I won't be helpless again...

Closed rp for fallenheroes-rp. 

[iphigenia-sharpe-blog]

Got Your Six || Ginny & Julio [[Wildcard Wednesday]]

[iphigenia-sharpe-blog]

Ginny moved her scarf once they were safely on the elevator toward her apartment and she ran her hand over Sarah’s head, inspecting her daughter carefully. “She’s fine. Thank you,” she said, giving Happy a half-hug as they dropped him off at security before finishing the elevator ride. As they headed into her place, “You really, really helped us. Thank you. And thank Charles for me.”

She put Sarah in her bouncer/rocker, smiling as the baby’s fussing immediately ceased. She loved that thing. Tony was the best. She kept Sarah in sight as she headed to the kitchen to make some tea. “You’re welcome to stay here until the fighting dies down, if you want. There’s plenty of room, a giant TV, and my fridge is pretty stocked. Help yourself to anything if you’re hungry. Or we can call down for something. There’s a cafeteria in the building. They do really, really great pizza.”

She leaned back against the counter as the kettle heated up and watched her daughter, happy now that she was home. Her shoulders relaxed with a few deep breaths. “Tony he- he’s great. I mean… I know the media gives him a sort of…. picture. But he’s not like how the papers picture him. He’s- he’s one of the best men I’ve ever met. He has such a big heart. If uh… I mean I’m sure I can introduce you two sometime if that’s what you want?”

[julioxrichter-blog]

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer,” Julio chuckled when the girl said that he was welcome to stay. “As fun as going outside and getting clobbered sounds, I think I’ll just chill and wait for it to at least die down some.” Julio said as he made his way to one of the windows to peer outside. It was kind of amazing that none of the mutants had targeted the Stark tower. 

“This place has it’s own cafeteria?” Julio said with wide eyes as he made his way to the fridge. He could see it was stocked with just about anything one’s heart could desire. “This is fucking crazy...” He couldn’t help but think as he started making a plate of microwaveable speghetti.  

He listened to her words and chuckled. “Hey, I figured he was a decent guy. Anyone who kicks bad guy ass is good enough for me.” Julio chuckled as he got himself a glass of water. “So are you two dating or something?” He asked curiously as he leaned against the counter and waited for the spaghetti to get done microwaving. 

[frostbitekim]

“I certainly hope so,” Sehun agreed with a weary smile, looking down into his drink for a few moments before speaking again.

“It’s funny, though, how something that seemed so hellbent on driving us apart had opposite consequences… in some cases, anyway.” His forced smirk became a little more genuine as he recalled his time spent on Genosha during the outbreak.

“You remember Pyro, yes?” Hell, even if he’d never met the guy, it wasn’t odd to hear students talking about him. Given the short time that Julio found himself at Xavier’s school, Sehun would’ve been surprised to learn that the younger mutant had never heard of Magneto’s right-hand man, since everyone seemed to have an opinion about him.

“Real asshole, made my life hell for years. Hated the guy. Well, during that outbreak I ended up spending some quality time with him on Genosha, taking care of a young pregnant mutant…” Sehun’s voice trailed and he shook his head, looking to the ceiling and smiling. “It sounds terrible, but sometimes a near-death experience is what it takes to rebuild burned bridges. So, hey, I guess one good thing came out of it.”

[julioxrichter-blog]

Julio chuckled and shook his head when the other said that he certainly hope so. “What’s wrong old man? Afraid of me?” He teased the other with a goofy grin. 

He listened to the man’s words and nodded his head. “The virus did seem to bring a lot of us together...Because we all had a common enemy for once.” Julio knew that this ‘war’ in the mutant community was about whether humans should be their equals or inferiors. Julio personally couldn’t think of one time in history where enslaving a population had ended up well.

“I’ve heard of him, but I’ve never seen him,” Julio mentioned. Most people at Xavier’s saw him as a bully and a traitor, and from what Julio heard he sounds like just the type of guy that Julio would want to clobber. He was thankful that he wasn’t around at the same time Pyro was there. 

“Really?” He was surprised. The Pyro the kids talked about wouldn’t help anyone unless there was something in it for him. “Must have been an off day...” Julio chuckled as he looked at the other. “Hopefully something smaller can happen that brings us together...Although I doubt that will ever happen.” He sighed. 

[avengingarchercb-deactivated201]

There was no use sleeping sometimes. Either Clint was too gone in his own thoughts, or too restless and anxious to settle under the covers. Tonight he was out trying to clear his head, taking long walks throughout the city and avoiding the bulk of the late night crowds. The City That Never Sleeps certainly lived up to it’s title.

Although Clint wasn’t carrying his trusty bow, he was armed, and the readily available 9mm was tucked under his jacket, loaded and good to go should he need it. A knife, long and hefty while lightweight, was also hidden from sight but within easy reach. Stepping anywhere without a couple of weapons had a way of making Clint feel naked and vulnerable, even if he could convert most things within his reach into something dangerous.

Reaching up to rub at his eyes, the archer figured the smaller form walking towards him would step around as everyone else tended to, but the bump of a body against his own determined that no, his assumption hadn’t really been spot on.

“You’re fine, kid.” He muttered tiredly, but after a moment longer of looking the face over, there was a recognition of fear or distress. “You alright?” Clint asked, concerned now. While he wasn’t in the mood for dealing with any street crime tonight, he also wasn’t about to let someone saunter off if they were in trouble.

[julioxrichter-blog]

For some reason, over the past few days, the nightmares had gotten worse. It was getting harder and harder to keep others from finding out. Julio supposed that it might be because he never went to see a therapist or anything after being kidnapped multiple times, but Julio simply didn’t like the idea of someone poking inside of his head. Whether literally or not. 

Julio was brought out of his thoughts as he bumped into the other and after his apology the other said that he was fine. But the man must have seen something on his face because he asked if Julio was okay. “Who? Me? Never better!” He said, quickly putting on a fake smile. Julio was horrible at lying, but that didn’t stop him from trying if he didn’t want to bother someone. This was his problem, after all, not this man’s. 

“Are you alright?” The boy countered with a raised eyebrow. He hadn’t really expected for someone else to be on the streets at midnight...Well a little past midnight now. Granted, Julio supposed he wasn’t the only one who was having trouble sleeping in this city. 

[iphigenia-sharpe-blog]

Got Your Six || Ginny & Julio [[Wildcard Wednesday]]

[iphigenia-sharpe-blog]

Ginny hadn’t known what Julio’s abilities were, until suddenly there was a trench in the middle of the road. She blinked a few times, then followed, pulling her scarf down as they ran to protect Sarah’s head from any dust and debris. She could hear Happy behind her, and it didn’t take long for them to get to the end of the block. They were in sight of the tower by now and she looked over to Julio.

“You’re the expert here, I’ll follow your lead,” she said quietly. Sarah was starting to fuss, scared about all of the commotion around them. And there was nothing more heartbreaking to the mother than the cries of her child. 

Ginny ran her hand up and down Sarah’s back, warming the fabric on her back, trying to calm her until they could get into the quiet tower. 

It wasn’t long before they were finally in the tower and Ginny led Julio to the elevator. “Come up?” she said as JARVIS took them to her apartment. “I’ll make you a cup of tea or something?”

[julioxrichter-blog]

It didn’t take long for Julio’s distraction to fail and for the fighting to commence once again. He couldn’t help but sigh at that. Did mutants not get tired of fighting one another? They already had to deal with the humans hating the majority of them...And now this? Was there ever going to be an end to the cycle? 

“We’ll go with that,” Julio chuckled when the other said that he was the expert. Julio was an expert at hacking. He was an expert at putting and tearing apart anything electronic. He wasn’t exactly an expert in bodyguarding. Any time a mutant would come near them, however, after he pulled the woman and kids out of the trench he would clap his hands together and cause the vibrations to amplify so a wave of sound would push the enemy back. 

"Is Sarah okay?” He asked the woman as they got to the tower. He had noticed the baby starting to fuss, and wasn’t exactly sure if it was because something serious or if she was crying because she was a baby. 

Julio listened to the woman’s reply and nodded his head. “Sure. Maybe some of the fighting will die down before I have to make the journy back.” He chuckled as he walked into the tower. This was his first time in it, so of course he was soaking everything in. “Damn, you weren’t kidding about him being loaded.” Julio said without thinking about the kids. 

[julioxrichter-blog]

The darkness was suffocating. 

Julio was tied to a chair and screaming into the gag as he fought to get free. But no matter how loud he screamed, nothing seemed to get the gag out of his mouth. Fear gripped at his heart tightly, not a shaft of light in the room his captors had kept him in. Tears rolled down tan cheeks as the door opened, and a streak of light cut through the room. He could see who the man was, all he saw was a shadow of it. But he walked towards Julio and raised his hand like he was about to smack him, and Julio watched with wide eyes as the hand descended-

-He woke up right before the hand made contact with his cheek. The boy sat in his bed taking deep breaths before he tried to be quieter, seeing his roommate was still sleeping. Sneaking out from under the covers, he made his way out of his room and out of the building after putting on a jacket over the workout shirt he was wearing. 

Julio started walking, too afraid to go back to sleep right now. He knew he was safe from the kidnappers now...But the nightmares still haunted him. Julio hated feeling helpless, and that’s what the nightmares did. Julio was walking and grunted as he bumped into someone. 

“Sorry about that,” He apologized. 

[iphigenia-sharpe-blog]

Got Your Six || Ginny & Julio [[Wildcard Wednesday]]

[iphigenia-sharpe-blog]

Ginny held Sarah carefully to her chest as they headed toward the tower. But both Ginny and Happy stiffened at his joke about Tony. “Tony is very rich,” she said, eyes darkening. “But he’s also like a father to me and like a grandfather to Sarah. He wants us safe, but I’d really like to not make his life difficult.”

It got quiet for a moment and she reached for Julio’s arm. “You might not know Tony all that well, but you should know that he would hemorrhage money if it meant protecting the people that he cares about. At the expense of his business, his public image, and his own welfare. So if there’s a way to do this and keep my baby girl safe as well as make sure it doesn’t create problems for the man who gave me a life when I was in one of my darkest places, I’d really appreciate that, okay?”

Sarah turned her head and looked at the boy who was helping them and she smacked her lips, looking at him carefully before her skin darkened to the same shade as Julio’s, her hair going as black as his, and Ginny smiled, rubbing the baby’s back. “That means she likes you,” she added to Julio. 

[julioxrichter-blog]

Julio hummed as he thought about what their choices were. It was to dangerous to remain on the side roads...And the girl seemed also hell bent on keeping Tony’s image. “Hm...Well ain’t this tricky?” He placed a finger on his chin as he debated about what to do. 

He noticed the baby shifting out of the corner of his eye, and grinned. “Well aren’t you just the cutest little thing.” He grinned as he playfully poked the baby’s cheek. He had to remind himself that he needed to get them to safety, and that was when an idea hit him. “Hold on....” He told the girl as he rubbed his hands and made his way to the main street. 

The fighting was getting in their way...And what was the best way to stop fighting than to level the playing field. He lcosed his eyes and suddenly slammed his hands down on the ground. The small ‘clap’ noise soon went from being a small noise to a focused earth quake. The ground of the street shaked and split, causing people to shift from side to side. He made sure it wasn’t deep enough for anyone to fall in, but it was enough to at least provide some cover and to throw all of the combatants off their guard. 

“Come on!” He said as he gestured towards the street in front of them. The chunks of debris would now be a good shield as they made their way through  Julio’s own little man-made trench. 

[iphigenia-sharpe-blog]

Got Your Six || Ginny & Julio [[Wildcard Wednesday]]

[iphigenia-sharpe-blog]

Ginny and Happy met Julio at a gas station a few blocks from the tower. The crowds were getting so deep and the traffic so bad that it didn’t make any sense to stay in the car. It wasn’t safe. Ginny held Sarah close to her chest, kissing the top of the baby’s head before she nodded at the boy who’d met them. 

“Stark Tower?” she replied before stepping aside and letting Happy make his introductions, but then some people charged at the gas station door, looters, most likely. Ginny curled protectively around her daughter before looking to Happy and Julio. Her heart beat kicked up and she was panicked, but more concerned than anything for Sarah’s safety. She learned that this sort of thing was dangerous to begin with, but it also tended to attract the anti-mutant crazies. She didn’t know what they would do to a mutant infant.

She walked in between Julio and Happy, Happy on full alert and, while Julio seemed young, she knew that if Xavier trusted him, she could, too. “Anyway um… I’m Ginny and this is Sarah,” she said wryly as the wove among people to head, as quickly as they could, to Stark Tower.

[julioxrichter-blog]

Julio didn’t think this was a good place to meet up, but they didn’t exactly have time to make up a plan. Julio just didn’t like gas stations in general. In no movie did someone go to a gas station during a dark or bad time and live or get away unharmed. Why would that be any different here? This isn’t a movie, idiot, he told himself. 

“Sounds like a plan,” Julio knew Stark Tower. It was kind of hard to miss, after all. Julio jumped as he heard someone banging the door, and the earth seemed to quake for a minute. Sometimes having the earth being connected with your emotions could be such a bitch. He looked around as they slowly made their way through the town. The streets were filled with people fighting...And he couldn’t risk the women like that. “This way...” He made his way towards a side alley and looked at the brick wall in front of him. 

“Tell me, how rich is Mr. Stark?” Julio asked. “Because I’m going to definitely be blaming him for this,” He teased the girl. "We have two options here. We can take the main road and risk getting into a fight. This will also probably take awhile. Or I can use my power to burst a few holes in the walls of these buildings, and we can just destroy our way to Stark Tower and leave the tab for Stark.” Julio said with a cheeky grin. 

[frostbitekim]

When Julio asked if Sehun wanted to talk about something, the man had just pursed his lips and lowered his eyes, instead filling the silence with a short cough as he shook his head. Then he’d spotted the bar, and was all the happier for it: he wasn’t good at talking about the things that bothered him.

Sitting inside, Sehun nodded in response to Julio’s observation, releasing a tired sigh. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the virus was an attempt to either wipe out the mutant population or turn it on itself, therein producing the same outcome… and now, with all these attacks happening on the streets, so often involving mutants…” The professor paused as the bartender set their drinks in front of them, fishing out his debit card and sliding it toward them. “Keep it open, please. Thanks.” 

Sipping his drink, Sehun’s shoulders sagged as he thought on the current state of things. “I don’t know about you, Julio, but I’ve got this feeling of impending doom looming on the horizon that I just can’t shake.” He released a breathy laugh, forced and betraying his deep concern as he locked eyes with the young man. “Then again, I think I’ve always felt that way, since trouble seems to find me so easily.”

[julioxrichter-blog]

Julio could tell that the other felt awkward after he asked if everything was alright. Still, he felt like it was important that the other knew that he could always talk to him. Julio wanted to be there for his friends whenever he could be. “If you’re sure,” He said with a smile when the other shook his head. “I’m not oging to beat it out of you or anything,” He laughed. 

The dark skinned boy nodded his head as he heard the other talk about the virus. “I’m not a medical major, but the virus just doesn’t seem...Natural. Like normally when a virus or something mutates it shows symptoms, right? This seemed to happen over night. It just seems to man made for me,” Julio said with a shrug of his shoulders. 

The boy sighed as he took a sip of his drink, relaxing at the familiar taste. “I know how you mean, man,” Julio said with a shake of his head. “All this drama with mutants isn’t making me feel comfortable...But surely we’re just over reacting. Right?” Julio wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Sehun, or himself. 

[lilyy-russell]

After stuffing her papers back into the folder in some kind of semblance of order, she wasn’t sure what she’d done with the class reading list - but the guy she’d walked into was holding it out it to her. She thanked him, and placed that back where it belonged as well.

She smiled back - her whole life seemed a bit off-kilter these days, but that was probably just the city’s tendency to be weird. “I have a lot of those days. I’m Lily. It’s nice to meet you!”

[julioxrichter-blog]

Julio nodded his head when the other girl introduced herself and said that she had a lot of those days. “Well, that most really suck,” Julio chuckled and shook his head. “Perhaps you just need a vacation or some time off to relax?” He offered. 

“It’s nice to meet you as well,” He said with a smile. “Where were you going in such a hurry?” He asked curiously. “You were practically moving at the speed of light.” He chuckled. Julio didn’t want to keep her any longer if she had a serious matter to attend to. 

[julioxrichter-blog]

Do you smile at strangers?

Of course! Why shouldn’t I?

[iphigenia-sharpe-blog]

Got Your Six || Ginny & Julio [[Wildcard Wednesday]]

Ginny wouldn’t let Sarah become a lab rat. She made that very clear from day one. But Charles Xavier, luckily, had seemed to understand her maternal concern and he assured her that nothing would happen without Ginny’s (and when she was old enough, Sarah herself’s) consent. But Ginny had liked the idea of bringing her child out to see the school. And she did want to talk to the professor. She’d felt so alone with no idea what was happening during her pregnancy. A mutant showing abilities in utero was nearly unheard of, with no literature to help, and if Ginny could help another mother that way, well it was worth making bimonthly trips to Westchester. Ginny was heading home in the back of a car, driven by Happy, content with playing with a giggling Sarah as they headed back toward the city. 

When her phone rang, and she saw it was Professor Xavier, she’d just assumed she left a scarf or something there, but upon answering, he’d quickly explained to her that all of the NYC street villains seemed to be out and it was near-chaos in the city. From what he could tell, they would likely make it back to the tower safely, especially with Happy, but just to be safe, he was sending one of his X-Men to see them safely home. It was thoughtful, and something Ginny appreciated deeply. Sarah’s safety was more important than anything to her. 

She took a few deep breaths, staying relatively calm (her therapist would be so proud), before tapping on the already-open partition to talk to Happy. 

“Um… apparently S-H-I-T has hit the F-A-N back home so Xavier’s sending an X-Man to meet us halfway and make sure we get this little bug home alright. His name is um… Julio? He should be meeting us not too far ahead.” Happy nodded and rolled the partition up, likely to use his hands-free dialing to call the Tower for a situation report.

[julioxrichter-blog]

Julio had just been enjoying his extra-long weekend vacation from school since Martin Luthor Kingsday was Monday when he felt Xavier’s presense in his head. If he learned anything in the time spent with the X-Men, it was hot to detect another Mutant’s presence in his head. Which was kind of awkward when you’re in the shower. He turned the shower head off and wrapped a towel around his waist before stepping out. 

Professor? He asked mentally. Is there a reason why you’re in my head? Julio didn’t mean to sound so agressive. But after being kidnapped twice and being in multiple fights with telepathics, his privacy was very important to him. But when Xavier filled him in on what was going on, he figured he would let the older man get a pass for this. After all, he was only trying to help a woman.

So Julio quickly put on a blue hoodie and a pair of blue jeans before making his way out of his dorm. He didn’t want to arrive and find out the woman Xavier had asked him to escort was injured. Xavier guided Julio to her, and Julio nodded his greeting. “Sup?” Julio said as he put his hands in his pocket. He had noticed some rather...Dark presenses on the street. And he was eager to get the woman somewhere safe. 

“So where am I taking you?” He asked. 

[frostbitekim]

“Right, of course. The Bro Code. How could I forget?” Sehun wore an amused expression, keeping his gaze down on his feet as they walked. “I didn’t come up with it, dork. It’s from, like, the seventeenth century. Pick up a book once in a while, god,” he teased, chuckling lightly at his own joke.

Once Julio had assured him that he wasn’t causing any more shenanigans than normal, Sehun turned his head to look at him. “Well, good. God knows there’s been trouble enough for all of us lately…” His voice trailed slightly, and before he could get that distant, vague look in his eyes, he shook his head and focused on locating the pub he’d walked by earlier. Ah, there it was.

Ducking inside and out of the cold, Sehun took off his coat and shook away the few snowflakes that still clung to it, probably of his own creation. Leading Julio to the bar, the man picked out a quiet end for them to sit at. The bartender, not particularly busy given how quiet the pub was at this hour, immediately approached them. “I’ll have an old fashioned,” Sehun said before nodding his head at Julio. After the student had ordered, Sehun relaxed in his chair, turning it slightly so it faced him a touch more. “I’m interested to hear what you’ve thought of everything happening lately, actually. You needn’t bother getting into the meat of the politics, but… what was your reaction to the virus, things like that?”

[julioxrichter-blog]

Julio laughed when the other asked how he could forget about the Bro Code. “I’ve heard you been out of it, so I won’t be too rough with you tonight,” He teased the other man with a cheeky grin. Julio chuckled and shook his head. “I’ve never picked up a book that has had the use for that word.” Julio grinned. 

Things took a rather sobering turn when the other said that they’ve been having a lot of trouble lately. Julio sighed and nodded his head. “Anything you want to talk about?” Julio wasn’t sure if he was talking about just things in general, or if something a bit more personal to him. “It might be better talking to someone you don’t practically live with.” Julio joked. 

Julio followed after the other as he ducked inside and saw the man shake off his coat. The pair ended up sitting at a quiet end for them and was approached bu the bartender. “Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey please,” Julio said and the Bartender walked away. “It seems...Odd. I mean not only that, but all the activity happening around. It’s almost as if people are getting more and more restless.” 

[drjanefosterr-deactivated201604]

Jane laughed at Julio’s joke.  “Of course!” She appreciated his sense of humor.  At least he could take a joke. “Oh no I didn’t mean that either!  I could never be in movies or TV.  But that’s true; they do keep peoples’ attention.  I might have to sign up for a class or two just to have more of a stage presence maybe.  Or learn to speak in front of crowds better.”  She thought about actually taking a course. She smiled at the thought.  Now there was a funny image.

Jane stared blankly at Julio. “Oh.” She said.  “I see.”  Jane didn’t watch much TV at all, and Darcy had to drag her to the movies.  Books were her favorite medium.  Apparently the “Big Bang” had been a TV show he was referencing.  It sounded half-way interesting, although she had to wonder why a TV show would be named after an event in the universe’s history.

She listened intently as Julio explained his major.  “Oh that’s really interesting!” She said.  “Well not many people do want to know what they want to do with their lives.  They need time to figure it out.  Me, on the other hand, knew exactly what I wanted to do since I was very little.  It took time to actually decide to pursue my dreams though.  I started out as a Chem major actually, because I didn’t want to ‘copy’ my dad.  I also was - if we’re being frank - scared to jump right in with astrophysics and find out it really wasn’t what I wanted to do after all.  I was wrong, and I switched.  I knew I should’ve stuck with my gut.” Jane smiled.  “So Internet Investigator huh?  Gonna join up with the F - B - I?” She grinned at the thought of Julio in a suit with a fancy badge.

Jane sighed, dejected.  “Well that’s true.” She thought about it for a moment.  There was no way she would skip.  It was fun joking about skipping but there was no way she would actually do it.  “I suppose I better get going then.  Don’t want to be late… It was nice talking with you!  I’ll have to check out that Big Bang you speak of.”

[julioxrichter-blog]

Julio smiled brightly when the other laughed at his joke. Julio liked to make other people smile. “Speaking in front of a crowd isn’t that bad,” Julio said with a chuckle. “I hear imagining them all in their underwear is a neat trick. I usually just imagine that I’m talking in an empty classroom...But whichever one is your preference.” Julio said with a grin. 

Julio listened to her story attentively. He nodded his head, although he had no idea what the hell half the words she was talking about meant. What the hell was an Astrophysics? Instead of voicing his confusion, however, he decided to keep his mouth shut and to merely smile. 

“Yep. I’m going to walk around catching old pervs that just stay in their house eating cereal,” Julio joked. He knew things would be harder than that. With mutants and abilities, nothing could ever be too simple. The F.B.I burst into your room? And you have the ability to teleport? Now that’s going to be one hell of a chase.  

Julio nodded his head as the other started saying her goodbyes. “It was nice meeting you too!” He said, surprised that he actually genuinely meant it for once. “I think you’ll enjoy it! Good luck with your presentation!” 

[julioxrichter-blog]

lilyy-russell:

Lily was a bit conflicted to be back on campus for her last ever semester, to say the least. She knew she wasn’t doing a PhD. She wasn’t cut out for academia. She needed to do something, not just study things other people did. 

That didn’t mean she felt ready for the real world, though, even though she had her Bugle job. She walked through the quad, carrying a bunch of papers from her last class in a folder in order to head back to the library. It felt like she basically lived there in term time some days.  As she approached the building, she managed to walk straight into a young man and drop her papers everywhere. “Goddammit.” She mumbled to herself, kneeling down to gather her things. This didn’t happen outside of movies, and she should pay more attention to where she was going. “Sorry. I’m an idiot. It’s my bad.” 

Julio had almost decided to just start pinching himself out of boredom when he suddenly felt himself get pushed by another body. He grunted as he stumbled forward, but managed to correct himself. He frowned as something seemed to float down onto the ground in front of him. A...Piece of paper? 

“It’s no problem,” He said with a chuckle as he heard the woman’s words. He lent down to pluck the piece of paper off the ground and offer it to the woman. “We all have days that we’re a bit out of it,” Julio said with a cheeky grin. “The name’s Julio. What’s yours?” He asked curiously, tilting his head almost puppy-like. 

[honeystilinski]

Oh hi there handsome!

[frostbitekim]

A light snort could be heard as Sehun dipped his head in a nod, the bridge of his nose scrunched as he lifted it again. “Eight years gets you free alcohol? Ah, alright. I can splurge.” Julio was a student after all; Sehun remembered not having much money to his name when he was in college, either. It was the least he could do.

Shoving his hands in the pockets of his pea coat, Sehun jerked his head in the direction he’d come from. “Come on then, whippersnapper. It’s cold out here and my frail bones can’t take it.” Truth be told, he hardly felt the cold thanks to his mutation, but it was easier to dress for the weather rather than explain time and time again why he was in a short-sleeved shirt in the snow.

“Long time no see, Julio,” Sehun started. “Probably mostly on account of myown absence, but, eh… how’ve you been? Not causing any trouble at school, I hope.” His words were matched with a cheeky half-smile, that very expectant, professor-esque stare meeting Julio’s gaze as he looked down at the slighparatly shorter individual.

[julioxrichter-blog]

Julio laughed and nodded his head. “Of course man. Haven’t you ever read the Bro Code?” Julio asked with a big grin. “ ‘The older bro shall pay for the younger bro’s beer unless the bro is named Julio in which case Julio never has to pay for his own beers.’ It’s like a law of physics, man.” He joked with a dorky grin on his face. 

“Whippersnapper?” Julio asked with a raised eyebrow and chuckled. He followed after the other as they started walking. “Where the hell did you come up with that nickname?” He asked curiously with a grin on his face. Julio put his hands in the pockets of his hoodie as they walked. He wasn’t sensitive to the coldness, in fact, he liked being cold. One could always put more clothes on than off...Well, depending on where they’re at. 

He was brought out of his silly musings by the other man’s words. Julio chuckled and shook his head. “It’s okay man. I’ve mostly been getting ready to start at the University. Things are getting exciting now that I’m about halfway through with my first major,” Of course, Julio still had a longs way to go but he liked to look at the glass half full. “And no trouble more than usual,” Of course that didn’t mean much. 

[frostbitekim]

He’d fallen into a vegetative state: while still able to function normally and complete tasks necessary to his own continuity, his head had been vacated. Life, it seemed as of late, had taken a bit of a turn. Suffered a bit of a nosedive, if you will. The thirty year old felt like it was spiraling out of his control, and in an effort to spare himself the sadness he’d once succumbed to, Sehun simply turned it off. He went about his days, showing up at the garage only to shut himself away and work alone. Thankfully the students at Xavier’s school were on break, so he didn’t have to worry about that just yet, either. Eventually, though, he stopped showing up at the garage. When asked about his absence–as he made his own schedule anyway–Sehun said he needed some time off. Paid or unpaid, he didn’t care at this point. He just couldn’t bring himself to leave his apartment in the city anymore. There was no point. Nothing brought him joy.

The holidays are over. I’ll have to be getting back to work soon. Back to teaching. Back to living.

Sounded exhausting. But, it might do him some good to get out, to try and re-acclimate to that funny little thing called human interaction.

Walking through the city, stopping in shops here and there and trying very hard to force himself to be happier, Sehun found it immeasurably difficult. That is, until he saw a familiar face. Then there was a mixture of panic and excitement, because this might actually be someone he could hold a conversation with.

Maybe.

He didn’t know Julio terribly well; they’d met before, sure. They’d been in the same company numerous times, though Sehun couldn’t recall ever really talking to the young man one-on-one. Still though, it was a start. At least this was someone he could tolerate. 

“Accompany an old man to get a drink,” Sehun responded after hearing what Julio had muttered to himself, wearing a smirk. “So he doesn’t have to get one alone and feel weird and sad about it.”

[julioxrichter-blog]

Julio was lost in his thoughts, hence, why he didn’t notice the other until he spoke. Julio was trying to recall some of the bars around the area and where they were. Julio supposed he could look on his phone, but he hated wasting data when he could need it later on down the road. Perhaps he should just walk and see what he comes across? He was about to do just that when he heard a voice talking to him. 

“Sehun!” Julio said with a friendly smile on his face. Julio had taken a few of the man’s classes when he had been at Xavier’s school and had thought about being a mechanic major before realizing that he didn’t feel any drive behind it. But the teacher was a pretty chill man, and even after he graduated Julio would talk to him if they ever met up in a group meeting or something. Julio did like to visit the mansion from time to time, after all. 

“I was just about to go to a bar anyways,” Julio said with a grin. “And you’re night that old. Although you are old enough to be buying both of our drinks.” Julio joked with a cheeky grin on his face. Julio liked to joke around with the man when he could get away with it.