#skeptic!avid

[the-ruler-of-rabbits]

Owen associates sickness with death. Owen saw and heard of plenty of people die from sickness, and any sickness he caught would nearly kill him, and so no matter how much he really really doesn't want anyone to know, seeing people he wants alive sick scares him.

And, Avid... Avid runs around in the worst weather known to man and probably has a generally bad immune system. So he definitely gets sick at least once a month.

The first time Owen sees him sick, it's probably after a few days of Avid being holed up and Owen is... definitely not worried. Nope. But he still makes use of that invitation from his freak out over the old hospital and goes in through the window and Avid wakes up to Owen shaking him and looking freaked out and Owen says he was just hungry. And then starts talking about how no, sick person blood is disgusting, Avid can keep his stupid blood.

But he doesn't leave. He denies this, says Avid was dreaming it, but he does stay, and forces the medicine that Shelby brings down Avids throat, quite literally. No amount of being around Legundo could give this freak beside manner. He shoves that down and threatens that if Avid throws them up he'll rip out his throat. Avid doesn't like how hot that idea is.

Owen (worst caretaker ever. Negative bedside manner) + shubbledrift (kinda good at caretaking. But they seem like angels when the other guy helping you is actively threatening your life at any given point)

oh my god oh my goddddd this is so real

Avid is in bed with the flu sick as a dog and lurches awake to Owen clinging to the ceiling like a spider with his head fully rotated around to stare at Avid (not vampire ability, Owen was hypermobile in life) (that's not how hypermobility works but Owen and Avid are equally dramatic and would Call it that even if he's just twisting) and shrieks like a banshee. Owen goes "oh, you're not dead yet. Pity. You were so quiet I was starting to hope." and leaves right as Drift bursts in (because Avid screamed)

Avid writes it off as Owen being threatening and being a Supervampire (Avid forgot about Shelby saying "everyone can come to our place tonight! or later, whenever you feel like it!" while Owen was around) and then Owen shows back up when he's debating not taking his meds because they taste really bad and offers to tear his tongue out if taste is such a concern. Avid flails himself out of bed and Owen grabs him by the collar and puts him straight back. (Avid finds this embarrassingly hot and is just sick enough to admit that. Owen immediately erases this from his memory.)

Shelby and Drift are not perfect caretakers, but next to Owen anyone would look good. He's threatening Avid with bodily harm if he gets up and Drift is politely asking him to leave and Shelby is helping Avid calm down from the panic attack Owen's presence (unexpected) (sudden vampire) (2am) (vampire in house at 2am CLINGING TO CEILING) brings.

[curiosity-flame]

Welcome Drift and Avid from Skeptic!Apo AU from @the-ruler-of-rabbits

[the-ruler-of-rabbits]

Another tiny lonevamps thought. One time Avid got drunk and kissed Owen. Owens least favorite part about that is that he wants Avid to kiss him ahain.

perfection...

If Avid remembers it it makes him insufferable. Complete 180 into "maybe Owen's just misunderstood, guys!" (Shelby and Drift encourage this, having the survival instincts of a vanilla custard slice shared between them) (Apo does NOT encourage this. Avid that guy bit you. Do you not understand human bite wounds are unsanitary. If this is a bdsm thing do not tell her anything.)

Owen 1) did not push Avid away and 2) keeps thinking about it and both of those piss him off so bad. He could tolerate Avid having a fear-crush thing because it made tormenting him more fun. He could tolerate the blushing because it made his blood more accessible. What do you mean Owen wants to kiss back. Unacceptable. Only reasonable response is to hunt Avid for sport the next time they see each other.

[the-ruler-of-rabbits]

Owen accidentally works up a not strong but still noticeable resistance to garlic because he keeps drinking from Avid.

counterargument. Owen claims he has a resistance to garlic now from drinking Avid's blood so often. Dr Legundo, well aware of how allergies work, does not believe him. What Owen is actually doing is building a mental resistance to the world spinning around him and getting better at bluffing he's fine.

Avid thinks he's getting immune though and does have a panic attack about vampires being capable of getting immune to garlic because what if he's responsible for making a Supervampire with No Vampire Weaknesses. Owen enjoys this immensely and Legs decides to let this one play out because frankly it doesn't seem to be increasing Avid's baseline level of stress that much he was already Like That

[the-ruler-of-rabbits]

Lonevamps lonevamps lonevamps...

Ok so. Disclaimer. I don't know how diabetes works fully. But also there's all sorts of supernatural things so. That isn't my biggest worry here.

Owen doesn't put together what's up for a while but I feel like Avid lets Owen feed sometimes because he's the type of freak that is into being bitten. And Owen keeps coming back bc you cannot convince me that he doesn't have a sweet tooth and Avids blood is sweet (because you know damn well he would never manage that shit properly whenever Apo isn't actively forcing him to) and one time he bites and is like. Hm. It's too sweet. That's weird. And so he goes to the one person he knows that might know why.

Legs hears the words "sickly sweet" and "blood" in the same sentence and is like Owen. Go find your blood bag and bring them here. (He does not trust Owen to correctly inject insulin.)

I also think once a vampire knew how, they could smell high & low blood sugar. Owen knows the scents from being around Avid but doesn't know what they mean.

Anyways Owen goes because he wants Legs to like him and is listening to him to achieve that is really nice and takes great care of his blood bag. Totally.

He finds Avid actively ghost hunting and when he taps Avid on the shoulder he jumps so badly that he slams into a wall.

Owen has to try really hard not to laugh.

He doesn't ask for Avid to come with him, he just drags him along and shows up at Legs door. (Normally, he'd go through the window. Unfortunately, Avid cannot turn into a bat.)

Legs sighs when he sees them and invites them in on habit even though he gave Owen a permanent invite.

He gives Avid insulin and a few minutes later he's like wow I feel so much less dizzy and Legs has to take a deep breath because yeah man. Yeah. Owen says Avid smells normal again and Legs very quickly realizes that he needs to explain many things to Owen. And also perhaps let him hang around while he works with patients more often.

Drift and Shelby explain that Owen dragged Avid away to Apo and when Avid comes back he explains it and Apo is just. Ok so you listen to the weird guy that fights me over the doctors that literally already told you that you were diabetic. And Avid. Does not have a defense.

Bonus points of him actually vaguely taking care of himself a little bit because Owen complains about his blood tasting bad otherwise. And Avid. Is not good at resisting a pretty boy.

I also find the idea of "the two guys that might be the actual worst with treating their chronic illnesses actually make each other do BETTER at that" really funny. Legundo thinks they'll make each other worse. They somehow don't... Mostly. Avid dares Owen to eat garlic one time and he does though. Legs looks so disappointed when Avid shows up with a clearly miserable bat in his hands looking like he got caught with his hand in a cookie jar.

Okay! Avid's only JUST getting used to being officially Diabetic instead of prediabetic (which means he had high blood sugar but was under the official threshold) and so he. forgets his insulin pen. he'll check food for the carb content and Shelby goes "I don't know if you need to watch your calories" and he goes "oh I don't!" and then eats more than he injected for because he got hungry enough for seconds and forgot he needed to count that too.

Avid doesn't "let" Owen feed so much as go "h-hey! stop that!" and squirm and wriggle and completely fail to get away when Owen leans in open-mouthed. I feel like the first time was a mistake (Owen was THREATENING to, but Avid's flinch is what actually broke the skin) but Owen is categorically incapable of admitting when he fucks up and EXTRA incapable of apologizing so now he does it on purpose. No neither of them are getting off on this that would be awful they hate each other. This is a power struggle. Ignore that both of them know who's going to win and that Avid keeps coming back.

Owen's experience of human blood is limited to 1) the doctor (alcohol and sadness) and now 2) Avid (jellybeans and bad decisions) and this has somewhat skewed his idea of an appropriate flavour profile for human blood.

The doctor finds out when Owen drinks from him and complains about how bitter his blood is in comparison and the doctor goes "so the other person you've been drinking from tastes Sweet? quick question do they also get tired often? struggle putting on or losing weight? get frequent infections?" and Owen goes "oh of course you care about the bloodbag. his stupid neck wound reeks of infection it's because he's unhygienic and can't change bandages."

Doc: Owen. I need you to bring that person to see me, please. This is not me prioritizing them over you, this is me respecting you and your ability to take care of yourself, which this person clearly lacks.

Owen: and what do I get out of it? why should I care about a human who clearly can't take care of itself?

Doc: please. I will take it as a personal favour. I will owe you, if you bring that person to me. If they have what I think they do, I am genuinely worried for their safety.

Owen: you think I'd just drain them dry? bold of you to assume I have your self-control, doctor

Doc: that is not what I said. okay. crash course time. Diabetes is...

Owen doesn't believe the doc in the moment but he Does sneak up on Avid and "kidnap" him the next time he sees him. Drift hears Avid yelp and then Owen go "I'll return him in one piece, as long as he minds his manners"

Avid was thinking "oh my god oh my god oh my god are we going to have sex" and babbling whatever else came into his head in the desperate hopes he could stop thinking about sex with Owen because Owen TERRIFIES him and annoying the shit out of Owen in the process, and gets physically shoved across the threshold of the clinic by a Very Sulky Owen. Legundo was in the middle of sorting a prescription medication (illegally) and sighs. He doesn't know Avid's name because Owen has exclusively referred to him as "the bloodbag" or "the pest" or sometimes "the pathetic wannabe vampire-hunter."

Avid proceeds to also annoy the shit out of the doctor mostly on purpose but oh, hey, it turns out when he takes insulin he feels way better? What's up with that?

Owen gives him the most disgusted look (this was Avid's actual goal; he is unaware that's his goal) and grabs his wrist to check how his blood tastes now. Avid shrieks and flinches and demands to know what Owen's doing in a shaky voice and blushes when Owen goes "I'm drinking your blood. Idiot."

The doctor watches this happen and goes "ah. I See." and neither Avid nor Owen understand what he means.

After being double-dog-dared to eat garlic Owen is so sick he can't fly in a straight line but he refuses to un-bat because that would be even less dignified. Avid carries him like a baby and Owen bites him four times to express displeasure and drinks blood none of those times because he feels so sick.

[the-ruler-of-rabbits]

ok so while skeptic apo has largely turned into demon apo. other points for the world.

ngl im really hoping owen actually manages to get therapy given they arent. stuck in oakhurst. he probably wouldnt for a while but we know he gets tired after a few weeks in vsmp canon, and abolish. is capable of helping him out. without the cure books he might actually have to try and get better (i am. he was my main pov for a reason lasdkjf. blorbo). similar vein, do you think apo like. enjoys fighting? owen and apo do fight a couple times but i wonder if her demon heritage has anything impact on it. lmfao, supernatural stuff is generally concerned that she's gonna throw hands (and they will lose)

more serious/angsty note. how is elle? i. i really hope avid still staked her in this au. secret backstory shit for him lets goooo- wait wait does apo's skepticism like. ""treat"" his demon scratch, if thats still a thing?

Yeahhh Owen has... more options to get better! He doesn't want to, though. He doesn't want to leave the hole he dug for himself that resembles the grave but isn't. However, he also doesn't have a reason to puff himself up about preparing to slaughter people - he's a lurking predator in back alleys that leaves people dizzy and drained but alive, because there are so many more people that he needs to be careful. He can't avenge Louis from inside a jail cell, after all, and it would just be embarrassing to need to bat out of there.

I think if anything can help him, it's the hot dilf doctor who runs the homeless clinic, and consistently offers him food and shelter and didn't flinch when he showed his fangs.

I think Apo does enjoy fighting, to a point! She enjoys winning. She doesn't draw out spars or restrain her skill level, she's incapable of not giving all she's got and there's no rush quite like a defeated enemy, but those are all normal human emotions. have you ever played an fps.

it's less that Apo is radiating how much she wants to fight, and more that she's got a neon sign over her head flashing "if you try to punch me I won't realize a curbstomp is escalating things and I won't stop until you stop moving" because she doesn't tend to start things, but she very definitely finishes them.

I think that happened in another ask! Avid is very into traditional medicines (you know I'm right. you know it.) and Apo took 400 psychic damage when he asked why he should change bandages before they soak through or start smelling. she physically dragged him to the hospital. and then corrected him every time he tried to downplay his symptoms to leave faster.

Avid walked out of there with a full course of antibiotics (infected wounds take longer to heal!) iron supplements (anemia affects blood clotting) and an official warning he's prediabetic (type 2 diabetes means your body doesn't process insulin properly, which ALSO fucks with injury recovery)

Him staking Elle is very juicy but I'm not 110% sure where to put it. the overall tone (except for Owen, and even then) is more lighthearted than that so far, I feel? I'm down for it! I just don't have any ideas myself.

[the-ruler-of-rabbits]

He does a demonic suppression ritual on avid and it Has A Response. Yeah apo's treatment of it before abolish joined the group has been suppressing it every since, she's so sure it worked that its just. A background truth. But that thing is Still There and now abolish has to deal with a cursed wound that actually did close, which. Hm. Perhaps a problem

oh my god. fucking incredible holy shit. Avid is suddenly more energetic and friendly (he was already overwhelming Apo. and Abolish.) and wants to hang out all the time and do this and do that and-

Abolish: so would you say your pain levels have gone down

Avid: BOY HOWDY HAVE THEY. I forgot most people could just turn their heads! was this you? did you find something that actually helps? I've been trying everything I can all the doctors said it wasn't real but it was and it was a demon and-

Abolish: breathe. I know it was a demon, I've seen wounds like that before. would you mind coming with me so some people could look at that?

[the-ruler-of-rabbits]

Bro I genuinely shed a tear about u finding me cool this is what I get for being abnormal about platonic love /silly

Anyways I was thinking. And I remembered that I headcanon all of vsmp as autistic because. Well. I'm writing them like that if I want to or not.

And I had this vision. Of like. 5+1 type thing. That's like 5 times Apo helped her friends when they were overwhelmed one time they returned the favor idk.

I think it would go like.

Pyro

Drift

Shelby

Avid

Abolish

+Apo

Drift and Shelby could swap but I put Avid last out of cryptid hunters because he seems like he would try to hide his issues.

And I have vague concepts for the whole plot.

Pyro: They get overwhelmed after going out to dinner with Apo because dude restaurants are so overwhelming and Apo notices while they're walking home and pulls out headphones from her bag and puts them on Pyro and turns on the music that helps them (I personally always use video game soundtracks so I imagine it would be something like that) and they go home and Apo turn off as many electronic things as she can and lays on top of Pyro.

Drift: She strikes me as being the type to struggle with speaking when overwhelmed. And Apo.. Apo is struggling to understand, but she's so obviously trying so hard for him (SHE HE INTERSEX TRANSFEMMASC DRIFT IS REAL TO ME SO THATS WHAT IM USING HERE LOL) and maybe it ends with Apo brushing Drifts hair bc I feel like she would be the type to be calmed down by hair brushing.

Shelby: Shelby has always struck me as the sort of person that has a lot of emotions just come out via crying. Apo trying to help her with something they're struggling with and she gets really frustrated and starts crying and Apo looks really awkward but then she walks out and Shelby thinks it's to think about what to do and then they come back and basically shoves Truffle into Shelbys hands. She's bad at reacting to people crying but they want Shelby to feel better so she goes and gets something that helps them.

Avid: Avid hides and I think he would definitely also have harmful stims. Apo finds him curled up in a corner, sees that he's probably like. Hitting himself. He strikes me as that type. And flops over him. Literally lays on top of his hands and starts purring. In my heart appleish is service dog x guard dog and it shows. My working dog ship fr. Anyways Avid laughs really shakily and asks Apo what she's doing and Apo vaguely grumbles and keeps laying on Avids hands until his breathing is normal and then tells him to go to the van and wait while she gets Shelby & Drift

Abolish: Abolish doesn't know what's happening to him. Apo ends up basically herding him out of whatever situation overwhelmed him and he's like "??? Apo??? What??" And Apo keeps herding him until they're somewhere quiet and I imagine its also somewhere outside with dirt. And she picks up a stick and starts scratching runes in the sand. Theyre completely fucked up and most of them are just mashes of 20 different badly remembered runes but Apo shows him them and they do make him feel better, if only because how badly they're done makes him laugh.

And then unfortunately for Apo idk </3

Dude it's so amazing I love this so much you're incredible

Apo asks why Pyro is so checked out and they go "oh I'm dissociating so I don't scream because everyone was talking at once" and she gives him their headphones to cope (Apo is ALSO doing the SAME THING but adding music will overstimulate her more. the patient needs ambient night sounds to live) and when they get home she unplugs the fridge. Luckily there was only one bottle of milk left

Drift struggles explaining and Apo always struggles with words so of course she's going to listen to him (hc Accepted) and if anything not notice that she's saying things weirdly. Drift asks if Apo can comb her hair and they do it Very thoroughly and he's knocked tf out with the steady pull.

Apo just fucking leaving when Shelby starts crying... god she Would. she Would. Shelby assumes it's an awkward attempt at giving her privacy but then Apo comes back and puts Truffle in her hands and starts explaining how to safely hold her. If Shelby would like... a hug... Apo can also do that.

God yeah Avid definitely has harmful stims. He needs to grab something as hard as he can! He needs to knock his head into the wall! He needs an outlet please something give him an outlet he doesn't want to scratch his arms open again! Apo would catch his hands and put her own between them so he's compulsively twisting Her hand not his own. That lasts for until Avid realises he's hurting her and frantically redirects into something else and at That point she pins him. Like a weighted blanket except it's a weighted Apo. We're both staying here until I've successfully crushed you into feeling better. Is it working. If it's working it's not silly, you're silly. Of course I'm helping I'm your friend.

Abolish not noticing he's getting overwhelmed... He really would not. He's just failing to lock in. Apo gets him all the way outside before he questions why she's decided he has to be outside now and the "Apo? Why are we in the garden?" does not actually tell her she was wrong to Remove Him (because she wasn't.) She scribbles a vague doodle in the dirt that looks like Pembrose's Noncorporeal Entity Banishment Circle or alternatively like a very bad spiderweb and he doesn't realise until she adds the spider. (Abolish does a lot of art. She's showing interest in his interests.)

Cherri would help Apo <3 she'd turn the lights off and give her earplugs and sit Next to her but not touching, so Apo doesn't get overwhelmed more by skin contact before she's ready to bury her face in Cherri's stomach and have her hair played with. Sometimes Apo just needs to sit perfectly still in a room with the lights off and focus on her breathing. Sometimes Cherri can be in the room, sometimes she can't.