lifebetweenthedeath:

Ah. Well, the choreography of that one is beautiful, but the one at the end is still my favorite. [The truth was, the fight at the end always made her cry; not just because Inigo reminded her of Roy, but because of that one striking line, the line they could all identify with too well, of a loss that they could never get back.] Not a clue. It’s got to be one of the best films of all time. [She readjusted on the couch, curled up against Jason’s side. Exhaustion from her shift began to settle in, eyes beginning to droop, but Kori persevered — for the sake of how much she loved the film, if nothing else.]

[She rested her head on his shoulder, and he slid lower on the couch. She was warm, but still wrapped in a blanket. The heat seeped into him, and they were both asleep before the Wesley and Buttercup reached the Fire Swamp. Lightly snoring, they both appeared dead to the world, content, well fed, and back in each other’s lives. Friends until the very end, too close to be confused with anything else. Closer than lovers, closer than she and Roy had ever been. Entirely without romantic feelings. Siblings, united in spilled blood.]

[Outlaws.]

lifebetweenthedeath:

Sounds good. [There was the slightest hint of hesitation in her tone at the mention of Roy, but she did her best to stifle it. Honestly, she figured he’d say no, anyway.] But that’s at the end of the film! [She hopped over the back of the couch and settled into the cushion, draping her legs over Jason’s with no thought at all.] Alright, alright. [Kori changed inputs and hit play. The screen went black and the sound of coughing echoed from the speakers, which elicited an excited smile from the woman. Gods, she loved this movie.]

I mean with the Dread Pirate Roberts, Kor. [It was a tradition, this movie. They’d each seen it a dozen times, and each felt a kinship with various characters. They weren’t so different, the Outlaws. Fezzik became Kori, Inigo was Roy, and of course that left Jason to be Wesley. The similarities were striking, you had to admit.] Seriously. How did this movie not win an Oscar?

lifebetweenthedeath:

I’ve still got half a mind to kill him, anyway. [The statement itself was fruitless, she couldn’t put much effort behind it and it clearly wasn’t true. Kori finally looked up from her plate, which was still untouched, and over to Jason. A sad smile flushed her features, her tone thick when she finally managed to speak.] Neither can I. [She let out another long breath, looking back at her plate.] Do you want it?

Hmm? Oh, sure. [He stacked the full plate on top of his empty one, eating more slowly this time. Sensing that it was too quiet, he asked for the remote. She turned on the TV, and the news blasted out in a jarring wave. “And in other news, the recent return of the supervillain Mister Freeze rocked Gotham last night, with a bank heist resulting in the deaths of two security guards. The third, who was also frozen, remains in critical condition at Mercy General.” [Jason caught Kori’s eye, a small grin on his face.] Feel like a hunt later tonight? I could use a space heater against Old Man Winter.

lifebetweenthedeath:

[Her gaze fell, eyes locked on her plate of uneaten food, as Jason spoke. She didn’t really have much to say, not after the blur that was the night before. What was she supposed to do? Accept Roy back with open arms? Of course she was glad he was alive, but the trust, the love that had been there. It was shattered. After a long moment, Kori finally spoke again.] He’s also an asshole. [The slightest hint of a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.] But you’re right. [Kori pursed her lips.] I had no intention of sending him away, anyway, despite his belief that it was what he deserved. Even if it is what he deserves, I… [The princess trailed off once more and shook her head. Damn that ridiculous redhead. Damn him.]

Yeah. That’s about how I felt. [There’s a pause, only marked by the rise and fall of Roxy’s snores. Outside, a light rain started to fall, and the sound seemed to soothe the situation, deflating the anger they both had felt.] It’s better off that he found us, you know. Can you imagine if we’d found him first? I think we’d have both killed him. [He laughs, but there was little humor in it, hollow and dark.] Still, can’t say I’m not glad he’s back.

lifebetweenthedeath:

[At the mention of Roy, Kori’s fingers curled around her fork. It was probably enough to bend the metal, but she took no notice to it. A long sigh passed her lips as Jason spoke, and the princess stabbed her eggs a couple of times before speaking. Her words were dry.] How do you think it went? [Kori exhaled again.] What’s there to talk about? My ex-lover essentially returned from the dead and I somehow managed not to throw him through a wall. I think that’s as successful of a night as either of us were expecting it to be. [She set her fork down and ran a hand through her hair before resting her chin against her palm.] Bastard.

Well. When you put it that way…I guess it’s good all you did was break a door. [He held her gaze for e long while, then returned to his food.] He came at me with all sorts of bullshit about giving up, having no hope, you know. Same dramatics he was always fond of. But, man, I think he really meant it this time. He’s clean, and he’s back. I don’t know. [Pushing back his plate, he ran his fingers through his hair, exhaling loudly.] He’s a valuable asset, and he’s saved our lives more times to count. That’s gotta count for something.

lifebetweenthedeath:

[As Jason worked on the door, Kori began to prepare breakfast. He liked things simple enough — bacon, eggs, toast — so she knew it wasn’t going to take very long to cook. Jason had finished the door quicker than she could fry up eggs, however, and she was flipping pieces of bacon when he reentered the room.] “We should take her sailing. It’s been ages since I’ve been on the open ocean.” [There was a certain fondness to her tone; Kori missed the sea more than she ever let on. The Starfire was truly the first place she called home. Her attachment to the ship was so strong that she’d called herself after it. That had to say something. Kori pulled a face as the stench hit her, and she shook her head.] “Let’s hope not.” [The food was finished a moment later, and Kori served it onto two plates. She extended one to Jason as she rounded her kitchen counter and took a seat.]

[A sad smile sat on her face as she spoke, and Jason remembered just how fierce she’d looked in the pictures she’d salvaged from the Starfire, wind whipping her hair around her shoulders.] Yeah. Past the harbor, get some real sun. Maybe take the Idiot with us for entertainment. Gods know he could use a tan. [He laughed, then sat, digging into the plate he’d been looking forward to since their conversation the night before. It was delicious.] Speaking of the Idiot King, how’d that all turn out? He didn’t swing back by the Complex, so he’s either dead or doing great. Wanna talk about it?

lifebetweenthedeath:

[Kori grinned as Roxy barreled toward her, happy yelps sounding throughout the apartment. The princess dropped to her knees and laughed as the dog’s cold snout pressed against her face.] “Hey, girl!” [Her attention was focused on Roxy for a moment, standard dog-related cooing passing her lips. After a moment, however, she looked up from Roxy and turned her focus to Jason.] “Damage report?” [She’d inspected the door some herself, though she didn’t know what difference doing that would make. The worst thing she’d noticed was that the top hinge had torn some of the door frame’s wood off with it, though she expected Jason would be able to fix it without replacing it entirely.]

[The door wasn’t actually very badly damaged; a few lag screws and a new pin would fix it. Remarking this to Kori, he made two quick trips to his truck, completing the fix in under ten minutes. By the time he’d cleaned up and made his way to the kitchen, he found Roxy asleep on the tile floor, her tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. Jason laughed.] “She acts like she’s neglected and abused, but shit. You should see her chase geese at the pond. She’s fast on land, but she’s built for water. Scourge of the seas, my sweet Girl.” [On cue, she farted in her sleep, twitching her nose as the smell filled the kitchen. Wrinkling his nose, he caught Kori’s eye.] “Hope that doesn’t get in the eggs. I’m starving.”

lifebetweenthedeath:

[Kori let out a long sigh as she pulled her ponytail from her hair, the red locks cascading down her back. She was glad to be home. After a seemingly endless shift to tack on to one of the most emotionally taxing days she’d had in years, the one thing she had to look forward to was breakfast with Jason. Even if she was exhausted — she hadn’t slept in at least twenty-six hours — spending time with Jay always made her feel a little bit better… especially when her favourite film was involved. She’d just gotten back to her apartment and changed out of her scrubs when she heard bustling outside of her door. The princess called out to the man she knew was on the other side,] “Just let yourself in and try not to knock the door over!”

[The run had very nearly been too much for Roxy. The poor girl was dragging ass, panting and whining as Jay loaded her into the Raptor, and she promptly flopped down on the seat once the door was shut. A reproachful glare was all the response that Jay got from her, even as her ears perked up at the word “breakfast”. Still, when they pulled up to Kori’s apartment, Roxy immediately jumped up, barking excitedly at recognizing where she was. Chuckling, Jason opened his truck door, watching as she clambered down, tripping over her own paws. After Kori yelled her assent, Jason opened the front door, laughing as Rox whined, waiting for permission from Jason to enter.] “Well, go get her!” [With an frenzied yelp, she tore inside, frantically looking for the hot-soft-kind lady she so very much adored.]