It's me. Hi. I'm the problem- it's me.

Logan is very animalistic. He isn't one for planned scenes or strict roles, he's in it for the passion- fingernails scratching his back up every time it heals, biting, leaving bruises. He doesn't care so much about set roles; whatever happens in the heat of the moment goes and the scene is constantly shifting and adapting as a result.

Manuel, meanwhile, tends to be more tightly controlled. He likes the power exchange, whether that looks like him giving up control and submitting in a way he never does outside of the bedroom, or having full control over his partner.

@scarletmadness

“Yeah, I'm so sure,” he rolls his eyes, as though he has no memory of the many many times his mouth has gotten him punched in the face. Those were outliers. Unlikely to happen again.

"My side?" She frowns, already annoyed at herself for failing to ignore him. "Why would I want you on my side, why whould you want to be on my side?"

Doug felt a lot of responsibility for the mutants on Krakoa. He had worked so hard to get here. He had put his heart and soul into his part in making Krakoa what it was, and he wanted everyone else to be as happy on Krakoa as he was.

He hadn't had a voice, because Krakoa hadn't said anything, but he had been at the meeting that lead to the creation of a therapeutic team of antisocial mutants. Doug didn't trust Mr. Sinister as far as he could throw him--and he could not throw Mr. Sinister at all--but he warmed to the idea of redeeming troublemakers. If he could help with that, it might assauge some of his personal guilt for Sabretooth in the Pit.

There was one member of the new Hellions in particular, the only one who'd been on the old Hellions, that Doug felt he had a chance to get through to. Empath. Amara had always liked him... Doug distinctly remembered the time Dani had pulled her desire for Empath out of her mind. Doug had never seen the appeal. He had never been anything but unpleasant to Doug when they were on opposing teams, but Doug was willing to let bygones be bygones if he could get Empath to talk it out.

On Krakoa, all mutants had a fresh start. Doug believed in the ideals of Krakoa with all his heart. Empath deserved his fresh start as much as anyone. He just needed a little help breaking old habits. Doug thought maybe he could be that help.

Krakoa had told him what beach Manuel could be found on. It was a secluded one, mostly wild, that few people came to. Manuel was laying on beach chair in very little other than a small bathing suit, tanning.

Doug awkwardly stopped near him, careful not to get in his sun. He felt overdressed and awkward in full uniform and jacket and boots. He wasn't hot, because Warlock was regulating their body temperature through manipulation of the techno-organic virus, but he could feel the sun on his blond head and was slightly concerned about burning.

"Hi, Manuel," he said. "It's Doug. Been awhile! I was, uh... at your assignment to the new Hellions..."

But you're still acting like an asshole, so I don't think you get that this is supposed to be your redemption arc, Doug didn't say.

He opens his eyes and squints up at Doug. That checks out. Not enough resentment to be his mom.

“What the fuck? No.”

God, Doug was annoying. Cute, but annoying. Briefly, Manuel considers overwhelming him with feelings of anxiety and shyness- something to make him talk less and just stand around serving his proper function as eye candy.

"It's not a therapy thing," he insisted, "though frankly you could use a therapy thing. But, still, even if I sent you to a psychiatrist, I'm reasonably sure you would just take them over and make them prescribe you drugs. You don't exactly respect people's autonomy, do you?"

He shifted again, uncomfortably. He didn't like standing over Manuel like this. It made him feel like he was lecturing him. Which he kind of was, but he didn't think of himself as above Manuel, not really. All mutants were supposed to be equal on Krakoa. Doug sighed and sat down on the sand next to him.

"That's kind of the problem. When's the last time you had a conversation with someone without taking them over with your power? We've been talking for less than two minutes and I bet you're already thinking about using it on me."

He hugged his knees to his chest and leaned back. He could feel Warlock's concern that they were vulnerable to Manuel's power flow through him, but he mentally reassured him (and himself) that everything would be fine. He wasn't going to think about that time Empath made Tom and Sharon fuck until they couldn't fuck anymore, for seemingly no other reason than because he could. He wouldn't do that to Doug. He was already on thin ice with the Quiet Council. And if he did anything too questionable to Doug, Krakoa would swoop in to his rescue. He had to stop being anxious about what might happen or Manuel was going to feel it and sense weakness.

Doug shielded his eyes from the sun. How should he put this? Was there any way to put it that wouldn't just cause Manuel to get bored and make Doug take his clothes off or attack Warlock or something? "I'm gonna be real with you, Manuel," he said. "You're a huge dick. I just want to help you be a little bit less of a dick."

Amara hadn't seen something special in him. She'd been delusional, and then it finally clicked. Doug is apparently more committed to clinging to his delusions.

“Amara saw what she wanted to see- and, clearly, she came to her senses, or she'd still be right here on her knees.”

He's not sure exactly what Doug thinks he's doing. Trying to prove a point, maybe- that he's so sweet and soft and smart that he can fix even the worst of the worst. Well, he doesn't want to be Doug's science project. He wants to be left the fuck alone.

starting over - are you a little overwhelmed with where our thread is going? let me know, and i'd be happy to start a new one with you!

pausing - if you're feeling one thread more than another we have going on, that's perfectly fine! you're welcome to let me know if you'd like, but it's not a necessity.

multiples - if we have a ship that you love and you have many ideas for them, always feel welcome to throw them at me no matter what! while it may affect my reply speed due to having more, it doesn't affect my interest at all!

regrouping - maybe we initially had an idea that didn't pan out but you don't know how to say it? just shoot me a message and let me know you'd like to plot further/something else.