(Open & Closed Prompts) In this craterous aftermath

[cantilevers]

WHO: Vander & Closed/Open Prompts
WHEN: Month of April
WHERE: All over Etraya
WHAT: Monthly Catch-all post for Vander in the aftermath of the March mission
NOTES\WARNINGS: Attempted murder, explicit content

[Monthly Catch All.

Prompts in the comments section.]

Comments

Closed to Kirk Langstrom

[cantilevers]

[Vander had been aware of the broadcast of Kirk to the masses, and he had made a point of watching the other man be outed as a vampire. He had done what he could to keep Kirk’s secret hidden with their antics, but it seemed to be a moot point which was frustrating. That place had pried into the most private and worst memories of people for entertainment, and he was uncharitably glad that the world was dying. Kirk was a friend, so he was protective.

Of course, he was dealing with his own realizations, and it hadn’t taken him long to make the connection of their own similarities. Science had made them monsters.

It didn’t help that their last meet-up was fraught with all manner of potential pinch points. It had gone far further than he was expecting, and he didn’t deny how good it felt to be held by a strangely superior strength and bring Kirk to climax like that. Yeah, the blood was the point, but it had been extremely intimate too. They hadn’t talked about it, and they hadn’t met up again afterwards. He was regretting that after he saw what he had.

So, Vander was determined to make it up to Kirk and show his continued support for his friend. He texted a casual: Coming for a visit. as a warning of his impending arrival.

True to his word, Vander showed up at the big expansive house, knocked on the front door while being bemused he was doing it. If no one was in the foyer, there was no way that they would hear it, but still, he knew he should be polite about entry into someone’s home. Of course, once Vander was inside, his decorum for being a house guest became limited as he went in search of Kirk.

He suspected the man would want to be hiding, so the first place that he moved to search out was the laboratory that Kirk had shown him on his first visit to the house. It seemed the most likely place, and after living his life in caves, Vander had excellent recall when it came to finding his way to specific places.]

[godsandbats]

[Ever since they all returned to Etraya from Aphaia, Kirk has been mostly hiding in the Tower of Justice. His vampire status was outed in public for a dying planet's sick entertainment. He feels painfully vulnerable and hurt. He's not sure what to do other than keep himself away from most people. He feels like he was an idiot for thinking he could hide what he is in Etraya. Everyone back on his Earth knows and only recently learned how to do the bare minimum tolerance of him. Plenty were still afraid. Why should Etraya be any different?

He's been coming out of the Tower only for supply runs. Those were easy to do as he just had to wait for late at night when most people would have gone to sleep. His inhuman body works well in the dark anyway. Might as well further embrace it.

He saw Vander's message and chose to ignore it. Kirk strongly suspects that Vander wants to check in on him after the public outing. He was tempted to tell him to go away but at this point, he knows Vander well enough to know that Vander wouldn't listen. What else could Kirk possibly say to him? Kirk still doesn't understand why Vander's still so tenacious even after learning about his inhuman status and what he feeds on.

Then there was how their last encounter went. Every time Kirk thinks about it, a warm sensation in him grows. He's not sure what it means that they went that far. It was intense and not like anything he's ever done before. He never thought it would ever happen to him, especially after his transformation.

He's also not sure if he wants to explore that after the public outing has reinvigorated so many of his insecurities.

So once again, Kirk chooses to bury himself in work. Science was cold data and neutral observations. Emotions were too messy.

Kirk is in the middle of making another batch of artificial plasma when Vander enters his lab. Because of how sensitive his eyes are to light, the lab is always dimly lit. It also means it's always a place where Kirk doesn't have to wear his goggles or helmet. It's just him, with nothing to hide his inhuman features]

[cantilevers]

[This place was amusingly large and wide open, and he did understand all the reasons for it. Vander did not often feel dwarfed in a place, and yet, this was still home for Kirk and his friends. He was learning to move around the place, and he walked around until he found the entrance to Kirk's lab again.

He stepped inside, not bothering to hide his presence so as not to startle the other man. He knew from experience disturbing someone deep in their work was rude, and he thought that Kirk deserved more than a startling at this point. The door closed behind him, he allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim light. Growing up in the fissures meant he was used to navigating dim spaces.

He tucked his hands into his pockets and made his way deeper into the lab, locating Kirk without that much effort given the other man stood out pale and white even in the dim light.]

Hey Lamprey, I see you're doing science. [Stating the obvious for an attempt at levity. He moved closer and leaned his back on a nearby lab bench.] You've been hiding more than usual. Are you alright? [Vander knew the answer, but he wanted to coax it out of Kirk.]

[godsandbats]

[Not only did Kirk hear Vander coming in, he smelled him too. It's a scent he's become intimately familiar with. It's apparently also one he wound up greatly enjoying]

I'm fine.

[Though Kirk usually speaks in monotone, this time something about it sounds clipped and more distant than usual. He tries to tamp down his line of thinking about Vander's scent.

He carefully pours and mixes a few more ingredients into a large beaker. The mixture turns into a dull purple shade]

What do you want?

[Maybe it sounds rude but Kirk's not sure at the moment if he wants company that isn't Hernan]

[cantilevers]

Oh.

[Vander went quiet at the declaration that Kirk was fine, not believing it for a single second. He'd had enough relationships to know that as a cover-up for actual emotion, and he had no doubt that Kirk was using it as a defensiveness to keep him from probing for more.

It was too bad for Kirk that Vander was someone who was willing to probe. He did leave the heaviness in the air between them for a minute, allowing the silence to grow as if to invite Kirk to change his answer.]

You don't look or sound fine. I'm here for you if you want to talk about it. I'm your friend no matter what, Kirk.

[Well, maybe more than friend. They had navigated a road together that he hadn't expected and certainly didn't regret. It simply muddied the waters, and he did wonder if his departing had created friction between them. Probably should have been a gentleman and offered to clean up, but he was certain it wouldn't have ended with just a hand-job in an alley if it happened.]

What do I want? To visit with you. I sent you a text about it. [A beat as he changed tracks on purpose.] Is that your artificial sustenance?

[godsandbats]

[Still not looking at Vander, Kirk nods as he carefully measures out more ingredients. It's a well-practiced routine at this point and his hands are steady. They're unlike all those years when he hesitated to inject the bat venom serum into his vein]

Artificial plasma. I always have to have a batch on standby in case I can't have a live source.

[There was no point anymore in dancing around what he needs and what he does. Vander already knows]

It's enough to cover my basic needs even if it doesn't taste the same. Without it, my body count would be even higher.

[cantilevers]

[Yeah, definitely not fine, Vander thought as Kirk refused to be baited into telling him what was actually wrong. He crossed his arms loosely over his chest, mostly to prevent himself from reaching out to touch things. It was all so he could focus on Kirk.]

That makes sense. It's always best to have contingencies in place. You have been finding enough to eat?

[It was the same question he asked on their second meeting, of course. This was less for show and offering and more out of genuine concern that Kirk was holed up here and refusing to live life.]

Ah yeah, because if you go too long or take too much, you can kill someone. It must be a fine balance to have to navigate. Easier back home or here?

[godsandbats]

[Years of doing detective work have sharpened Kirk's ability to read between the lines. Though not a perfect skill, it's enough for Kirk to know what Vander's doing with his line of questions. He's trying to read how Kirk is really feeling. Kirk's not sure if he likes it]

Different methods but they seem to even out in the end. Here, Aurora and Echo provide me a supply at the hospital. I can still make my own batch as well. And someone with blood magic agreed to provide a supply in exchange for knowledge.

[cantilevers]

[Vander was adept at navigating to draw out information from other people. It was how he had made it as far as he had in his city and for so long. He expected that Kirk also needed to talk about this, to be assured that what the man had become was not a point of fear or revulsion for Vander.]

Ah, so you are able to sustain yourself here. It seemed a bit rough on our little games mission. [He knew that Kirk had sustained himself between their two times together. Maybe blood magic or another volunteer?] I saw your VR broadcast. I want you to know that changes nothing for me.

[If anything, after his own experiences with the VR, he felt perhaps a kinship with Kirk he hadn't had previously.]

Closed to Hernan Guerra

[cantilevers]

[It seemed like only a matter of time before Vander showed up at the house and the roommate would be there. He had been lucky a few times when he showed up and just found his way to Kirk, but he knew that he would meet with the best friend that Kirk spoke so highly about at some point. He wasn’t certain how a first meeting would go, nor how to make a first impression on a guy best described as “you’ll know when he’s mad”

However, as usual and because it actually amused him, Vander walked up to their house and knocked on the front door. He then proceeded to throw the door open and step inside because unless he told Kirk he was showing up beforehand, he ended up having to find the other man from memory. This all seemed rather normal for his experience with this place.

Of course, it turned out to be anything but today. Something felt off the moment he stepped through the door, and he looked at the big statue as if that might hold a clue. Then his gaze lifted to spot someone he hadn’t met before. That must be the best friend and roommate.]

You must be Hernan?

[sonofzod]

[ Hernan wasn't a particularly paranoid man. When you're as nigh invulnerable as Hernan was, you didn't really have a reason to be. He'd been hurt before, of course. But it was always something he healed from quickly. Fair Play and his experience kryptonite had made him very well aware that while invulnerable, he was not indestructible.

So while not paranoid specifically, he tends to be aware of his surroundings. More aware than he would be at home. He hears the doors when they open, even though he's in a different part of the Tower and can hear the sounds of someone strolling in like they owned the place. Equal parts curious and offended, Hernan decides whoever this is, either has no sense of self preservation or they've never met him before. So, he decides, let's get acquainted.

He floats down into the foyer just in front of Lady Justice, his arms at his side. ]

I am. And you are in my house. Get out.

[cantilevers]

[Vander took Hernan's measure where the man was floating down. He was a big guy and was clearly comfortable in his own skin, even from the distance that they were apart. It did impress him that the other man could fly, affirmed by Kirk's explanations of why the hallways were as large and open as they were.]

Technically you share the house with Kirk Langstrom, and that's who I'm here to see. It's a pleasure to meet you though. Kirk has spoken very highly of you.

[He decided to feel out the situation socially if he could get away with it; he was a friend of Kirk's which should make it clear that he wasn't here for nefarious purposes. He had been visiting a bit more often because Kirk was hiding away, of course. Was Hernan being overly protective?]

[sonofzod]

[ There is no discernible change in his breathing or heart rate. So unless he was exceptionally good at lying, Hernan could assume he's telling the truth. Problem was, Kirk hadn't mentioned expecting or even wanting visitors today. So he had no reason to let this uninvited guest past the foyer.

Was he being overprotective? A bit. Kirk's in a vulnerable state and he wouldn't have randoms turning up to make him a spectacle. ]

True as that may be you're still uninvited. I'm asking you politely to leave. After, I won't be so kind.

[cantilevers]

[Vander was well aware of Kirk's vulnerable state, which was why he was here in the first place. He liked the check up on the man, though he didn't actually mind that Hernan was here doing the same. As a friend, it was their job to help another through difficult times. However, he didn't consider his presence here to be much of a threat to either man.

He snorted softly at being called uninvited. That wouldn't be the first time he had been told that, and in most cases, he didn't care. Maybe he should be more gracious and call Kirk to make it clear he was invited, but he actually wasn't certain how Hernan would react to that.]

Kirk is fine with my coming and going. I just want to check up on him. Would you prefer I call him to prove I'm legitimate?

[He made a point of showing his hands, as if that might disarm the situation.]

We both want what's best for Kirk. I appreciate that.

[sonofzod]

[ What is it with people not taking him seriously here? Did he have that kind of face? The sort that suggested he'd even care to entertain alternate suggestions? Maybe he hadn't spoken with enough bass in his voice. Maybe he hadn't been direct enough. Maybe he should say it in Spanish in case the guy just wasn't getting the message in English.

He closes the gap even further, landing just shy of where Vander is standing so he can look him in his eye. If Hernan could ever be considered friendly, that's gone now. }

He didn't say anything about visitors today. So why don't you step outside and make that call. If I have to remove you, you will not be able to.

[cantilevers]

[Vander held his ground as the best friend drifted down to be on the floor with him, and he wondered if he was supposed to be impressed. Where he came from, backing down was a great way to earn a knife to one's back. He liked to think he was here for honest purposes and proved no threat to Hernan whatsoever.

He did, however, appreciate how the hairs on the back of his neck rose again in warning now that they were on the same level. He tilted his head, holding his silence as he watched Hernan to determine if this guy's threat was genuine or bluster.

You'll know when he's angry. Apparently annoyed might be good enough.

He lifted a hand to his earpiece, making a point of tapping it to activate so he could call Kirk. He shifted his weight, setting his shoulders and leaning into that extra three inches he had on Hernan. Maybe that was the problem.]

I'll make the call here, thanks. I appreciate you being protective, but there's no need to brandy around threads or turn this physical.

[sonofzod]

[ The mission hadn't left Hernan with a great deal of patience. Not that he had a deep well of it to begin with. Vander had been given more chances than he'd ever given anyone else. Anyone else would have been launched through the open front door the second Hernan heard them enter. Anyone else wouldn't have gotten the warning more than once. And Hernan decides that must be the problem.

He's being too nice.

Friend of Kirk's or not, Hernan had mentioned to Kirk (more than once) that his friend should learn to have a little respect for the Tower. People didn't just wander in uninvited and as far as Hernan was concerned, coming and going as you please wasn't an invitation. It does make him miss the Tower's security measures.

Hernan solves the slight height discrepancy when he grabs Vander by the front of his shirt and lifts him up into the air with him. ]

I don't make threats, amigo. I gave you a warning and you did not heed it and now here are the consequences.

Closed to Heather Mason

[cantilevers]

[Now that the mission was over and life was returning to a relatively sense of normal, Vander once again had plenty of time on his hands. He often spent long periods wandering around even if he knew it wouldn't be terribly difficult to ask for a job. He was hesitating because he had no idea what certain people of his world might do if there was a particular place to target him at.

So, wandering it was. He visited some places frequently like the bars or the library. He was on his way to Rocky's Barcade when he took notice of a new business having opened up. A deli? They had plenty of those back home, and he was instantly curious enough to venture to peer into the shop window to investigate.

It didn't take him long to accept it as open and walk inside to have a look around.]

This place is new. Just opened up?

[ingestion]

( in between returning back from the mission and coming back to the bodega, heather has spoken to maria and come up with a plan on how to exact her revenge towards claudia. yet in the chaos of everything she somehow got roped into moving in with gorgug and the other boys on their fancy boat. that meant she had to take a longer trip to get to the bodega, so when vander came by, he would see gorgug's van on the outside of the building.

despite the chaos of everything and the wave of emotions threatening to keep her down, heather was trying her best to return back to some sense of normalcy. a number of people she knew got sent back home like peter, and while she didn't want to get angry about that, it hurt. it hurt getting close and friendly with others just for echo to send them back home [in his case, it sounded like it was the best given he came from another strange world].

these were the thoughts that remained heavy in her mind as she was inside the bodega, cleaning with a mop and wearing an apron and a little hat as she worked. when the door opened and she saw vander walking in, she looked up from her cleaning duties and simply shrugged. )

It opened about a month ago but with the mission and all, we've only had two people in so far. Are you looking for the bodega or 'sessions with Heather'?

[cantilevers]

[A month ago? It seemed that he had not been paying as much attention as he had thought he was for this area of town. Of course, he hadn't been down here as much the past month because of the fall out of the train mission and sorting himself out from there. He had explored much of the rest of the place that they were trapped in and less to places that he had been before. Oh well, he happened to be here now.

He moved to look around, folding his hands behind his back even as he observed the young lady mopping the floors. He made a point to steer clear of the wet areas so he wasn't walking on her newly cleaned floors. He did traverse around those areas respectfully as he peered at the offerings.

Yet, he tilted his head at her question. He'd heard that name before, more than once. Friend of Maria's. The one offering an ear to listen.]

You're Heather, hmm? We've spoken before over the network a few months back. You and Mr. Cheese, is it?

[His expression changed with a warm smile as he looked at her. How much had the last mission affected her?]

[ingestion]

( although her attention wasn't quite on him as much as it should have been, it wasn't until he actually called out her name that she stopped cleaning, looking up at him with a curious expression. she placed the handle of the mop against the glass counter of the deli, patting down her hands onto her apron before she began to walk towards him—

taking a few large steps to avoid the wetness of the floor. her eyes were baggy from the lack of proper sleep, a bit more acne on her chin than usual, and her hair was a bit messy than usual. it was clear she was was having some issues of her own. )

Oh hey you're the really tall guy.....not seeing the devilish handsome part but you said something about people not being your fan? What was up with that?

( whatever questions he had for her were interrupted by a soft squeaking sound, a small little nose peaking out from her pants pocket. it was clear he had gotten the attention of the infamous mr. cheese. )

[cantilevers]

[Vander picked out the signs of distress on her person, and he expected this place had not been particularly gentle on anyone. He hadn't caught any of Heather's activities on that last mission, but he also hadn't been specifically looking. She had seemed like a good and helpful person from when he had spoken to her.

He winced and lifted his hands to grip over his heart, similar to one who might suddenly be experiencing a heart attack.] Janna, the kids these days are so cruel in their honesty. You're going to give this aged handsome man a complex if you keep it up like that. My ego is very fragile. [It was all teasing and light-hearted fun on his part. He could care less if anyone liked or disliked his appearance, but that had been the descriptor he had used so this was his fault.]

Not my fan? Oh yeah, usually straight or closeted men who stand five-foot-eight or less. We've never seen eye-to-eye. [Ha, dad joke.

He leaned down at the little nose and soft squeaking, and he was already fishing in his coat pocket for a small baggy of... crackers. Most of them were broken from being in his pocket a few days, but he was still opening the bag and fishing out a small piece.]

Well, well, the famous man himself. Is he allowed a bit of cracker?

[ingestion]

Janna? Who's that?

( despite her confusion on some of his terminology and hyperboles, heather laughed just a bit as his little jokes. they reminded her of the way her own father would make playful and silly little jokes here and there, and the older she got, the more they came in frequency.

when he did eventually lean down to look at mr. cheese, heather fished her hand into her pocket, scooping the little rodent out as he stood on his hind feet to greet the man promising him an array of crackers— even if broken. )

Yeah just don't spoil him too much, don't want him to get too plump now. So you looking for food or something in the store? I can make you a sandwich if you want. Oh but—

( and now for a joke of her own. )

I'll wash my hands and put away the little glutton, promise.

[cantilevers]

Ah, she's a patron of my people. She saves minors in trouble, calms seas, clears the poisonous air. She hasn't been seen for a long time. We still use her namesake.

[There was nothing like a good dad joke to put people at ease, and he was instantly brightened that he had earned a laugh out of her. Look, the day was better already with a bit of laughter, and it had turned her frown upside down.

His smile widened at the sight of this infamous Mr. Cheese. He heard the little creature could do tricks and put on quite a show. He offered the bit of cracker once Heather had provided permission for him to do so, and he stood once the offering was taken. What a cute little duo these two made.]

I hadn't been in before, and I decided to rectify that. I'm not sure I had much intention beyond that. Though, who am I to deny a sandwich? Does it come with life advice too?

[He shrugged his shoulders.] Where I'm from, both of those are a luxury so you don't have to.

[ingestion]

Oh that's cool.

( she isn't going to ask him much about his world for now as things had been quite difficult for her lately. the last person she really got to know and learn about the things they've been through just left without a trace and while she wasn't one to get too emotional about things, she had a lot on her mind. her empathy was running low for now.

so instead she focused on watching her pet eat away at the treat, holding her hand firm and steady for him to go at it. it was only when he asked her a question and spoke more that she looked back up at him, shaking her head a bit. )

I don't give life advice, not very qualified to do so. I just listen to people rant and give them a safe space to do so. Life's rough, I get it and we all need someone to depend on. Besides I think Aurora approves, she's been sending people my way too.

( surprisingly the one thing that's improved for her is her relationship with the artificial woman. if that meant anything to anyone beyond the two. )