dead man walking

“Fair enough,” Ryder said with a smile as he waited for the other man to get comfortable on his bed. The large man smiled at the other’s interest at the mention of a cave, nodding in response. “Would you want to come with me next time then? Maybe we can figure out if there are any resources worth collecting from there the next time I head out,” he remarked.

The blonde hummed softly, thinking about things over carefully. “Hm, I wonder if there’s anything we could do about it. Surely there’s some function we can fix up in the ship to help us not be so humid in here. I can try to look into it tomorrow,” Ryder grunted as he fell back onto his bed. “I’m a bit tired today. It feels like the days are all blending together. It’d be fun to have something new happen, don’t you think?”

          this offer was less surprising. DANIEL himself was proficient enough in combat to make a good exploration partner, and while this location’s humidity wore on him... the cave was less likely to be a problem. it could have been damp and warm, sure... but at least it wouldn’t be as exposed to the elements. enclosed spaces were something he could handle fairly well, all things considered. not many others could say that without hesitation.

the level of discipline daniel displayed during their interaction was enough to diminish any existing worry the texan was feeling. liam knew the vampiric hero would never intentionally hurt him or any member of the team, but there was always a slim chance the unthinkable could happen. of course, the same notion applied to himself and to all supers at that. liam couldn’t count the number of times his own powers spiraled out of control and put others in danger. “well if you come to my room looking for a late night snack, just know i might want a bite in exchange too,” he remarked with a playful wink. liam hasn’t crossed this territory with the brunet before. a little flirting here and there, sure. but never beyond that. he was curious if daniel was willing to let him cross those boundaries. “i completely agree with ya. alright, after you. i’ll get us some fresh towels. how’s about you warm up the showers?”

         the edge of his lip twitched in the beginnings of a smile. a bite in exchange. “i think i can handle that,” he said, wondering briefly how much he would end up taking him up on that offer. not too often, but... it would have been nice to feel more regulated than he did. DANIEL rarely got the chance to slake his thirst and that had only gotten worse since becoming stranded on the alien planet. he couldn’t just go out and attack people at random, especially not those that belonged to a civilization they weren’t meant to keep on good terms with. “don’t wait up too long,” he continued, already turning to head off toward the showers; “you know we’re not supposed to waste our resources.”

The blonde man smiled at Daniel’s words as he made himself comfortable on his bed. He gestured for the other man to sit as well. “Oh, I know. I’m just teasing. Still, I wouldn’t mind if you picked out my clothes if it’s something you like seeing me wear,” he hummed, though that statement was more of a hypothetical thought experiment more than anything else.

Ryder listened intently, his blue eyes fixated on the other man as he spoke. He nodded slowly at the updates. “We can try to bring back some materials to tinker with to see if we can fix the systems with some of the resources on this land. Not sure what might be useful, but there is a cave I spotted about a morning’s hike away from the ship,” he remarked. “Made do doesn’t sound very good. Are you uncomfortable with anything?”

        DANIEL snorted. “if i chose based on my tastes, i’d just tell you to pick up that towel you dragged in with you.” or maybe not. maybe not something he would ever actually do, ship captain or otherwise, but the sentiment remained. settling beside RYDER, he added, “but as long as you’re satisfied with it, i’ll consider it a job well done.”

dare he say, this was an actual bonding moment between the two of them? liam chuckled at the thought. the interactions between them didn’t involve a lot of physical touch and affection. but perhaps that would soon change. there wasn’t a lot to do in the ship, so maybe they’d get a chance to actually know each other a little better. “if you ever need another pick me up, just let me know,” he offered with a warm smile. anything to help a friend. “but maybe give me a day in between to get the blood flowing again,” liam added with a snicker. the texan waited a little under a minute before lifting his hand up from the wound. “i’m soaking wet from the storm outside, so i’m gonna hit the showers.” there was a second before he decided to extend the invitation. “we… could save water,” the blond spoke, wondering if daniel would entertain the notion.

         while over time DANIEL had defrosted somewhat, it was rare that he truly felt like part of a team—as much as he could remember, he had never been a team player. he had learned to better work well with others, but to truly belong anywhere? that had always seemed just out of reach, purposeful or otherwise. maybe it was time for that to change, too. “i’ll let you know,” he answered, offering an appreciative nod. “and don’t worry. i’m not here to bleed you dry. i’ve lasted this long, haven’t i?” something he wasn’t keen on doing again, but if every once in a while he could grab a bite off of LIAM... well, it was an arrangement he could look forward to. maybe one he should lean into, too. there were more ways to show thanks than words alone. “sure. could end up saving energy, too. i’ve head four hands can be more... efficient than two.”

the assurance was definitely appreciated. despite having full trust in his ally, liam was admittedly a little nervous going into this. before he could say another word, he felt sharp teeth latch onto his neck and pierce the exposed flesh only to then act as siphons for the crimson fluid oozing out. liam winced slightly, expressing more discomfort than pain from the strange sensation. “you’re welcome,” the blond replied and flashed a small smile. he was happy to supply daniel with sustenance that was actually beneficial to the vampiric super. “a little lightheaded, but i think i’ll manage,” liam promised and gently squeezed the hand over his wound. “hope i was a tasty treat for ya.” he chuckled and placed a small kiss to daniel’s forehead. 

         already, the effects of LIAM’s kindness were obvious. whereas beforehand his skin had been dry and pallid, color had begun to creep back in. he would never appear living, but he could look less like he’d sat in a crypt for the better part of the month. breathing a sigh of relief, DANIEL found himself more willing to accept his teammate’s affection. normally, it could be taxing on him. still was, to some extent... but he had never allowed himself a moment to relax, before. “it’ll pass,” he mumbled, voice gruff. “i didn’t take much. just what i needed.” a little extra while he figured out how to force himself to unlatch, but nothing serious. less than he would lose at a physical, he’d wager. and definitely less than a fight. “i really needed that. thanks, LIAM.” was it the first time he’d properly thanked him for something? it was likely. he wasn’t much for courtesy, either.

Rubbing away at his wet hair while he stood clad in only a towel, Ryder glanced at the clothes laid out before him, only nodding as he glanced up at the other man. “Some tight clothes, hm? Works for me, although I won’t read too much into you picking out clothes that cling to my body,” he chuckled as he picked up the pants. Ryder began to dress himself, opting to skip his underwear and go commando for the rest of the day. It took some considerable effort to get the shirt around his bulky shoulders, 

“Thanks,” he said with a smile as he finished dressing himself, moving to sit down on the bed as he glanced over at Daniel. “So, catch me up. Not just the reports about the ship, although that’s important. But what’s going on with you? I want to know of anything that’s been bothering you, anything that’s been helping you feel better, anything I can do to help,” Ryder asked as he looked at the other carefully.

         the proper, respectful thing to do was to avert his gaze. while DANIEL managed, it took more effort than he cared to admit. but there was enough going on without complicating things for himself... or anyone else, for that matter. “just was what was in the drawer,” he said, stifling a snort. “nothing to read into.” if it made RYDER better to look at, so be it. at least it would help him keep interest if there was anything important to discuss.

a sigh of relief was released upon knowing daniel took no offense to the comment he made. the last thing he wanted was to unintentionally hurt another teammate’s feelings. liam cared deeply about each member of the group, who he regarded as brothers. a strange concept, seeing as he slept with just about every one of them. the fangs certainly caught liam’s attention. he was more intrigued than afraid. the texan has seen how daniel used his sharpened teeth in battle. to offer him that same opportunity but in a different light seemed… unwise. liam simply nodded his head at the question. “i’m plenty durable. just make sure i don’t bleed out or nothin’.” he stripped off his breastplate, removing anything that may be an obstruction. next he tilted his head to the side, neck perfectly exposed. “have at it, cutie.”

         “i won’t let you bleed out,” he promised, steeling himself before he closed the distance between them. it felt odd, receiving permission to feed, but it was certainly better than the alternative... but that was all the thinking DANIEL had time to do before his fangs latched onto his teammate’s neck. it was like the first breath of fresh air he’d gotten on this damn planet. he drank deeply, hands holding firm to LIAM’s body, one nestled into his waist and the other strong against his shoulder. the real trouble came in stopping, but DANIEL managed to untangle himself—and quickly raise a hand to put pressure on the wound he had created. keeping his promise, imagine that. “thanks,” he mumbled, wiping at the mess still smeared across his mouth. and after a beat, “...you alright?”

Ryder chuckled at Daniel’s remark, only nodding and shrugging his broad shoulders. “Fair enough. Although who’s to say I knock you on yours first?” he mused with a smirk before raising his hands up to indicate he was done teasing the other man. He finished undressing himself, standing in the nude before nodding politely at Daniel. “I’ll be back then. You’re welcome to join if you get too bored out here.”

Walking into the bathroom, the blonde began his shower, finishing it as quickly as he could without making the other hero wait while cleaning himself from his long solo mission. Ryder finally finished with a towel wrapped around his waist and water still dripping down his backside. “Do you mind getting me something to wear? It should be in that drawer behind you,” he asked politely as he stepped out to move to the drawer as well.

         lips twitching with the beginnings of a smirk, DANIEL watched as the captain retreated to the showers. “i’d like to see you try,” he called after him, albeit not very loudly. whether or not RYDER had heard his remark, he was certain that he’d get the chance to find out sooner or later. they had sparred before, after all, and with all the restless energy that had built up within the team... well, there were only a few appropriate outlets for that.

the name of the fruit certainly wasn’t the most appetizing, nor were they aesthetically pleasing to look at. but with food so scarce, nobody can afford to be picky. liam snickered and nodded his head. “i’d promise you wouldn’t die from eating them, but…” the texan watched his words carefully, still unsure if daniel was going to welcome the humor or not. instead, he stopped while ahead and threw a couple more gloops in the air to then slice in perfect halves using his short sword. “also, i’m happy to give you a different bite to eat if you’re really hungry,” he offered, lips curling into a small smile. daniel had a predicament none of the other members could even hope to fathom. 

          DANIEL snorted. “feel free to promise. it’s one you can keep, i think.” he didn’t miss the note of hesitation, but although caution was smart, it wasn’t necessary. if he couldn’t ( begrudgingly, at times ) find humor in his predicament, he’d go mad... more than he already had, at any rate. he paused, turning over the gloop in his hand while LIAM sliced a few others with his expert swordwork. but even with an impressive display, his mind couldn’t help but latch onto his peculiar offer. it was something he tried to keep close to himself, but difficult to avoid. even before the thought to accept occurred, his fangs had already lengthened and locked into place. “...you’re sure about that?”

“But I’m not everyone now, am I? Besides, I don’t kiss and tell,” Ryder teased as he grinned at Daniel. He knew the other man wouldn’t actually act on anything just from him teasing him, but the large blonde couldn’t help but tease him all the same. “One of these days, you might miss me so much, you never know. And I wasn’t the one waiting at the door when I got back from my recon,” he chuckled as he opened up his room’s door and gestured for the other to enter.

“No news is good news, I suppose,” he murmured as he began to tug off his dirty clothes, struggling a bit with the sweaty shirt as it clung to his body. “Nothing urgent to report outside either, as far as I’ve seen. But also no clear signs for us to get back either.” The large blonde let out a little grunt as he rubbed and squeezed his exposed shoulder and traps. Carrying a pack for as long as he did still caused his muscles to tighten a bit. “Alright, shower first,” Ryder mumbled, as if instructing himself what to do next.

         “careful, captain,” he said, brow arched high. “you don’t want to get cocky, now. might end up with you knocked on your ass.” DANIEL himself wasn’t usually the type to tangle with his teammates—in that way, at any rate—but a few might manage to get some teasing out of him. it would take a little more than a few flirtations to warm him up to anything more intimate, however. as far as he saw it, he would look, not touch. it could get complicated, otherwise. and he, of all people, didn’t tend to appreciate things getting complicated.

“Really? Not even for me?” Ryder teased as he gave the other man a sly wink. Even after spending quite some time together, he had grown accustom to the other’s more frosty demeanor. Not that it phased the leader anyways, nor did he want Daniel to change anything about himself. As long as the other man worked with the team and was good at what he did, there was nothing to complain about. “Pity. I was looking forward to a kiss on the cheek or something cute like that,” he chuckled.

“Thank you for the welcome. And yes, it’s good to be alive,” Ryder agreed as he walked down the hallway towards his room. “You’re welcome to wait in my room while I shower. I don’t want to have to hunt you down again later just to debrief you. And in the meantime, you can catch me up on what’s been happening while I’ve been gone. Is there anything urgent I should be made aware of?”

          “i can’t start making exceptions, captain. i do that, everyone is going to expect it out of me. can’t give everyone a kiss on the cheek, you know.” it was enough to draw a flicker of amusement to his expression, if only momentarily. he wasn’t the affectionate sort, but if there was someone who might win him over, it would be RYDER. but that was something he would never admit aloud. for much the same reason that his expressions of... expression... were rare—it was better to keep others’ expectations aligned with reality. and his reality, most times, was cold and calculated. there was little room for anything else.

Grunting as he rolled out his neck, the large man deposited his pack down, propping the large container against the desk. He had opted to take a rather long trek out, gathering as much resources and intel as he could around the area. It was something he trained himself to do, going out on patrols to ensure the surrounding area was safe. But Ryder’s focus was always on what lay beyond, his mind on the hunt for some arising threat.

He sighed as he rubbed his shoulders tiredly, only turning around to see the figure standing in the doorway. Offering up a wide, yet tired smile, the hero raised an arm in a slight wave. “I hope I didn’t make you miss me too much; the trip was longer than I expected. I’d give you a proper hello but I think I need a shower first, from the way I smell.”

         solo work wasn’t unusual. as much as they needed to be able to work together as a unit, there was always the chance that they would be separate—relying too much on others created just as many problems as relying too much on themselves. still, RYDER’s trip had extended beyond his initial estimate, and it was good to see that it hadn’t been because of anything he couldn’t handle. nobody knew how long they would be stuck here, or if things would remain as calm as they had been... danger had to be lurking somewhere.

seeing daniel speak up brought a smile to the blond’s face. despite their behavioral and personality differences, liam liked to think the two of them got along rather well. then again, the southerner hasn’t really had any issues with any member of the team. he and the ghoulish hero certainly worked greatly together in combat. they’ve taken down plenty of foes as a dynamic duo. “according to the locals, they’re called gloops,” he replied, snickering at the funny name. as expected of an alien planet. “wanna try one with me?” liam asked, offering the other metahuman a strange looking fruit. 

         it took him a moment to process the name, half of him wondering if LIAM was playing some practical joke. would he have been the type, though? “they’re called... gloops?” it certainly didn’t make them any more appetizing, but then... little was. in an ideal world ( one that didn’t exist, as far as he was concerned ) his diet was considerably different. “sure, whatever. might as well see if it stands up to its name.” after accepting what was held out to him, DANIEL paused to grimace at the strange, spotted fruit. “bottoms up.”

back from his little excursion to the nearby terra, liam returned to the ship’s hanger carrying a large crate of strange looking fruit. the best he could describe them were their similar appearance to mangoes… only with polkadots. he shook the rain from his clothes like a wet dog before greeting the team with a huge smile. “it’s rainin’ cats and dogs out there,” the texan claim, his accent still thick with a southerner tint despite having spent years away from home. “i got us some grub though!” part of liam’s charm was always having a positive outlook on things. a storm was definitely not going to dampen his mood whatsoever. “the locals say they’re a delicacy.” of course, taste palates differ from regions. liam can’t say he’s eaten anything like this before, but it beats starving to death. 

         this trip had been far from ideal, but complaining about the predicament would get them nowhere. it would be hard work and dedication that would pull them from the orbit of this planet and back home. that and time. little else would help. even so, that didn’t mean daniel had to enjoy their circumstances... or the fact that some people, as well-meaning as they were, found some ability to keep... positive about things. “so i see,” he remarked, frowning at the crate of whatever strange goods he had brought with him. “did they tell you what it is, at least?”

Cardelle gave another half-assed shrug, brushing past the talk on the robot as the topic of his lack of welcome party was addressed. “I mean, I’m a couple days late, so they probably fucked off after waitin’ three days for me ta turn up.” Another brush off as if it were nothing. He wasn’t rude, it was just sometimes his tardiness was a little lacking, much like his desire for responsibility, up until this point. “It’s my own fault, but still. Greetin’s woulda been nice.”

Dead. Undead. Same thing right? But now, as Daniel spoke, the blonds mind was running wild with a long and varied list of questions, all of which fell from between his lips the moment the other stopped speaking. “Ya woke up halfway through the autopsy? Like…yer body all open an’ shit? How did the docs react? This mean ya can’t die again? Or if ya do yer just gonna wake up again?”

He took another drag of his cigarette, theatrically so, letting his eyes glow that sickly green from beneath the smoke. “Ding ding, winner. Poison touch. Poison taste…probably. I’m just ya…not so typical toxic kinda guy.”

         “guess i wouldn’t know. i showed up when they asked.” more or less. within the day, at least, as opposed within the same general week. it didn’t matter much to him, being on time, but considering his previous circumstances... well, the invitation had been an opportunity for something much better than where he had been squatting. “you’ll meet her soon enough. impossible not to, really. even in a place this big.” for all the quiet nightfall usually gave him, it wasn’t nearly as pronounced during the day. people were everywhere.

         but despite paragon being, overall, something unfamiliar to him... there were moments like this that felt much more normal. questions like CARDELLE’s were something DANIEL had been subjected to a lot over the years. something familiar. “yeah, guts in a plastic bag and all. they put some of them back, after.” but not all of them. and not all of what had been... returned... had belonged to him in the first place. just something to fill a hole. “doctor was scared shitless. got stabbed a few times before someone started making sense, again. so... that didn’t kill me, but i don’t know for sure that nothing will. or what could happen after that. far as i’m concerned, i’ll figure it out when it happens.”

         at least some things were more straight forward. “can you turn it off? or should i be worried about offering to shake?”