Meraki [may-rah-kee] (adjective) Doing something with soul, creativity, or love -- when you put "something of yourself" into what you're doing, whatever it may be.
A Druig x OC
T/W: Harsh language, might be mentions of gore.
Started: 10th November 2...
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"Though lovers be lost, love shall not"-Dylan Thomas
One day later, Sersi, Ikaris and I strolled up to Phastos's house and saw him, another man and a small boy. They were playing a game of catch, while Phastos was repairing a cycle.
As I walked closer, I thought of how I was beyond proud of the fact that he built an entire life for himself alone. A husband and son. A calm neighbourhood. A fulfilling life.
He had succeeded with his resources, truly.
Phastos saw us, and his smile slowly diminished. "Hey, guys. These are my friends from college. Sylvia, Isaac and...uh...Emily." "Dad! That's Superman!" his child squealed. "Jack...That's really funny Jack." He muttered back. "No, no. He is Superman. I saw him on TV. He was in London, fighting a...a monster! He was wearing a cape, and shooting laserbeams out of his eyes!"
"I don't wear a cape," Ikaris muttered, sadly. "Oh, sorry," Jack muttered. "Okay, well, we should just go inside, right?" Phastos said, gently pushing his son indoors.
"Can I call you Clark? Is that what you go by now? Because, you know...You've called me worse." He said, sarcastically.
"You can call him Megamind, for how big his brain is." I joked. "Sure, Doctor Strange."
We went inside the house, and as I was watching Phastos teach his son how to brush his teeth, I suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
He had a family. A life.
And we were going to take all that away from him. "Come on, Avalon. We need to hide." Sersi whispered playfully, seeing that Phastos has seen us watching him.
I grabbed a magazine and tried looking as if I was reading and thoroughly enjoying it. "Real natural, guys." Phastos joked. "And, anyways, what are you doing here, Avalon? Wouldn't they leave the negotiating to Ikaris?" "Well, Sersi thought it'd be a good idea if I came along. Y'know, to calm everyone down, if things get...out of hand." I muttered.
"Practical." He shrugged. "So, after all these years, even you fell for Ajak's lies," Phastos told Ikaris. "No need to rub it in." Ikaris sucked in a breath.
"It all makes sense why she wouldn't let us interfere with human conflicts." Phastos continued.
"Conflicts lead to war, and war leads to life-saving medicine, and the rise of life-saving technology," I said.
"Ah, looks like someone grew some brains." Ikaris prodded. "Well, it had to be someone with some left, in the first place," I joked.
"Our mission was never to make a peaceful, or harmonious world, but to increase the population at all costs. Just farming humans as food for the Celestials, right?" Phastos continued the conversation.
"That's bleak," Ikaris muttered. "Well, so is telling your husband and your child that they could be dead within a few days."
"Thought you'd given up on humans."
"I got lucky. Okay?" Phastos fumed. "I have a family now. They give me faith again. And I see the good in humanity in them every single day. So, look, I cannot help you. I am never leaving them."
"Phastos..." Sersi tried to reason.
"I'm sorry, Sersi. It was wrong for me to use my powers without thinking about the consequences in the first place. So, now, I choose to use my hands to fix my child's bicycle, okay?"
"Do you?" Ikaris prodded, again. "Ikaris, stop. He's proved his point." I said. "Shut up." He muttered.
Powerless. Druig had told me we once were. Powerless to those who seemed superior.
"I don't use my powers anymore," Phastos repeated.
Suddenly, two beams of light shot out of Ikaris's eyes, towards the glass door. Nothing happened.
"What the hell is wrong with you? My child is right down the hallway!" Phastos yelled.
"Ikaris, this is crazy! You're endangering everyone in this house!" I said.
"That looks like someone's been using his powers," Ikaris smirked. "Oh my god..." I muttered.
"I bet you've built the perfect safe house. What is this even made of?" Ikaris said, pointing at the table. "Vibranium?" He hit it hard, the table breaking into two.
"Fall collection. IKEA." "Ass," I muttered.
"How did you even deal with this guy for over 5,000 years?" Phastos exclaimed. "If you stay here, you might as well invite the Deviants to dinner. Never mind waiting for the end of the world." Ikaris shrugged.
"He has a point." Sersi shrugged. "No, I'm sorry. You can't just show up in my life and expect me to go with you. I'm not gonna go."
"You should go, habibi." Phastos's husband, Ben, walked up from the hallway and told him.
"You want me to go?" Phastos asked, incredulously. "You know what my mom would say to you right now, right? Quit procrastinating, Phil, and take care of your business."
"He's a chronic procrastinator." His husband turned to us.
"I'm not leaving you two. No way." Phastos muttered. "I'm not happy about it, but if there's a chance for us to watch Jack grow up to live a life of his own, we should take it."
