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May 22, 2017 23:49:00 GMT -5
Post by avarice on May 22, 2017 23:49:00 GMT -5
there were parts about this game that were, for lack of better terms, exciting. this world wasn’t like the one they left behind and, albeit fake, it was as close to a reality as any of them could get to. but even with its charm theo hated this place more than anything. it was because of the effect it had on people; how it dragged them down and kept their minds rooted on a looming fear of death waiting on just a single mistake. he had those fears as much as any other, but it was how it had gotten to noel that made theo really wish they’d never gotten trapped in this prison. this place wasn’t home. maybe if this had happened to him prior to meeting noel he would have been happier, even saw this as a perfect opportunity to escape all those demons outside of the game. but not anymore.
he hadn’t expected noel to bring up that day -- the moment when everyone realized they were stuck to die by someone else's terms. the thought gripped at his mind, causing him to avert his gaze from the boy to the ground as theo takes a moment to push the face of noel, all panicked and scared to some place forgotten. it had taken a lot to calm his friend down that day but it was worth it to see him sleep as peacefully as either of them could that night.
theo wasn’t good at this. he wasn’t exactly the type to get sentimental, or at least respond in a proper way to something so heartfelt. it wasn’t as though he was uncomfortable but that his gift of words didn’t quite reach this particular area.
“i think ..” he starts after noel thanks him, hesitating for a long second as he tries to push this persistent urge to ruin the moment they had just made. “i think you don’t give yourself enough credit. you would have been just fine without me …” a part of him is happy noel hasn’t looked up from the ground, knowing full well that when their eyes do meet he’ll melt -- forgotten words pushed aside to be replaced with silence or unneeded flirtatious comment. yet, he still wants to see noel's face more than anything else.
“but … i’m happy we’re on the same page,” he says, voice dropping to a lower tone than he had originally meant. there’s more to those words than just the acknowledgement of their standing together; something deeper, more personal -- unasked or brought up. this wasn’t the place for it, but neither was anywhere else. the words hang from his tongue, lips parting to push them out; to finally say what's been at the back of his mind since he realized his feelings.
“noel, i ...“
this wasn’t the time.
“i … uh, maybe we should go and get some of the supplies for the quest. not that i mind seeing your sappy side, it’s pretty cute. but if you’re going to cook for us tonight than i’d like to get this quest done as soon as possible.”
8/12
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May 23, 2017 0:48:40 GMT -5
Post by caritas on May 23, 2017 0:48:40 GMT -5
[attr="class","sv1"] [attr="class","sv2"]  [attr="class","sv4"] [attr="class","sv3"]So don't call me baby, unless you mean it, don't tell me you need me If you don't believe it, so let me know the truth before I dive right into you.
Noel wasn’t sure why he had gotten so sappy all of a sudden. He wasn’t the type to get emotional and cry over things. However Theo always had a way of bringing out a side of him that he didn’t know he had. He was the only one that could push his buttons and get him riled up enough to embarrass himself. He was the only one that could make him lose the patience he had built up with years of practice dealing with his family. And he was the only one that could make him want to blurt out his feelings in the middle of a crowded street while trapped in a game.
Theo had done so much for him than anyone he has ever met in his life. So he didn’t care if it wasn’t the time or place for this...because as long as he was with him, he didn’t care.
His eyes were still focused on the ground, unable to meet his friend’s gaze after his small speech. He wasn’t used to talking about his feelings like this, preferring to swallow them back in fear of humiliating himself. He wasn’t expressive and outgoing like Theo. The other was always the one to talk and be more open while he sat back and listened. And he was okay with that.
It was Theo’s voice that brought his gaze up from the floor as he listened to the other’s words. It was true that he didn’t give himself enough credit. But there was one thing that Theo was wrong about. He wouldn’t have been able to do this without him. It was the sound of his name that finally made him look up to meet the other’s eyes, raising an eyebrow as he waited for the other to say what was on his mind. He didn’t know why but he felt his stomach twist as time seemed to move a little slower…
But everything went back to normal and Noel was left a little confused at the sudden change. It threw him off a little and it took him a moment to respond to what the other had said. “Don’t call me cute.” A small glare was sent his way before he turned in the direction of the shops nearby. “Let’s go buy our shit before I change my mind.”
The shop wasn’t too far from where they were standing and Noel resisted the urge to cancel the quest as soon as it came into view. “Let’s split up. We can go buy the swim trunks. I’ll get the food and drinks while you get party supplies.”
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May 23, 2017 1:32:40 GMT -5
Post by avarice on May 23, 2017 1:32:40 GMT -5
it had almost happened. his words had almost slipped past his lips, to be heard by all. a confession in the most unlikely place during a moment that didn’t quite fit his feelings being laid out in front of a boy who's been the center of his attention for so long. it was true that with his picky mindset that theo would never find the right moment. an excuse as to why he kept it secret would be easy to come up with; but this ... this wasn’t even close to being perfect.
his grin is forced for a second, embarrassment masked by a rush of guilty humor as noel looks up at him, half confused and annoyed at the ‘cute’ comment he’d gotten. when in doubt theo resorted to this. good-natured cat calls and overly flirtatious remarks. it's what riled noel up the most he thought, but it was his way of showing affection without leaving himself feeling vulnerable. rejection was something theo didn’t want to think about.
“okay, okay.” theo quickly starts, words spilling over each other as his hands raise instinctively as he’s scolded. he didn’t want to have noel leave the party again just because he couldn’t shut his mouth. in silence he listens to noel give him orders, laying out a plan for them to gather everything they needed for this odd quest. but at the mention of splitting up theos grin fades, hands slowly dropping to his side. he can feel his grip tighten against his clothes before he realizes his body had done it.
it takes more effort than he thinks it would to nod his head. “alright, sounds good.” his tone is odd. he can notice and if that’s the case so can noel. there was always this looming sense of dread that came with the notion of noel leaving his sights. a sense of danger regardless of everything else that cut into him and made him worry.
“message me when you’re done. we can meet back up here and then go buy everything else we might need to enjoy ourselves.” he goes to turn, to move in the direction he knows he needs to go -- but like his words there’s hesitation. he wants to tell noel to be careful; to be safe despite them being in the most protected area in the entire game. the words don’t come out as they should and instead theo grins, too cocky to match any of the thoughts he pushes aside. “if anyone flirts with you, tell them you're taken. or else i might get jealous and we won’t finish this quest because i’ll be too busy fighting someone for your attention.”
9/12
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May 23, 2017 2:24:06 GMT -5
Post by caritas on May 23, 2017 2:24:06 GMT -5
[attr="class","sv1"] [attr="class","sv2"] [attr="class","sv4"] [attr="class","sv3"]So don't call me baby, unless you mean it, don't tell me you need me If you don't believe it, so let me know the truth before I dive right into you.
He noticed the grin fade from his friend’s face as soon as his words finished. He saw the way Theo’s hands dropped to his clothes, unintentionally gripping them as he forced out an agreement to the plan. Noel knew why because he had the same feelings of worry whenever they were separated for too long. He gave the same look that Theo was giving him, forcing out an agreement and a smile so the other wouldn’t have to worry.
He didn’t blame him because he felt the same way. He could feel the nervousness creeping up his back and threatening to take back what he said. They were never away from each other for long because they wouldn’t allow it. Noel’s apprehensions and Theo’s protectiveness made it hard to stay away for long.
But he knew deep down that this was the best way to get things started. Splitting up was their best course of action and they both knew that. So Noel didn’t take back his words, instead throwing the other a small smile to show that it was okay and that he understood. He ignored the small turn of his stomach as he watched Theo turn away and say how they were going to meet up later. And he resisted the urge to follow after him and just say that they can go together. Instead he stood there and watched as Theo was going to leave before he stopped, sending a cocky grin his way as he spoke.
A laugh he couldn’t help escaped his lips before he could stop it. It was Theo, always Theo, who managed to somehow make everything a little better despite what was going on around them. He didn’t mean to laugh because he knew it was only adding fuel to Theo’s already inflated ego. But his words had somehow managed to bring him back to that familiar feeling whenever he was around the other. “Am I now?” Noel couldn’t help but tease, taking the time to stare at the other. His gaze drifted down, not even trying to hide what he was doing, before his eyes trailed back up to meet Theo’s. “Make sure you pick out something nice. I would hate for all those flirts to know I’m taken but I can’t show you off to them.” And with one last look towards Theo, Noel turned and headed towards the shop.
It didn’t take him long to find everything he needed. His first stop was the food stall where he had picked out various party foods and drinks. He figured since they didn’t need to eat in the game that a lot of people weren’t going to bother eating what they picked out. His next stop took him even less time. He didn’t want to linger to long in the clothing shop since they weren’t going to spend too much time in the clothes anyway. And as he arrived at the beach, Noel sent a quick message to Theo saying he was here.
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May 23, 2017 3:12:32 GMT -5
Post by avarice on May 23, 2017 3:12:32 GMT -5
theo had wanted to leave on a better note than what his nerves was making him do. he knew without asking that noel had noticed the shift in his posture and the way his hands gripped the fabric of his clothing. it was all clear indicators to his hesitation; to that fear he always had when noel strayed out of reach. his protection could only go so far and being away from the other left him too concerned to concentrate.
his comment was over-confident, selfish and in so many ways his own. he had made comments about noel over the time they’ve known each other; even so much so to claim the boy as his despite so many unsaid words -- but it was all in good fun. theo had expected the usual. noel to glare his way, telling him to shut up before storming off; leaving theo to sit back and watch as the other left his sights. but what he got left theo taken back, open-mouthed and silent as noels comment hit him. it was nothing when he flirted but when noel did it; it was something to take notice. all theo could muster was a laugh, so pitiful and embarrassed he was ashamed to have it leave his lips. he hoped that noel hadn’t heard and the noise of the crowds around them had drowned it out. he didn’t plan to ask nor stop noel as he watched him walk off, and instead took to what he’d been told to do while repeating noel's words in his head.
shopping wasn’t too bad. every little shop laid out had nearly everything he needed. with the quest worded the way it had been, and the lengthy explanation that had gone half ignored earlier that day theo couldn’t imagine they’d need much stuff. really, if he thought hard on it, he doubted anyone would join them other than some npcs hard wired to do so. everyone had better things to do than waste away at some half-assed beach party.
hopefully they’d at least have some fun out of it.
the message appears while making his way back, one hand holding up a folded, small table to lay out everything they bought while the other gripped a heavy bag of supplies. cups, plates -- weird, cute little things he figured he’d throw in there because at the spur of the moment he thought it’d be nice to have. being close enough to where they had planned to meet and his hands being too occupied to type anything coherent in a response theo moved faster towards the beach until he could make a familiar shape in the distance.
silence wasn’t his strong suit but for this he was able to bite his tongue enough to walk up to noel, grin spreading on his face as he got closer. he contemplates what he can do and, while scaring the boy is his first thought, theo quickly pushes it away for a much simpler approach. instead he makes sure to come up from behind, keeping his distance to avoid noels gaze until he’s close.
“miss me?”
10/12
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May 23, 2017 16:49:53 GMT -5
Post by caritas on May 23, 2017 16:49:53 GMT -5
[attr="class","sv1"] [attr="class","sv2"] [attr="class","sv4"] [attr="class","sv3"]So don't call me baby, unless you mean it, don't tell me you need me If you don't believe it, so let me know the truth before I dive right into you.
His arms were full of bags of food and drinks which he set aside as he waited for Theo to show up. He didn’t know what they were going to do for the quest. He knew that Theo would do all the talking, inviting everyone who wanted to join them to come have fun on the beach. But he didn’t know how to go about it. Did they just talk to every NPC that shows up or were they inviting actual players to join?
So lost in his thoughts he didn’t notice someone coming up behind him. At the sudden question coming from right behind him, Noel flinched and turned around quickly to see who it was. A glare instantly appeared on his face at the sight of his friend but unable to stop the sigh of relief knowing that Theo was back again. “Can’t say I did.” His reply came out in a small, teasing tone, unable to resist the temptation to joke with the other. “Did you get everything we need?” He didn’t know what the other had bought but he knew more about throwing parties than he did. “I guess we can start now.”
He opened his menu with a wave of his hand and stared a second too long at the equipment in his inventory. They were only going to be doing this for a few hours at most. Maybe even less than that. While the temptation to make Theo do this on his own was still there, he knew he wouldn’t be able to go back on his word. And there was also a tiny part of him that wanted to see Theo without their regular armor on, something he had never seen before and was willing to swallow his pride to see. “I hope you got something nice to show off in." And with the press of a button, his armor disappeared and on came the swimwear he had picked out for the occasion. “I’ll set everything up while you go get some people to join us. If we’re lucky, maybe we can get some NPCs so we don’t have to entertain them too much.” It was the small hope that the quest NPCs wouldn’t bother dealing with them and instead would focus on having fun that kept Noel from giving up already.
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May 24, 2017 0:51:40 GMT -5
Post by avarice on May 24, 2017 0:51:40 GMT -5
he thought, at least, for all the trouble he had gone through to carry everything here that noel would have humored him a little more with his question. it was his fault for getting his hopes up and imagining the boy turning around in excitement to see he was back, eagerly saying yes before telling him he was happy to see he was back. it was a false image, easily broken by the sight of the glare being sent his way once noel turned around. “wow.” theo spat, frowning at the way noel said he hadn’t missed him. noel was a little liar but theo wasn’t about to call him out for it.
having his attention set on placing the table up in front of him it’s noel's voice that catches him off guard. he had, for a moment, forgotten all about changing into something more appropriate for the beach; but as he turned to look at noel his words are swallowed back. he’d never been one to hide his interest and, especially now, theo doesn’t do anything to cover the grin spreading on his lips or the way his eyes trail down to noel's chest.
“that’s not very fair,” theo starts, dropping the bags on the table without taking his eyes off the other. “why make me run off to go talk to other people after you’ve changed? if anything, we should both stay right here together so i can watch … you know, to make sure you’re safe.” despite his words theo began to back away from the table, making sure his sigh was loud enough for noel to hear his disappointment. “but … i guess i can go and find some npcs to entertain … if you promise to let me drag you into the water when i get back.” he didn’t let noel say anything. to him their promise was already set despite the other not agreeing to the terms he’d forcefully laid out for them. if noel had looked that good like that than he could only imagine what he’d be like wet.
theo didn’t bother trying to convince actual players to join; but npcs were a different story. with a simple option being presented to him during pre-recorded speech theo had gotten a few npcs to join in on the little, shitty party they had both quickly made. even if this game felt real it was all just a bunch of code in the end. yet again it was theo making his way back, however unlike before a few of the npcs he had gotten to join had already shown up; and somehow the thought of noel sitting away from them as they talked nearly made him laugh. before he could get close theo brought up his inventory, hovering over the button the change his equiped clothes for a second before hitting it. at least one good thing came with this game. he’d miss this type of thing once they got out. like before he tries to sneak up on the boy, hiding away from his eyes the best he can to not be found out before he was close enough to speak up. “so, you miss me yet?”
11/12
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May 24, 2017 18:52:58 GMT -5
Post by caritas on May 24, 2017 18:52:58 GMT -5
[attr="class","sv1"] [attr="class","sv2"] [attr="class","sv4"] [attr="class","sv3"]So don't call me baby, unless you mean it, don't tell me you need me If you don't believe it, so let me know the truth before I dive right into you.
Noel noticed the grin on the other’s face as soon as he switched over to his swimwear and didn’t do anything to stop it. He could glare at Theo until he backed off or even say a snarky response but it wouldn’t stop the other from staring. It was like trying to stop a child from staring at their favorite candy at the store...except this one was far less innocent. So instead Noel stared, waiting for Theo to agree to his plan again and resisting the urge to squirm under the other’s gaze.
He should have been expecting the flirtatious comments and the staring. He wasn’t even all that surprised as Theo lamented about how he had to go and find npcs to do the quest. “Serves you right for accepting this stupid quest.” Noel interjected and watched as Theo gave a loud sigh and started to back away. It was the comment about dragging him into the water that made him pick up the nearest object and raise it over his head to throw at the other. “I’m not-” But it was too late and as he watched Theo’s retreating back, the temptation to cancel the quest was coming back stronger than ever.
While his friend was gone, Noel started to set everything up. There wasn’t much he could do except place the items wherever they went on the table. It wasn’t like he was setting up back home where he had to make sure everything was edible and there was plenty of food for everyone. They were in a virtual reality game where everything was simple and easy for them. They didn’t even have to eat. But a party was a party, and that included food and drinks.
The familiar voice and phrase once again startled him for the second time today making him flinch. And as he turned to give the same response as last time, his words halted in his mouth as he came face to face with Theo...or what Theo was wearing. He tried hard not to stare, his eyes lingering a second too long on the other’s chest before they snapped back up to meet his eyes. “Nice job.” It almost came out forced, his voice sounding weird even to him. “I think you can give those so-called flirts a run for their money.” It was probably the tamest comment he had concerning Theo’s appearance.
He quickly looked away and went to look at the NPCs, needing some way to distract him or he’ll blurt out another remark about Theo. Some NPCs were flocking to the food while others were talking amongst themselves with their already programmed speech. It was strange to watch them interact with each other and the world around them since they weren’t even human. “You didn’t want any real people to join us?” All of them were NPCs and he was almost surprised that Theo didn’t bring other players to their group. “Afraid of the flirts?”
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May 24, 2017 21:21:10 GMT -5
Post by avarice on May 24, 2017 21:21:10 GMT -5
while not exactly the reaction theo had imagined, this was much better than the small, teasing remark he had gotten before. maybe this was even better than what he had thought when walking up. it was more natural -- more noel than anything else. theo catches the way noel stares at him for a moment, his lips turning to a grin as he holds back a small laugh daring to escape. yeah, this was much better. “well, isn’t that nice.” theo smirked, “i do live to impress after all. though, i can’t say i was worried.” he lets his over-confidence drip into his speech, losing all sense of modesty as his shoulders lifted, casually shrugging. “but, i am worried about how you look,” theo starts, taking a step forward towards noel as his eyes look him over again. however, unlike before, he doesn’t linger his gaze on a specific area. “you couldn’t have made yourself just a little less attractive? i mean … sure, i’ll fight someone for your attention, but did you really have to make my life this hard?”
he didn’t want to entertain noel more on the question of where any of the real players were in regards to the attendance of their party. theo had wanted to make this as simple as possible, which meant gathering a group of npcs to join them on the beach before ditching them to enjoy himself in the company of noel; and only noel. before anything can be said in regards to his avoidance of the question theo took noel's hand, ignoring whether or not the boy wanted to join him or not. “you promised me we’d get to go in the water,” he beamed, eyes trained on the waves crashing against the shore. theo knew full well that noel had done no such thing; but it’d be fun. to distract noel enough to drag him a little closer towards the water theo turned back to smile in noel's direction. “when we get out of this game, we should go to an actual beach.”
12/12
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