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* * *
Continued from Part 3
Advisories are in Part 1 in case you missed them. Extra active this time around mentions of Violence, Language, Adult situations INVOLVING those who shouldn't be in them with those who should and I hope it was worth the excitement.
Pleasantries - Chapter 5 - Faking It - Part 4
12:40 PM Tuesday, May 13
Dirk was ditching class. He couldn’t really afford to and his grades would show it but right now he didn't really care. Right now he just wanted to get to his room and his game system and be as mindless as possible.
If he had to suffer through one more of Haley’s weird ass dinners, he mused to himself as he climbed the stairs, or listen to her go on about karma and chi and any of the million other bullshit things she babbled about all the time he was going to go crazy.
Fortunately for him he knew his father would not be home this afternoon. No Darren meant no Haley. He was safe.
Or not.
He was momentarily stunned motionless. He wasn’t aware people could balance all bent up like that without falling over. It was oddly fascinating to watch.
He watched.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t see what his father saw in her. He could. He could see most of it really and had seen a good portion of the rest the day he met her. No, he could definitely see the appeal.
It was appealing.
Suddenly it occurred to him what he was doing, “Oh my gods, ew!” He murmured under his breath, “I’m checking out the ditz my dad is banging. I’ve lost it.”
Ducking his head he headed toward his room. In a hurry.
“Oh,” hearing his footsteps, Haley dropped out of the pose and stood stretching, “Hi, Dirk. I wasn’t expecting you home so early.”
Dirk froze.
Turning back around he scowled, “First, I live here. You don’t. This is my home. Not yours. Second, what I do and when I do it is none of your business.”
Haley sighed, “How long are you going to stay angry with me?”
“How long do you plan to be alive?”
“I wish you would tell me what I did to upset you. I would like to make amends if I can.”
Dirk clenched his fists turning back toward his room, “Unless you can suddenly age 20 years and make it so I never see you again, forget about it.”
Haley followed behind him, “Is that what all of this anger, all of this negative energy is about?” she asked, “My age?”
“No,” he snapped over his shoulder.
“It has something to do with your mother then,” she stated.
Seething, Dirk turned back to face her, “Don’t talk about my mother.”
“Don’t you think she would like to see your father happy?” Haley pressed on, “She is a lovely woman. She wouldn’t want to see either of you unhappy …”
“Was!” Dirk snapped, “She was a lovely woman. She’s dead.”
“Her spirit is still with you,” Haley smiled gently, “and as long as you remember her, she is still here.”
With a disgusted scowl Dirk stalked into his room, “Save your new age bullshit, Haley. She’s gone and unless your crap can bring her back, alive, I don’t want to hear it.”
Haley flinched as the door slammed, “That certainly didn’t go as well as it could have,” she said to the room in general, “Do you suppose I pushed too hard?”
Dirk scowled throwing himself onto his bed, “And now she’s out there talking to the damn air again.”
Turning over on his side he stared at the wall desperately wishing there was a way to just forget everything. Screw remembering. Remembering hurt. He needed to forget.
* * *
3:50 PM Tuesday, May 13
“She’s in the back yard with Mom,” Lilith stated holding the door open.
“I know, I was talking to her on the phone a bit ago, she told me that’s where she was going,” Dustin grinned holding out a bundle of flowers, “I came over to talk to you. I wanted to say thank you for your help.”
“What?” Lilith stared down at the flowers in his hand, “Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Dustin hedged, “I know we don’t get along all that well and you probably think they are poisoned or something … they aren’t by the way.”
“See,” he leaned down inhaling deeply, “Not poisoned. They smell sort of nice really.”
Lilith couldn’t help the small laugh, “You sure you didn’t take the antidote first.”
Dustin rolled his eyes, “Just take the damn flowers, Lilith.”
She placed a hand on her hip, eyes narrowing playfully at him, “Was that an order?”
“It was,” he nodded, “Take them and then say ‘You’re welcome, Dustin’.”
Angela entered the kitchen from the back yard. She heard Lilith laugh and glanced toward the sound.
“You’re welcome, Dustin,” Lilith managed at last, still laughing.
“See, that wasn’t so hard was it?” Dustin said around a laugh of his own, “You can be nice when you really try.”
Lilith reached out pulling him into a hug, careful not to crush the flowers she now held in her hand, “And you can somehow be even more annoying without even trying.”
“I know,” he grinned, returning the hug with enthusiasm, “It’s about the only real talent I have.”
Angela turned, as if in a daze and slowly made her way back outside.
“Angela?” Mary-Sue called hearing the door close, “could you hand me that trowel?”
When there was no response Mary-Sue looked up.
“Oh my. Angela?” Mary-Sue got to her feet, “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
Angela wrapped her arms tighter around herself fighting back the tears “I … Dustin is cheating on me I think.”
“What?” Mary-Sue frowned, “Are you sure? That doesn’t sound at all like something he would do.”
Curling further in on herself Angela nodded, “It’s Lilith. He’s cheating on me with Lilith.”
* * *
4:50 PM Tuesday, May 13
Ripp sighed leaning against the doorframe, “I gotta go help Buck with his homework.”
“You’re coming over tomorrow, right?” Telesto asked from the other end of the phone.
“Yeah,” Ripp smiled, “I’ll be there tomorrow.”
“Okay. Call me later if you get the chance.”
“I will.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Hanging up the phone he made his way over to Buck seated on the couch, “You ready to go tackle the evils of multiplication tables?”
“Was that your girlfriend?” Buck asked, his eyes never leaving the television.
“What?”
“The way you said ‘bye’,” Buck explained, “It sounded all mushy. Was that your girlfriend?”
Ripp grimaced. Mushy. He hadn’t even know he’d done it. He’d have to watch that when other people were around. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Why not?” Buck asked, “Is it because you’re a homo?”
Ripp blinked, stunned, “What?”
“Tank says you’re a homo,” Buck stated simply finally looking away from the television, “Is that why Dad hits you all the time?”
Ripp dropped his gaze to the floor, “No, that isn’t why Dad hits me all the time.”
Buck got up off the couch making his way toward Ripp. Reaching out he took hold of one of Ripp’s hands, “I don’t think you’re a homo,” he said smiling up at his brother, “You’re way too nice.”
Doing his best to force a smile, Ripp nodded, “Let’s go see if we can conquer your math homework, alright?”
Buck sighed, “Okay, but it’s real hard.”
“Yeah,” Ripp agreed sadly as they made their way into the kitchen, “A lot of things are.”
* * *
4:20 PM Wednesday, May 14
“Tybalt!”
Turning to see who had shouted his name across the studio, Tybalt smiled apprehensively at Malcolm, “You bellowed?”
“I did,” Malcolm grinned at him, “Come here for a minute.”
Tybalt made his way over to the desk, “What’s up?”
“As your boss,” Malcolm began, “I’m concerned. As an old friend of your family I’m worried. Which one do you want to talk to?”
Tybalt arched his brows, “My boss I guess.”
Malcolm nodded, “What the hell are you doing?”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve been watching you for the last three days. You’re drifting around here looking lost. I know you are still adjusting and this is your first job but now I am hearing you are looking for ‘inspiration’?”
Tybalt scowled, “So is tattling in his official job description?”
Malcolm laughed, “You’d be surprised what’s in Caelen’s job description. Honestly though, inspiration?”
“Yeah,” Tybalt sighed, “I looked through all that stuff you gave me and I still don’t know what I’m looking for. More than that though I don’t know how they do it!”
“Do what?”
“What they do, the photographers. How are they never out of ideas? I’ve watched and a project comes in, they read over the brief and next thing you know they have us running around getting stuff for them and putting the set together and it always exactly what the client is looking for.”
“They’re working,” Malcolm shrugged, “That’s their job.”
“Yeah, but Half the things they come up with never would have occurred to me.”
“Of course not,” Malcolm smirked, “You aren’t working. You’re at work, but you aren’t working.”
Tybalt shook his head puzzled, “What?”
“This inspiration you are looking for,” Malcolm began turning to grab a sheet of paper from the printer on the desk behind him, “It doesn’t come out of nowhere. It comes from experience and just damn well doing it.”
He handed Tybalt the paper, “So damn well do it.”
Tybalt started down at the sheet of paper, “What’s this?”
“That,” Malcolm grinned, “Is a prompt table. Very common in writing communities online.”
“Okay,” Tybalt frowned, “and I do what with it exactly?”
“Each one of those is an idea, a potential image” Malcolm explained, “Go make them real images.”
“Image prompts?” Tybalt stared at him.
“Image prompts,” Malcolm nodded, “Get busy. That is now part of your job description.”
* * *
4:45 PM Wednesday, May 14
“Hey?” Telesto’s quiet interruption broke the companionable silence as he and Ripp sat watching television
“Mmm?” came the murmur of response.
“You hungry?”
“I could eat.”
“What do you want?”
“I donno. Let me think about it. I’ll get back to you.”
“Okay.”
A few minutes later Ripp let out a content sigh, “Hey?”
“Mm?”
“Love you.”
“Love you too, Princess.”
“I could go for pizza,” Ripp announced a moment later.
“Pizza sounds good.”
“Pineapple, pepperoni, feta, jalapeños, mushrooms, sauerkraut and anchovies?” Telesto asked.
“You do love me.”
* * *
7: 20 PM Wednesday, May 14
“Xoe!” Anto called as the dog took off down the sidewalk, her tail wagging furiously, “Here!”
Xoe paid him no attention instead coming to a halt before a darker shadow bouncing excitedly.
Cal cocked his head to one side, “I think she knows that shadow.”
“I don’t think it’s a shadow,” Anto countered, “Xoe here!” he commanded, “And bring your friend with you.”
Xoe turned and started trotting back toward them, a familiar figure stepping out of the shadows a half step behind her.
“She’s beautiful,” the boy said as he approached with the dog, “I thought that the first time I met her.”
“She is,” Anto agreed, “Now do you want to tell me how you know both where I live and my dog?”
The boy shrugged, “Would you believe your house is on my way to work?”
“No,” Anto shot back immediately.
“Well you should,” the boy smirked, “Its true.”
“Do you two know each other?” Cal interjected clearly puzzled at the curious exchange taking place before him.
“No” came the immediate response from both Anto and the boy.
“What is this about?” Anto asked with a sigh.
“I have information on your girls,” the boy said quietly, his eyes focusing on something down the street, “the dead ones.”
It was Cal that asked the question this time, “You do?”
“Yeah,” the boy glanced at Cal briefly before turning his attention back to scanning the street, “but it is not safe here.”
“We could go inside,” Anto offered gesturing back toward his apartment.
The boy shook his head, “I can’t be seen here with you,” he paused as something caught his attention his eyes going wide with fear.
“Especially not by them,” he gasped taking hold of Anto’s wrist with both hands, quickly backing toward the far wall.
“What are you doing?” Anto asked dragging his feet slightly as they neared the wall.
“Can you act?”
“What?” Anto frowned, confused, “What has that got to do with …”
“Kiss me,” the boy demanded.
“What?” shocked, Anto tried to step back only to be stopped by insistent arms on his shoulders.
“What in hell is going on?” Cal asked leaning against the wall beside them.
“I’d like to live through the next few minutes,” the boy’s voice had turned pleading, “Kiss me and make it look like you mean it.”
Anto deliberated for a moment. A brief glance over his shoulder showed two men approaching on the sidewalk. Detain them and sort this out or go with the situation and hope answers were forthcoming? Something had this kid scared, really scared.
“Please,” the boy whispered, his voice wavering with fright, “If they see me I am as good as dead and there is nothing you can do to stop them. A few seconds won’t kill you and you really want to hear what I know.”
“Shit,” Anto swore softly as he made his decision. He leaned forward, his lips brushing those of the boy clutching at his shoulders in a chaste kiss.
The lips beneath his trembled slightly with fear. Anto swore silently, a hundred better ways to have handled the situation suddenly occurring to him. Of course they all involved the potential for the boy to be seen talking to them. But seen by whom and why was that so dangerous?
“Now there is something I never thought I’d see,” Cal chuckled quietly.
At the sound of his best friend’s voice, his best friend who didn’t have a clue about this one major detail, Anto felt his stomach sink. Fuck it, he finally decided, it was too late to go back now.
Offering up a silent prayer to whatever gods may be listening that this was not an enormous mistake; Anto took a step forward, braced his hands against the wall on either side of the boy’s head and kissed him in earnest.
The gods weren’t listening.
Within seconds Anto felt the slight body relax against him, pressing closer. He stifled a moan as golden brown eyes met his going wide with surprise before fluttering closed.
“Oh for fuck sake!” Cal exclaimed quietly, pushing off from the wall, “People gotta stop doing this shit like I’m not here. Come on Xoe. Let’s find you a stick.”
Anto didn’t hear him, lost in sensation as soft lips parted beneath his, welcoming his exploring tongue. Denim clad thighs opened eagerly for his probing knee. Anto sighed in appreciation. His hands found their way along narrow shoulders, down a slender back, coming to rest against tight, black jeans. Instinctively he gripped, lifting, pulling the boy closer.
“Nice night,” one of the men said to Cal by way of a greeting as they passed on their way inside the bar.
“I suppose,” Cal responded taking in as many details about the men’s appearance as he could out of the corner of his eye while tossing the stick once more, sending Xoe bounding after it enthusiastically.
The men smiled and carried on their way.
Cal shook his head and retrieved the stick from a proudly wagging Xoe as she dropped it at his feet, “Well girl, it worked. They barely even glanced at him,” he sighed inclining his head toward the couple still locked together against the wall, “But do you think they plan to come up for air any time soon?”
Xoe barked, bouncing excitedly.
“Yeah,” Cal chuckled, “I guess you don’t really care do you? But he’s got a lot of explaining to do. You think you know a guy …”
A desperate mew of raw need broke through Anto’s clouded senses snapping him back to reality. He pulled back gasping, staring down into the slightly dazed face looking back at him.
“Holy shit,” the boy managed after a moment of catching his breath.
Silently, Anto agreed.
Slowly, a smirk replaced the stunned expression on the boy’s face, “Really, Detective? I never would have guessed. Any more surprises I should know about?”
“That is not common knowledge,” Anto cautioned.
“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me,” The boy’s smirk widened to a grin, “But what about him?” he asked pointing at Cal over Anto’s shoulder.
Anto swore softly, his fists clenching at his sides.
“Have a good night, Detective,” the boy whispered stepping out from between Anto and the wall, “I’ll be in touch.”
Anto stood for a moment watching him leave. He couldn’t shake the feeling that his life had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.
“So,” Cal began stopping just behind Anto, “We’ve known each other for twenty years …”
Anto’s shoulders slumped, “I know.”
“You could have told me at least,” Cal said quietly, “You know I don’t care. Hell half my family is gay!”
“It’s complicated,” Anto explained.
“I can see that,” Cal nodded shooting Anto a grin.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” Anto warned.
“Not saying a word.”
There was silence for a moment during which Caliban smiled innocently, looking anywhere but at Anto.
Anto glared off into the distance.
“Fine,” he snapped at last, “You can say it.”
“Jailbait!” Cal exclaimed, “Not passing judgment or anything but you know that can’t be good for your career especially with what your career is … Right, I’ll shut up now.”
* * *
On to Part 5.
So? Was it worth the wait? :oP
I need to say an extra special thank you to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
azzy not only for sparking the idea of giving Tybalt a prompt table but also for the table itself! A later version of this table has been shared on S4S (because she is awesome like that) here. As for the version Tybalt got. English version is here for those who can't read simlish :D
*edit* Thank you tosimlili for pointing out the typos/omissions. I caught the major one of old text vs new image but missed those two. Also the poseboxes have been removed from outside the window *cough*.
So? Was it worth the wait? :oP
I need to say an extra special thank you to
azzy not only for sparking the idea of giving Tybalt a prompt table but also for the table itself! A later version of this table has been shared on S4S (because she is awesome like that) here. As for the version Tybalt got. English version is here for those who can't read simlish :D*edit* Thank you to
simlili for pointing out the typos/omissions. I caught the major one of old text vs new image but missed those two. Also the poseboxes have been removed from outside the window *cough*.
