this is not a dream

"It's not real. Nothing is."

[xxadrien]

Adrien has always been a decidedly masculine name, though it can be easily changed into something new. Adrianne. Jadranko. Adorján. Unwilling to part with the only thing he has left of his mother, the name she gave him, the nicknames Adi and Adri are often used in place of his full name. Though he might introduce himself to a person with any number of variations of the name Adrien, to be called that in full has become a point of anxiety, as he can no longer fully see himself carrying that epithet.

[harper-the-mermaid]

“So..?” She raised a brow, her hand with it to take the cup. Coffee. Harper found that she enjoyed coffee, both black and not. Black even more, really, whitened seemed to lack taste for her. 

[xxadrien]

“So, um--” He fumbled to recall what tangent he’d been going off on, but settled for the closest thing he could think of. “So, it . . doesn’t really matter, not really. Just coffee, like I said.”

[harper-the-mermaid]

“Of course, thank you,” Harper nodded a few times not wanting to seem too weird about it. “It’s just that. Well, you don’t know me.”

[xxadrien]

“Right, but-- well, so?--” About to say more, his train of thought was interrupted by the announcement of his order, and he turned to the counter to pick up both cups. “ . . This one’s yours,” he said, holding it out for her to take.

[harper-the-mermaid]

“You got me coffee?” Her eyebrows went up in slight surprise. “Nobody’s have ever gotten me coffee,” it was an irrelevant piece of information, but it still uncontrollably left her mouth. And it sounded weird, too, then she realized. And frowned, again. “Thank you, again, but.. You didn’t have to.”

[xxadrien]

“I-- well, I . . figured you’d be cold . . right? So I-- yeah. Coffee.” The hybrid averted his gaze, shoving his hands into his pockets. “S’just coffee, anyways. Not a big deal.”

[harper-the-mermaid]

Harper was quick to change, it didn’t take long for her to do it at all. She even contemplated washing her feet, but that thought was lost when she realized sinks were too high. Well. Another time then. Once she got out, he was standing — waiting, she presumed. And deciding it was rather rude to leave without saying a thing, paced towards the already familiar figure. “..Uh, thanks again.”

[xxadrien]

Adrien looked up as she returned, managing half a grin, though it brightened at her words. “No problem. I, um-- I got you coffee? Just a regular coffee, but you can-- y’know, whatever. If you don’t like it, I can always . . get another one for you, or-- yeah.”

[sea-calling]

“You sure about that? Because it sure felt like you were staring.”

[xxadrien]

“Well, check yourself, ‘cause I wasn’t.”

[harper-the-mermaid]

“I..Know,” she nodded, trying to appear like she belonged her, despite not bothering to dress like it. Harper turned around a couple of times again and just went with it, soon disappearing behind the marked doors. 

[xxadrien]

“You know, right. Okay. I’ll just, uh, leave you to it then.” His brows furrowed at her actions but he chose not to comment upon them, instead returning to the now significantly shorter line. Sure, she was a stranger, but he already planned to buy her coffee - if she took too long getting dressed, he’d probably have it by the time she was out.

[harper-the-mermaid]

“Oh.” She froze for a second, rethinking this whole situation. Bathrooms, yes. She was not aware yet that every place had bathrooms. This was new, but she tried to play it off as if she had forgotten. “Of course, bathrooms.” Harper took the shirt, still unsure where those bathrooms were, and nodded, still standing in the same place. “Thank you.”

[xxadrien]

“They’re thataway,” he said, gesturing down the hall. “Follow the signs. I’d-- yeah, no problem. I’d give you pants if I could, but I’m kinda limited on those, and they wouldn’t fit so well-- um, sorry, rambling. Bathrooms, yeah.”

[harper-the-mermaid]

She stared at him undressing, with very obvious disbelief in her eyes, and her face, in general. Harper frowned, harder this time, as he offered his clothes. Even if that was nice, and a quite humane thing to do, the woman saw no way she would be able to change here. Just to check that fact, she turned around a couple of times to see every stranger in there. “I see,” nodded she, slowly processing the view, “How do you believe I should put that on?” First question, a slight bite in her voice, left her lips and she squinted. “Should I..Wear it as a skirt? Or..” She pretended to think for a little and took a deep breath before speaking again. “Plainly drop this coat, flash every living being in here just to put your shirt on?”

[xxadrien]

“You-- there’s-- bathrooms,” he said, gesturing towards them. “Can’t girls do the-- the thing with the changin’ of clothes without flashing people? I’unno, it’s-- I’unno. Besides, um . . aren’t you a little cold? Maybe? It’s a warm shirt, that’s all. You don’t have to take it . . ” Adrien used his free hand to pull his jacket back on, starting to feel cold himself again just thinking about it. “It’s-- uh, up t’you, really.”

[harper-the-mermaid]

@xxadrien

She got out of the water, naked and with feet covered in mud after a while. Stole a coat, but no shoes, and with toes turning every imaginable unnatural color as she strode through the streets, and with red hair getting stiff from the coldness in the air, she finally was stopped by a sign as a promise of a coffeehouse. Harper entered, searching pockets for a wallet she soon found; she needed it more than the person she took it from, anyway. Or at least that’s what she told herself. Instead of actually telling her order, she felt eyes on her, a lot of eyes, but only one person she turned to with brows furrowing quickly. “What?”

[xxadrien]

Another cold day meant another quick stop at the coffeehouse. If it wasn’t for layers, he’d be freezing his ass off - being Russian didn’t help ward off the cold as much as he would have wished it did. As it was, he was still shivering when he entered the warmth of the shop, but his chills were soon forgotten as he caught sight of a severely underdressed stranger. “Um-- I, uh--” he tried, fumbling for words. Finding none of any use, he resorted to removing his jacket and the t-shirt he wore, before he extended the latter towards her. “Here.” Adrien would be fine - he still had another two long sleeved shirts on - but she needed the coverage, if not the warmth, it would provide.

[teenwolfedit]

8 years ago today..

[sea-calling]

“Well do you have something to say? Or do you just intend on staring at me?”

[xxadrien]

“Why do you think I’m looking at you, huh? Maybe I’m just looking, and you happened to get in the way. Think of that?”

[andreasthefae-deactivated201603]

“Sorry,I didn’t know that it was yours,I just thought it was a random box laying around”Andreas replied as he looked at the man. “I promise to stay away from it,I will respect your privacy from now on”

[xxadrien]

“Right. Word of advice, don’t open random boxes lyin’ around. They can have bombs, or-- or like, infectious diseases. Hell in a handbasket. Pandora’s box. Whatever you wanna call it, it’s bad news, okay? My thing isn’t any’f that, but still,” he said, looking over the box with disappointment. There was nothing physically wrong with it, and he was definitely strong enough to lift it - it wasn’t that heavy - but he just couldn’t lift it up anymore, not since it had been tainted by the stranger’s touch.

[forestxblair]

      Julian sucked in a breath, internally berating himself over the simple gesture. He was used to it with Cyrus, especially in loud places where it was easier than talking, but when Adrien flinched, the warlock made a mental note to keep the ‘no touching’ rule at the forefront of his mind. “Sorry.” He looked sheepish, rubbed the back of his neck before sitting down and passing a menu over to the boy. 

[xxadrien]

     “S’fine . . ” It didn’t sound as though he was fine with it, but he made no move to correct himself. Instead, he went to seat himself by him, taking the menu at the furthest point from Julian’s touch. “Thanks.” He didn’t feel hungry - more ill, really - but maybe some food would be good for himl

[forestxblair]

      “If you don’t want to celebrate it, I guess we don’t have to,” he pat the boy’s shoulder, as he walked to the lone empty table in the crowded bar, “but let’s get something to eat anyway. I’m rather hungry.”

[xxadrien]

Adrien flinched at the pat, quickly drawing away. "Yeah, somethin' to eat, sure," he mumbled, the layers of bravado he'd tried to put up quickly falling away. Sarcasm could only go so far; it couldn't keep him from feeling how much physical contact still bothered him.

[forestxblair]

     “Is that sarcasm? Your sight coming back, I guess? Or just surviving.”

[xxadrien]

"Yeah, sarcasm. It's my prime method of communication," he said with a shrug. "I mean, it happened like . . not that long ago, but still. Is it worth celebrating? Just means I can work again, s'all."

[forestxblair]

     “Right Right.” The realization made Julian chuckle softly, he’d forgotten that such things still applied in Tartarus. A weird thing to carry over, especially in such a place. “Then, we’ll just celebrate without getting you drunk.”

[xxadrien]

     “Sounds . . spectacularly fun. Incredibly awesome. I’m gonna sit here an’ drink virgin piña coladas all night long. Oh, uh-- remind me, what are we celebrating?”