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 Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 9:42 pm
In the days before the Negaverse, Ever had done a lot of knocking on doors, of ringing doorbells, or of lounging around in fire escapes waiting for somewhat-aggravated not-quite-exes to show up and give him another chance, along with entrance back into their homes. He'd had to deal with unamused doormen asking him to sign his name in registries, or he'd been completely turned away.
With great responsibility, however, came great power, and Ever made use of it in a very irresponsible way -- teleporting, in uniform, into the familiar setting of Sawyer's room, perhaps hoping to make a grand entrance.
Sadly, the kid wasn't there. His grand entrance was wasted on an empty apartment.
So. Fine. He had to wait. And if he had to wait, he'd entertaining himself -- sinking into the sagging springs of Sawyer's couch and making himself comfortable.
It meant, by the time Sawyer came home, he'd be well and thoroughly ensconced, remote in hand and eyes on the shabby television, where Big Bird was cheerfully explaining why you had to say please and thank you and a crowd of children were enthusiastically playing along.
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Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 9:50 pm
After a few scrabbling seconds with a key, the door opened. Sawyer stood framed by the light, and he looked from the TV to Ever. Sawyer was accustomed to coming home to random guests--honestly, he rarely locked his door, and hadn't been in the habit until the unexpected fallout from his birthday party--but he was not accustomed to coming home to this particular guest. And although Dustin's visit had gone a long way towards making him feel comfortable, it hadn't entirely effaced a desire to piss Ever off. To be, in short, difficult. He looked at Ever for a half a second, turned, and gently closed the door again, leaving him alone in the apartment. Not for long, though. Just a few seconds to get the point across before he tried again, this time closing the door behind him and giving Ever a flat look. Then looking at the lock, then back at Ever. "You need less horny welcome committees," he told him bluntly, but there wasn't any venom behind it. "I was afraid for my virtue." He looked normal. His hair was swept back, and he was wearing only one T-shirt and the sort of scarf that had a whiff of "hipster" about it. His shoes still didn't match, though, and they were laced into pentagrams. Whatever instinct had compelled him to blend in apparently failed to extend to his feet.
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Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 9:59 pm
"What virtue?" Ever, at least, was cheerful -- offering the insult without concern or hesitation. He should, perhaps, have turned off the television, but instead he just punched the 'volume down' button until Big Bird's voice was muted to a soft hum in the background, only the cheers of children breaking through. Sesame street was a wonder.
"Besides, I thought you'd like the attention." And this bit, at least, was honest. Attention seemed to be like sunshine on Sawyer's face.
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Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 10:08 pm
He stood there, hesitating, before flopping down right next to Ever--the futon creaked ominously--and setting to carefully unlacing his shoes, his eyes on the screen. Apparently he, too, felt that Sesame Street was a wonder. "I did," he said finally, almost defiantly. "I don't know how you guys work or whether this is doing him any favors but he did a good job. I told him I'd tell you that," he added.
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 5:58 pm
"Did he tell you to tell me that?" This was an improvement on their last encounter, at least -- Ever relaxed in his corner of the couch and Sawyer not punching him in the face. There was still a bruise on his cheek but it was faint, faded, much moreso than it probably should have been. The wonders of being in Chaos's sway.
"...no, forget I asked. I'm sure he didn't bother. I don't think he gives two shits what I think, and he only came by because I said you were cute."
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 7:23 pm
"He mentioned that," Sawyer said begrudgingly. The shoes having been neatly de-laced and removed from his feet--he was wearing mismatched socks--he leaned back to arrange them meticulously on their shelf. "So do you make a habit of Nightcrawlering in to other people's houses and watching their TVs? I hope you didn't go looking for my porn. Only I guess you didn't," he realized, remembering Ever's aversion to technology. "When do I get an explanation?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 8:00 pm
"An explanation for what?" It came with a shrug, careless and somewhat indifferent. He did make a habit of Nightcrawlering around, to be honest -- as often as he could without drawing too much attention, without bringing order Hell down on Zac and his home. It was sure as hell better than the subway.
"For recruiting you? Or for sending Dustin?" Finally, he punched the button to turn off the TV, considering Sawyer across the couch. Eyes on his face, not his socks, or the shelf, or the shoes. "Honestly, I think Dustin was a good choice. He's hard to hate, even if he's a pain in the a**."
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:09 pm
"Not for Dustin. I don't know what your thought process was but you were obviously right." The closest Sawyer would come to giving him a compliment, at the moment. He laid back, chewing a thumbnail, and met Ever's eyes, level and nervous. "About... everything else. Recruiting me." He didn't like the word. It was obvious from the way his mouth formed around it. "It hurt. But I hope I didn't punch you too hard," he added meekly. Progress!
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:52 pm
Ever waved off the concern, the worry -- genuinely not angry about it. In fact, he barely even seemed upset, or much more than just agreeable, affable. Friendly. He, it seemed, didn't gold grudges. Or maybe Sawyer really just was that cute. "I've been punched a lot harder than that, in my days. And for less." A pause. "Well, maybe not for less, that's too subjective. But you tell me. What do you want to know? Or do you just want me to explain from the beginning?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:55 pm
He was quiet for a long minute, looking down at his now-bare feet and absently curling and uncurling his toes, chewing his fingernails. He smelled like fresh cigarette smoke. "Who are you?" He hesitated. "We? Whatever. I don't know what word to use. Don't sit all the way over there, sit here." He pointed about three inches closer to himself than Ever was already sitting, as though that made a difference. Maybe he just wanted the satisfaction and small comfort of delivering an order.
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Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 6:31 pm
Ever just squinted at Sawyer for a moment, head tipped back and expression amused, before he obliged -- kind of. Instead of moving over he kicked off his shoes and shifted on the couch to sprawl all they way across it, legs stretched over Sawyer's lap. It was exactly the way that Zac sprawled across him so much...
"...we're the Negaverse." It was a weird place to give a lecture, maybe, but if it set Sawyer at ease... "You know about the senshi, running around in the skirts and tiaras. They're essentially alien souls working to take over our world and impose their rules on it, and we're essentially the home forces working to drive them out."
He raised his eyebrows. "Does that sound too crazy?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 6:39 pm
He apparently had no objections to being used as furniture. Sawyer preferred being in piles of people as much as possible.
"You reached into my chest," he said archly, "and made me grow a really kickass jacket. Define 'crazy' at this point. Also more about the chest-reaching and the jacket. I Googled Bornite. It's a rock. I figured it was a codeword. What's that all about?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 12:30 pm
"It's not a rock it's a mineral. And you should go to the Natural History Museum; they have a whole room full of minerals, and I bet you Bornite is there." Ever shifted, sinking down deeper into the couch with the remote on his chest. Absently he wished there were a beer there, too.
"We're all minerals. Ilmenite. Zinkenite. Howlite, Tanzanite. Even ******** Labyrinthite." He shook his head a bit, eyes on Sawyer. "I never once thought to ask why, maybe I'll bug Zac later -- but it's not really important, anyway, other than that it helps you to identify our own."
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 12:39 pm
He was quiet for a minute, his eyes skipping over the far wall (not that there was anything to see on it but the crappy TV), busily working away at a fingernail before abruptly catching himself and shoving Ever's feet an inch away so he could put his hands in his pockets. "Does this mean I have to fight?" he asked suddenly, timidly. "What if I'm a... what do you call it? Conscientious objector? I'm a pacifist." Says the kid who punched Ever in the jaw in a moment of raw panic. Before Ever can possibly answer, he's ready with a sudden realization: "Oh god. Your boyfriend told me he was a building super. That's not what he meant. That liar."
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 1:07 pm
"He's a building super, too, we just -- well, we own the building. The more generic 'we', not me and him. It's one of Our Buildings." Somehow, he managed to put the capitals on the words, two fingers rolling in a vague gesture as he said it. Let Sawyer avoid his eyes; Ever watched him, all the same, relaxed across the couch.
"There's room, if you want an upgrade. The places are nicer. Bigger. And the super's cute."
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