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 Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:34 am
So far as he knew, Sterling was still sleeping. Karone was in the kitchen making tea.
And Yu was out there, somewhere in the world, with Karone's phone.
He had only been by himself for a moment or two, but it felt like an eternity trying to find the right words to text. Trying to find the right mixture of understanding and pleading and secrecy.
He exhaled and drew the blanket a little closer.
Quote: Your sister is home with us, she said she left her phone with yu. The weather is bad so she's going to stay the knight. Your boyfriend is in bed resting but he keeps asking for you. We don't care what verse you're involved in, we love you. The holidays weren't the same without you. We're family. Come home, please. We can talk over dinner if you can make it. If you can't, just let us know you're okay. Text if you can, or call. Would love to see your face again. All my love, Priam.
He didn't make typos. He hoped that was a giveaway to read between the lines where someone else might not. He hoped that if Yu didn't have Karone's phone, whoever found it wouldn't be able to tell the difference. He hoped it wouldn't put anyone in danger, but it would tell Yu enough of what he needed to know.
...He hoped it was enough to get his attention without putting him in danger.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 12:02 pm
Yu almost dropped the phone when the message came through, fumbling it in an awkward juggle trying desperately not to be ‘that a*****e’ who broke Karone’s phone. He expected it to be a message for her not one…for him. God… GOD… She was there, she talked to them. His eyes stung with tears. He read the message over, and over again, the little typos… no, not typos. The meaning behind the ‘errors’ pricking hard at him. It took him ages to think of how to reply. Quote: ILU2 - not safe to travel 2knight. Word is it’s a little 2hot, chances are good for a cut up. I don’t want 2 give you what I have either. I know I have made a lot of bad choices, I don’t want to hurt either of you again 2b one of them. It’s hard enough 2 put the stars back in the sky. I don’t like to see them fall.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 12:28 pm
The message was read. And stayed on read.
And stayed on read.
And then, there was typing. Priam's heart skipped a beat and he clutched his phone like it was a lifeline. He stared at it, waiting.
When it came through, he could have cried. He could breathe again.
Everything about it was perfect.
Quote: The Cosmos would forgive you if they did. You'd be there to catch them. And if you fell, you know we'd be there for you too. Sometimes we don't know a choice is bad until after we've made it. It doesn't change how much we love you. You could tear out our hearts and they'd still beat for you. You'd put it back where it belongs and we know that. We trust you. We love you. We know you'll come home when you're feeling better. Or earlier, if you need someone to take care of you until you get there.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 12:52 pm
He bit his lip hard again, possibly the least self-destructive thing that he wanted to do right now. It was too much to see such…understanding. he’d been awful, and had done such awful things but… HIs heart hurt. Quote: Not all of us are made of starstuff, I don’t know how to find such bright things. I may have answers to bad luck, might not be Karma after all. I would rather tear out my heart than yours. He stared at the phone for a long moment. Quote: R U home? Just you, Starlight, and my Sister?
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 1:17 pm
Every text brought a little more light into Priam's eyes and gave him a little more strength.
Quote: You shine just as bright as any star in the sky. You just don't spend enough time in front of the mirror to see it. We're all home, just the three of us. The neighbor mentioned coming by to check on us but he hasn't texted me back yet.
He wanted to ask where Yu was, wanted to ask if he needed anything--if Priam could drop him off a new phone, if he could order him dinner, if he could send him some money or anything just to get him through...whatever this was.
To make sure he was okay until he could come again.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 1:39 pm
He tipped his head back towards the sky, weighing out what he could do. If there was a chance that Michael was watching, or having the house watched, there was really only one choice. It sounded like they knew what he was - even Priam. So... He took the chance. Powering up and ‘popping’ over to the achingly familiar space of the living room, dang but pulling that off again on such short notice left you winded as hell. Well... that and the way things had gone lately probably didn’t help. He expected Priam to maybe be in his own room... he was wrong.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 1:51 pm
Priam let out a startled noise at the sudden presence in the living room, only a few feet in front of him. He dropped the phone in his surprise but the realization of who was in his living room made him immediately gather his resolve.
Sterling was here, hurt.
A Negaverse agent was here. A Negaverse agent that he'd fought with before.
How was he supposed to know friend from foe, when half the people in his life seemed to belong to the Negaverse?
"What are you doing here?" he asked, and for as protective of the people in this house as he was, Priam still didn't make for a very intimidating figure. The blanket fell to the side as he stood, hands clenched into fists.
He could power up if he needed to. He could fight if he needed to.
...He just needed to know who had shown up in their living room.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 2:04 pm
Waiting for water to boil was literally the most boring thing in the world, and if Karone had any sense, she would have just put the mugs into the microwave to heat them up. That would have made so much more sense. And been so much faster…
She paused when she heard Priam make a startled noise and reached over to turn off the stove before bolting into the living room. “You okay? What--” Her eyes landed on Parisite and she let out a whoop of joy, forgetting that Sterling was still sleeping. “Thank goodness you came, you dork! They’ve been so worried about you. Why the hell are you still powered up? Get out of those clothes right now, I’m sure I’ve already drawn enough attention to this place, there’s no need for you to draw some too!”
Running to Parisite’s side, she hugged him, looking happy. “I found our ticket out! I talked to some friends...ah. Well. Not friends. But I had found this great food truck the other day? And the guy running it…well, it’s a long story, but the point is, they’re going to help us get out.”
Looking to Priam, Karone smiled widely. “Sorry it took so long...I was trying to boil water the normal way instead of using the microwave like a normal human...oh my god, Yu! You need to visit the kitchen once you’ve hugged these boys for at least half an hour, okay, thanks.”
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 3:11 pm
Orangeish Sherbert “It’s me!” He started to protest, throwing up his hands in case Priam chose to defend the household with his fists or the knife that he’d given him. Then Karone was there scolding him and hugging him and with the good news of her own. “I-I just got here! That’s why!” He said feeling his cheeks heat with embarrassment and powering down and using her for balance because ********... he was tired. “I... I think I know why this is all happening.” He rushed to say. Because ********, it seemed pretty damn important. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I know I did, badly... in so many ways.” He needed to tell Sterling too, maybe especially Sterling, but ********. “Er… why the kitchen, this isn’t about eating again is it? I don’t really… I’m really just not…” He stammered over the words. “And I kinda left Ilya in the…lurch….” He cleared his throat embarrassed.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 3:46 pm
Priam stared in something of a horrified state as the Negaverse Agent he'd butted heads with morphed into a face he knew and loved.
Okay. The only agent he'd ever really fought with was Yu. Okay.
Okay, this was fine. It was a misunderstanding.
He couldn't quite reconcile in his mind that they were the same person, couldn't summon the memories and apply them to Yu, but that didn't matter because here he was, in the living room.
He exhaled sharply and threw his arms around Yu, trying to avoid hitting Karone in the process. He didn't want to smother Yu, didn't want to chase him away. He wanted to hold him, to love him, to let him know that this was okay, he was okay, they were okay.
"He left you a Christmas present is in the kitchen, he wanted to surprise you," Priam mumbled into his neck as he held him. He should have asked if he was okay, if he needed to be careful. It was hard to relax and give him the space he needed in case things weren't okay.
"...I didn't know...I'm so sorry, Yu," he said, and squeezed him once more. Softer, so Karone even wouldn't hear, he whispered, "I hit you," he said. "I've punched you, I'm so sorry. I won't do it again. I never wanted to, but I won't do it again. I love you, thank you for coming back. Sterling's okay. He's shaken up but he's okay. Can you visit him? He'll be so happy to see you. Even if it's just for a moment."
As much as Priam needed it, he figured Sterling needed it more. If Yu didn't have time, Priam couldn't hog it all.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 4:36 pm
Karone wrapped her arm around Yu’s waist, continuing to steady him. “It’s not about food, goof. I’m really proud of you for coming home. Just so you know.”
She moved slightly when Priam hugged Yu, giving a soft, pleased laugh. “You two are so cute, just so you know…” With a sigh she almost pulled away, not wanting to spoil the moment. “...What did you find out? Is it something that we can handle?” Obviously they could handle it. They could handle anything.
Sterling had awoken from the strange noises in the living room, a female voice at first. He thought it might have been the television, but when he heard Priam make a noise of alarm, he hurried out of bed, eyebrows furrowed, and saw…
Saw Parisite in their living room.
Dread flooded through him and he shuddered, gripping the wall and trying to figure out if he should power up or try to attack as he was now.
But then...Karone launched herself out of the kitchen, hugging the Captain and talking happily...and then.
...And then the Captain morphed into Yu, and Sterling felt the world shatter.
He felt suddenly lightheaded and gripped the wall with more force, his body beginning to tremble. “...What...what’s going on?”
Sterling’s voice broke and sounded very weak. “...You…You’re Parisite…?”
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 4:51 pm
“I- I’m sorry.” Yu stammered to Priam. “I, I was an a**. I really was trying to help with those stupid books. You guys seemed so… hopeless, and I was feeling so cocky.” He let them hug him, hugged them back with the feeling that he didn’t deserve to at all. “I didn’t mean to break anyone’s glasses, not really. I… I had stupid gifts for you in my closet, I didn’t cook the ********.” “It’s … I think it's the Kid of my last foster family. He’s…bad news. And coming from me that’s saying something.” He started to explain - And then… Sterling. Sterling was there sounding broken… absolutely shattered. His own face went white and he drew back as best he could with the others embracing him. This was it, the moment when he’d be rejected… “I…” He stammered. “I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry I - I never did that before, I can leave… I can go…. Karone found a way out but you don’t have to… I can just…” For all the comforts he could receive, if even one of them wanted him gone, he would vanish. He might reach out to Priam, but he hadn’t done to Priam what he did to Sterling. He’d nearly killed sterling. Hell, the more he thought about it, Priam might… “The… the person doing this is someone called Michael, I’m pretty sure of it. He’s the son, the…actual son of the last person I fostered with. I…I think he’s an officer. If he sees me here he’ll kill you, He … threatened to burn the house down with you in it. He’d drain you… probably just enough that you couldn’t leave… He’d, probably enjoy that if he’s anything like he used to be. He burned the other house, he threw you off the roof… It’s my fault he’s targeting you.”
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 5:02 pm
Priam could forgive someone for just about anything, whether they deserved it or not. He'd forgive more with less of an apology.
And Yu was good. Good for him. Good for Sterling.
Parisite wasn't good for any of them, including Yu.
He had been so hopeful that Sterling would be able to relax, to be able to breathe, to understand. To forgive. Maybe he was too optimistic. Maybe he had hoped too hard and been too quick to prepare for a happy ending.
There was a lump in his throat and he suddenly felt like he was intruding. His heart was burning in his chest, throbbing painfully. He relaxed a bit, he loosened his embrace, but he never let go. He removed himself from the hug to give Yu more freedom, but he kept Yu's hand in his own.
"Don't go," he said to Yu, and his eyes were pleading on Sterling. He was torn between keeping Yu here and rushing to Sterling's side; he still held Yu's hand and took one step towards Sterling, extending a hand to him as well, trying to call him over. Trying to give him stability too. Trying to be there, but not between either of them or their feelings.
There was someone else to blame. There was a bigger problem here.
There were answers.
There could be a resolution.
There could be a happy ending.
But he needed all of them, together, to get there.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 6:19 pm
Karone felt suddenly awkward, and more than a little guilty. “...I’ll go...finish up the tea, shall I? Four cups now instead of two…”
She felt as though this were all her fault...which...it was. If she hadn’t have...but...The business with Michael, that wasn’t her fault...ah.
Quickly, she went to the kitchen, filling the kettle with more water and once again putting it on the stove to boil, watching it broodingly. Sterling watched as Karone made her way to the kitchen, confused as to why she was here. Why she seemed so familiar with Parisite. But Yu...looked so sad at his reaction. He…
Wait. Wait...it was Yu. He tried to draw in a breath, tried to get his mind focused enough to think. Priam was reaching for him, Karone was gone, it was just the three of them. Sterling shook his head slightly, his eyes still on Yu, drinking him in. “...You left us. You left me, even after...after knowing how…”
How he couldn’t stand something like that. He left him. And he took his starseed…
But of course, he couldn’t have known it had been Sterling, that was simply a fluke. A mistake. It wasn’t intentional--it couldn’t have been. “...You’ve been...in the Negaverse this whole time…? Hiding...you…” He swayed again as another wave of realization came over him. “...You know about me…” He had to. His starseed had been returned. Obviously Yu must have put two and two together and come up with the correct sum.
“...You didn’t even say goodbye…”
His thoughts were in utter turmoil, and finally Sterling sunk to the ground, his legs shaking too much to keep himself standing. There were spots dancing in front of his eyes, and his chest hurt. It was difficult to breathe.
Lord how he hated panic attacks.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 6:53 pm
“I should... I should go, I-I’m sorry! I- he wants to kill you he...” he couldn’t find words , the world was narrowed down to the look of pain on Sterling’s face. He didn’t deserve to be here, he was the monster that Sterling had called him when he hadn’t been blinded by the simplicity of civilian life when compared to their costumed lives. “I didn’t know, not till the... star seed.” His voice wavered with uncertainty. “I’ll go, I don’t ... I just needed you to know, if I deal with him you’ll be safe, and - and Priam won’t... hurt you like I did.” If he left now, if he found Michael, it wouldn’t matter if Gelria was hot on his heels. He’d already done harm he could never undo, even trying so hard to leave a goodbye. “I’m sorry!” He said half shouting and trying to pull free. He had to go... he HAD to. “You were right... everything you said as Qingcheng. I’m sorry!”
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