KncklHeads

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synaisthimc​:

after that outburst, Brayan didn’t say any word. frankly, what else COULD he say? there was nothing… nothing at all. but he did respond when prompted. “ each one looks healthy. as long as you give whatever one you choose the proper care, it will be around for as long as you want it to be. ” 

    if River wanted his plants to THRIVE, he was going to have to treat it well. that meant going out of his way to give it enough attention and affection regularly, not just when it was convenient for him. plants had feelings too, just like people! they were alive and deserved that much! “ if that’s the one you want then let’s go look at the aloe next. ” not for any particular reason or anything (but Brayan could use a lead or 200 to help heal the wounds he was nursing after being completely SHUT DOWN). 

   " whatever you chose, we should take them back to your place. they can’t stay at my home since they will be unsafe for An. “ that was TRUE but it was also a bit of an excuse for what he was about to suggest next... ” ah, maybe you should be home with them on their first night, too. we can postpone the sleepover for a while. “ for a time where it would be easier for Brayan to look at him. 

Jeez he really wasn’t letting this go. Like come on, River had already basically apologized and stuff so it was fine. Why did it have to be such a big issue? People left and went away all the time. Just because River hadn’t told him didn’t mean he deserved THIS much cold shoulder. It was driving him insane, bit by bit. ‘ Well I definitely want it to be around as long as possible.’ That probably didn’t sound as reassuring as he thought it did.

River picked up his selected plant and began following the other to the next section. He listened to his talking, nodding along until--- What?? Postpone?? So now he was saying he didn’t even want to spend all the time he could catching up with River? Oh absolutely not. River held the plant tightly, clenching his teeth in an effort not to convey any of his annoyance. 

‘ Well you should just stay at mine then.’ He blurted out without much thought. Staying over at his own place hadn’t happened since-- well, their first awkward encounter. ‘ Why postpone it? You can just stay over and give me an overnight crash course on looking after them. Sounds good right ?’ His chipper tone didn’t leave much room for argument. 

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synaisthimc​:

   “ interesting. and you’ve been enjoying running a business that way? “  he was genuinely about as genuinely as he could be curious. most business owners Zhora knew (and he knew quite a few of them, for the record) had had a lengthy list of goals and plans that involved growing and expanding their businesses. they wouldn’t take such a casual approach to their livelihood even on their days off. “ hm… that doesn’t seem very practical, does it? this store is a bit out of the way for me… if I can’t seem to catch you next time, I might not come back. “ and it would be such a TRADEGY to lose a loyal paying customer, wouldn’t it? 

‘ I do.’ Indigo could hear a slight undertone of... something to that question, so he replied assuredly. ‘ Books have always been a hobby, and I’ve enjoyed keeping it that way. It might ruin them if I had to stress about profiting a whole lot off of them.’ Indigo raised a brow at the other’s retort, folding his arms over his chest. ‘ Are you sure you’d be able to keep your opinion to yourself ?’ Something gave the impression that he would have a dire need to let Indigo know EXACTLY what he thought. Indigo shrugged, not about to BEG for him to return. ‘ I guess we’ll have to see if fate it on our side then.’

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snw-cnvs​:

   three… jeez, how often were people getting into fights ?? it seemed like a pretty common thing his customers complained about. ( well, it only happened twice now, but still. )   “   well, hopefully everyone was alright. i worked as a bouncer for awhile, so i know it can get a bit dicey sometimes.   ”   thankfully makotos empathetic abilities allowed him to defuse tensions before fights ever started, though.

   he winces a bit at the notion of jaylen getting socked, giving a disconcerted frown.   “   wh – seriously ??   ”

‘ Yeah thankfully everyone was okay for the most part.’ Perhaps a few scrapes and bruises (himself included), but nothing serious. ‘ We got on to them pretty quickly so it didn’t get too bad.’ It hadn’t been the best night by far, but it’d hadn’t been the worst either. He was happy no ambulances had to be called. Jaylen laughed at the other’s empathetic wince, patting a spot on his stomach gently. 

‘ Yep. Right here. It was kinda my fault through, I stepped right into it.’

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strongwilledsoul​:

“Why do you make it sound as if you think having sex with me will result in you getting roasted with a sunbeam when I get off or something? I have perfectly stable control of my powers, I will remind you.” Max’s tone was indignant. It felt like every time this topic has arisen, which had been numerous  by now, having sex with him would’ve been the worst thing in the world.

Forgetting the fact that Max had been the one to equate the situation to the apocalypse just now.

“The future is fluid, and prophecy is far from an exacting art,” Max answered the question, as he took the time to re-read the page in question in all of it’s explicit detail. “Things are often symbolic–and they can change a hundred times in the same dream. The more murky and shifting the dream is, the more apt the prophecy is to change. Meaning there are many decisions between the here and the then that could alter the current.”

Max squinted at Adrian.

“This one is particularly detailed though, despite the fact that your current odds of getting into my pants are exactly 0%.”

God, why’d he have to take it so personally? ‘ I never said in a bad way, jeez sunshine, don’t get your panties in a twist.’ Apocalyptic had bad connotations perhaps, but he didn’t mean it like that necessarily. ‘ Besides, YOU might have perfectly stable control of your power.’ He left the rest of that sentence hang between them. ‘ I just think it would be... intense. Is what I mean. I guess.’ 

Adrian rested his chin in his hand and listen to the other speak, explaining the way his powers worked. It was interesting, he supposed. ‘ So basically, it doesn’t mean anything ?’ He surmised. Basically that it was one of an infinite number of possibilities that could potentially happen.

Adrian squinted right back. 

‘ You make it sound like I’m TRYING to get into them.’ He scoffed, rolling his eyes. ‘ And you’d know if I was.’ And it’d work was implied.

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synaisthimc​:

   “ that’s all? I see. ” normally, that was just the type of business Zhora AVOIDED giving business to because it was difficult to tell exactly what the quality of the business they were running was. but this wasn’t a restaurant, or health clinic, or gym… it was just a bookstore. so he didn’t mind it. “ I suppose I’ll just have to come back and deliver the news in person then. “ it wasn’t going to take him some time to read them all, though… there were so many of them and he had so much to do every day… maybe he ought to make a log? not that he was going to tell him that… “ are you always here? “ do you have a LIFE?   maybe there were some part timers or something… he couldn’t recall much beyond what books he left with on his last visits. 

‘ I don’t particularly care about having an online presence. People find the store one way or another. And if they like it they come back.’ He shrugged, and gave a slight curl of his lips. ‘ Not the best business strategy perhaps, but I’m not in it for that I guess.’ Indigo found his way back to the counter, resuming leaning on it. He heard the question within that question and gave a wry smile. ‘ Most of the time, when I want to be. And if I’m not here I’m probably upstairs.’ His house on the second floor, never too far away when books called. ‘ And if I’m neither then  guess you’ll have missed me and you’ll have to make another strenuous journey here to give me your review.’

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synaisthimc​:

   " alright. “ it was a good attempt. Brayan was still feeling a bit skeptical, though… but he didn’t want to continue to harp on the issue while they were supposed to be shopping and enjoying each others company. he didn’t want to but….. he couldn’t help himself. now that he already started it was almost impossible for him to stop. ” it’s fine if you can’t say goodbye in person, or call- I-I don’t expect you to go out of your way when I know you’re so busy… I’d be happy with just a text with one or two words- “ a LETTER. he’d even take a single letter. or an emoji. a gif. whatever. It didn’t matter as long it was an attempt to keep him as a part of his life.

   ” if you can’t do that much- “ just TELL him before he lost all trust in him from having to watch him break his word and leave again without saying anything. ” nevermind… “ DON’T tell him. he didn’t want to know. It couldn’t be true. “ why don’t you pick one out that you like and then we can look at the other options? ”

River was immensely uncomfortable, felt an itch beneath his skin he wouldn’t be able to scratch unless he tore it all off. His stomach felt hollow and empty like he hadn’t just eaten at all. This just felt too much like crossing a line. One which River put in place very precisely and very carefully. He’d drawn it, gone over it, put in the foundations, and built it up brick by brick. And this all felt like drilling a hole to peep through. But it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. It wouldn’t be. He was only doing this to try to restore what he’d broken. It didn’t mean he’d have to live up to his promise. When did River EVER live up to any promises he made? But still...

A call. A text. A word. The bare minimum. If he couldn’t do that much then...? He didn’t chase up the end of that sentence. And he didn’t make any further promises. If Brayan wanted more than what River had offered he’d have to ask for it directly. 

But then-- he smiled. Woven back on his face as quickly as it had left. ‘ Ahh so many choices~’ He hummed, pointedly looking at the plants and not Brayan. ‘ Maybe this one ? What do you think ? Think it’s a fighter ? I think I’ll need one that’s a little hardy.’

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synaisthimc​:

   Zhora glanced down at the stack of books he finished piling up in his arms some time ago while they were talking OBVIOUSLY it just didn’t need to be mentioned until now. “ hm.. nice colors… the textures seem alright as well. ” however, aside from the book on the top, he didn’t have much more to share. “ you’ll have to wait for my formal review before you find out anything else. “ oh, and about his REVIEW… “ do you have a website? “ Zhora asked because he genuinely wasn’t sure. even if it may be uncommon for active businesses to be completely removed from cyberspace contemporarily, he could see this store operating as a more… quaint establishment. 

Keeping his cards close to his chest huh? Indigo too could appreciate a nice coloured and textured book, some of the special editions he had in his private collection were stunning, but-- not quite the answer he’d had in mind. Regardless, he’d take it and patiently wait for the review in full whenever Zhora got around to reading them all. Indigo shrugged, making his way to the store floor again. ‘ A google page I guess.’ Name and photo of the store, hours and phone number, not much else. Indigo wasn’t bothered with making a fancy site. He wasn’t really in the bookstore game for profit anyway thanks for the cash dad.

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bcbybats​:

• ▞  ╊     ❛ You can’t buy it if I want you to be an INDOOR CAT. ❜  Instinctively, his bony hand gently pets those light locks again. STRANGE how they were already so obedient. Most stray animals bite him by now, and he’s gotten to pet this human TWICE, truly remarkable.  ❛ You will have a very comfortable life as my pet. ❜ Unfortunately, at some point, the vampire will likely use them as FOOD, but that’s not to say he’ll kill him.  ╊ ▚ •  

An indoor cat? What did that mean?? Unfortunately obedient was a very good word to describe Luciel, once again letting the stranger pet him. He actually kind of liked it, it was nice. ‘ C-comfortable ?’ I mean that didn’t sound bad?? Maybe “pet” would turn into friends. Or maybe it was just a strange way of referring to a friend and that’s already what he wanted?

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synaisthimc​:

     " yes, yes. “ he knew exactly where they were since he came to the shop so often himself, so he lead River right to them. ” here they are! they are very beautiful, aren’t they? definitely appropriately named. the pattern really does resemble a snakes! “ Brayan always enjoyed seeing them. he couldn’t have any of his OWN because they were toxic to house pets and he couldn’t trust his young dog not to have a bite. but if River had a one, he could see it at his place too!

    ” they only need to be watered about once a month. same with aloe and cacti. “ out of the most common house plants Brayan knew of, once a month watering was usually about as little frequency River would get- unless he wanted to reconsider the bamboo which did seem like the best option for him- ” do you want to get two of them? or you could do one of them and one other. “ …or he could just go home with nothing because Brayan had did have some DOUBTS about his ability to care for them long-term. and yet he wanted SO desperately to trust what River said. but he just couldn’t. 

   “ you know… if you just let me know when you were going away, I wouldn’t mind checking up on them until you get back… “ it was just an idea. a pretty reasonable one, too… but somehow he still felt  AWFUL for suggesting it. 

River followed Brayan over, idly looking around the shop. There was a lot of offer. Beautiful plants so pretty even River could appreciate them. But he knew they’d all wither and die in his care, or lack there of. Why bother with something pretty that wouldn’t last? It’d just be a pain once it died. Talking about plants of course. Not a metaphor for anything. ‘ Oh they do too.’ He chuckled, leaning over to get a closer look, perhaps brushing against the other’s side just a little while he did. 

River smile his usual cheshire smile, listening to Brayan list his options, and he thought on it for a moment, pretending to care more than he did. ‘ Hmmm, I suppose one of each. It’ll be nice to have some variety at home.’ He was pleased with his decision and was turning back to look at the plants when Brayan posed his next question. A simple one. A reasonable one. And there it was, they’d stepped closer to the bush they’d been beating around. ‘ I don’t usually get a lot of notice.’ An excuse? An apology? Surely not. River’s mouth was dry, and he dared not look at Brayan as he continued. ‘ But---’ Just to reassure him. Just to make him trust him. Just to fix what he’d broken. It didn’t have to be true. ‘ I can try to let you know next time.’ Was there truth to it? And softer than before, ‘ So the plants don’t die.’

And if he DID tell him that would be the ONLY reason why. 

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synaisthimc​:

   what Brayan was doing might have been very subtle (from his own point of view) but he still hoped River did more than just barely notice how he behaved slightly different since he came back. MAYBE if he asked him what was wrong, or if he was alright, it might have been easier to just say “nothing” and move on. if he knew River did care about how he felt, he thought he would be able to forgive him whole heartedly. but instead it just seemed like River expected things to be just as they were. and although they weren’t, he just adjusted to that additional distance as well.

   maybe that was fine for him. as long as he still had a FRIEND to hang out with whenever it was convenient… Brayan didn’t want to feel so heavy around him, he didn’t want that negative feeling in the pit of his stomach to grow into a grudge that would ruin whatever it was they still had. but when it came to rationalizing and controlling his emotions….

    Brayan was so caught up in thought that he almost walked right past the plant store. “ oh. we’re already here. ” he mumbled to himself and stopped at the door to hold it open to River. “ why don’t we take a look at the aloe, snake plants, and cacti? bamboo might be a good fit for you too. you only have to change the water about once every 2 months. ” he did NOT say that to be spiteful it was 100% true!!

Had River noticed the change between them? Yes. And did he care? Definitely. But probably not for the reasons Brayan was hoping for. He concern wasn’t so much that he had hurt Brayan, there was but a smidge of remorse for that. What he was remorseful about was that it had changed something between them. He didn’t like that one bit. He wanted to go back to how they were. To having cute Brayan fawning over him from a comfortable distance. Where River could enjoy their... friendship(?) but not have to get TOO close. 

 Maybe it wasn’t spiteful but it sure felt like it. River’s smile stiffened and he decided to ignore the suggestion of bamboo all together. ‘ Ooo snake plants sounds cool !’ He hummed, stepping inside with a brief nod of thanks to the other. ‘ Lead the way then, Braybray~ Take me to my new babies.’ He really couldn’t care less about the plants. And they would only survive if Brayan was playing nanny to them because River was sure he’d forget. But maybe this was River twisted way of an apology, of assuring him that he wouldn’t leave suddenly again. If it was it was a lie though. He would probably have to leave again at some point.

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synaisthimc​:

   “ perfect! first: we need a car. do you have one? -wait!! better idea… do you wanna learn how to hotwire one? “ (assuming he didn’t already know how) they could totally do that! and then once they had a car, they could go pretty much ANYWHERE! “ we could just cruise and smoke first- or we could go to the piercing shop. ” because grand larceny and being stabbed were both  starting out smaller than just getting a little tattoo…  “ uhhh what else… ” he was exposing how small of a world he lived in. 

‘ Uhhh haha pass on that one thanks. I really cannot have a criminal record.’ Wouldn’t look too good for job prospects. Besides that didn’t sound cool necessarily, that just sounded illegal. ‘ And unfortunately I do not have a car.’ Cars were a money pit Jaylen simply could not afford. Public transport was easier anyway. 

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folklgnds​:

   valentine was a bit of an airhead, but that was far from him being stupid. with people and academics, he wasn’t lacking intelligence, especially when it came to the person he’s spent so long with. as he thought, going to a new place was probably nerve-wracking for someone as untravelled as indigo. ( valentine thought, as if he wasn’t referring to trans-dimensional travel. there’s where his stupidity lie – )

   “   mister indigo, is there anything in particular you’d like to see - ??   ”   he asks, pulling his gaze from his world to focus on the other with a warm, subtle smile.   “   we can take a walk in the forest, we could visit the luneer temple, we can go through the village or enter the castle through the garrison… i’m certainly in no rush to get scolded by my parents – i’m confident once we greet them they’ll want to assure the public i’ve returned, too. it will be a lot, so we should take our time to enjoy the peace.   ”   he lifts the others hand, valentine folding his free hand over it to envelope and grip it comfortingly.

What did he want to see? Nothing. He was good thanks. He’d like to call it a day and go home. Back to his world-- which was still weird to say-- back to his house, back to his bed, where he could cuddle up with a book and pretend none of this had happened. Indigo swallowed thickly, his stomach dropping lower and lower the more Val spoke. He felt dizzy. There was too much to take in from that sentence alone. 

‘ I---’ He struggled, looking down at their hands and frowning. ‘ I don’t--’ Indigo inhaled deeply, ripped his hand away, and turned around. ‘ I need a minute.’ He snapped, not meaning to, and marched off a little ways into the forest. Not far, but enough so that he could find a tree to lean against and-- well, hide. Hide and breathe and try to calm down. Indigo slid down the tree, sitting at the bottom and anxiously fiddling with his hands. What had he gotten himself into? And scolded by his parents?? What if they blamed Indigo? They could throw him in some dungeon or something. That’s what kings and queens did right?? It didn’t help that Indigo never got along with parents in general, let alone royal ones. Plus “assure the public”?? What did that mean? What did it will be a lot mean?? What if there was a god damn parade or something??

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batoushoujo​:

　　EVERYONE HAS ONE. Somewhere, there is a breaking point, Tem is sure of it. The real problem is how quickly she reaches hers with losers like him; she has to be stone today. Don’t let him get under your skin, Tem Green, ride it out and pay him back once and for all.

　　“ I didn’t plan anything with you in mind, ”  She corrects him, holding tight to the vine.  “ I was hoping you’d be more mad about this. Hey, is there anything you hate? ”  Rather than try to guess where to drag him to, maybe he’ll be arrogant enough to tell her outright.

‘ Aw come now, you don’t have to be shy. You can admit you planned a lovely little day for us.’ He hummed, giving her an annoying grin. River paused for a moment to consider that question. Obviously he wasn’t going to give her ammo to use against him, but---

Was there anything he hated? Not really. There wasn’t much he was passionate about in general. ‘ Hmmm, maybe.’ He hums casually. ‘ But I’ll let you figure that out yourself.’

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synaisthimc​:

   “ huh? ” but his phone was right in his hand and working fine!  yeah, that went STRAIGHT over his head. he didn’t make the connection between his phone being dead and Jaylen’s dad being gone- but if they had- they totally could have bonded over it! he had no idea what his father was up to. “ you gotta let me know when you’re free to hang out- hey, are you free right now?! we don’t have to get tats right now (unless you want to) .. there’s plenty of other cool things we can do! “ 

‘ Yeah I’m free !’ Surprisingly he had some free time. No work tonight, so he didn’t need to get some sleep in beforehand. No more classes for the day either. He could use the time to study. But he did enough of that already. It was time to embrace some coolness. ‘ So what should be do ? Not sure I’m game to dive in and get a tattoo just yet. But what other cool things are there ?’ 

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synaisthimc​:

    “ thank you… “ Brayan was HAPPIER to hear that than he wanted him to know (was that terrible of him? maybe) so he tried just looked to the ground in an attempt to play it off and move on quickly. that was how he dealt with a lot of things… but it wasn’t working with River as a whole. “ hm… like a nanny? I don’t know if I’d be up to the task. ” which was pretty IRONIC considering the way he used to be happy to clean up River’s place and make him food- and how he completely took over it the night after they first met. “ let’s start with two then. if you enjoy it and keep them alive long enough then you can easily expand from there. ”

‘ You’re welcome.’ River watched for the other’s reaction, or lack thereof he should say. And he wasn’t all that pleased. It used to be so easy before. He’d say one tiny thing and get such a cute reaction. But now it was like Brayan was holding back. Had leaving really got to him that much?? River couldn’t understand why. River plastered a smile on his face, ‘ I’m sure you would be.’ River nodded jhis agreement with their design, and began to wonder if these plants were perhaps becoming a metaphor for something. ‘ I’ll be sure to take great care of them.’

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synaisthimc​:

   “ I was asking if you would consider it in general… not only for me. ” Zhora wouldn’t DARE commit to a plan of that magnitude (where he would be spending an awful lot of money if they maintained a 10 books per pickup day) when he hadn’t even had a look at the first page of any of the books yet. but he could see how something like this would be beneficial to some. even to himself- he didn’t always have the time to do any research and pick out new books to read that he would most likely enjoy.  ignoring everything just said about what he would personally gain Zhora would be willing to help if he needed practice to master the ART before becoming a cutthroat corporate business monster. “ I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. first, we have to determine if you’re any good at this. " 

‘ I mean it’s an idea.’ Indigo shrugged, thinking on it for a moment. ‘ That might be a bit much work for one person though. Assuming it would no doubt take off and my book picking talents were wanted by all.’ He was only one little bookstore owner, even if only the few regular’s he had were the ones to do it, it’d take up quite some time. He allowed a small smile, looking over the pile of books. ‘ It would be fun though.’ Indigo scoffed, still feeling pretty self assured by his choices. ‘ Well, I know they don’t say to judge a book by it’s cover, but--’ He gestured to the books, ‘ Have a little look, let’s see if I’m off to a good start with some intriguing titles.’