#okayyeti

[remember-the-mole]

BABY BREAD

[strawberryfiction]

Rabbits Don’t Lay Eggs (One Shot)

Pairing: Joelay

Warning: RT Hybrid au, swearing.

Summary: Joel has caused a mess without even realizing it. Now the office is full of tension as the young Rabbit refuses to speak to the older ferret. Tearing his hair out Joel has a mystery to solve to bring the smile back to Ray’s face. A few colorful plastic eggs can do a lot of damage. 

Joel was leaning back in his chair when the colorful plastic eggs decorating his office for the holiday season caught his wondering eye. His short ferret ears twitched and a smirk crossed his face. In a rush he started to collect the small eggs scattered around the room and pile them up in the pocket of his hoodie. Earlier in the week they had been filled with small treats like mini Twix bars and other sorts of candy. The office quickly ended that egg hunt, the canines won it with their sense of smell, now the plastic shell laid scattered everywhere. Joel had stepped on quite a few. The door to the Achievement Hunter office was closed, that was the signal that they were recording. Joel tried to be stealthy even though he doubted they could hear him. Joel carefully opened the door peeking in, all was as it always was. Michael with his cat ears sticking straight up was shouting at Gavin who giggled hiding in his wings. Geoff was leaning back in his chair trying to break them up more focus on eating his beer can, while Jack filmed with his laugh like roar. Ryan was watching for the hell of it  his skinny tail flicking back and forth. Ray was chewing on his hoodie string watching it all with his sensitive fluffy bunny ears pressed down against his head. That’s who Joel wanted to see, his cotton tailed boyfriend. “Happy Easter!” Joel shouted tossing the collection of colorful eggs towards Ray. All of the bickering stopped at once and the room focused on Ray and the bounty of decorations raining down on top of him. Everyone laughed, Joel walked in giving a noogie to Ray smiling towards the phone Jack held up filming. “Are you the one who snuck into my office and left all these?” Joel teased. “Guess I won the egg hunt, what’s my prize? Can I take a picture with you for a holiday card peter cotton tail?” Joel laughed. Ray nudged Joel away, “You’re drunk old man, Easter was yesterday.” Joel paused, “Nu-uh.” Jack nodded, “We gotta get you a better calendar.” Joel absent mindedly put the plastic eggs into Ray’s hood, “Eh,” he shrugged. “Funny bunny here makes it feel like Easter all year.” “Great,” Ray rolled his eyes. “Joel, we love your segments here but, we’ve got an actual show to finish recordning,” Geoff cut in. “Right,” Joel nodded. “Enjoy the eggs Easter bunny, you’re going to have to show me how you laid those later!” Joel shouted as he left the  room. “Gross!” Ray shouted out after him. ---- Ray was stomping down the volcano in his gut as he took the plastic eggs out of his hood. The cameras were on, he had to laugh along with each one of the bad jokes that fell out of Joel’s mouth. Ray felt insulted, this was the worst time of the year for him, probably for any rabbit hybrid; he wasn’t the butt of some joke, he was a living breathing person. Everyone expected him to have candy or to be carrying the cheap plastic eggs his boyfriend had thrown at him. Ray couldn’t even frown, the cameras were on. Focusing on the game Ray started to forget about the incident as Michael started talling a story. Ray let himself get absorbed until Geoff asked what everyone had done over the short holiday they took for Easter. Gavin started giggling and Ray already knew he was in trouble. “Ray,” Gavin started, “Did I see you at the mall on Sunday? How much do you make being the Easter bunny?” The room erupted into laughter and Ray gave a fake chuckle into his mic playing along. They didn’t stop after that, Michael came up with a  few before Geoff stepped in. “Alright guys, how about you stop getting your asses kicked and leave the joking to a professional.” Ray gave a sigh of relief wondering if anyone else picked up on it. Geoff had caught Ray coming into the office with a running nose and puffy eyes more than once during the few weeks leading up to Easter when all the decorations and candy came out. Ray had confided in Geoff and the older man understood how crappy people could be sometimes for a cheap joke. Ray wondered what Geoff thought about Joel’s egg incident. It wasn’t the only egging Ray had been a part of. “Hey Ray, pay attention!” Michael shouted pulling Ray out of his thoughts to shoot the zombie gnawing on him. ---- Joel looked at his phone wishing he had noticed the date earlier, so many wasted jokes. He put his phone back in his pocket going back to his laptop working on editing the new How To set to come out. The time flew by and when Joel looked up next Ray was standing in his office with a beanie covering his bunny ears that still peeked out the back. Joel checked his watch, “Already time?” Ray nodded. Joel saved his files, shut down his computer, and grabbed his keys from his desk along with a handful of change he had found during the day. “We’ve gotta fix your addiction to shiny stuff,” Ray smirked. “After we fix your lack of holiday spirit,” Joel laughed. “Holiday’s over Joel,” Ray tugged his beanie down tighter. Joel ruffled Ray’s hat covered head, “Don’t get your ears in a knot,” he laughed. Getting home Joel went right to the fridge to pull out his usual beer, “You feeling like eggs for dinner tonight?” “Oh my God Joel!” Ray shouted. Joel smirked, “Taking that as a no.” Ray flipped him off walking into the bedroom. Joel put his shiny chunk of change onto the counter before he rooted around the cupboards looking for real food, pasta was the winner. Dinner was silent, they ate on the couch, Ray with his games and Joel on his phone. This was a regular position for them to be in, but there was usually conversation to be shared, Joel felt weird. He kept glancing over at Ray who had barely touched his plate before setting it down on the floor, his shoulders were up and he looked stiff. Joel stretched over placing his phone on the coffee table before he shifted around on the couch so he could put his hands on Ray’s shoulders. Ray adjusted himself accordingly to give Joel more room behind him. Joel pushed his fingers against Ray’s skin moving them around massaging the tight muscles. He watched Ray’s ears twitch as he hit Ray’s sweet spot where all the stress was building up in the boy’s small body. Joel nuzzled his face into Ray’s neck, “You feeling alright? You ate like one bite.” “I’m not that hungry,” Ray’s voice was bored and flat. Joel’s approach was careful kissed along Ray’s throat before he started playing with Ray’s fuzzy ears rubbing the velvety insides. “Can you stop?” Ray shrugged away from Joel’s grip.   Feeling stunned Joel sat there another second before he grabbed Ray’s plate from the floor and walked back to the kitchen to store it in a Tupperware. Ray had never pushed him away like that before. ---- Ray felt cold without Joel’s body pressed against his back; he ignored the tingle running down his spine. There was still some vinegar in Ray’s blood from the afternoon of jokes that still hadn’t stopped once they walked in the door. Even in his own apartment Ray couldn’t escape the stupid jokes. Joel was the last person Ray wanted to be around just then, he didn’t want Joel’s affection, he was bitter. Ray had been hurt, even worse betrayed, by Joel. Ray ran his hand through his hair; out of everyone Joel should have known the best. He was so pissed that his safe haven was corrupted and hurting him the same way everyone else did this time of year. Setting down the controller Ray walked into the bedroom, he felt drained. Lying in bed Ray listened to Joel in the kitchen, he was so used to being out there playing songs from his IPod and helping clean up after dinner. Tonight he hid, in true bunny fashion, from the problem. He closed his eyes, the sounds of clanking dishes lulling him to sleep in the king sized bed. The sounds soon stopped and Ray could hear Joel flicking off light switches and walk towards the bedroom. Ray’s ears were perked and spinning listening to Joel’s movements till the door opened.  Ray pretended to be asleep. Joel’s warm hand on Ray’s exposed shoulder made him twitch. “Night bunny boy,” Joel giggled before turning over and falling asleep. Ray was done. Quickly and quietly Ray put on his sweatshirt and a pair of shorts and headed for the door opening it and he headed out of the apartment. He walked down the street to the only apartment he could think of finding refuge at, at midnight. Banging on the door Ray stood outside trying not to wake the other neighbors, “Michael?” The door swung open with a yawning disheveled looking cat, “What?” Michael slurred with sleep. “Can I stay the night?” Ray asked timidly his ears pressing against this head. “What?” Michael repeated himself. “I had a fight with Joel,” he didn’t mention it was one sided. Michael’s orange glowing eyes became sympathetic ad he opened the door a little wider, “Oh, yea dude sure you can stay.” Ray gave a nod of thanks walking past Michael into the apartment. Michael gathered up a pile of blankets and pillows from the hall closet and tossed them to Ray. “The couch is yours,” Michael said. “Thanks dude, really.” Michael nodded scratching his stomach while he stretched and headed back to his own room.   Ray arranged the blankets and pillows in layers like a nest; he’d done the same thing at home. He crawled into his creation pulling a comforter over his head and curling up in a ball. The space was dark and warm; Ray fell asleep in no time without another thought about Joel. ---- Joel wasn’t worried when he woke up alone, he did start to panic when he couldn’t find Ray in his usual spots on the couch, or in the bathroom. He called Rays phone several times, his blood pressure increased each time he got Ray’s voice mail. Where the hell had he gone? At the office Joel ran to the Achievement Hunters office ignoring the hybrids in the kitchen area wishing him a good morning and shiny silverware. He put a hand over to the side of his face ignoring his animal instinct. Joel burst into the office belonging to the loud group of gamers, “Have you guys seen,” his voice trailed off. Ray sat there in his seat sipping on a soda with headphones on. “What the fuck!” Joel shouted. Michael reached over tapping Ray’s shoulder getting the bunny’s attention. Ray took off his headphones spinning his chair so Joel could see his chocolate eyes. Joel crossed his arms, “Do you know how worried I was?” Ray stayed silent his eyes drifting to the floor. “Where the hell were you?” “He crashed at my place,” Michael spoke up. “What were you thinking? You couldn’t even answer your phone?” Joel was furious. Ray spun back around clicking absently at his computer. Unbelievable, “What’s your problem?” Joel walked out of the room slamming the door. Stomping across the building to his office made Joel feel like a baby, but he was angry and upset. Ray had just up and left the apartment without saying a word, it had freaked Joel out to have his boyfriend missing in action. If Ray hadn’t been at the office Joel was going to call the police to start a search. Passing by the people still munching away on their breakfast in the kitchen area it was silent. The others must have gotten the message from Joel’s tight body language, or the yelling, the kitchen was right outside the Achievement Hunters office. That was fine with Joel, he wasn’t in the mood to talk, to punctuate this thought he locked his office door. Lying on the couch Joel played with his phone and sent a text to Adam telling him to finish the How To because he wasn’t feeling up to it. The bear hybrid accepted the task without a complaint; Joel figured that meant the office knew about the morning explosion. Walking out for lunch alone Joel went the long way to avoid passing by Ray on accident. He hadn’t sent a single text to the younger boy and was determined to win the silent game Ray had started. Getting to the front door Joel saw Jack pushing the door open with his back arms full of pizza boxes stacked high. “The mighty lion returns with its kill to feed its young,” Joel scooted up to the lion hybrid. Jack smiled rolling his eyes, “Shut up and help me carry some.” Joel usually eager to help out Jack and goof around with his friend shook his head, “Can’t I’m on lunch,” turning down a kind soul like Jack hurt his own heart. “There’s more than enough pizza here for you to join us,” Jack said. Joel knew what the kind hearted king was trying to do. “I have a sandwich with my name on it,” Joel smiled opening the door. “Damn Jack how long does it take you,” Ray was walking down the hall. He paused, his ears rising to full height on alert. Joel was stuck halfway out the door watching Ray stop. Any other day Ray would have been running down the hall to catch up to Joel and ask him to stay, today they had a stare down. They had become statues with the king of the jungle in the middle looking worried. Ray looked scared and nervous; it broke Joel’s heart Ray was looking at him that way. “Joel I really think you should come and have a slice,” Jack held the pizzas out. Jack’s words went through one ear and out the other as Joel walked out of the building; he needed a quiet lunch. He needed to think about what he could have done to cause the mine to go off. After ordering his sandwich, which was in no way better than pizza, he sat down to eat alone. It was a weird feeling to hear himself chew instead of Ray’s voice drifting through conversation. Joel felt like the whole restaurant was looking at him, like they knew he did something wrong; they even looked like they knew what.  He wished they would tell him so he could make it up to Ray. He wasn’t hungry anymore, Joel got up crumpling the paper from his sandwich tossing it into the trash can. When Joel got back to his office he noticed someone sitting on the blue sofa, at a quick glance he thought it was Ray, looking the person over though he noticed the ram horns and he knew it was Geoff. Joel opened the door and Geoff came barreling towards him nose flaring, chest heaving. Joel was backed up out of the door to the opposite wall outside. “You idiot!” Geoff’s pointer finger dug into Joel’s chest. “What did I do?” Joel put his hands up in surrender his ears flat against his head. “Do you know how upset Ray is?” “Yea and I wanna know what I did!” Joel’s voice was rising. “The Easter jokes!” Geoff shouted. “You know as well as I do what he thinks about all of those and you pushed it Heyman! What were you thinking, plastic eggs? Did you forget about all the egg shells and yoke we had to get out of his hair last week?” Joel could feel the color drain from his face as Geoff backed up and left him in the hallway. He stayed leaning against the wall running his hands through his dark bed head hair. He was the biggest idiot in the world; Joel had spent hours at home before Easter picking shells off of Ray’s hoodie and spraying the bunny’s hair in the sink to get out the slimy yoke. People were idiots they took jokes too far during the holidays, raw eggs were tossed around and harsh jokes spat. Walking down the street good afternoons to the movies had been ruined before it even really started. A group of teenagers had been walking past them, a wolf pack; they asked if they could take pictures with Ray. Ray had declined and they left a full egg carton on his head, pulled his tail, and teased him; Joel had wished he was something fiercer than a ferret that day; he just hurried Ray inside the theater. Ray wanted to go right home after that. Joel had only been one step away from that.   Joel had to apologize big time. ---- Ray sat turning in his chair watching the clock dreading the time ticking down to the inevitable. The door opened and he looked over, Joel was standing leaning against the door frame. Ray said nothing picking his beanie up off his desk pulling it over his ears. Joel walked into the room and Ray was watching his feet move, he couldn’t look into Joel’s eyes. Ray felt Joel’s arms wrap around him holding him tight. “I’m such an idiot,” Joel whispered. Ray’s sensitive ears caught the words clear as day. “I’m so sorry I didn’t realize, it all seemed like a joke, but I hadn’t realized how awful it must have been for you.” Joel lifted Ray form the chair.   “Joel!” Ray shouted wrapping his arms around Joel’s neck. “You know I’m not going to drop you,” Joel laughed. Ray smiled up at his ferret boyfriend watching his short ears twitch around. Ray loved the man holding him in his arms. Even if his brain wasn’t on a hundred percent of the time, he knew when he was in the wrong and gave Ray butterflies all over again. Joel made good on the rest of his apology and took Ray out on a fancy date that included dinner, a movie or Ray’s choice, and a long night of video games and snuggles. Ray was spoiled with a back rub and carrot cookies Joel had bought knowing they were Ray’s favorites. Ray turned to Joel as they sat on the couch, “I forgive you,” he whispered leaving a kiss on Joel’s nose. Joel smiled returning the gesture making Ray’s nose wiggle and his toes curl. The pieces were fixed and Joel had agreed no more eggs for the rest of April unless Ray requested them.

[itmekenno]

Fuck a school paper, let's see this au. I'm pumped for this man!

It’s actually an au created by YetiOkay! You can see more of it on their main and side blog ^u^

My fic is currently almost 21 pages long and nearly 10k words!

[strawberryfiction]

Stray (One Shot)

Paring: Joelay

Warning: GTA AU

Summary:Of course the house Ray would break into belonged to a police officer, it was just how his luck was running these days. There was something different about this one, he noticed it when the guy let him stay. 

Ray could see the lines on his face,the sleepy long gone haze to his eyes. Ray could feel the tension he carried around with him, the knowledge of how terrible people were; it drained a person of their faith. Ray wondered if the tall man leaned towards a faith, if he held anything above the law. Ray wondered if he was going to pull the trigger on his cold gun or let the metal bite further into Ray’s skull.

In and out.

The breathing was heavy, like the man before him had just run a marathon.

Panting.

Ray wondered if the man with the weapon was afraid, did he really see Ray as a threat.

Ray’s hands were getting numb from staying up by his ears, he was too afraid to move though. He was too afraid to take another step even out of the house he had attempted to break into.

“Fucking pull it,” Ray encouraged the man the walls decorated behind him with shiny badges in cases. Noticeable as police merits.

Heavy breathing, in and out.

The man standing before Ray was stealing all the air in the room for himself. Ray didn’t mind; he could have all of it, he could take Ray’s.

“Please,” Ray was piercing the silence, “Pull it.”

The man’s dark eyes shifted if only for a second away from Ray to the floor. Ray thought he could feel the man’s grip on the gun loosen. The breathing was going back to normal, Ray didn’t want that.

Risking it all Ray moved his hands from the position near his head to around the man’s wrists; he closed his own dark eyes.

“Pull it!” Ray’s voice rang through the dark room.

Ray had felt the man tense like a cobra every muscle taunt; Ray expected death. Instead the man ripped from his weak grip and Ray slowly opened his eyes as the lights came on. Ray was now staring at a man with pale skin standing in his boxers, his hair dark and messy, Ray had just woken him. The man was taller than Ray thought, and his chest was moving rapidly though Ray could tell he was trying to control himself. Still frozen Ray stood watching the man’s shoulders fall as he rubbed his hand over his face, the gun now glinting by his side.

“Kid,” The man sighed, “What are you doing here?”

How did one give their shitty life story to a stranger? “Ray.” His name was his answer.

The man leaned against the wall, “Joel.” His answer a confusing echo, “Now what are you doing here?”

He asked too many questions, “Failing at my first break in attempt.” Ray shrugged with a smirk.

“First?” Joel didn’t return the smirk, “You going to be trying this again?”

“Not if you stop me,” Ray still stood awkwardly at gun point.

“Kid,” Joel’s sigh was just as drawn and tired as his face looked, “Where the hell are your parents .”

Ray silently plead the fifth. He could feel his own breathing pick up, but he remained stony silence.

“Do you have a number I can call?” Joel tried again.

Ray said nothing eyeing the window he had haphazardly climbed in through. Joel had left it open the Los Santos air must have been getting to him. Ray imagined him to be the type of person who would furiously sweat without the slight night breeze; was he sweating now? Ray wondered if he could have made out the beads on his brow if he had played more attention; Ray silently cursed himself.

“Ray,” Joel’s tone had changed from concerned to what Ray assumed was his job voice. This was Ray’s interrogation.

“Just wanted to borrow some sugar,” keep it light.

Joel shook his head, “Try again.”

“What do you want from me Joel?” the name felt weird on Rays tongue.

“You fucking broke into my house!” Joel had snapped.

Ray hung his head listening to Joel’s thousandth sigh of the very short long night they were both apart of.

Ray wasn’t used to cuffs unlike some of the people he hung out with, maybe he could tell Joel it was a dare; maybe he could dare Joel to shoot him again. Joel had dressed in a flash; Ray barely had time to release a breath before Joel was downstairs buttoning the last button on his starched shirt. Next thing Ray knew he had two brand new matching bracelets. Ray jingled the metal; it felt different from the gun that had been sitting between his eyes. He wasn’t trying to escape, he had no reason to. The lights on the car were flashing lighting up the dark world in red and blue as Joel sped down streets to the police station.

Sitting in a room with cemented bricks exposed, a wall of mirrored glass, and a caged window; still better than home.  

Various people came in trying to talk to Ray on his level, they tried to say they understood; Ray knew so much better. By the end of each conversation the officers were pinching the bridges of their noses and Ray would still say nothing as they left. The last guy had started beating his hands against the table making Ray flinch slightly. In that instant Joel strolled in relieving the officer like some kind of hero coming to Ray’s aid.  

They said nothing for a long moment, Joel leaned back in his chair sipping a cup of coffee and Ray played with the strings of his hoodie. Ray was afraid to swallow in the deep silence afraid it would echo around the walls and ruin the seconds. This was the most peaceful Ray’s felt for days.

Joel shifted in his metal chair, his clothes ruffling as he did so, and Ray knew his time of peace was over. Joel cleared his throat.

“Just tell me one thing.”

Ray knew it was never just one thing.

“Are you a runaway?” Joel asked leaning on the table.

Ray said nothing for a second, “Is a throw away about the same thing?” his smirk was bright.

Again Joel was not looking pleased with Ray’s answers; tough crowd.

Joel undid Ray’s handcuffs, which seemed like a promising start, before escorting Ray back through the police station to the squad car. Ray was positive he was about to be thrown into the system he had been dreading for years; the system he always just managed to avoid. He leaned his head against the window; the lights weren’t bathing the world this time.

To his surprise Joel turned the car into his own driveway, a house Ray barley remembered, just another score. Joel said nothing parking the car and getting out of the driver’s seat; Ray followed unsure of his next move.

Joel continued walking in a sleepy trance right up the stairs and into his bedroom closing the door leaving Ray in the front entrance. Was he supposed to leave? Was Joel letting him off the hook? Was it some kind of trap?

Rays breathing picked up as his head scanned around and he tapped the toe of his shoe to the ground.

Door creaking made Ray’s head snap up towards the top of the stairs where Joel had disappeared.

Ray tensed, breathing stopped.

A lanky Joel in a familiar set of boxers yawned finger pointing down the hall, “There’s a bed up here if you want it.”

Ray didn’t sleep much that night, it wasn’t the beds fault, it was like a cloud; it was his fault. He tossed in turned switching between nightmares and years of distrust about his surroundings. Sharing a house with a cop, had he gone insane? Any minute he expected to wake up from this crazy dream, he felt like he’d been sleeping for a long time and the alarm clock had to go off any minute now.

The room became lighter as the sun rose and Ray watched the walls wake up with the rest of the world. He didn’t move except to pull the blanket over his head when he heard a knock on the door.  Ray ignored it listening to footsteps going back and forth down the hall, up the stairs, down the stairs; until another door opened and he heard nothing. Joel must have left for work. Ray forced himself out of bed opening the bedroom door a crack looking at a bowl of slightly soggy cereal and a cup of orange juice at his feet.

He ate slowly.

Ray left the bowl and cup outside before lying back in his spot on the bed. He watched the same wall all day; it went from bright to dark. Joel got home; Ray heard the door open downstairs as the wall got darker. There was another knock on the bedroom door and Ray saw a plate of spaghetti accompanied by soda.  

On the second day Ray found pancakes at his door, on the third a warm toaster strudel. He couldn’t stop the smile forming on his lips; each dish was paired with a glass of orange juice. Dinner was along the lines of a hamburger and more left over spaghetti. After clearing the plates and laying back down Ray wondered if this was just a nicer version of jail as he examined the walls.

Day four slowly rolled around and when Ray opened the white bedroom door Joel stood there leaning against the frame in a t shirt and baggy jeans. It was a surprise to Ray.

“We’re going out,” Joel said before walking away.

Ray left the house trading in watching the same walls and a bed for a booth in a diner. He wore borrowed clothes except for his purple hoddie; he kept the hood up and his shoulders up out of habit. Joel didn’t say a word about Ray’s hood up preference; he was glad that this time Joel didn’t come with questions.

Breakfast went smoothly with no complaints from Ray, it had good food that filled his stomach, and Joel wasn’t as sleepy and boring as he seemed. They chatted, missing subjects like Ray’s past which was a huge plus. When it came to a close Ray didn’t really want to go back home, Joel took him out to get new clothes and asked what Ray liked to eat.

Joel asked about school and Ray shrugged, he didn’t go and that’s all there was to it. He was never bothered about it afterward, Joel was catching on quickly; Ray didn’t just give out information.    

Ray moved from his place on his bed to the couch playing video games staying up for hours before passing out. Sometimes Ray would catch Joel as he left and wave to the sleepy man leaving with a giant mug of coffee; Joel’s house had the permanent smell of coffee to it. Ray had come to enjoy the smell, but he wouldn’t admit that t Joel.

Ray was staying with Joel for about three weeks when Joel came home with pizza and a movie from red box.

“I had some splurge money,” Joel joked.

Ray held onto that statement putting it in the back of his mind.

As the movie started Ray was on one end of the couch and Joel the other. The movie started off slow setting up a typical cop drama, Ray snorted at Joel for picking the movie type. Towards the middle Joel left the room and Ray was biting his nails eyes glued to the screen; it had picked up fast. In the distance Ray could hear the microwave spinning with a hum, then popcorn erupting from their cornels.  Joel walked back in and Ray flocked over to him picking at the warm buttery snack that made his fingers slick. Ray wiped the excess butter onto his jeans before going in for more handfuls to shove in his mouth. By the end of the movie Ray was jumping on Joel pointing at the TV in disbelieve about what had happened on the screen.

Joel shrugged, “He never would have gotten that conviction in real life. The evidence was taken without a warrant; it would have been thrown out.”

Ray rolled his eyes, “You’re just jealous cause you couldn’t solve it.”

“I solved it with in the first ten minutes,” Joel smirked eating the first handful Ray had seen him take.

Ray was stunned for a second by that smirk. A quick breath. He lost himself and preformed a quick pick up pushing Joel’s shoulder lightly. “Yea right,” Ray muttered.

“I didn’t want to spoil it for you,” Joel laughed.

It was the first time Joel had made a noise that wasn’t a grunt or a sigh towards Ray; he bit the inside of his cheek.

Ray slept in his own bed that night; the couch smelled like Joel’s crappy cologne, it was too weird. He tossed and turned his brain too awake, he remembered running from cops, he remembered being so close to caught only to slip away like he was covered in butter. Ray couldn’t just sleep, he needed his body to quit; he needed to pass out.

Groggily the statement Joel had made about money replayed itself in Ray’s head. He’d been staying with Joel for almost a month, some kid who wandered into the wrong home. Joel had been feeding, clothing, and entertaining Ray when he must have been used to only making money for one person. Ray knew what had to be done.

Slipping into his checkered vans that were duck taped together Ray pulled his hoodie over his head, and started walking before the sun or Joel had fully risen. Ray psyched himself up as he walked out of the house deeper into the city; he hoped he hadn’t lost his touch.  

“What the fuck is this?” were the first words from Joel’s mouth when he got home.

Ray kept tapping away on his 3DS, “What’s what?”

“This!”

Ray looked up; Joel had found the stack of cash on the counter.

“Rent,” Ray shrugged shifting on the couch.

“Where the fuck did you get that?” Joel pointed to the DS.

“I bought it,” Ray rolled his eyes.

“With what money?”

“My money,” Ray snapped.

“You don’t work!” Joel shouted.

“I kind of had to work for it,” Ray closed his DS.

“Did you steal this?” Joel’s eyes narrowed.

“Not all from one person,” Ray shrugged, “No one’s gonna miss a couple of bucks.”

“You don’t know that,” Joel shook his head.

Ray stood from the couch, “I don’t see what you’re so mad about I got you some extra cash.”

“You stole it, that’s against the fucking law Ray!”

Ray’s eyes narrowed his hands balled into fists, “You gonna turn me in?”

Joel said nothing and Ray stomped past him back to his room.

Ray angrily tapped on his 3DS grumbling under his breath, Joel was an idiot, Ray had helped him. Joel didn’t fucking know anything; rules had to be broken to get results. It was the only way Ray knew how to help; his tapping paused, he wiped his eyes. Stealing was the only fucking thing he was good at, that and shooting, but Joel didn’t need to know that. Ray could only hurt to help.

Two hours went by and Ray could hear Joel moving around the house, his 3DS had died and he left the charger downstairs.

There was a knock at the door.

Answering it Ray found a bowl of ice cream and his charger on the floor at his feet. Ray ate the ice cream in the dark accepting Joel’s apology; Ray knew he should have been the one apologizing.

Over a month and Ray was caught red handed hot boxing in the bathroom. He had managed to keep his slight addiction under wraps, but Joel got home early that day. Ray got chewed out, Joel talked down to him like a child, and Ray could feel the heat in his face his high ruined.

Ray stepped towards Joel who was standing in the doorway.

“You gonna turn me in?”

Joel plucked the joint from Ray’s fingers and opened a window.

Ray stomped to his room to play games and sulk; until the ice cream came.

Day’s had started to blend together; Ray wasn’t sure how long it had been, over a month. At least he knew it was a Friday. Ray was in the process of taking the cushions off the couch and arranging them differently when he heard the front door open. He poked his head out into the hallway catching Joel’s attention.

“What are you doing?” Joel asked shaking his head.

“Making a fort,” Ray noticed Joel’s lips curving up. “Wanna help?”

“How old are you again?” Joel smiled.

Ray rolled his eyes, but couldn’t hide the smile on his face when Joel took off his tie.

“Where do you want these?” Joel asked holding the cushions.

The night was spent in the fort they had put up together watching another movie Joel had brought home. Laying there Ray’s eyes wandered over to Joel whose dark eyes were glued to the TV. In the faint glow Joel’s eyes looked like gems; Ray’s heart began to stutter. He knew he was in love.

The night after Ray came to hits realization his brain decided to play a cruel trick. It was pouring down rain and thunder shook the house to its core, a rare occurrence in the hot summer of Los Santos; a good thunderstorm. Ray was tossing and turning, his room was too humid, he was scared, he hated the thunder; it made him think of those nights before. He rolled right off the bed to the hardwood floor stunning him awake; a more awake state.

Ray pulled himself off the floor, his brain a haze. He opened his door and walked down the hall surprised by his clumsiness bumping into things that shouldn’t have been there, he knew this place like the back of his hand.

The door creaked open at the end of the hallway where it had always been. The room was messier than he remembered; he still made his way to the side of the bed always left open for him. Ray crawled into the king sized bed snuggling beside the body comfort washing over him.

“Ray!” the person in bed next to him woke up with a start.

 Ray sat up slowly confused and disoriented in the dark room.

“What the fuck are you doing in here? Why aren’t you in your own room?”

“You know I don’t like thunderstorms,” Ray yawned.

“No I didn’t,” The voice snapped back.

“Yes you did!” Ray was now sitting up. “You know everything!”

The man was silent.

“Ryan you’re such an asshole!” Ray laid back down turning away from the man.

“Ray,” the man whispered, “Whose Ryan?”

Ray’s eyes shot open and he scrambled out of bed getting caught in the covers tumbling down to the floor.

“Holy crap, are you okay!” Joel looked down at Ray from the edge of the bed.

Ray cupped a hand over his mouth shaking his head slightly; he could feel the tears pricking his eyes.

“Fuck,” Ray whispered.

The tears weren’t hurt from falling off the bed; it was hurt on the inside that had been eating away at him dying to be let out. His body was shaking as he picked himself up.

“He’s nobody,” Ray forced the words to fall from his wobbling lips.

“Doesn’t sound like,”

Ray left hurrying to his room before Joel could finish the sentence.

The old routine had started again; Ray cried refusing to leave bed, food left outside his door. Ray didn’t even eat.

On the second day the door opened and Joel came in with a plate, “You’ve gotta eat something.”

Ray watched the wall.

“Please,” Joel sat on the bed, “You’re scaring me.”

“I miss him so fucking much,” Ray’s lips were dry, “I miss them all,” his voice cracked in sync with his heart.

“The Fake AH Crew,” Joel whispered the name.

Ray turned his head, “How did you,”

“I did some digging after the other night, you’re Ray Navaez Junior, or Brownman aren’t you?”

Ray nodded.

Joel’s slender finger ran through Ray’s hair making him shiver. Ray grabbed Joel’s hand placing it on his cheek nuzzling against the soft skin; he didn’t want to feel so alone.

“Everyone left me,” Ray whispered, “When do you disappear too?”  

Joel said nothing staying planted on the edge of the bed his hand never leaving Ray’s cheek.

In his head Ray remembered everything like it all happened yesterday; what would be wrong with telling the story?

“I spent a week on my own before,” Ray cleared his throat, “Wouldn’t have even thought about breaking into houses then. I was a straight laced kid dropped off at the curb with a backpack because no one could take care of me anymore. Geoff found me sleeping on the sidewalk in a thunderstorm, he bought me a hotdog. I followed him home after that like the stray I was to 626 where I would live for way longer than expected.” Ray smiled, “I meant to spend a couple days, and I stayed for years.” Ray paused again sifting through memories like photos to get to the important part, the end. “Geoff talked about pulling off a huge heist, it was supposed to be the last one, and we were supposed to be fifthly rich. It never happened, Geoff got nabbed. Without our fearless leader we were stunned.”

Joel nodded knowingly, “I heard Ramsey went to prison, Pattillo too.”

“Yea, Jack went to scope out the area for a rescue mission,” Ray’s smile was sideways, “Bet he stopped to pet the guard dogs. Gavin cried for days, the house felt empty with two people gone. I thought we would get them back in no time, I wish I had seen us falling apart faster so I could have left. Michael said he was sick of sitting on his ass, he actually found a real job, a fucking electrician. Gavin followed him the day Michael announced his departure, Gavin would follow him anywhere. That left me with Ryan.”

“Right, the mysterious man I became the other night,” Joel nodded.

Ray couldn’t stop the tears hot and fat rolling down his cheeks falling into Joel’s palm, “He was all I had left to cling to. Ryan fucking promised! He said he wasn’t going to leave! Not without me!” Ray felt like he couldn’t breathe, “I heard the motorcycle start; I ran as fast as I could to the front door, I watched the tail lights disappear. I stayed in 636 hoping someone would come back, anyone. Eventually I couldn’t take it anymore; I walked into empty rooms just to double check. That’s how I ended up here staring down the barrel of your gun. I pictured myself going to jail and I couldn’t, that’s why I begged you to pull the trigger; I was sick of being alone. I count days because I wonder when you’ll leave me too.”

The room was silent again Ray biting his lip as the tears falling from his eyes slowed in numbers and force.

“Are you gonna turn me in?” Ray asked with a scratchy throat.

Joel ran his fingers through Ray’s hair and he knew Joel would never turn him in.

Ray didn’t worry about dates anymore, except for the ones he planned with Joel after work. He finally got a job too, he was a criminal and sometimes it took one to know one. Ray had been working on the people reading skills he had picked up from his old crew and put them to better use. Standing behind the mirrored glass Ray gave Joel instructions on how to break someone wide open during interrogation. He was also keep his sniping skills form getting rusty when Joel allowed him time at the shooting range, they joked about Ray moving on to FBI. Ray said they would book him before they hired.

The night no longer brought so many terrors and Ray found his peaceful sleeping spot next to Joel whose arms were draped around his waist. Joel was the solid foundation his breathing steady, Ray matched him for breath his heart calming, his eyes closing.

It took a long time, it took massive heartbreak; Ray wasn’t afraid of waking up alone.

[strawberryfiction]

In My Description (part 2 of 2)

Pairing: None

warning: Character Death.

“Lindsay!” Lindsay jumped out in front a smile wide on her face. The men looked surprised by her sudden outburst. Lindsay looked at them with the greatest innocence in her eyes, “Are you going to fix my daddies arm.” “Lindsay!” Ryan snapped, now they knew. He was broken they could overtake him if they wanted to and put him down. He had no idea Lindsay even knew. Adam cocked his head to the side, “Mechanical trouble?” “Like you wouldn’t believe.” Ryan sighed his guard rising and shoulders tensing. “I’ve got all the parts but; no tools.” “Adam has a tune up every other week,” Joel patted his partner’s leg. “We’ve got a guy back at camp who can fix you up.” “There are more of you?” Ryan was baffled. “You haven’t spent much time with older models have you?” Joel questioned gently holding Ray’s hand. “I thought I was the last one, made and alive.” Ryan cured himself stuttering around his words. “I was enhanced right before the new models were produced and the city fell.” “We were meant to re-assimilate right back into families.” Joel explained. “We’re not like the tin can daddies who fight when their kids get too close together.” The group had started walking and when Joel explained their friendly nature was natural Rayan had loosened up just a little bit. He kept a sharp eye on the siblings whispering to Ray their new companion. Ray liked to talk just as much as Lindsay a trait they probably shared before they were changed into little monsters. “Have you seen any ways out?” Ryan couldn’t help but blurt out. “Maybe,” Joel answered and Adam smacked him. “What?” Joel rubbed his arm, “He asked. “You don’t trust me.” Ryan noted the mutual feeling. “I just don’t want to get your hopes up.” Adam admitted. “I don’t care about leaving,” Ryan shrugged, “I want them to leave.” His blue eyes flickered to the group of kids. “I don’t think they could ever live up there though.” “We’ve got someone working on that,” Joel revealed getting another smack on the arm form Adam. Ryan felt his heart jump, “You mean, make them normal?” Adam sighed, “Again, a slim chance she’s telling the truth, and we’re all too scared to let her try her experimental evo on them. She claims she can expel the ADAM.” Ryan wondered if he’d be willing to give one of his orphans to this lady to test, the more he thought about the more he realized he could never. To give up a sibling and think he’d never see them again; just thinking about it hurt his head and started the record to protect them. It had to be tested somehow though. Adam and Joel were leading Ryan down a water logged street that made his heart bounce into his throat. Everything was so dead and dark, different from the place they had been hiding. The glass windows weren’t even visible, Matt was holding onto Ryan’s leg; he must have felt the same way moving around so much with strangers. Kdin was complaining his whispering wails causing the other children to hold their ears and grumble. Ryan caved in lifting the boy tired of walking deeper and deeper into the bowls of the once great city. It reminded Ryan of the old black and white horror movies he used to see, they started the same and never ended well for the heroes, at least a handful died; he held Kdin a little tighter. “Don’t get any ideas.” Joel scolded Ray as he tugged on his pant leg. “I got you buddy.” Adam swooped in scooping Ray off the ground placing him on his broad shoulders. Ryan could tell who the spoiler in this family was. They walked along till they came to a door hidden flush against the off yellow wall where water was draining steadily against the stone. “Welcome to our humble abode,” Joel flung the door open swinging his arm down low bowing. It was a small room surrounded by metal wiring like caging covered over with glass. They could see a good portion of the city from their look out post. There were tools spread across a table in the corner of the glass room, Ryan figured that must be the mechanics area. “Geoff!” Adam called into the small space. “You guys are back early,” A man with a scruffy face and sleepy eyes looked surprised to see Ryan standing there with his refugee looking siblings all holding their pathetic bedding. Geoff rubbed the back of his head and Ryan noticed the tattoos snaking up his arms. “You didn’t tell me you were brining guests; I would have cleaned a little.” A little boy came rushing out behind Geoff and the group of children already started speaking; Ryan smiled. “Damn that’s a lot of them.” Geoff pointed out the obvious. “You were traveling with four?” Ryan set Kdin down to whisper with the other siblings, “Yea, I’m like a magnet for orphans.” “He needs a tune up Geoff; his arm is all messed up.” Adam explained. Ryan felt embarrassed hearing Adam say it out loud; he was supposed to be strong. “Right I’ll get Jack,” Geoff started to leave the glass room and Ryan noticed another door again hidden against the wall. “Wait,” Joel stepped forward, “Where’s Michael?” Geoff froze sighing heavily. “Is she here?” Joel growled. “Did you trade him away!” “I didn’t trade him he volunteered!” Geoff snapped, “I would never do that to him.” Geoff shook his head, “He didn’t want Gavin to be afraid anymore, he said he wanted to leave and how else are they going to get out of here? They can’t g up looking the way they are! If we get the bathosphere working we could go up without a problem but; people would chase them back to the sea!” Geoff stormed off stopping with his hand on the door. “It’s the only choice we have right now, and if something happens the burden will fall to me not Jack.” Geoff left with that slamming the door behind him. The air in the room was thick, even the siblings could feel it; their eyes sharing glances but not a word was uttered between them. They were smarter than anyone really gave them credit for before the city crumbled around them; they were more than a power source. After the minutes of awkward silence ticket by a man walked back in through the door Geoff had made his exit with. The man was thicker and had an orange beard that rivaled Adams. His face was curved into a smile and Ryan could feel the sweetness radiating off of the man; he was a beacon of light in times of trouble. Ryan wondered if this man was once important, if he had a role that mattered before being asked to be mentally bonded to a sibling; the man probably agreed in the blink of an eye to help his community and a child. “Nice to meet you,” The man nodded his head to Ryan. “Jack,” he held out his round hand, “Resident mechanic and peace keeper.” “Ryan.” Ryan answered; he was just kind of there. “Fill me in on what my task is,” Jack walked over to the table clearing it of its odds and ends and pulling a chair out for Ryan. Ryan nodded his thanks sitting on the chair and removing his shirt, he could hear his siblings groan and he chuckled looking at Kdin, Lindsay, Matt, and Jeremy averting their eyes. “My shoulder plate slipped out of place.” Ryan put his arm on the table the metal joint holding his bone to his torso, in a modified way to give him extra strength; was rattling in a less than encouraging way. “You had to be pretty rough to make this happen.” Jack rounded the table grabbing a magnifying glass to take a closer look at Ryan’s arm. Ryan couldn’t bear to look, something about seeing his own insides made him uneasy. “One of my siblings found their way to a tussle against one of the newest big daddy models. I stepped in and saved the day taking away my own battle scars.” “You were attacked by a daddy?” Jack looked at Ryan with disbelief. “I think he must have lost his connection; there was something not right with it, like a sick dog.” Ryan said. The siblings were all gathering around taking seats on the floor watching Jack work with their curious eyes. “I only know two of those faces.” Jack observed. “How did you end up with so many?” There was a slight edge to his gentle tone. “I didn’t steal them,” Ryan’s tone was defensive. Jack nodded, “I’ll go first with baby stories than. Gavin, the blubbering one who makes the strangest noises I’ve heard is mine by mental implanted instincts. Michael, whose not here, is Geoff’s by the same right. Geoff and I met before the city crumbled; we had families.” “Joel and I were placed together as the first big daddy team,” Adam spoke up. “Ray is ours; we were an experiment, could two big daddy’s protect one kid? We passed with flying colors.” “Not to say Ray didn’t make it challenging, and not because Adam and I ever fought; he just liked trouble.” Joel chuckled. “We met up with Jack and Geoff a few days after the cities fall; we made our pack pretty quickly so this has been a pretty uneventful apocalypse for us.” “Lindsay’s the same way,” Ryan smiled at the red head perking up at her name. “From day one she didn’t have a shy bone in her body.” Ryan paused. “Go on,” Adam ushered Ryan to continue. Ryan looked at Lindsay, she’d be beautiful if she was normal, allowed to grow up. “She was taking on a pack of splicers, I watched her give them the run around through alleys, and she even hit a few in her daring escape. I had a hard time catching up with her I was worried I was going to lose her. She eventually ran out of road and ended up hiding herself in a nook between two buildings, I took my chance and finished off what she started. She didn’t want to come out at first, I asked her where her big daddy was and she told me he left; we spent the night there waiting for him to come lumbering back, he never did. I wonder if something went wrong; if her free spirit somehow caused a defect, she didn’t seem like the type to get attached.” “She seems pretty attached to you,” Joel said. “If she had to though, and she has, she could take the others and survive a few days on her own as the leader. I’m not that needed with her around.” Ryan watched Lindsay smile; she knew he was talking about her. “Who’s next?” Adam asked. Ryan took only a moment to recall the next encounter. “Kdin.” Ryan recalled the first encounter he’d had with a defective big daddy. “ I never thought the rumors of big daddy’s being defective and hurting their siblings could be true but this one had left scrapes and bruises on the boy, every time Kdin got near his big daddy the thing shoved him away; until it finally snapped and brought out the big guns, it’s drill.” Ryan tried not to shudder. “Lindsay and I were looking for a place to set up camp when we heard a sound I hadn’t heard for a long time, the wail of a sibling. My blood started pumping and I ran fighting to tear that big daddy to pieces. Kdin was scrapped but, nothing too bad. Lindsay got him out, I begged her to take him away, to get him to not look. I can still feel his eyes when I picture myself ripping the only family he probably ever knew into scrap metal.” “It was for the best,” Jack assured. “That’s what I tell myself.” Ryan tried not to let his shoulder slouch feeling it finally being tightened. “I’m going to guess that one was next,” Joel gambled pointing to Matt. Ryan shook his head gesturing to Jeremy. “Jeremy was actually next I found him bleeding out on the street, I’m still not sure what happened. He wasn’t harvested but, it looked like something had come close. I spent day and night watching over him learning how to be a doctor on the fly until he came around.” “Then the tall one was recently?” Adam asked. “Yea.” Ryan looked at Matt almost out of place among his younger siblings. “Matt was actually yesterday, he lost his big daddy to splicers; the daddy must have killed it though cause they were no longer around when I got there. The boy was just screaming over the corpse.” The room was quiet only the sound of dripping water filled the space until Jack asked the question, “You never mentioned getting one from the program.” Ryan’s sigh was long and heavy, “I was weak, untrained.” Ryan shook his head, “He was harvested before my eyes, a sibling I had for maybe two weeks. I was on the verge of madness when I saw Lindsay and my instincts kicked in and she filled that hole. Soon I was just picking up orphaned siblings.” The room stayed somber and one by one the little siblings Ryan had accumulated through his travels stood pulling him into a group embrace. Ryan couldn’t stop laughing, pulling them in with his good arm. “Holy shit,” Adam breathed standing. Gavin also stood running towards the door that had just opened. Gavin stopped inspecting the miracle he probably didn’t understand. A boy with pale freckled skin, auburn eyes with a fire behind them, and brown curly hair framing his cheeks. Ryan thought he was seeing things, a normal child standing there before him. “It worked,” Jack’s voice was a whisper. The boy looked at Gavin and Gavin looked as if he was seeing a stranger for the first time. “It’s me,” Michael replied no longer speaking in whispered tongues. Gavin stepped closer his eyes casting a soft glow on the boy’s skin. He said something in whispers and Michael now looked confused. “Gavvy,” Michael whispered back. Gavin looked back at Jack and Ryan; Ryan looked to Jack whose eyes were locked on Geoff. “Who’s next?” Geoff asked. “That bathosphere is working, we leave tonight.” “Go on with him,” Ryan urged his siblings with his free arm. “I’ll be right here waiting till you’re done.” At first they were hesitant but, as Gavin and Ray left and Ryan kept waving towards Geoff they slowly formed a train leaving the room. It felt like there was a rock sitting in Ryan’s heart watching them go, being away from them after being connected for so long never letting them out of his sight for more than a moment. He had to stop himself from getting up out of the chair and following them, soon they would get a better life; soon he would take them to the surface and they would start over, grow together. They would really be something, Ryan looked at Michael the first cured sibling, things would work out. One by one Ryan watched the kids come back out with Geoff, first was Gavin running around with Michael immediately exploring the world through his new green eyes just as intense as his old ones. Gavin had darker skin though, the paleness left him. Gavin’s squawks and squeals were like music in the small space the occupied. By the time Lindsay came out Ryan was freed from the repair chair and carefully testing his shoulder rotating it. Lindsay ran out shouting anything she could at the top of her lungs, words by themselves, phrases; she even made songs, a kid Ryan didn’t think knew the concept of music. Ray came out next adjusting his glasses to his dark eyes; his hair was black as Joel’s and hung just above his eyes. Matt and Jeremy walked out together Matt laughing and Jeremy in a giggle fit. “Where’s the bathosphere?” Ryan asked watching in awe as the siblings spoke in a tongue he understood while they waited on Kdin. “Not far from here maybe a block or so,” Jack shrugged. “Jack’s been working on it for months,” Adam said. “Geoff must have added the final touches for me.” Jack said. “It still had a few tweaks left last time I checked.” Geoff was running out of the door Kdin in tow behind him barley keeping up, “We gotta go now!” Confusion filled the room. “Splicers found us, turns out the good doctor was throwing the ADAM right outside the door and now we’ve got splicers breaking in.” Geoff informed breathlessly. “Before you ask I left Tenenbaum behind, I had to.” There wasn’t much time to be sad; Ryan quietly said his ‘thank yous’ to a woman he’d never even met for helping his siblings; than out the door they went. The first sound they heard above the water dripping was the shouts of things that barley clung on to the humanity they had left. The mass of limbs clawing at the side of the wall that must have had another secret door turned instantly noticing the large group leaving and their course changed. Ryan gathered Kdin and Jeremy in his arms, Lindsay and Matt were keeping up just fine and he thanked luck for that. “Don’t let them near the controls!” Jack ordered rushing everyone to a small pod that would soon be surface bound. He started playing with levers and buttons Ryan vaguely remembered. Ryan crouched down setting Kdin and Jeremy on the pavement. He locked eyes with Lindsay, “Take care of your brothers, you’re in charge.” He patted her head turning to see Jack with a pack of splicers; half the cities worth, behind him like a tidal wave. Ryan ran to Jack pushing him from the box and the assault to come, “I know how to press go, you’ve got a sibling to get back to.” Jack hesitated as Ryan knew he would. “But you’ve got so many.” “My kids are orphans, they’re tough, they know how to deal with loss.” Ryan tensed ready to test out his new shoulder. “I think it’s time I visit my first sibling.” Jack still didn’t move, “If you don’t go they can’t leave.” Ryan nodded towards the pod filled with tiny faces and hands pressed to the glass. “Just promise me you’ll help watch over them.” Jack nodded, “Course.” He ran to the pod. Ryan hit the switch watching the small pod start to rise towards the surface. He spun around taking on splicers after splicer looking for the ADAM they would never find; a few got dangerously close to the control box. If they destroyed it no one would be getting out. Ryan’s record was playing, protect, protect, protect, and that’s exactly what he did till his body could move no more and he pictured the lives his siblings would have. Ryan only had one wish as he watched the pod leave Rapture behind through the glass windows; he didn’t need to keep fighting the control pad was destroyed as he fell; he hoped they never forgot him. The record player stopped switching its song, they were safe.

[strawberryfiction]

In My Description (part 1 of 2)

Pairing: None

warning: Character Death. 

Safety, protection, stay on alert; those words were on loop a broken record in a broken man mind. An experiment was all Rapture had started as a dream, by a probably slightly eccentric man. A place of perfection held to the highest standards from furniture to the people who lived there; those who deemed themselves the cream of the human population crop. Ryan was just more collateral damage to this horrible tragedy under the sea. A big daddy, another experiment for the rich and perfect. How does one become more than perfect, achieving a status past the norm? Drugs, in this case Adam; something that was harvested from sea slugs that hung out around the submerged city. These little creatures could give anyone gifts, or in a way super powers. People got addicted to this stuff and everything went down the drain and the place went to shit pretty quickly. To grow more of this stuff they used kids and placed the slugs in their tummy; than they realized people would go after these kids and people like Ryan were put into play. He was mean to protect no matter what, it was his job; they were his children. Ryan shook his head; they are his children, his family. Ryan strained to hear their laughter and sure enough he could hear Lindsay splashing in a puddle squealing with her brothers. A smile crept across Ryan’s face as he put his head against the counter of some old jewelry store. He closed his eyes listening to the laughter and water leaking in with a trickle creating the puddles on the marble outside. Ryan held his arm as the words continued to run through his head, worry spread through his heart; he was wounded taking down a big daddy just a few short days ago. It had nearly taken his arm clean off he was lucky to escape with it. Kdin had decided to go past the barrier getting caught between a mechanical maniac and a hard place. Ryan had seconds to react using the experimental implants giving him extra speed and strength; it was the extra wiring inside of him keeping his arm attached. He was almost more machine then man; almost. Ryan took Kdin home that day not proud of what he did but, if it was his little brother or the daddy; the daddy was going down. Ryan’s second priority was finding parts to stick his arm back where it belonged; he couldn’t let anyone know he wasn’t in tip top condition. If he wasn’t threatening his life was threatened. A sharp cry pierced the air and Ryan was on his feet in a second, destroy, protect, destroy, protect, intruder; the words spun and whirled as he ran outside his vison red and his shoulders tense. Ryan’s fists were shaking he counted two heads, “Where’s Lindsay?” Ryan was scanning the area his head whipping from side to side. The two boys shuffled their feet looking at the ground then guiltily to one another. “Kdin, Jeremy.” Ryan scowled, “This isn’t a time for games.” Ryan didn’t mean to sound harsh but; the panic was rising. Every second Lindsay was gone was a second closer se could be to death. He wouldn’t; couldn’t let that happen. Jeremy lifted his arm pointing with his chubby finger to a store across the way. Ryan pointed his own slender finger behind him, “Now.” He watched the two hurry into the old jewelry store closing the door behind them before hurrying across the shopping district. He wanted to call out but if he needed stealth he didn’t want to give himself away. Another scream ripped through Ryan’s heart, he ran faster not caring about the pounding of his feet. He gripped the gold handle of the door to the dilapidated store; simple formalities that were wired into his brain when he could have just walked through the door frame missing its glass. That second he took to open the practically nonexistent door was all it took for Ryan to hear quiet sniffy sobs. Ryan stopped to make sure it wasn’t just the blood rushing through his ears. The sobs continued while Ryan evened out his breathing; it couldn’t have been coming from inside the old store. Ryan walked around the building to a space in between the giant structures, and alley with a dim light at the end; he could make out a shadow maybe two. Ryan redirected his course to the cries, it had to be Lindsay and for her to cry something had to be wrong. Ryan held his arm; he had to look tough, to protect, and destroy. Ryan got to the end of the alley clenching his teeth; there were splicer traces but, no hysterical shouts. The only thing standing there was Lindsay with her back turned towards Ryan and her small arms wrapped around another small from on its knees curling into her. Ryan took another step forward and Lindsay’s head turned around catching Ryan with her big yellow eyes glowing in the dim space like a cats. Ryan stopped while she whispered something to the pale greenish body that mirrored her own complexion. The interaction took a moment and Lindsay turned back around nodding at Ryan letting him know it was okay to come closer. Ryan stepped gently his nerves winding down, protect, safe there was nothing to destroy. Ryan got close enough to the little siblings to see over their shoulders. The smashed body of a big daddy; a model that came after Ryan, all robot, laid cold on the ground with its haul ripped open wires spilled like mock blood. Ryan took a closer look at the child sniveling in Lindsay’s arms, it must have been his. There was blood on the ground, the daddy must have made sure the splicer was gone knowing he was dying and leaving his little brother behind. Ryan felt for the piece of machinery, he would do anything to make sure his little siblings were safe before letting death take him; it was the only thing on his slightly factory altered mind. Ryan crouched down behind the two and Lindsay gently spun the boy around even with his protests; she whispered something to him again making him easier to turn. “What’s your name?” Ryan asked the boy who wasn’t that small; when he picked himself off the marble to turn his legs unraveled revealing him to be a whole head taller than Lindsay. This was the tallest little sibling Ryan had seen. The silence stretched between them. “He’s Matt.” Lindsay piped up unable to take the quiet; she was the most talkative sibling Ryan had encountered. Ryan looked the little brother up and down, he didn’t seem to have more than the normal bumps and bruises. He wasn’t too terribly caught up in that fight. “Would you like to come with us?” Ryan extended his hand releasing his shoulder; he winced only slightly. Matt coward back into Lindsay but, she pushed him towards Ryan whispering more words in the strange words the siblings often do. Ryan always strained to hear something they said to one another but, it was as if they were saying nothing just breathing air into one another’s ear. Matt moved forward Lindsay again winning him over with her words. Ryan took Matts hand starting to pull him out of the alley. Matt started wailing immediately when he realized he was being removed from his big daddy. He tried to pull free of Ryan’s grip struggling and straining to run back to the mangled metal corpse. Ryan kept pulling him trying not to harm the little sibling; Ryan wanted Matt to know he was a friend. Matt kept screaming and Ryan’s instincts kicked in. Loud sibling, splicers probably heard it, protect, and destroy. Ryan wasted no more time lifting the kicking child and grabbing Lindsay’s hand tugging her along back to the jewelry store husk. Ryan ran through the doors slamming them shut behind him, he hurried to a small hallway back to a standalone office; the door actually locked probably the only one left to do that. Ryan knocked on the door in their special knock letting the two kids holed up inside know it was him. The grey door swung open on its rusted hinges, Ryan pushed Lindsay inside listening for a second hearing no shouts from people who had lost humanity; he walked in with Matt closing and locking the door behind him. The small pale bodies gathered around Ryan’s legs looking up as if they knew he would be bringing an extra member into their rag tag bunch. Lindsay grasped Ryan’s torn jean leg tugging it gently. Jeremy mimicked reaching his potato like hands up for the new sibling they would be welcoming. It was kinda like attack of the zombie children. Ryan smiled kneeling down, “Welcome home.” He set Matt free to converse in the strange whispered language of his siblings. Ryan watched the group huddled together as if they were penguins searching for warmth; it was like they were questioning Matt; maybe they wanted stories of adventure. The kids hadn’t had much adventure themselves Ryan was afraid to let them go anywhere beyond the front of the store, especially with his arm in such poor shape. Ryan placed his hand over his limp shoulder the bone lower than it should have been, he could fix it. He hated to think about it but, he could use the parts form the fallen Big Daddy in the alley; Matt could never know. Ryan decided when the group fell asleep Ryan would sneak out and grab the parts he needed and fix himself the best he could, than they could move on and set camp somewhere new. The siblings always seemed so bored, or maybe it was Ryan who was sick of being in the same place for so long it made him antsy; they were sitting targets someone would find out eventually. Ryan wondered how hard it would be to get to the surface. Some people had to have escaped during the collapse of the glass city; someone had to tell people they were still down there. Ryan had been trying to convince himself someone was coming for years. He wanted to get to the bathospheres; he wanted to at least try to escape the prison where they could never be safe. Sure he expected the world to turn its nose at them, the siblings especially, but somehow that’s better than running for their lives. They would make a relatively normal life somehow. Ryan was lost in his thoughts he barley caught the yawning and stretching coming from Kdin. Ryan stood sighing, “Alright bed time.” He clapped his hands together. He watched the kids walk around taking their places under torn blankets and using cushions Ryan had ripped off of chairs. He looked at the sad bunch pulling out an extra makeshift sleeping set he kept in a drawer of the desk that occupied the center of the office; all the kids slept behind it. Ryan set out the sad little spread for Matt who had already taken a spot next to Jeremy. “I’m going out to do a safety check before we all fall asleep.” Ryan informed them so he wouldn’t be sneaking around for the Big Daddy parts and asked to explain later; they didn’t look like much but they were smart kids. “Lindsay you’re in charge.” The red head nodded acknowledging her position. “I won’t be long.” Ryan assured. He took one last look as he opened the door like he’d never see them again. They were cuddled in rags Lindsay watching him with her fluorescent eyes, they used to live like kings and queens, and they made the world go round. Now they were things of high value in hard times cruel people would tear them apart to reap the rewards no matter the cost. Ryan left as heavy hearted as the last time he went to scout before they could all sleep soundly, though he never slept soundly. Tonight it was more though; he would find a way to take some of the parts form the poor hunk of metal in the alley. He kept reminding himself it was for his arm, he needed it to protect his little siblings the number was always growing and he couldn’t afford to be broken. Ryan walked slowly on alert the water leaking through the glass roof was too loud echoing around him. I’d been days and besides the whispers of children the sound of dripping water has been all he’s hear. It was like the splicers had all finally died off; Ryan really knew it just meant he had hidden his kids well. His footsteps seemed to melt together with the water drops as he walked; he wished he had lighter footing. Ryan carefully moved into the alley ad owned big daddy alerted splicers to unprotected little siblings. Ryan knelt beside the broken machine, “Sorry buddy.” Ryan whispered to it as if it could hear him wherever broken robots went. Ryan thought Big Daddies belonged in heaven, they were just as alive as the people they once served; they loved like no other. “You’re really helping me out here,” Ryan continued to whisper to the dead, “I need some pieces from you.” He sighed heavily starting to pull open the metal shell, “I promise to protect him.” Ryan liked to think the big daddy would want to keep on protecting Matt and in this way he could. Ryan stripped out the parts he knew he could use to keep his shoulder together a little longer. He piled them up wishing eh had brought tools with him to fix it up right there, unfortunately that was something else he needed. Ryan really wanted to leave tomorrow because he vaguely remembered a mechanics shop down in the next shopping district, looking for a working bathosphere as just an added bonus. The jewelry store had little screwdrivers but, nothing Ryan could really use to make the full repairs he needed. Ryan scooped the parts, odds and ends, into his arms hurrying back across the street back to the hiding hole. Ryan was quiet opening the door to the back room of the jewelry store, no matter how slow he went though it still creaked until he made it to the other side. Ryan’s breath caught in his throat for a second as his brain registered Lindsay’s eyes luminescent like fireflies. “Did I do well?” She whispered her mouth barley moving. Ryan nodded placing the parts in a pile on top of the desk he moved around bending down to her eye level. “You were a great look out,” Ryan patted her head; her red hair was beautiful and getting long. “Anything to report?” Ryan asked. Lindsay leaned in close to Ryan, “I heard noses.” Ryan was frozen, “What kind of noises?” “Rattling and metal,” Lindsay answered in her soft voice. Ryan realized she had probably heard him stealing parts. “I’ll keep an ear out.” He stroked the girls red hair. “Sleep now, we’re leaving early tomorrow before the splicers start moving.” Ryan pecked the top of Lindsay’s head. He watched her drift to sleep while he wrapped the robot parts in his own blanket ready to move tomorrow. Ryan sat in the desk chair watching over the small bundles rising and falling gently as they breathed. Ryan leaned back in the uncomfortable chair, if it was too comfortable he would actually sleep. The next morning Ryan gathered his bundle and stretched out his back cracking. “Time to get up,” He yawned shaking the siblings with his foot. The group rose with sleep in their eyes; Kdin as usual pulling the ragged blanket over his head trying to ignore the wakeup call. “Come on,” Ryan sighed. “Jeremy can you,” Ryan started and the little boy was already on it. Jeremy walked to his brother flopping on top of Kdin mumbling something in the grumbling boy’s ear. Jeremy continued to roll around on Kdin until the boy refusing to wake finally had enough. Kdin sat up shoving Jeremy off of him crossing his arms. “Morning sunshine,” Ryan chuckled. After a slow start Ryan took the key to the back office locking it up like a house; if things didn’t work out he wanted somewhere safe to go back to with no surprises. Ryan twisted the doorknob checking the lock; it was as secure as it was going to be. “And we’re off.” Ryan turned seeing the little siblings already outside playing in puddles holding their bundles of cloth and a pillow of stone. Ryan started walking down the granite street watching out for slippery spots where the water was leaking through the beautifully designed dome that kept most of the ocean out. It was constantly drizzling in rapture. They walked for two hours seeing nothing in the eerie death city before Ryan decided it was time for a quick break. Jeremy towed Matt along with him and Kdin to the window showing the boy how much fun it was to press his face tot eh glass and blow in it. They frosted it with their breath and painted pictures in their own condensed breath. Ryan watched with a smile; even on a break they didn’t stop. Ryan watched them draw pictures of things they slightly remembered, animals like dogs or cats, buildings before they broke, and normal people. They could pass as a normal kindergarten class, almost. Ryan walked up behind Matt drawing a large rectangle. “What’s that going to be?” Ryan asked. Matt looked at the foggy wall then, up at Ryan. “Daddy.” The weight in Ryan’s bundle seemed heavier when Matt turned around to finish his picture with his slender fingers. Ryan moved away hearing a clink, he froze, at first he thought it was his pack of shame. The noise came again and the siblings noticed it turning their heads towards the road ahead of them illuminated by flickering water logged lamps. Ryan changed his stance pushing his shoulders back the best he could, look strong, keep them safe, by any means; the record was playing. He could hear the kids already shuffling behind him. Footsteps, there was no doubt about it, were coming fast down the tiled street. Ryan kept hoping whatever it was would trip over a crack or slip in the water. It sounded clumsy, maybe it was a dying splicer; Ryan would be more than pleased to put it out of its misery. The shadow came into view smaller than Ryan had expected the tension almost leaving immediately as the words echoed down the hall to him, “Daddy!” It was a little brother running towards them. Ryan let his defenses fall; he was some kind of magnet to these kids. “Hey there.” Ryan switched to friendly mode as his own siblings ran halfway to meet the first sibling Ryan had ever seen with glasses. The boy with dark hair waved at Ryan before crowding in close with the other siblings whispering in a circle like children on a playground. Ryan smiled; there was still a clunking sound; maybe bad pipes somewhere in the ruins that were still trying to run water to the broken city. No, they were the steps of people; one step was heavier than the others. Ryan was breathing heavy as he hurried to the sibling huddle pushing them back out of the long hallway like stretch of walkway. The small one with glasses they had just met struggling against Ryan, he kept on pushing his brain screaming protect. “You let him go right now fucker.” A cold low voice sent Ryan’s back to stand straight in attention. Ryan turned surprised to see two big daddies; old models like him enhanced humans, staring him down. One of the big daddies with a brass ring in his nose and a thick beard had a leg made of steel; Ryan wondered how he lost it. Ray went slack and Ray ran from Ryan to the two men, neither fighting over him, the one with ebony bed head bent down to cup the boys pale cheeks looking him over. “I’ve never seen big daddy’s travel in groups without fighting over a kid.” Ryan observed. “You gonna fight us for this one?” The man with the beard stepped forward his leg clunking against the tile. The one with the dark mess of hair held the kid closer to himself. Ryan put his hands up, “No way.” He shook his head. “I’ve got enough already.” On cue the siblings looked around Ryan’s legs he imagined they looked like a group of stray cats with their eyes glowing bright. “You kidnap all of these?” The man with the metal leg snorted. Ryan shook his head, “I just happened to be in the wrong places at the right time.” “Daddy saved Matt,” Lindsay piped up and Jeremy grabbed Matt’s hand waving it around. The man raised an eyebrow looking over Ryan than down at his partner. “I’m Adam.” He put his arm out. Ryan shook the best he could wincing only slightly as Adam’s strength shook his body. “Ryan.” He gave his name a little unwillingly, he didn’t trust them. “My traveling companion over there is Joel, and our assigned responsibility Ray.” Adam gave the introductions. Ryan was still nervous but, he started his own pointing to each kid as he went. “Kdin, Jeremey, Matt.”

[remember-the-mole]

Little Ray Adventure: When Ray was a baby, he did that thing where he'd giggle when Joel yelled at him. 

Just like that vine that's circulating around right now.

[remember-the-mole]

Little Ray Adventure: When Ray turns 13, he spends his time with his nose practically touching the screen of his DS because he's so engrossed in it.

And spends at least half an hour arguing with Geoff about how Nintendo games are real games, unlike some of the xbox shit Geoff is loyal to.