FIN [B] Power Play [Diesel/Calaverite]

[Indigo_Plateau]

”I can’t believe I’ve never checked out your room before,” Diesel hummed as he waited for Calaverite to let him into the space. Not because he thought the other senshi was eager to have him over, or anything, but because it must be super bizarre to live in Negaspace, and Diesel couldn’t help but think he should’ve inquired sooner just to try and see what the situation was. Both from the ’what’s it like’ perspective, and the ’why’ perspective. Most agents and corrupts didn’t live in Negaspace, after all…

They’d made their escape from the after-the-ambush celebrations, with Diesel managing to pilfer a bottle of champagne from the festivities. Most of the squad had wandered off to tend to injuries or further assess the whole situation, but Diesel was in a good mood and didn’t really want to call it quits just yet.

And since he wasn’t quite at the level of ability to take anyone with him if he wanted to ditch Negaspace, seemed like he’d have to hang around if he wanted to keep Cala’s company. And why shouldn’t he? The other boy was in a good mood after the battle too. They hadn’t been hurt. They should enjoy it.

“So, whatcha thinking we should do? Put a movie on and have a snack? Have a drink?” He swung the bottle of champagne up to indicate it before it fell back to his side. “Listen to music and play some cards? I can probably go grab whatever you want real quick. Still feels like I have energy to burn.” All that chaos in the air… he was still pretty keyed up. He’d probably have to go home eventually, or at least power down to let his parents know he was fine and just hanging out with friends.

Mama could be a real nag if she was out of the loop, but neither of his parents were exactly surprised when Ellian was out longer than he ought to be.  

[EchosSweet]

Calaverite pouted as he trudged down the hallway of the barracks toward his assigned quarters. He’d wanted to go with Rakovanite. Rakovanite was his favorite, and it was very personally upsetting that all the other boys got to go with their general while Cala had to stay in Negaspace and play with Cervantite. He scuffed the toe of his boot against the bottom of his door as he rummaged through his space pocket for his key.

“That’s because it’s mine, and I don’t really want to share it with you,” he retorted in a grumble, as he cast a narrow eyed glower over his shoulder in Cervantite’s direction. The was the first space that was ever completely his, and Cala was absolutely not keen on sharing it with anyone else, however fleetingly.

…But his general had said to ’go back with Cervantite,’ or something very similar. Cala would do it because Rakovanite had said so, but he was still mad about it.

He knocked open the door with his toe, revealing a cramped little space large enough for his twin bed and a small nightstand equipped with a lamp, a shelf affixed to the wall over the long side of the bed, with a coffin’s worth of floor space between bed and door, and little else. It wasn’t a messy space, despite Calaverite’s typically unkept demeanor. Most of his personal items consisted of a small myriad of lego sets on the shelf, but he otherwise didn’t feel compelled to keep many personal belongings. He could always steal whatever he wanted, later.

He stepped to the side to allow Cervantite to enter, but he was glaring the entire time.

It was only at the offer of activities that Cala’s expression marginally eased. “What kind of movie?” He asked warily. “What kind of music? What kind of cards?” He did like games. He liked to win games. He knew Cervantite liked to win games too. He’d won the last game they played, a memory that made Cala itch to do something about it, like claw at Cervantite’s eyes or drag him around by his bright, pretty hair.  

[Indigo_Plateau]

If Diesel had wondered what it was like to stay here, he probably shouldn’t have been expecting, like, a penthouse suite or anything, given that it was basically free housing, wasn’t it? But since all the half youma had to live here, and he was pretty sure a lot of the more highly-ranked agents hung out excessively in Negaspace, maybe Diesel had thought it would be more like a little apartment, rather than a cupboard-under-the-stairs.

But maybe Cala just wasn’t good enough, yet, for anything else.

And having a personal cupboard was still better than something like living in a dorm, where you’d share a room with six strangers, or whatever the situation was. Calaverite must’ve liked it a little, if he was being such a p***k about ‘sharing’ it; wasn’t like Diesel was here to take anything. “Fine, whatever, don’t need to stay if you’re gonna be an a** about having people over.” He’d just thought they could do something together in celebration.

But not with that ******** attitude. Diesel was well and ready to turn tail and leave. Ever since he’d been granted this whole teleporting ability, the world was basically his oyster. He didn’t need to hang around in places he wasn’t wanted, and if Cala would rather be alone, that was fine by Diesel.

Still, it only took the hedge of a wary question for Diesel to pause in his departure and turn a dazzling grin Cala’s way. Inquiries were practically invitations. Brat would come around with enough prompting. Most people did. “Whatever you want, I guess? Like Tomorrow War or Shazam! or Kingsman or something. Have you seen any of those? It looks like I’d have to bring, like, my entire TV and Playstation from home, though… That’s kind of a pain.” Especially since he’d probably only be able to make one trip. Diesel wasn’t adept at the whole teleporting thing, yet…

“Maybe we should save the movie for another time, and I can just go grab snacks and cards? We could play Speed or War or Kings in the Corner. Two people can play those games. And my iPod for music.”  

[EchosSweet]

He’d never seen those movies. Hadn’t even heard of them. Calaverite didn’t get to watch much tv or use the internet very often, given that he was here for much of his time. When he was in the city it was just to drain energy or gather starseeds or steal entertainment or chase animals or play in the park. He’d never been that into movies, since they were mostly just people talking forever. So his expression was quizzical and a little doubtful at Cervantite’s suggestions.

Cala made a dismissive tsk of sound as he flounced backward onto his bed. He was mostly interested in the cards, and maybe the snacks, if Cervantite knew what to bring him. “I don’t like to watch movies. That’s boring.”

It might have been nice to still have a tv and a playstation, though… He really liked the insinuation that Cervantite would bring those things here. Next time, he promised himself. Or he could just grab one from the store next time he went. Those stupid cases probably weren’t even that hard for Calaverite to break into. For now, the cards were more important.

He wanted to beat Cervantite.

“I don’t know those games, either. Will you teach me how to play?” He only knew the games the other kids had known from when he’d lived at the halfway house. Go Fish and Old Maid and Slap Jack. Things little kids could play. It felt like it had been a really long time ago… Most of it was kind of foggy. He must’ve played, if he remembered the names, but wasn’t sure who he’d actually played with…

It probably wasn’t important. Cervantite would play new games with him now, and Cala would win because he didn’t want to lose again to the same person. Cervantite had even taken something from him, that time…

So he’d have to come up with something of value to take when he won this time.  

[Indigo_Plateau]

Good, perfect. They had a plan.

Later Diesel would wonder what kind of person didn’t like movies and didn’t know how to play basic card games, but for now the most important thing was they knew what they were doing. “I can show you, yeah. They’re pretty easy. I’ll have to go and, like, get them, though.” He said. Teleport home to grab chips and drinks and a deck and then pop back in. After that whole Halloween nightmare thing, you’d think Diesel would keep some form of entertainment on him.

But he’d been kind of carded out after that whole fiasco. How poorly would Calaverite have taken something like that?

“I’ll try and only be gone twenty minutes or so. I can’t teleport right into my house in case my mom sees me, or something, so it’ll take me a few minutes to get in and gather all the s**t and get out. Maybe we’ve got a frozen pizza I can make real quick, too. Not sure. I’ll hafta look.” He set the bottle of champagne he was still carrying between his fingers on Cala’s nightstand. No reason to go in with baggage. “I’ll be back, okay? So don’t, like, go anywhere.”

Without more warning, he flicked away, landing at the edge of the little pond nestled in a little grove of trees out behind the houses in their neighborhood. It was pretty late, so he didn’t figure anyone would be around, and it was just a brisk jog to get from here and up the hill to his house.

Ellian slunk in through the back door, notched his shoes off out of habit and headed for the kitchen- thought better of it and doubled back to grab a bag from his room. He stuffed in a couple decks of cards, raided his mini fridge for small cans of cherry Coke and packs of cheese and crackers. Back in the kitchen, he grabbed a bag of Doritos, spent a few minutes to pop up a couple bags of popcorn, microwaved a container of mini weenies and spent another handful of minutes scavenging for anything else that seemed like a good snack. Crackers, popcorn, chips, weenies, and drinks seemed like plenty for a couple hours, though. It wasn’t like they were doped on weed or anything- though maybe Cala should be. Something to think on for next time.

No one bothered him, and after getting everything all packed and jogging back down to the pond, Diesel was back on the scene and teleporting back to the barracks and Calaverite’s room. The whole affair had taken him about half an hour, give or take a few minutes.  

[EchosSweet]

Go anywhere? Calaverite didn’t even try to hide the animated roll of his eyes or the scoff of a sound he made. Where was he going to go? This was his room. It was where he stayed when he didn’t have anything better to do. Cervantite should be so lucky as to be allowed in. It was just annoying that Cala would have to wait for him for some undetermined amount of time. “Whatever,” he said by way of acknowledgement as Cervantite teleported away.

It wasn’t often that he was left alone in his room with nothing to do. Realistically, he didn’t spend much time here, just when he was sleeping or assembling Lego sets. He didn’t mind wandering Negaspace when he was bored, and he did enjoy being in the city, when his general brought him.

But there was something about waiting that made his skin crawl, and Cala was subsequently furious that it could do such a thing. This was his room, his space. He shouldn’t be made to feel uncomfortable in his own domain. He shouldn’t be made to wait. That wasn’t fair. That wasn’t right. How dare Cervantite leave and make him feel this way. They could’ve gone together. It was the least the other senshi could do. It wasn’t like Cala was hard to teleport, or anything.

He fumed. He contemplated leaving just so Cervantite would have to go looking for him. If it wasn’t for the promise of that game he had to win and maybe pizza, Cala would have gone anywhere else.

But he kept it together. He held it in and tugged down one of his Lego sets to fiddle with. Maybe a block tower needed to be reattached. Or maybe someone’s head was on the wrong body. Or maybe a brick was out of place. A color could be wrong somewhere, and he hadn’t noticed during the first assemblage. He picked the flat tile rooves off the buildings, turned them to face the other way and reapplied them.

Then he waited.

And waited and waited.

He hated waiting.

Was Cervantite ever coming back, or had he just said he was going to? It wouldn’t have been the first time someone forgot about him, and if that was the case, then it wouldn’t be the first time Cala made someone regret forgetting about him, either.

Cervantite reappeared with a bag slung over his shoulder, and Cala wasted absolutely no time in springing up from the floor with a high-pitched battle cry, catching the other boy by the hair, and yanking viciously with his entire weight to drag Cervantite to the ground. “You took so ******** long!” He seethed. “I waited and waited and was so bored.” He shook the fistful of hair he’d claimed and something in him thought this isn’t good enough. And if he was going to punish Cervantite’s tardiness, it should be a real punishment. Like, don’t ******** leave if you’re not going to hurry up and come back. So he lunged to bite at the other boy’s face, nails releasing hair to rake and batter at his neck.  

[Indigo_Plateau]

what the ******** had barely landed in the room, hardly even had a chance to catch sight of where Calaverite had been playing with his toys on the floor before the other boy was screaming and clawing and biting and dragging on him- for what? Diesel had no idea.

Claws sank into his hair. Diesel yipped as he was yanked, and he immediately lost his footing to crash both of them into the ground. Cala’s nails were finding purchase wherever they could, and there were suddenly teeth, and Diesel found himself screaming and shouting in a tempo that matched Calaverite’s because he didn’t know what was happening, besides that he was being assaulted, and Cala was mad at him for- Cala was mad. Diesel understood that much within a few seconds.

The other senshi yanked his hair and rattled him. Mad at him for taking a few minutes to gather some stuff for them to do?

Diesel shouted a warning of, “Back off, stupid c**t!” And when it took more than a millisecond for Calaverite to heed it, Diesel curled his fist and crunched it into the side of the other boy’s head. Again. And again. Until he could grab Calaverite by the shoulders and bodily throw the other boy away from him, dislodging them from each other, though hardly putting much space between them. It was a pretty small room.

He scrabbled backwards, slinging the heavy bag off his shoulder and hurling it at Cala. “What the <********>, man?” He spat, as he touched a delicate hand to his neck, where Cala’s nails had left stinging and- bloody welts.

They’d already had one fight tonight, how could Calaverite possibly throw himself into another one for no reason? “What are you doing?” He snapped. “Why’d you jump me? I wasn’t even gone that long! What? You want me to leave?” He had said he didn’t want to share his room with Diesel. But then he’d agreed to the cards! Kinda stupid bullshit was this? “******** brat. Hope you have a goddamn good night alone.”

Because Diesel wasn’t going to just hang around with someone who’d snap at him every second over nothing. He moved to leave.  

[EchosSweet]

He’d made him wait.

He’d made him wait, and Calaverite had been uncomfortable in his own room, and that was unacceptable. So he’d done something about it. Cervantite should at least know he was mad. When you knew people were mad, that meant you were less likely to do the same thing, later.

Calaverite hadn’t been quite as prepared for Cervantite’s retaliation. Shouting that rivaled his own, and a scattering of punches clocked directly to his head. The first was enough to dislodge his teeth from Cervantite’s cheek and left Cala briefly confused to what he was doing. The second sent a reverberating echo of pain through his temple and down his jaw toward his spine. The third made him stop, still, hazy darkness that fluttered across his eyes as he fell away from Cervantite.

The blackout was fleeting, the disorientation less so. Calaverite was flat on the ground when everything started coming back into focus. Cervantite’s bag was on the floor between them, and the other boy had backed away to stand against a wall.

Besides the deep, throbby sensation in his head, Cervantite hadn’t actually done anything to him. That pain would go away. It was worth it to make sure the other senshi knew he’d done something wrong. And now that it was over, they should resume normal activities. That card game Cervantite had said they’d play. And the snacks. That was how it was supposed to be. After a punishment, you couldn’t still be mad. Someone had said that once to him. Cala didn’t remember who.

But he was still a little loose on the details of what were happening around him. He knew Cervantite was spitting something, but- “Alone?” Calaverite echoed. His tone had lightened, and ruby eyes turned to find Cervantite. “I thought we were going to play cards? I had to hurt you because you made me uncomfortable, but we’re done with that now, so we can still play. You don’t have to leave.”

When Cervantite headed for the door, Cala sprung at him again, this time with both arms coiling around the other’s arm to try and drag him back. “Don’t lie to me! You said we’d play a game and listen to music!”  

[Indigo_Plateau]

”What?”

Was he crazy? Was he actually crazy? Did Cala really think Diesel was just going to hang around after being assaulted? They’d met a few times powered before, enough for Diesel to suspect that the cackling and erratic behavior was because of a few loose screws, but he hadn’t quite realized how <******** insane Calaverite was, if he thought Diesel was just going to stay and play a card game like nothing had happened after Cala drew blood on him for practically no reason.

Besides that Diesel had ’made him uncomfortable’ somehow. Telling people that you ’had to hurt them’ was what psychopaths did, right? Right?

“Uh, no?” Diesel retorted incredulously as he flapped his arm to try and free himself of Calaverite’s grasp. “I wanted to play a game and chill out after all the s**t we just went through, but dude, you bit me! There’s, like, no ******** way I’m going to sit down and play cards with you after you bit my face.” He was pretty sure the only reason he’d been introduced to Calaverite at all was so that he could basically be a babysitter for an unmanageable senshi, but he was about to relieve himself of that role right the ******** now!

Even Diesel, with all of his own selfish behaviors knew better than to try and claw out someone’s throat and then lounge around in their room with them. “You can’t attack people and expect them to want to stay with you! Everyone knows that!”

If he hadn’t just stupidly teleported twice, he’d already be out of there. But even with all the Chaos in Negaspace, he still needed a bit of a cooldown before he could jump out the door, again. And if Cala didn’t quit hanging off him, they were gonna come to blows again, for sure.

Everything could’ve been fine. Diesel had even thought everything would’ve been fine. Then this idiot had to spring the whole ’I had to hurt you’ bit on him.

Nothing had ever made Diesel want to get the ******** away from someone so badly.  

[EchosSweet]

Calaverite whimpered as he clung to the taller boy with increasing viciousness.

There was, apparently, a lot of misinformation flying around. He’d been told that sometimes you had to hurt people. That was how you got them to behave. It was okay to punish someone when they were doing something wrong, and afterwards, they would realize their mistakes and not be too upset. The tradeoff was that whoever was doing the punishing couldn’t still be mad, afterwards, either. Once everyone was even, no one should be mad.

He thought he was even with Cervantite. Mostly even, at least. They weren’t really, since the other senshi had retaliated by punching him during the punishment, but Cala wasn’t bleeding, and Cervantite was, so even enough, he thought.

So why was Cervantite still mad? He shouldn’t be mad, he shouldn’t be! He’d been in the wrong, and it wasn’t fair for him to say he was going to do something with Cala and then not.

“I had to!” Cala yipped, bony fingers bunching and clawing at the tight fabric of Cervantite’s jumper as he tried to hold him in place. “You made me wait, and I didn’t like it! I only bit you once; that’s fair! I didn’t attack you!” That made it sound unwarranted, which it wasn’t! “I just bit you once so you’d know I was upset. How else would you figure it out? People are stupid. I have to make sure you get it!”

How could everyone know something if Cala didn’t know it? He’d sat down and played games and talked with people and went on assignments with people who’d hit him before. He didn’t get mad like Cervantite did! Cervantite was such a baby. The bite wasn’t even where he was bleeding from.

“C’mon, just get over it, okay? I have to beat you at cards since you took my wisp last time, and I don’t want to lose again. You said you’d teach me, and you said you’d bring pizza and we’d have drinks.”  

[Indigo_Plateau]

He couldn’t even properly fathom what he was hearing, couldn’t understand how someone could believe the things Calaverite was saying. Diesel had had spats with his friends before. Sometimes punches were thrown, sometimes just insults. Sometimes it happened that he wasn’t really friends with those people anymore, depending on what happened after. The best ones didn’t usually start with his friends trying to rip all his hair out after he popped out for half an hour.

It was usually over something someone said about a girl or a dink in a car or maybe he’d been jipped on an alcohol purchase. He understood those things. Diesel didn’t really understand Cala. Didn’t understand the match-quick flick of trying to bite his face off to clinging to him and begging him to stay.

Diesel especially hated that he almost couldn’t be mad when someone was as desperate for him as Cala was, to be whining and pleading. But his neck stung from the scratches. His cheek stung from the bite.

He rolled his shoulders, shoved Calaverite’s chest and yanked his arm back to himself, out of the other boy’s hold. “You didn’t have to,” he snapped back. “And you shouldn’t have scratched me. Whatever the ******** is wrong with you, you can just say so, but regardless of how uncomfortable you were having to wait, that doesn’t change the fact that we wouldn’t have any snacks or drinks or games if I hadn’t left you, so you better apologize or I’m absolutely leaving, and I’m taking my s**t with me.”

Whoever had told Cala this was how things were (not Rakovanite, surely? But Diesel wouldn’t be surprised if it was someone in the Negaverse’s doing) needed to get their s**t straight. Tolerating this once was already asking a lot, and the only reason Diesel was considering it was because…

Well, he obviously wanted someone to want him so badly, even if it was someone delusional like Calaverite. But someone here was going to realize they’d behaved inappropriately, and it sure as s**t wasn’t going to be Diesel. Whatever punches he’d thrown had been basic self-defense. Cala was just being a ******** moron.  

[EchosSweet]

“I have to apologize?” Calaverite hissed back, turning wide and wild accusing eyes in Cervantite’s direction. He’d only done what he was supposed to. How could Cervantite not understand that? This seemed mean. It was mean of the other boy to expect Cala to apologize when Cervantite had done wrong. A lot of wrong, as far as Cala was concerned. Leaving him, and punching him, and then still being mad.

He jutted his lip out in a pout and stood resolutely silent as they stared at each other.

Stubbornness dictated that he not be the one to give ground on this. How would Cervantite learn? But was that more important than cards and snacks? Cala’s gaze broke from Cervantite’s long enough to flick down to the bag between them and then back up. They were going to do an activity together… Cervantite could teleport away if he wanted to. And Cala couldn’t stop him. He could complain to Rakovanite later, but that wouldn’t do anything now.

If Cervantite left, he wouldn’t have cards or drinks or snacks, and he would be alone. And he was sure everyone was way too busy for him in the aftermath of the earlier battle.

He chewed his cheek, swished his lips to the side, glared down at the bag of stuff, and then at Cervantite. It felt like bile to apologize when he hadn’t done anything, but he had to, to keep Cervantite from leaving. It was the least sincere thing he could manage while glowering in the other senshi’s direction, “Sorry,” Cala spat briskly.  

[Indigo_Plateau]

Was that good enough for him, Diesel wondered? It didn’t really sound like an apology, and Calaverite definitely looked more annoyed than remorseful. Was it enough to just have him verbally acknowledge he was in the wrong, even if he didn’t believe it? Diesel wasn’t sure, and there was a huge temptation to say so. Not good enough, do it better. Probably wouldn’t get him anywhere positive, though.

But he thought he preferred the clingy and whiny Cala that seemed to know he was about to not get his way, rather than the angry, spiteful Cala that Diesel was sure would be trying to get back at him later. Like, probably during this game. Seemed like that’d ruin the mood a little.

If he wasn’t starting to believe that Calaverite was well and truly insane, Diesel probably would’ve left. As it was, he thought this was probably as much sincerity as the boy was capable of.

“Fine,” he grumbled noncomitally. Were they friends? Was this how that was supposed to work? Cala backed down enough to spit an apology at him, and Diesel just accepted it because he wanted someone to want him to be around? He wanted a friend he could lounge around and drink and play cards with. Preferably who wouldn’t attack him, but could he get over it if it was infrequent enough, or if he excused away Cala’s behavior because he was not well?

Time would tell.

After a beat of just watching the other boy to see if anything else would come of it (because there had to be a nonzero chance that Calaverite lunged for him again), Diesel allowed himself to sink to the ground, still watching warily, and moved to collect his bag. Once it was in his hand, he turned his focus there and pulled out all the snacks- the two bags of popcorn, the chips, the container of reheated weenies, a block of cheese and crackers, and the six pack of mini sodas. And the bottle off Cala’s nightstand in the mix, as well. Though maybe they shouldn’t drink. He wasn’t sure it was worth it, anymore.

No pizza, either. He wondered if they were gonna scuffle about that too.

He pulled the cards out, flicked open the packaging, and taped the deck out into his hand. “Well, what do you want to play, then? Did anything sound good?” It was as much of an invitation as he could make, though Diesel didn’t quite manage to make it sound welcoming.  

[EchosSweet]

Calaverite let out a soft ”Hmph!” at the curt way Cervantite let the conversation drop. It hadn’t gone any way how he’d wanted it to! Cervantite was supposed to realize he’d done wrong! He was supposed to be the apologetic one, and then he had the complete indecency to not even be satisfied that Cala had relented! Like, whatever, it was done now, but Cala would have to take very special care of Cervantite in the future. He was obviously super delicate.

He flounced to the ground across from the other boy, flinging his hair out behind him so that he wouldn’t sit on it and adjusting the ends of his fuku so it was tucked to his side while he sat cross-legged. Cala did grumble about the missing pizza- since Cervantite had expressly mentioned pizza before, but he didn’t push the topic, and instead reached for a bag of popcorn and a can of cherry Coke.

Okay. They were going to play the game now and could put all of this behind them. That was what happened, right? After an apology, everyone was supposed to be fine.

So he decided to dismiss Cervantite’s bad attitude.

“I don’t know how to play any of them. You have to show me. Which one is most fun? Or which one is easiest- No, which one are you worst at? I have to beat you.” He didn’t even remember any of Cervantite’s suggestions from earlier. Nothing he’d ever heard of. But if they were going to play together, they at least had to be friendly for now. Just until Cala learned the game. Once he could win, he didn’t have to pretend to be nice, anymore.

He scooched nearer, so that he could better see the cards as Cervantite tapped them out, and he leaned such to rest his head on the other boy’s shoulder.  

[Indigo_Plateau]

So that’s how it was gonna be, huh?

They were just going to pretend like Diesel wasn’t bleeding from his neck and there was absolutely no chance Cala might be suffering a concussion. Whatever altercation they’d just had didn’t happen, was that it? Cala leaned against him to read the cards, and Diesel didn’t shove him away, so…? That was just it?

He could let that be the case. At some point they’d have to talk about what the <********> was happening inside Cala’s head that he thought it was okay to assault his allies. Who’d taught him that? Why was he so- so much the way he was?

But that was deep. Maybe too deep for Diesel to ever parcel out, let alone right after all the havoc they’d already endured that night. There were aliens and s**t running around- like actual beings from some other world, and no one had hardly even batted an eye at that. He guessed maybe some of the Negaverse had known about that species in particular, and maybe everyone else had sort of guessed weird s**t was out there, just given where White Moon power came from, but it was still… It was still so much for Diesel to try and think about.

He didn’t want to add whatever the hell was wrong with Cala to the list of things he was worried about right now at this second. So they could play cards. They could play cards and pretend they were friends and spend a couple hours together. Then Diesel could go home, to his perfectly normal and oblivious parents, take a shower, go to bed, and…. get up for school, like any normal eighteen-year-old should do.

Half an hour ago, he felt like he’d had energy to burn. Now he was suddenly exhausted.

He sighed, flipped absently through the deck and said, “Kings in the Corner, then. If you don’t like it, we’ll try something else. But this one’s pretty easy. C’mon, go to your side. I have to deal out all the cards, like this…”