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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 18:18:44 GMT -5
Kaden felt weighed down by the enormity of the secret he had just been confided in. That was a light and easy secret to share and it frankly shocked him that Niko had shared something so incredibly personal. It only brought more questions to his mind though. Was his father still after him? What had happened to Alvarez. He needed a drink.
He exhaled and shook his head a little. "Damn." Was his reply. There was an 'I'm sorry' behind him, a genuine note of not just sympathy, but respect as well. Niko had been through a lot, more than most people probably. It left Kaden unsure of what secret to share and what he truly considered to be a secret. "What's fair is fair. Pass me a cigarette will you." He asked and chewed his lower lip a moment in thought.
"My dad split when I was three, mom always talked about him like he was some sort of god. She really loved him I think, but she was lonely. She did a lot of drugs in a pretty bad way, so I was usually taking care of her. We were piss poor and she was lonely, she'd date just about anyone that could get her what she needed." He started, he didn't feel the need to go into detail there, he felt the picture painted itself. His mom would tweak he'd take care of her, her various boyfriends would slap him around. Nothing particularly special. Sometimes it would get really bad, she always tried to protect him, but she had such little control of her life he didn't ever want to blame her, not really.
"One of them, Gabe. I just couldn't handle. She was the longest one she had, but I think she hated him the most. He just had the connections she needed. He used to burn his cigarettes on me until I cried, one of those sadists. Well one time he gave my mom some bad drugs, she went comatose. I just..I lost it, I thought she was gone and she was all I had." He ran his hand over his mouth and realized he was pretty sure he hadn't told anyone this.
"I didn't mean to. We were fighting, I was thirteen by then, I knew where he kept his gun. I told him to leave or I'd shoot him. He went for the gun, we fought over it and I shot him. He died. I dragged him out back and buried him. I really didn't mean to, but I really think next time he would've killed her. When she woke up I just told her he split. Like the rest of them." He sighed a bit and put his hands up. "Well there you go. It's no mafia, but I think about it a lot I guess. He's still buried there, I can't stand to go in the backyard. We don't even own the house."
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 18:23:08 GMT -5
(Honestly made that up on the spot it was probably a really lame backstory lol sorry yours is so much better)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 18:26:16 GMT -5
It felt odd, to lay himself bare to someone whom he had just met, but...he needed Kaden to open up. When he did, however, it wasn't something he had expected. He thought about what was being told, shaking a cigarette free of its pack and holding it and his lighter to the other man. Niko nodded slowly, then, and smiled faintly. It wasn't a kind one or a humorous one like earlier, but a cutting one.
"Parents," he commented idly. "A huge part of the reason why I'd rather call my lot 'my children', really. Family problems are a huge reason of why people come to us, I think. When they find a parental figure, they hold on, and they tend to respond better. They either cling to Maria or myself."
Never Cas, never Finn. Those two were more unstable than Niko was, more unpredictable than Maria. With Maria having birth-children, it also made her a more likely candidate. There were only a few very young members who managed to accidentally call Niko 'dad' instead of his name, but it never ceased to amuse him.
"Well, then. Let's find a lighter subject. What's your favourite book?" it was a huge leap from what they'd just been talking about, but Niko didn't want to lay any more of his secrets to Kaden. Not yet.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 18:26:55 GMT -5
( omg no it's good i did niko's on a whim [sweats] i was like...i need him to be....interesting. he was already trans so it was just to work w that w/ his parents and booyah )
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 18:41:41 GMT -5
(Same yours was so good and then I was like welp crud Kaden. I already knew basics but hadn't worked out his dad or whatever idk if I like it but it's there now Yours is good!! V interesting, I need to work on Kaden as a person lol)
Kaden took the cigarette and breathed in then out slowly. He really did need to quit, but he was horrible at coping with the events in his life or the burden of other's life events and he was afraid to do anything past alcohol, given his mothers situation. He wanted to check up on her, but she wasn't allowed visitors in her current rehab center and she had promised this time would be for real.
That was a large reason why Kaden had joined at sixteen. He had left yet another foster family and thos group felt right. At the time, the previous leader Dan Rollins seemed like the father figure he had been lacking. But the older he got, he felt manipulated and used for his work, with each job he did to elevate the gang's status, there was Rollins whispering in his ear, calling him son. The crew was loyal to him though. He had helped them get their name on the board, make the money they needed, be a family. Not Rollins, so by the time they came toe to toe he wasn't the one who got exiled.
He was grateful for the change of subject, he and already said too much and didn't have any intent of giving away more secrets. He still didn't know if Niko was really someone he could trust and he needed time to figure that out.
"East of Eden maybe. It's one of my favorites. I used to read lot more when I had time." Kaden admitted, he missed reading if he was to be honest. "What about you?"
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 18:47:31 GMT -5
( ahh omg thank. its good tho !! urs is good. they will adapt and evolve (': niko is fairly new )
"Hm," Niko hadn't heard of East of Eden, but he made a mental note to check it out. "The Foxhole Court. I'm a sucker for Young Adult literature, and that one's good. Overdramatic as hell, but really good."
He heard the chatter of crowds and gestured for Kaden to stick closer to him as he braved the crowd. He shrunk into himself a little, ducking his head and doing his best to remain unnoticeable - which worked, for the most part.
"This is the main part of town," he sighed softly, glancing past people. "Lots of shops. Plenty of coffee places. Uh, I think there's a college nearby? I don't know," he shrugged, "I don't come here often, but there are clubs that are good."
Good for doing business, but that wasn't what he was going to say out loud. Besides, the clubs could be alright to party in if he was really in the mood, so he didn't mind this place as much as he used to think he did. Once upon a time, he had truly hated the crowds. How he had changed.
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 19:05:21 GMT -5
(Yeah Kaden is new for me~)
Kaden felt like he could relate to the main character somewhat, despite how old the novel was. "Haven't heard of it. Maybe if I've got time I'll look into it." He shrugged, his life was already quite dramatic it seemed, so he wasn't sure if more drama would benefit him.
He was taller than Niko by a bit and a little over average height, so keeping his head down and being ignored wasn't always simple. Luckily he had a way of blending into shadows and making himself invisible, he had been avoiding the attention of others his whole life and had learned to move through crowds swiftly. He kept alert though, if anyone recognized him he was in major trouble and it was good to try and know the area.
Kaden didn't have much interest in shops or coffee corners, he used to frequent certain clubs, but that was a while ago. Now he just generally avoided people and social situations. "Anyone you know around here?" He asked, not using the terms gang in public just in case, he didn't know who was listening.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 19:13:40 GMT -5
( new experiences ! (fun fact: niko's name is actually nikolaus. some people away from his gang life call him nik. #the more u know) )
"I have the books in my apartment. You could borrow them, if you'd like," it was an offer that Niko did not give many people, but since Kaden lived in his apartment, that meant that the books wouldn't go missing, with any sort of luck. If the other man dogeared them, though, he would have hell to pay.
He scanned around the crowds and spotted a bouncer from one of the clubs, making his way over.
"This is Michael. He's a bouncer at...one of the clubs, I can't remember which. Real good at noticing troublemakers. Doesn't speak a lick of English, though. His real name isn't even Michael," he shrugged lightly. "He's very useful, though."
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 19:30:01 GMT -5
(Lol learning new things!)
"Alright, I might take you up on that offer." Kaden gave a nod, it would be nice to have time to read again, but he wasn't sure that was in the cards for him. He wasn't in much of a place to plan for his future currently which was unfortunate.
He glanced over at Michael as he approached, he was a rough looking man. "Interesting." He reminded him of a friend of his, there were plenty of Russians on his crew, one had been Svetlana one of his closer people and her brother Vlad. Both were not to be trifled with and he missed them more than he had counted on. Svetlana was someone he could always count on. Last he saw her she was alive and he hoped she still was.
"You guys own the club?" He asked.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 19:56:38 GMT -5
( fun facts w/ ya boi )
"Go for it. Books are in the living room," well, some of them were. His room took most of the books, but he wasn't about to invite Kaden into his room. That was just asking to have his privacy invaded. He frowned a little and shook his head, greeting Michael in Hungarian.
For a moment, Michael simply stared at Kaden, before nodding to Niko and responding to whatever he said.
"No," Niko admitted, turning his gaze onto the other man again, raising both eyebrows. "We only own one, and that's not in this part of town. The clubs here are calmer places," he shrugged his shoulders lightly. "Michael's one of us, though. Most of the bouncers around here are."
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 20:15:12 GMT -5
(Hm should we make same action happen soonish? Or unravel a little more of the plot?)
Kaden watched their exchange warily, his eyes on Michael. He was a little suspicious of just about everyone and Michael was no exception. He wondered how much Hungarian Niko knew and if it was another language he spoke fluently. He stared back at the tall man, wondering what he was thinking or even saying. Hungarian was not a language in his vocabulary.
"How's the profit from it?" He asked curiously. They had owned two clubs that were fairly popular, but both had closed down after the raid.
He figured he should probably introduce himself or something, but the guy didn't speak English so he gave a slight wave in greeting to avoid seeming like a total jerk.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 20:19:01 GMT -5
( unraveling some more of the plot would be fun !! )
"Pretty good, actually," Niko handed something to Michael, but it was quick to vanish from sight. He gave a little wave and moved onwards, pushing past the crowds and turning his head to look at Kaden. "Y'know. Enough profit that we have spare over to put into other projects."
He ducked into an alley and sighed, shaking his head. Man. It wasn't even halfway through the morning and he was already feeling drained. Being an introvert really sucked, at times.
"Anyway," he cleared his throat. "Where do you want to go next?"
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 20:36:32 GMT -5
Ok!! What part should we unravel?)
Kaden watched the exchange between the two men and gave no mind to ask. He missed the people who had run his club. "Anywhere. Maybe the hiding places?" He suggested. You never know when you need to hide.
He kept his head down as they moved through the crowd, in no mood to have to socialize with anyone or bump into a stranger. Normally he didn't apologize, but a sorry got his face out of their head faster than a rude gesture.
"What other projects do you work on?" He asked, meaning business inquiries.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 20:40:47 GMT -5
( hmmm maybe the fact that kaden was hit by foul play more than anything else ? )
"Hell yeah."
Niko's favourite places were most of the hiding places. He began to walk at a quicker pace as he walked to the park. It was a quiet place, and had...well, plenty of hiding places. Cops didn't know where to look, considering how overgrown most of the place was. He did, however, have to climb over the fence - one of the hardest parts, in his opinion. He grunted as he heaved himself over the fence and dropped down on the other side.
"Business-wise? We move things," drugs, firearms, that sort of thing, "translate things, though that's moreso my deal. Settle deals, go through with stuff," since they weren't in private, he didn't dare state most of this outright. They were, however, contracted with killings from time to time. It was very rarely traced back to Niko himself, he wasn't that stupid.
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 20:47:22 GMT -5
(Ok! Idk if want Kaden to just tell him or if I'd rather something happen and he needs to explain?)
Kaden trailed after Niko as they walked, he kept an eye on the surroundings so he would remember the way, and just incase they were being followed or something. He didn't seem to have any trouble lifting himself over the fence, he was fairly light on his feet, which most didn't expect of him. Although he was glad there was no barbed wire, that just made everything more difficult.
He gave a short nod to the list, sounded like the basics. His own gang had done most of those and more, he just wanted to make sure there wasn't something extreme and awful that he wasn't aware of. He wouldn't be involved in selling people or anything, he has morals after all.
"So are these really hiding spots or does everyone know about them?"
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 20:53:04 GMT -5
( hmm which would suit kaden's characterisation more ? or make more sense ? )
"Really hiding spots. Safe from cops. I won't show you my personal hiding spots, because then they wouldn't be personal. Your best chance at finding that is if we end up endangered and you follow me, in which case - congratulations, you're less stupid than I thought."
Niko ducked through the thick overgrown brambles and grimaced as some poked at him, all too aware of how they felt against him. It was awful.
"Policía generally won't follow you this far, but sometimes they do. On the off-chance of that happening..." he paused as he slid down a small bank and stumbled briefly, taking a moment to recover his footing before heading to a low bridge. He ducked underneath and paused in waiting for Kaden. "Under here is easy to hide. Moreso for me, because I'm small, but...they aren't paid enough to risk getting stuck."
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 21:07:43 GMT -5
(I feel like a confrontation would need to happen and Niko would need to force him to fess up the extent of the situation more clearly I'm thinking either a police confrontation, or rivals trying to cash in on him since he's wanted for a high price? What do you think?)
Kaden snorted, he was not stupid, but Niko could tease all he wanted. He had found their base easy enough he didn't think hide spots would be much harder. It was always good to have some form of a safe house or somewhere they could go to escape in an emergency. His obviously hadn't been effective enough which was more than a little regrettable.
He followed him through the brush, most didn't get him too bad since his jacket was thick, but every once and a while one poked him just right and he scowled. He used his hands to push the ones away that rebounded back after Niko had moved them away.
Kaden slid down after him, the bank was steep and hurt his knees a little. He followed him under the bridge and looked around, it certainly would keep people from finding him even if it was a tighter squeeze. "Nice." He commented his approval.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 21:15:51 GMT -5
( ooh that sounds good i think police could be interesting ! im thinking the whole cas ordeal could help be a kickstarter too - cas gettin killed by the police & their house being raided for any info on niko's gang, that sorta deal, so the confrontation could start w that )
"I know," Niko grinned, "not many people come here. My height and under, maybe, but not much above," he ducked from under the bridge and looked around. The park was a gloomy place - snow coated the ground unlike it had in the busiest part of his side of town, and overall, it seemed...quite quiet.
He pointed over in a vague direction.
"Over there is where we used to f**k around as kids - me and some others. Cas, Finn, some others who aren't with us now. It was also a pretty popular spot for couples, since it has a view of pretty much the entire city," he raised his eyebrows, "pretty romantic, actually, so I'm not going to take you there. You have to unlock level 5 friendship to be taken to a romantic place."
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 21:23:40 GMT -5
(Okay! They can go by there and maybe the police stop them Kaden is like peace lol gotta go then they find out more about Cas being dead which is a bummer poor guy)
"Yeah not super helpful for me. You're what, 5'6"?" He asked and looked himup and down judgmentally, a slight smirk on his lips. He liked the quiet of the park, he needed quiet in order to recharge, people were exhausting. Kaden took the place in, it was simple and yet strangely pretty which he hadn't expected of a park in the city. He had a place on the outskirts of town he used to go, it was surrounded by trees and rocks he used to climb as a kid. This place reminded him of it slightly.
He made a face when Niko teased about the romantic view. "Yeah yeah." He replied dismissively and waved a hand. "When am I going to meet the rest of your crew?"
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 21:29:11 GMT -5
( sounds good !!
niko is 100% gonna take kaden to the romo place one day LMAO )
"Eh, about that," he made a see-sawing motion with his hand, "there's been debates over me being 5'5'', but I reject height labels. I'll stick with 5'6'' because it's slightly less short than 5'5''."
Niko grimaced and stretched his arms above his head. He sighed at the question and gestured for Kaden to follow him, walking through the park quickly and sliding between the bars, this time, as he was slender enough to do so. He knew a shortcut, so it would be simple enough to go.
"C'mon. We'll see who's at the base," he said lightly. He knew they'd have to pass Cas' house again, but...it didn't bother him. He just walked the way he remembered - if he was right, they'd come out on the other side of Cas' house, which meant that he'd get a better view of the crime scene, hopefully.
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 21:35:38 GMT -5
(Okay! <333 Kaden will tease him and make sure he's a level five friend lol)
"Still short." Kaden shrugged. He was 5'10 or 5'11 which gave him about five good inches on him and plenty of room to tease. Once again he followed Niko's path, lagging a little behind so he wasn't directly behind him incase they went through an area with more branches that would rebound and hit him.
"Alright. Anyone specific I need to be weary of?" He questioned.
(Sorry this is short I'm hoping in the shower real quick!)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 21:42:10 GMT -5
( pff. kaden is a level 5 friend once niko lets him call him nik (': )
In an impulsive childish gesture, Niko stuck his tongue out. The metal of a tongue piercing flashed only briefly before he closed his mouth and considered the question carefully, checking his phone. Ah, cops were lingering around the junkyard, but they didn't seem too eager to explore. That was okay. They wouldn't venture too far.
"Hmm, Zinnia and Tomi will definitely cause trouble, but that's really it. They're twins - completely identical, so they'll mess with you. Tomi's more physically violent, she'll straight-up punch you. Zinnia's into psychological stuff," he shrugged.
Glad to be out of the park, now, he frowned as he paused to look at Cas' house. It looked...almost like a raid?
"Hey, you," said a cop, approaching cautiously. "This is a crime scene. No rubbernecking."
"I'm just passing by. This is a friend's house," he responded coolly. "What happened?"
"He attacked a cop. Cop had to defend himself. Move along," the cop's words were firm, but they didn't sit right with Niko. For one, Cas...they weren't an outwardly violent person, even if they were snappy and rude. They wouldn't attack a cop, either. He gritted his teeth and began to move on, but paused.
"Is Cas alive?"
"I assume that's the kid."
"Yes."
"No. Died at the scene. Now, scram."
Niko didn't have to be told twice by a cop who looked like he was close to reaching for his own gun.
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 22:07:31 GMT -5
(Lol true ^^)
Kaden rolled his eyes at the gesture, not impressed. But he caught the tongue ring and smirked "you have your tongue pierced? Aren't you edgy." He teased. "Twins? Interesting." His smirk fell however when the cop approached, his heart skipped a beat and he kept his head down and turned away slightly to not draw attention. He would run if they spoke to him, he couldn't risk them recognizing his face.
The longer Niko talked Kaden felt antsy, he had to tell himself not to reach for his gun or make eye contact. He decided to count to thirty and if they hadn't moved on by then he was going to go without Niko.
He winced a little at he cop's explanation. So Cas had apparently gone after a cop and they attacked them? Whatever mistrust he had with the police now had increased tenfold. He was almost sure there was something going on, between the raid on his base and this. People were being killed without purpose. He looked up slightly to see one of the cops looking at him funny.
"I know you kid?" He asked, his own hand rested on his firearm. Kaden shook his head "No. Don't think so." He replied, lowering his voice slightly than he walked in the opposite direction, forcing himself not to go to fast and hoping they were too lazy to further question him.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 22:11:18 GMT -5
Niko rolled his eyes at Kaden's words, but was quick to move along, now. He gestured for Kaden to follow and didn't relax until he'd sneaked past the cops and into the junkyard, staying utterly silent until he reached the warehouse. His heart was pounding quicker than he had expected - he needed to talk to Maria, but more importantly? He wanted to talk to Kaden. He needed to know why the kid was so jumpy around the cops.
He exhaled shakily once he was inside and pushed both hands through his hair.
Cas was dead.
Cas had gone after a cop.
Those two things didn't make sense. He wasn't used to death. Even when his first gang had been killed, he hadn't understood - and he understood even less, now. Cas had been a stable part of his life for so many years, they had been a rock. No matter how many arguments they'd had, Niko had leaned on them. That was...gone.
"Hey," Maria's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, "breathe. The f**k did you do to him, Kaden?"
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 22:20:07 GMT -5
Kaden wasn't sure how to proceed here. The guy had just lost what seemed to be one of his closest friends and they had apparently attacked a cop. He didn't know Cas or whether or not they were someone to be so reckless, but for some reason he doubted it. There was something dirty going on he just didn't know what yet or the extent of it. He watched Niko push his hair back, noticed his shaky breath and felt bad. He knew loss and had just lost much more than he could have ever imagined. Yet he didn't know what words to say that could comfort him, since he couldn't think of any that would have comforted him.
He turned quickly to Maria's voice and shook his head. He didn't want to be the one to break the news, it didn't feel like his place so he glanced at Niko, his eyes questioning with a sympathetic glint to them. "Me? Nothing." He didn't know what he could say to help so he remained next to him, but didn't speak directly to him.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 22:24:29 GMT -5
"Cas is dead," the words felt wrong on his tongue. "Probably means that Finn is dead, too. Apparently, Cas attacked a cop and the cop hit back."
"Bull," said Maria, though her tone was not unkind, "Cas was a manipulative jackass, but they wouldn't have attacked a cop."
The hum Niko gave felt wrong to his ears, but he turned his sharp gaze on Kaden and stared at him for a moment, before making a gesture to Maria. She was quick to retreat as he turned on the other man.
"What happened to your gang?" he asked roughly, eyes searching his face, "I don't care if you want to go back to my apartment so we don't get overheard or what, but you're going to tell me. If it was foul play or whatever, you have to tell me. Everything's going to hell and yours went down so quickly and quietly and under weird circumstances."
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 22:37:38 GMT -5
Kaden watched their exchange, he felt bad for them he really did. Losing someone close was worse than taking a bullet and a lot harder to process. He felt the heat behind Niko's gaze, the fire was evident and he was ready to burn.
He kept a straight face, his eyes unknowable and expression unreadable. He didn't want to tell him. He couldn't. But yet, didn't he deserve to know now that it as possible the same thing was happening here. How much should he tell and to what extent. He didn't know the right call to make which frustrated him to no end. His jaw clenched slightly and he looked away from their staring match a moment to think.
"Look, I can't tell you much. I don't even know much." He shook his head and scoffed. He stepped away to pace a moment, he ran a hand over his mouth and closed his eyes a moment before sighing. "Is this room private enough?" He questioned, eyes serious.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 22:48:21 GMT -5
( my computer is doing hell updates so i can't respond yet ;; )
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Post by ✦ ┇ W ι ɳ on Dec 23, 2016 22:50:24 GMT -5
Oh no that's the worsttt
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 22:53:35 GMT -5
it's literally on 9% right now it's awful
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