ArchivedLogs:Unusual

Unusual
Dramatis Personae Micah, Sebastian, Shane, Spencer
In Absentia	2014-01-07 '
Location <NYC> 303 {Lighthaus} - Village Lofts - East Village
This apartment is cheerful, in its way -- bright and airy, its floor plan open and a plethora of windows providing it with an abundance of light. The tiny entrance hall opens into a living room, small, though its sparse furniture and lack of clutter give it a more open feel. The decor is subdued and minimalist; black and white is the dominant theme, with occasional splashes of deep crimson to offset the monochrome, though of late myriad bright-coloured dragonflies swarm across the living room wall. The couch and armchair are upholstered in black corduroy, the low wide coffee table central is black wood and glass-topped, and a few large pillowy beanbags provide additional seating by the large windows that dominate the back wall. The living room and kitchen both hold a rather inordinate number of lamps in addition to the ceiling lights; standing lamps, small lamps on each counter, large sunlights in the corner. More often than not, they're largely all turned on, too. Towards the back, a couple of doors lead off into bedrooms and bathroom, and to the right, the kitchen's tile is separated from the living room's dark hardwood floors by black countertops. Above the bedroom to one side, there is higher space; a ladder climbs up to a lofted area looking down on the living room. Standing in front of the partition between living and cooking area is a large fish tank: one lone Betta, blood-red, swims regally among several species of black and silver fish. A hallway beyond the kitchen leads further into the apartment. Another bathroom stands just into the hall and the farthest door leads to the apartment's final bedroom, the door usually kept shut to hold in the acrid fumes of turpentine and paints from within. It's quiet, in the house, today, though it's past time for Spencer to be home from school. And perhaps he is, but his door is closed and without noise coming from behind it, it's hard to tell. Sebastian /had/ been at work but having agreed to pick Spencer /up/ from school means he's been home early. He's curled up in a beanbag with his laptop on the floor nearby, in cargo pants and no shirt. There's a sleepless-shadowed dark around his eyes, a chafing-cracking dryness to his skin. His laptop has a device plugged into it, black and round that at first looks like a very large trackball mouse; rather than mouse, though, the thing is /projecting/, holographic images into the air. A keyboard that B is currently ignoring, a window full of lines of code, a slowly rotating image of a Stark electric car that is /also/ being ignored. Most of it's being ignored, really; Bastian is just staring blankly at the code without actually /working/ on it. Micah is just arriving home from work, a rattle of keys and opening and closing of door easily betraying his presence. He spends quite some time peeling out of layers, consigning coat and hat and scarf to the closet, leaving boots at the door. He squirms his fingers out of a double layer of gloves, leaving the striped set in his coat pockets but returning his minty green fingerless gloves with Wishbear tummy patterns on their backs to his hands in attempt to warm them faster. He watches 'Bastian work through most of this process. "Hey, hon. Gettin' pretty sci-fi over there. Whatcha workin' on?" He asks, peering curiously as he approaches. Sebastian doesn't look up at Micah's entry, though his nose does twitch, a greater relaxation coming to his posture upon familiar identification. "I know. Pretty neat, isn't it? These things aren't /entirely/ on the market yet but you can still play with them at the Tower. /Or/ if you work in R&D and need to take your work home sometimes. C'mere." He beckons Micah closer. "It gets cooler, let me show you." He swats at the window of code, minimizing it. "My team's helping with parts of development of the automation for the new line of electric vehicles. Robot -- cars. I mean you've seen Ryan's, right, they're already pretty neat but they'll be fully self-driving --" His cheeks flush dark. "... theoretically. How was -- your day?" "/Incredibly/ neat," Micah corrects as he settles up against 'Bastian in the beanbag, eyeing the images with extreme interest. "I know /plenty/ of people who'd be all over the self-drivin' cars. 'Specially if y'can get the things t'the point of full automation. Y'all thought about makin' any with wheelchair-accessible driver's sides? Control all the doors an' lifts remotely?" For a moment Bastian is derailed from work, nestling up against Micah's side instead with a softly happy hum. There's a soft rasp of sandpaper-dry skin against cloth as he nuzzles his cheek in against Micah's shoulder, gills slowly shifting open and closed as his eyes press shut. "Mmm -- oh. Ohyeah." He opens his eyes again abruptly to turn back to the display, reaching out to /pluck/ the car out of the air. A quick expanding motion of his hands blows it /up/ to full size, leaving them tucked somewhere in the middle of a holographic model roadster. "See --" He scoops the display panel out of place, bringing in to drop it into Micah's lap. "This interface makes it kind of /super/ easy to explore all the different parts of what -- well, maybe you'd be more interested in what's under the hood," he muses. "And full automation is the goal." He tips his head up to Micah thoughtfully. "I'm really just working on pieces of the automation, my team hasn't had a whole lot of input into the -- overall design but I could bring that up. I definitely don't think anyone'd be /against/ making it more accessible -- though I don't," he admits with a blush and a guilty look down at his knees, "really have a whole lot of idea of what features would really be useful that way." Micah's hands are drawn reflexively to 'Bastian's gills as they shift, petting them down. They only move when there is suddenly Shiny New Toy deposited in his lap to fiddle with. "Oh/neat/." He pokes and plucks at the hologram kind of /randomly/ at first, just playing with it before bothering to use it for its intended purpose. "I'm int'rested in /all/ of it. Just might not...get the real computery bits as much without a lot of explainin'." Pluck-pull-resize. "Hee!" He clears his throat, remembering that there is also a /conversation/ going on. "Oh, that's what consultants in the field are for. Ain't like y'expect people whose specialty is makin' robots or makin' computers or makin' cars t'know what t'do with adaptin' equipment." Sebastian's eyes squeeze closed again, slow and contented as his gills press downwards. "Your fingers are /cold/," he accuses, though it's with a small giggle and no pulling away. "Mmm, well, /that/ part's just like. What the display's actually going to be like in the car so it's not too computer. You can -- like -- change the radio or turn on the GPS or. Watch the car monitoring itself. But you /can/ peel the image open and just keep breaking it down more and more into its component parts which is kind of my favourite part like. /Crack/ a car open to find the code inside, it's like a /prize/. And this interface works for almost everything on the computer I mean, do you know how satisfying it feels to /crumple/ up junk mail and throw it in the trash?" His eyes are still closed with all of this, his arm tentatively sneaking around Micah's back for a quick squeeze of hug. "I can bring it up. If you know anyone --" His nose crinkles up in a small tiny smile, eyes opening to peek up at Micah, "-- who's extra-special good at adaptive equipment /and/ cars, they could come talk to us." "Hmm...I knew there was a reason I kept other people around the house..." Micah's hands move back, this time to 'Bastian's sides instead of just his neck, still petting at his gills but with fingers splayed /wide/ to steal body heat in the meantime. The cold-assault only lasts for a few minutes before he's back to playing with the projection, opening things and peering at them. "This is awesome." He blushes with sudden realisation at 'Bastian's comment. "Oh, oh right." He leans over to peck a kiss at 'Bastian's temple. "Mmn, thank you. I needed this. Had my first patient's family actually slam the door in my face when I got there today. Wasn't... I'd had some people /cancel/ with no plans t'reschedule, but this was dif'rent." Sebastian squeaks, twitching slightly at the cold-fingers against sensitive gills, but another giggle follows this as he settles into the touch. "I'm such a terrible heatrock," he not-really-protests, "you should do this to Spence he's way warmer than us." Though the twins are still way warmer than the /freezing cold/ outside, so there is at least that. His head tips back against the beanbag, watching Micah play with the car. "Oh --" His nose scrunches up, and he drops his head lightly against Micah's shoulder. "That's -- really uncool, I'm {sorry}." His arm squeezes a little closer around Micah's waist, eyes shifting towards Spencer's room. "I guess a lot of people aren't having a good day -- um." His brow wrinkles inward. "Would you like tea or -- I could do dinner. Um, by which I mean order dinner. From a restaurant. That cooks better than I do. Though Daiki's helping me get a /little/ better. And then we could eat Chinese food and watch TV." "You are /excellent/. Grade A heat. For stealin'." Micah giggles right back. "Spence had a rough day again? What happened this time?" His brow furrows, a small frown tugging down at his lips. "I talked to 'is teacher this mornin'. Might need t'sit down with the administration if it's getting' /worse/ 'stead of better." He nods at the recommendation of Chinese. "Definitely. Whole pile of scallion pancakes an' ma po tofu for Spence." His hands leave off their playing with the car to snake an arm around 'Bastian's shoulders and squeeze. "An'...Ponies? Or somethin' sci-fi." "... he got in a fight," Sebastian admits, offhand in tone. "I, um, I think he started it." Not that he looks PROUD now or anything. Nope." He reaches up to collapse the car back down to icon-sized, flicking a microphone icon and /telling/ the computer "Firefox" rather than actually reaching to open it. Because it's a whole few inches farther away and he doesn't want to let go of Micah. "Not ponies," he says with a small duck of his head, a softer unhappier tone to his voice. His eyes fix on the browser window in front of him as he pulls up foodler, finds a favorite Chinese restaurant. "I don't -- want to get ahead of Pa. How do you feel about Farscape?" His head tips slightly as though listening to something distant, and a warmer smile pulls at his lips quickly, eyes shifting towards the door. "Or I don't know how you feel about not-sci-fi, Shane's been all wriggly-excited to sit down together and watch the new Sherlock." The warmer-smile is probably shortly explained by footsteps outside the door. Keys rattling at the lock. Micah frowns again at the mention of Spence fighting...and actually a bit worse at him /starting/ a fight. "Okay, prob'ly the administration's gonna call /me/ first. I hope they don't try t'kick 'im out. Most schools have a pretty low tolerance for violence among students now...'specially /startin'/ violence." He sighs, saving /that/ worry for a later phone call and discussion with Spence. "Oh, no, not /new/ Ponies. I meant...old ones. Re-watch." He brightens a bit. "I /love/ Farscape. I could listen t'Virginia Hey talk /forever/." The subject of Sherlock earns some thought. "Oh. Oh, they finally actually brought it out without postponin' it /again/, that's right! Maybe that one should wait for after Spence goes t'sleep, though? Seems less his kinda thing t'be watchin'." He perks at the sound of keys, taking his cue from 'Bastian's excitement. "Shane?" he asks with a tilt of his head toward the door. As if it opening in a few seconds won't tell him just as well. "They might," Sebastian allows slowly, "I don't know he's /never/ had discipline problems before. Mmm. Old Ponies --" He considers this with a slow frown, but eventually decides, "Maybe Farscape." "-- That's the one with the blue chick, right? She's the /prettiest/ colour," Shane announces as he opens the door, locking it behind himself and shucking off layers to hang them in the closet. Sebastian wrinkles his nose, looking down at his hands. "I don't know. She's kind of strange-looking." Shane huffs out a sharp breath, toeing off his boots -- he's otherwise in thick grey socks, faded bluejeans, white t-shirt, Xavier's sweatshirt. Boring dishwashing attire -- and heading over towards the beanbag. He leans in right /through/ the holo-display, dropping a firm kiss to Micah's forehead and a lighter one to the gills at the side of Sebastian's neck. "She's fucking gorgeous. And the thing is that she was designed to be fucking gorgeous." Sebastian blinks up at Shane with this, a little puzzled. "... Who thinks that's gorgeous?" "Well, I won't borrow trouble 'til it comes callin'. Kinda surprised they ain't called /yet/. Prob'ly waitin' for an after-dinner time or somethin', if they're kind enough not t'try callin' folks durin' work hours all the time." Micah's lip chewing is interrupted by Shane's 'blue chick' commentary. "Zhaan? Yeah, her make-up and costumin' are /amazin'/. They make her skin look like sunlight through clear water. On top of incredible bone structure. Can't go wrong there." His head shakes at 'Bastian, an eyebrow lofting. "I think 'strange' is the point. Just...strikin'-strange. Unusual isn't /not/ beautiful. Often it's the /most/ beautiful thing." "Maybe," Sebastian says with a wry note to his voice, "they tried calling Pa instead by accident." His eyes squeeze shut again at the kiss; he leans slightly into it with a happy hum. "Who tried calling what now?" Shane furrows his brow in confusion at this exchange. And then, "Holy shit, maybe I'll be her for Halloween." "Unusual's just --" Sebastian grimaces. "Unusual." "/Eloquent/." Shane flops himself down across both the others' laps. "I feel like I should remind you again you're gorgeous but that's just fucking egotistical." He squints up at Sebastian. "... you're gorgeous, by the way." "Oh/gosh/, I'd hope they have more sense than /that/." Micah grimaces at the thought. "I'll call 'em in the mornin' if they don't get t'me tonight. Apparently Spence started a fight at school," he explains for Shane's benefit. His eyes go wide at the costuming plan. "An' oh/gosh/ could you pull of that costume; it'd be /amazin'/. An' you're /both/ gorgeous." One hand goes to each of the boys' heads, petting at two sets of spiky hair. Sebastian blushes deeply, turning his face to hide it against Micah's shoulder with a quick flutter of gills. "Someone was saying -- well. Things about Pa. To him." "Oh. Good for him." Shane's teeth bare for a moment. He lifts a hand, running it slowly down against Sebastian's side. "Jesus, you're dry as fuck. Go take a shower." "I got distracted. With work," Sebastian admits sheepishly. He turns back to the display in front of him, tapping at menu items to add them to the list. "-- Eggplant?" he asks Micah, though he's already adding it. "Taro bubble tea," Shane requests, after peering up at the menu. "After that I will eat whatever the fuck you put in front of me." He nuzzles up into the petting, tipping his head back to kiss Micah's palm lightly. "Is he okay?" "Little bruised," Sebastian answers, "more upset. I sat in with him and read for a while and now he's playing Minecraft. I hope /you/ had a better day." Shane looks towards Spencer's room with a little worry, but growls at the question of his day. "That fucking bullshit asshole Cage came to work." "-- Ah." Sebastian adds /more/ chicken to the order. "Ba had jerkfaces too. So definitely a Chinese food and TV night all around." 'Bastian's hiding face gets a kiss on its forehead, the hand petting his hair moving back to gills instead. "Yes, eggplant, please! An' somethin' with shrimp in for Hive." Micah shakes his head at Shane. "Not good...please don't encourage 'im fightin' classmates. He could get hurt or expelled doin' that." His eyes track to Spence's room, as well, wanting to check on him but also wanting to give him more time before he has to deal with being /parented/ at over it. Shane's growl snaps his attention back, hazel eyes searching his face with clear concern. "What did Luke do?" "Oh. I forgot Hive was --" Sebastian blushes, searching through the menu and adding More Foods. "He's -- always so quiet." "He's sad," Shane answers simply. "I'd probably curl up in bed all day if I could." "You could," Sebastian offers, reaching downto pet gently at Shane's gills. "For a /day/ at least. I'll go to work for you. But not forever. It's probably bad to do forever." "He's doing it forever," Shane points out, eyes drifting towards Jax and Micah's bedroom door. Sebastian frowns, and leans in closer to Micah once he's finalized the order. Shane's lips press together. "He came to see if I needed anything," he answers Micah. "What happened in your day, do /I/ need to beat --" He looks towards Spencer's room and grimaces. "... have stern words with someone?" "He's...havin' an incredibly hard time. An' he's /not/ doin' it forever, either." Micah's glance at the door has a hint of discomfort to it as he shifts a little in his seat. He shakes it off, wrapping his arm around 'Bastian snugly when he leans back. "An' checkin' t'see if y'need anythin' makes him a..." his nose crinkles as he realises that no part of that description /isn't/ profanity, then steals 'Bastian's term instead, "jerkface?" Yet another shake of his head answers Shane. "No, ain't nothin' that... I had a patient's parent take one look at me when I showed up an' slammed the door in my face. Didn't want me settin' foot in their home or touchin' their kid, apparently. I had t'call the referrin' physician back an'--" He stops the telling of it, nose just crinkling again. "People got the right t'choose their providers, anyhow. Nothin' t'be done about it." "He'd probably do it forever if you let him. We let him. Are we going to let him?" Sebastian swats /all/ the windows down to minimize them, then taps at the projector with a foot to turn it off, nudging it aside so that he can just curl in snug at Micah's side. "S'plenty to be done. Like cuddles." "Cuddles do fix a lot of things." Which is probably why Shane is curling himself up snugger, nestling his head against Bastian's stomach. "They do have a right but that doesnt make them not-assholes. I mean it's not like they're ditching you cuz you /suck/ they're just --" "Can you really blame people, though?" Sebastian pipes up uncertainly. "I mean, if all the stuff about Pa /was/ true that'd be horrifying." "But it's not," Shane says with a small growl. "And maybe I couldn't blame them /before/ but now with all the /true/ stories coming out I am blaming the /fuck/ out of everyone." Sebastian actually smiles, a little, at this last, stifling a small laugh against his fingertips. "OK. Blame away." "It most /definitely/ makes him a fucking presumptuous asshole," Shane finally corrects Micah, on the subject of Cage. "It's not like this shit happens in a vacuum. There's /context/. The guy doesn't /know/ me. Do you know what /literally/ our only fucking interaction has been? It's been his pet /rapist/ threatening to hurt me and Bastian over bringing up his rapey behavior in Murdercamp, and then him nearly getting me and Tag /killed/ by zombies. So okay he defends that sick bastard because hey who gives a fuck if he wanted to rape Peter, everyone makes /mistakes/ s'all good and then he nearly gets us killed being his dumbass wannabe-hero self and he thinks that this would make me /happy/ when he comes in to offer his help? Becuase he's fucking Luke Cage so everyone should obviously just want him to swoop in and save the fucking day? How is that /not/ being an asshole. If he really gave a fuck he'd stay the hell away. Send a goddamn email or something to try and work shit out instead of barging in on me at /work/ like I'm going to be anything but upset at seeing him." By the end of this his gills are fluttering rapidly, jaw tightening as he stares up at the ceiling. Sebastian reaches down, fingertips pressing slowly to Shane's gills. "Being around him makes me upset, too," he admits softly. "Mngh." Shane tips his head back to bare gills to petting, a darker flush tinting his cheeks and a bit of an embarrassed look to his face after this rant. "I just. Being out in public is hard already. I didn't expect him to -- it blindsided me." "No, we're not," Micah declares firmly of letting Hive hide away forever, though his next assertion is far less certain-sounding. "I'll...go talk to 'im again tonight. I just...ain't wanted t'hassle 'im constantly." He pulls /both/ boys close, an arm around each. "Cuddles do help a whole lot." He sighs at the question of patients. "I don't blame 'em, really. Ain't like they're the people threatenin' an' throwin' things at me or nothin'. Don't make it /hurt/ no less, though." Micah's hand moves the fraction to pet at gills not already being handled by 'Bastian. "He came in /to/ see you? I just...figured he was there for coffee an' y'ran into 'im. That...yeah, with y'all's history, that's fair inconsiderate. At a person's workplace, with no warnin'. Sorry y'had t'put up with that, sugar. Everyone /has/ had a day t'day..." The 'sorry' comes in Micah's roughly handled Vietnamese. "Yeah, he came --" Shane starts with a touch of disgruntlement that turns into a frown: "... with Chelsea. It was maybe her idea, maybe. And /her/ I /like/. But if /he/ wasn't so goddamn pompous he'd have waited in the car or bothered to explain to her that /maybe/, /him/ coming to check on me all /solicitous/ isn't a good idea. -- Did you know he's her dad?" This seems /puzzling/ to him. "Except she's nice. And /probably/ not a fan of rapists." "She was a homeless girl," Sebastian says uncomfortably, "she's almost definitely /not/ a fan." Shane shivers, pressing closer to the others. "Maybe we should all have a day off. Just. A lot of cocoa and cuddles and we can watch Disney movies /all day/. /Even/ Hive likes Mulan." "Cuddles are dangerous." Sebastian's voice is softer, with this. "Because for a little bit they make the world feel right again. But then everyone's days are still terrible and the world is still terrible and --" "-- so just never stop," Shane suggests. "I, personally, plan to never move from here again." "Pretty sure /most/ folks aren't fans of rapists," Micah asserts, brow furrowing again. "Luke is her...meanin' he's takin' her in, or as in /biological/ father?" He pulls Shane closer again at the shiver. "Maybe y'all can have one an' I'll joint you when I get home? My...next day /completely/ off ain't 'til Sunday." The talk of cuddles being dangerous earns /both/ boys a fierce squeeze. "Ain't just that they make it feel right. They're one of those parts that /are/ right. Ain't dangerous...shouldn't be denyin' yourself one of the good an' right things y'still have access to." "Luke Cage is," Shane points out immediately, when Micah says most folks aren't fans of rapists. "Yeah." Sebastian shivers this time, with a tiny whimpered noise sticking in his throat. He turns his head, nuzzling into Micah's shoulder. "Let's do Sunday then." "Not sure about what kind of father. I didn't -- really talk that long," Shane admits with another quicker flutter of gills. "I got mad and Mel sent me to the back to calm down so I didn't, um, keep cursing. Around customers." His cheeks darken. "I should get her apology cookies or something, I think I've been a giant fucking pain lately and she's been stressed already /anyway/." "Just don't bake them yourself." Sebastian wrinkles his nose. "I've /had/ your cookies." But despite the teasing he's back to petting, brushing his fingers slow and gentle against Shane's gills. Shane snorts, thwapping a hand lazily against Sebastian's arm in reproach. "Sunday," he agrees. "But cuddling /is/ dangerous. I always -- fuck it up. You /say/ it's good and right but /I/ always make it wrong." "Honey, I'm sure he's...not. He's just under the impression that he's helpin' people, prob'ly. Folks don't always make the best decisions when they're tryin' t'help, even if their intentions are good." Micah's teeth dig back into his lip. "Prob'ly none of us should bake anythin'. Might wanna just...buy somethin' instead." His arms squeeze at both boys, hands petting at them in a constant, steady rhythm. "Sunday," he agrees. "You /don't/ always mess it up, Shane. I /love/ cuddlin' with you. An' y'know now that it's just not allowed t'come with kissin' or bein' naked when it's me, is all." He gives the boy another tight squeeze. "Don't mean that cuddles aren't good or you aren't good at 'em or you shouldn't have 'em. Or even that y'shouldn't have 'em with /me/." "We can get Happy Cakes foods. They're /delicious/ too. Then it'll be proper apology cookies," Sebastian says with a giggle, "and not cookies you have to apologize for." Shane snorts, but this calms into a soft happy breath as the petting continues. Until: "Wait, I need clothes with you /too/? I thought you just said with strangers. I fucking hate clothes, they /chafe/ like hell." Sebastian looks abruptly uncomfortable, shifting away from Micah with a guilty duck of his head and reaching to nab a blanket from a neighboring beanbag to drape around his bare shoulders. "-- Oh. I didn't." /Blush/. He scrambles to his feet. "You should listen for the door I'm going to. Have a quick wet." Not /really/ a quick shower, there's no need for cleaning involved. Shane is still frowning over this news about clothes. "/And/ I kissed you earlier," he's remembering, disgruntled. "You can kiss me," Sebastian offers. "If Ba doesn't want them." Micah giggles at 'Bastian's joke, though the laughter is soon quelled by Shane's question. "No...honey, y'don't always gotta take things t'extremes. /I/ don't care if y'wanna wander 'round the house naked while it's just family around. Just...need clothes when there's guests...an' durin' cuddles. Like I explained at Lucien's? Mostly...just need pants, really." He's back to chewing at his lip when 'Bastian moves away. "Honey, no...I'd've told you if y'weren't okay. Y'can not have a shirt if y'want, I was just sayin'... Okay, shower, y'were gettin' a little dry," he finally resigns himself to. "An' kisses are okay if they're..." it takes him some time to come up with a description that will make sense without a ton of explaining. "If they're like kisses you'd give /Spence/. Right? Not like...kisses you'd give Dai. Does that make sense?" "I didn't have clothes /yesterday/ on the couch with you and Ryan, I though Lucien's was just because -- of being in the bed." Shane huffs out a quick frustrated breath, sitting up and resting his forehead in his palms, elbows on knees. "See?" He sounds a little disgruntled, gills fluttering quickly. "I'm still fucking this up." "It's okay," Sebastian assures Shane. "We're /all/ kind of, um. I screw everything up." Shane's face just screws up at this. "Mngh." And then, still hitchy with his gills fluttering fast: "Do you want a -- something. Shit. Tea. Cocoa. Mocha. Something warm I can put in my mouth and shut me the hell up." Sebastian is heading off to the bathroom at this, but he stops and turns, crouching down in front of the beanbag to press his hands to the sides of Shane's neck, hold the gills down gently. "Dinner, soon. That's warm. And mouthy. And we'll watch Farscape and /then/ Sherlock and pretend like things are okay."