|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 6:33 pm
Tepin was out of the house. So was Sydni. Murphy was distracted today (thank god, that man was driving him insane) and Valeriu was alone.
At home.
All alone.
He'd taken his precautions. The windows were shut, the blinds were pulled. The door was locked for once. He had complete and utter solitude to indulge in some personal time.
God knows he did not want anyone to know he did this. To know he fell to instinctual urge so easily, back to the primal basics. He should've been able to rise above these feelings, but every once in a while he was forced to give in or go insane. It was embarrassing enough as it was, to finish and feel the shame of defeat and an intense dirtiness.
It used to be he was forced to keep his clandestine actions hidden within the bathroom, but today he had free run of the house.
It was time. He had everything ready. The bed awaited him.
It started slowly, tentatively. He didn't want to rush things, to jump right in. But bit by bit, his self control slipped, until he was rolling in hedonistic glory.
Rolling through his mound of socks, heaped generously on the bed, as delighted purrs and playful growls left him as he wiggled and bit and pawed through the socks, batting them through the air only to pounce on them a minute later, before rolling and rubbing against them - only to repeat the process, over and over, his mind filled with senseless and instinctive glee.
Socks! Socks, socks, socks. Socks!
Fresh, clean, warm, socks!
Oh, god, yes!
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:17 pm
Quinn was bored. Really, really bored. He was waiting for Seamus to get out of the hospital, and he was sitting around at home watching television.
Lots of television.
Too much television.
Quinn was so bored, he decided to do something he hadn't done since he was-- well, the easy term was dumped.
He was going to go visit Vale. He wasn't sure why, but he needed to talk to him. He didn't know about what, he just knew he wanted to.
The door was locked. He knew, because he didn't knock. He just tried the door. He frowned, and wouldn't be deterred. He found his way up to the window he climbed into the most often in the past-- Vale's bedroom's.
He pushed the window open--which was unlocked, and peeked through the blinds on a whim beforehand. His eyes widened.
"Vale?!" He pushed the blinds aside, and tumbled in more or less (hint: less) gracefully. When he was finally in a standing position, he repeated himself.
"Vale?!"
And then,
"What the hell are you doing?"
He raised an eyebrow at the socks. A very pointed eyebrow.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:22 pm
He froze. Complete and utter stillness - trapped forever under a mound of socks, biting onto a wayward heel, and the stone-cold most horrified look that had ever graced his face.
Slowly, he set the sock down.
"Nothing," his voice had jumped at least two pitches, strangled and squeaky as he started pushing the socks off the bed and out of view with a few sneaky backhands. He coughed, cleared his throat - "Nothing at all." Far more manly that time.
Calm, composed, absolutely sure of himself.
The ice broke faster than a Ford on the highway, leaping out of bed to grab Quinn by the shoulders, desperately, and shake him, equally desperately.
"You saw nothing! Nothing! Do you hear? Nothing."
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:48 pm
Quinn felt his head being snapped back and forth as his shoulders were jerked. It was incredibly painful, and it would probably be sore for days.
And he couldn't stop laughing.
"Were you just playing?" He cackled, "With socks?" Quinn made himself deadweight for a brief second like a five-year-old to slip out of Vale's grasp, then pulled himself upright.
"I saw plenty. Enough to know that I never have to respect you as a man again!" He clutched at his stomach and laughed. And laughed, and laughed.
Quinn tossed himself onto the bed, flicking off a few socks that landed on top of him.
"So," he said, all awkwardness possible in the conversation taken up by the socks, "Other than your little sock massacre, what's up?"
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:55 pm
The more Quinn laughed, the more Valeriu poofed up in defense.
"I v'as hunting," he countered aggressively. He looked at the socks, and his ears drooped.
Socks did not make very formidable prey. Or honorable ones.
"Play-hunting," he amended, and that just sounded worse. "Like you've never played v'ith a sock in your life!" He snapped back, crossing his arms and hunching his shoulders and glowering for all he was worth even as his tail wrapped pathetically around his ankle in humiliation and his cheeks burned. "I can't help it. I do laundry every three days!"
He frowned at the Quinn on his bed (on his socks).
"Nothing."
My private time, gone.
"Just doing things at home."
It was empty for once, you b*****d.
"You know."
Hate you.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:09 pm
"I've played with a sock," he grinned, wolfishly, "But in a very different way." He rolled some imaginary dice to illustrate the point. He was hyper-- and he wasn't sure why. He hadn't been until he saw Vale wrestling with 100% cotton evil. He figured he was probably just stir-crazy from being at home all day.
He sat back up, his feet dangling off the edge of the bed. His eyes glinted mischievously. "I'm bored." He leaned back, hands pressing against the sock pile.
"Let's do something." He pushed himself off of the bed, and hooked his thumbs into his belt and wandered around the room aimlessly, ignoring Vale.
"I don't know what. I just want to do something." He found his way back to Vale, and looked at him, expectantly.
"So?"
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:17 pm
That movement - just went right over his head. The hell did Quinn mean? Socks and dice? He gave him a very, very confused look, scowling all the while - bristling more when Quinn was messing up his sock pile.
Leave it alone! Mine!
"V'rit and I blow up buildings for fun," he supplied. "And cause riots at the blockades." He shrugged. Valeriu didn't do much else.
He thought, and thought, and thought. It was a hot day today, and would be a hotter night knowing the way humidity got here.
"V'ant to go swimming?" Or, hm - coming up with things to do was hard. "V'e could play basketball, too."
Good god, the only things that came to his mind were sports and board games. Valeriu also liked bubble baths, and little building projects --
He got the feeling Quinn didn't like any of that.
Frankly, Valeriu wanted to get back to his socks - but the moment was over, the mood was ruined. He mentally sighed, and began to gather them up and fold them back into the drawer.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:53 pm
Quinn raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you hung out with Writ. He's a fun guy." The sentence was chock full of deeper meanings, but Quinn didn't elaborate.
"Riots? Nah, I've had enough of the blacksuits to last me this year." He turned his head sideways. "Swimming sounds alright, but I don't really have a suit. And not at a pool. Like, a lake. I've never been to a lake. Is there a lake in The City?"
He babbled. He felt like a kid. Like a teenager again. He was energetic, and pumped to do something.
"Basketball? I don't know the rules. But you could teach me! That sounds like fun!" He grinned. "But I really would rather go to a lake."
He grinned at Vale, and pulled him into a hug. "You're so great. I'm so glad we're going to hang out today."
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 9:07 pm
"Da, he is," Valeriu agreed, and the deeper meanings flew over his head once more. "V'hich is v'hy Ciro hated him so much, I bet."
Oh yeah, Ciro. Dead, but not forgotten. Valeriu could still tease him. He earned it. All the horrible nicknames he'd withstood!
An ear twitched in puzzlement at Quinn's energy.
"A lake?"
A lake hadn't existed around here for years. Quinn knew that.
"There's the Harbor..." he trailed off. Ah, yes. The Harbor. They could always go and swim if they felt like mutating further. "I don't know the rules either-" His father had always cheated, anyway. For them it was get the ball and get it in the hoop. Which involved sometimes picking Valeriu up and trying to stuff him in the net. "--but..."
He was reluctant to suggest it. The last time - hadn't gone so well. And hell, that was with someone his god somewhat approved of.
And then Quinn hugged him, and Valeriu couldn't not suggest it. He wanted to hang out with Quinn, like real friends. He hadn't had that before. The closest was the twins, and they were more like horrible, terrible brothers than a friend.
"Me too." He could forgive Quinn for interrupting his Sock Time. "As for - for the lake-" He bit his lip, but decided what the hell. "My god's realm has one, sort of. A river, and a v'aterfall, at least. I made a rope swing. And it doesn't have a crocodile in it. Or piranhas. Or leeches."
Well, he was lying about the leeches. But as long as you didn't mess with the rocks at the bottom of the water, you were fine.
He hesitated, but forged on. "I can get us there. I can, can ask, if it v'ould be okay."
He scratched at an ear. "If you v'ant to, I mean. Just for the day."
There was an ominous silence from his god - the kind where he knew Tezcatlipoca was listening.
Tezcatlipoca was mulling on this. Quinn - Quinn, he didn't care about. It was a failed endeavor, there. But letting any other godling into his realm admitted the gods as well.
He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to invite Quetzalcoatl.
On one hand: fun, hilarious harassment.
On the other hand: Nagging. So much nagging.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 9:21 pm
No.
"Actually, Vale, that sounds--"
Absolutely terrible.
"Wonderful, and if I could--"
Not a chance.
"I would love to!"
No you wouldn't.
"Mr. Q is cool with it, too."
You're a liar. Look at you, lying all over. You're like, I dunno, a basset hound, lying on that rug. What is your deal? Oh, I don't know, maybe that we're being invited to the realm of my biggest enemy, and you're accepting the invitation?! Geez, you don't have to sound so angry.
"So cool with it. You have no idea. He's pumped, I swear."
You're a liar, look at you, lying all over. You're like, I dunno, a basset hound, lying on that rug. You said that already. The answer is no.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 9:27 pm
The grin that split his face was impossibly wide, and he excitedly hugged Quinn back before his god even had a chance to open his mouth.
"Awesome! I v'ill get us some swim shorts, da?" He was sure he had a pair with strings on the front; even if they were too big for Quinn, it was better than being too small, and he could tighten the waistline plenty that way.
With that, he started digging through his dresser drawers, tossing out two pairs of swimshorts before darting over to the closet and rummaging through that. A pair of towels later and he deemed them ready.
You're forgetting something.
You know you're going to say yes, Valeriu countered seriously. It's a chance to harass that poor god every second that v'e're there. Of course you're going to say yes.
You've got a point. Shameless, that god was.
Returned with his objects, he eagerly held out a hand for Quinn.
"Come on. It is a bit disorienting, but v'e have to go through the shadows."
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 9:59 pm
Quinn nodded. "Yeah!" Quinn realized he really should be worried, but shrugged it off. It wasn't a big deal. He was going on a vacation. A small, day-long vacation with Vale. It would be a great time, and they would bond and be friends.
Quetzalcoatl had gotten incredibly silent. It was kind of ominous.
Quinn followed along behind Vale, and Canster made his first appearance. Quinn had almost forgotten that he was there, and the small shadow that had been masquerading as a ring grew into little eared canster, with his holes for eyes and mouth. He looked exceptionally excited. They were going to the shadows.
Quinn frowned. "The shadows?" He was uncomfortable with darkness. There was no light in darkness.
He felt stupid and obvious even thinking that sentence.
He swallowed.
"Okay. Let's do it." He reached his hand out, and grabbed Vale's. Canster wrapped around both of their hands in a chain, holding them together.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 10:05 pm
Valeriu didn't wait for a second affirmative, sinking through the shadows on the floor and pulling Quinn down with him, Canster wrapped firmly around his wrist and the clothes and towels held just as tightly in the other hand.
The in-between part was always very strange. That feeling of being there in spirit, but not in body; unable to see even if you thought you had your eyes open, unable to hear even if you swear you're screaming at the top of your lungs. Unable to feel even if you're holding onto someone else's hand - and he mentally re-affirmed the grip he had. They didn't have to be touching to transport Quinn through the shadows, but he'd rather not leave anything to chance all the same.
It took a little longer to get to the training world. It was a realm within his god's realm - a place inside and separated from that grey area with the skeletal throne. But he got them there, and pulled Quinn out onto the stone stairway leading down, down, down into the jungle and to the banks of the river, the temple rising up on their side.
"Here v'e are! Not so bad a trip," he declared, but he gave Quinn a minute to get re-acquainted with the ground.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 8:45 am
Quinn's eyes were huge, and his breathing was heavy and ragged.
That was awful, terrible, horrible, worst thing ever.
He couldn't stop gasping for air. He let Vale pull him down the staircase while he stumbled, but once they hit the end, he dropped to his knees. Canster unwound his chain, and turned into a little rag that soaked up some of the river's water, and came to set itself against Quinn's forehead.
"s**t," Quinn gasped, "that was really, really dark."
When he finally got steady, and some color came back to his face, he stood up.
"Gimme my swimsuit!"
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 10:57 am
He blinked at Quinn, confused, and patted his head while the boy gasped.
"You are afraid of the dark?" he asked, teasingly, crouching down. In reality, he was just trying to probe Quinn out of it - he knew how scary it could be. To not know whether or not you'd be stuck in that formless way forever. "Poor thing."
Quinn had it coming after the sock fiasco.
But he stood up sooner or later, and Valeriu handed the swimshorts and towel over, already kicking off his shoes and leaving them on the stairway. He didn't need shoes here - the rough pads of his feet gave him far more traction when climbing over a fallen, giant log, than did his sneakers. "This v'ay! Keep up, or the jaguars v'ill get you," he advised from atop the log, matter-of-factly, before hopping down to the other side.
"And don't touch anything that's bright." His voice called from the other side. "It's probably poisonous. Don't eat it, either. It's definitely poisonous."
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|