

[firstofitskind]

They'd probably have to talk about it eventually, but Liam wasn't going to push things right now, not with everything so... raw. Not to mention the possibility of more unintentional oversharing that that might invite.

"It's like you don't even know me."

[notallbluemonks]

"Had to make sure," Beau retorted without much of her usual spirit. "If this shit had you off your game I'd have to actually worry."

Because she wasn't already or something.

[firstofitskind]

Honestly he was kind of off his game in some ways, but punching he could still do.

"Aww, that's sweet," he replied. "Hell, that might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me." It was not and they both knew it, but banter was part of the whole 'aggressively pretending to be fine' thing here.

[notallbluemonks]

Healthy Coping Mechanisms 101, right here!

"Don't get used to it." Beau glanced around, her eyes narrowed. "Too bad the light trick doesn't work on them forever, huh?"