We're All Mad Here...

So you've fallen down the rabbit hole. You should know that things are not always as they seem....perhaps you should run while you can...

[thxrabbithole]

In case you were wondering..

What would they look like in real life?

Yumi: Ebony Miyu

Takumi: Booboo Stewart (debatable)

Archer: Chace Crawford 

Vermillion: Dallas Wade (without the dreads)

Raven: Won Jong Jin

Kimiko: Wylona Hayashi

[thxrabbithole]

“Sounds like a deal to me.” Markus remarked while straightening his posture and nodding his head in agreement to Lorelai’s suggestion. He didn’t mean to be so doubtful in which electronic she desired, but… there was no way Markus was going to let her walk out of there without an appropriate replacement. So, still holding the broken phone in his hand, the android walked directly to the other cases to view the newer models.

As his eyes scanned over the encases phones, taking the time to quickly search basic information about each device. He wanted to get one that would work efficiently and would be a great replacement for the phone that he accidentally ruined around an hour ago. Eventually, his eyes settled on one particular phone.

// 6.3 in · 256 GB Storage.

// Screen resolution: 2280 x 1080 (FHD+).

// Screen size: 159.4mm (6.3" full rectangle) / 158.2mm (6.2" rounded corners).

A subtle smile crept to his lips and Markus tapped his finger on the glass a couple of times.

“What about this one? If some cool, but strange– and awfully sorry– guy bumped into me and caused me drop and damage my phone, I’d definitely pick this one.” Markus said aloud to his companion, turning to look over to her with a squint of his eyes.

After a few moments of watching Marcellus rummage through the phones, he picked one and turned to present it to her, which caused her to light up upon sight. It was surprisingly colorful, though pretty thin. Her previous phone wasn’t as thin as this one, and she worried she would damage it. Though a case could probably solve that problem for her. 

Her eyes seemed to sparkle while she nodded her head approvingly at the phone. She had no idea what the capabilities of it were, nor would she have known what they meant if he explained it to her, but his explanation of why he’d choose it made her smile. 

“Then I guess I’ll be picking this one,” sang the girl as she looked at the phones name so that she could find a case for it. It didn’t take her long to grab one that caught her eye, and she held it up to Marcellus to get his approval on it as if she were a small child.

“How about this one?” She asked, showing off the phone case. “I love this character so much,” admitted the ombre haired girl while looking back at it with a soft smile on her face. “Oh but...if it’s not too much I mean. I don’t even know how much the phone is to be honest. Plus transferring data must cost too huh,” she began to worry. “Maybe I should just....I’ll just put it back,” she hurriedly placed the case back onto the stand, not wanting to be of any trouble for the young man. 

[thxrabbithole]

While Lorelai took the time to look over the phone that were in stock, Markus couldn’t help but to look at the cellphone in his hand. Lorelai seemed heartbroken that they couldn’t repair her phone, and that made him feel a bit bad in return. The device was clearly damaged and did need to be worked on, but it wasn’t unfixable.

“I don’t mean to be a bother, but.. are you sure that there isn’t anyway that this could be fixed?” Markus asked in a bit of a curious tone, wanting to know why Lorelai’s phone was recommended to be “thrown into the trash”.

“Just a lot of internal damage done to it, man. It’s not the newest model, and we don’t have the parts for it, right now.” The worker informed, not really getting into too much details. Well, Markus couldn’t really blame them. They seemed busy and quite adamant that they couldn’t do anything about it. That just meant that he would have to do something about, instead. So, with a nod of his head to show his comprehension, the android kept the phone held in his hand and turned to look at Lorelai holding up a certain phone that she’d picked out.

Initially, his eyes had broadened at the sight of the red phone. She couldn’t really want that to be her replacement? It was so much of a downgrade from her current, busted smartphone. At that point, Markus slowly eased in closer to her with the most confused expression emerging to her face. His mismatched eyes altered between the phone and Lorelai’s face several times.

“Uhm– You’re sure about getting the older one? I mean, I’m sure it works fine, but you seriously can get a newer model if you want. I am still the reason that your phone is broken.” He mentioned, giving her the opportunity to browse through the options again if she wanted to do so. If not, then.. Markus had to definitely make sure to get her phone repaired.

Lorelai couldn’t exactly say she wanted the phone she presented him with. Sure she wasn’t great with technology, but she could tell that it was ancient. Still, she couldn’t convince herself to pick anything expensive regardless of this being Marcellus’ wishes. 

“Um...well I just...don’t want to get anything too expensive. I thought this would be okay,” she hummed, eyes falling down to the dark pink flip phone. She opened it, which caused it to creak a bit upon doing so. She frowned slightly before straightening her face and looking back up at him. 

“What do you think would be a good option? How about you pick the phone and I....I can pick a case to go with it? If that isn’t too much trouble.”

[thxrabbithole]

“Yet.” Markus simply said the one word with another growing smile settling onto his face. “You said that you don’t know about giving me a solo yet. So, there is still some.. chance for me to actually hear you sing. So, there is still hope. Any chance.. is still a chance, right?” He continued while nodding his head a few times when sharing his optimistic views. The android really couldn’t help it– It was sort of.. ingrained in him, in a way.

“And can I just point out that you called me taking you out for coffee a ‘date’? Hm, seems like I’m starting to get somewhere with you, Ms. Lorelai.” Markus stated as a rush of a light pink barely lit up the cheeks of his face. He had to admit that he was having a good time. Even if they were hanging out in a repair shop due to his own “opportunist” mistake.

Just then, a familiar voice called out a sequence of familiar numbers, and Markus quickly realized those were the numbers that were on their ticket.

“That’s us. I wonder if they were actually able to do something with your phone.” He questioned aloud with a furrow of his brow as he started to walk back towards the front of the shop. When he did get to the counter, the worker presented them with a… the still busted phone. Well, that wasn’t promising?

“Sorry, dude. But this phone just needs to be thrown in a junk pile. It’s totalled.” The worker said with a shake of her head while sliding the phone to him. With a slow twist of his face, Markus slowly picked up the phone to examine it in his hand. He could truly relate to this cellular device, sadly. Oddly. Ugh. He was definitely determined to fix it.

“..Do you sell any new smartphones here?” Markus asked while looking back up from the phone.

“C’yeah– Check the case. We have new ones and refurbished ones.The news ones are on the left side.” The worker tapped her finger on the surface of the counter, which rested above the cases.

Markus pulled away from the counter to view the phones that rested in there. Then, he turned to look at Lorelai with an apologetic look.

“Pick any phone that you want, and I’ll pay for it. Any of them.” Markus said while turning back to look at the case once again.

Lorelai blinked at Marcellus’ mention of her calling it a date. Had he not said that? She assumed that was what it was but perhaps he hadn’t actually said it. Were they really just getting coffee? It was one in the same right? She was assuming again, and now it left her with tinted cheeks and causing her to shake her head furiously, her curls bouncing all over the place. 

“Well! I thought that.....I mean,” she stammered, glancing up at him again.

“If that’s what you want it to be, I don’t mind calling it that,” she smiled shyly before following him over to the desk when they called out their number. 

Hopefully her phone was fixed now! She could leave out of the crowded store and finally go somewhere much more quiet. Thank goodne- 

“Broken?” Her voice cracked a bit, just as her phone’s screen was. She thought that they would be able to fix it, at least that was her assumption. It was a phone repair place after all and she didn’t think it was that bad. Then again, she wasn’t exactly the best with technology. Even in this day and age she felt far behind. 

“O-Oh....,” Lorelai’s head dropped for a moment. Sure, he said she could pick any phone she wanted but she already felt bad enough letting him pay for the damages. Getting an entirely new phone was even more expensive right? How could she choose? Besides, she wanted her phone.

Lorelai looked for a moment wondering which way to go, and when they mentioned the refurbished models to the other side of the store she quietly walked over to take a look. Whatever was the cheapest would probably be the best for her.

It only took her a few moments to decide on a very cheap flip phone, as she didn’t mind if it was touch screen or not. Even in this day and age, flip phones had managed to survive until now. She thought it was fine enough.

“I’ll take this one,” she held up the decrepit product up to the young? or older man with a sigh. “It seems to be the most reasonable.”

[thxrabbithole]

Actually, Markus thought it was.. cute and interesting that Lorelai was writing a song of the romantic type. Which only led him wanting to ask more questions. He supposed that since they are going out on the coffee date, he would have the opportunity to ask her more questions. …And that actually would give her the chance to ask questions about him. He was adamant about concealing his exact identity for now. He figured most people would see him as unapproachable in some way. Hence the way that Eason guy just stared at him a few seconds ago.

“Then, he’s a very lucky guy.” Markus responded, deciding to compliment his impromptu companion even further. If someone were to write a song for him, he would probably be head over heels about it. “–I’m sure he’s out there, somewhere. I mean, there’s.. opinions about soulmates? That everyone has more than one? You’ll find him.” He added with a brief nod of his head, attempting to give an encouraging talk to Lorelai.

Markus was the typical definition of a “hopeless romantic”. He wanted to see the love in life, now that he was free. He was a bit of an idealist– Someone who dreamed more than reality could offer. But, so far, his big dreams have been made a reality. His status within his own race– within his own people– strains his ability to just be his “wishy-washy” self. And actually? Humans who know him can strain that, too. He knew that sometimes he had to be serious and direct.. But, he didn’t want to be that all the time. Sometimes, he wanted to crack jokes and tell stories.

So, he may try not to fall so fast for some young lady he met on the street– against her own will. But, the rest of the day will only tell what his true intention would be of her.  

“Well, now I gotta ask.” Markus commenced while crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you only a songwriter, or do you sing, too? And if you are a singer, what are my chances of being able to hear you sing? I imagine that since I kinda destroyed your phone, my odds aren’t really that great, are they?”

Lorelai wasn’t surprised when Marcellus asked if she could sing or not. It was only to be expected, but her actually singing was another thing. 

“A-Ah well, I wouldn’t really call myself a songwriter,” she laughed nervously, shaking her head and wrapping her finger around a few strands of her kinky coils. “I only...write them when something comes to mind but...that’s not very often I don’t think.”

Lorelai studied his face a moment, suddenly noticing his heterochromia eyes. She’d never seen any before, and it caused her to stare for a moment before realizing and quickly gazing back down at the floor. She hadn’t very well looked in directly in the eyes since they’d bumped into one another. She was far too shy to look at someone so handsome. It made her heart want to beat out of her chest even more now. 

“I....I love to sing though!” She quickly brought up, glancing back up at him but not making direct eye contact. “It’s...it’s my passion and I want to be in broadway someday. I’ve done a few small projects but never anything big. It..took me a while to be comfortable singing in front of so many people, even still I get really nervous. So I...don’t know about giving you a solo just yet,” she smiled shyly.

“Maybe after our coffee date and my phone is fixed....we’ll see if I change my mind.”

[thxrabbithole]

Lorelai was working on a song? Instinctively, Markus was a bit more curious about the unknown song. He liked to learn about new things, especially where the creative arts were concerned. What kind of song was she writing? Why was she writing it? Could there be a certain inspiration behind it. These were all questions that the android wanted to ask, but her immediate prompt into inquiring if they near their destination. Those questions would just have to wait until later.

“Yeah, it’s right up here–” Markus responded as he quickly pointed towards the building that resided on the corner of the street. He honestly wasn’t all that familiar with the area, but he often did like to just explore new places. This electronic store would now be stored in his memories just in case he ever caused someone’s phone to break again.

When they finally gotten to the front of the store, Markus opened the door ajar to allowed his companion to enter through the doorway first, upon which he only followed in behind her. Of course, he couldn’t help but to take in the enviroment they had entered– the customers, the workers, the devices, etc. Sure enough, they were in the right place. But, instead of going directly to browsing, Markus headed towards one of the less busier lanes with Lorelai’s phone in his hand. So, within a minute or two, they’d made their way to the front of the service desk in front of a lady with purple, braided hair and with a few piercings.

“Hey, I was wondering if I’m able to get this repaired? It hit the concrete, and.. practically shattered.” Markus asked while presenting the ruined electronic to the worker by sliding it across the surface of the desk. The employee’s face contorted into a painful-looking one– In what one would assume because the damages on the phone was extensive.

“Uhhhh, this phone is wrecked, dude. But, I think we can work something out– The screen needs to be replaced, for sure. Not sure about the internal damage? I don’t know– What do you think, Eason?” The girl asked while showing to the phone to the person who stood beside her.

But, the person seemed to be focused on silently staring at Markus. In the response, Markus’ eyebrows rose upwards in a bit of confusion. But soon, he understood exactly why this worker was looking at him. The yellow indicator that was located on his temple was a dead giveaway. This Eason person was another android like him.

“Uhhh, Eason? You good, bro?” The girl questioned with a confused appearance emerging to her face.

“..It needs just as you said, Kyla.” Eason said almost immediately without even giving Lorelai’s phone a single look. “–Excuse me!” He nodded before suddenly walking off in another direction.

“…Ohhhh kaaay. Anyway, dude. Give us a few minutes and we’ll be able to tell you how long the repair will take.” She stated while giving Markus a ticket to fill out. Picking up one of the pens that was being held in one of the holding slots, Markus quickly went through and wrote the information on the ticket in cursive with perfect penmanship. With that done, the girl logged the ticket into their systems and wrapped one of the adhesive stickers around the phone. And of course, she gave Markus a copy of the ticket. With that, Markus walked out of line with Lorelai.

“Well, while we wait– How about you tell me more about your song? –If you don’t mind me asking more about it. What kind of song are you writing?” He questioned while giving the copy of the ticket to Lorelai, in case she felt more comfortable about keeping it.

Lorelai appreciated Marcellus’ gentleman like nature in opening the door for her. It was a menial task, but one that he wasn’t forced to do. The fact that he had done so for her had definitely earned him some brownie points. 

Walking in the store and seeing it crowded with so many customers brought her a bit of discomfort. Despite her not knowing Marcellus all too well, she still stuck by his side as they eased their way to the front of the line, for he was the most familiar person inside the store.

From what she could gather, her phone didn’t seem to have any hope of being fixed. She grew nervous now, as her phone was her second life just like most people nowadays. Lorelai’s hand drew over her mouth as she whined, upset over the predicament. It hadn’t really hit her that she may not have a phone for a while now. Sure if he opted to pay to fix it that was fine, but if her phone was completely broken then it would cost even more. She couldn’t expect him to get her a new phone if it came to that. 

“H-Huh?” Lorelai squeaked, looking up at Markus with surprise. She didn’t know how long she’d been lost in her thoughts. “Oh...my song?” She twiddled the ticket in her hand, staring down at it and sighing. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous. She hadn’t been this way in quite a while. Her confidence had gotten better, at least she thought, and she was able to speak to people normally without faltering over her words. However, for some reason she was reverting back to how she once was. 

“I guess you could say...it’s a love song,” Lorelai cleared her throat, looking up at him as she spoke and trying her best not to become flustered again. “Sort of...I mean....not really a love song to anyone right now but...to someone...in the future,” she laughed awkwardly. “I..guess that doesn’t really make sense I don’t know.” Her smile was warm however. “But....I’d like to think he’s out there somewhere and the song is dedicated to him.”

[thxrabbithole]

Markus would keep in mind that she preferred coffee and snacks– and she had even mentioned that her original plans were to visit a cafe. So, perhaps that is their destination once her phone was repaired. Of course, things were always subject to change, and he wasn’t against with just going along with the flow of things. As long as the two of them were content, that’s all that really mattered.

Soon, the two of them were safely on the other side of the street, and they could continue on their route. It wouldn’t be too much longer before they had gotten to the store, as Markus was aware that the calculated distance was gradually decreasing in his programming. But in the meantime, there was something that Lorelai said that actually caught the android’s attention.

“You mentioned that you were going to work on something that you’re writing?” He asked as he turned his head, taking the opportunity to take a glance of his companion. Markus could appreciate the literary arts and how a writer could put words on a page and cause the reader to imagine the story in their mind– or in Markus’ case, in his programming.

“Do you mind if I ask you what kind of writing you’re working on? Is it creative or for business? –Or maybe it’s just personal?” He inquired in a questioning tone, pondering on what she could possibly be writing. Markus didn’t want to intrude if she didn’t really want him to distract her from the task she was working on.

“It’s....creative,” she answered with a smile before turning to watch where she was going this time so that she didn’t bump into anyone else. She recalled that she had been humming when she bumped into Marcellus. It was actually in regards to what she was writing. She was trying to think of a song to write for her next showing. 

“....I...I’m trying to write a song,” Lorelai admitted with a shy voice. She wasn’t sure if telling him was actually a good idea. He would more than likely ask if he could see her work or if she could sing. She loved to sing yes, but for some reason she felt more nervous about it at this particular moment. 

Her walking speed suddenly increased unknowingly, eyes now focused on looking for the electronics store even though she had no idea where it was. “”But um...anyways I-I....we should be getting close to the store hm? It must be around here right?”

[thxrabbithole]

dimitri smiled wryly at raven’s comment— how many times had he not slept until his body gave out? possibly too many times to count. sleep was something dimitri craved, but was forced to push away due to the constant terrors he faced.

        he had enough flashbacks and memories while being awake. dimitri just couldn’t handle it while he was asleep, too.

         ❝ i don’t… i don’t think so. i’ve been like this for years. i… i don’t think anything can fix me at this point. ❞ he said with a sigh while shaking his head. after a moment dimitri wrapped his arms back around raven, fingers curling around the fabric of the older’s shirt, ❝ but it’s okay… i mean, having you here… makes me feel a little better. ❞

“I....only wish that there were more I could do,” a heavy sigh escaping his lips. “It...is truly...disheartening to see you so weary throughout the day.”

Raven slowly and hesitantly reached upwards to place a pale hand to the boy’s head, running his fingers through his hair. He began to mock the actions of his mother as he remembered she would do when he were younger. He held the boy a bit closer as he stroked his hair. Raven could recall a tune that his mother would hum to him at night, but he doubted he could do the same. He opted for keeping quiet at that point.

“I am glad. I...me being here helps you, although...I wish that me being here could help you actually sleep. I know that there are nightmares that haunt your dreams....do you know the cause of these nightmares..? What are they like?”

[thxrabbithole]

“I don’t break other people’s phones regularly.. Only on every third Friday of the month.” Markus responded towards Lorelai’s teasing about breaking people’s cell phones often. He realized that she must have only been meddling with him, and he couldn’t help but to play along with her in the meantime. Nevertheless, Markus kept on his route towards their destination.

The pace of the day was surely changing because Lorelai even mentioned that she could add his number as a contact in her phone. If nothing else came of this encounter, that was quite the feat for him. Well, in terms of actually flirting with someone, that is. He just wanted the opportunity to live a little, without being judged so harshly because of who and what he was. Fame had gotten tiring, and.. it was a bit scary to run an organized group of his own people– Like a president or a king.

“..Really?– I mean– In that case, let’s hurry and get your phone fixed–” Markus managed to get out as the strides of his steps seemed to have sped up almost instantly. He navigated through some of the other pedestrians, but kept in his mind not to walk off too fast and leave Lorelai behind. Eventually, the two of them came up to the crosswalk that would take them to the other side of the street. From his routed calculations, the store was just around the corner from there. 

“So, uh..” He started with a few blinks of his eyes while waiting for the walkway sign to prompt them that it was okay for them cross. He stood there, just beside the kinky-haired young lady, turning his head to look over into her direction. “Is.. there a chance that you are.. already in a relationship and that I am out of luck with trying to.. take you out? Because, I don’t want to disrespect you or your relationship– And I also don’t want to seem like even more of an idiot. I’m sure people would kill to call you their girlfriend.”

As the holographic signs popped up that singled them and the other bystanders to walk, Markus did just that and started to cross the street with Lorelai.

“Am I.. Am I being too forward? The last thing I want to do is make you feel uncomfortable…” He said as his eyes started to shift around for a couple of seconds, pondering his current approach towards Lorelai. He did say that being direct would probably be more successful. “Because– I’m completely single. I’m not dating anyone. I am so single that I.. that I.. I don’t know– But, I’m single.”

It probably wasn’t something that a normal person would brag about, but Markus somehow saw that it was fit to mention more than once.

Lorelai took a few breaths to calm her nerves. She had already started stammering over her words again, something she only did when she was incredibly flustered about something. Thank goodness that it was not evident on her face, but it was more than likely evident by her body language. She had inched away from him a bit more, and was clutching onto her purse’s strap tightly. Not only that, but she was now watching the ground as she walked instead of staring straight ahead.

“Huh?” She blinked, raising her eyes for a moment when she realized that he was speaking to her once more. “Oh...um...I....no I-I’m single,” she admitted nervously, wondering why he was inclined to ask. Sure, he was definitely showing interest in her. It wasn’t as if she had no experience, but... it was just all so astonishing to her. It did cause her to giggle shyly though at how he danced around with his own words. 

“It’s...good to k-know that you’re...single too,” she retorted, rather awkwardly. “Once....we get my phone fixed,” she breathed, clearing her throat and trying to speak more clearly. “I.....I wouldn’t mind getting some coffee and snacks or...something... I was planning on stopping by one of the cafes to um...well...work on something I’m w-writing.”

[thxrabbithole]

Well, that smile was enough to drop the level of his concerns to a minimal. She didn’t yell at him, or berate him. Actually, Lorelai didn’t seem to be peeved at all. Honesty certainly did work out for him this time. He remembered a time when people would be not so nice to him simply because of what he was. But, that was something in the past– And not everyone was like that. He shouldn’t always expect a bad reaction towards something unfavorable.

“Uhm, I’ll.. remember that the direct approach is probably the best.” Markus agreed with a simple nod of his head, returning a beaming smile of his own. It was a pleasant feeling to be forgiven and to not be dismissed by someone. Especially if that “someone” is a person he is blatantly showing interest in.

The mention of a repair shop caused him to prompt an internal search of any nearby places that could possibly deal with her damaged phone.

// Searching ‘mobile phone repair stores’…

// ( 14 ) results found within ( 20 ) mile radius…

// Local Store: Electronic Restoration. Rating:  ( 4.27 ) Stars…

// ( 104.2 ) meters away. Calculating route…

“I know of a place that should be able to handle this without a problem– Just down the street from here.” Markus stated as his eyes fell down to look at her cell phone that she held out once more. He couldn’t help but not to scan over the damages on it, and.. well. Let’s just say giving it to the professionals would leave it in better hands. Carefully, the android took the phone away from it’s home in Lorelai’s palm.

“–So, let’s go see about getting your phone fixed.” Markus stated while starting to walk down the sidewalk. “And after that, I can take you out some drinks of your choice. And.. maybe when you get your newly repaired phone, you could.. put.. my.. number in there? If you want to, I mean– You don’t have to, but I would really like it if you would– But, if you feel like you have to because you owe me, you don’t– And, I… I usually am pretty good with my speech, but I am.. going to stop talking now.” He remarked as he walked along with Lorelai with her phone in his hand.

“.. I guess being around pretty people throws me off. I mean, walking into you and falling just to speak with you? What was I thinking???” He continued with a shake of his head, disapproving of his previous failure.

“Should I assume that you know the place because you break people’s devices regularly,” jested the chubby girl while following after Marcellus.

Hearing his sudden pick-up line about taking his number caused Lorelai to suddenly stop in her tracks, cheeks burning as she stared at him surprised. It was only for a moment though and she managed to catch back up to following him, though this time she played with the kinky curls atop her head, twirling them around on her finger while looking away from him.

“I....could do that sure..,” murmured the young woman moreso to herself instead of to Marc. It only made her cheeks burn more when he called her pretty. Had she been of fairer skin tone, her face would have been a clear giveaway of how she felt. Her heartbeat had picked up however, and she found herself picking up an old habit that she thought she’d managed to shake off. 

“U-Um....well....I....i-it’s okay. I..I mean there..there wasn’t a-any harm done after all,” she swallowed, clearing her throat while tucking a bit of curls behind her ear. “And you’re m-making up for it by fixing my phone and taking m-me out...so...I....I don’t mind.”

[thxrabbithole]

Did Markus’ vibe really come off as someone who wanted to cause her harm? He would admit that he’s still trying to integrate with humans, and interact with people appropriately. His brow furrowed down to display a confused expression. In looking at the situation, he could very well be coming about this all wrong. Well, experience was experience, nevertheless.

“Game? I–”  Markus said at a quiet volume while shaking his head at Lorelai, disagreeing with the part of her statement because his intentions weren’t meant to be ill ones. He looked to the pavement for a moment before redirecting his heterochromia eyes to take sight of Lorelai’s face again.

“Okay, so.. I do admit that I did bump into on purpose, but it wasn’t to break your phone– or to kidnap you! I just.. wanted to get the chance to speak with you because you caught my eye, .. and my approach made me look like an idiot–” Markus confessed to his genius idea that actually backfired on him the moment that he executed it. Well, if she was mad at him, at least she would now know that their collision was not her fault?

“–But! Going back to what you asked me– I would pay for your phone to be fixed because it is entirely my fault, and I would pay for drinks because I am that nice of a person. Is.. Is that okay? I swear to you that I don’t normally do this, so.. I apologize if I’m coming off like a kidnapping criminal? ..I guess I need more practice?” He added with a light chuckle, but a half-concerned expression. He expected her to dismiss him, maybe even call him a few names and vow to make his life hell if he even looked in her direction ever again. Markus couldn’t say he would blame her if she did.

She honestly couldn’t tell if he was being genuine or not. He at least seemed to be.He even admitted into bumping into her on purpose, something she hadn’t expected. What was more, he opted to do both of what she hypothesized. She was beyond surprised, one for him offering to complete both tasks and two for his interest in her anyway. It seemed a bit too far fetched. Did he think he was some sort of prince charming?

“Hmmm..,” she hummed. She didn’t see any reason to say no to his offer. It wasn’t like guys like this were lining up to talk to her. Not ones that seemed this nice at least. 

A small laugh escaped her, her smile endearing. “No, I guess you don’t sound like one. I’m sorry. You took me by surprise is all. Though, maybe the fall wasn’t needed. You could have just stopped me you know,” she laughed again. “So...do you know any repair shops around here that can fix this?” She asked as she held out her broken phone once more.

[thxrabbithole]

Markus turned his head as she had done, as a bit of curiosity overcame him and directed him to see what she was observing. The only thing that he saw was her staring into a window, which immediately prompted him to look back in her direction across from him. All that the android knew was that she seemed really nice, ..and that she was really pretty. Those thoughts alone caused a smile to emerge to his lips.

                                                                                                      [ Markus ^ ]

Lorelai? He probably wouldn’t have guess that without trying to look into her confidential information– Which wasn’t the right thing to do. People deserved their privacy, of course.

As the young woman– No. As Lorelai pulled out her phone once more in an attempt to interact with it, his smile suddenly turned into a worrying frown. He was about to offer his services to her again, but seemed to be concerned with walking elsewhere, again. His eyebrows hitched upwards on his forehead, and he stood there in a pause, unsure of what his next step should be. He really could appreciate her appearance, and she was nice to him– So, naturally Markus wanted to talk to her more, but.. he was so inexperienced with flirting, he didn’t truly know what the best approach would be.

[ Leave ] or [ Pursue ]

Those two choices dominated his programming for the next couple of moments until.. he made his choice.

[ Pursue ]

Hm. Making his own choices still sounded a bit bizarre to him, but he was glad to be able to make them now.

“Uh– Wait! Uh– Miss Lorelai–” Markus called aloud before starting a speedy walk in the woman’s direction.

“Wait, wait, wait– ..” He exclaimed as he came up just beside Lorelai, starting to match her walking pace.

“Can I, uh…just take you.. out.. somewhere for maybe some coffee or tea– or for anything that you like to drink– I mean, if you’re going to refuse me to pay for the damages that I caused to your phone, I could.. at least do that?” He asked with a suggestive smile, attempting to play his hand at this whole “flirting” thing. This could either be good, or.. be horrible wrong. And there was only one way to find out.

Lorelai already had it in her mind to head to the store to try and get her phone fixed. She’d ask how much it would take first, and decide on what to do with her funds then. However, before she so much as even had a chance to get lost in her thoughts again, there was that same man from before accompanying her on her stroll.

Eyebrow raised, she only listened to him speak before coming to a complete halt, jolted by the question he presented her. Take her out? Why?

“Wait a minute,” she hummed. “Is this your little game?” She questioned, knowing full well he must have wanted something to begin with. There was no way he would have pursued her otherwise. “You purposely bump into me and make me break my phone, then ‘ask me out’ so you can kidnap me because I don’t have my phone anymore. That’s it, isn’t it,” she jested. 

To Lorelai, someone as handsome as he was wouldn’t have dared be interested in taking her out. She wasn’t used to it at least, not in person, someone approaching her like this. He was being a gentleman sure but...there were always ulterior motives. 

“What if I said I wouldn’t go with you unless you get my phone fixed, and pay for drinks?”

[thxrabbithole]

heckHe awaited for her to pick between the two, but unfortunately she seemed to decide that she would find out how to handle her destroyed phone by other means. Markus didn’t initially see anything wrong with having someone’s valuables repaired, if possible. It was just something that he thought was inherently kind to do. But, when she put it that way…

“We can say that we.. kinda bumped into each other? I would feel really bad if my lucky encounter with such a ..gorgeous woman ended with a ruined phone. Phones are extremely important!” He exclaimed as he extended his hand back towards her to return the phone. His eyebrows were slanted, and they conveyed that he felt concerned. Nevertheless, his lips hitched upwards into a kind smile.

He didn’t want this young lady to take blame on bumping into him when he was the one who had full intent on doing so. If anything, he should pay for the damages and then some.

“Oh, my name is–” He paused, if only for a split second. Honestly, his name had became well-known recently, but he didn’t know how famous– or infamous– his name was. His past felt like it happened so long ago, and he just wanted to be able to live a little. Promote other people in his stead, relocate for a bit, and take in a newfound freedom. But, again, his name along with his face could make it hard to do.

“Marcellus. Or Marc–” He announced with a small nod of his head. Now, he could at least say that she knew his name. Now, they were even less of strangers. “And your name is– Wait, lemme guess.” He halted his speech before squinting his eyes, a few thoughts starting to process through his systems.

“Uhh, is it…. Heaven?” He asked in an attempt to learn her name if he didn’t get the chance to do anything else.  

The first compliment she received, being that she were gorgeous, seemed to fly right over Lorelai’s curly topped head. She was too busy trying to figure out what to do about her phone situation. She took it back from him and examined it some more, then sighed and placed it in her purse whose straps rest on her shoulder. 

“No....no I....,” she smiled weakly. “Honestly I don’t know what I’ll do in the meantime but...I would feel terrible having you pay for it....” Upon hearing his name she nodded quietly in return, noting that the name Marcellus was...interesting. She opened her mouth to give her own, but when he suggested that her name was Heaven, her face scrunched up a bit in confusion. 

“Heaven?” She chuckled, shaking her head. “Why would you think that’s my name? Do I have that look?” She wondered, head turning to look at her reflection in the nearby shop window. She paused, eyebrow raised as she saw nothing of the sort, then turned back to the man before her. “Ah...anyways, my name is Lorelai. I can’t say it was nice meeting you,” she joked, another laugh. “But....thanks for being nice about me basically throwing you to the ground haha.”

She reached back into her purse, grabbing her phone to try and check the time. It wasn’t until she spotted the many cracks running along the screen. “Oh yeah..,” she mumbled, sighing heavily. “Well....I guess I better get going. Have a nice day,” she smiled, turning to head back in the direction she’d been walking. 

[galina]

Coffee with a new friend in Camden. At the coffee shop, there were locally-made ceramic cups & lots of books to borrow, it was lovely

[umbracxlo]

                               ( – continued from here  // @thxrabbithole )

          ❝ it’s not just— ❞ dimitri started, voice tight with frustration. after being awake for almost three days straight, his lack of rest was definitely getting to him. but there was nothing he could say to let raven know just how dangerous, how horrifying sleep was for him. even if there was, dimitri wasn’t sure he wanted to put it into words.

         the tenseness in his body eased slightly as his head was brought to raven’s chest, the arm around him comfortable and safe. ( but he was never safe— not really. ) letting out a shaky breath and sinking against the other, dimitri finished softly, ❝ it’s not just some fear. i-it… it’s important. i can’t. ❞

[thxrabbithole]

It still seemed impossible for Raven to truly relate to how Dimitri felt when it came to more serious moments like this. Sleep was difficult to achieve at times, but he couldn’t understand why he feared it so much. 

“You.....can’t?” Raven thought for a moment. “But you need as much rest as you can get. You cannot wait to sleep when your body gives out,” he explained. It was no mistake now that Raven only wanted the best for Dimitri. “Is there some way that I can assist you in getting a full night’s rest on an....at least....somewhat, daily basis?”

[thxrabbithole]

Seriously, this young lady could have strolled on off without even passing a second thought about him. She’d been left with a bitter taste in her mouth about the brief encounter with him as an obstacle, and a mildly annoying one, at that. However, she seemed to be considerate enough to at least stop in her tracks to see if he was okay. Pfft– Well, yeah he was completely fine, but.. he couldn’t help but to try to use this approach.

The approach probably would gain some disapproval– Possibly because it was a little cheesy, or because it was a little misleading. Although, the guy didn’t mean to have harm come out of it. He just wanted to have a reason to speak with such a gorgeous person. Markus appreciated the fine arts, and this stranger was certainly an art to appreciate.

“Oh, no–” Markus immediately said in response to her worries, shaking his head a few quick times. “–I’m fine! I should’ve watched where I was going–” He added just before allowing a grin to emerge across his lips, giving an attempt to convey that things were actually okay.

“And, no. I.. don’t think I’ll be filing a lawsuit again you today.” He said with a shake of his head. Eventually, his eyes caught sight of the cell phone that had crashed into the concrete beside him. Inspecting the device from where it laid,  the android soon realized that it was.. broken. His facial expression slowly changed into a more sorrowful one. “I should be the one asking if you’re going file anything against me..” He said while picking up the phone from the ground, his mismatch eyes searching around the cracked screen.

If it wasn’t for his genius idea to bump into her, then the phone wouldn’t have been broken like it was now. Deciding to stand up to his feet, Markus eyebrows narrowed at the sight of the electronic.

“..I’m so sorry. –I’m really good with tech. I could fix it for you, if you’d let me? Or, I could pay for the damages?” Markus suggested while letting the phone rest in the palm of his hand. Eventually, his eyes roamed upwards to view the stranger’s face again, and his lips twisted up in slightly disappointment in his own failure.

Luckily for her, there had been no damage done to the male she’d managed to knock off his feet, not in the good way. She was relieved for that at least, but in terms of her phone that she now noticed was damaged, her soul felt as though it was being sucked out of her. 

What was she going to do now? If it worked, there was no way to get the screen to function. She couldn’t afford to get a new one, much less even get it fixed. Maybe one of her brothers had an old one that she cou-

“Hm?” Lorelai couldn’t help but notice the man had taken her now destroyed phone into his hands and was examining it. He apologized, as if it were his fault that it’d happened, and then opted to try to fix or pay for it. On one hand, fixing it sounded like a cry at just stealing the phone. She didn’t know if she trusted that gesture. 

However...paying for it...

“Oh...no, no. I mean, sorry to say but I don’t know if I really trust a complete stranger to just take my phone and fix it,” she chuckled nervously, eyes only watching her phone that rest in his hands. “I....can figure it out on my own...I’d feel pretty bad asking you to pay for it when I’m the one that bumped into you.”

[thxrabbithole]

"i /have/ to stay awake."

“How many times have we been over this..,” Raven sighed, reaching his arm out to wrap around Dimitri. He grabbed him gently by the head, trying to force the boy’s head onto his chest. “You need as much rest as you can possibly get. I know you fear sleep, but I am here with you.”