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 Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 8:35 pm
Eleven days he spent largely cooped up in the apartment, save for the one time he left to meet with Kavinsky. He grew stir-crazy before grasping the basic methods of coping with his new condition domestically; he wanted to live the life he used to have, run his damn shop, keep up with the latest business gossip, and routinely bang the repairman. None of these things were possible anymore.
Isaiah tried to convince himself of the uselessness of that thought. He tried to convince himself of many things lately - that his condition would improve, somehow, or that he could learn to live with this and return to life no worse for it (beyond the inconveniences of having a single arm in a two-arm society, he supposed). These attempts felt hollow, weal, and far-reaching. Mostly he felt exhausted and defeated, even with all his attempts at positive thinking. Even with goal-oriented tasks. Some days, he never made it out of bed but to use the bathroom, and returned to the covers straight away. Today, he fought the same battle as he did yesterday.
Isaiah didn’t feel bad that he preferred Kavinsky over Gwen right now. Gwen oft convinced herself that the only ‚right‘ way was her way, and that Isaiah needed to bend to this line of thinking. She expected that flowers and his cat and a false normalcy would each contribute to somehow healing him of these grievances. With Kavinsky, the man didn’t jack up his anxieties with thoughtless gifts or demands. He didn’t offer to buy Isaiah a coffee the last time they met, and he could not express his unending thankfulness for that. Social structure grew unimportant around Kavinsky, where it became all-important with Gwen. So, when he decided he wanted to see his old friend The Sun, Isaiah chose Kavinsky’s number from his list of contacts.Quote: SMS Russian FingersI have a job for you. Meet me at the bus stop on Laurel and Winston.
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Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 10:44 pm
Kavinksy had a love hate relationship with the fall to winter season. It often meant more work for him; more clients at the mechanic's shop for check ups and brake changes, furnaces that needed fixing, overall repairs and odd jobs from time to time with the spike of holiday parties and planning. But that also meant he had even less time to do anything that he enjoyed for himself.
Today was one of the few days where he didn't have job after job.
Which made it Isaiah's lucky day, because it meant that he was available when the text come through. He had left the apartment he shared with Ellis, who happened to be home, because things were still tense and strained between them.
He didn't care that more opportunities would be available for him if he fought to finish high school or even get his GED. He didn't have time and it wasn't that important to him.
Kavinsky was worked up and needed a distraction, the text was welcome.
[Text to Isaiah: See you in ten.]
Or so. Depending on how long it took Isaiah to actually get to the meeting location.
When he'd arrived, he kept his head down and scrolled through his phone calendar.hetzerei my brain shorted, my start will come tomorrow!
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2016 5:47 pm
Reaching the bus stop proved a chore - Isaiah found stairs terribly difficult with the turning of the seasons, which necessitated a cane in the outdoors. He stole his from the bottom of the banister and fell into familiar step, the wooden structure thocking against his foot with every other step. The outdoors met him briskly, and the chill urged him to zip his coat - a feat he could not yet master. Instead, the article hung open and collected all the algid gusts as they stole away his body heat. Soon he would be left poor of body and poor of circulation.
The walk was similarly taxing. He remembered the bus stop as being not terribly far, even when his leg was nearly cleaved from his body. That was back when he lived on his own; now, the distance nearly doubled and he lacked the strength to cover it. As Quenton warned, all of his body’s energy reserves diverted to recovering himself and remodeling bone. His body budgeted little for extracurricular exercise. Briefly he wondered if he should have asked Kavinsky to meet him at their apartment and accompany him to the park, but doing so placed Gwen in danger if Kavinsky was followed.
Of course, he started to expect that any attempt to make a secret of himself was a moot point now.
By the time he recognized the white hair on the bench, Isaiah was winded and breathing from his mouth. While he wanted to wave, he physically could not - not unless he wanted to stand like a lunatic who could not walk and chew gum. When he stopped, he spoke through his overdrawn turtleneck. „Hi.“ The sounds themselves did not yet betray his lack of teeth.
Really, he should’ve asked Kavinsky to ferry him to the dentist.
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2016 8:23 pm
Despite appearing to be incredibly invested in whatever he was looking at, he'd noticed Isaiah almost immediately. From time to time, Kavinsky's gray eyes would lift and flicker across the crowd. Isaiah was someone he'd be able to pick out of the crowd immediately and this time was no exception.
He stood, turned to face his companion with a slightly arched brow.
"Talking seems to be an improvement." Considering he had to type on his phone at an excruciatingly slow pace.
The phone found it's way back into his pockets and he crossed them over his chest as he regarded the state that Isaiah was in. "You look better," he said finally before shrugging. "Are you here to redeem your 'catch a ride via Kavinsky' card?" A pause and then, "I would have met you somewhere closer."
It took a minute for the man to realize that Isaiah was likely cold, the man had never had any body heat anyway, but his coat was open and the air was brisker. "Come here," he said, unfolding his arms and spreading them slightly.
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2016 9:06 pm
Isaiah snorted at the comment of improvement. He was right, Isaiah’s ability to speak at all marked an increase in pain management and healing process. Currently he could not speak well, and the thought of attempting to give voice to his thoughts unnerved him. Clarity of speech became as much a part of his vain appearance as being whole, as wearing makeup, as shaving religiously. What might he ruin for himself by opening his mouth? What might he ruin for Kavinsky?
Are you here to redeem your ‚catch a ride via Kavinksy‘ card?
Isaiah nodded. Briefly he envisioned himself sitting on Kavinsky’s shoulders, enjoying the view of their doubled height. He could even practice his Prom Queen Wave at all the pedestrians that chose to stop and stare. Hell, he might even catch a Negaverse meeting on the rooftop-
No. Scratch that thought.
At the mention of meeting elsewhere, Isaiah shrugged. Licking his lips, he added, „Safety thing.“ The words were pronounced carefully, though they sounded somehow off - like an artifacting emulation of the genuine sonance. Part of him recognized the silliness in trying to compartmentalize his life so. Perhaps, if Kavinsky knew, he would agree that the attempts meant little. He could not explain, though, either physically or realistically. As was perpetually the case, choosing safety limited his freedoms.
With the open arms gesture, Isaiah figured Kavinsky was going to make good on his ride-hitching offer. Carefully Isaiah hooked his cane under his arm and stepped closer. He seized the bottom of his jacket where the zipper should have connected and held it out for the russian to examine. „Help?“nuxaz because i am awful and i enjoy them, i will just tag you right back
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2016 9:26 pm
Kavinsky definitely had the broad shouldered, muscled build that would allow Isaiah to live out his fantasy if he wanted. But how he was carried would likely depend on what would cause the least amount of agitation for the injured party. "Pick your poison," he offered with a slight shrug.
If he left more things up to his companion, perhaps the man would feel like he had come semblance of control.
While he understood little of Isaiah's life, Kavinsky understood the need to feel like he had control over something and he would do it in a very Kavinsky manner.
"Hm," he grunted, rough fingers reaching for the edges of Isaiah's jacket and zipping it up smoothly. "Not quite what I expected but," he shrugged, shoved his hands into his pockets temporarily.
"Not my business," his tongue ran along his teeth when he tilted his head. "Where to boss?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2016 12:09 pm
Isaiah quirked an eyebrow up at the man, a shorthand solicitation for what were you expecting? A couple potentials ran through Isaiah’s mind - hugs, makeouts mostly - but none seemed fitting for the situation. Really, he knew little of Kavinsky himself and could not hazard a guess.
Isaiah retired his cane to the bench armin expectation of needing his phone. While he pulled phone from pocket, he considered how he wanted to be carried. Potato sacked sounded like a terrible idea for his dignity, bridal carry exerted a lot of pressure on the upper body instead of the legs, and piggybacking begged for stares and jeers from onlookers. But, piggybacking offered the most stamina of these choices, unless Kavinsky knew something he didn’t. „Here,“ he answered finally when he called up the Maps directions to the nearest park; he hoped the option didn’t prove too far for the intended method of physical exertion.
A quick Google search answered the earlier question. Backpacking someone looked like the gentlest option, and he showed this result to Kavinsky in expectation.
„We have to be careful,“ he managed slowly, and soon regretted it for the pain it exacerbated. Much of his body didn’t want to move anymore; he felt old and feeble at the ripe age of almost 28. Constant pain from current injuries left him uncertain for the future.
But, thankfully, Kavinsky didn’t talk about all of that. It seemed, somehow, less important. Perhaps the man simply didn’t care enough to treat him any differently. Isaiah decided that was fine; keeping his autonomy helped greatly in recuperating.nuxaz sorry that tag kinda sucked
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2016 2:04 pm
While Isaiah looked at him quizzically, Kavinsky stared back impassively. It didn't matter what he had expected, it had not happened and he was more interested in moving forward in dwelling on some comment he'd accidentally let slip. He did, however, lean in close when shown the picture pulled up on Isaiah's phone, then grunted in agreement.
It mattered not to him how he'd carry the other man, he had enough stamina and strength to last a long while.
"I'm not an idiot," he said, a little too sharply, but he was likely still sore from his argument with Ellis. He didn't say anything else either, just turned so that his back was exposed to Isaiah and crouched to allow the man to clamber on his back however he decided would be best. After, Kavinsky would make the adjustment to make sure that Isaiah was settled firmly against him and would not slip and hopefully avoid aggravating any of his wounds.
"You wanted the nearest park right?" He asked, though he remembered glancing at the map once pulled up on Isaiah's phone. Immediately he began running through the mental map in his head to determine what route would be the best for them to take. "You want me to avoid people or do you care?"hetzerei idk what you're talking about, it was great.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2016 3:00 pm
While Kavinsky’s snappish response might otherwise garner teasing from Isaiah, this time he simply paused in bewilderment. The comment failed to stop him entirely, however, as he still oriented himself to Kavinsky’s back when the taller man crouched. Reaching over for his cane was an awkward, almost painful endeavor, but he managed it without having to ask for help.
In rising above his natural height, Isaiah was reminded of the childish glee he once had in riding on his father’s shoulders. The jarring thuds of every footstep, the long arcs of motion, the simultaneous precarity and safety - but Isaiah found no benefit to such thoughts. He suffered enough of that man in returning to his birth name. This entire action was a necessity, and while he could enjoy it, placing it in the context of his childhood was counterproductive.
„Avoid people,“ he confirmed with a nod, even though Kavinsky wouldn’t see it. Already a few passersby stared on.
He would leave navigation to Kavinsky; as one who often drove, he knew very little about surrounding alternate routes that didn’t involve surface streets. The russian held the upper hand there. Briefly his fears bolstered at the prospect of passing through an alley - would they encounter Negaverse agents? Youma? Dark Mirror senshi? He knew, however, that the odds were not in their favor if they stuck to visibility - time and again, studies proved that people grew complacent to violence when in groups. Destiny City wasn’t about to stick up for them if they ran into trouble.
No, they stood the greatest chance if a single person witnessed their struggle… Assuming they encountered one.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2016 4:07 pm
Kavinsky shifted his hands on Isaiah's thighs, standing easily because the man weighed little. Some of the parts he lugged around at the shop weighed more than Isaiah did and with the injury, the weight was cleaved to something lower. He began walking almost the moment he certain his companion wouldn't slip and side stepped around the curious glances that were directed their way.
Most people looked away immediately, with flushed cheeks, when they were met with the mean looking, resting face of one Pietro Vladmir Illya Ivan Kavinsky. It was the beauty of his resting b***h face, it tended to frighten people and if Isaiah wanted to keep people from looking at him in pity, then he'd chosen the correct companion.
He walked confidently along the path that he'd mapped in his mind and kept to lesser occupied sidewalks and took a few turns down alleyways. The sun was still bright enough outside that it was nigh impossible for someone to be lurking in the shadows but Kavinsky's gray eyes were watching none-the-less.
"Am I supposed to make small talk?" He asked, shifting enough that he could look at Isaiah out of the corner of his eye.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 5:10 pm
Isaiah resisted the childish urge to kick his legs back and forth while Kavinsky held onto his thighs. Similarly, he resisted the teenage urge to see if he could spit onto someone’s hair without them noticing as they passed by. Lastly, he resisted the adult urge to hump the back of Kavinsky’s head.
Okay, maybe that wasn’t very adult of him.
Isaiah watched the alleyway come and go as he slowly immersed himself in his own thoughts. The sun let itself down from its zenith, and shadows stretched to provide an awning for their passing. Soon they left the tepid stench of the alley and found themselves a side street along the way; Isaiah had to squint to prevent himself from going blind. Isaiah was about to comment on the intensity of the sun when Kavinsky interjected with his own question. The older man couldn’t stifle a laugh, though it came out as a series of coughs.
„Don’t expect me to respond,“ he managed carefully. He hated the sound of his sloppy syllables; he’d rather leave speech to the simulators used by Stephen Hawking.
While he was up above, Isaiah took the chance to steal a leaf from Kavinsky’s hair. Fall weather left them windswept and assaulted by leaf debris, which meant brushing himself out every time he wanted to come into the apartment. Briefly, he wondered if Kavinsky had to deal with the same domestic inanity. „Do you live alone?“
So much for small talk avoidance.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 5:53 pm
It was probably for the best that Isaiah didn't give into that not so adult-urge because it would've likely made him drop his merry rider. A comment about saving his provocative nature for private probably would've passed through Kavinksy's mouth. And then he might've thought more than he'd want about whether or not their previous relationship was even plausible now.
"Silence it is," he agreed, seeming to be content to continue their trek in silence. Especially once the desired park had come into view. It'd taken longer than if he hadn't purposely avoided the main streets but it wasn't horrible either.
The constructed silence was shattered easily and Kavinsky snorted in amusement. "And here I thought you didn't want to talk." There was a cocky element to his voice when he gave the answer. "No, I live with..." Ellis was his best friend, practically his brother and technically foster brother. "I live with a friend. Don't see him much because he's always working."
And well, K was constantly avoiding him. He'd gotten enough lectures when he'd been in school, he didn't need them at home either.
"How's your roommate?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 6:36 pm
Once they reached the park itself and Isaiah was offered a chance to climb down, he took it gratefully. Medication side-effects left him with welling vertigo, and he grew uncertain how long he could remain on Kavinsky’s shoulders without a) barfing on him or b) falling off. Luckily he did neither, and only tousled the man’s hair for his earlier teasing (instead of the much-preferred wet willy).
The soft autumnal hues grew lurid and haloed. His breathing shortened, and Isaiah seated himself beneath a thick oak tree in stumbling, stuttered movements. He felt unbalanced, due only in part to his arm. For a long moment, he closed his eyes to banish the swimming in his head. „What kind of friend?“ While he wanted to flash a lewd smile, he felt too ill to do it sincerely. Kavinsky wouldn’t lose sleep over it, surely.
When he opened his eyes again, the world swung about in agitated motions. He motioned for Kavinsky to have a seat next to him.
The question of his own roommate gave him pause, and his neutral expression fell to solemnity. „I need to break up with her.“ His th sounded wet and meaty, and he reprimanded himself for this. Fingers tugged upward on the long turtleneck to keep his mouth well-hidden. „But today is my birthday.“ And that’s the worst day to do it.
He wondered if Kavinsky’s life was fraught with dating problems, but doubted it. Taciturn people seldom went looking for love, he thought.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 6:52 pm
After he'd set Isaiah down, Kavinsky made it a point to turn his back on him. The gesture was terribly casual and so very gruff Kavinsky that it shouldn't have made the other man bat an eye. When he'd turned around, there was a smoke in one hand and the other was patting around for the lighter he kept on his person.
K wasn't one to smoke often, usually only when highly stressed, but he wanted a distraction and Isaiah was incapable of providing him with his preferred type at the moment.
"Hm?" White brows raised and gray eyes looked unimpressed. "Friend. Ellie doesn't - " Ellis didn't know much, if anything, about Kavinsky's life outside of the apartment and he certainly didn't know that Kavinsky swung towards men, but it had never come up and K had never lied about it.
It just wasn't something the man knew.
"I'd give him a heart attack and an early death if we mixed anything else into us." It was surprising that neither had happened already with Kavinsky's track record of fights, his time spent flitting in and out of juvie, and now he'd added high school drop out to the list. Thinking about disappointing Ellis made him angry and it showed in the way his lips pressed together and he refused to look at Isaiah when he sat beside him.
There was hardly any space between them, but he move any closer or any further away. Just rested his back against the bark and stared out ahead.
"So what? If it's what you want, isn't the birthday the perfect day?" Hey, for my present I want to break up and never see you again. "Should I be flattered that you're choosing to spend it with me?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 7:27 pm
Isaiah watched Kavinsky pat around his pants pockets for a while. After he sat down, Isaiah pulled the jet lighter necklace from over his turtleneck and clicked it to life beneath K’s cigarette. He shrugged when Kavinsky mentioned the potential disasters of added complications. Like first frost, even a breath too harsh would break it - that, too, went for their relationship.
Slowly the vertigo began to ebb. Isaiah swallowed hard against the welling cold sweat. He felt sick, and in response, he leaned against Kavinsky. If he complained, Isaiah planned on simply paying him for it. Hell, he probably looked as shitty as he felt; no passersby would question it. And if they did, Isaiah was certain K’s resting bitchface would put an end to that. The chilled hair helped to wick away what dizziness remained behind, and the hard feelings carried with him following his fight with Gwen.
Kavinsky asked about it, however, and Isaiah readjusted himself against the taller man. Kavinsky’s acromion bored into Isaiah’s temple quickly, and left him pressure sore. „I don’t want that association to my birthday.“ He paused afterward, waiting for the wind and distant children’s cries to fill the silence. When they came, they felt empty themselves. „It’s also…“ He sighed through his nose. „She’s too perfect. I feel like an a*****e for wanting it. She always smiles when I get home, and she remembered my birthday when I didn’t, and wanted to do things my way when she found out…“ That I cheated on her with you. „I just don’t want that. I want someone that will be real. Someone that will forget my birthday and remember at the last minute and pick up some shitty trinket from an airplane shop. Not someone that has necklaces handmade three months ahead of time…“ This has to sound ******** batshit.
„You should feel flattered.“ Isaiah blinked slowly, tired already. He reached slowly to snip the cigarette from Kavinsky’s mouth. „I’m obviously the most attractive person here.“ As evidenced by the utter dearth of other people.
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