behind the vale

because if you stopped laughing long enough, you'd remember all the reasons why you want to cry. and you know that if you start to cry you'll never stop...

[galgadotssss-deactivated2016071]

[lilvale]

Drake looked around the room, “I’ll keep half the building for you to live in. Just keep Thea on the other side and we’ll be good.” The idea of taking on Thea would be interesting. Although, he thought he had a shot if powers were being used. Drake didn’t even need to let her know he made it onto the battlefield before making her docile. That’s if he wanted to be nice. Although, his powers were shaky since he didn’t get to practice them on anyone. He was stuck among allies. It would be fucked up to mess with their minds just to do some training. 

“If you need trees we’ll just toss her out into the woods. Her initial reaction would be all you needed.” Drake finished making his coffee and went to pull up a seat across from her. “Right, you made it seem like she had something on the roof she didn’t want us to know about.” He sipped his coffee. Drake yanked on the stings to make sure the hood didn’t fall off. He wasn’t ready to invite the world in. “What have you been up to?” He changed subjects. 

“much appreciated.” she let out a snort. “bold of you to think you can toss thea anywhere.” her face scrunched slightly. “you know, i never thought about it. maybe that is why she doesn’t want us on the roof. but mostly i think it’s because my brother is a butt and she does whatever he says.”

lil leaned forward slightly and sniffed the caffeinated air. “drawing another masterpiece. i think this is number eleven? twelve if you count the one on my door. sometimes i make that one glow just to bother him.” she grinned, pleased with herself. “what about you? what’s it like being a nocturnal creature? do you eat garbage from a trashcan? howl at the moon?”

[lilvale]

With a smile, Ryan laughed a little, looking the other over. “Bored out of my mind? It can’t be that bad here can it? Who’s your brother?” Ryan asked cautiously, not that he would know really. He’s met a handful of people and only remember a few names. “Octopus Artwork? I did find a room, but food? Any extra clothes?” 

“oh no, usually it’s not that bad. it’s just that he’s a perpetual buzzkill. oh uh, octavian; tall dude, looks like a nerd, acts like something’s stuck up his butt, professional fun killer?” lil let out an exaggerated gasp. “you haven’t seen my octopus artwork?! lucky for you there’s another one on the fridge. so first stop, food!” she reached out her hand for him to take.

[lilvale]

“Yeah, the singing was actually incredibly distracting.” It was a good defense mechanism, now that he thought about it. He held out the lighter pencil, but his other hand never stopped tapping. He was full of jittery energy today. “God, your life is so hard, Lil. Being my friend? How tedious.”

“i think what you meant was incredibly beautiful,” she huffed as she pretended to angrily snatch the pencil from him. she snorted at the remark. “i know right? i have mister mind reader for a best friend and mister boss man fun killer as a brother. life is so tedious. i deserve a medal. or at the very least, a cookie.”

[lilvale]

“Grey and dull,” was the immediate answer that came to Riley’s head. She raised her brow at the randomness of the question and took a seat next to Liliana. Some mutants had just returned from a mission and she had done their checkups so as far as she was concerned, she was free for the rest of the day and needed someone to kill time with. “What are you up to?”

“grey and dull,” she repeated with a nod. “you’ve captured him perfectly.” at the question lil looked at riley and gestured at her masterpiece. “comeon ry, i already asked what color octopus octavian should be, i would think what i was doinf would be obvious.” she paused for a moment. “unless this is one of those you asking me what i’m up to so that i’ll ask you in which case, what are you up to?”

[lilvale]

“Definitely his back.” Mel was going to suggest that anyway, she was glad that at least someone in the headquarters knew how to have fun. “Please, anytime you want to mess with Octavian, my powers are your powers.” She said with a smirk, she really loved her powers.

“you are a hero to us all. and don’t worry, if we get caught i will take the blame. i may initially yell out it was her, but just know, that is a reflex i’m working on and will take full responsibility for our devious actions afterward, should that be blurted out.”

[lilvale]

Ava didn’t know how to respond to that exactly, not totally sure if she was joking or not. It seemed innocent enough though, and with all the easy teasing the girl was doing, it was obvious she was close with the man in question. Maybe she was his girlfriend or something? Either way she found herself smiling finally, nodding, “Yeah, I guess. Um…maybe blue or something? Or go full Ursula and make him purple or something.”

“well there’s already a blue one on the refrigerator in the kitchen so i guess purple it is. would that make him ursula, orsula, ocula?” she asked, mostly to herself before shrugging. she picked up the purple and started coloring. “you’re ava, right? i think i filed you.” she paused and looked up. “that sounds weird. i put your file into our system. that sounds more normal right?”

[lilvale]

Octavian rolled his eyes, less than amused at Liliana’s question. Partially because she had been making the joke forever and partially because he was supposed to be a leader and having people imagine him as an octopus was not the way to go about garnering respect. “You know you’re always free to leave if you’re that bored,” he responded, his brow raised challengingly. Frankly, they both knew that he didn’t want her to be here. Not because he didn’t like spending time with his sister, but because they both knew she would be safer elsewhere. 

her eyes shot up as she grabbed her chest dramatically. “octopus jedidiah vale, are you insinuating that you don’t want me around? me, your own flesh and blood? the literal only living proof that you have the capability of being fun?!” she lowered her hand to gesture to the drawing. “and i am not bored i am drawing yet another wonderful picture of you.” 

there were at least ten drawings of octopus octavian in various colors throughout xr including one that she’d carved into the door to their living quarters, and anyone who’d been there more than a day knew what they were and where they came from.

[lilvale]

Drake rolled his eyes as he began to make another pot for himself. “I’m going to chalk it up to being three because if she pulled that shit when I was up… this place would be leveled.” He muttered mostly to himself. Drake chuckled under his breath at Thea’s actions. Her anger matched his the only difference was that Drake could hide his disdain better. “Glad to see we don’t have to break you out of jail.” He turned to face Liliana, resting against the counter top. “What is she doing on the roof?” He questioned. 

“yeah.... remember that some of us have brothers who run the place and therefore have to live here full time for the unforeseeable future. so no leveling in here-” she gestured to the room, but she clearly meant the entire building. 

“you wanna take on thea? cool. go into the woods or something. much fairer fight and much easier cleanup. also, do me a favor and tell her to bring back any trees that inevitably come down in the process.” her eyebrow raised at his question. as much as she hated it, thea was supposed to be on the roof. “presumably her job?”

[lilvale]

Ryan took a protective step back, smiling a little at the other’s infectious energy. She seemed like…a lot. But at least she wanted to help him? It was something soothing about her. “I’m Ryan.” He stated softly, looking around. “I’m supposed to report somewhere? I’m…new.” 

lil seemed rather unphased by the step back. she was actually used to it, what with this being a generally strange environment and her usual overactive personality. “report somewhere,” she repeated with a nod. “new? you don’t say!” she grinned, making sure it was obvious that she was kidding. 

“well, if you were told to report somewhere then it’s safe to assume you’ve been checked in and all that fun stuff.” she pretended to inspect him. “and you don’t seem bored out of your mind yet, so clearly my brother hasn’t gotten to you.” she tapped her chin. “have you had something to eat? found a free place to sleep? seen any of my octopus artwork?”

[lilvale]

Xan was drumming absentmindedly on the table, making his own fun while he sat around with Lil. Without missing a beat, he answered, “Green, obviously.” He cocked an eyebrow, suddenly curious. “Is that what you’re doodling over there? Amazing. What’s it like being a creative genius?”

“ah yes because you definitely had no idea that’s what i was doing. i was even purposefully singing ‘octopus’ in my head over and over just for you.” she picked up the dark green pencil. “it’s hard work honestly, especially when your bestie can steal all of your best ideas. not that you’d know anything about that.” she held out her hand without looking up. “now pass me the light green.”

[lilvale]

Unsurprisingly, Ava was again lost, walking around the building and trying not to panic too much that she didn’t know where she was or how to get back to her room. At least there were other people around, made it a little less scary. At the comment she looked over, eyes widening for a moment at just being called out before she heard the question, and her look of shock turned into something of confusion. Octavian. The man who’d saved her life… “I-I’m not sure? I..don’t actually know him that well.” She offered, giving a little shrug. “Sorry.” Ava tacked on before nodding to the paper, “Why is he an octopus though?”

“lucky,” lil grumbled jokingly when ava said she didn’t know octavian very well. at the question her mouth opened slightly as though she was shocked that ava didn’t realize the answer was obvious. “his name is octavian. oct-avian? oct-opus? comeon, it’s literally right there!” 

[lilvale]

Mel nodded, she didn’t answered dark blue because of his energy, but it was because it was a boring, predicted color, just like he was, when Mel saw the octopus with the bubble text, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Perfect!” She said, it was like a picture of him.

lil’s face lit up at mel’s response. she turned the picture back to herself to admire it. “some of my best work honestly. maybe i’ll go hang it on the fridge. or if i’m super sneaky about it, i can probably tape it to his back.... all good choices.” she looked over at mel, wiggling her eyebrows with a grin. “if only i knew someone with luck manipulation who could guarantee that i don’t get caught...”

[tsukinosusagis]

[lilvale]

Drake walked into the large common room needing whatever stale coffee he could find. He was addicted to it. If Drake didn’t have his coffee his mood would plummet. One time, on a particular nasty day, Drake silenced an entire Starbucks cafe so he could get his coffee and drink in peace. It was selfish and part of the bigger problem people had with mutants, but fuck humans. Drake’s hood from his hoodie was pulled over his head as he shuffled to make some a cup for himself. “I just like he’s an octopus. Every octopus has to be purple, but like draw tiny dicks for spots on him.” He grinned laughing at his own stupid joke. Drake groaned realizing the coffee was old. “Wait what time is it? Why is there no coffee?” Drake grumbled not realizing he slept through a good part of the day. 

lil’s eyes seemed to light up at his suggestion. “It’s three in the afternoon and grumpy pants got the last cup,” she sighed, without looking up. anyone who’d been at xr longer than a day knew grumpy pants was thea. 

“and by cup, i mean she took the coffee pot, drank whatever was left straight out of it, and then put it back.” some people would probably be surprised by thea’s actions but lil was used to them. “then she told me if i tried to go on the roof without permission again, she was going to cuff me to a radiator. so she’s clearly in an unusually good mood today.”

[lilvale]

Mel was on her way out when she heard someone calling her, that was a weird question, but she was never one to be bother by something weird. “Dark blue.” she answered without thinking twice, just like her color was obviously purple.

she crunched her nose as she tapped the pencil against it. 

“hmmm, he does like his electric energy... but it feels too easy... but then again, he’s so predictable that it would make the most sense. dark blue it is,” she grinned, reaching over and picking up a dark blue pencil that she’d taken from the kids art supplies. after a few scribbles, she held up a picture of an angsty looking dark blue octopus with a speech bubble next to it that said ‘i hate fun.’ 

“looks just like him, right?”

[ry-collins]

Ryan was lost. His hands were shaking, this place was new, he wanted a shower and to lay down if he was honest with himself. But he had no idea where to even find his space, let alone who to ask. First day at a new place, one that still managed to have rules similar to that of the facility he just came from. “Excuse me.” He tried, watching the other pass by without pause. “H-Hey, uh..can you help me?” 

[lilvale]

lil was technically doing about six things at the same time because her brother liked to keep her occupied without a free moment for trouble. but when she heard someone ask for help and saw no one stopping, she turned to the nearest person and shoved everything she was holding into their hands. “go put this on octavian’s lap for me,” she instructed, half distracted and completely ignoring the other person’s response. shoeless, she slid right up to ryan with a grin. “hi, i’m lil! what can i help you with?”