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 Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:26 pm
Quinn opened his eyes slowly, blinking rapidly. His mouth was dry. His head hurt. He was in the middle of the sidewalk.
Hangover?
Knocked out.
By?
Another godling.
I was?
Yes.
Why don't I remember?
I don't know.
Quinn found it incredibly hard to push himself up off of the ground, so he didn't. He laid there, exhausted, wondering why no one had come and gotten him. He reached up and patted his hair, and froze.
"Where's my hoodie?" He bolted to a sitting position and scrambled around, looking for it. "My hoodie! Where is it? The buttons aren't here, either!"
Where is my hoodie?
Quinn, it was destroyed a while ago.
What? What are you talking about?
Something is very wrong.
Quinn winced as his headache flared up again. "Why can't I ******** remember anything?" He started to get up, but dizziness overtook him, and he fell to the ground again, and stayed where he was, defeated.
"Ow."
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:44 pm
Going back to work was a refreshing change of pace compared to the days spent sick and miserable in his house. He still tired out pretty easily when it came to heavy lifting, though, so he was sentenced to lighter jobs for now. Even his hours were lessened - it was almost embarrassing to be coddled and fretted over to that extent, but he still found himself with a few more hours in the afternoon to burn for the rest of the week despite his insistence.
It was kind of nice, at least. To know they cared that much. By the second day of his absence he'd had the twins busting down his door to see if he was still alive.
He wasn't sure which was worse: Quinn, or them. Possibly Quinn. Definitely Quinn. With that ridiculously colored blonde hair-
Speak of the devil. His steps slowed. There was Quinn, laying out on the middle of the sidewalk like an idiot. He should've expected this, really he should've.
He knew he should probably keep moving. Ignore it, ignore it. If you ignore it, it'll go away.
Sighing internally, he changed direction, crossing the street to the other sidewalk. Hands buried in his sweatshirt pockets, he scowled down at the other boy in exasperation.
"V'hat are you doing, obstructing traffic? This ee's not a place for napping."
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:51 pm
"I'm not napping! Go away!" Quinn glanced up from under his hair, and saw the other boy.
Damn. He's hot.
I know, you've told me.
What are you talking about?
"I was hit in the head. Or something. I don't know. I can't really get up. My name's Quinn, what's yours?" He started to push himself up into a sitting position, but fell back over again. "My head hurts really badly. Sorry for being in your way." He looked up at the boy's cat-like ears. "Oo, it's a kitty! Hullo, kitty." He laughed, and wrapped his arms around Vale's legs. "Big kitty..."
Quinn had no idea who this boy was. He was already crazy, and the amnesia given to him by Hypnos's godling was not helping any.
"I've never had a real pet. Would you like to be my pet, kitty? Look, I can talk in kitty!" He made a hissing noise, and some nearby animals perked up their ears and looked at him. "I love kitties. What's your name, Catnip? That's what I'm going to call you, I don't care what your name is. You're catnip."
Quinn felt a strange familiarity with this boy. Something about him gave him a strong sense of Deja vu, but he was pretty sure that had something to do with the large bump on his head. He didn't trust himself, and wasn't thinking clearly enough to worry, anyway.
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:14 pm
"Are you...are you high?" He stared down at Quinn in disbelief as the boy wound himself around his legs.
Quinn was acting more insane than usual. Either he was seriously injured, or he was on drugs.
He growled to himself, but crouched down nonetheless.
"Hold still," he snapped, tilting Quinn's head carefully. Determinedly, he inspected the other boy's eyes. It was hard to tell whether the pupils were dilated or not, given Quinn's black irises. Snorting and giving up on that particular inspection, he instead checked Quinn's head.
Some part of his mind was far too interested in running his fingers through Quinn's hair as he searched for any conspicuous bumps or gashes - brushing upon a good sized lump and quickly withdrawing his fingers.
"You are an ee'diot, and probably an ee'diot with a concussion," he announced flatly. "Good job."
What to do with this? Vale didn't have insurance, so he couldn't take Quinn to the hospital. And why should he? Here Quinn was, defenseless on the sidewalk. It would be so easy to kill him now-
He shook his head. No. Valeriu didn't like easy kills, and he didn't like killing defenseless people. Plus, Quinn was...Quinn was...
Quinn had helped him when he was at his most defenseless (even if most of that day was a haze, now). He'd had all the opportunity he'd needed to knock Vale off.
Sighing again, he slipped his arms under Quinn, lifting him with a grunt. No heavy lifting, they'd said. That rule didn't last long.
"Come on, ee'diot. This v'ill make us even," he grumbled. "And do not call me Catnip. Ee't ee's Valeriu."
Why could no one get his name right?
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:29 pm
Quinn giggled as Vale ran his fingers through his hair. "Forward, aren't we?" He giggled, and turned his head to nibble at Vale's finger playfully, but the hands moved away and he frowned.
"Even? What are you talking about, Valla-rioo? You're silly." He let himself be lifted up by the godling, and wrapped his limbs around him, hanging off of his torso. "Thank you, Valla-rioo." He closed his eyes and rested his head on Vale's shoulder.
"You're a very nice kitty, Val- Valla- Varu." He shortened it for the benefit of his pounding headache, and clung tighter to the other boy to bounce less-- each bounce as they walked hurt.
"Owwww...How do you fix a concussion?" Quinn lost his train of thought and reached a hand up to scratch Vale's ears, and run his fingers through the other boy's hair. "Your hair is so shaggy! So cute." He pet the ears, quietly. "Cute kitty."
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 2:06 pm
To say he was surprised to have Quinn holding onto him was an understatement. That wasn't in the plan - for a moment, he panicked. This was - really close. Really, really close. Closer and longer-lasting than any hug. His senses spun; there, the heartbeat, so easily heard at this distance, pounding through his ears as if it was his own. He could barely breathe, unconsciously holding his breath against inhaling Quinn's scent.
And it was warm. A rush of heat burning through his sweatshirt that mimicked the heat flooding his own cheeks.
Mentally, he swore. There was something about Quinn this close that drove him insane, every time.
"You really do not remember me, do you?" He was desperate to take his mind elsewhere. He twitched, reminded by the tightening of Quinn's arms that he was still far, far too close. But he noticed the pain, and scowling more, slowed his pace until it was more of a walk than a jog, a sway than a bounce.
"Ice. Lots of ice," he answered. "And keeping the concussed ee'diot awa-ake-" His tongue stumbled abruptly at the petting, hitching slightly. Sydni had pulled on his ears tons of times, sure. His coworkers had ruffled his hair, sure.
But this, he was not prepared for. He wanted to tell Quinn not to, but every time he opened his mouth to try the sensation stole his voice and left him in discord.
"Hn." He finally settled on a noncommittal snort, finally reaching his front steps and heading up them carefully with the weight in his arms. He liked this Quinn. Insane, yes. But quiet, and gentle, and more mellow. It was...nice.
"This ee's my house," he reminded Quinn. "You have been here before." Juggling the boy in his arms with his house keys, he managed to get the door open one way or another. "So do not break anything."
Mellow or not, this was Quinn he was talking about.
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 2:18 pm
"No, I don't, nice kitty. I don't remember you at all." He was happy when Vale calmed down their movement, gently swaying back and forth. "Ice? Okay. That sounds like it might help." Quinn adjusted his grip tighter around the other boy. He liked the warmth. "You're so warm. Thanks for helping me, kitty." He nuzzled his nose against the other boy's neck. "Nice Varu."
He looked around. "I've never been here before, silly!" He slowly slid off of the other boy, somehow knowing where the couch was and dragging himself to it. "Such a pretty house." He spotted some of Sydni's toys on the ground, and his mind flashed.
Sydni!
"Sydni." He stated, for no reason in particular. Then, he furrowed his brow. "Sydni's a pretty name. Why did I say that? Who's Sydni?"
His sister.
"You have a sister? How cute! I want to meet her!" He looked around for the girl.
How did you know that, Mr. Q?
We've been here before. You know Vale! That kid screwed you up. Hopefully, this isn't permanent.
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 2:40 pm
That stung, more than it should have. Why should he mind if Quinn didn't remember him?
Because it meant that none of this meant anything to the other boy, his mind reminded him. To Quinn, Vale was a stranger. Nothing special. But if he remembered, he surely wouldn't be pressed so close, sending a combination of chills and warnings flashing through his nerves.
"You are v'elcome," he finally sighed, a strange mix of relieved and cold when Quinn eventually migrated off of him and to the couch.
"Yes, Sydni ee's my sister," he continued patiently. "She ee's out v'ith the babysitter today." It didn't surprise him that Quetzalcoatl was probably attempting to remind Quinn too, judging by this half of the dialogue he could hear. He disappeared into the kitchen for the moment, digging through the ice box. It was an old-fashioned cure, but there was no other alternative - bagged ice wrapped in a towel would have to do.
He didn't know what to do with the amnesia, though. Hopefully that would fix itself on its own - he'd already remembered Sydni's name, at least. If not Vale's.
And if not...well...he'd come to that later. He returned to the couch, sitting down next to Quinn and pressing the ice as gently as he could to the bump on the side of the boy's head.
"So, ee'f not me, v'hat do you remember?" That was a good place to start.
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 2:53 pm
Quinn took the ice with a light wince, reaching his hand up and resting it on Vale's as he held it to the bump. "Thanks." He furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
"Well, I remember being with Fish. And we went and saw Noah's ark. And stuff. Then I remember getting taller, right? And then...and then..." He frowned. "Not much after that. At all." He looked scared. "That was a long time ago, wasn't it? How long has it been since then?" His eyes welled up with tears, but not his usual, powerful, loud tears. Quiet tears, tears of true fright.
"What's wrong with me?"
Quinn, it's alright. Calm down. We just have to try to get your memories back.
How?
A jolt. I don't know. Some sort of...emotional trigger that will remind you of Vale. He's played a large part in your life recently, that might jumpstart your recollections. Something you could recognize easily, instinctually...
"Mr. Q. says that I need a jolt. An 'emotional trigger' that will remind me of you. Something that I would recognize 'instinctually'." He frowned. "I have no idea. Do you?"
His stomach growled. Loudly.
"And if you do, can we eat first? I want some food."
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 3:12 pm
Tears. He did not deal well with those. Whenever Sydni cried it sent him scrambling to make her stop, and this time was no exception.
"Ee't ee's okay. Nothing to be afraid of," he reassured. And really, it wasn't. Quinn had already shown signs of remembering, it was just a matter of time.
Yeah, just a matter of time. He pulled his hand back, making sure Quinn had a hold on the ice, giving a snort at the boy's priorities.
"Fine. You v'ait here, I v'ill get you something to eat." For the second time, he disappeared through the doorway into the kitchen. Thankfully, he had tons of frozen things for days he was too tired to make dinner - Quinn couldn't possibly find anything wrong with lasagna, right? Right. Foil unwrapped, he set the microwave to UV-bake the dish. While waiting, he frowned at the spinning bowl inside the box.
What could possibly be an emotional trigger for Quinn? Everything was an emotional trigger when it came to the other godling. He crossed his arms and thought.
When Valeriu finally returned to the couch, he came bearing more than a bowl of lasagna. Setting the bowl and fork before Quinn, he laid the other items out on the table expectantly.
The button, the journal, and a poorly drawn picture of an ice cream cone. Nobody ever called Vale an artist, and he didn't have ice cream readily on hand.
Sitting down cross-legged before the low table, he presented the items, tail swishing behind him.
"V'ell? Any of these ring a bell?" The only other thing he could think of was their tattoos - and he was not about to show that off to broad daylight, thank you very much. Quinn could look down at his own chest and remember.
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 3:22 pm
Quinn went straight for the lasagna and the fork, dropping the ice pack and gobbling it up like a madman. He liked lasagna. He finished it, then licked the bowl, then held it out expectantly for more. His stomach was a bottomless pit, and passing out really takes a lot out of you! After shoving the bowl into Vale's hands, he looked at the objects. First, he saw the drawing of an ice cream cone.
It took him a minute to figure out what it was. A dog with a cone nose? A strangely shaped d***o? Then he noticed dots that were supposed to be chocolate chips."Ice cream! I love ice cream! But why did you put a picture of it here?" He turned his head to one side, then turned the paper upside down, then shrugged and set it on the table again. He picked the journal up, next.
"Huh. this is wierd." He flipped through a few more pages. "Hey, my name! And my mom's name! Who wrote this?" He looked at Vale. "Oh, is this supposed to return my memory?" He read a few more sentences, then looked back at Vale.
"It doesn't." He stated plainly.
"Hey! This button is from my dad's beanie! Where did you get this?" He reached over and grabbed the button, pulling it up to his chest rapidly. "I was wondering where my beanie went! You stole it, didn't you! I thought you were nice! Why did you take my dad's beanie?" His eyes welled up with tears again. "Mr. Q said it had gotten destroyed! You did that, didn't you! You jerk!" He threw the button angrily at Vale, then turned around and buried his face into the couch pillows.
It didn't really occur to him that burying himself in couch pillows does not get him away from the other boy, physically.
"I don't know who you are, but you're a jerk! Taking my dad's buttons!" He fidgeted around angrily for a few moments, then settled down. He laid there silently for a bit longer, then peeked out of the pillow back at Vale.
"Can I have some more lasagna?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 3:32 pm
Failure. Vale had it.
He almost felt like slamming his head against the table. Almost. Growling in exasperation, he picked the button back up, resting an elbow on the table and leaning forward dryly.
"You gave ee't to me, ee'diot. I am not a thief, especially not a button-thief." His nose wrinkled in disdain at the thought. Honestly. He decided to leave out the part about physically destroying Quinn's beanie, however. It was for the best.
Pushing himself back to his feet, he grumbled and took the bowl back.
"Fine, fine." Eating Vale out of house and home, honestly. Still, it was nice - not many people came over for dinner. And he always liked hearing compliments, even in the form of asking for more. Plus, he had enough food prepared in the fridge to feed an army, if he so wished.
He heated up several more servings of the lasagna, and returned with that, putting them down in front of Quinn again.
"Here, this should be enough."
Standing there, he thought, and sighed. Might as well get it over with this - after this, he was out of ideas. Grudgingly, he lifted his sweatshirt and t-shirt, baring the damned rainbow tattoo for a few seconds.
"Remember giving me this, at least? Or remember the ones on yourself?"
Desperation. Vale also had it.
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 3:54 pm
Quinn attacked his lasagna again, only pausing for a moment to look up at the tattoo Vale got. He cocked his head to one side.
"That's a cute tattoo. Where'd you get it?" He reached out and poked it with his finger. "Shoddy work, whoever did it. It looks more like a scar than anything. Cute scar, though." He went back to eating lasagna, until he had cleaned the bowl out a second time. His stomach finally appeased, he laid back down.
"Thank you for trying to help. I guess, if you say I gave you the button--"
You gave him the button.
"Then I gave you the button. Sorry for getting all mad at you." He yawned, and then sat up and pulled Vale into a hug. "You're such a nice kitty. I wish I could remember who you are." He frowned. "Waiiiit. Are you my boyfriend?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 4:13 pm
"Boyfriend?" For a minute, his mind was blank. This was exactly the subject he wanted to never think about - the subject that sent him fleeing to work until his mind was numb.
"I do not...I do not think so," he slowly responded, wondering at the hug. "Ee't ee's...complicated."
Very complicated. Too complicated. So complicated that he couldn't even begin to understand what it was between them. Valeriu wasn't like that, and he was too young, yet there was Quinn - and he didn't know how much of that was honest feelings or fate, and then there was the hatred and the anger that always made them fight. But then there was the kissing, and this, the hugging - and - and -
"I do not know." His ears flattened slightly as he frowned. He really didn't. He just ignored it, took them as they came and went. He more than suspected a large part of it came from what they were, not who they were. Just like he didn't really want to kill people - it was something separate from him. Even if the lines were blurred sometimes.
He was just confusing himself, and it hurt to think about it. Impulsively, he returned the hug.
Hugs were becoming nicer by the minute. So much more simple.
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 4:18 pm
"Oh. I understand why you would be confused." Quinn slid off of Vale and curled up on the couch. "I can be kind of a jerk sometimes. Sorry if I'm leading you on, or whatever. I don't know what's going on. You're cute, though. And nice. The me with memories probably likes you a lot, huh?" He laughed nervously, and stared up at the cieling.
"I guess I have a lot of time to re-live, huh? That sucks. All that time, lost...I wonder if I did anything fun."
Quinn was torn. Part of him wanted to lay there and mope about his lost memories, but another part of him wanted to get up and go do lots of things to make up for it. Moping was winning. He picked up the picture of the ice cream and hugged it to his chest.
"You're such a good artist," He grinned at Vale, some part of him hoping the fake complement was enough to repay the other boy for trying so hard to be helpful.
"Thank you for trying."
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