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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jan 20, 2020 23:14:34 GMT -5
"I suspect they both have their reasons for feeling awkward around each other..." Aether mumbled sympathetically, staring down the hall. "Though... perhaps Swift's reason is not the one Evan is thinking."
Andromeda cast a forlorn gaze at the bathroom door, then she slumped her cheek into her hand, poking at her leafy greens with clear and present guilt. Sensing this, Aether sighed and shook her head. "Don't blame yourself, Andromeda. This is definitely an unusual circumstance. One that we're all going to respond to in our own way. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm sure Evan feel no ill will towards any of us."
A simple nod was Andromeda's only response, but she still couldn't help but feel miserable, if not out of guilt for how she reacted to Evan's appearance, then purely out of sympathy for the difficult time it was clearly giving him. If she knew Evan, then getting him out of this slump was not going to be an easy task, especially if Rainflower kept up this disappearing act.
After a moment of idle prodding at her dinner, Andromeda sat up slightly and turned to the front door. Sounded like someone else was home...
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jan 21, 2020 16:20:22 GMT -5
Knock, knock.
BANG SLAM!!!!
Without waiting for a response, whoever was on the other side of the door kicked it open with a noticeable amount of sound. And what terror awaited behind it? What kind of fiend would dare kick down a door without waiting for an invite? What monster would show their face in a crisis like this, with full intents on making things worse instead of better?
Why, one Dante M. Arti, original edition, of course.
"It's time to play Barbie, bitches! ... Oh hey, my name's Dante M. Arti, original edition, do not confuse me with the furry faker, even if he gives you gold. Pleased to meet you, I'm sure Evan or Swift mentioned me at least once?" He took one of Andromeda's hands and shook it once without waiting for a response. "So! I heard there is a problem? Should I have hired my three men? Two of them sing, and the third just drinks vodka and stares at you uncomfortably."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 21, 2020 21:56:27 GMT -5
"..........................."
Evan went rigid. He stared at his clean-shaven reflection for a moment, then his eyes slowly trailed over to the bathroom door. Someone else had shown up. Someone who didn't live in this apartment. And it wasn't hard to figure out who it was based on the voice.
Why Arti? Why now??
It was one thing being around his inner circle of friends and family. Evan never even wanted to consider how the rest of his acquaintances would react to his new form. But Arti? The friend with the weakest filter between his brain and his mouth? No. He was the last person who needed to see Evan like this, and his mind was already reeling with dread from all the different ways he would never live this down if Arti did.
Struggling not to panic, his face a mask of abject horror, Evan pressed his back against the door and blindly turned the lock. At least he wasn't out in the open. At least he had some semblance of privacy in the bathroom. For comfort's sake, he figured it couldn't hurt to fully secure himself in there with the-
Wait... Where was his key?? WHERE WAS THE PARAMOUNT KEY?!
Evan anxiously fondled his chest for a few seconds before the memories came rushing back to him. He gave the key to Carter while he was sick. It made it a little easier to sleep back then, sure, but now the absence of his trademark tool was just one more source of frustration. Why did the universe seem dead set on stripping him all dignity this week?
"Why me...?"
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Darien was clearly taken aback by their guest's raucous arrival, not helped by the attitude he brought with him. Of course, what annoyed him most was the timing, not just because they were trying to eat and unwind, but because he could already sense the coming storm on Evan's part.
"Yes, we remember," Darien grunted, staring up at Arti with exhausted vexation. "You barged in here and stole some pizza from us a few days ago. You're a little late to the party, mate. We're done for the day. Taking a break for the night. Maybe try getting back in touch with us in the morning when we're all more cognizant."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jan 22, 2020 18:20:10 GMT -5
Andromeda raised a brow, caught off guard by the knock on the unlocked front door. They weren't expecting a guest, were they? She had just stood up to answer it when said guest simply let himself in, startling Andromeda enough for her to jump back a few feet and nearly trip over her chair, shoulders tense, tail stiff. She instinctively backed up a few more inches following Arti's forced handshake, timidly holding her hand to her chest.
Aether lowered her head and sighed, annoyed by this abrupt interruption to the somber atmosphere, not to mention the effect it was having on Andromeda. "We appreciate the thought, Mr. Arti, but I'm afraid now is not a good time."
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Swift's ears shot up straight. Her hands tightly gripped the bottom of her pajama shirt. Her eyes flicked to the bedroom door. Arti's voice was instantly recognizable down the hall, and it instantly triggered a myriad of emotions in Swift's head. Alarm, dismay, frustration and anger were only the peak of that iceberg.
"Oh, sure, now you decide to reinsert yourself into the picture?" Swift hissed under her breath, stepping closer to the door and listening intently to the commotion outside. In any other circumstance, she may have been willing to put up with Arti's rowdy nature, but she knew too well that here and now, it would only throw salt on Evan's wounded pride. Swift was ready to throw herself in the way the moment Arti tried to impose...
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jan 22, 2020 19:25:54 GMT -5
"What? This kinda greeting for the CEO of Aegis Industries? ... Don't give me that look, I donate half my profits to various charities and use the other half to give my workers bonuses! Yes, I changed careers, I are actually qualified, check ma bi-niz card!"
Thanks to Arti's complete inability to read the atmosphere in the room, or his ability to disregard the general disdain these people had for him and his colourful personality right about now, he had no problem with strutting-
Ahh, I mean, swaggering down the hall, please stop giving the guy that writes for you that look! Anyways, where was I before the death stare?
KNOCK KNOCK!
"Hey Evan, I'm here to weight on you hand and foot! ... That was terrible and I feel like I've made that joke before."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 22, 2020 20:27:26 GMT -5
"Yeah. Okay." Darien stood up and marched after Arti, none too pleased to see him hassling Evan. The abruptness and poor timing of Arti's arrival was one thing, but his snide attitude and his haste to simply tease Evan were genuinely aggravating to the Brit. "That's not funny, alright? This isn't the time to be a smart*ss. Now I'm asking you nicely; if you aren't going to respect the situation Evan is in, then please leave."
Evan, meanwhile, was tensing up behind the door. Didn't take long for that wisecracking son of a gun to cut to the chase, did it? Despite the barrier between them, Evan swore he could feel Arti breathing down his neck, tying his stomach in a knot, and he could only hope that a traditional lock and four hundred pounds of force would be enough to keep him out.
But... was that a pun? Did Arti know?? How could he know?!
"Arti, it's not that I don't appreciate your company, buddy..." Evan eventually choked up, the bile evident in his voice, "...but I am seriously not decent right now!"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jan 22, 2020 20:38:04 GMT -5
"Already trying our patience, I see..." Aether grumbled, turning away from Arti and glaring up at Andromeda. The latter nodded in return, donning a disapproving frown. They gave Darien space to deal with the interloper, but it was clear that neither of them were prepared to tolerate any mistreatment of Evan and would intervene at the first opportunity.
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Swift cringed, very nearly clawing at the bedroom door. Arti was going after Evan, and Swift reacted to the verbal tease with the same sort of anger that a physical strike would have evoked. She couldn't miss the emphasis in his jab. A reference to Evan's condition. But Swift could have sworn she heard Evan in the bathroom, and if that was the case, he surely would have locked himself in there. With that sense of dread returning, Swift grabbed her phone and opened Pesterchum, if only to confirm to herself that she hadn't spilled the beans...
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jan 22, 2020 20:54:06 GMT -5
"Oh, don't worry, I'm here to provide my own special brand of help," Arti snarked, glancing away from the bathroom door to the other man. "And by that, I mean throw snark at him so he can forget about whatever the hell happened, if only for a moment. By having him be mad at me. See? I provide very valuable services! ... Sometimes."
Knock knock! Well, at least the font size didn't change this time.
"Ev, c'mon! I'm actually tryin' to help! For once! I can tell this is pretty damn heavy, and yes that was a Back to the Future reference I just binge-watched the trilogy last night! Great balls of fire!" Throat clear. "If it makes you feel better, I've got no cameras or other photographic devices on me. My personal advisor told me it would be in rather poor taste. For my PR, of course, n-not because I'm concerned about you. Baka."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 22, 2020 21:07:18 GMT -5
"If your goal is to distract him from his current dilemma, I sincerely doubt the effectiveness of your methods," Darien muttered with a roll of his eyes.
Evan reflexively slammed his fist against the door, casting a livid scowl at the wall. Back to the Future reference or not, Arti's word choice was enough to further rile him up. "Thanks but no thanks, dude! All I need right now is some privacy!"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jan 22, 2020 21:13:21 GMT -5
Swift repeatedly smacked herself in the forehead with her fist. No, no one had explicitly described Evan's condition on Pesterchum, so the extent of Arti's knowledge on the matter was up for debate. But casting that aside, he was still out there, still trying to coax Evan out into an uncomfortable position. Swift knew that Evan had to be steaming, as she was for his sake. So why couldn't she move? What was holding her back at this point?
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jan 22, 2020 21:22:22 GMT -5
"Oh. Okay. I know when I'm not wanted. Thanks sperm donor. I see now that I am clearly not wanted here, what with this fantastical array of friends of your's... Bwahahaha! Oh god, how do people fall for this guilt trip thing?!" Arti slapped a palm to his face, cackling once.
"In all seriousness, I used to live in Florida. I knew people that well, Florida Manned. Between twenty of 'em, they maybe had five teeth. So many misaligned faces, so many uh... no neck chumps, so many questionable fashion choices, such as plaid with polka dots. So, unless you have become Florida Man, which I highly doubt, whatever is behind this door can't scare me. Unless it's Florida Man or me without hair."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 22, 2020 21:36:12 GMT -5
Darien looked back at Andromeda and Aether over his shoulder, slowly shaking his head. No, none of them were buying that spiel even before Arti lost face.
"I'm not worried about scaring you, Arti," Evan growled, bitterly pleading for his point to come across. "I'm worried about literally any other reaction you could have right now! Is it asking too much when I say that I don't want to be seen like this?!"
Deciding that enough was enough, Darien placed a hand on Arti's shoulder, offering a stern, emotionally neutral expression. "I think you should maybe leave now."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jan 22, 2020 21:49:01 GMT -5
"Oh. Okay. I'll step away... from the door. Your rocky-looking friend has suggested that I leave, but you know I don't listen. Fortunately, I expected this reaction."
There were a few shuffling noises as Arti moved a bit on the spot, facing Darien. "You can't get rid of me, but I will back away from the door. I suppose if Evan wants to be like this, I have no choice but to move in for X amount of nights. Heyyy, is anyone using this room next to the one where Evan is? Because I claim it regardless."
Yep, off he goes into the linen closet, apparently. "... It smells like my childhood! Only considerably less musty."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 22, 2020 22:21:13 GMT -5
"Wh-? Excuse me, what are you-?!" Darien stood there completely aghast as Arti stuffed himself into the closet. Then he dragged his hand through his hair and let out an aggravated snarl. What was this guy's problem?! How difficult was it for him to take a hint?!
There was a definite thunk as Evan leaned his head back against the door. "He's in the closet, isn't he?"
"That he is..."
Evan dropped his face into his hands and groaned. He furiously scrunched his skin beneath his fingers. He seriously didn't believe that privacy was an outrageous demand, so why did the universe seem dead set on depriving him of it? Why did his present condition have to be so many people's business? Why did he have to appease this joker? He felt zero inclination to do so. Every time someone looked at him, Evan felt a little more dead inside, and he was reeling from the sheer idea of Arti making light of what was, to him, a very serious issue. But by that point, what Evan wanted most was to get this smug stooge out of his apartment, if only because true solitude would not return to him until he did.
"HhhhhrrrrrRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH...!!!"
SLAM
The drywall cracked from just how hard Evan slammed the door open. Driven by little more than blind rage, Evan marched passed a truly startled Darien and over to the linen closet. He threw that door open as well and locked eyes with Arti, his hand balled in a rock-hard fist, his eyes alight and his teeth gritted in a blisteringly incensed scowl, his new, heavyset form on full display.
"THERE!!! YA HAPPY NOW?!!"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jan 23, 2020 10:53:37 GMT -5
"Alright..." Aether jumped onto the floor and started padding towards the closet, her eyes narrowed, her hackles raised, static coursing through her pelt. "Open the door. I'll get him out."
Andromeda pursed her lips and nodded in full agreement, fed up with the drama.
"YIPE-!" And then Aether was stopped in her tracks, startled by the latest development in this frustrating display.
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"Oh, for the love of..." Swift understood with absolute clarity what was going on outside, and she was tired of standing around and doing nothing about it. Arti's attitude could be tolerated no longer, not just for Evan's sake. She reached for the doorknob, fully prepared to dish out a piece of her mind...
...only to jump back a bit when she heard a prominent slam down the hall, followed by a familiar voice screaming furiously at the top of his lungs.
"What...??" Swift's ears folded back. Her hand covered her mouth. "No no no Evan, what're you doing??"
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