g̴̈́ͅa̷͚̪̞͙͎̒̀̉͊̍̀̐̂͋͘͘͘͝m̶̈́̏̓̽͗́̐

Luís Gonçalves 32-Years-Old It is all c o d e. If you listen closely, you can hear the numbers. There's a cosmic flowchart. g̴̈́ͅa̷͚̪̞͙͎̒̀̉͊̍̀̐̂͋͘͘͘͝m̶̧̨̹͍̣̤̦̦͍̲͍̈́̏̓̽͗́̐̎̎̄̋̿̌ę̵̤̫̝̙͙̗̬̄ ̴̡̛̹̭̘̤͐̐̿͂͒̔͝ó̸̢̭̘̮̫̳̥̮̘͔̽͒̆̓̎̎̔̾͒͘v̵̹̮̹̺̱̦͙̙͇͓͉̒̓̀̈́̈͗̍̿̂̋̕͘ȩ̵̛̼̩̻̩̬̉̒̈́͗̌̓̾̏̍̕͘͜͝r̴̞͇̒̒

[luis-now-live]

Nik // Open

Nik: Okay but sneaking someone out of prison and hiding them in your apartment is not a ‘slumber party.’

Luís: Okay, but if you snuck out of prison on your own and hid in someone else's apartment, nine out of ten times they're having a slumber party. This is slasher movie 101.

[luis-now-live]

giofyd​:

Gio raises a brow at the idea that Luís had hatched. He has to give it to him,  it’s certainly one of his better ideas, which is saying something. “There’s a method to you madness, my guy. Sure.” Gio gives him a lackadaisical smile and nods. 

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a natural-born charmer, just a regular Brando.” Gio says and studies his reflection from the same mirror that Luis had been ogling. He’d never been one to obsess over his image or to measure his physical attractiveness against other people, but next to Luis, it’s hard not to feel like a dried-up chicken wing. It’s true, he could use some bulking up a little, but it had just never been him. “I don’t know, I’ve never pictured myself swole, you know? Or, I have, but then I look like… you know that Spongebob episode where Squidward has an accident and they reconstruct his face and he ends up looking… well, hot? It’s kinda like that. Like my head shouldn’t belong to my body.” 

This isn’t to say that he does not appreciate Luis hyping him up. Because he does. They’ve both reached a point in their friendship where they’ve taken it upon themselves to pull up each other’s self-esteem because no one else will. 

At Luis’ suggestion, he tries on the shirt - still over his own - and starts to work on the buttons. “Hey, no one’s stopping you. I think you’d make a great influencer. Start getting free shit without having to grovel for ‘em.” He leaves the top buttons undone and wiggles his arms a bit. “Or we could always just go back to your Court TV idea and you’d get scouted without even trying.”

x

Luís flashed him a smile, turning to look properly in his direction, rather than only through the mirror. “Not Judge Judy, though. If she yells at me, I’m just gonna break out into tears, man. I got a real sensitive heart. You have no idea.” He snaked a hand under his t-shirt, bringing it up to his chest to imitate some sort of pumping motion through the fabric. “I know. I hide it behind this ‘tough as nails’ exterior. No one knows the real me. S’torture.” He sighed melodramatically.

“Who the fuck is Brando? My one auntie used to watch the Brazilian novelas sometimes on satellite. Maybe I could be one of the dudes from those.” He laughed, turning back to continue examining his own reflection. In truth, Luís had always considered himself a good-looking guy. He was vain enough to imagine that if he wanted to, really wanted to, he could perhaps become a model or television star. So maybe his nose was a little sideways, a stray punch from an overzealous boxing opponent. But it had character. 

“Don’t think about it as bein’ swole then. Think about it, like, you got this big strong dude in there, and he just wants to break out and pick up heavy shit and lift up cars with one hand.” 

Saying all this, he kept his own hands on Gio’s shoulders, giving him a good shake before breaking out into a fit of laughter. “Stop it, bro. You ain’t gonna look like handsome Squidward. And on the off chance you did, there’s things you can do to bulk your neck. That’ll help even you out, I figure. How do you feel about growing out the beard? Does wonders for my face. You can hide a lot with a beard. Not that you need to. Jawline.” 

He huffed a little. “I ain’t never groveled. The sponsors are lining up. They’re just...you know, getting everything in order first.” Luís wrinkled up his nose but almost immediately snapped back to a more chipper demeanor. “My time’s coming. Yours too. That suits you. You should wear it. But if they scout me, you gotta come too. We’re a paired deal here. We’ll go viral. Like, picture it: did you see those two super hot dudes suing each other on TV? This shit writes itself.” 

[luis-now-live]

nyxvolkova​:

where: z’s

when: after hours

who: closed for @luis-now-live

The bottle of vodka dangles loose between her fingers. It was venturing past half-empty by now ( what time now was exactly, Nyx had utterly no clue ) as she lifts it again to her lips. The smooth bite of it washes back across her tongue, furthering the warmth that sprints through her blood, pleasantly dampening her mind and allowing her focus to idle over the game she and Luís had settled upon: Dance Dance Revolution, her personal favorite.

“GO GO GO!” she encourages, her free hand balancing herself on the game’s safety bar as she hops with each word, entirely invested in his success. The song he’d chosen picks up it’s tempo towards the end, demanding quite the intricate footwork from him; she watches, absolutely bubbling with anticipation. 

“Ahhhhhh! NOOOO! YOU HAD IT TOO!” She laments loudly, before her words disintegrate into a fit of bright laughter, offering him the bottle as his score displays. “Y'gotta drink. you will do better next time if you are drunker.. more drunk? Wait, which is it? Drunkest? No, I think that’s me. Which means,” she raises a finger for emphasis, “I am about to crush you.”  

x

With a completely straight face,  Luís had (more than once) called himself Vinz Clortho, Keymaster of Gozer. And this was a funny joke. It was a goddamn funny joke. No one ever laughed, but in truth, the sentiment itself rang sincerely enough. He had worked in a number of businesses across Pleasance, been given keys to open and close, and been fired more than once for treating the responsibility too loosely. Tonight was no exception.

Z’s was dark this time of night, illuminated only by the glow of the screen before him. And brow glistening with sweat, he kept up with each new arrow, a self-proclaimed expert at this game. At most games. But he had gotten cocky. He always got cocky. And having shifted the thing to the highest difficulty setting, he was already losing his footing to the string of electronic beats, his keyring jangling at his hip as his sneakers thudded against the platform. 

“No! No! No!” He jumped up and down a few times, but stumbling on a particularly quick string of movements, he cried out in defeat as the failure screen flashed red. Luís sighed very deeply at that, draping himself backward over the bar to regain his stamina. He regarded Nyx up-side down from this vantage point. 

“It’s rigged.” He groaned a little, shaking his head as he came back upright. “Nah, I shouldn’t. I gotta work tomorrow. Last thing I need is ‘em comin’ in tomorrow morning and finding me passed out in the corner.” Luís grinned, and despite his protests, he extended a hand for the bottle. He thought better of it, putting it back down. “You’re on, though. So on. Just don’t, like, trip over your feet, drunkest.” He snorted. “Here, watch this.” Pulling off the key ring, he used a peculiar-shaped one to unlock the machine, reclaiming his quarters with a clank to start up a new game. “You saw nothing. The cameras are fake. Don’t tell no one.” 

[luis-now-live]

giofyd​:

Gio doesn’t dignify the challenge with an answer, mostly because he can only think of one favor he’s done Luís right about now. He pulls a face at his friend, silently mocking his words before picking up one of the tossed shirts on the pile next to his feet, one with a fun, summery print. “Yeah, you’ll pick the chicken one because it’s about to go bad.” 

Luís always does this, makes it harder for Gio than it really has to be. Probably because he likes watching him beg. Gio can’t blame him, though - he’s pretty damn good at begging.

“They do not. You’re just not selling me hard enough. You say you will, which is one thing, then you actually get there and you’re being all smooth and charming and fuckin’… sex on a stick gamer dude.” He gestures at Luís’ body, head to toe. “You know, you’d make a really good hooker. Just saying.”

x

“Okay, then I pick the chicken one. Hey! If I get food poisoning, and I gotta call out of work, can I sue you on one of those TV court shows for lost wages? I hear they pay ya no matter if you win or lose, and I can plug the stream.” He grinned at his reflection, settling finally on a hat and beginning to study his own face in the mirror, running a hand along his facial hair. With that, he gave a soft hum before sticking out his tongue.

“I sell you plenty hard, dude” he retorted, giving something of a huff. “I can’t help if I got charisma. It just happens. I say things, and it’s just hilarious and suave and shit. It’s why I’m so good at what I do.” But knitting his brow, Luís reached out an arm and tugged Gio over to the mirror. “But look at yourself, bro. You’re, like, a solid ten. Genetic lotto win. The two of us, we’re the hottest fuckin’ guys in this town. You could have anyone you wanted. I wish I had your goddamn jawline.” He put an arm around his shoulder. “So what? You wanna bulk? I’ll help you bulk. We’ll go lift. You should try that shirt on. It’ll look good on ya.” He flashed his teeth before breaking into a snorting laugh. “Ain’t nothing wrong with that now.”  Still, cocking his head sideways,  Luís narrowed his eyes, rolling up his sleeve to flex, “Maybe I should start posting thirst traps, though. Is that bad? I don’t think so. I could get thirst follows.” 

[luis-now-live]

jaxriver​:

Jax rarely locked up the store with a second person there. Over the years she had grown used to the place, used to the type of work she had to do week in, week out. It was almost automatic now, there was no use to deny that the monotonous job actually helped her ground herself. Very often she took up extra shifts just to do something that she actually felt qualified to do. 

She smiled as she exited the store, having already seen Luis through the window. Walking home with someone had been a nice change, from the very moment it happened, it had taken Jax what seemed like ages to grow a little more comfortable around Luis. She didn’t see him as often as her colleagues, but she appreciated his company. Maybe she almost craved it, though she wouldn’t be so quick to admit it. She locked the door and pressed her hands into her pockets. She looked back at the mannequin. “I did, yes, I don’t usually look much at the clothing,” she admitted. She laughed. “Probably not,” she noted. Jax herself only wore clothing from the store because she was supposed to promote the brand. She liked comfy clothes when she wasn’t on the job. “How was your shift?” she asked.

x

In truth, Luís appreciated the company. Most days, he went directly from work to his computer (or to changing dirty diapers). And while he understood the importance of building his fledgling internet empire, the grind afforded comparably little time for face-to-face adult interaction. And so, he liked the walk, however brief it ended up being.

“She’s staring at me something fierce now. You ever see that episode of The Twilight Zone where, like, they come to life? She knows I’m talking smack about her.” Eyes widening, Luís made a show of ducking away from the mannequin’s gaze. But settling easily in place, he managed to flash Jax a wide, easy grin. “You don’t look at ‘em? Really? I spend all day looking at the potato chips. At the general store anyway. And you know, I still don’t really know what a cool ranch is. Guess the opposite of a Death Ranch. Ba dum tish. I’m here all week.” 

He laughed, falling into step beside her. “Me? It was okay. Slow today. Somebody broke the Mortal Kombat machine. So that sucks. It’s this one real turd of a kid, fifteen, sixteen, you know the kind. Someone keeps beating his high scores, and he’s pissed about it. Little does he know every time he’s a shit to me, I just reset the damn machine so he falls off the leader boards.” He snickered. “How was yours? Anything exciting happen?” 

[luis-now-live]

ajita-tannu​:

Ajita felt like they could muster about the same amount of energy at Luis - though without the working two… was it two?… jobs to provide for a kid - just from looking at the little baby. She was literally the cutest. The tiny hands and tiny fingers that could wrap themselves around their finger. They were certain this was what loved felt like. So of course whenever Luis requested he needed a babysitter, and Ajita was mostly not doing much around the inn, they jumped to the occasion. 

“Really? I really noticed nothing of that,” Ajita said, turning to the little baby and shaking their head as they coed. “You were the most perfectly little companion today, weren’t you? Zero stuffed dog biting or barbie eating.” They turned back to Luis with a grin. “I think she’s just trying to make you jealous,” they added. “Are you trying to make your daddy jealous?” they asked, booping the girl on her nose as she crawled in the small space in the lobby. It was pretty quiet, and most people didn’t really look up strangely at a little baby. 

“Uhm, I think we said ten bucks an hour? Time really flew by, let’s say forty then I can buy my mom something nice for her upcoming birthday.” 

Ajita didn’t technically need the money. They would have to work a little harder the next few hours to catch up on things, but Ajita loved it when there were higher stakes and a deadline. 

x

Luís shook his head, making something of a wry face and regarding the little girl with a jokingly arched brow. “Oh, so that’s how it is, huh? I see. One day I’ll be old and gray, and you’ll feel bad for everythin’ you ever did to me.” He spoke to the girl in a firm, teasing voice, and while the child mostly just babbled in response, he had been making a genuine effort to speak to her like an adult. He had heard somewhere it helped or something. Maybe. “I sound like my mother,” he groaned a little before flashing a wide grin in Ajita’s direction. “It’s starting. Pretty soon I’ll be regifting my friends the same lavender candle every Christmas, and I’ll be too far gone.” He stretched his arms out like a zombie. 

But snapping out of it, he offered a gruff nod. “Right, right,” he continued on, pulling bills out of his wallet and counting under his breath as he went. “Oh! Is her birthday coming up? Mine too. And my mom’s too. Funny. Make sure you send her my best if I don’t see her, yeah?” He smiled, handing over a wad of cash. “It’s a lotta small bills, I’m sorry. I was bartendin’ a few nights outta town actually. Fun place. Serve some drinks in those big fish bowls, you know? Like, ‘Sunblock on the Rocks.’ But, like, we’re in Ohio, so.” This was evidently hilarious, and he gave a hearty laugh at it. 

[antimentes]

[luis-now-live]

giofyd​:

closed starter for @luis-now-live​ at luís’ place, evening.

“Please, Luís? I’ve literally done you like, a million favors, just come through for me just this once?” An over exaggeration, of course - Luís has, in fact, been there for Gio, probably more times than he can count, but that assumes that he can count at all. “There’s a free sandwich with your name on it if you do this for me.”

x

Luís was standing in front of a mirror, trying on baseball caps and speaking to Gio over his shoulder. The bedroom was, in truth, tidier than usual. He cleaned the place up when Ines was due to stay for a few days. But as he went, he was still tossing articles of clothing into a pile on the floor. “I dunno. A million sounds like a lot, dude. Was it really that many? Name five.” Luís rolled his eyes, spinning around. He flashed his teeth. “Well, what kind of sandwich? Do I get to pick?” He snorted before giving a soft sigh. 

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Fine whatever. I’ll set you up. Tell her how great you are. We’re scheduled together tomorrow. I’ll tell her how you saved my life. I owe you everything. I’m gonna name my firstborn son after you. And really, she should just give you her goddam number so I can stop playin’ middleman.” He shook his head. “Don’t make it weird, though. You know, I don’t mind playing wingman, but it’s hard. They all fall in love with me before they even get to you. And I gotta work with her, so I can’t have that happening.” 

[luis-now-live]

Closed starter for @jaxriver​ Location: Outside Alby’s Time: Evening

"Oh. Oh no. That what the kids are wearing these days, huh?” Having just finished a shift at Z’s (and grateful he would miss the usual early evening rush), Luís stood outside a department store window, hands tucked into his pockets as he waited to meet Jax to start the walk home. Propped up in the display was a new mannequin, clad in a blanket of orange fabric, an outfit that lay somewhere between circus clown and guest actress in an old school television Western. She stared out at the world, stone-faced, as if resigned to the whole spectacle. 

Luís laughed a little, covering his face, but catching his own reflection in the glass, an oversized hoodie and pair of thrifted jeans, he sighed a little. So maybe he was not exactly the pinnacle of fashion, but then again, Alby’s was not exactly the epicenter of hip. Things trickled down this way from bigger cities. 

Either way, humming a little, he moved to wait near the door, speaking up with a smile when it swung outward. “Hey, did they make you dress up orange lady over there? I’m curious. It’s my mom’s birthday comin’ up. Was gonna get her something nice. For church.” This all came through suppressed snickers at a joke that was not actually all that funny. “Can I afford it?” 

[luis-now-live]

Closed starter for @ajita-tannu​ Location: Southwood Inn Time: Early Evening

“Did she behave? We had a tough mornin’ today, didn’t we?” Having come directly from work, Luís was still wearing his name tag and had a piece of tape stuck to his shirt collar. But hoisting the little girl into his arms, he planted a kiss on her cheek before letting her squirm her way back to the floor, where she began chewing on a Barbie doll’s foot. “Hey. Hey! Outta the mouth. Come on,” Luís chided before flashing Ajita an easier smile. “We had a T-A-N-T-R-U-M at breakfast because you can’t eat cereal and hold a stuffed dog in each hand at the same time. The world’s a weird and scary place.” He laughed a little before beginning to fish his wallet from his pocket.

“What do I owe you, huh? I appreciate you bein’ able to look after her on such short notice today. I needed that extra shift somethin’ nasty.” And that was true enough. After all, he had called out earlier that week to sleep, his nights as of late having been restless. He fared better during the day, when the sun was out. Things felt more normal in the daylight.

Still, despite the fatigue, Luís managed to come keep his demeanor bright for the moment, if not downright chipper, largely for his daughter’s sake. “Hey, unrelated, but what wi-fi provider do you use around here? For guests I mean. Is it any good? Mine keeps crappin’ out.”

[luis-now-live]

isaak-rietveld​:

Status: Open 

Location: Southwood Public Park 

Time: Evening

Odin’s evening walk in the park was going normal until it wasn’t. An abrupt yank had his leash torn from Isaak’s hand and Odin darting toward a small pond. His ears went flat, pressed to his head, canines bared, a deep growl vibrating in his chest. All at once, he began to ferociously bark at…nothing? “Odin!” Isaak shouted. He sprinted behind the dog and knelt beside him, immediately beginning to console him with scratches behind the ears and gentle strokes and kisses. His attempts were futile. The persistence of his barks began to grow exponentially and Isaak noticed that they were beginning to draw attention — side-eyed glances, annoyance…mild panic. Isaak flushed. Odin seemed to be staring at absolutely nothing and Isaak’s thoughts became muddled. “Fucking hell,” he whispered to himself. He kept his sight down and on Odin, unable to look at anyone else. Isaak’s eyes flicked hurriedly between his dog and the pond, trying to see just what the hell sent him into such an uncharacteristic frenzy. Maybe there was a fish he saw. Or a cat. Fucking anything. But he knew it was implausible. Odin was as gentle and docile as they came, he’d never seen him like this. He tried to pull Odin from his spot in front of the pond, but with seemingly superhuman strength, he stayed rooted in his position, not budging a single inch. Seated on a bench some two feet away, someone held a croissant in their hand, ready to take the first bite before Isaak brusquely interrupted. “Can I have that, please? I promise I’ll buy you another one.”

x

Although, in reality, it had only been two weeks, Luís felt as though he had not had a proper day off from work in months. With his daughter at her mother’s for the next few days, he had thus taken the night before as an opportunity, an opportunity to stay awake into the wee hours playing video games, surfing the internet, and flipping through whatever bullshit was on late-night TV. But it was not all pleasure. Staying awake, focusing on something, it spared him from the neon green nightmares, the odd, electric dreamscapes that had been plaguing him as of late. His demeanor was hampered, then, by fatigue when he crawled out of bed only an hour or so earlier that evening. Staring at his alarm clock, caught in his blankets, he had to take a full moment to realize the numbers read PM and not AM. Nevertheless, throwing on whatever he found, the sole hoodie still clean in his closet, he more or less dragged himself o the store, to pick up something quick to eat, and then to the park, resolving some fresh air would help clear his head and ease his strained eyes. He had found the Gameboy in his backpack after settling on the bench, although he did not necessarily remember placing it there. But he must have; he had been hiding it all over to avoid looking at it. It was an old model, with a light accessory attached to it. And Luís stared at it a good long while before properly starting it up. Strange Man. Press Start. Although the machine was muted, the steady, electronic melody he had programmed into the cartridge rang in his head as the game itself began. You’re standing outside the movie theater. It’s foggy tonight. The film just ended. You feel a sense of foreboding. Your decisions determine your fate. What will you do? And Luís sat like that, not making a choice, mouth hanging open, staring at the screen, free hand clutching a croissant. He did not even hear the barking; it was the voice that seemed to jolt him back to reality. “Huh?” He blinked, eyes drifting from Isaak to Odin and back again. He nodded vaguely. “Oh, uh...yeah, yeah, sure, dude. I’m not even eatin’ it. Sorry. Were you...? I don’t know. I think I fell asleep.” 

[luis-now-live]

Closed starter for @francolasurdo​ Location: Pleasance General Store Time: Late Morning After the morning rush but before the local lunch breaks brought Pleasance through his doors,  Luís sat at the counter, leaning back in his chair and thumbing through a fitness magazine from the nearby rack. Eying a photograph of some bodybuilder or another, he glanced up to catch his own reflection in one of the refrigerator doors. He flexed, once, twice, three times, snapping abruptly to attention when the entry bell rang. And losing footing, Luís nearly toppled over in his chair. But lapsing into a show of normalcy, he hopped to his feet, strolled over to the rack, and placed the magazine back, pretending to tidy the various shelves before looking up with a smile.

“Welcome to Pleasance General. Let me know if I can help you find anything. We’re having a special on milk. Buy one get one half-off. Which is a lot of milk, right? I think someone overordered.” Humming a little, he glanced at his watch a moment before speaking up again. “Oh, shoot. You’re not my 11:30, are you? I’m sorry. Real professional of me.” 

[luis-now-live]

Closed starter for @hildahenyork Location: Pleasance Public Library Time: Midday 

Crunch. Luís knew he was not actually allowed to eat potato chips in the library, but sneaking a furtive glance over his shoulder, he discreetly popped another one into his mouth. For the moment, he was draped over a table in one of the bookable conference rooms, waiting for the overhead projector, with which he had been fiddling, to reboot. He did this from time to time, offered volunteer services to repair or at least restart the increasingly outdated technology that kept the  place afloat. They would not let him near the computers, of course, government property, able to be hacked and steal all local secrets. But he did not mind getting to crack open television sets and DVD players from time to time. After all, he popped in every so often to pick up a few books for his daughter (and figured he could at least put on a show of utility).

When the door cracked open, Luís made a quick move to crumple up the bag, but already caught, he sighed, sitting up and flipping the cap around on his head. “These were here when I got here. Want one?” He offered them over, the projector beeping to life and coating him in the glow of a blue standby screen.

[luis-now-live]

This is THIRTY-TWO year old LUÍS GONÇALVES, a CUSTODIAN & MAINTENANCE WORKER AT Z’S AND CASHIER AT PLEASANCE GENERAL STORE who uses HE / HIM pronouns. He was BORN AND RAISED IN PLEASANCE and enjoys spending his time at Z’S ARCADE. He is written by Ted.

Below the cut is some biographical info about my newest character. As always, feel free to hit me up for plots and connections!

@phqextras​

TW: Death, Drugs, Violence 

i. basics

name: luís gonçalves age: 32 birthday: june 8, 1988 gender: cis male pronouns: he/him occupation: custodian & cashier religion: roman catholic sexual orientation: pansexual

ii. stats

height: 5′9″ eyes: brown hair: black mbti: entp alignment: chaotic neutral affiliation: none

iii. background

The youngest of four children, Luís Gonçalves came into this world less than a year after his next closest sibling: an older brother who never let him forget just how much of an accident he apparently was. Their father had come to the United States from Brazil in the early 1980s. Their mother, on the other hand, could trace her routes through Pleasance right up to the Great Depression. 

And in truth, the pair had met only by chance. The young woman had missed her bus out of Pleasance right when another bus carrying her future husband, who had gotten aboard the wrong one at his first stop, would roll into town. And thus, an accident of fate somehow bound them both to this place. Perhaps it remained apropos, then, that their fourth child had also arrived in Pleasance by accident.

In nursery school, Luís would lay awake at nap time to listen in on the teachers’ private conversations. This was not out of maliciousness or nosiness; he was simply very small and very bored. And being both of those things until at least the ninth grade too frequently caused him trouble: passing notes in class, making faces in church, and being expelled from the Boy Scouts for an incident involving spinning a pocket knife round and round.

Still, with high school came a growth spurt and new possibilities. His older brother, one grade above, excelled at academics. His older sister, two grades above, excelled at athletics. Something of a lifelong slacker, though, Luís was not quite good at either of those things. However, on something of a whim, he and a friend eventually took up boxing at a local gym, largely for an excuse to punch each other in the head. But Luís, quick on his feet and with above average hand-eye-coordination, took to the sport surprisingly well.

If he applied himself, then, perhaps he could have pursued it into a legitimate career, but instead, he spent most of his days hanging around the arcade, spinning the pocket knife round and round, and smoking pot. The first two required hand-eye-coordination, but the last required money. After some begging, Luís thus secured a job at Z’s, tidying bathrooms and emptying trash bins. These duties eventually encompassed all-around maintenance on the machines and the building. He has worked there ever since, in addition to a series of other odd jobs that, to this day, changes by the month.

After graduating, Luís more or less hung around his hometown, and without a real sense of direction, threw himself to flights of fancy. He went to work, saved up to get an apartment, and dated people with whom he went to high school, largely because many of them seemed to be doing the same thing he was doing. 

While he would not exactly call himself the black sheep of the family, he certainly does feel like the resident underachiever sometimes. But he had an internet video go semi-viral when he jumped off a high wall and fractured an ankle, and his siblings did not. So that was neat. 

While he was stuck at home and unable to go anywhere following this incident, he began teaching himself basic coding using online tutorials. After a while, he was making silly little games and could, again, be genuinely good at these endeavors if he really applied himself to them. 

Several years ago, Luís entered a relationship with a woman by the name of Sarah, sister to @roarkecohen. And while their union did not last, due in no small part to Luís’s own lifelong refusal to pursue anything too strenuous, they did bring a daughter, Ines, into the world together. 

And Luís found that if he was never really good at anything, he was a damn good dad. Working two or three jobs at a time, he made sure she had everything she needed. And he continues to co-parent well to this day, picking up and dropping the girl off with the punctuality of a drill sergeant.

As long as his daughter lives near Pleasance, then, Luís knows he will as well, not that he has ever really felt motivated to leave, However, he has, as of late, taken up video game streaming, with dreams of sponsorships and large donations, of being some kind of influencer, striving for bigger and better things than his small town could ever offer. He has no fans.

The creation of Strange Man, a funny 8-bit choose-your-own adventure game, also came as something of a moneymaking venture. Luís began coding it and finished the project, including the creation of artistic assets, over a four-day weekend. While he had grown up hearing the local stories, his family had largely been spared direct encounters with them. Strange Man, then, was only a well-crafted creepypasta, a game based on a real-life horror that he could package up on old Gameboy cartridges and market as a cursed something for internet shoppers.

Still, his work on the game had also been a strange experience, a ninety-six hour daze, fueled by energy drinks and some outside force that seemed to guide every element, as if Luís were the vessel for the creator and not the creator himself. The final product told of an unnamed protagonist, who, upon leaving the movies one evening, encounters the titular entity. The players’ choices send them either to an untimely grave or to victory, releasing the town’s trapped souls once and for all.

The game itself functioned well until Luís transferred it to the first cartridge. If he started it up, it would shriek, flash a game over screen depicting a rotten, bloated corpse, and shut down. He could blame that on bugs, glitches, but what he cannot explain thus far is how the Gameboy keeps showing up in various places around his apartment on its own accord. Only in those instances can he get the thing going, as if he is being beckoned to play only on something else’s time.

But Luís is afraid of his own creation. He has not beaten it. And if he had not worked so hard on it, he would perhaps delete it. But the more he gets that dreadful death screen to flash, the more he realizes the pixelated corpse looks like him. 

[omibutt]

CAIO CASTRO as GREGO MOURÃO “I ♥ PARAISÓPOLIS” | Globo, 2015