charles edward allan brock (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
frenchkissed) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
metalogs2022-07-05 05:56 pm
frenchkissed) wrote in metalogs2022-07-05 05:56 pm
Open | Barbeque Bash!
Who: Eddie and Venom + You!
What: Big Summer Blow-Out!
When: July Confluence
Where: Little Love
Content Warnings: Aliens, maybe alcohol?
CODE
What: Big Summer Blow-Out!
When: July Confluence
Where: Little Love
Content Warnings: Aliens, maybe alcohol?
It's barbeque season in Little Love! It's also alien season, but enough about that.
This is an open event, so please feel free to make your own top-level based on whatever!
Eddie will be around cooking and chatting. You're more than welcome to explore the ranch and the surrounding areas on your own. Just be kind to the animals, or Venom will escort you out and it will be aggressive.
Activities of the night include cooking, eating, horseback riding, braiding the horses' manes, roasting marshmallows, sparklers, enjoying music, sharing scary stories, going for a swim in the adjacent lake, and, of course, being visited by aliens at some point in the night.
This is an open event, so please feel free to make your own top-level based on whatever!
Eddie will be around cooking and chatting. You're more than welcome to explore the ranch and the surrounding areas on your own. Just be kind to the animals, or Venom will escort you out and it will be aggressive.
Activities of the night include cooking, eating, horseback riding, braiding the horses' manes, roasting marshmallows, sparklers, enjoying music, sharing scary stories, going for a swim in the adjacent lake, and, of course, being visited by aliens at some point in the night.
I
He's still torn on telling Eddie the truth, but trying not to dwell on that today. He's just trying to have a good time today, and trying to get to know this version of Eddie.
As he shoves the last chunk of his burger in his mouth, Dylan approaches the grill station again. ]
Hey, do you want any help with anything? I could... grab some more plates or something. Or more toppings. Or man the grill while you eat something?
[ He tries not to sound too desperate for approval. After all, his dad back home got bored with him once the novelty of having a kid wore off, and he was called to a more important cause. Dylan thinks maybe if he does things different, makes himself a little more useful, things could be different this time around.
He's mentally projecting that desperation for approval at Eddie, not realizing it's probably loud enough to get broadcast to the hivemind. After all, he hasn't had hivemind access since Knull — why would he even worry about something like that? ]
no subject
no one's gotten injured, everyone seems to be enjoying their food, and this kid seems to really enjoy hanging around him and watching him grill, for some reason. it's a little flattering that this kid really thinks eddie knows what he's doing. eddie, who's lived on a steady diet of microwave pizzas and soda pop for the past ten years. his grill know-how is residual knowledge from his childhoods with his dad grilling for the entire neighborhood in order to make their family look more well-adjusted than they really are, and youtube deep dives on how to properly marinate chicken.
he isn't entirely sure what's up with dylan, but he understands wanting to be seen as useful, which is largely what he's getting from dylan now. )
Uh... Yeah. Yeah, sure. That's not a bad idea. You want to take over for a bit? It's not hard. We'll be right here.
( it might sound like a big job, but eddie's literally going to be, like, six feet away. how much damage can dylan cause in the time it takes for eddie to eat a hot dog?
venom senses it more than eddie, naturally, since venom's the one with connections to the world at large, things that eddie can't see, or hear, or feel, without venom choosing to let him in. the ink in eddie's body goes rigid, and eddie looks around and up at the sky. more than venom yelling about eating heads or whining about not being about to pet twenty goats at once, this feels more serious in a way that feels closer to a genuine threat. )
...What is it, man? You good?
( then eddie gets the blast of insecurity, self-doubt, need for approval, all palpable enough for him to nearly mistake it for his own. which is, yeah, strange. strange is one word for it. disorienting, unusual, unfamiliar... eddie brings a hand up to his head while he tries to sort through it all. )
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Is he okay? Are you okay, d—
[ —dad, he almost said, but he stopped himself in time. ]
—d... do you need me to grab you some chocolate or something?
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Me? ...I'm good. ( he is not good. ) Are you? Are you... good?
( dad, dad, dad—
why would eddie be thinking about charles at a time like this? he wouldn't be. thoughts of charles are saved for when he's sad, and alone, and probably out of beer. he's happy now. everything is good. so, logically, it can't be his dad that he's thinking about.
but now he's thinking about charles, which means venom is thinking about charles, which means flashes of the worst father in existence are being broadcasted back to dylan. )
no subject
Oh.
Oh no.
Now that he's aware of it, Dylan suddenly recognizes the Hivemind for what it is. Is that another one of his powers? He can reconnect to the Hive?
Which... in this world, is apparently a hive of two people.
Still, Dylan has experience in this, and quickly grabs onto that connection and manages to close the gaping hole he'd accidentally opened in his consciousness, trying to tamp down his own anxiety for good measure. ]
Yeah! Yeah, I'm... I'm good! Everything is fine.
[ He turns back to the grill grabbing the spatula and hastily trying to slide it underneath one of the burgers... which was getting a litte well done by now.
He takes a breath, calming himself down, before tapping into the connection again — more carefully this time, to relay a specific message:
I'm so sorry about that. I didn't know what I was doing. ]
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YOU ARE IN OUR MIND.
...
AND... YOU ARE NOT.
WHAT IS THIS?
meanwhile, eddie's just along for the ride, because it's not like venom can talk without eddie hearing him, same brain and all, and that means he's hearing dylan, which is so bewildering, he about drops his hot dog. )
Hey... man...
...
Just to prove that we're not, like, crazy...
I'm thinking of a number.
Think you can tell me what it is?
( TOO EASY.
Look, I just want to try.
HE CAN HEAR US.
Dude, shh. I didn't even pick the number yet.
EIGHTY-THREE.
Weirdly specific. I was gonna choose, like, four.
CHOOSE ONE-BILLION-AND-FOUR. FOR AN ADDED CHALLENGE.
That's, like, barely even a real number?
ALL NUMBERS ARE REAL, EDDIE.
Uh... no, there's this whole thing in algebra. And calculus. Imaginary numbers.
THEY ARE IRRATIONAL.
No, no, that's a whole different thing. Math is weird, man.
...so, yeah, they like barely picked a number. have fun sorting through that, bud. )
no subject
I heard a billion and four?
There's a trickle of anxiety that filters in with his words, and the sense that he's desperately trying to keep something hidden.
I think maybe I started broadcasting on accident, and you guys connected? Or you were always broadcasting and didn't realize it because there's no other symbiotes here?
Anyway, you should be able to shut me out. Sorry for intruding. ]
no subject
( Screw these burgers, man. This is bigger than burgers.
and, as helpful as ever, venom reaches out to some poor passerby and yanks them over. congrats, stranger. you're on grill duty now. )
Okay. All right. Dylan... Follow me.
( where are they going?? somewhere quiet, for starters. somewhere where they can think. since most everyone is outside enjoying the summer air, the sunroom is left open for all symbiotic debates and conversations. )
Not to throw, like, a lot at you... but we gotta start somewhere. You have a Symbiote?
no subject
He looks like a deer in headlights at Eddie's question. ]
No? Not... exactly, anyway. I mean, there's no one else in my head. But...
I can do symbiote stuff, like this. And accessing the hivemind. Did... you not know about the Hive? How long have you two been bonded?
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Okay, yeah, but how? How can you even... Symbiotes are aliens. How can you have the powers of an alien without, like, being bonded to one?
...
Are you the Symbiote?
( silly question. dylan's not gooey enough. )
About year, maybe more. You're gonna have to explain the Hive, man. That wasn't in our welcome packet.
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Okay. Okay. Maybe it's different in your timeline, but where I come from, Symbiotes are all... connected to each other? Psychically? And the Hive is just... what the collective is called. Like when you call a colony of bees a hive. They can share information with each other that way.
As for what I am, I... I don't really know if I can explain that without like, a flow chart. And maybe a punnett square?
It doesn't help that these aren't exactly the powers I had back home. I still had some symbiote stuff, but not... this.
I think whatever this is, it was caused by the Confluence. Maybe it amped-up something in my DNA? I don't really know how this all works.
But back home, I could still connect to the Hive. That's not new. That's why I knew how to cut it off when I realized what was happening. A-and I guess now with two symbiotes in this world... or like, a symbiote and a half, there's enough to constitute a hive? So that connection just... happened.
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V, uh... V sorta betrayed his people. Your guys. The other Symbiotes. When he came to Earth... he bailed on his mission. The whole take over the planet thing, he didn't follow through on it. WHICH YOU ARE WELCOME FOR. Yeah, no, big thanks. Thanks for not destroying life as we know it.
But, that's just to say I don't think the other Symbiotes are cool with him anymore. If the Hive ever worked that way, chances are we got kicked out of the club.
Because, like, if there was an interconnected Hive of Symbiotes, it would have made our job a lot easier. When we were looking for them. We couldn't find them... Didn't even know that Cletus had a Symbiote of his own until it was almost too late. Please tell me you don't have a Cletus Cassidy in your universe. He kind of sucks...
( different in your timeline is a bit of an understatement, and so is describing a mass murdering psychopath as someone who just kind of sucks. it sounds like there are powers out there that eddie didn't even know were possible. or venom, from the sounds of it. )
...
Hey, you doing okay? This is a lot for me, but you're the one with weird, new, Confluence powers. This might be a lot for you, too.
no subject
Sorry about that. I'll... try not to do that again.
I... think something similar happened with my world's Venom? I don't know the specifics, like if he left or got kicked out, but apparently he looks at Earth & Humanity as his hive now. To the point that his, uh... "Hive Defense" mechamisms activate when there's a apocalypse-level threat coming for Earth.
Which happens a lot.
And... we do have a Cletus Kasady. Or we did, I think he's dead now. But I have had the displeasure of meeting Carnage up close. It was... it was bad. But I think he's gone now.
—and he'd— ]
Me? I'm... I'm fine.
[ —Something aches in Dylan's chest, as he remembers his dad — remembers when he'd finally learned— ]
I'm fine. It's... it's all good. I'm just...
[ "Fuck the world—"
Dylan can feel the tears welling up, and he can't stop the wavering in his voice.
"—Get the hell away from my son!"
I'm — I'm sorry, I just — !
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( he's smiling! it's all good! dylan, it's all good, oh my god, what is this—
since eddie and venom seem to have their broadcast settings stuck in the always on position, dylan gets treated to a very frantic 'oh shit, of fuck, what have I done??' moment from eddie that he probably couldn't suppress if he tried. it's clear that eddie is bewildered and worried that he was the one to cause this, not that's he's worried that dylan is crying. people cry sometimes. that's a good thing. it's healthy. it's normal. but also, holy shit, how did eddie manage to fork this up— )
Hey, hey?
( eddie crouches on the ground in front of him, which might be murder on his knees later, but he doesn't care that much. )
Dylan, dude, you can invade my mind whenever you want. I promise. Knocking optional—
( it takes venom's intervention to make it clear that, IDIOT, HIS WATER HOLE EYES ARE NOT THE FAULT OF YOUR EMPTY HEAD. HE IS LONGING. longing for what? that shouldn't take much to figure out. )
Your dad?
You miss your dad? ...Yeah, I get that. I miss people, too. That's... normal. Totally normal. You're good. Cry it out, man.
no subject
The tears had come so suddenly. Dylan hadn't realized until now just how long it's been since he'd had a good cry.
Back home, in the months leading up to the Confluence that brought him here, Dylan'd spent so much energy just... packing away so much of his pain, taping it up with excuses and rationalizations. His dad was so busy. His powers had been too dangerous. The kids at school were just dealing with their own stress. His dad was so busy. His dad had more important things to do. His dad was doing good across the Universe, it'd be selfish to want him home so much, no matter how many weeks he spent zoned out at the pillar.
All that pain had condensed in his heart, getting heavier day by day. With every hurt dismissed, pain got harder and harder to recognize until all he really knew how to feel was just... aimless agitation and aggression.
But suddenly, that memory of such an emotionally intense time just... unlocked something. And now, here, crying in front of a complete stranger who wasn't really a stranger, he can feel all that weight and tension just... release, draining down into his lungs and coming out as sobs and coughs. ]
I — I'm s — 'm so —
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to dump all this on you. But I need this right now. I won't bother you again after this, Eddie."
Something else comes through after he thinks Eddie's name, a burst of concepts and emotions that don't seem connected — Dylan is repeating the real name of the Venom symbiote back home. He doesn't know if this version of Venom will recognize it, but it's worth a shot anyway. Venom made him feel understood, he'll try to return the favor. ]
long tag whoops
Man, I promise, you're good. You're not even bothering us—
Dylan... ( oh, god, now eddie sounds choked up. ) Your dad... Your Eddie Brock's son, aren't you? The Eddie from your universe?
it's OK I love long tags :D
Being so close, he feels Eddie's pause, and for a moment Dylan freezes too. Had he overstepped? Did he get it wrong somehow? Was that offensive to this version of Venom? Dylan takes a deep breath, trying to get his crying under control.
In a world where Eddie Brock looks and sounds so different, it's strange that he smells exactly the way Dylan remembers. Not that he's complaining. He'll hold onto every familiar comfort he can.
Dylan shifts one hand on Eddie's back, feeling around until he finds a gooey tendril. There's no hesitation as he curls his fingers around it like he's holding Venom's hand.
The connection is still open, and he can feel Eddie processing the revelation of Venom's name. He's not surprised — Dad hadn't thought to ask his symbiote its name, either, in all the years they'd been together.
He takes another deep breath, and seems to more or less have his crying under control — well, it's quieter, anyway. Just in time for Eddie's question.
He pulls back just slightly, just enough to pull his face away from Eddie's shirt, resting just his forehead on Eddie's chest. He sniffles and slowly nods. ]
My name is Dylan Brock.
I'm... I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want to shove the responsibility of a kid on your shoulders. It's okay if this is too much for you. I can take care of myself.
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when dylan begins to pull away, it's eddie's turn to to momentarily panic. maybe, in a matter of seconds, he'd managed to convey just how much of a loser he is, and now dylan is about to run for the hills while he still can. is there anyone more deserving of therapy than these two anxious boys? )
Hey, Dylan. I'm Dad... I mean, not really. Just for that joke, I am. Obviously, I'm not... not your dad. Not your real one, but. On a literal level, I guess I'm like your alternate universe dad? A-U-exclamation-point dad?
man, he has so many questions. )
I know I can't take the place of your real dad... Don't worry, I'm not gonna try to. But, y'know... God, this is so crazy. Is everything okay? Back home? Here? You don't have to call me dad or anything. You don't even have to see me as, like, your parent, if that's weird for you. You've gotta miss him...
I don't know where you're staying, but... you wanna stay here? With us, on the ranch? 'Til we figure out something... I dunno, more permanent? We're gonna have to get you in school, too, huh. Back to school shopping, oh, shit, are we too late for that? Shit— should I be cussing in front of my son? Not son son, but, like, son-adjacent child Brock from another dimension? Oh, God. I'm sorry. Don't repeat this.
no subject
Dylan's smile widens as Eddie offers to let him stay, and then goes right into rambling about how to parent right. Dylan turns his head and rests his temple against Eddie's chest, closing his eyes and taking comfort in the familiar scent and steady heartbeat.
With a heavy sigh, Dylan feels the tension that had been coiled in his muscles melt away. ]
I'd like that.
I.. don't know how comfortable I am calling you dad. Let's stick with Eddie.
For now.
Careful, I'm fourteen and impressionable. You better watch your fucking mouth.