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@datzpose
"I would have taken a toasted lizard, but this cake is pretty good, too!"

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Trucy finds herself nodding emphatically as Datz agrees to an exchange—more than fair, in her opinion. She hums as she nods, clapping her hands together softly. "I'll hold you to that! And don't you worry, I plan to be around as much as I possibly can!"
It'd be hard for a while, with Trucy finishing school and organizing for her next shows. And touring! Well, if she did end up touring (once she was famous enough), the first stop would have to be here. Like she'd miss the chance to have Apollo be her assistant visit, and also put on a show for the people here. But that was a ways off.
"Oh, it was. He was all teary and snotty and demanding to know what mafia guy had abducted me! Only to find out it was Mr. Hat!" To illustrate for her new best pal, Trucy puts on her saddest expression, batting her eyes and faking a teary waver in her best approximation of Apollo's voice. "There are some things you just don't do, Trucy! I'm pressing charges!"
Ah, the good old days. Trucy missed them.
Trucy beams proudly, nodding. "Doin' my best, yeah! You met my Daddy, so I know all his tricks. And I got to teach Apollo a few of my own to boot, back before Daddy really got back to being a lawyer."
She laughs as Datz does, the cab of the truck filling with sound. "Polly and I got up to loads of stuff!" She starts naming them off almost as if she wanted to fill Datz in, counting along with her hands as she does so. "There was that first trial with the noodle cart murder and the creepy guy who stole my Magic Panties, and then the concert with the spies and the smuggling, and then the special trial where Polly got to work with Daddy about his special mission, and then he got to visit my friend Jinxie's town and solve a murder about a bunch of yokai! And—"
Trucy falters just briefly here—she was hesitant to talk about Clay's death, though she assumed Datz probably knew about it. Her tone is slightly more serious when she continues, "Well, he helped out a little with the space center case; as much as he could. And then—he helped me out even more than he already has been, while Daddy was here in Khura'in visiting my aunt Maya." Her tone shifts back to something brighter now. "And that's only his court stuff! He's played my assistant on stage so much, and all the other stuff he was doing in the States too!"
Well accustomed to the route they were driving, and driving much more slowly than usual on Apollo's orders, Datz let Trucy divert his attention from the road for a moment as she re-enacted what sounded like a favourite memory. "Har har har! That's him, alright! You do a pretty good impression." His laughing smile stayed buoyant, but he did add: "Hope he didn't give Hat too much hassle over it. Back in the day, li'l AJ'd be cryin' and swingin'... seems like he'd rather throw the book at'cha nowadays than his fists, though, for better or worse."
The list of Apollo's escapades with Trucy was mostly new to Datz, but he nodded along with each bullet point. The cases sounded silly and complicated in just the way that Apollo's exasperation with the silly and complicated seemed to attract, and that he was likely appreciative of Trucy's assistance coping with. He nodded again, but more solemnly, as if giving her permission not to explain, when she wavered and clearly decided to gloss over something important. He didn't know much about the details of the space centre case, either, but he did know that Apollo had been deeply hurt by the death of a friend who was an astronaut, and he could fill in the blanks. Apollo and Datz had both lost the men closest to them, not so far apart from each other, and in bonding over the fact, that was one of the few parts of his life abroad that Apollo had found the time to share.
Perhaps it was a strange line to draw, while they were both fully indulging in teasing the young man behind his back and joking fondly about the less-proud moments that he surely would rather remain private, but it filled Datz with a swell of respect to hear Trucy temper herself from blabbing to him about darker topics. Clay Terran's death and its impact on Apollo were hardly secret (his portrait was prominently placed on the altar in the office, for one thing), but if she had the awareness to wonder if something that caused him so much pain wasn't hers to share, or if Datz was someone who couldn't be trusted with it, that was a good sign that Trucy really did have Apollo's best interests at heart.
"Well! Good to hear he returned the favour some. Wouldn't be right if it was just you 'n' your old man teachin' him your tricks 'n' savin' his cases, eh?"
Not that Apollo was ever the type to take advantage or renege on something he owed, but outside of his capacity as a lawyer, it was a little hard to imagine him being of much use to Trucy as an entertainer. "So he's been playin' his assistant's assistant, too, huh? Gotta say, I'm a little surprised! If I had to compare, seems like you and PW got more'a the stage in your blood than he does..."
««
(from datzpose) 🍻+ "Who are you to Apollo, really?"
send 🍻 and a question for drunk klav to answer!
Klavier maintains eye contact with Datz for a long moment, before turning his attention to the subject of the question, sitting across the room and speaking animatedly with the others who had come over to celebrate the lates big win for the Justice law Offices. With the strong Khura'inese alcohol, Klavier's carefly constructed facade fades more than usual, and it would be extremely difficult to hide the soft fondness in his gaze. It's not often alcohol gets the better of him, not after so many years.
With a slightly foreign sense of slowness as he focuses on forming the right words, he finally answers. "In his eyes? Friend. Good friend…I hope. Guess…guess he fin'lly decided to like me after a while. Rival before that, sorta. 's complicated."
He closes his eyes and tilts his head, and were he sober he knows he wouldn't be having this conversation. But of all the things he's learned sicne he and Apollo finally were on the same page about their friendship…being open and honest helped. So maybe, finally, he should say what he really feels.
He cracks open an eye and points at Datz, accusingly. "You…cant say a word bout this. 'Spec'lly to him. But…he's my type. Becuz 'm a—a glutton fer punishmint. An like people who're mean to me." He sighs too wistfully, his gaze going back to Apollo, watching his gesture wildly while he recounts some story for the crowd around him. "'e pulled me outta my slump…back inta the light. More'n once. An…he's funny. Pass'nate. Vib—vibr'nt." He struggles to actually say the words he wants to, his expression briefly turning frustrated before he sighs heavily.
"…but. Can't be." Klavier actually sounds fairly defeated as he admits it aloud—it's something he's thought about for ages, mulled over any time he considers the depth of his feelings for Apollo. "I…hava lotta things I love 'bout him. But…but. 's not meant to be. Fer…lotsa reasons. An Im…" Klavier's not fine with it, not really. But he can't find it in himself to say it. "…gonna be fine widdat."
He glances back at Datz, reaching out and sluggishly patting the other's shoulder.
"An if I find out ye…said anythin to 'im? 'm gonna sue ya. Sooooo many papers." And then he procedes to sluggishly list out the lawsuits he'll send Datz's way. In a mix of German and French.
Datz took an interest in who Dhurke's children called their friends -- and Apollo in particular, who had built so many relationships and endured so many hardships so far away from the Dragons' awareness. A small part of it was innocent curiosity about what kind of people had influenced Apollo's life abroad, but a much larger part was the protective need to ensure that the people Apollo allowed into his circle were trustworthy. That they would hold him up when he needed it, wouldn't turn their backs, wouldn't use or betray or hurt him.
So far, vetting Apollo's foreign acquaintances had been easy. His relationship with Ema Skye was respectful and one of mutual support, looking out for each other as expats both adjusting to a new culture. And it had been clear as day that the adoration he felt for Trucy Wright was reciprocated, the moment she had arrived to visit. But his relationship with Klavier Gavin felt different. They would take phone calls from each other at all hours, but when asked, Apollo just gave a laundry list of nonsensical complaints about arrogant Europeans and foreheads instead of explaining any of the events in their shared history. He was a performer, but Apollo hadn't said a peep about his shows, in contrast to how often and enthusiastically he gushed about Trucy's. There was an unevenness there that Datz couldn't gauge, that made him anxious something was amiss, so when Klavier finally turned up in the country, he took the first opportunity that presented itself to interrogate him while his guard was down.
(And maybe he had lied about how strong the drinks they were toasting with were, to help make that happen.)
But when Klavier, sodden beyond the ability to uphold a mask, gazed at Apollo across the room, Datz understood. He couldn't watch the way the younger man's expression softened with anything other than empathy; he knew instantly, before being told out loud, the strength of the feelings he was holding onto, and that he didn't believe they would be requited.
"He's a pretty special kid," he agreed to Klavier's rambling list of Apollo's good points. The distrust melted away hearing that Apollo was still appreciated as much as he deserved to be (even his mean streak), despite there being a line between them that Klavier had already decided not to cross. A bit more seriously than usual, but with a sort of camaraderie, he instructed: "You hold onto that, got it? Men take care of the ones we love, whether it's meant to be or isn't."
Datz's regular good-natured expression returned when he was drunkenly patted on the shoulder and threatened with various multilingual lawsuits should he violate the privilege of their conversation. Man, he loved lawyers. Their threats were so much more creative than his.
"Verstanden, verstanden," he replied with a chuckle. It had been a good few years since he had used it, and he could only speak in simple, poorly-constructed sentences, but Datz had a good enough command of German from his past travels to be able to keep up when Klavier switched. (Forget about the French parts, though.) And sharing a language between them that no one else in the room spoke gave it much more satisfying impact when he promised cheerfully in kind:
"And if I find out you hurt Apollo? I'll kill ya."
Her eyes shimmer excitedly as Datz makes his offer, and Trucy's smile somehow seems to widen in her excitement. "Really?!" She gasps out, and there are practically stars in her eyes at his suggestion.
"I'd love to help you figure something out! And—well, I'm still not that great with knives yet, but I'm getting better! Handcuffs I have down…but I'd love it so much if you'd teach me what you know no matter what!! A little piece of the Gramarye Miracle is more than fair in exchange! I'll have to give it some thought, or maybe we can brainstorm together, deal?"
She did miss Apollo, having grown so used to seeing him on almost a daily basis while he worked for the Agency, and she intended to make up for lost time while she was here, no doubt. But surely Datz would be fine working on this if Apollo got dragged into some other sort of mess, the way he inevitably always was.
She is jolted back to reality when he presses her to fasten her seatbelt—and of course it was Apollo's insistence at the root of it. She can't help her little chuckle. "Well, that's our Polly for sure.
"He's always been that way since I met him." She shifts in her seat to face Datz a little better, chuckling as her first trial as Apollo's assistant drifts to the front of her mind. "If only you could have seen Polly when he started out—I had to have Mr. Hat help me get a recess by staging a kidnapping! Poor Polly was so upset when he caught up to me—but he did forgive me in the end, since I was doing it to save his bacon."
"Well, a miracle sounds like a li'l more than I need -- but you got a deal, missy!" Datz hadn't thought his proposition would get such an enthusiastic reaction, and he was unexpectedly chuffed that Trucy was so excited to learn something from him. Now that the revolution was over, most of the insurrectionist skills he had cultivated over the years had ceased to be useful in everyday life, so Apollo's assistant seeing value in them was a pleasant surprise indeed.
"You're our guest, though, remember. So we'll leave it up to you: whatever tricks you wanna get old Datz to show ya, and whatever little trick you think I'll have the most fun with in return." He gave her a wink as he started driving out of their parking spot and towards the road home. "And if it turns out you're too busy for knife-throwing practice while you're here... you'll just have to come visit again!"
It didn't seem like it would be a hard sell, considering how pleased Trucy seemed to be here already, but for Apollo's sake, if he could give her any more reasons to make the long trip to Khura'in and light up his office for a while, he'd take what excuses he could.
Datz gave a hearty laugh at Trucy's story, with no indication at all that he might think a staged kidnapping was unorthodox or extreme outside of what Apollo's opinion must have been. "You're right, that kinda excitement in court sounds like just the kinda thing I wish I could'a seen! Bet the look on his face was worth gold, har har!" As glad as he was that Apollo was here now, it was a bit sad to think about all of the moments and milestones he -- and Dhurke -- had missed while the kid was growing up and starting his career abroad.
"So you've been haulin' his butt outta the fire since the start, eh, Trooper? Guess we owe you 'n' Hat a big thanks for lookin' out for 'im for us!" He briefly took a hand off the wheel to bump his gloved knuckles against her shoulder. "Things've been so busy since Apollo came home, he ain't said a whole lot about what kinda adventures he was off havin' in California. Or were they misadventures? Har har har!"
««
"You better believe it! I never leave the house without these! Have to be ready at a moment's notice for a young professional like me."
She's beaming proudly as Datz voices his approval of her Panties, and even moreso her light and quick pickpocketing. Truth be told, while she was halfway decent at making lifts, there was always room for improvement.
"Aww, I'm so glad you like them! This was my bread and butter when I first started out, you know! Besides everything I did with Mr. Hat." She giggles, almost embarrassed. "And I just got lucky this time, really--I can't keep vanishing only Polly's badge, that's too easy."
And also the fact that he nearly had a heart attack every time she did it.
"Here ya go~" She hands over the keys without much fuss, stowing the Panties away and folding the knife closed. Trucy clambers in with no hesitation, thinking over the question. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, these are a little hard to come by...but maybe I can help you find something like it?"
The saying goes that a magician never reveals their secrets--and if they do, they have to kill you. Not that Trucy would go that far--and besides, she liked Datzy too much to do that to him!
"It sure shows! You wield those panties like you were born doing it." Datz swung himself into the driver's seat while they chatted. "I gotcha, though... some tricks you gotta keep for yourself! Frilly underwear'd go outta style real quick if an old guy like me started wavin' 'em around, anyway -- I ain't about to ruin your bread 'n' butter!"
"Tell ya what: you help me workshop somethin' to make Apollo's badge disappear--" (really, he was more interested in brainstorming ways to annoy his loved ones than anything else) "--And I'll show ya some tricks of my own. A magic pro like you prob'ly knows all about unlocking handcuffs and throwing knives already... maybe I can get you makin' cherry bombs, or give you a crash course in guerrilla self-defence!"
Not that he expected Trucy to have much time for that sort of thing while she was busy catching up with Apollo, but it felt important to offer some form of camaraderie beyond the niceties of chauffeuring her around. She was important to Apollo and had a healthily mischievous nature, and that was enough for Datz to want to show her that she was as good as family.
"You all buckled in, there?" He did up his own seatbelt and turned on the engine. Normally he was too reckless to bother worrying about passenger safety, but, "AJ's real particular about that. Made me promise him three whole times I'd drive the speed limit while you're in the car and make sure you were buckled in... don't know how he became such a worry-wart!"
««

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Trucy giggles a little, nodding emphatically. Maybe less so after the Misham trial given her schoolwork, but she still considered Apollo one of the people she was closest with outside of her father. He tolerated her more outlandish traits, but she also tolerated his, and he never failed to bring a smile to her face. Sweet, thoughtful Apollo--he was the older brother type in basically every way. "Yeah--two peas in a pod, me and Polly!"
Trucy's mouth twitches a little at Datz's comments about Mr. Hat--it made sense he probably didn't realize he was just a puppet. She hadn't originally planned on bringing him along on the trip, but it was an extended stay and who knew if she'd have to use him to get out of trouble again! She winks and taps the side of her nose in a quaint sort of way. "Well, his performance is always a bit wooden, if you asked Polly and my Daddy. I think he'll be alright being a stowaway for a teeny bit longer, in any case."
Considering she was mostly used to riding a bike all over creation (when Athena wasn't driving her teeny little car), so she doesn't even look twice at the pickup. In fact, she seems excited to be going for a drive--her energy had been flagging on the plane, sure, but the crisp mountain air as well as seeing Apollo again and getting to chat with Datz so much was enough to restore her energy levels. (Though, as soon as she hit a horizontal surface she'd probably be snoring.)
Any thoughts of a nap are out the window when Datz shows interest in her Magic Panties. Her smile turns a little mischevious, and she adjusts her hat on her head before turning directly to Datz.
"The thing is, I can't just tell you about them--you have to experience the Magic Panties! Observe!" She's already set down the bag she was carrying, and in a blur of color her prop bloomers are in hand.
"Behold what this frilly undergarment can hide inside!" She's already pulling out a wide variety of things--including…huh. How'd she manage to sneak Datz's butterfly knife and car keys in there? But Trucy's too busy giggling and twirling said knife in a practiced but not mastered fashion.
Having assumed that Trucy's props would have either been left at home or were packed away in the depths of her luggage, Datz almost expressed disappointment that he would be forced to wait to experience whatever this Magic Panties trick was, before he was ordered to watch as she conjured a colourful pair of bloomers out of thin air.
"Yikes! Apollo wasn't kidding -- you're a real pro, whippin' out tricks at a moment's notice!" He was impressed before he even knew what the frilly panties did. It seemed that, as he did himself with knives and skewers of fried lizards, Trucy always kept what was important at-hand... even fresh off the airplane!
And speaking of his knives, Datz broke into a proud grin when he realized that the contents of the panties were things she had stolen from his person, completely undetected. Considering how hypervigilant years of being a revolutionary had made him, that was no small feat.
"Haaar har har! Would'ja lookit that!"
"You really are somethin'! Been a while since anybody gave my sticky fingers a run for their money... and the first time anybody's used their underpants to do it!" He couldn't imagine how Apollo could have gushed so much about Trucy's magic without mentioning a trick like that! "You know? I think we're gonna get along alright."
He held out his hand. "You can keep holdin' onto that knife for me if you want, but I'ma need those keys back if you ever want outta this parking lot." He unlocked the doors and gestured for her to get in and get comfortable. "Any chance you can spill the beans on where I can pick myself up some panties like that?"
««
Trucy giggled a bit more, glad her hard work trying to learn at least a bit of the language was paying off. Perhaps not by a lot just yet, but it was going to be great when she could actually use what she'd learned.
Her smile widens to absolutely beaming as Datz goes on about Apollo's praise. She had not said it directly to him as much as she should, but Apollo's endless positivity about her act bolstered both her mood and her confidence to a degree she can't quite put into words.
So, she just smiles more, nodding.
"Well...I'm lucky to say that Polly's my biggest fan! He always has been. And I like being able to help him as much as he's helped me!" Literally, she owed Apollo quite a lot. She had a funny way of showing it sometimes, but. She loved him like family and treated him as such. Simple as that. "I'll have to do a private show for you and Polly where I can go all out and show you my stuff! Mr. Hat's itching to stretch after the flight, and wait 'til I whip out the Magic Panties!"
Trucy takes the bag without complaint, giggling a little at Datz's wink. She nods emphatically. "Let's blow this popsicle stand!"
"You kids are a real pair, huh?" It did Datz's heart well to hear Trucy confirm that all of the affection Apollo spoke of her with was mutual. How the heir of a legal revolutionary and a spunky teenage magician had managed to cross paths was anyone's guess, but it was immediately obvious what a strong bond they had when they talked about each other, and that was what mattered. That Apollo hadn't been alone while he had been away from his family in Khura'in.
"Ah, you brought an entourage, didja?" Datz felt like he had heard the name 'Mr Hat' once or twice in an excited ramble about Trucy's magic shows, but a glance back towards the arrivals area revealed no other passengers deserving of that moniker. Already aware of Trucy's previous travel methods, though, he tilted his head towards the suitcase balanced on his shoulder. "He stowing away?" Then shrugged, like the possibility of him lugging a bag with an uncomfortable human man hog-tied inside was neither unusual nor a cause for concern. "Well, yer shuttle to town's only a two-seater, so he'll hafta wait a little longer for that stretch."
Trucy's 'shuttle' was Datz's modest pick-up, a light-class truck model like was ubiquitous in Khura'in for being practical and manoeuvrable on the country's narrow, winding mountain roads. But there was no mistaking which one in the lot was his, as only one looked like it had been chewed up and spat out. It was barely visible beneath the thick coating of mud, but a stencil of a dragon had been spray-painted along the side of the bed, which already had several boxes in it along with Trucy's luggage.
"Hop on in, Trooper! We're still a little ways outta the city, so you've got time to take a nap on the ride if that flight tuckered ya out." Not that Datz's style of driving was particularly restful, but it would be a shame if Trucy was too tired to properly enjoy her reunion with Apollo when she was finally delivered. "But if you can stay awake, I'm dyin' to hear what these Magic Panties are all about! AJ never mentioned anything about those..."
««
Trucy hopped to a stop as Datz joined her, smile widening. "Thank you, and hap'piraki to you too!" Her pronunciation isn't perfect, but it was clear she'd been practicing at least a handful of Khurainese words. She had told herself that she was going to have the best time while she was here, from the moment she got off the plane to the moment she got back on.
Datz' energy is unexpected infectious, though--the tired thrum in her body seems to vanish almost instantly and her suddenly she's raring to go all over again. She remembered him better now, too, though she'd heard significantly less about him than he must have heard about her. But Trucy knows pretty quickly that he's good people--always had a good nose for such things, after all.
"Yeah!" Trucy giggles very faintly, offering quiet applause as he posed again. "It's very nice to meet your properly this time, now that we're not all so busy. I'm sure Polly told you, but I'm Trucy Wright--" Feeling the urge to mimic him a little, she twirls on one foot and then bows, doffing her hat. "--the heir to Troupe Gramarye!" But she bounces back upright quickly, hat securely back on her head. "And Polly's assistant! At least, before he moved here."
"Oh--that sure sounds right for him, though. Always caught up helping someone or with his nose stuck in a pile of papers! He always sounds pretty busy any time we get to talk a little bit, though that makes sense." Trucy nods at his question and gestures to her bags. "Sure, but I'm okay to carry one too! I'm stronger than I look."
"Well, aren't you gonna fit right in!" Datz commended Trucy's lack of hesitation in returning the Khura'inese greeting. Even having been fluent in it as a child and retaining his native accent as an adult, Apollo still spoke the language haltingly after moving back, fearful of sounding foolish while he re-learned it; the juxtaposition of Trucy's imperfect-but-enthusiastic tourist vocabulary was an early insight into how their personalities differed, and it made Datz that much more curious to see the two in a room together again.
He returned the favour, giving a little clap and a thumbs up at her twirling self-introduction. He liked her energy already. "Air troop Gramarye, eh? Don't know much about that one myself, but 'Polly' did tell me you do magic tricks -- and they gotta be a sight to see, the way he goes on about 'em! Gets talkin' so fast, I can hardly figure out a word he's sayin', har har har!"
"Don't worry, he should be all ready to see ya by the time you get settled in in town... if you thought he was busy before, you should'a seen how hard he's been working to make sure his schedule's free while you're here!" It was clear in his tone just how well Datz was endeared to Apollo's affection for Trucy, and that he had no intention of sparing the man the embarrassment of sharing the details. "Don't think I've seen him this excited since he was a li'l tyke! You must be some assistant."
He laughed genially at Trucy's claim to be stronger than she looked, leaving her the smallest of her bags as asked and hauling the rest over one shoulder with a wink. "Me, too!" He pointed her to the signage with directions to the parking lot. "Ready to bust this joint?"
««
Trucy had been eagerly awaiting this trip from the moment Apollo had said to come visit him. She hadn't been quick to admit it, but she'd been missing Apollo so much in the months since his decision to remain overseas--so much so that she almost wished he hadn't ever left. Trucy knew he was happy where he was, of course…and that was the most important thing. He just had better not have replaced her!
The entire whirlwind of events leading up to the trial in Khura'in that led to Apollo opening his own firm here was still slightly jumbled in her mind, even now. So it takes her a minute to recognize the man with protective goggles, holding a near impossible pose.
He's got a sign with her name on it, though! And he was the funny guy who knew Apollo. Trucy finds herself beaming with delight, almost wishing she'd brought Mr. Hat along to pose along with him.
She waves once she's recognized him, tightening her hold on her bags and skipping over. "Hiya!"
"Ey, there she is!" Datz popped out of his pose and took a couple jogging steps towards the waving girl to close the distance between them, and to return some circulation to his legs. "Hap'piraki! Welcome back to Khura'in, kid!"
Now that she was back in front of him, Datz recognized Trucy's bright smile easily, and was able to start connecting more solidly in his mind the girl who'd delivered his passport and gotten him out of detention way back when, with the absent assistant Apollo kept talking about.
"You remember me? Last time I saw ya, I was pretty busy rustlin' feathers for the Dragons and we didn't get properly introduced. But now I'm--" (He resumed the Datz Pose again, just briefly, for effect.) "The Razor-Sharp Chauffeur of Justice Law Offices, Datz Are'bal! And I'm at yer service!"
"Apollo got tied up with sommat and couldn't make it... he was all torn up that he didn't get to meet ya right off the plane, but I promised to take good care'a ya." He pointed to her luggage. "So, you gonna let me carry those for ya?"
««
Datz didn't have a very strong impression of Trucy Wright, having only crossed paths with her incidentally during the whole hullabaloo with the Founder's Orb. But she and Apollo had seemed to get on well when he'd had the opportunity to see them together, and Apollo could hardly shut up about how excited he was for Trucy's first legal visit to Khura'in (as in, not packed into someone's suitcase) and everything he wanted to show her when she arrived -- and that was all Datz needed to enthusiastically agree to pick her up at the airport on Apollo's behalf.
Had he driven a little recklessly to make it here on time? Yes. Was the placard he was holding actually one of Apollo's case binders he'd grabbed and scribbled 'WRIGHT' on in permanent marker? Also yes. But was he dutifully avoiding getting arrested in Arrivals until her plane landed? By the Holy Mother, he was trying.
She'd better appear soon, though... his legs were going numb from holding the Datz Pose.
@grcmarye

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It’s somebody’s birthday.
Like I have to do a complete retcon in my mind that Dhurke HAD leave Apollo in the states due to Ga'ran kind of almost closing in on them and had to go deep underground and idk... like actually TRIED to find a way to bring Apollo back (LOVE your idea that Datz kept tabs on Apollo). And Nahyuta also tried to keep tabs on him/find him and... not be a complete asshole to Apollo and then pull an abrupt 180 and begging him to stay in Khura'in.
And I don't even know how to address the plot hole that is Amara and Dhurke being on the run together then her being kidnapped and then DATZ of all people being in the dark about all of that.
And don't get me started on how much of an asspull Rayfa being Dhurke and Amara's daughter was. It would have been way more meaningful had she stayed Ga'ran and Inga's daughter (or just didn't exist since I don't really like her 🤷).
✨ All I can really imagine is that Dhurke had some sort of crisis of conscience about kidnapping Apollo when things started to get dangerous and sent him away somewhere safer... but if he wanted his kids to be safe, you’d think he’d send Nahyuta away along with and decide NOT to have another baby until the revolution was over. The more you poke at AA6′s plot the less it makes sense.
✨ Datz of all people definitely should have known about Amara & Rayfa -- but so should all of the Dragons. Amara being alive would have overturned Ga’ran’s authority and toppled the regime all on its own, so Dhurke should have been telling anyone who would listen instead of keeping that to himself for 20 years. We just have to believe that Dhurke spent decades sabotaging his own revolution so that there could be a dramatic plot twist later.
✨ I like my theory that Rayfa is Amara & Inga’s daughter. I totally think it’s plausible that Ga’ran would steal her sister’s child so I don’t have a problem with her being Amara’s, but the reveal of her being related to Dhurke just isn’t narratively satisfying. She never met him before and didn’t find out until he was dead, so she has no reason to care about that information; at least the game actually spent time demonstrating that Rayfa and Inga genuinely love each other.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks Rafa's existence is a slap to Apollo's face.
The game TELLS us that Dhurke thinks of Apollo as his son, no if ands or buts, but it really doesn't... SHOW it. And that goes for Apollo's relationship with Nahyuta and Dayz as well. So I wind up having to change pretty much EVERYTHING about it in my mind because I want Apollo to have a break for once
✨ eyyyyyyyyyyy join the club!
✨ to be fair the telling-not-showing was kind of unavoidable with the way the game was written, because they set everything up in a way where showing would be either impractical to the story, out of character for everyone’s established motivations, or just not possible. like, Datz doesn’t really have much relationship development with anyone, because he’s a silly comic relief character and 50% of his scenes are while he has amnesia. and Nahyuta doesn’t bc 99% of his scenes are while he has to pretend to not acknowledge his relationships with anyone he loves for their safety.
✨ Dhurke doesn’t have an excuse tho. abandoning his beloved adopted kidnapped son in another country and then literally immediately having a baby to replace him was not cool, and all the game gives us is “yeah, but he was THINKING about Apollo and WANTED to see him, which makes him a good dad!”
“We’re long overdue for someone to raise some hell, don’tcha think?”
"Stop trying to peek, you'll see it in a second!" Apollo scolds, attempting to keep his hands over Datz's eyes. He nudges the door open with his foot, then shimmies the two of them into his office. "Okay, you can look now. Happy birthday, Datz." Apollo lowers his hands to reveal... camping equipment? "Maybe once I score a few days off, we could go hiking together..." (Keyword: maybe.) // TSRYER I NEARLY SLEPT THROUGH HIS BIRTHDAY (also apollo is standing on his toes to cover datz's eyes kthanks)
It wasn’t that Datz was trying to peek... Apollo was just a couple inches too short to effectively block his vision.
“Alright, alright, my eyes’re shut up tight,” he lied, glimpsing through Apollo’s fingers at the office door. The song and dance, for all of the nostalgia it roused, made Datz a little awkward -- it could really be for only one reason, today, even though he made a point of not advertising the day’s significance. He was far past the age where birthdays meant anything, and when being a year older was something to look forward to.
But clearly Apollo was excited about whatever he had prepared, so as long as it meant something to someone, there was no reason not to enjoy playing along. Before he could stir up a drum roll, though, he was already shuffled through the doorway and the surprise revealed.
“Ooh, hey!”
His reaction was genuine, immediately clearing whatever apprehension he’d felt about acknowledging the passage of time. He did a circle around the pile of gear before picking up some thingamabobs to examine more closely.
“This is nice stuff!” Nicer than anything he’d seen since his military days; everything he’d used since then was just an amalgam of whatever could be stolen or scrounged or improvised. “You sure it won’t go to waste, in the hands of an old crook like me...?”
It was only half in jest. Datz wasn’t used to getting nice gifts, as very few people would consider him worth the expense. He had no intention of refusing it, but the only appropriate way to accept it seemed to be a thank-you that was definitely too gracious to be in his repertoire. While he mused on something to say instead, Apollo elaborated on his intentions -- and Datz’s heart swelled so much his chest hurt.
The offer of some time adventuring together was by far the most valuable part of this gift.
“That’d be swell! Maybe I can help ya around the office a little extra, to win ya those days off sooner!” (Keyword: maybe)

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“I think we’re overdue for a little fireworks, eh? ... Or some big fireworks!”
“No occasion, I just wanna blow somethin’ up today.”
NEGATIVE QUALITIES: ZODIAC EDITION.
bold what definitely applies to your muse. italicize what somewhat applies to your muse. repost, and do not reblog.
stole from: @taiyodoroki
ARIES : tries to do everything at once, doesn’t know when to stop and take care of themselves, bends over backwards for everyone even if someone did them dirty, has entirely too much on their plate.
TAURUS : idealistic, spends a lot of time trying to impress others, doesn’t like to apologize, eating is a coping mechanism or just addictive personalities in general, a tad codependent.
GEMINI : the most flip floppy people ever, what’s today’s mood?, never apologizes, in denial 90% of the time, their way or the highway, desperately needs a break, they have a hard time setting goals because their goals scare them.
CANCER : the literal meaning of I’ll give you the shirt off my back, isolates themselves in fear of someone hurting them, wants to change but is scared of change, complains a lot but never takes advice people give them.
LEO : no one takes them seriously because they feel they always have to portray themselves as the fun one, is actually really sad inside, honestly needs a hug, exhausted always.
VIRGO : can dish it but can’t take it, rushes everything, anxious, plans their future but forgets to live in the moment, sometimes ignores their friends because they have so much on their mind, talks about themselves a lot and sometimes forgets to ask the other person how they are.
LIBRA : solves everyone’s problems but their own, is actually really sad and lonely, gets easily heartbroken but tries not to show it, will do anything to justify bad decisions, honestly just wants everyone to love them but doesn’t really love themselves.
SCORPIO : easily set off, will give anyone the cold shoulder at any time even without reason, keeps a lot in, so observant that they often times find out things that hurt them, too many “what ifs” swirling in their heads, has trouble showing their true selves.
SAGITTARIUS : impatient, brash, commitment issues, body issues, doesn’t realize they don’t need to change for anyone, has a lot of different goals to a point where they get overwhelmed, just wants to disappear and do what they want without anyone questioning them.
CAPRICORN : scared people won’t like them unless they’re at the top of their game 24/7, takes a LOT for them to talk about their feelings, secretly struggling, fake happy, needs a plan but doesn’t know what that plan is, confident but insecure at the same time, wants to be stable but sometimes wishes they could drop everyone’s expectations of them and live normally.
AQUARIUS : gets heartbroken like 30 times a week, trust issues, can be unmotivated and disinterested, feels they have to adapt to every person they meet so they can be liked, doesn’t know how to tap into their emotions despite being very intuitive, confused, expects little.
PISCES : empathetic often to a point of no return, plays the victim, doesn’t know when to say no, cynical, hermit, is very impatient, trusts everyone too much, can be secretly very critical and judgmental, can only tolerate maybe ten minutes of social interaction, needs a lot of validation.