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[Picking up from here]
[Shit shit shit, he's so busted. God damnit. Well, he's told Daisy a bit of what's going on and Lucy knows what happened that night. But Paulo wasn't one he'd told, he'd assumed Lucy might've told him.
Ring ring, Paulo.]
[Shit shit shit, he's so busted. God damnit. Well, he's told Daisy a bit of what's going on and Lucy knows what happened that night. But Paulo wasn't one he'd told, he'd assumed Lucy might've told him.
Ring ring, Paulo.]
[Oh he picks up fast because he's holding his phone.]
SANDY IS A FUCKING BITCH!
SANDY IS A FUCKING BITCH!
[Ow, shit. It's not so much the reaction that hurts him, it's Paulo yelling that hurts his ears. Curse his genes and his sensitive ears.]
... Can we not do this on the phone? Where are you?
... Can we not do this on the phone? Where are you?
[Hearing Mike's voice brings Paulo down. The fire of rage is brought down to a very angry simmer. He swallows and lowers his voice. Then he sends a location marker.]
I live here. It's my day off and my bro is out with his boyfriend. Come on over.
I live here. It's my day off and my bro is out with his boyfriend. Come on over.
I'll take this time to run over.
[He hastily throws on his track uniform and goes for a jog. It takes him a bit to get over to Paulo's place, mostly cause he's wrapped up in his own thoughts. Half an hour later, there's a knock on the door.]
[He hastily throws on his track uniform and goes for a jog. It takes him a bit to get over to Paulo's place, mostly cause he's wrapped up in his own thoughts. Half an hour later, there's a knock on the door.]
[Thirty minutes is enough time for Paulo to make homemade fries and burgers. Which are ready when he opens the door.]
Hey. [He steps out of the way.]
Hey. [He steps out of the way.]
H-Hey. Can we talk about something. I dunno if you wanna talk over the phone or I can come over tonight. Whatever. You know?
[Mike's a bit sweaty from running, he's wiping it off his forehead a bit when Paulo opens the door. The smell of food hits him like a truck and his stomach makes noises at it. He'd been skipping too many meals, only stuffing enough in him to get by. Not nearly enough.]
Hey. [He says sheepishly.]
Hey. [He says sheepishly.]
[Paulo hears that grumble and isn't sure what to say. Part of him wants to be his usual self but another part of him screams to not be that. He swallows.]
I made plenty of food. Let's eat.
I made plenty of food. Let's eat.
Edited 2025-06-14 02:21 (UTC)
[He isn't sure what to do other than step inside. He looks around unsure of where to go and checking the place out. He says nothing to that, just looks at Paulo with an unreadable expression. He knows he's in trouble here.]
[Paulo stands there awkwardly. Right. Mike doesn't know the apartment. He motions for Mike to follow and steps inside the house.]
Hey. So this is my apartment with my brother. He adopted me. His name's Dick. I'll introduce you. He a talking fox. Wears pants too.
Uh. Dining room is here. Kitchen through here. My room is over there and that's Dick's room.
...Oh. Bathroom is in there. Don't worry, I cleaned it yesterday.
Hey. So this is my apartment with my brother. He adopted me. His name's Dick. I'll introduce you. He a talking fox. Wears pants too.
Uh. Dining room is here. Kitchen through here. My room is over there and that's Dick's room.
...Oh. Bathroom is in there. Don't worry, I cleaned it yesterday.
[Normally Mike would make a crack about someone being named Dick, but he's not in the mood for that. He looks in the directions that Paulo's pointing out and quietly heads for the kitchen. He slides into a kitchen chair where the food is and ignores the burger. He pokes at the fries waiting for Paulo to join him.]
[Paulo follows and sits down. He takes a burger and eats a fry, watching Mike intently. His ears fold back and he doesn't say anything for a moment. Just watching his friend and feeling at a loss about what to say.]
[Mike's own ears fold back. He can't even pretend with the food right now. He sighs and shoves the burger away, gently though. He twirls the fry between his fingers.]
... You remember the day when I mentioned a fight with Sandy? That's when she said she'd cheated on me. I don't know how far it went, but she told me she loves him. [And he called him a "needless distraction" the day after their fight.]
... You remember the day when I mentioned a fight with Sandy? That's when she said she'd cheated on me. I don't know how far it went, but she told me she loves him. [And he called him a "needless distraction" the day after their fight.]
Yeah, I remember. You said you worked it...out...
...
She...fucking said what?
[Paulo's worry is quickly redirecting to anger. Anger at Sandy. She cheated on Mike and told him she loved the dude she CHEATED on him with?! He has to tap his claws on the table to keep from screaming again.]
She is the fucking worst.
...
She...fucking said what?
[Paulo's worry is quickly redirecting to anger. Anger at Sandy. She cheated on Mike and told him she loved the dude she CHEATED on him with?! He has to tap his claws on the table to keep from screaming again.]
She is the fucking worst.
[Mike winces a little, watching Paulo tap his claws on the table.]
.. A few weeks later, we had another phone call discussing it again. She said that her mom was suspicious of him at the start, that she would've killed them over what they were doing.
I don't know when this started or how far it went, but isn't this more just just catching feelings?
[He sighs sadly.]
I don't know what to think of it, Paulo. [He has some time to think at least.]
.. A few weeks later, we had another phone call discussing it again. She said that her mom was suspicious of him at the start, that she would've killed them over what they were doing.
I don't know when this started or how far it went, but isn't this more just just catching feelings?
[He sighs sadly.]
I don't know what to think of it, Paulo. [He has some time to think at least.]
[Paulo knows the tapping isn't going to do much soon. He gets up slowly and starts to pace. Fire ignites on his fingertips. He rolls little fireballs around his fingers. It gives him something to focus on. He does want to throw a fireball through a fucking window but he holds off.
Amazing self-control for Paulo. Well physically anyway.]
Dude, you realize it sounds like they were fucking, right?
Amazing self-control for Paulo. Well physically anyway.]
Dude, you realize it sounds like they were fucking, right?
[Oh right, the seasonal powers. He hasn't been focusing on his own powers due to his guilt and feelings. He swallows thickly at that.]
I don't wanna picture it. [His own tone is rising a little, but he's not mad. He sounds sad about it all.] Why would she guilt me back into the relationship then?
[Oh right.]
She broke up with me temporarily. So why go that far with him just to ... get me back?
[It's all he's known really. His parents aren't the best role models either.]
I don't wanna picture it. [His own tone is rising a little, but he's not mad. He sounds sad about it all.] Why would she guilt me back into the relationship then?
[Oh right.]
She broke up with me temporarily. So why go that far with him just to ... get me back?
[It's all he's known really. His parents aren't the best role models either.]
Because you're awesome?
[The words come out before he really thinks about it. The fire disappears as he realizes what the FUCK he just said.]
And maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it was just making out or something. What did she say was why? Did she even give a reason?
[The words come out before he really thinks about it. The fire disappears as he realizes what the FUCK he just said.]
And maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it was just making out or something. What did she say was why? Did she even give a reason?
[He's what now?]
I'm not awesome. [He thinks he's a terrible friend after all.]
She thought I was unhappy. [Well duh, when you're own girlfriend ghosts you for months, of course you're going to be unhappy.] She... thought I was broken and didn't want to fix it, I guess.
She called me later that night, thinking I might've done something stupid to myself. I wouldn't. [He can't bring himself to go through with it. He'd understood Sandy's worry, it was the same as his when Jordan let it slip that Lucy had been in the hospital.]
I'm not awesome. [He thinks he's a terrible friend after all.]
She thought I was unhappy. [Well duh, when you're own girlfriend ghosts you for months, of course you're going to be unhappy.] She... thought I was broken and didn't want to fix it, I guess.
She called me later that night, thinking I might've done something stupid to myself. I wouldn't. [He can't bring himself to go through with it. He'd understood Sandy's worry, it was the same as his when Jordan let it slip that Lucy had been in the hospital.]
...Yes you are.
[Fuck it. He might as well fucking follow through. He already said it. Not like he can take it back when Mike looks like a lost unemployed kitten with a cold. Fuck, Rinku is rubbing off on him more than he thought.]
Do you feel broken?
[Fuck it. He might as well fucking follow through. He already said it. Not like he can take it back when Mike looks like a lost unemployed kitten with a cold. Fuck, Rinku is rubbing off on him more than he thought.]
Do you feel broken?
Why do you think that?
I don't know what I feel anymore. I...
I feel like everyone's leaving me behind. Lucy and I don't talk, James left me for David. I saw how he took an interest in David after the race we had.
[Mike sighs again, breaking the fry in half.]
Before you, David and Daisy found us, he kissed me. He thought he could "change my mind" over Sandy. I thought it was just a friend date, not a date date.
I don't know what I feel anymore. I...
I feel like everyone's leaving me behind. Lucy and I don't talk, James left me for David. I saw how he took an interest in David after the race we had.
[Mike sighs again, breaking the fry in half.]
Before you, David and Daisy found us, he kissed me. He thought he could "change my mind" over Sandy. I thought it was just a friend date, not a date date.
[Paulo doesn't answer right away because that's a hard question to hear. And a harder one to answer. Everyone is leaving him behind? Fuck...he knows what that feels like. And James...dammit.]
...You're nice. You're fun. You try. I know...shit goes all fucked up and I haven't been the greatest friend ever. But you never...gave up on me. You've been there for me. When I felt like everyone was leaving me behind too.
Like after the closet shit.
[He looks away, feeling his cheeks warming up.] Like come on dude. You're like...the guy who made me realize I like guys too.
...You're nice. You're fun. You try. I know...shit goes all fucked up and I haven't been the greatest friend ever. But you never...gave up on me. You've been there for me. When I felt like everyone was leaving me behind too.
Like after the closet shit.
[He looks away, feeling his cheeks warming up.] Like come on dude. You're like...the guy who made me realize I like guys too.
... You always made sure that me and Sandy were doing okay. I just snapped at you until we had that fight. I haven't been the greatest friend ever either. I've been pretty crap at it really, but you stuck at my side.
You only looked out for my own happiness, Paulo.
You know I tried to get them to stop, but... [Sue threw Lucy back into his face over that one.]
[He remembers that conversation in his room that day. The talk they had over Sandy, then Paulo's weird day.] You haven't done anything with a guy yet, right?
You only looked out for my own happiness, Paulo.
You know I tried to get them to stop, but... [Sue threw Lucy back into his face over that one.]
[He remembers that conversation in his room that day. The talk they had over Sandy, then Paulo's weird day.] You haven't done anything with a guy yet, right?
Because you deserve to be happy. And I...I said some fucked up shit I know was wrong and a lie and I was being stupid and...
I know you did. They still said it. They meant it.
[He rubs his arm for a moment and blushes.]
...Not here I haven't.
I know you did. They still said it. They meant it.
[He rubs his arm for a moment and blushes.]
...Not here I haven't.
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