#little guy is a little eccentric thinking he needs to go farther than his dad

[nosuda-cringe]

Warning for blood and violence bc I cant leave aren alone

[mhaccunoval]

hello i am the anon that asked about your ocs coming here to tell you to write about the move!!! i need to know more about them all. prince and dallas are eating away at my mind. tell me more about their siblings! (not sure if you revealed dee's sis' names but- i love any and all characters that have cities for names) & tell me smth abt donny!!! the blorbo ever^3^

HI HI HI AGAIN!!! i will gladly tell you anything and everything you could ever want to know about all my guys!!!

• DOWN ON PALLADIUM •

– first and foremost... i WANT to write about "The Move" so bad... especially because. well. to spoil it. "The Move" is around when the pachyderms' album 01202001 comes out and the guys move upstate because. well they're getting older and they have a bit of pocket change from their other albums so, as much as it troubles prince to move away from his family (even farther), it's supposed to be a good thing for all of them. especially because they can finally have a House, not just an apartment, so they have the space for ALL of their creative endeavors. and they can get some dogs!!! which:

– speaking of sissies!!! that bottom right corner!!! i mentioned dee's sisters and their (also) city names in that last post but. you're making me want to develop them all more!!! partly because i wanna think of how they've all affected dee. like the full picture in the bottom right is a stand in for dee with his sister cheyenne, the one that's theee years older than him, and she's the one he's closest to (meanwhile she's kind of the bridge between him and their older sisters). and the only other solid thing is aurora, the second eldest, is like. weird eccentric/eclectic, probably an artist just like dee is... well other than the solid thing of it being interesting to contrast dee versus prince with their sisters since. though both the only boys, dee is the youngest sibling, and younger than the oldest (helena) by 8 years, meanwhile prince is older than his (half) sisters, ava by 14 years and eileen by 16. and the contrast of dee being the youngest AND only boy ergo he wants to be included in his sisters' things whenever they let him in on the sister pact; conversely, prince was questionable about having siblings when his mom got pregnant with ava (understandably so because he was the only child for 14 years, 10 of which his mom was single so it was just the pair of them) then slowly growing to love the sissies greatly...

both of them (no offense to Wes) eat me regularly so by all means ask more questions about them!!!

• CIFL •

okay about DONNY... what can i NOT tell you about him... he's my squimchy blorbo of the universe, i cannot help it... but if i had to go ONE thing... hmmm... i guess i haven't shared much about him being a filmmaker wannabe who does freelance writing stuff... like he has a bachelors in media arts and a masters in documentary media (since documentaries are his big dream) but between graduation and becoming a stay at home dad he's just doing freelance stuff and all that because he can't make his way out to hollywood to actually kickstart anything (homesick at space camp by fall out boy starts playing)... and he still doesn't really get to do much by way of documentation— except for one random little alternate universe snippet i wrote a while ago...

if you want more about HIM, by all means ask about him too <3 i LOVE talking about him <3

[imagine-jjba]

the jojos when they first meet you!

jonathan ;

he’s very open to talking to you! he noticed you sitting by yourself during his school days. you looked lonely, so he decided to talk to you so you didn’t feel too lonely.

of course, he was very interested in what you had to say. he was taken aback when you started talking. your voice was beautiful, to him. he was very attentive with what you had to say when you finally talked back.

he found you to be stunning, really. he’s a very kind soul, after all. wanted to spend his time with you for as long as he could, before you two had to get to your own classes. though, he made sure to keep what you said in mind, just in case you two had talked again.

he’s very polite when he talks to you as well! always calls you by proper names (or, at least tries to) and always refers to you how you’d like to be referred as. he’s bound to forget sometimes, though. he likes to create little cute nicknames in his head to better remember a person. might slip up once or twice.

he also thinks that you have a beautiful name! he’ll say that you do, maybe as a brief compliment. but when you push him farther on the topic of him calling you cute, he’ll go silent with a flustered face.

jonathan would make sure that you feel a little less lonely, maybe tell a few jokes that he knows of, or let you talk to him about your feelings. he’s a very nice man and offers this to everyone he knows, even in passing conversations with those that aren’t so nice to him. he just wants to make you comfortable.

when he finally says he has to leave, he’ll definetly be sure to mention that you can always hang out with him anytime you want to. he’s always open to new friends!

joseph ;

if you were doing something he didn’t like (probably something he was jealous about), he would make sure to say it loud and clear. everyone around you (including yourself) would be able to hear how judgemental he would be.

however, if you were just by yourself, he would just try to start a conversation so things weren’t awkward. it really would depend on the setting where you two would meet. in this case, we’ll go with you meeting him in an american restaurant.

if you were outside, he would mention how cold/hot it was.

if you were inside, he would probably find you to be pretty and would want to flirt with you. so, the natural course of action for him is to come up to you and make some weird conversation.

starting a conversation with this guy is a lot harder than you’d think. he’s outgoing in a confidence sense. he isn’t afraid to speak his mind, which is why he can tend to be a bit obnoxious sometimes. he also takes interest in things such as the latest and weirdest movies and comics. he also always knows random information about the things he likes. he’s definetly use it in conversation.

once you get past the beginning stages of talking to him, it’s quite simple to hold a conversation. he’ll go with the flow of it, following a lead that you give him. if you mention that you like something that he doesn’t have much knowledge of, he’ll ask for your opinion on it. he’s good at talking, but he’s also good at listening.

once you two nerd out together, you’ll find yourselves lost in the conversation. soon, time feels like it had gone by so fast. when you need to get going, you make sure to get joseph’s name. he’ll also find his own little ways of catching you again.

jotaro ;

jotaro doesn’t start conversations with strangers on the street. he’ll only do it if he absolutely needs help with something. you would be the one to most likely start a conversation.

of course, he wouldn’t respond too much for basic chit-chat. he’s not a talker, really. he’d most likely be irritated that you’re even talking to him in the first place. he tends to find others very annoying.

however, if you started talking about something that he enjoyed, his interest would start to peak out. he wouldn’t sound as angry or as irritated. especially when it comes to science related things. he’s always been fond of science and nature, ironically.

depending on how much you know about science, the conversation could either be mostly dead or skyrocket from there. if you knew facts about nature that not many others did, jotaro would be impressed with your knowledge. after all, he didn’t think that any normal person would just know all these things. good thing you’re not as “normal” as you seem!

he starts to talk about his own little facts about nature and science. although it’s unnatural for someone to be so interested in talking to him, he finds a sense of familarity in talking to someone about his interests. like his grandfather, he’s als a nerd. you just have to hit the right cords and he’ll get started.

when he has to go, you make sure to give him your phone number. it’s the least you can do when he’s so interesting. of course, he says that he doesn’t want it, but at least you don’t see him throw it away. he makes sure to keep it with him, just in case he actually does want to talk to you. (he does, he just isn’t sure if it would be socially acceptable to want to talk to someone who he’s only spoken to once).

josuke ;

he’ll most likely talk to you while you’re at school! you’ve been grouped together for a project of some sort, most likely related to math.

if you’re interested in math, he’ll try to follow along with what you’re saying, but he’ll really have not much of a clue. if you’re not interested in math, you’ll pretty much both be stuck together. you two would have to study a lot!

delving into the former path, he’s very interested to work with someone who’s good at this. school is boring, but you somehow make it seem interesting (and a bit cute). from his perspective, math is just things for nerds, something that he isn’t interested in. however, he seems to learn a lot from you.

after you two start talking about other things besides your project, you start to connect. you realize that he’s just a lovable dork, really. he’s very laid back and will also go with whatever you want to talk about, but will also give his two cents. though, he’s very respectful about what you’re saying. not like his dad, in any case.

he also likes to talk about his friends and how much he appreciates them. he says that he wants to treasure them and it’s very sweet to you.

eventually, he ends up dragging okuyasu into the conversation as well. you three start talking eccentrically about things you recently bought and such. depending on your hobbies, josuke might say that he even takes an interest in them!

once you two have to leave for your next class, you pack your things and get josuke’s phone number. after all, you’ll have to talk over the phone for more details about the project, right?

giorno ;

you’re apart of tean bucciarati, so of course you’ll meet him when bucciarati brings him in. you’re not very interested in talking to him at first, as all the others were. but when your capo said that you should respect that he was there, you decided to talk to him.

once you introduced yourself, you were planning on ending it there. however, something caught your eye. it could have been the way that he styles his hair or the ladybug charms on his shirt. you’re not sure about it yet, but you do have some interest about his appearance.

so, you ask him about these quirks in his appearance. he’s very polite and uses proper language, which is very weird to you. it sounds nothing like the way mista or narancia might speak to you, or the way that bruno might coddle you like. he’s understanding in the way that his appearance looks. he doesn’t fuss over it and diligently explains whatever you’re interested in.

after this, he asks you a question that you’re not really ready for. maybe it’s something about your appearance as well, or maybe it could be about why you’re in this gang in the first place. of course, depending on the level of importance to you, you could either explain these things to him or not. he’s a listener more than a talker, but he does have his way with words.

when you two are talking, he finds that you seem interesting. the way you seem to carry around your confidence is, in a way, amusing to him. it sounds like you know what you want, to him.

you don’t speak that much when you first meet him. it’s sort of awkward, in a way. you’re not very sure what to say, but when you do come up with something to say, you’re very confident in your words. you want to be sure you’re saying something that’s not hurtful in anyway.

you two finally stop talking when one of the other members of the team cuts in, starting to make small talk with the blonde. you let them have at it, of course. stepping back, you sit farther in the back, the perfect spot to watch him carefully.

jolyne ;

you two met in prison, of course. you were placed in the cell next to her, so you could hear her talking, whenever she did. after being there for a couple of hours, she started to talk through the walls, just to see if someone would respond to her.

you most likely wouldn’t ignore her after a few times. you’d be bored as well, so you might as well have a listen to what a fellow inmate has to say. she seems like she’s thinking about things, maybe ways to escape? you don’t have much hope for that, but at least you have something to not bore you.

you start talking back to her, finding out things about her that you wouldn’t expect for someone in prison. she tells you why she’s in prison in the first place. she’s not ashamed of it, anyway. but it sounds very interesting, so you ask for more details about her case.

when she tells you more about it, she seems nonchalant, like she’s tired of telling the same story over and over again so, you tell her your story. after all, it’s only fair, you decide. it’s not like she’ll find it more interesting than her story.

turns out it is more interesting to her. she’ll start to ask you questions about it. and you answer. she can get nosy about it, but once she realizes that you’re uncomfortable with a certain topic, she’ll leave it alone.

you two don’t talk about much else after that, but it’s nice that you got to talk to someone about your situation and why you ended up in jail in the first place. it’s a burden lifted off your shoulders. plus, you’re somewhat interested in figuring out what the girl on the other side of the wall looks like. you’ll definitely have to talk to her some more. she’s a very interesting gal!

[thebiggestnaturaldisaster]

Tokoyami x reader part 1

Tw: angst

3k words

Soulmate au

A couple of OCs make their appearances here

Soulmates. You don't get to choose them but most seem to be the perfect match for you even if you don't know it at first.

You technically get your soul mark at birth it's just incredibly faint but then as you grow up it becomes more prominent, it's assumed that that's because you're closer to meeting your soul mate.

But that's where you have a slight problem you're 14 and your mark is still dull. Normally that would be fine it just means your soulmate lives farther away, but being the child of a top hero in your country means you have moved around a lot; and in turn met many many people. Is it possible to never meet a soulmate?

"Y/N breakfast is ready!" Your mom calls up to you in a singsong voice. It's a family tradition that every Saturday you all sleep in and then have a fun breakfast together. You race downstairs nearly knocking over the vase of flowers on the hallway table. Down in the kitchen there wasn't a large array of foods but some mickey mouse pancakes (with an assortment of toppings), bacon, eggs, and some fruit salad. All your favorites, the nostalgia is like a warm hug.After piling your plate tall with breakfast you sat down at the table with your mom and dad. A few minutes into the family breakfast and a few shared glances between your parents you could tell something was off.

"Y/N your mother and I have something to tell you." Your dad's tone was off he seemed almost nervous. Nothing he could say with that tone could be good. The words rung in your head like a bell was struck next to you. 'We're moving'. Again? Where this time? Will I finally meet them? Why do we have to move around so much? You had so many questions but you couldn't form enough words to ask all of them. You could only get one of them out. Where? The answer rung more than the initial news. Japan.

'''''''''''

That was a couple years ago though. You were nervous at first of course, moving to a new country is always scary, but the nerves lightened a little bit once you noticed your mark was getting darker as the time there went on. You were still the child of a professional hero due to a slight transfer hence the move. And with a move and a powerful quirk there's one school in particular you wanted to go to. UA. The best hero school in Japan. There's nothing you wouldn't do to get in. After a grueling entry exam and a lot of practicing you got in. You got into the hero course call 1-A and tomorrow was your first day.

It was strange to be walking into a hero school in a new country but you were excited. The pro heroes here were exceptional and inspiring to watch. You aspired to be like them. The door to class 1-A. Here goes nothing. Your classmates were interesting, a very lively group, with very lively quirks. One stood out the most though an incredibly cute guy with a birds head, he was a little eccentric in a Gothic way but that made him all the more captivating. You became fast friends with most of your classmates, all aside from the angry and unapproachable Bakugo at least.

Your teacher had you all do a lot of physical tests today and admittedly you felt gross you could feel the sweat encrusting the dirt onto your skin and the only thing you could think about as you opened the door to your house was showering. After dropping your bag on your bed you went directly to the shower but as you undressed you noticed it on your shoulder. Your mark was solid. You met him. You squealed in delight though based on your parents rushing to the outside of the bathroom door it must've been more of a shriek. With a tank top still on you threw the door open and showed your parents your mom in particular. The excitement in the air was palpable. After your shower you got dressed into comfortable clothes and got online to talk to your old friends from back home, they HAD to hear this.

A few months had passed and since then you've gotten closer to your friends and even closer to who you found out had your mark with you, Tokoyami. Your initial thoughts of him being attractive hadn't faded at all though you two hadn't known each other long, you decided to take everything slower even though the chemistry was as if you had known each other your entire lives, you decided to go as far as dating but not much further. Your parents each loved the other which while expected was very nice. Despite dating for a few months now whenever you two kiss he gets extremely flustered which is endearing.

"Students I have a couple announcements to make" Everyone immediately stopped talking and payed attention in hope it was something exciting. "Firstly there will be a family outing for the hero classes so please do check with your parents and have the papers that are being handed out signed so we know who will be coming. Secondly after long deliberation we have decided a select few of the hero courses this so do keep it between us; there is a traitor in the school, we are unsure who it is or if they're a student or a teacher. We have decided to tell you so you can keep a look out and tell us if there is anything strange." The class was buzzing there were whispers everywhere around, everyone's voice muddled together. Who could it be you asked yourself its a hero school, if you're here you're either a hero or want to be. It could be one of my friends even.

A couple of weeks had passed but the anxiety of the traitor wasn't a bit lower than before, understandably. As all the families and students climbed onto the buses there was a silent agreement to not discuss what was heard until after the day of fun with everyone as to not ruin it. The cool early morning air chilled everyone's core a small bit as you all rode to the destination off the forest and walk to the final spot - a clearing semi deep into the belly of the forest. The drive was long and the buses cramped but you couldn't help but wonder who was joining, or if the traitor would be. The blades of grass were painted with a dew that soaked the bottom of your shoes, it was going to be a good day. Right?

The day turned out to be bright, sunny, and comfortably warm. Games were played and if students chose to they were able to show off how their quirk training was going in a safe and controlled environment. You could hear it a mile away, a screaming match between Bakugo and his mom, looks like its his turn to show off. How unusual. With a sigh you gently grab your parents arms and back them away to a hopefully safe distance. "You don't want to be close to this trust me." Next thing everyone knew some of the biggest and loudest explosions you've seen him set off flashed, like lightning feet away from you.

You weren't the only ones watching.

After the show Bakugo gave it seemed as if everyone wanted to show their parents how their quirks and control had gotten and you were no exception. The longer you watched the others show their parents and friends the more shy became which didn't go unnoticed. Suddnly you felt a gentle hand on your shoulder, looking over you saw the lightly caring smile on his beak and you felt a wave of confidence as you waited for what you knew would be your turn. Every so often as the moment got closer and closer you would feel an encouraging squeeze on your hand.

You took your turn, more nervous than you ever had been. It had been years since this many people saw your use your quirk, it doesn't always go well. you looked back at your families. Toko's face was gentle as ever and you could feel your parents eyes watching in support. You took a breath and closed your eyes. Focus Y/N. You could feel the air swirling around you to your forearm and hand gently blowing against your face. You slowly opened your eyes and scanned the tree line, you don't need a large trunk just one to show how well your training is going. You slide your foot back getting into the proper stance. As you breathe out you move in one fluid motion and slice your arm through the air; in turn the air that gathered around your arm is like a knife flying through the tree cutting the trunk in half. The crash of the falling tree was the last thing that was heard. Everyone was silent. Most had never seen your quirk used, and those who have before had never seen it to that extent.

You could feel your face getting warmer as everyone stared at the sliced tree laying dormant of the ground. You slowly walked back to your family's spot next to Tokoyami's family. The second you got close enough you were tugged into your warm as she gave you a hug and your dad giving you a proud high five. Once your mom let's go you take your spot next to Toko once again the picnic blankets were laid out and the food was ready to eat as the other students demonstrated their own abilities. You sat on the scratchy blanket eating and lost in conversation when you noticed a fog roll in. Figuring it was just a student you didn't know, you all continued talking amongst yourselves but also to the occasional classmate or friend that came by. You were enjoying yourself it felt like pure bliss sitting in the clearing with everyone around. The sky darkened quickly, which would've been normal but there was no sun set the sun was still shining down. The fog was thicker and darker, a mix of fog and smoke maybe?

Blue flames engulfed the trees surrounding the clearing spreading quickly. The fog and the smoke was heavy everyone scrambled to get to safety. You felt a strong hand grab yours and pull you up as figures slowly walked into the clearing. Shigaraki was first followed by the usual villains, what a thought the usual people trying to kill us. Your eyes scanned them all and saw some your didn't recognize including someone you could only call Nomu version 2 he was gigantic.

He was talking. You didn't want to listen you had to think.

Thé air was heavy and still as the fog slowly got thicker no one dared to move. There were so many villains it was dizzying. So many new ones too. If it were just the hero course students you probably would have stayed as a group to try to fight your way out but it wasn't. No there were heroes, families, and students from different class types. You had to get to safety. How? How are you going to do that. Movement. You had no time to think you could only react as Nomu 2.0 started to move. Slow at first like a lumbering giant a mistake of human creation. Then he wasn't. He wasn't slow at all he charged toward a large group being stopped by All Might and Mr. Aizawa. Panic. Fear.

With a shriek acting as an alarm everyone scattered. Villains chased while others went back into the woods. People were everywhere fighting or running. Terror. The pro heroes were all busy trying to stop various people from getting hurt. You were frozen. Unsure of what to do. You felt a warm hand grab yours and yank you into the tree line. Toko. Your parents, one being a pro hero chose to fight while the other ran along side you. Dark. The fog and smoke blotted our the sun as much as they made it harder to breathe. Where were you? You'd been just running and running. You all stopped Tokoyami's dad needed a minute. You kneeled with him his wife in tow for a moment. He wasn't used to this.

Crack. Crunch. Crash.

A tree covered in blue fire came crashing down between you all. Like scared horses his parents booked it deeper in to the woods. "I'll get them you two just get to safety." You assured him. It was safer to get as many people out as possible. You ran. You weren't sure how far they'd gotten but you just kept running calling out in hopes they would hear you. Your legs were heavy your feet like cinderblocks hitting the ground. You saw them. Picking up speed you you ran to be just in front of them blocking their path to stop them. They had tears in their eyes, could you blame them. You pulled them both into a hug, though you weren't used to so many feathers. After choosing a direction to walk you started making your way hopefully out of the forest. The fog and smoke mixture thickened to the point it was hard to see far in front of you. That's when you heard it. The other footsteps. You all stopped.

After a short moment you saw a figure step closer. A slow trot would be best to describe it. Followed closely but a few others. Friends? As they got closer you were able to see their faces. Shigaraki. He was right in front of you. Dabi and three others tailing right behind him. Who were they? You only knew about the main villains from this organization. You'd never seen them before, you were getting more unsure about this by the second. You motioned for his parents to get behind you though would that really help anything? You looked at the ones you haven't seen before. They were about your age one wearing a mask on their mouth, maybe a vocal quirk, and the other just looked bored. The third one was odd she didn’t seem like a villain at all. It was off putting.

"Mr. And Mrs. Tokoyami once I can get their attention on me please run as much as you can." You said without looking away from the 5 in front of you. You should never talk about a plan in front of the people who want to kill you though.

In a blink you were grabbed. Strong chains coiled around you squeezing you holding you in place. The cold metal felt strange as it dig into your skin. Help. You could hear more clinking metal behind you. You struggled to turn your head but when you did you saw his parents coiled even tighter than you. The feathers on his father were slowly being pulled out by the coil. You had to get out of here. The chains lead to back to the bored guy. So he didn’t even have to move no wonder he’s bored. You focused on each of them you’re eyes trailing around the scene as you tried to think of a way out.

“Masami Tokoyami. Age 47. Quirk shadow puppet. Not a threat.” A cheerful voice spoke. What?

“Hachigoro Tokoyami. Age 50. Quirk bird. Not a threat slightly pathetic though. A shame really.” Her voice trailed off at the end. She was staring at you now. It was only a few seconds but it felt like an eternity.

“Y/N. Age 16. Quirk solid air. Threat level high if they can control it well, it’ll be sharper than any weapon created.” She started talking directly to you “I would have loved to be your friend under different circumstances.”

Horror. What kind of a quirk does that girl have? You needed to get out of there and soon. The way you came would work, it was just barely a straight show after all. You looked at it for too long. The third one, the other girl, had noticed what you were focused on. Of you could see her face it probably would have had a smirk plastered on it as she walked over to the path. She leaned on a tree watching you looking for any hint of reaction. She must’ve gotten what she wanted because suddenly the very tree was falling over blocking the path. In an instant blue flames engulfed the. Smoke filled your lungs and burned your throat. No.

You felt the air wrapping around your wrist you had to do this fast. You focused as much as you could on the chain holding you. Slice. The metal broke in half, but instead of a simple clink it was accompanied but a scream in pain. He can feel his chains. Your prison fell and the other half retreated back into his body after flailing and scoring trees. He doesn’t seem very bored anymore. After a moment of you steadying yourself you heard the gasps. The Tokoyamis could barely breathe with the air and the chains. Turning around you saw them, bruised and Toko’s father bloody from his feathers being ripped out.

It was like a horror movie. The chains raised them with ease the slightly worse part was what came after. Masami was thrown into a tree wit enough force that it was turned to splinters. The chains loosened and was left there in the shards. Before you could think Hachigoro was raised as high as the canopies and slammed into the ground. You would never admit it but the fact that it caused a small crater was slightly cool. You placed a hand on your shoulder right over your soulmark. You’d save them. For him.

[cddump]

Again (Sitting Seven)

“Young Casper, is everything okay? Are you in need of assistance?” Chandra held his arm out to Casper, who had finished his laughing fit. He took hold of Chandra's hand and stood, still panting from his run. “It's fine. All you need to know is that I have an overactive imagination. And I'm out of shape.” “What's going on?” Ash placed the plate of apple slices on her computer desk. “Oh, habibi, have you been taking your medication?” Chandra handed the orange bottle to her. “I found this one in my office so I became worried.” “I'm taking them. I thought I lost them so I went to get another refill. It was a pain in the ass, but I manged to get them fine.” “I'll just be going now,” Casper said. He wanted to get out as soon as possible and was already inching towards the door. “Wait, why did you burst in here?” Casper sighed. “I thought...I don't know. I thought you forgot those meds and that they were like...” he trailed off. How could he say he thought she was going to commit suicide? “I was just worried.” “What, did you think I was gonna off myself or something? They're just anxiety pills. They help with panic attacks and stuff.” “Yeah well, I didn't know that.” Casper reached the door and walked through when he heard Ash's footsteps rush up to him. Oh boy, here we go. Sure enough, she grabbed his arm and spoke up. “Wait! Wait wait, did you really think I'd try and kill myself?” Chandra easily pulled Ash off of Casper, “Now habibi. Young Casper was just worried and was being a good neighbor. Do not read into it too deeply.” “But dad! We have a real connection! I can feel it!” “That's what you said about the last person that moved in. And you ended up driving them out with your antics.”

“Wait, what?” Casper turned around to face the two. “What do you mean she ending up 'driving them out?' “D-don't worry about that!” Ash said as Chandra sighed to himself. “Look, Casper's already made it farther than the other guy did! And Casper's single.” “No I'm not,” Casper lied, “I have a girlfriend.” Ash's face went pale. “W-why didn't you say that in the first place?!” It was a pathetic lie, but if it kept her out of Casper's hair for a while he'd be able to live with it. “What's her name, then?” “Now habibi, don't pry into Casper's personal life like this.” “Zoey,” Casper said, pulling up the first name he could think of. Well, the second name, actually. The first name was his sister's, and he wasn't about to claim to be dating his sister. “Zoey? You mean the girl on your lock screen?” “That's right. W-why do you think she's on my lock screen?” “I thought it was because it was your sister's picture...But why didn't you mention you two were dating when you showed me the picture the first time?” Shit! “Ah...well, you know...” Casper covered his face from view with both hands. “It's embarrassing, you know? I can't talk about her with a straight face so I tried to brush her off!” Ash wasn't having any of it. “If that's the case then why'd you move here instead of with her and your sister?! It doesn't make--” Chandra stepped in. “Now now, habibi. Young Casper has his reasons for his decisions. Speaking of which, now that I see you're fine with your medication, Casper and I have a few last things to discuss about his staying here. Would you join me outside, Casper?” Casper only nodded a silent thank you for the escape. Once more, Casper found himself in the hallway, three floors above Ash's room. The afternoon light had already begun to evaporate, and in its place were the slowly darkening skies. There was just a sliver of sunlight reaching past the horizon and though there was enough visible light left, the hallways were already illuminated by the automated ceiling lights. This was now Casper's home but the artificially lit hallway reminded him more of a hotel than a long-lasting living space. “Correct me if I'm wrong, young Casper,” Chandra said, “but you are not currently in a relationship, are you?” Casper looked towards the stairway, making sure Ash hadn't followed them. “No. Sorry I lied. Don't tell her, alright?” “I understand. My poor habibi has an overbearing personality at times. We've tried to talk to her but nothing's gone through. Maybe we should just accept her for who she is instead of trying to change her. Either way, I hope you can still get along with her.” Casper couldn't help but smile. “I think I've seen the worst of her at this point, so that should be fine...Or rather, I hope I've seen the worst of her.” Casper heard a soft whirring noise outside. Looking up, he saw a drone fly near the apartment building. “Are those things popular here? I saw one yesterday too.” “Hmm?” Chandra followed Casper's gaze. “Ah, the flying drone? No, though I do believe I see one flying around every so often. It would be fair to say there is probably one enthusiast in the city, but nothing beyond that.” “Oh. Alright. Hey, did you actually need to talk to me about something or was that just to help me get out of Ash's room?” “Hmm? Ah yes. Did you sign the papers this morning?” “Yeah. Gary should have them, I think.” “Then everything is perfect, young Casper. Please enjoy your stay. Here, allow me to give you small gift to welcome you.” Chandra pulled out his wallet and produced a small slip of purple paper folded into an envelope before handing it to Casper. “What's this?” Casper asked as he undid the flap. Inside was a plastic card, the same shade of purple as the envelope in came in. Written on it were two words in whimsical font: Coff-Coff. “It's a gift card for the coffee shop down the street. It isn't much, I'll admit—only five dollars—but I always feel the need to get something like this for people moving in. Considering your insomnia, I hope it does not offend you that I chose a coffee shop. I did so without realizing, you see. If it's a problem I can replace it with something else. Or perhaps a different--” “No no, this is fine! Really, don't worry about it. Thanks, Chandra. I appreciate it. In fact, I think I'm feeling a little thirsty right about now.” “Oh! Yes yes of course, please by all means! I have a few things I must take care of as well. Please take care, young Casper. Night is falling, after all!” A few seconds after Casper pressed the elevator's call button, the doors slid open for him. A pair of blue eyes looked up at him. “Oh, good evening,” the man said, “I haven't seen you before. Are you visiting someone?” The man standing in the elevator was tall and lean with pale skin and spoke in a British accent. He wore a dress shirt and slacks, and his black shoes shone in the elevator's light. Casper rubbed his fingers through his black hair, comparing it to the man's light brown hair. He was clean shaven while Casper sported stubble from his already growing beard. The fact Casper wore a a simple v neck shirt and hoodie with jeans while the other man was dressed in a more formal manner made Casper feel as if he was inadequately dressed. He stepped into the elevator. “N-no. No, I just moved in last night. Do you live here too?” “No. I was visiting my cousin, but he seems to be out, which is rare. I even checked the roof as he likes to spend some time there, but found nothing. Ground floor?” “Yeah, thanks.” Casper noted the man had already pressed that particular button as the doors began to close. “So who's your cousin, if you don't mind me asking?” “He lives on the first floor. Maybe you've met him, his name is Alexander.” Casper stared at the man, shocked. “You're related to him?! But you're so normal!” The man laughed. “Yes, I get that a lot. Alexander is...very eccentric and pursues strange hobbies.” “Hobbies, huh?” The man laughed quietly to himself but said nothing for a few seconds. Casper expected him to talk about Alex but instead said a single word that surprised him again. “Insomnia?” “Wh...what?” “I'm asking if you have insomnia. I can see the dark circles in your eyes despite looking as if you've slept more than the majority of the day.” “...Just a rough night's sleep.” “More like a rough couple of year's worth of sleep, but if you say so. I won't pry any further. My name is Richard, by the way. Richard Cain.” He held out his hand, which Casper hesitantly shook. “Casper Donn. Local insomniac.” Richard laughed again as the elevator reached the ground floor and opened once more. “Where are you off to then, Casper?” “This place called Coff-Coff.” He held up the gift card in between to fingers to show Richard. “Every been there?” “Yes I have. In fact, that was my next stop. Would you like me to join you?” Casper looked Richard over once more. They seemed to come from two different worlds; Richard dressed as if he was ready to head into a party while Casper looked as if he was about to get busted for smoking weed. “...Should I get changed first? What's the atmosphere like?” “Hm? Oh! No no, please you're fine as-is! If anything I'm over dressed. I'm just very used to this type of attire.” The pair walked passed the the security office where Gary eyed them for a moment before returning to his book. Casper could clearly see Gary had placed a Japanese manga over the book's pages and pretended to read the book while secretly reading his graphic novel instead. “I work at the local bank, you see. I spend a lot of time there and my closet has been filled with more dress-wear than casual clothing before I had realized it.” “Oh. Well, at least you're always looking fly, right?” Richard chuckled again as he exited the apartment building. Darkness had taken over the town, and the concrete walkway leading out of the lot was brightened by lamps that dotted the area. Casper looked towards the sky but saw only darkness. There were no stars to be seen in the city. Instead he brought his gaze forward. The streets were bathed in artificial light and the noises of passing cars in the distance filled the air. “So where do you work, if you don't mind me asking? Did you have a job lined up in this city before moving in?” “Huh? Oh, I uh, make a webcomic called Animals! Deluxe.” Richard rubbed his chin. “I'm sorry to say I haven't read it.” This time it was Casper's turn to laugh. “Don't worry about it. To be honest it'd be even weirder if someone like you had said you were a big fan of it.” “Is that so?” “You don't seem like the kind of person who'd read cutesy comics, you know?” “And you don't seem like the kind of person to produce cutesy comics. You seem a bit more on the rougher side.” “That's just me being grumpy from not getting any sleep.” “Speaking of. I find it hard to believe an insomniac would go to a coffee shop, much less during the night.” “I like hot chocolate,” Casper defended himself.