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 Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 2:41 pm
✍ Misunderstanding
✍ Coming Undone
✍ Strangest Heartbreak
✍ Texting Casualty
✍ Lab 305 Spring Viewing
✍ Team E
✍ Reaction
✍ Come Back for More
✍ Come back to Lift
✍ Nerd Paradise
✍ Helping Hand
✍ Getting help
✍ Getting Help - After
✍ Decisions, decisions
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 2:43 pm
Misunderstanding
The interior of the Lab was much cooler than outside but still quite comfortable -- if anywhere could be called comfortable at that moment when Cruz felt quite the opposite inside. Cruz was careful, tentative, as he slipped his hand out of the gargoyle's grasp and instead held it with his own. He fidgeted, avoiding Reks' kind olive eyes.
"Need to talk..." he mumbled, gracelessly.
No sooner that he was in Cruz’s grasp he was suddenly released. That wasn’t good….he knew the stance Cruz was in rarely meant anything positive.
”Y-Yeah? About um…what?” Iorek smiled gently and rubbed his shoulder to hide the jolt of concern at Cruz’s words.
While he had a bad feeling about this, Iorek tried his best to be positive. Maybe this conversation was just going to bring them closer. Maybe Cruz wanted to talk about how happy he was that they were together? But…that kind of talk wouldn’t be hidden away from the others, isolated inside the lab.
Worry was setting in fast, no matter how badly Iorek wanted to believe that everything was going to be okay.
Cruz opened his mouth but nothing came out. He floated quietly for a moment, mouth slowly drawing back to a close. On his second try, a pitiful squeak came out instead. The croc realized very quickly that in all of his fretting he hadn't actually gotten to the point of the conversation; he had mulled over this day for weeks and left the precise process to the wind while assuring himself it would be fine once it was over.
He wracked his brain, trying to come up with something to start off with. Wasn't there a common phrase in movies that sparked this sort of discussion? Ah, yes.
"About... us."
Iorek grimaced at those two words. Just like Cruz, he knew what they meant from the movies and since they weren't locked in a tight hug or breaking from an intense kiss it wasn't good.
Iorek gulped and breathed in deep. There was still a little spark of hope that all would turn out well. But already he could see the little relationship he had built up in his mind begin to crumble.
"What ah...about us? Everything okay?"
Maybe Cruz just wanted a break? From what Iorek didn't exactly know...they hadn't really done a whole lot as a couple to begin with. But this event was supposed to change that. Maybe if he had brought flowers or something...maybe Cruz was upset he didn't bring a gift? Although...Cruz wasn't the kind of person to be mad about such a thing.
Iorek was so nervous to hear what Cruz had to say he was actually beginning to feel sick. He wanted Cruz to just tell him, but then he also just didn't want to know. Iorek wasn't stupid, at least not when it came to scenes he had seen played out in all the movies, shows, and comics he loved. He had a feeling he knew where this was going...
Cruz grimaced.
This whole situation seemed to just get harder at every turn and he knew it was mostly thanks to his own lack of foresight. He folded his arms and held onto himself while trying desperately to maintain eye contact with the gargoyle. What was the most gentle way to put this?
"Um... confused," seemed like a good start, "We're friends... right?"
Iorek mirrored Cruz’s hurt expression. He wasn’t sure what to expect but he had a feeling it wouldn’t be good or pleasant the longer their moment became.
”Of course we are. Good friends, right?”
Cruz trembled; his hands, his lips, even his wings. He pulled his lips tight and fought to keep looking Iorek in the eye.
"Right," Cruz choked out weakly, "B-but I think... you've been kissing me different than a friend. Not just to feed me." He winced, recalling Iorek's numerous deep kisses at his birthday party, like being force fed through a funnel.
Iorek flushed as he recalled all the kisses he had given Cruz. The gargoyle ran a hand through his untamed mane, ”Oh…well…yeah. I mean, I thought you liked it…" He thought that’s what couples did. They kissed, they desired one another, and they wanted to be close. It was something he saw repeated all over in books, movies, and tv. So…what could be bothering Cruz about their closeness?
”Do you not like it? T-Too much tongue or something? I-I might be a little too eager…" Plus he really couldn’t just practice kissing someone. Maybe he was just a really bad kisser? Poor Cruz…maybe if he taught Reks how to kiss better everything would be a’okay?
"N-no, it's not that, I--" Cruz fumbled, "I-I mean yes, it's just--" he held his head in both hands and pushed his cheeks back.
Oh god, where was he going with this?
It seemed so simple when the realization first clicked into place but Iorek didn't understand and now he had to explain. Cruz was never the greatest with words, they didn't quite elude him but he certainly wasn't as adept in their usage as his friends. If only he could be as eloquent as Cesc or Ethiriel.
"I-It's my fault... Didn't realize until recently. Yorek, you-- you kiss me different than friends. Than Thiriel, than Zuri."
The mistletoe frei pushed his fingers up through his hair, accidentally messing his ribbons weaved through the back. "Friends. We're good friends. But it doesn't feel like a friend kiss. It-- it feels like--" Cruz clenched his jaw. "--like I'm too full. There's too much, too fast. N-not just that, it's-- Like couples kissing. Like the movies. Like on TV. Like--
Cruz held his breath, then drew out a slow and trembling exhale. "The kisses you give me... have different feelings from the kisses I give you. A-and-- that's not fair. Not fair to you..."
Whatever optimism Iorek had left crumbled quicker and quicker as Cruz’s words hit hard. The cold feeling of dread set in and chilled the raevan to his core. This wasn’t good. They weren’t headed in a good direction and there was no way he could steer them them back.
Iorek was on a boat just about to head over a waterfall. ”W-Well…” His voice cracked when he finally dug it out of hiding. ”It’s not supposed to be…friend…kisses. I-I thought we were….you and I were…t-t-together.”
Had he misunderstood everything? Had he been doing it all wrong? Sickening dread licked at Iorek’s ribbon, ready to swallow him whole.
”I-I-I thought….I mean….I-I-I’m s-s-so…s-s-sorry…” Iorek’s voice was growing quieter and he couldn’t get it back. This was bad. He felt like an absolute fool and a total creep. Not fair to him? But he was the one who had pushed his love and affection onto Cruz when he didn’t want it. Iorek had just been so blinded by the idea of love…that he ignored everything.
”I just…t-thought you l-l-liked…me.”
And there, everything Cruz was hoping to avoid came pouring out all at once. The croc's eyes widened as he pulled on his face, horrified by the well of anguish springing forth from his friend.
All because he, Cruz, had been too stupid to explain before or catch the hints that now seemed painfully obvious.
"N-no, no, no no--" he cooed weakly. Cruz floated closer to Iorek, hands out and shaking, "I-I do, I do like you, you're my friend--"
Iorek grimaced but didn’t move back or towards Cruz as he floated near. As much as he wanted to move into his arms and hold the croc close with his realization such an act would only make things worse.
”I know that. I like being your friend.” Suddenly Reks was feeling angry. Obviously they were friends. He really liked being Cruz’s friend which was why he wanted to move up the ladder of friendship to that something more rung. Heck, he thought they were at that spot until just now.
”I really like you, Cruz. I just…I-I thought you liked me…more than just friends.” Iorek crossed his arms to hold himself together. ”I thought…you and me…we were…" Boyfriends. Together. Lovey-dovey. He gulped as their intimate moments, if they could be called that anymore, flashed by. Their first kiss, their touches, the laughs, the kisses, and even the party had been fun. But he had been seeing their friendship through Cupid’s spectacles and colored everything in love.
All he felt he could do now was weakly laugh as he looked between Cruz and the floor. ”I’m…really…r-really stupid.” Why did he choose not to notice any of the signs? Why did they have to be in such a position right now? Why did he feel so awful and sick? This was such a terrible feeling to go along with a very upsetting moment.
Just friends. More than a friend. These phrases perplexed Cruz all his life. In all of the same sources of media he consumed that built up these couples, these kisses, and even outside of it when trying to discuss rules of attraction, they always turned up. Now they haunted him.
Just, as though the title of friend was somehow undesirable. More than, like friendship was merely a stepping stone, that it was unworthy in its own right. Friends were good, friends were beautiful, friends were everything, and now it seemed that one of Cruz's own friends thought it wasn't good enough.
It hurt to hear.
"Y-you're not stupid, I--" but as much as it burned on Cruz's ears, he knew Iorek was confused and hurting too.
Cruz inched closer, hesitant and cautious. Gently, he slipped both of his hands around one of Iorek's bulky arms. The croc pressed his forehead into Iorek's shoulder -- his eyes clenched so tightly they burned. "S-sorry... Sorry. Didn't want this. P-please-- Please, don't be sad. We're friends. Please."
Iorek’s heart ached as he tried to come to terms with what was happening. They were breaking up. It was over. All his cute date ideas, snuggle sessions, kisses, and just holding Cruz’s hand was no longer possible. He had been so excited to show others that he and Cruz were a couple but now all Iorek wanted to do was hide under a rock and sleep for a hundred years. He didn’t have a special someone after all. Somehow he had crafted up this whole idea and now poor Cruz was caught in it.
He tensed when Cruz gently wrapped himself around his arm. Iorek wanted so much to pull him into a tight hug but that wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Reks would end up begging Cruz for a chance to show just how good of a boyfriend he could be and that was a position no one should be on the receiving end of.
Reks shook his head and breathed in deeply. “D-Don’t be sorry. There’s nothing to be sorry for.” It was just a very cruel misunderstanding that neither side should feel guilty of. He felt so conflicted though. A part of him wanted to hold Cruz close while the other wanted to push him away.
Sadness, anger, and other negative emotions were swirling around Iorek’s head until suddenly they just…stopped. One moment Iorek felt tears well in his eyes, the next he was actually smiling. Suddenly his dark and dreary world of rejection had the light switched to on.
“Hey now, I’m not sad. I’m fine.” And as he said it, Iorek truly felt okay. Why did he feel so awful before? A break up wasn’t so bad. Heck, it wasn’t like they were really dating in the first place right? He was just being a silly gargoyle.
Reks chuckled at his mistake and wrapped his free arm around Cruz for a good firm hug. “We’re good friends. I just made a mistake. No sweat, Cruz. It’ll be a’okay.” As he broke the hug he moved his hand up to cup Cruz’s face. Ever so gently he moved the croc’s head so he was looking up at him, “You’re too good to be sad. I promise we’re still friends. No matter what.”
Of course, there was everything in the world to be sorry for. His friend felt stupid and confused but Cruz was really the stupid one here for not catching on for so long, wasn't he? He knew most people didn't follow his views on kissing and physical affection but he stubbornly pushed forward with them without regard for so long and now, finally, it was really causing problems.
His cheeks didn't feel hot -- in fact, he felt chilled -- so when his tears started rolling down, their warmth was oddly comforting. Iorek wasn't holding him; it was for the best, Cruz knew, but the idea that they might not be able to touch even as friends now stung bitterly at his core and he felt an unpleasant tingling concentrate from his rune. Beneath them it glowed brightly, alighting the sterile linoleum with an almost dangerous looking green, and then--
Cruz held his breath.
Everything about Iorek's demeanor changed in an instant; the tense way he held himself, the shaking in his voice, the cracking of his words -- gone, like they had never been.
The gargoyle's free arm looped around him and, though it was far from rough, it knocked the air from Cruz's lungs. All he could do was cling dumbly to Iorek's arm like he already had been, arms tightly woven around one thick bicep. His heart was pounding and surely his friend could feel it, especially as Iorek tenderly raised Cruz's head with a delicate cup of his tear stained cheek.
He opened his mouth to speak, then promptly closed it again as tears threatened anew. Cruz's lips twisted and shuddered with words he couldn't place, questions too primal to impart.
Finally, he managed to squeak out: "Y-you're sure? You're okay?" It was weak and he was still trembling, his voice shaken and fighting hiccups.
One second Iorek was berating himself and on a downward emotional spiral, the same as him, and the next his stony friend was the pinnacle of stability. Not sad, fine.
What changed? Was it something he said? Cruz ran back over his own words while his emerald eyes searched their green partners. It couldn't really be so easy to uplift someone by asking -- no, begging -- that they not be sad... could it?
Iorek chuckled and for a moment he just smiled at Cruz. What a silly problem they had had. Why had he been so upset? Just because they aren’t a couple anymore didn’t mean they couldn’t still be awesome bros.
He squeezed his friend tightly and ruffled his pretty green hair, ”Dude, you need to relax. I’m totally chill. Like an ice cube, or a glacier, or a polar bear…I’m cool. We’re cool. You got nothing to cry about, okay?”
He pulled Cruz away so he could bend down and inspect his eyes for signs of sadness. ”We would of been an amazing couple, not gonna lie. BUT, as Shakespeare never said, if it wasn’t meant to be, then it wasn’t meant to be." Reks was feeling better than ever as he talked and listened to his friend. It was as if all his worries and concerns were flushed down a drain and miles away by now.
He truly felt great! Like he could do a million sit ups or ask out lots of love interests. Sure, he had been rejected but now was the time to play the field!
Feeling as if that solved that dilemma Iorek patted Cruz on the back. ”We fine then? You and me? All cool and chill?"
Cruz sniffed, stifling back another hiccup. When Iorek's hug loosened, he brought a hand up to wipe his damp cheeks. There was still quite a lot of uncertainty in the croc's eyes while Iorek searched them and his lips were pulled tight. The gargoyle's banter was quite a surprise but it managed to pull at one corner of Cruz's mouth in a weak and confused smile.
"Y-yeah," Cruz mumbled. He wiped his eyes and pulled away completely from the stony frei. The pat on his back was appreciated but it still made him gasp.
It was Cruz's turn to search Iorek's eyes and he did so with a drawn and trembling breath. There truly was no sadness in his friend's eyes, nor anywhere else; Iorek was smiling, looking laid back and comfortable, and assuring him that everything was fine between them. It felt true and the relief that swept over Cruz allowed him to settle down as well.
Still, he couldn't quite replicate the stable energy Iorek was exuding yet. Not after such a mood whiplash.
"All cool," Cruz nodded while smoothing his hair back. He hesitated, glancing towards the door they entered through. "You still want to be friends with me?"
“Dude, we’re all cool so obviously I still want to be friends with you. You’re an amazing guy. I’d be stupid to cut you off.” Iorek grinned at his green buddy. Poor guy had been so worried! But now everything was a’okay because they were chill.
Who knew he would feel absolutely fine with this? Iorek always thought that his first break up would be devastating but instead he felt happier than ever. For a second he wondered why but his concern was quickly swallowed up by another burst of happiness.
He would never feel close to Cruz again. There would be no kisses, no hugs, no acts of affection like when he thought they were a couple. This realization should be crushing his heart and yet…he was totally okay. Reks had made an absolute fool of himself in front of the croc but rather than hide under a rock he could wiggle with glee. The pain of heartbreak was gone.
”Even if we never were a couple, we’ll always be good friends. Again, I’m sorry I put you in this awkward position but I’m totally fine. Promise." Iorek extended his hand to Cruz and gave him the most heartfelt smile that he could.
That promise took so much tension off the croc, he thought he might just fall to the floor then and there. He managed to hold steady, only dipping low enough for the tip of his ribbon to trace the tiles.
”Thank you,” Cruz said, his voice still a touch shaky, ”I'm sorry, too. Didn't mean for anything like this.”
That smile was so bright, it almost felt like they were back out in the sunshine. Cruz took a moment to soak it in before it became infectious and he, too, sported a shining grin. He took the gargoyle's hand – not delicately, like a lover, but firmly and eagerly like friends reuniting.
If this had been done through text or over the phone, Cruz never would have believed Iorek was really fine. Here, face to face, he could see it in the gargoyle's eyes. The sadness had been there at first, he knew – he saw it, heard it, felt it – but any trace of it was gone and he trusted what he could see with his own eyes. Cruz trusted Iorek's tone of voice, his smile, the ease with which he floated. There was no lie here. Somehow, just by asking, they managed to completely avoid ruining their friendship.
He didn't understand but the steadily growing warmth and comfort in his rune, and in his heart, told him he didn't need to.
This was good.
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 3:04 pm
 Coming Undone
‘I’m totally fine. Promise.’ Iorek could recall himself saying that to Cruz as they said their goodbyes over a friendly handshake. He had left the party early smiling and humming without a care in the world. But now that he was nearing home all that joy had melted away. The further he got from the celebration, the heavier an ominous weight felt on his shoulders. It felt so heavy that by the time Iorek got home he felt like he'd been pulling a line of truck tires all day.
Things hadn’t worked out the way he expected it to at the party.
When Reks left his house that afternoon he was confident that the date with Cruz would be a true delight. He had brushed up on Lillian’s romance novels (she hid them from prying eyes but Iorek knew their hiding place) and dressed the part of a lovey-dovey protagonist. With such a great combo of good date techniques Iorek was confident that he could sweep Cruz off his ribbon.
It would be just like those old movies. He'd charm his crush with so much kindness and adoration Cruz would swoon into his arms. They'd celebrate their togetherness for everyone at the gathering to see.
Unfortunately that did not happen. It seemed that Iorek had gotten signals mixed up. He and Cruz were never a couple in the first place. All those kisses and affectionate touches didn’t mean what Reks thought.
Even now thinking about it made the gargoyle feel uneasy and almost sick.
How could he be so stupid? He put himself and Cruz in such an awkward position. All those times he kissed Cruz….poor guy probably didn’t know what to do. And his birthday party! Oh jeez…
Reks loudly cringed with embarrassment as he thought of the Birthday Party where he got a little too hands-y. Yikes….He already apologized for his actions but now thinking back on it Iorek felt he should apologize to Cruz again.
When Iorek reached the door to his home it whirled open to reveal an excited Lillian. She grinned widely at her charge, “Hey you! How was the party? How was the…ya know?” His dear companion waggled her brows and happily danced around the word Iorek used every chance he got to before the big shindig.
“Yeah! How was that date?” Tyson strode into the hallway playing around with something on his phone.
Lillian scoffed as she crossed her arms and threw her brother a look he wouldn't even see over his text message. "Well so much for teasing..." The young woman mumbled to herself.
SLAM!
Immediately the two siblings darted their eyes to Iorek as he shut the door too forcefully for their comfort.
The raevan huffed and flew past them without giving an answer. But just as he was almost up the stairs Iorek turned right back around. Moving with a purpose, Reks handed the vase and flowers to Lillian. "I made this for you." And then just as fast he was off to his bedroom upstairs.
The siblings shared a look of concern between each other in Iorek's wake. Ever since that field trip that he went on things had been pretty rocky. When he came back from that wretched place, Iorek didn't return in one piece. He had been absolutely broken for a few months as his temper flared and waned.
But now their guardian raevan was on the up-and-up. Everything was supposed to be good and calm now. Seeing this kind of reaction to a question, no matter how minor, made the Maevin's anxious. There was no telling what might set him off and yet Lillian and Tyson couldn't scrutinize over every single little thing in Iorek's life. He just had to learn how to be OK when he was angry or sad.
And then another loud SLAM sounded from upstairs.
Iorek didn’t know why but slamming doors just felt so good. Right now the sudden and sharp sound of wood hitting wood sounded like beautiful music to his ears.
The gargoyle took a deep breath in hopes that it would calm him. He leaned against the door and just tried to focus on each and every breath he took. And yet the more he focused on breathing, the more he thought of the sounds Cruz made as he gulped down his tears.
It was Iorek who had gotten their attraction mixed up. He was the one who put his hands on someone who was unwilling. He thought of their time together as something it was not. Friendship was fine but love…love was what the gargoyle craved. Iorek had given Cruz the wrong kind of affection….he hurt Cruz and made him cry. How could he do that to someone?
Just recalling the sadness in Cruz’s eyes gave Iorek a lump in his throat. Cruz had such beautiful emerald eyes. Looking into them always left Reks breathless, heck, just recalling them now made it difficult to breathe.
Needing to move Reks pushed away from the door and began to pace around his room. Back and forth the raevan moved.
The longer he thought of his foolishness the more he wanted to feel something break. The relationship he thought was there had been broken today. The wide a smile Iorek gave his friend must have been hiding this terrible feeling that boiled inside him now. It was that familiar hot venom feeling that tingled and burned under his stone skin. Iorek knew he shouldn’t let it consume him but it was expanding throughout him faster and faster.
He paused at his desk and peered down at the pages of scrawled handwriting. Oh yeah, he had written little notes on dating and what he knew about Cruz earlier. It had helped him calm his nerves earlier.
Iorek picked up one of his pens. It was a red one because in the morning he had been drawing hearts. What a joke.
Taking the pen to the paper he started to write. It didn’t have to have any meaning, the words just needed to get his mind off of things. It helped him build confidence before the date, maybe it could help him again?
Huddled over the desk Reks started to write a little phrase. But as he wrote his hand just happened to move a stack of pages just right. There, between the crappy doodle hearts and cupids, was a stupid little formula for the perfect date to start off a great relationship.
He had wanted to make it so nice.
‘Just ignore it….’ Iorek told himself but he continued to stare at it. The words he scribbled really didn’t mean anything now. Sure, everyone had break ups. He watched them on TV and read about them all the time. But they weren’t in love. He and Cruz didn’t experience a break up. They had a misunderstanding…all those feelings he felt were misunderstood. How could he do something so…so…STUPID?!
Reks startled when he felt something ooze over his stoney skin. He broke his pen.
“Aw s**t…” Quickly he got up to try and clean up the mess but the ink was spreading across the page. His little effort at keeping calm was now smudged and covered in red. But all those pages he wrote full of childish crushing? They were untouched. Completely fine.
It made him so angry. Perfect white pages with neatly scrawled text. When he wrote that nonsense he felt put together, organized, back as one piece. Now he was a jumbled mess all over again.
Swiftly he grabbed and crumbled these awful pages in his fists. But just causing wrinkles didn’t satisfy him. Iorek then ripped the pages to shred perhaps in hopes that erasing them would erase how sick he felt.
But that wasn’t enough…He didn’t feel better. Soon he was breaking apart his pens, his pencils, ripping at the posters on his wall and tearing apart his bedding. But he wasn’t feeling better. As he self destructed and broke apart his room there was no feeling of relief. Iorek was spiraling.
----
When he awoke he was on the lawn. Lillian and Tyson were both at his side. He couldn’t recall what he had done to get himself outside. But it had to have been something bad because Tyson and Lillian looked terrified. Fear hung heavy in their eyes. He knew that emotion all too well. Anger and Fear went hand-in-hand. Every time he erupted it was there, reminding him of his failure to control.
“I’m so sorry…” Reks wheezed as he curled in on himself. This wasn’t right. He wasn’t supposed to be like this. Lillian and Tyson drew him into their arms but all Iorek could think of was what was becoming of him?
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 3:07 pm
Iorek talks with Cesc and Shepard about his concerns over his latest rampage.
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Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2016 9:34 pm
Texting Casualty
A beautiful full moon hung in the sky tonight as stars twinkled around it. Reks had been staring at that stupid moon for what felt like forever. There he sat, outside in the dark with his phone cradled in hand. It was late. Lillian and Tyson had gone to bed. Reks could tell because they left the hallway light on for him when he was ready to come inside. But at the rate Iorek was going at calling Cruz he might be out all night. Especially now that it was far too late to ring someone up.
Even so he didn’t want there to be dead air between them and the longer he dragged out contacting Cruz the worse it became. Things hadn’t gone as he had hoped at the party. He had his heart broken and then broke his room. But after his talk with Cesc and Shepard Iorek felt like he was on the mend.
He had experienced his first breakup and like Cesc said, they were a mixed bag of awful. And yet he didn’t want to shut the croc raevan out of his life. He hoped they could start to move past everything and be friends again, no kisses included.
Iorek turned his attention back down to his phone. It was a super old mobile that actually had buttons instead of a screen. Poor Reks didn’t have the right kind of fingers to work those kinds of phones.
Since he had waited too long to actually call Cruz his next plan was to text him. They texted back and fourth plenty of times before but it felt different now. Reks wasn’t texting him out of glee and happiness. Instead he was dreading every letter he pinged onto the screen.
‘Hello, how are you?’
No…too formal.
‘Dude! ‘Sup brah?’
Reks cringed. Best to keep that lingo on the training field.
‘I really miss you. Can we talk?’
The gargoyle stared down at the words. They were the truth spelled out perfectly before him. He really did miss Cruz. He missed the feeling of being in love and having someone special all to himself. It may not have been a real relationship to Cruz, but all their little moments shared were terribly real to Reks. His feelings for his friend were very real and now he didn’t know exactly what to do with what was leftover.
A brave man would just send what he wrote down and go to bed. But Iorek was far from brave when it came to this sort of thing. He rather sit and stare at his words and think of every single possible scenario that could happen if he were to hit ‘send’. But none of them resulted in him and Cruz pairing up. All he hoped for now was friendship.
So why couldn’t he send this stupid text?! It wasn’t like he was going to hear Cruz’s voice on the other end. Texting was seriously the easiest way to talk with someone and he couldn’t even do it.
Iorek huffed and got up from his slouch to head down the beach. As the raevan weaved his way through the underbrush and made it to the sand his eyes still hadn’t left the phone screen.
Floating down the beach Iorek listened to the waves. He could hear them from the back porch where he had been sitting but it felt better to walk beside them.
He hit the backspace and deleted the text only to come back with another one. ‘How are you doing? Nice weather we’ve been having. ☺’ Iorek frowned at his fourth go-at-it. This one was even worse than his emotional one. It was polite but felt like something you’d say to someone you worked with or sat next to on the train with.
‘Yo dawg what’s happenin?‘ And that one was immediately erased.
Reks paused his drift down the beach to just stand and growl at his phone. It was late, he was drained, and really just needed to be a big man already! This was ridiculous. Maybe he should just send the one about missing Cruz. It was true and honest. But it still felt too raw.
Well…..maybe a few more goes wouldn’t hurt.
‘I miss the sparkle in your green eyes…’ Yuck.
‘Your smile will always brighten my day, can I see it once more?’ Even worse! What was up with him?
‘What’s crackalackin my man?’ Annnnnnnd all his guesses just helped raise Iorek’s frustration.
What kind of Neanderthal was he if it took him this many reformatted texts?! Just send the damn thing already!!! If he couldn’t pick something to say in a minute Reks was just going to throw his phone into the ocean.
With a headache thrumming against his forehead, Iorek snarled and quickly typed on his phone, ‘Hey Cruz, hope your day was nice. Could we talk sometime?’ And that was it! Bam! Done! It was easy, casual, and not mushy.
Driven by his temper and joy at making a decent response Iorek quickly hit send and…
Crack!
Oh no…Iorek looked down at his phone and moaned in despair. Yep, it was crushed. He used way too much force hitting that button….augh…just…why? Iorek groaned and without another thought set his phone down in the sand, dug a hole, and plopped the remnants in it. He was too tired to deal with this now so it was best to just do a quick funeral and leave it at that.
It would probably be for the better not to tell Lillian about his little mishap. She wouldn't be too happy if she knew he broke another phone. Maybe now he'd just go off the grid and live a life without technology...but Super Heroes unmasked was on tomorrow...so...maybe he'd just live without a cell.
“Goodbye phone. You did a great job being a phone.” Cept you were a terrible weakling who couldn’t stand a bit of power…Reks would try and contact Cruz another time, preferably when he wasn’t moody and exhausted. And with that Iorek got up and drifted back to his home sleep the rest of the night and proceeding day away.
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 12:38 am
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 12:40 am
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:55 am
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:56 am
Come Back for MoreLillian, Vivi, and Alex catch up while the boys go off to lift some weights.
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:57 am
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:31 pm
Nerd ParadiseIorek meets up with Eden to help find a present for her friend. A perfect way to get to know one another!
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Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 10:45 pm
Helping Hand
  It was time. The holiday daze was fading away and now it was time for the big teen event: Winter Ball. This year’s theme is Galactic Winter Wonderland. It was tradition to keep Winter somehow involved in the theme but at least they strayed to space this time around.
“So…you want me to do...what exactly?” Iorek looked up from the dance flyer that had wallpapered his young guardian’s school. He had been sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a bowl of Rocko’s-Mod-O’s (his personal brand of cereal) when Tyson barged in.
“Help! I want you to help!” The boy slumped over onto the empty kitchen stool and stared up at Reks with pleading eyes.
Reks had always been there to protect Tyson. He thought he would shield him from anything but this was kind of odd.
But what if…”Is it a bully? Is someone picking on you?” Iorek asked with sudden concern. If that’s the case he would gladly take care of them. He needed to find a new outlet for his temper anyways cause training wasn’t cutting it lately.
Tyson’s puppy dog eyes faltered and he arched a thick brow at the raevan. “What?”
The lad broke out into laughter and rose from his forlorn spot. “Nah, nah. It’s more like…well…” He plopped himself down in the chair and twiddled his thumbs.
Iorek looked him over and just waited for Ty to get to the point. When it didn’t come right away he took a scoop of rocks and popped it into his mouth.
The teen huffed and seemed to be looking for his voice. “Well like, um, there’s a girl…”
CRUNCH.
Reks calmly set down the stem of the spoon and reached into his mouth to pull out the scooper.
“Dude…that was a little dramatic.” Tyson said with great surprise as he stared at the decapitated spoon. “Your teeth are gnarly, man. How sharp are they?!”
The fact that Reks was coughing up some metal and rocks showed that his pearly whites were far more powerful than either of them remembered.
“Just ignore it. Shock does strange things to us all.” The gargoyle spoke casually as he brushed away the dead spoon and it’s carnage. He turned his sights back on Tyson with eyes all aglow. “Now tell me about this girl!”
Tyson fidgeted in his seat so much he stood right back up and began to pace around the kitchen. Iorek had never ever seen him act this way and by now he’d witnessed a good chunk of Ty’s growing up. Whoever this girl was she must be something else to cause such a dance of jitters.
Reks picked at his cereal as he waited for the teen to calm down. It would be so much easier to eat his snack if he had a spoon but the raevan had no clue what other surprises Tyson could be packing. One decapitated spoon was enough damage for today.
He finally came back to the island after about two minutes of hemming and hawing. Gently he sat back in the chair and looked up at his closest friend. Iorek was ready to help him talk through it nice and easy but Tyson only needed to open his mouth for everything to come rushing out.
“Okay, okay, so she’s this girl who kicks a** in chemistry and politics and is really strong and really cute and really really nice. I like her a lot, I may have stolen a pencil of hers, and I want to ask her out. I think it would be fun to surprise her somehow with the proposal and I want her to say yes so you gotta help me out. I’ll give you my allowance for the rest of the year! Which, I’ll remind you, just started so…help. Please. You want to be a hero so be a love hero! Just get me this date!!”
Tyson spoke so fast Iorek would have missed it if he wasn’t covered in word vomit. “Whoa…o-okay…um..”
“You said okay!!” Tyson cut him off before he could say anything else and jumped out of his seat. “I’m holding you to it. You said it so that means you’re helping.”
“What?! No! You can’t do that!” Iorek floated off of his chair and rose higher than Tyson. Jeez, the kid was getting really tall…
Reks looked down at his boy only to see a young man staring back at him with desperate eyes. Tyson wasn’t little anymore. He was growing up and this was one of those moments he’d remember for the rest of his life. There was not a snowball’s chance in Hell that Iorek would miss this. ”I mean, you don’t have to trap me into this. I want to help and I’ll do what I can, okay?”
“Really?” Tyson looked like he was about to cry at this rate. Iorek knew whenever Ty’s lips trembled like they are now waterworks were going to be on in seconds.
The raevan simply opened up his arms and Tyson dove in for a tight brotherly hug. “Thanks so much, Reks. I can’t do this without you.”
Iorek laughed and pulled him in close. “I’m always here for you. I believe you can do this on your own but if you need me I’ll never say no.”
Reks kept him in his arms for just a few more seconds to enjoy the moment. It had been a while since they really embraced. Tyson wasn’t much of a cuddler at this age so Iorek took any kind of hug he could get.
“Alright.” The gargoyle gave his guardian one last squeeze and a pat on the head. “So, what are you thinking we do?” And maybe a few more seconds of cuddling Iorek thought as he relished in the closeness.
“Oh! Um….” Tyson dug his head out of Iorek’s chest and looked up at him. “I thought you would come up with that.”
“What?!” Annnnnd the hug was over. Reks lifted up his arms and crossed them as he scooted a few inches away. “I’m not coming up with the idea! I’ll help but you’re the one asking her! This should really be coming all from you.”
Ty groaned and dramatically crumbled to the floor. “But I have no clue how to go about this!! You dated Cruz didn’t you?! What kind of dates did you go on? You have way more experience than me!”
Iorek’s heart thudded loudly against his chest at his once-assumed boyfriend’s name. He never cleared it up with Tyson what had really happened between him and Cruz. There was no way he really wanted to get into it now either.
“I said I will help you. My past relationships have nothing in this and don’t matter. Let’s just think that they never existed, okay? This is on you and I’m confident you’ll think up something great.” He floated over to the junk drawer and grabbed a pen and pad of paper. Nonchalantly Reks tossed it down to Tyson. “We can start brainstorming now, alright?”
Tyson sniffled but he did straighten himself up and grab the pen and paper. “Okay. We can do this.”
“And if all else fails.” Iorek said as reached for his big pencil and drawing pad before he settled on the floor with Tyson. “You can take Lillian to the ball with you~”
Tyson looked up from what he was scribbling and just stared at Reks before turning his gaze back to the crude doodles. “Maybe I should do this myself after all…”
Reks just laughed and Tyson groaned to continue on with his teenage angst.
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Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:33 am
Getting HelpIorek goes to visit Cesc, Shep, and Vivi only to find out that Cesc is missing. s**t.
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Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 4:14 pm
Getting Help - After When Iorek arrived home he felt completely numb. His arms dragged behind him as if they weighed a million pounds when he entered the quiet house.
He had left in the early morning and was just now coming back as the sky turned to dusk. Iorek could still recall how happy he was when he’d left but now that moment was like a distant memory.
Reks stayed with Shep until the early evening doing whatever he could for his friend. And yet it felt like his effort was all for naught. Normally their time together was a blast but today the boys were without their third musketeer.
Cesc was missing. The guy who could find lost things was now the one in need of being found.
Shep and Vivi had no clue where he was. The jungle had swallowed him whole. His beloved friend was gone and they didn’t know when he was going to come back. And sometimes when someone disappeared they never came back.
Iorek slowly drifted up the stairs as his thoughts feasted on one another. When he reached the top he paused to stare at the family portrait of Lillian, Tyson, and their parents. It was such a bizarre picture. Two strangers sitting with the two people he thought the world of. But the thing with the older Maevins was they disappeared a lot. But no matter how long they were gone for, they always found their way back to Lillian and Tyson. Hopefully the same would be for Cesc. He had to come home.
Reks huffed and quickly retreated to his room before Lillian or Tyson popped up to ask what was up.
His door shut forcefully behind him as he dived for his bed. It was the perfect place for a good curl up and cry. Except the longer he laid on his bed the louder his thoughts became. His mind was too busy scrambling to connect any dots to Cesc’s disappearance to muster up any tears.
No matter how hard he tried, Reks could not shake the image of Cesc being alone somewhere dark and hellish. The gargoyle had always thought of himself as a guardian and a protector of those who needed him. But now he was stuck sitting on his hands and waiting for something to happen. He felt helpless and useless.
Iorek rolled onto his back and stared at the posters that adorned his wall. So many of them were of superheroes. Brave men and women who fought for justice and saved the day stared down at him in his pitiful state. No matter what frightening events they faced, the heroes he adored never gave up. Sometimes they felt fear but it never stopped them.
Cesc would never let himself be beat. Whenever they trained the stag was always the one pushing him forward. Cesc was just as brave as any of the heroes found in comic books. He would conquer whatever this was.
Reks pushed himself up and onto his elbows. He needed to stay strong. He had to help hold down the fort while his Cesc was away. That was the best thing he could do for him right now.
Although….Iorek floated off his bed and over to his desk. He pulled out some of the drawers and scrounged around in all the junk until he found his flashlight.
Yes, he needed to be patient and wait to see what happened before storming off to bring Cesc back. But there was no harm looking around the area just in case the pink raevan happened to wander back to Gambino Island.
Maybe a quick spin around the beach and neighborhood could help?
As Iorek left his room and made his way out of his cozy home, he knew he wouldn’t find Cesc on the island. But he couldn’t help but want to try. Just like Cesc, Iorek would never give up.
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Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:53 pm
Decisions, decisions
“Watch where you’re going!” Iorek had somehow ended up as Tyson’s partner in crime as the boy gunned his car down the highway.
Tyson had just received his license and was determined to go out on a drive. Reks originally said he would go but that was before he noticed how frustrated the boy was. While the gargoyle was normally comfortable in the passengers seat, this time Tyson was angry and an angry driver was an unsafe driver.
“I know, I know. It was just a bump. Nothing to worry about it.” Tyson spoke back in a tone Iorek felt wasn’t very sincere.
As the raevan clung to the cars ‘whoa bar’ he thought back on why he agreed to be Tyson’s driver buddy. It all started because the boy was determined to drive him and his hopeful-date to the prom. The teenager did exactly what he was supposed to do to achieve that goal. Tyson studied, he worked hard, learned the ins and outs, and actually managed to get his license before the dance.
Iorek had assumed that was the end of all the worry and grief. Because of the slip of plastic in Tyson’s wallet, technically Reks didn’t even have to be on this ride. He tagged along for what he thought would be celebratory buddy time. Instead Iorek was stuck doing his best brave face while internally screaming.
“So uh….have you thought about--watch the cone! Ah, what you’re gonna do to ask her-Oh jeez! Uh, out?” Iorek nearly ripped the safety bar off the ceiling as he sought some kind of grounding. So far the jeep had zero scratch marks or puncture holes. And even as they zipped in and out of traffic, the frightened raevan was determined to keep the car upholstery in perfect condition.
At last they were pulling off the highway. Iorek felt his heart sink back into its rightful place in his chest. “Phew…”
Tyson stopped at the red light and turned down the volume in the car so the screeching metal music was but a soft whisper. “Augh…this stupid dance.” His knuckles were a shade of white as he clenched the wheel in frustration. “It’s so close now and I still can’t find the right way to do it.”
The boy slumped back in his seat while still maintaining eye contact with traffic. “I’ve thought of too many things. Nothing seems perfect enough for her.”
Right now all Reks wanted to do was just have a second to soak in the blissful feeling of a stopped car. He even loosened his grip and he lowered his trembling hand from the safety rail. And then the light changed back to the horrible shade of green and his moment of serenity was stomped into the ground.
Tyson didn’t take his eyes off the road as he calmly drove down the street lined with businesses. “At first I was thinking like, showing up in the cafeteria and singing to her. But I’m not as good at it as I remember.”
Reks scoffed as he wiggled the seatbelt to see if it was tight enough around his barely-there chest. “You’ve never been good at singing.”
The car jolted forward and the big gargoyle shrieked in fear.
“Hey now! Be nice. I was okay.” Tyson started the car up again after his warning. Whenever he was grumpy it was best not to tease him.
“Anyways…I thought I could steal the rival school’s mascot and give it to her. They have this badger named Butters.”
“Your face would be clawed off…” Iorek was baffled the boy thought of it in the first place.
“What about riding a horse to her house? Or even better! A carriage? Everybody loves a horse drawn carriage!” Reks took the opportunity to reach for the wheel with the confidence of a fellow who thought he could drive but obviously could not.
Tyson shook his head as he kept a firm grip of the wheel against Reks’ prodding, “Nah dude. Billy Jean did that for her girlfriend. I don’t want to be a copycat.”
Iorek shut his eyes as a truck swerved a little too close for comfort but Tyson avoided a crash. “Doves? Cupcakes? A singing card?” The raevan blurted out as many ideas as he could think of.
“No, no, and no. None of that sounds right!” Tyson slapped his hand against the wheel and a little honk squeaked from his car. Nothing was going to sidetrack him from this it seemed.
“Dude...you gotta think of something. I’m laying out brilliant ideas!” Iorek yelped as the car came to another sudden stop. Tyson had pulled off to the side of the road.
“But it needs to be perfect!” The lad’s voice cracked as he slumped in his seat. “And none of this sounds right…”
Iorek grimaced at the teen’s frustration. He knew the feeling especially when it came to romance. He reached a still trembling hand out to rest on his ward’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Tyson.” Reks leaned in a little closer to offer a supportive smile. “We’ll think up something. Sometimes it just stumbles on you, ya know.”
The boy sniffled and glanced up at him, “Yeah, you’re right…”
And once again Iorek felt like he had done something useful. He was willing to have a heart attack if it meant he could enjoy moments like these with Tyson. He cherished the way Tyson looked at him. They held a glimmer in them Reks hadn’t seen directed his way in what felt like ages.
But the longer Iorek looked at him the more he noticed Ty’s hazel eyes were not focused on him. Instead they were staring at something…behind…him?
The large raevan turned back to see a large sign stuck haphazardly on the brick building behind him. “Oh…”
“Dude, that’s it!” Tyson grinned widely at the explosion decorated sign that read ‘Spicy Spicy Boom: Buy Our Fireworks! They will light up your life!’.
Iorek's mouth went dry. Part of his brain said, dude, are you crazy?, but if their conversation was any indication, Tyson was willing to be for this girl. Oh well. Who didn’t like a good fireworks show? He swallowed down his worry.
“Maybe just one... to get her attention.” And if anything they would certainly make a statement.
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