bakerstreet | Appearances Don't Matter

Appearances Don't Matter

It all goes so well when people don't see you, so it's easier to hide away. And why wouldn't you want to keep away from the eyes of others? You're hideous to the world at large, despite your own opinions of yourself, no matter if you're human or otherwise. You don't appear to be anything most would want to be around, much less befriend. If you're human, your appearance could be chalked up to mutation, a freak chance at birth, or an an accident later in life; if you're not human, you just happen to exist in a place where those who look like you would never be accepted by the mainstream. Maybe it's not even your whole appearance, though. Your point of contention could be something like an injury or prosthetic that makes you feel not whole, though it may be insignificant in the view of the kind and open-minded. There's more comfort in covering that up and not letting anyone get close.

In any case, you don't expect someone to love you, be attracted to you, or even want to be with you, especially a beautiful someone. Yet somehow, somebody does...or, at least, it seems that way. Will this new development last? Can you put your demons at bay long enough for it to do so?

HOW TO PLAY

Comment with your character, canon, preferences, and whether or not you want shipping only or smut. Also, information about what side your character fits into best is imperative!
Reply to others.
Use the RNG to determine your prompt or choose your own.

PROMPTS

Meeting | You've never seen anyone who doesn't balk at your appearance, but they don't.
Growing Close | It starts as a friendship or an alliance, the grows to- more?
Jealousy | There's no way they could see you as anything special. Surely, they have someone more handsome or beautiful in their sights.
Realizing Feeling | At first, you didn't realize how your heart was feeling just by them being around, but now it's becoming clear: you're falling for them.
Can't Tell Them | You'll ruin your bond with them should you tell them how you really feel. They'll be disgusted, so you'll keep mum.
Touch | They touch you without a hint of distaste, which could be a big plus compared to what you usually deal with.
No Difference | Actually, they can't tell that you're different, due to lack of vision or something similar. All they can discern is your personality.
The Way It Used to Be | You didn't use to look this way, and it's hard to come to terms with your new look and how it affects
Confession | You can't keep in your emotions anymore, or they accidentally get revealed.
Good | They share your feelings! You never could have imagined this, but you couldn't ask for more.
Bad | ...oh, you thought they...oh, they're so sorry.
Scared | "Friendship" nor a "relationship" was never on their mind. In fact, they're scared of you.
Cruel | All of their supposed kindness was actually just them using you for their benefit. To think, you really believed they cared about you!
Defense | They step on the line for you, standing up to those who'd consider you a monster or somehow lesser.
Uncovered | You're exposed and they can see everything you've tried to hide. You want to crawl into a hole and die. They want to keep you from feeling that way.
Shouldn't Be | People oppose your relationship, and there may be some points to the arguments.
Intimacy | Even being close, which most take for granted, could be a new and possibly uncomfortable event for you.
Smut | The obligatory smut option, with all the baggage, angst, and difficulties that may come with it.
Misunderstanding | You heard them insinuate that you're nothing but the ugly outside, or, at least, that's what you think came out.
Bad End | The messy breakup option...or worse.
Good End | The happy ending option...or better.
WILDCARD

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[ooc: Looks might not matter, but what about levels of sanity? I'm good with gen or smut. M/F and M/M.]

[Zel is playing the 'considered ugly or upsetting by most people' role; being blue and covered in stone skin and wire hair does that where he's from]

[I feel like Rogue could handle questionable levels of sanity. Interested?]

[ooc: Sure! Is there one that speaks to you? :) ]

[ooc: First meetings always work. If we want to assume a bit of cr, I could see 2, 4, 6, 15, or 19. Is there anything that strikes you as better from Wade's side of things?

Oh, btw. Do you mind if I use prose? Brackets are a bit beyond my personal skill set.]

[[ooc: first meeting would be fine. Based on your PB, I'm assuming movie universe? I usually play him from the comic (if you're familiar) and in comic he's met Rogue before, but we can always forgo that. Although what are your feelings on fourth wall breaking? That's something he does a lot. Because he may mention knowing versions of her- something like that.]]

[ooc: I mainly do movieverse Rogue as my comic knowledge is a bit all over the place, but I'm fine with fudging things a bit and blending the two if you'd like to keep comic!Wade - they didn't do him any favors in that awful spinoff. And go right ahead with fourth wall breaking, it's one of his more charming features.]

[ooc: We can do mostly movie verse and I can make it work on my end. He's crazy anyway so, it's usually not hard, lol! Do you want to start. Oh, and yes prose is fine. I forgot to answer your question on that. ]

[ooc: Leaving it a bit open/vague so you can put your spin on things. Let me know if you want anything changed! I'm flexible.]

Most people probably wouldn't include a workout as part of their daily vacation plans, not unless that workout consisted of skiing or surfing or whatever normal people did on vacations, but Rogue was anything but normal. She'd been forced to take a few weeks off while classes weren't in session, her teaching and X-Men duties having worn her down more than her teammates deemed acceptable for her health and theirs. Snappish and skittish even around Logan, her hold on the menagerie in her head had been near to crumbling when they finally kicked her out, ordering her to find somewhere to hole up for a while and pull herself together.

It sounded harsher than it actually was, of course. She had multiple calls every day from the whole group, checking up on her and telling her about the latest disaster to befall the mansion - two of their year-round kids had blown up a fountain just that morning while playing with a football. There was a never a dull day at Xavier's.

Her own days, though? Pretty boring. She went for a run in the morning, worked on her meditation, wandered the city in the afternoon, made dinner in her quiet apartment, and went for another run once night fell. It was working wonders for her mental state, thankfully, her shields not having been this good since working with Charles, but there were only so many hours she could spend watching television before she wanted to tear her hair out.

The night's run was just as uneventful as the rest. No one bothered her, or if they did she took care of it quickly and quietly with her powers, and the quiet was peaceful. Too peaceful, maybe.

Definitely too peaceful. She had a tail. Someone who has been watching her for a while now, perhaps a couple days? Who knows. At any rate, the reason no one was bothering her was thanks to the person following her.

There had been a mugger getting a little too close, but hands had soon shot out of the dark pulling him into the shadows and relieving said mugger of his pants. And maybe giving him a wedgie.

The man following her had been considering his options for a while now. What to say? How to approach her? How to impress her? How to make her fall madly in love with him and then offer to have him join the X-men to boot!?

Yes, he had to make this good.

As she turned a corner to the next block, she'd find Deadpool, clad in his red and black suit, posing with arm flexed as he leaned against a nearby lightpole. The light was causing a very impressive shadow if he did say so himself! Nice.

She may be so moved she might want to make out with him right then. Right? Right? Ah, he was good.

Rogue skittered to a stop as she caught sight of the figure posed against the lightpole. Trying to calm her breathing that was a little ragged from the run, she tucked her hair back behind her ears, the white strands having been left out of the ponytail to frame her face.

What the hell. The pose was the first thing she really noticed, namely the way he light was catching it and practically screaming for attention. And then there was the costume. Red and black, it wasn't exactly the most stealthy thing, though it did cover him completely. The mask meant he felt a need to hide his identity, perhaps from necessity, but maybe for a reason she couldn't even begin to guess.

"Hi there," she said tentatively, wary of moving closer until she knew what he wanted. Because he clearly hadn't been standing there just for the hell of it - he'd been waiting for her. And that more than anything had caught her attention.

[One badly scarred werewolf with a premature aging problem, needing a good home?]

[No smut, please.]

[Yep, there went my willpower to scroll on by, right out the window. Just wanted to check if you have any preferences for options as a number of them could work, if you're interested that is.]

Still posing, Deadpool, turned to look at her, grinning through the mask. Oh, she was totally falling for him. He was so hot, how could she help herself!?

"Hello, to you too!" he pushed off the pole, giving a dashing bow. She was totally eating it up! Or at least Wade assumed so. "Lovely night, isn't it?"

Well, the bow was unexpected. And made about as much sense as his tone, and outfit, and the fact that he had been waiting for her. Right...

"Yeah, it's just peachy," she replied slowly, eying him for a moment before putting her hands on her hips and raising an eyebrow. "So who are you supposed to be exactly?" And that was really the nicest way she could bring herself to ask the question.

Sassy? He liked that!

"Who am I supposed to be?" he looked affronted. "Are you saying you don't recognize me? I'm Deadpool!" Wade insisted loudly. "Have you never heard of me? I'm pretty bad ass, you know. I'm very important."

Okay, maybe not. But he was a crazy mercenary who liked to blow things up. Sometimes he had something of a reputation, at least!

[nope, no preference, but I am totally interested in this ship]

[Glad I'm not the only one. Looking through them all, I have an idea for 6. Either Zel had injuries which he can't reach to heal on his own and thus requires Amelia's help, or she's noticed he's suffering from some stiffness or muscle ache and she offers to use her enhanced strength to get through his tough exterior to massage the discomfort out. Best ways I could figure where he'd eventually relent when she insists on helping him. Am open to other ideas too of course. Just let me know what you like most and I'll write up a starter.]

[Either of those, but I admit I lean towards the second one.]

[Despite her desire to do otherwise at times, over the years Amelia had accepted there were times when it was better to just let Zelgadis be. No matter how much she sometimes wished to go to his side, she respected he often needed to space, and no amount of well meaning words on her part could make up for that when it came to healing wounds and aggravations. However, there were also times where she felt it her duty as his friend (the best position she felt she could hope for at present) to assist, no matter how stubbornly he refused. And when the princess made up her mind to do so, she would not take no for answer.]

Really Mr Zelgadis, it would be for your own good. You can't just ignore the problem when you're practically hunched over. What if your back seizes up when you're in the middle of a fight? You're putting yourself at risk!

[Well...more than usual when it came to their adventures and hijinks anyway. But really, he couldn't weasel his way out of this because for once, the logic of the situation was on her side. She had facts backing her up, so he couldn't dismiss her concerns as exaggerated or paranoid. As such, she remained one diligent step behind the chimera as they made their way back to their respected rooms for the night. After all, hearing someone with a normal body and bones crack and groan was one thing; Zel's stone structure made his stretches and strains sound very much like the noises Amelia heard when she punched cracks in boulders and made them split in two.]

I'm not going anywhere until you let me look you over, and that's final!

[Zelgadis hadn't admitted that something was wrong, though he was not generally a stupid man. He was aware that he'd pulled something and that it didn't appear to be healing on its own. So far, he'd been managing with whatever he could find to deal with the pain and hoping it would go away on its own]

[So far, it wasn't working.]

I'll. Be. Fine. Amelia.

[It would sound a bit more convincing if he didn't sound short of breath from trying to move while keeping his shoulder and back as still as possible. Really, he was fighting a losing battle, since he knew he couldn't deal with this on his own]

[Amelia could be oblivious in a myriad of ways, but when it came to the well being of those she cared about, she somehow managed to be very observant. Not to mention that perhaps she was more aware to be on the lookout when it came to Zelgadis due to his reluctance to admit when he needed help. Even now, when he clearly wasn't fooling anyone into believing he was okay, he still resisted, making the princess huff and pout in annoyance.]

Really? So if I do this...

[JAB! There went a finger, poking right into a sore spot on his back, Amelia knowing she would have plenty of time to move around to stand in front of him and cross her arms with a displeased look on her face. No way would he be scurrying off quick after that.]

...it doesn't bother you at all?

[Okay, when Zel doubles over in pain, he can't exactly lie about being fine. He exhaled sharply, too caught off guard to speak for a moment.]

[it takes him a moment to answer]

Fine. It might bother me a bit.

[If he had been dealing with Lina, he would have seen a smug smile of satisfaction looking down on him upon being proven right. Fortunately, unlike the redhead sorceress, Amelia took no pleasure in seeing him suffering so much. Instead she watched with worry and concern, even offering him a hand to let him slowly ease back up onto his feet.]

Then let's get to your room and do something about it, okay?

[She didn't even wait to hear his response before tugging him along, clearly anxious to help with the pain. Hopefully he wouldn't strain anything else when hunting around for his room key so they could go inside and get started.]

Fine. Let's just get it over with.

[But Zel isn't resisting as Amelia leads him back to his room, trying to get his key out of his pocket with his bad side.]

[Good thing she was both used to Zel's bouts of grumpiness by now, just letting his words slide. He was in pain, he was entitled to be moody, and at least he was complying despite his attitude. So, she was silent, trying not to be anymore intrusive than necessary as she carefully reached to where he hand was, fetching the key and getting the door unlocked. Best not to say anything she thought, as she didn't wish to irritate the chimera any more than necessary.]

Okay, you should probably lie or sit somewhere comfortable Mr Zelgadis, so we have plenty of room. Do you need help with your clothes?

[Why yes, she did just assume you'd be stripping Zel. Not like she can get to you any other way. If it helps, she'll feel awkward about the unnecessary contact later. Right now though, her priority was getting rid of the discomfort he was feeling.]

Edited 2015-12-20 01:42 (UTC)

[Zelgadis had been moving towards the chair, but the mention of clothing had him pause] My clothing?

[No, he hadn't expected that. Mostly he assumed that Amelia would just throw on a few spells that were stronger than the ones he could do on his own and call it good. Usually he wouldn't bother with clothing unless he was bleeding or something.]

Well I can't very well massage you through your shirt can I?

[She said it like it the most obvious thing in the world. Sure there were probably some spells for this, but in her healers experience she had found working the muscles to be the best method. Besides that, with a body like Zel's, the direct approach was likely the most effective, since he did higher resistances than most people.]

I mean I'll have to put some force into it as it is, your clothes would just be in the way.

You really think that will work? I'm not exactly built the same way most people are. You're strong, but...

[but Zel wasn't quite solid stone, but close enough that he wasn't sure what Amelia could do]

Mr Zelgadis, I was punching and breaking giant boulders with Daddy when I was this big. [She held her hand against her side to illustrate, though since Amelia was rather short anyway it might not have seemed like a huge gap.] Trust me, I'm sure it'll work. It can't hurt to at least try, right?

[And besides Zelgadis, are you really going to be able to say no to those big, hopeful, pleading puppy eyes?]

I guess it can't hurt.

[And he is going to at least try to tug at his shirt, but having a shoulder that sends shooting lances of pain when he tries to lift his arm makes taking off a shirt hard. So, about halfway through this, he's going to stop and struggle to get his shirt over his head without raising both arms]

[of course this had to happen to argue Amelia's point]

[As much as she didn't want to overdo it with her fussing, it didn't take long in observing his struggle for Amelia to hastily rush to his side, taking a hold of the hem of the garment.]

Hold on, let me help you out of there.

[Slow and steady she pulled, letting the fabric slip off and over his head bit by bit, followed by each arm so as not to aggravate his muscles further. Taking the shirt away, she moved to fold and put it aside. Mostly it was to let him settle into his chosen seat, but it also helped to distract her from the nicely toned, stone skinned physique in front of her.]

There. Now make yourself comfortable, okay?

[Zel is also trying not to feel... well, much of anything about having Amelia undressing him, even if it is for totally legitimate medical reasons. Thankfully, by the time the pain in his shoulder settled back down to 'painful' rather than 'hot needles under his skin', Amelia had finished with his shirt. Pain is sufficiently distracting that he can remember why she's doing this.]

{Still, he was going to choose the chair that he only half trusted to take his weight over the bed. Better not to push the situation.]

Like this?

[At the very least she had the decency to blush, even if she tried to fight it down before Zelgadis could notice as she turned back to him. Sure she had treated him before, so why should today be any different? That was what common sense dictated anyway, but it didn't stop her heart hammering in her chest as she cast her eyes over his strong back.]

Mhmm, that should be fine.

[Cautiously approaching, she flexed her own fingers and cracked her knuckles to nimble them up before gently laying warm palms against his shoulder blades.]

It might hurt a bit at first, but I promise it'll get better. Just tell me where I need to put pressure alright? I'll start when you feel ready.

[Zelgadis jumped when Amelia first touched him, despite wanting to seem perfectly cool with this whole thing. he took a few deep breathes before saying]

Yeah, all right. Let's...

[he was going to say 'let's get this over with', but... well, it's complicated.]

Let's get started.

[Her own skin prickled from the contact, the girl silently nodding as she gulped, letting her fingertips slowly glide down his back in exploration, searching for something. She carefully prodded here and there, gentle but firm, until she found what felt like a tender spot. At least focusing on the task took away from her embarrassment for now.]

Okay, brace yourself Mr Zelgadis...

[Breathing deep, she pushed her hands into the spot with precision and strength, steadily increasing the pressure. She didn't want to go too far and make it worse, but at the same time was well aware that in order to get through Zel's skin, she had to keep pushing until she felt something shift and got a response from the chimera. Only then would she begin to rub outwards with the same amount of force to work out the kinks and aches.]

How does that feel? It should start easing in a minute or two once I've worked the whole area.

[Honestly, he hadn't expected it to make this much of a difference. True, Zel knew he wasn't invulnerable, and that hard hits could get through his skin. But he wasn't used to feeling much unless someone was trying to hurt him.]

[Granted the first bit hurt enough for him to gasp, but it was a different sort of pain. And it was starting to ease as Amelia touched him]

Yeah. IT's... better, I think.

[The chimera should have known by now that Amelia never made promises without having every intention of keeping her word. As such, the princess smiled to herself upon feeling her work slowly take effect. Spreading her fingers, she rubbed his back with circular motions, pressing hard to reach through the blue skin and effectively work out all the soreness from his muscles, relieved to hear he could feel the change.]

Good, now just relax as much as you can. I'll have you feeling better in no time.

[Hopefully she would have the same success with any other problem areas she found. Still, as much as she wanted him to recover as quickly as possible, it would be a lie to say she didn't find some enjoyment in exploring the texture of the flesh under her hands. Leaning forward to push more weight into her shoulders as she massaged, she inspected him more closely, tempted to count every pebble embedded in his body, flushing as she tried to dismiss the thought of how his pointed ears seemed rather adorable. Someone like Zelgadis, who prided himself upon being respected and/or feared for his skills likely wouldn't take kindly to her endearment, no matter how genuine.]

Edited 2015-12-20 03:26 (UTC)

[meanwhile Zelgadis was trying to see what Amelia was doing with his shoulder while sitting still and relaxing. Because it was starting to go from the sort of pain that meant things were being fixed to actually somewhat pleasant feeling. Not quite enough to get him to fall asleep, but easier to do what Amelia said and just relax.]

[Still a bit... disconcerting to feel where Amelia hit the pebbles embedded in his skin. More just reminding him that his skin was stone even more than knowing that the pressure Amelia was applying would probably hurt a normal man]

... Thanks.

[Obviously she could feel the tension melt away beneath her hands, both aided by Zel relenting to the sensations and how the knots were unraveling due to the ministrations. Even so she was thorough, continuing until she was sure the spot was finished before moving the pressure to the next area of his back in need of treatment. In fact she was so focused her head jolted in surprise at his gratitude, going a little pink as she smiled sheepishly back.]

I-It's nothing Mr Zelgadis. After all I couldn't just stand by and watch you suffer like that.

[Trying not to let herself get distracted by his watching her work, Amelia put her full attention onto his back. It might have been tougher than that of your average man, but she could still feel it yield to her touch, feel the warmth that lay deep beneath the stone. It was a reminder that no matter what, Zelgadis was still very much a human in many ways, though it saddened her he couldn't always see that.]

[Zelgadis made a thoughtful sound, trying to keep up the cool facade, even when internally he was feeling better than he had in a while. And not just because of the lack of pain. More that he hadn't expected to be touched this much by... anyone. Especially not Amelia.]

[He didn't want it to end, but also didn't want to figure out how to gracefully exit post-massage without making a fool of himself in front of Amelia]

[Maybe he could fake falling asleep...]

You still noticed.

[Fortunately for Zelgadis, Amelia was too busy trying to keep her own composure to notice any slips in his, all the while remaining devoted to tending the slowly fading pains in his back. Sure it might have crossed her mind that it was odd for the chimera to have someone else touch him this way, but really she was just relieved he had gotten over his hesitance so she could help, not imagining it to be stirring up any other sentiments. Only she could be so silly as to get worked up over being able to touch him; someone as mature as Zel would never be phased by such a thing.]

Well I'd wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't pick up on these things.

[What kind of person would she be to do that? Not that she could ever miss anything like that with how keenly she watched him, not that she could admit to it. Still, even when trying to play it cool, the princess couldn't help but letting a little more detail than perhaps needed slip past her lips while her hands moved up, nearly finished their task as she rubbed his shoulder, leaning closer to him as she did so.]

Besides...someone has to take care of you, might as well be me since I'd only worry about you otherwise.

You'd worry about me?

[Zelgadis nearly turned to look at her, before remembering he was supposed to keep his back to her so she could work. But he's used to assuming others would assume he could handle himself.]

[Just as well, since there was no way she could hide the change in her complexion now, fingers tensing as she continued to rub slowly into his shoulders. Then again, if he had looked she might not have made the mistake of thinking she was babying him.]

I always worry about you. I know you're capable of looking after yourself Mr Zelgadis, but...doesn't stop me from wondering if you're okay, waiting to hear from you, to see you again...

... It probably would help if I didn't come by only when there was something brewing, huh?

[Oh, right. That's what happens when people actually care about you. They wonder if you do the same stupid things you do when they're around, but without backup. Granted, it was hard to live up to the level of danger one got by traveling with Lina Inverse, but Zelgadis had to admit he'd rather Amelia not worry about him.]

[Of course, he didn't know how to make that happen, besides uping his 'unlikeable' game. Which so far didn't actually seem to be working, and he found out he didn't actually want to. Just wished she could relax when he was travellng.]

[As much as she wanted to protest he was mistaken...well, she was a terrible liar, and knew she wouldn't be convincing in the slightest. She did think he was reckless at times, especially considering, in her eyes, he was perfect as he was. But she wasn't so silly as to blurt that out for a change. No matter how hard she tried, there were some things she wouldn't understand. After all it was easy to be dismissive when she hadn't lived through what Zelgadis had. So, she did the only thing she could do; show her support.]

It's okay, really. I understand you have to chase up any leads you can. I wouldn't want to hold you back or slow you down.

[Unfortunately for the chimera she wouldn't be so easily scared away, not anymore, evidenced in how comfortable she seemed now letting her hands press into his shoulders, fingers mapping the pebbles with care. They had come too far for that now, she cared far too much. Still, at least this showed it was best for her not to reveal how deep those feelings ran. If just her worrying bothered him this much, she couldn't imagine how much it would mess with his head to hear her profess any semblance of romantic infatuation.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Appearances Don't Matter

Lisbeth Salander | Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | OTA

Deadpool | Marvel Comics | OTA

Zelgadis Graywords | Slayers | OTA but no smut

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Remus Lupin | Harry Potter

Kurt 'Nightcrawler' Wagner | X-Men

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Got it, let me know if this needs editing at all.

Re: Got it, let me know if this needs editing at all.

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Likely going to sleep soon, will return to tags tomorrow. o/

Sorry, had busy holiday stuff

Not to worry, know the feeling. <3

Re: Not to worry, know the feeling. <3

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