“ugh, i’m so sick -- ya know, i dare you to ask how sick i am the answer’s gonna blow your mind.” without skipping a beat, raf slumped in his seat dramatically, talking to anyone within shouting distance of his seat in the small campus coffee shop. “i’m so sick it’s fucking illegal and that new Ye album nor a switch to a glass ice bong is helping my throat. this is the death of a sinner - i’m telling you.”
“Why the fuck do schools contribute to the bullshit fest that is Valentine’s Day? It’s just another fuckin’ day of the year, and yet, people suddenly need to show someone copious amounts of affection? Ludicrous. It’s just a way for places like Hallmark to make a ton of money by scamming sorry fuckers.”
“To be fair, I demand to be showered in affection everyday so I also don’t understand limiting it to just one day. But why are you so upset? Are you one of those guys who hates love or are you just cheap? I’m just asking so I know how to tackle this convo.”
💩-- If your character has a job, is he or she good at it? Does he or she like it?
i suppose technically i get a cut so i do have a job, and i’m not broke yet so
💩-- What are your character’s bad habits?
bad habits? i’m too cool? um, no let’s see. i’m an awful slob. just leave shit everywhere, but it’s not dirty, you know? like, there’s not fungus or mold because that’s just disgusting.
💩-- If you asked about his or her greatest dream, what would your character tell you?
hmm, my aspiration in life.. is to be happy. beyoncé is never wrong, and it’s a pretty legit dream if you ask me. every day should be about bringing yourself or someone else a little more happiness and i stand by that.
💩-- What’s a secret dream that he or she wouldn’t tell you about?
in the future, i hope my father takes me a little more seriously. let’s me do more in the business side of things that isn’t just hosting parties for his clients and fucking people’s secretary’s for trade sercrets.
💩-- What kind of person does your character wish he could be? What is stopping him?
i want to be the kind of guy, that people remember fondly like ‘oh yeah, he wasn’t a piece of shit’ , ‘oh yeah, one time he ate way too much chocolate pudding but that was about the worst thing he’s really done’. i’d hate to ruin someone’s good time.
💩-- What is your character afraid of? What keeps him or her up at night?
fear is weird because in one sense someone can say clowns and be done with it and then other times they have to say like ‘sickness plaguing my whole family leaving me alone forever’ and it’s all dark, but neither of that keeps me up at night. but i’d say the latter, minus the plague part - that’s way too dramatic.
💩-- What does your character think is his or her worst quality?
it’s like you’re setting me up just to flatter myself. but honestly, i’d say i’m too inconsistent.
💩-- What do other people think your character’s worst quality is?
something like i’m too spoiled, i don’t take other people into consideration, i play with people for my own amusement, i do too many drugs, hmm, and that i’m selfish or some shit but none of that’s true.
💩-- What is a talent your character thinks he or she has but is very wrong about?
i give really good advice. like, if anyone needs advice, i’m your guy.
💩-- What did his or her childhood home look like?
my first home was in the heart of brazil, mostly because they have the laxest laws, but also because my father didn’t like to be surrounded at work. so he had the main brewery in socal and we lived outside of the country for the majority of the year. but it was nice and airy and the maids came by daily to sweep and mop and there was always fresh fruit. after i was about 11 we moved to socal more permanently and that was fun. i learned to surf and get tattoos and make mistakes so it was lit
💩-- Who was his or her first love?
*stares out the window wistfully* hey, can you put down that i was staring out the window wistfully? thanks, anyway.. my first love? how about i let you know when i feel more certain.
💩-- What’s the most terrible thing that ever happened to him/her?
my father taught me at a young age that no one stays forever. so, ever since i was two or maybe even younger, i can’t remember for certain, i had a new nanny every month so i learned not to get attached. it didn’t seem weird to me until i started to attend school and kids and parents and siblings would all introduce themselves to me on the playground hoping to get hired - even if they didn’t know me, they would approach me in hopes of catching my attention and getting paid. but it was so clear, even as young as six years old, that none of them cared about me. it was pretty sick
💩-- What was his/her dream growing up? Did he/she achieve this dream? If so, in what ways was it not what the character expected? If your character never achieved the dream, why not?
oh, the usual: an astronaut, a dentist, a robot. but sadly i am still none of those things, but i will one day be the first cyborg in space and i will be on stamps if those are still a thing.
don’t ask me why i wanted to be a dentist tho. i have no idea, but there is a smiley face drawing of me with ‘teeth!’ written above it with like fifty exclamation marks.
💩-- In what situation would your character become violent?
i don’t really lose my temper, but i guess if someone challenged me or was like threatening someone i care about.
💩-- In what situation would your character act heroic?
heroic is so vague, like i’m not batman material mostly because there are no fully functioning batmobile replicas out there - and trust, i’ve looked - but, yeah, i guess if there was any a time that someone needed me, i would be there and i hope that’s what heroic means to you.
He wiped himself off, letting his thumb trail along his bottom lip. He was still reeling from what had just happen. To make matters a little more confusing, Rafael seem completely unfazed. Vincent’s head was a flurry of confusion. “What was your question?” He watched the boy with a careful eye as Rafael began to strip down. Adjusting his boxers, the larger male hopped down off the counter. “You know I’m not pick. Yeah. You can eat in the bed.” He laughed, roughing up the boy’s hair once more before disappearing into the dark bedroom. Fluffing his pillows and adjusting his comforter, Vincent climbed in. After such a long day, his bed felt like Heaven. He waited patiently, watching the dimly lit hall as he waited for Raf to join him.
Turning off the oven with a flick of his wrist, Raf tore a paper towel from the roll to offer minimal protection from the toasty rolls as he balanced them in his hand. Kicking off his pants in the hall separating the two bedrooms, he hip-checked the door close before bouncing to sit carelessly on the bed. Too impatient to wait, he jammed the first one into his mouth effectively burning the shit out of the roof of his mouth. "I asked you, if you were feeling alright." He huffed out, mouth still obscenely full. Patting Vincent over the covers be attempted to patch things up. "Just know, if you ever need anything you know I'm there so, like, it's okay even if you wake me up." Hiccuping as he took a more conservative bite of the second one, he climbed over Vincent to wedge himself in between him and the wall. Finishing it off, he sighed contently, pleasantly full. "On the brightside, you're a great kisser. You'll be back to your old self in no time. "
❝ handier ? well, i guess we’ll find out if i like it or not. ❞ teasing at him playfully, the brunette couldn’t help but begin to laugh. as hard as she usually tried to stay serious around him, rafael always got her content. ❝ reassure yourself that i haven’t – except maybe one time.. ❞ raising her eyebrows at him, adrianna stood up as he waved the keys in front of her, swiftly grabbing them from his hands as she made her way towards the door. ❝ i mean who wouldn’t want to spend more time with you and your – what’d you call it – masterpiece vessel ? hey it ain’t easy being a prostitute they gotta do somethin’ on the side, y’know ? to keep it fun and shit. ❞ swinging open the door, adrianna faked a painful look before speeding up her step towards the parking lot. ❝ me ?? flake on you ?! how could you say such a thing ? really, rafe ? ❞ her voice was light and airy before the girl turned on her heels and began running in the other direction, looking back at him over her shoulder as if challenging him to catch up to her.
❝ yes, now get your nasty little head outta the gutter. what do you mean one time? hey --❞ staying just a step behind her, rafael wasn’t all too worried about his car though he only half realized that he didn’t know if she knew how to drive. ❝ exactly the reason why i’m in such high demand. you can shorten it to ‘master vessel’ if you’d like. ❞ he said with a wink. ❝ i’ll let them know that you sympathize with their situation when you go off to the toilets later and they ask me if you can be trusted or if they should just leave you on the side of the road. ❞ more amused than mortified, rafael chased after her - sickly aware that perhaps vincent was right and he should maintain a healthy relationship with the gym. ignoring that thought all together, he was momentarily reminded of paintings of hunters chasing nymphs, but shook the thought from his head as pebbles crunched beneath his converse and he gained on her. scooping an arm around her waist, he lifted and spun her to a stop in front of the fountain. ❝ yeah, silly me. where would i get an idea like that? ❞ only extremely, mildly, out of breath, he cocked his head slightly, extending his hand towards her. ❝ you owe me something. ❞
“I think he wanted to make people cry. That’s kind of the point of the film, Raf. I think you’re a little too offended by this whole thing.” He grabbed onto the boy, pulling him close as Raf leaned back into him. Vincent weighed his options out in his head. He knew his friend was pretty fucked up - to the point where his memory was probably pretty spotty. He bit his lip, staring down at the other male for a moment. With one swift movement, Vincent leaned down. He let his lips find Raf’s, pulling the other male impossibly closer. His heart began to race as he deepened the kiss, grabbing fistfuls of Raf’s dark hair. Knowing he was getting a little too excited, he decided to slow down. He pulled away, staring at the boy. “Sorry.”
“’s just fucked up is all.” Taking another swig of beer, he held the bottle between numb fingers, trying to think up another point. Eyes closing automatically, Raf’s free hand fell into Vincent’s lap as he kissed back - licking along his plush lower lip to inevitably chase the taste of beer and weed. The dull ache of his scalp as Vincent pulled his hair had him sighing against the other’s mouth before they broke apart. Swallowing air thickly, he brought his beer back up to his lips, letting the last of it run down his throat. “’s okay,” Raf hummed with a gentle shrug of his shoulders. “Didn’t answer my question though.” Jumping down from the counter, the bottle swung precariously from his loose grip as he single-handedly unbuckled his pants. Tossing the now empty bottle into the trash, his shirt was the first to go - balling it up and placing it on the counter as he made his way to the fridge for another beer. “You don’t mind if I eat in your bed right?”
“You’re really feeling that shit.” Vincent couldn’t help but laugh as his friend rambled on about Titanic. He had a point. There was definitely enough room for both on the bed frame. It was just something that Vincent never thought about. It didn’t matter. “Sure. Yeah. You can sleep, here. You’re not going to be able to take Parker’s bed. He’s out somewhere.” Vincent assumed he was with Marco. “You can stay in my bed. Maybe, it’ll get Parker a little jealous.” He laughed a bit, grabbing two beers from the fridge. The larger male passed one over to Rafael with a smile. “It’s supposed to be a sad movie, Raf. That’s the point.” He roughed up the other boy’s hair. “I’m going to put these things in the oven and get into my PJ’s, alright?” With that, Vincent went to work, getting the Bagel Bites ready. He walked into his bedroom, calling out to Raf. “What’s got you thinking about Titanic, anyways? I hate that movie!” He reemerged in his usual boxer briefs. He hopped up on the counter next to his best friend. “Are you alright?”
“This is a new plain of existence that I’ve been living on for awhile. Thanks, you’re the best. Parks doesn’t deserve to come back and find me in his bed yet.” Raf agreed, taking the beer gratefully he tried to duck away from Vincent’s grip but failed miserably and just accepted it. “I mean yeah, it’s supposed to be sad but Leo didn’t have to go down like that!” He said to his friend’s back, twisting off the top and tossing it into the sink. “Like, she spent the whole last bit of the movie crying about him to her 50 kids but she couldn’t move a half inch? I hate James Cameron, why would he do this?” Swigging down half the bottle he waited until Vincent was back, though why he bothered to say pajamas when all he did was strip down. “I don’t know, it just kind of popped into my head. It’s the worst. “Yeah, of course.” Slouching into Vincent, he rocked from side to side. “You alright?”
“okay, you’ve seen me at one party. that doesn’t constitute for me at any other party. i’m a riot, i can assure you of that.” as soon as she handed him the phone back, she let out another laugh and rolled her eyes. “an in-depth discussion? okay, more like you wanna get your dick wet. she’s a little hard to get but i’ll hook you up. it’s a really good show but it’s just super long. it’s hard to keep up. i’m on season six and they’re currently on season eleven on television. i’m never gonna make it. the Torturepedia? i like it. make that my name on your phone. ugh, nancy grace is a raging bitch, i’d probably kill her. i’m glad your life’s goal is to be on CNN. i think you’d make quite the charismatic news anchor.”
"a riot? well i’d love to see that. you going to that valentines thing?” shrugging off her accurate assumption, rafael coughed lamely to cover up the laughter bubbling in his chest. “do you really think that i would use psych as a thin, relatable, discussion topic to bang your friend in the library? i can’t believe this, i’m truly insulted.” licking his lips to distract himself, raf typed quickly to change her contact name and slyly take and upwards angled photo of her. “she’s fucking awful. i’m glad you’re a real human being because now i can trust you. but thank you, i look great not only from the waist down, but the waist up. if i were a news anchor, i would definitely let you on anytime you’d like. a special correspondent of sorts.”
“Damn, Raf. You must be pretty fucked up. You’re mumbling about Animorphs being liars. We need to get you inside. You sound crazy.” He couldn’t help but laugh, hearing his best friend go off on another one of his philosophical tangents. In the back of his mind, he wondered if Rafael was indirectly talking about him. The words ‘people should say what they want’ stuck out to him. Vincent knew exactly what he wanted, but chose not to voice it. Technically, that wasn’t lying. He simply blinked, watching Raf snap a picture. “Oh, I look beautiful?” He gave his friend his best smolder, going into a double bicep pose. “Thanks, babe. You look pretty great, too.” Another laugh followed, pushing the door open. “Yeah? Why? You want some? I can definitely make you some.”
“One day, I’m going to get that fancy technology that writes down everything you say and I’ll write a book that will sell millions and I will be immortalized. Also Animorphs had the worst concent ever, I saw one about a Dell computer once.” Infinitely grateful for Vincent’s humor, Raf stifled a laugh as he made his way into the kitchen. “My instagram’s about to blow up between this gem and Adri’s passport photo.” Hopping up to sit on the counter, Raf tapped his fingers against his thigh as he waited. “You know what’s fucked up though? The Titanic. They both could’ve fit on the door frame, V. I know it. Can I crash here? I’ll be good and go to bed when you do so you can make it to class or whatever. But Rose really could’ve scooted over a bit and then it wouldn’t be a sad movie anymore.”
“Anything?” He wanted to make a joke about having something Rafael could get his mouth around, but he wasn’t in the mood for those kind of jokes tonight. Vincent hopped off the ladder, walking alongside his friend as he tried to think of something to do. “How about we head back to my place? I can make us some Bagel Bites or Pizza Rolls. That can’t be too hard.” He glanced over at Rafael who was clearly feeling the full effects of the drugs. “Hey, man. Are you alright?” Vincent put his arm around him, wanting to make sure he really was okay while ensuring that he wouldn’t fall over or something. Maybe, it was just an excuse to make a little contact with his friend. “Let’s get you back to the dorm, okay? I’ll give you a little purple to smoke. It’ll chill you out.”
Nodding mutely, Rafe looked up and down the hall, only feeling grounded when Vincent slung an arm around him. “Yeah.. I’m great, there’s no place I’d rather be.” As they made their way down the hall, Rafael reached out his arm, to drag his fingertips along the bumps in the wall. “Do you ever wonder why people lie? Like it can’t be self-preservation to lie to yourself about what you want and stuff, right? It doesn’t make sense, people should say what they want to as long as it doesn’t fuck someone else over, you know? Like, animals don’t lie and we’re somehow supposed to be more evolved? What’s the truth, man. I think there was a reason why on all those Animorph covers the people turned into animals - they know more than us.” Waiting by the door, he quickly took his phone out, swiping upwards for the camera and taking a quick snap. “You look beautiful in the lighting,” he laughed, before making his way inside. “Did you say something about bagel bites?”
“who says that a drunk at a house party isn’t an intellectual enemy? believe you me, i have a few shitty enemies. never underestimate them.” she rolled her eyes and grabbed his phone from her, typing in exactly what he’d told her and texted it to herself. “now we’ve both got a reminder. —- seven seasons of psych? i had a friend who was oddly obsessed with that show and she kept trying to get me to watch but i’m like way more into supernatural , how to get away with murder and…interesting shows. but she says it’s like a crime comedy? i dunno. why, thank you. i’m very well versed in the art of torture.”
“ touché, i didn’t even think of that. just, ya know, your track record at parties hasn’t been all that great so i just assumed that that wasn’t really your scene and that you’d stay away from anyone who did that kind of stuff.” his sentence puttered to a mute point as she took his phone. it was truly one of the most interesting things to see her send herself a message. taking the phone back, raf couldn’t help but smile at her. “you’re not so bad, if you could also hook me up with her number i’d like to, um, have an in-depth discussion or something. supernatural huh? i heard about that but there’s just too much of it to even bothering catching up. okay, if there’s a string of murders i’ll tell the dean about you, ‘she’s a firecracker’ i’ll say, ‘she knows so much about torture the kids on the streets call her the Torturepedia’ and then CNN’s Nancy Grace will ask me questions and then interrupt me as I try to answer them for a half hour. The dream life, you know, if you ever lost is and started killing everyone.”