|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:42 pm
"C'mon! If you don't let me talk to him, how am I going to get time for us to go hang out?" He sighed. "When you get off of work, then?" The boy looked at Vale, and smiled. "I suppose you're right. Things do tend to get better, after a while. You're nice, Valeriu. I like you." He smiled cutely. "Thank you very much!" He reached out his hand and pulled out a bean, and then raised an eyebrow at Vale, deciding to show off.
He bent down close to the ground and made what could only be described as a hissing noise, before springing back up and launching the bean into the air. He made like he was going to catch it with his mouth, but missed, and the bean spiraled towards the ground. A rat skittered out from a crack in a wall nearby and caught it before it hit the ground, running up Quinn's body and stopping on his shoulder, where he grabbed it from the rat and popped it in his mouth.
"This is Chitter-Squeak-Squeak-Chitter. He says he likes you too. Sort of. You remind him of a...Squeak-chitter-chitter? Oh, cat. Yah. You remind him of a cat. So he's a little afraid. Goodbye, Chitter-Squeak-Squeak-Chitter." The rat ran down his body and away. Quinn rolled his eyes. "He had an easy name. I met a Chitter-Squeak-Chitter-Chitter-Squeak-Squeak-Squeak-Chitter-Squeak-Chitter once. No lie!" At this joke, Quinn laughed a bit.
A message?
"A message?"
Go ahead, I suppose.
"Go ahead, I suppose."
This is stupid. I don't like this. Can't you talk on your own?
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 9:42 pm
"Usually I finish v'ork at around five o'clock," he replied. "Unless v'e are behind schedule." Thankfully, they almost never were – excepting that one time Ciro had decided to melt a few choice steel beams of theirs. "And you are most v'elcome."
Watching Quinn perform his trick, a most peculiar look came over Vale's face at the appearance of the rat. His ears perked up, and his tail swished stealthily down near his heels, and he stared with a singular focus at the rodent. Only when the rat had wisely run off did the boy snap out of his intent and feral gaze, distractedly looking back at Quinn.
"You can talk to animals? That must be very ee'nteresting. They probably have many stories to tell." Valeriu was glad he couldn't – he already had enough trouble turning away stray cats from their pathetic faces alone. If they could actually talk to him, in equally pathetic little pleading voices...he felt his will caving at just imagining it. No, it was for the best that he couldn't do the same, despite being outfitted with felinistic appearances.
Tezcatlipoca's voice was dripping with an unusual gleeful malice, and upon first hearing the message the god had to say, he didn't understand.
V'hat ee's that supposed to mean? V'hat kind of message ee's that?
Just say it. If there's a reaction, I'll know my guess is right.
Vale was pretty sure the god had no doubts by now anyway, and that this was only being done out of spite and an unholy pleasure in ruining the lives of others. Particularly this mysterious god of Quinn's.
He was perplexed, and his face showed it, dark brows furrowed in confusion and a frown upon his face again, ears flicking back and forth uncertainly.
"He says...ah...'V'as ee't as good for you as ee't v'as for me?'" He was even more mystified. Gods went far, far beyond strange.
"I haven't a clue v'hat he ee's talking about."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:39 pm
Quinn was about to say that he might meet up with Vale again after he got off of work.
Quinn was also about to make some cute anecdote about his animal speech.
However, his voice was stopped short by the odd silence in his head. It wasn't just silence, it was SILENCE. He could practically hear the ellipsis being dropped one by one down onto the beginning of his god's sentence. Then, all of a sudden, a torrential rain of noise and rage and pain and frustration came spewing out into his brain, overwhelming him.
"He says- Ow, He says 'TEZCATLIPOCA I'M GOING TO blankety blank YOUR blankety blank TILL YOUR blanks EAT YOUR blanks FOR BREAKFAST.'" Quinn said happily, cheerfully omitting the foul words. "AND YOUR blankedy blank WILL blank SO HARD IT'LL WISH IT HAD blanked WHEN THE blank GAVE IT THE CHANCE TO EAT THE blanking SERPENT. YAH, THATS RIGHT. I WENT THERE." Quinn paused.
"Or at least, I'm pretty sure that's about right. I wonder what it means."
It means he's going to have his sorry 'blank' handed to him on a platter, that's what it means.
Wait a second. 'As good for you as it was for me?' Do you mean...
"OH. MY. WELL." He coughed nervously. "I...Think I get it. Best we don't ask questions, though, don't need specifics, don't want them." He nodded. "So...Do you want to meet here after you get off of work, then? Ice cream's always better later in the day, anyway."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 11:08 pm
My god. V'hat did you do to make another god so angry? Vale was blinking in disbelief at the torrent of censored language.
Hm. I was right. Tez sounded supremely smug, and he could imagine the god was practically preening himself.
V'hat did you do?
Shaking his head at the undeniably wicked laughter echoing through his mind, Vale decided never to get on his god's bad side.
"I agree. Some things us mortals are not meant to know." He gave the other boy a nod. "And sure." It wouldn't be that hard to convince the babysitter to look after Sydni for a few extra hours, with what he was paying her already. She practically lived at their house nowadays, anyway.
He just hoped Quinn wouldn't mind if he was a bit dirty. Construction work wasn't exactly clean work. Especially if he had another bag of dry cement mix dropped on top of him again. It was pretty funny until it started raining.
"Yeah. I v'ill meet you here. Around five thirty?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:53 pm
Yes. You WILL meet him here. You WILL seduce him, and you will embarass him just as I was embarassed.
But-
No buts! I don't want argument. This is the only task I have truly given you in a while. Don't fail me.
Of course I'll do it, but-
I don't want to hear it.
I was just going to say, wouldn't it be easier if I followed him to work and got him out of it early?
...Fine.
"Sure, that sounds great! Around five thirty it is. I'm gonna go tag some buildings around here, the walls are too clean." He laughed. He almost felt bad being told to seduce this boy, but he was too innocent for his own good. Quinn looked at it as sort of a public service-- now this cute guy would know what he was missing, and would be on the market. Perfect plan.
Quinn grinned as he waved the boy away, and slipped down the alley that was headed towards The Scene, out of sight. He leaned down and hissed again, and a scrawny-looking tabby cat came up and mewed at him. He hissed again, and the cat mewed once more, before darting off to follow Valeriu.
Quinn got up and started walking to a nearby food stall-- he had promised the cat a fish. He knew he probably wouldn't be the best at following the boy on his own, and he figured Vale had better hearing than most teenagers, anyway. He tossed the salesman some money for his fish, and then walked back to the alley he had found the cat in and set it behind a trash can, so he wouldn't have to carry it around until the cat got back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:03 pm
"Alright, see you then."
It wasn't a far walk to the construction site. Still in Middling, the site was half built already - where a run-down two-story apartment had once sagged, now there was the skeletal beginnings of something grander, newer, and longer lasting for future residents.
That's what Valeriu liked the most about what he did. Building something that would last for generations, provide and care for and shelter the future. Something tall, and strong - that could scrape the skies so that every person could see the horizon. Plus, there was something so much more fulfilling about manual labor. His hands may be callused, and he may be dead tired at the end of the day, but it felt more worthwhile to him than any job he could imagine in the Corridors.
Plus, it was an excuse to utilize his newly grown body.
Clocking in was a routine job that hadn't changed much since blue-collar work was first established, he supposed. Ticket in, ticket out. Be on time, or get someone to cover for you. Working clothes hadn't changed much either.
Clothes. Now there had been a dilemma when he'd first grown and returned to find nothing fit anymore. Thankfully, the foreman was all too willing to part with a pair of dull orange pants and blue tank top that fit the tall and fit teen. It was best to wear bright colors on the job, or else accidents were more liable to happen. Easier to spot neon when you're working heavy machinery.
The noise was loud, and the place chaotically busy, but the easy part was that you helped out wherever was needed and kept an ear out for whatever the foreman was yelling for you to do. Hefting a bag of cement mix, he joined the line of men handling bags up to the upper floors.
With the ringing of machinery in his ears and a layer of dust already settling into his skin, he couldn't help but be cheerful. The day was turning out pretty darned awesome.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:09 pm
The tabby cat followed Valeriu quietly, pondering the fish it was promised. Being a simple cat, it merely pondered whether or not it would be rotten. He hoped not. Once he saw Valeriu begin working, he mewed loudly. He turned around and ran back to Quinn as fast as his little legs could carry him, excited about his fish.
Quinn was tagging a wall nearby, a picture of a cat pouncing on a rat. He quickly signed it with a little pink butterfly, and pulled the fish out from behind the trash can, kneeling down to intercept the cat, giving it the fish before it told him where Valeriu was. He waited till it had eaten a lot of it, then hissed. The cat looked up, and mewed. He nodded, and patted its head.
"Thanks, li'l bud," He laughed, and then took off at a light jog towards where the cat had led him. He spotted the construction sight, and then slowed down, looking around. When he finally saw the other godling carrying around some bags of cement mix, he grinned. Quietly, he snuck over as near to Vale as he felt he could safely get. He looked around for something suitable.
"Aha!" He muttered quietly, and made his way over to a bag of cement mix, and laid himself down next to it, adjusting his hair sprawled around so it looked sufficiently accidental. He carefully pulled the bag over himself. "Oof, this thing is heavy..." He muttered, then cleared his throat, and raised his voice to a loud yell
"AH! Ow! I'm stuck!" He yelled, making a pointed glance over towards where Vale was working. "Someone should come help me! And I obviously can't take myself home in this condition! Ow, the pain! You! Boy over there with the ears! You must help this poor injured teenager!"
Wow. That was subtle.
"I stumbled in here by complete accident, and now need help. This kid with the ears should be given the day off to help me!"
Yah. Real subtle.
Ow, this really does hurt, kinda.
He attempted to move, and realized he really was stuck. He sighed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:52 am
To Vale, it was like a spotlight shining down upon him, singling him out - in reality, only the men nearest around him paused in the work, staring back and forth bemusedly between the trapped boy and their mortified coworker. Amid the scattered laughter and teasing jokes from the older peers, he quickly strode over to Quinn. He lifted the bag off the godling with a quiet grunt, both arms now saddled with cement mix and a dark red flush upon his cheeks at his fellows' amusement with the situation.
Valeriu had never had a visitor come to the site, let alone one that would cause such a disruption. It was a rare thing, for those who knew the reserved boy all too well, to see him so agitated and embarrassed.
And a most hilarious thing. As the youngest on site, he was the one most prone to teasing and affectionate jibes, even now that he'd grown.
Situations like this would make his life a living hell for weeks to come.
But Vale was also agitated for different reasons. He had no clue Quinn had followed him, and it was something that he had not wanted to happen. He thought he'd been careful, kept his nose and ears out.
Not careful enough, the god in his head reminded him. You knew what this godling was already capable of.
The rat, he realized in dismay.
He could very well follow you home.
He could. And he knew where this conversation was going. But until he does, no.
Are you going to wait until he slaughters your companions here? The god's tone was gently mocking, all cold and cruel logic.
I do not think he v'ill.
That's an unwise assumption to make.
I know. But ee'f ee't ee's a mistake, ee't ee's one I v'ill live v'ith.
He will die either way. Tezcatlipoca's tone was final - as much as he enjoyed tormenting and antagonizing his rival sibling, he enjoyed demolishing all the god built even more.
Blush darkening further at the burst of tittered laughter from the few females nearby, he dropped one of the bags at his side.
"V'hat are you doing here?" He hissed, voice dropping into a hushed whisper in hopes nobody else could hear (and gaining more amused chuckles at his expense), nonetheless holding out a hand to help the other boy up.
He hoped that being kind to Quinn wasn't a mistake; even if a mistake meant making his life a little easier down the road when it came to finally bearing arms against his not-friend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 4:59 pm
Quinn sighed thankfully when the heavy bag was lifted off of him. "I'm getting you out of work, stupid." He winked at the other godling, and grabbed Valeriu's hand, lifting himself to a sitting position. He raised his voice.
"Thank you, boy I have never met before in my life. Now I will go home." He stood up, then made a big show of falling back down again. "Oh no. It seems I will need assistance. Would it be alright if you, boy who I only just met, would leave work and escort me back to the place that I live?"
Quinn looked hopeful at Vale, giving him a very pleading 'Go along with it. Go along with it. GO ALONG WITH IT.' look.
C'mon, now is not the time to be dense.
If he says 'V'hat? I met you earlier today!' you have my permission to kill him on the spot.
Not until I have my fun, Mr. Q.
Quinn felt a little bit bad, as he noticed the other workers laughing at Vale. It was necessary, however, and they wouldn't give him a hard time for very long. He hoped.
Aww. He's blushing. How adorable!
"But of course, I am hungry, so me and this boy-who-I-am-coming-to-know might have to stop to get food on the way. And possibly dessert. So no one should worry if he isn't back for work at all for the rest of the day. Fiddlesticks, I am such a terrible burden. My apologies for causing so much commotion and trouble."
Did you just say 'Fiddlesticks'?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:01 pm
Valeriu hadn't known Quinn for very long (for all of his lunch break, to be exact), but he was already giving the other godling a look of long-suffering, even as Tezcatlipoca's amusement seemed to spike at the situation.
Before he could respond to Quinn's absurd performance, a familiar and none-too-welcome set of elbows appeared upon his shoulders, supporting the weight of two taller, gangly, identical men dusted in dirt and freckles.
The Carnegie brothers. Seamus and Murphy. Twin mutts that came from god knows where.
During his first day on the job, he had been unofficially adopted by the pair, and had thought himself lucky to have people to help him out around the site.
By the end of his first day on the job, he wished he hadn't. They were demons incarnate; terrorizing young, unsuspecting victims was their only goal in life. By the end of that day he had been hosed down, fallen in a hole, found his sandwich replaced with something made out of sheep guts, and had been tricked left and right with his naivety.
Everyone ee's out to get me, he thought morosely. Everyone. Their sole goal ee's to make my life harder.
That's called paranoia. Although you're not that far off.
"How heroic of you, Vale!"
"How chivalrous!"
"Did you see him lift that bag?"
"Effortlessly!"
"A right knight in shining armor, that one."
"More like neon orange, Murphy."
"Don't nit, Seamus."
"Don't tell me not to nit!"
He wished he could drown out their bickering. More than terrorizing Valeriu, the twins loved to fight - with each other.
"But look, the poor thing's been injured. This is why we have fences, to keep out the innocents!" Tutting shamelessly, Murphy motioned to Quinn.
"You'll have to help him home, Vale! It's the right thing to do."
"We'll clock you out!" They chimed together, identical grins of mischievous mayhem written upon their faces. Somehow, Valeriu was sure they were more entertained by the idea of him cutting work than of him helping an injured person back home.
But...he still really wanted that ice cream. And he could make up his absence and hours later on tomorrow - with all the workers here, and the twins covering for him, he wouldn't be missed and his pay wouldn't be docked.
With a sigh, Valeriu went to the Dark Side.
"Fine," he answered dully and with more than a hint of annoyance at the gleeful widening of the twins' smiles. "I v'ill help you back home, boy who I have never met before as v'ell."
None-too-gently handing the other heavy bag off to Seamus (nothing beat slapping a bag full of cement mix into the chest of your greatest enemy), he held out a hand again to Quinn in exasperation.
"Come on. Before something else drops on you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:11 pm
"Mm, can't say I would mind if something in particular dropped on me," He murmured, then smiled at Vale like nothing had happened, and raised his voice again. "Thank you, boy and his two friends who are obviously very kind. Let us be off!" He led Vale away, using his 'injuries' as an excuse to wrap his arm around the other boy's shoulders, pulling them extremely close together.
He waited till they were completely out of sight of the other workers, than let go of Vale and brushed himself off, grinning. "I told you I could handle it. Yoooou didn't believe me. You have to officially call me your best friend now, just so you know. 'Cause only someone as cool as a best friend can get you off of work so smoothly." He leapt into giving Vale a huge hug.
"Hooray! Now we can go get ice cream! I love eating ice cream with new people. Today is the best day EVER!" He laughed happily, and slipped out of the hug, but standing close to him so that their hands brushed occasionally as an invitation. Quietly, though, he worried the boy would be too dense to even understand that. He decided to give it time.
"It's just down this road. You'll love it! He's the greatest shop owner ever." Quinn smiled brightly at Vale. "You are glad you came, right? You aren't mad that I made you leave work?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:23 pm
Something began to dawn on Vale. Just a little niggling in the back of his mind, a suspicion he would never have thought had he still been young. Younger. Ten. Something that only an older body would think about, react to, recognize.
The comments, the touching, the hugging.
The hugging. He must've frozen stiffer than a statue. Valeriu was not someone used to hugs, let alone casual touch. It sent his mind whirling into shock and confusion and apprehension, and he couldn't seem to figure out what to do with his arms. The impression of warmth, the proximity, the way his heightened senses were suddenly hit stronger - it all left him at a loss.
And then, he knew. He understood.
He never thought about it in relation to himself, even with all the changes that had come. Personal preferences had never factored into his plans for the future, let alone dating, or flirting, or anything else. Hell, he hadn't even counted on a...best friend.
Or the hugging.
He didn't know what to think about this. Maybe he was wrong, maybe his body and brain were misinterpreting things. Teenage hormones always screwed things up, right? That's what adults said all the time.
Still. Valeriu honestly didn't know. About himself. And he didn't really want to even think about that (he was ten just a few months ago, what was he supposed to think?).
A best friend sounded nice, though. For now. Even if only for a day. Even as Tezcatlipoca gave a warning growl so deep he could swear it reverberated down his spine and arms.
The next time their hands brushed, Valeriu made a very impulsive, very rash decision (which seemed to happen more and more around the infectious, rainbow godling): just slightly, he curled a few fingers around Quinn's. It wasn't exactly holding hands, but it was enough.
He was holding hands with a friend. For the first time. It was strange, and he wasn't quite sure if he was allowed to do it. But he did anyway.
"Yes, I am glad," he reassured, although pausing and giving Quinn a drier look. "But I am also mad. The site ee's dangerous for non-v'orkers. And now the Carnegie brothers know I actually know someone my own age."
He'd nearly forgotten. They would never let him live this down. Next thing, they'd be trying to get him in on playing pranks on the Foreman!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:04 pm
Quinn thought it was adorable when Vale froze up. He placed that in the back of his mind, to remember to test it out later and see if the other boy did that every time. When Vale linked his fingers loosely around his, though, a grin spread across his face, and he shot a glance at Vale to make sure the boy knew that he approved. He slipped the rest of his fingers in between Vale's, and tightened the grip a little.
"I know. But I felt like a new friend was important enough to take a little risk for, you know? I'm sorry for stalking you. But I figured you'd be happier if we got to spend time together today. And sorry about causing troubles with your twin friends. They seemed nice enough, though."
It was obvious when they entered The Scene. People's clothes changed to the radically off-beat styles, Mohawks and colored hair become much more common, and the lights became incredibly bright and multicolored all around them. Quinn walked with the air of someone who spent much of their time there and, indeed, he looked like he belonged there. It was like the entire section was an extension of Quinn's personality, and he seemed to grow much more confident the moment he crossed the boundary.
"Michuleo's is just around the corner, here." He led the boy around, and let go of the boy's hand to jump into a hug with the ice cream shop owner. "Hey Mitchy! Look, look, it's my new friend Vale! Vale, this is Mitchy. He makes the best ice cream in the world!"
The man laughed. "I don't know about that, Quinn. But I will admit that it's quite good. Do you and your friend want some?"
"Definitely! I'll have mint chocolate chip on one scoop, and chocolate chip cookie dough on the other! What about you, Vale?" He slipped his arm around the other boy's, placing his hand on Vale's bicep reassuringly. He knew it was sort of a forward gesture, but the boy had shown interest in holding hands, and hoped this wouldn't be too quick for him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:20 pm
"Ee't ee's alright," he decided, even as he thought about how strange it was holding hands with someone. Well, not quite alright, he hadn't ever wanted anyone to find out where he worked, especially other Players. But if he was right about Quinn, and they were friends now, then this slip-up might be okay. "And no, they are not nice." His usual disgruntled frown was back upon his face at the thought of the brothers. "They are evil. Terrible. V'hen I v'as, v'ell, smaller than this, I v'as the victim of each and every single prank of theirs. No mercy, not even for children. Terrible people."
Although a certain fondness in his voice said more for how he felt about them, and the rest of the workers who toiled day in and day out to keep the City from falling entirely into disrepair. Working side by side in sometimes dangerous conditions, there was a nearly familial bond there. He hadn't wanted to think about what they'd thought when he'd disappeared for so long, and they welcomed him back with such relief and enthusiasm despite how he'd changed.
Even if he never found his parents, he still had a family.
The Scene was new to him. Very new. He thought Quinn had been odd, being so brightly colored and all - it was tame compared to some of this. A far cry from the sheltered life of Middling, that was for sure.
Some of these people even had the look of godlings, with so many bodily modifications. His back straightened, automatically prepared to move and move fast, just in case. Even with his admittedly bright combination of dusty blue and orange, his dark looks didn't quite fit in, and he knew it.
He looked like a construction worker in the middle of a rave.
In fact, he was a construction worker in the middle of a rave. But he was distracted from that fact at the loss of his first-ever-best-friend-hand-hold, watching curiously at Quinn greeted the ice cream vendor so enthusiastically.
He wasn't the only victim of hugs, then.
Blinking in bemusement at all the flavors of ice cream (what was an ice cream vendor doing in the Scene, anyway?), he quickly found the flavor of his choice. "One scoop of mocha almond fudge, please."
Vale had his polite face on. The talking-to-an-adult-as-an-adult face. It was a little more believable now that he looked older and could actually pass as a young adult, but the serious politeness still matched the voice of a ten year old trying too hard to be grown-up.
At the touch upon his arm, Valeriu froze again, less in shock and more in discomfort. Brief hugs he could deal with, hand holding was harmless, but there was something far more restraining and close and intimate and prolonged and vulnerable with this gesture that had him mentally backpedaling. It unconsciously showed in the way his ears flattened halfway and his back straightened further, tail brushing nervously across the ground between his heels.
I shouldn't be up in arms over such things, he reminded himself. Contact was normal for people. Did it matter if Quinn had preferences one way or the other? It'd be hurtful to shy away from friendly affection because of that, wouldn't it?
He could deal with the discomfort. All he had to make sure was that his friend didn't pull a knife on him, although at this point he was sure Quinn wouldn't do such a thing.
The rumbling growl continued at the back of his mind. Tezcatlipoca didn't like the talk of friendship. The tell-tale prickle of claws digging lightly into what he might've believed was his soul was enough of an indicator, too.
He's not your friend, boy. And you are not his. This, you will learn.
He could tell the dark god was disdainful and disapproving of this particular relationship, but why he let Valeriu blunder on, the godling didn't know. For amusement, to watch Valeriu fail at having friends? To learn more about the other godling? To keep an eye on his rival god?
Or to teach Valeriu a lesson on his own?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 7:38 pm
"Oh. Well, then I can beat them up later for you!" He laughed and raised up his arms in a mock-boxing pose. "We can take 'em on together! You take the ugly one! Oh wait, they're both ugly! I'll take the one with the red hair! Oh wait!" He laughed again, but then blushed and looked down. "Nah, I'm no good at fighting. You could probably take them all on on your own. You're stronger than me." He pointed his finger in the air, and a little star appeared, every color of the rainbow shining from it. "Oo, look, I can make light," He said sarcastically, "How devestatingly frightening."
Michuleo nodded at their requests, and began scooping the ice cream into cones. "So, you're one of Quinn's new friends? He always brings me the most...interesting customers." The man made a pointed look at Vale's ears and tail. "But, hey, I've seen wierder than you. So, how long have you two been dating? Apparently not very long. You don't look too happy there, boy."
Quinn's face immediately turned incredibly red and he let go of Vale, stepping off to one side and crossing his arms, blushing silently and furiously.
"Oh. Did I say something wrong?"
Quinn looked away from both of them, and stared at a wall, hard. The worst part about the man's comment was that he had noticed the way Vale seemed to have been feeling, too, and it was made worse to have it spoken aloud. Maybe he shouldn't do this. He was, for once, making a friend that got along with him really well, and didn't think he was stupid or in the way.
He felt like fangs were being stabbed into his skull.
You are not friends with this boy. You can play pretend all you like, but you know your goal.
Quetzalcoatl's voice was more menacing and cold than Quinn had ever heard it. It was frightening.
...Mr. Q?
I mean it, Quinn. Do not get any ideas. The minute he gets the chance, he WILL kill you.
I don't think he will. He's nicer than--
You don't know Tezcatlipoca like I do. This boy is a killer. Nothing more.
Quinn had to resist letting his eyes well up with tears. Hearing Quetzalcoatl talk to him like this was terrifying. The god was almost like a father figure to him, and this was the equivalent of being slapped in the face by your own father for doing something incorrect. His blush died down, though, and he turned back to Vale and the ice cream man and smiled, weakly, taking his ice cream and taking a bite as an excuse to not respond to the man's comments. He figured he'd gauge the other boy's reaction.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
