♱ ⌒ . 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒

@boysbite 
                                wow.   just,   …   wow.   [   the cowboy stepped forward,   inspecting the fallen door,   now without a knob.   said knob was also destroyed.   he looked over at them,   brows furrowed like he couldn’t believe what the hell he was seeing.   ]
               yeah,   you’re screwed.   how’d you even,   how?   you a fuckin’ superhero or somethin’?   

@bloodbarren,         it’s totally my fault—um.   [unsure if he should help or run,   raleigh is glued to where he stood.    one hand raised to rub at his unruly curls, while the other held tight to the broken doorknob within his grasp—splitting and bending from his too tight hold.  newborn strength,       was what the bourgeois called it  his new superpower he guessed]    i should..     i should put this back—[if a knobless door wasn’t enough,     the door itself finally succumbed to its       imbalance and fell with a loud thud. it makes him flinch,  and after a second of silence.    broad shoulders slump and his head dips forward]   oh, man..   mr bourgeois  gonna kill me  

@boysbite 
                                i don’t,   uh,   think i’ve seen anybody do that in quite a while.   

@bloodbarren,        real gloomy, with real gloomy people.      [eyes squint,]      got a real gloomy person in front of me too.

@6THEYES 
                                this place is not gloomy,   it’s just dark.   you get used to it after so long. 

@bloodbarren,       guess i’m still in need of a little more practice. is this your usual place to hang? seems gloomy.

// intrigued/downtime? :eyes:

@bloodbarren 
            
            / they should learn more about each other i fear.. like him finally learning jorge’s real name being jorge ..

&.    intrigued

*  nolan  doesn’t  know  how  to  handle  it.  any  of  it.  the  way  alden  speaks  to  him  like  he’s  worth  the  kindness,  the  way  he  stays  close  even  when  nolan  can  barely  keep  himself  together.  there’s  something  in  alden’s  voice  that  softens  the  edges  of  the  ache  he  carries,  and  nolan  just  doesn’t  know  what  to  do  with  it.  his  jaw  tenses,  head  shaking  once.  he  sniffles  quietly,  a  sound  he  barely  recognizes  as  his  own,  and  the  heat  behind  his  eyes  makes  it  worse.  how  pathetic  he  must  look,  this  towering,  brutal  thing  of  a  man,  reduced  to  silence  and  shame  under  the  gentleness  of  someone  who  should’ve  walked  away  by  now.  when  he  speaks,  it’s  hoarse,  nearly  swallowed  by  the  rawness  in  his  throat.  *  i  just  have  a  lot  of  regrets,  alden.

@vltrumitpwr 
                                       no—it ain’t stupid.   if it’s keepin’ you up at night,   i think it’s something we should talk about,   / you /   should talk about.   [   a moment passes,   sincerity finally finding its way into his voice.   usually,   he was so gruff,   so monotone.   but a certain vulnerability presented itself whenever he was with nolan.   ]   you can tell me what you   …. dreamt about.   maybe i can help,   just let me try.   

bad  dream.  *  he  finally  mumbled,  voice  quiet  and  rough  at  the  edges,  as  if  the  words  scraped  on  their  way  out.  it  felt  ridiculous  to  admit,  the  kind  of  thing  a  child  might  mutter  after  waking  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  not  someone  like  him.  someone  supposed  to  be  composed,  solid,  unshakable.  and  yet,  his  hands  still  trembled  faintly,  and  the  heat  of  embarrassment  bloomed  steadily  beneath  his  skin,  crawling  up  his  neck  and  settling  in  his  cheeks  because  he  knew  he  was  about  to  cry.  bad  dream"  didn’t  come  close  to  describing  what  had  clawed  its  way  through  his  sleep  and  left  him  rattled.  he  glanced  away,  shameful,  *  ‘s  stupid.  i’m  sorry.

i think - i think so ? it happened so fast -

@-loveliiest- 
                                    forget—forget lunch,   come on,   let’s get you back to the apartment.   are you okay otherwise?   it’s not too bad,   is it?   i’ll kill him. 

i don't - i - i was just walkin' - ! • kitty wasn't even working today - she was just on her way to meet alden for lunch when a client seemed to recognize her , and clearly wasn't happy she didnt acknowledge him •

@7s2live 
                            yes,   yeah,   that’d be a better way.   i’m not exactly,   uh,   good at this conversation thing.

two strangers,  trying to figure the other out.  we would have better luck just asking each other questions;  yes?

@7s2live 
                            …   sorry,   [   alden said,   making the choice to stop lurking around.   ]   not usually this rude,   i just,   didn’t exactly know how to respond to your presence. 

hardly,   huh?   [ deniz continues to stare at him from where she sits with her arm shaking lightly and her heart beating quickly.   his response didn’t help much to ease her fear;   she can’t help but feel entirely defenseless in this situation,   feel so /human/.    this scalpel—truth be told—will not do a thing against any vampire.   and yet,   she holds onto it like her life depends on it. ]    is that all that you eat?   ..  do you—   do you eat people?

@lacrymosas 
                                      i hardly lied.   i do eat animals,   just not the way you might think.   not most of the time,   anyways.   

how much of what you told me was real?   and how much of it was a lie?

@bloodbarren 
            
                 it’s not like i have chloroform just hanging out in my supplies, al. it’s an all natural aid for sleep. i don’t know if it will work or not, so i have a back up just in case.  [ lowe smiled as she settled into her chair across from the couch. she was wrapped in a knitted shawl, fuzzy slippers on her feet. it was chilly most mornings for her. ]  oh goodness. if you’re worried i’ll take it with you.  

@act_two 
                               you want me to drink something.   from here.   [   skeptically,   alden took the vial slowly and examined it closely.   there was a period of time where he wouldn’t think twice about what went into his body,   no longer human.   but now,   he didn’t want to find out one day what might actually cause damage.   ]   i mean,   okay.   what’s,   uhh,   in it? 

@bloodbarren 
            
                 alright. let me see what i have.  [ lowe left the room to look through her various items. for someone like alden who hadn’t slept in days she decided he would need something a little stronger than what she’d typically recommend. when she returned she was opening a vial. ]  take this. it’s flavorless but it should help. i would stay still and let it work, you may just end up sleeping right there. 

@vengeant 
                                  it’s okay.   you didn’t—you didn’t mean it.   [   it was devastating,   really,   how something most deemed as small—merely a noise—could have such a powerful impact,   how it could hinder life so completely.   however,   with each sentence that is spoken to him,   alden’s worry lessens,   instead making room for understanding and a surge of protectiveness.   ]   of course.   i’ll stay,   i’ll give you whatever you need.   anything.
               [   his tone was one of promise,   it was in the way his grip tightened just slightly on his knees,   blue jeans tarnished with dirt that’d been kicked at him.   he’d stay there until unagi permitted him to come closer,   or if he went to him.   he’d be his very own last centurion,   if need be.   
               his frown is less of a frown now,   instead a template,   waiting to be changed even if there are undertones of worry.   al thought that he might as well keep him talking,   ask him questions.   ]   what’re you reading now? 

he shifted backwards until his back met the beds headboard. sheets gathered up around him as he bundled himself into a protective cocoon.      "yeah. i didn't mean to freak out on you,"      he started, breath shaky, eyes downcast to the mattress. shame made the tips of ears droop.      "i heard a drill when i was reading, and it sounded a lot like—"      a small hiccup interrupted him,      "the one they used."      anxiously, the shifter bit and kneaded bottom lip between teeth. one hand hovered over the lid of an eye. unagi shook his head, feeling memories crawl uncomfortably as he regressed. immediately, he focused on alden again. the familiar curve of jaw, kind eyes, stubble felt against skin during every kiss. he watched as alden removed hat, then boots, remembering the guy had just gotten home amidst his episode.      "yes, please. just talk to me. don't leave. don't leave, alden. stay there and don't leave."

@vengeant 
                                  of course.   [   he replied quietly,   chest swelling up with gratitude that nagi was finally able to talk to him again.   al watched him as he stood,   simply making sure that he wasn’t going to fall,   or anything else.   
               the water,   which he’d just delivered the moment prior,   was now gone,   and he had another reason to worry.   he didn’t mention it,   instead listening intently as unagi spoke to him about what happened.   every moment he spent away from him,   he felt irresponsible,   as if neglecting a duty bestowed upon him since the first day he’d given him spare scraps.   periodically he reminded himself this was best.   he’d come back to him in due time.   ]
               they were horrible.   [   alden mumbled.   every horrible thing that happened to them while they were still living still wouldn’t be enough,   still wouldn’t—at least,   in his opinion—suffice for the torment each of them partook in. 
               al had been in such a rush to find nagi,   he realized,   that he hadn’t taken off his hat.   he sets it to the side,   his boots next to it.   ]   will you be okay if i stay here?