fissionmailed | And PLOT COMMENCES. Terrible plot. Horrible, whiny plot.

[There is a Liquid wandering the halls. Usually, Liquids are full of zest. This one... not so much. Odd, really. He's been feeling drained all day. His throat is scratchy and it's difficult to breathe properly. Worse, even his reflexes seem to be dulled! His head aches and his body is shaking with the cold. Why is he suddenly feeling the cold? He doesn't know! He's pale as death. He makes a quick call-]

Ocelooooot, where are you? I need you right now.

[-and hangs up. He can't help the rare whininess in his (particularly shaken and scratchy) voice. Liquid has never been sick a day in his life, excluding some of his imprisonment - and the less said about that the better. He leans against the wall, looking miserable, and sinks down to sit on the floor.]

This is a really rotten week... first the gray hair and now this...

DOES THE UNIVERSE JUST HATE ME LATELY?!

[His words break down into a fit of coughing and he buries his face in his hand for a moment as if that will hide his identity.]

(Long story short, Liquid is sick. It's not serious, even though he looks like hell, but prepare for whiny bitch syndrome if you approach him! He's not used to feeling this rotten.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I wouldn't mention age, dear Brother. From this angle, you don't look particularly free of gray...

...

That was a low blow.

As was you threatening to vomit in my hair.

I was hardly serious. Why would I desecrate something so lovely?

...

[Liquid carded a hand through his alternate's hair, gentle]

It is, isn't it.

[He relaxed, allowing the touch. His hair was still damp, but he didn't mind.]

Of course it is.

It's strange... I never thought I would care for myself so much. That anything would make me feel anything but loathing for this face.

Everything can change. Even the most certain of things.

...

[Liquid slowly pulled him close, head to his chest] Very true.

[Closing his eyes, he relaxed, listening to Liquid's heartbeat. His breathing was harsh and uneven.]

Does it bother you?

I didn't want to love, Brother. It makes it harder to be alone.

Then don't be alone. I didn't want to be with anyone either. But it's alright. We deserve happiness too. After everything we've gone through.

I don't want to be, now. You, Ocelot, Snake, Mantis, Catherine... you all have taught me different definitions of love.

Then why do you bring it up?

I never thought I'd love my own face. Or friendship. Or family. Or another, male or female. Lust, perhaps, but not love. But even you should know how it ends. Look about you. Who remains here?

[Slowly, painfully, he brought a hand up to stroke slender fingers through Liquid's hair.]

You don't have to stay alone.

I don't want to. Not now, damn you. But I cannot fathom how I can give Mantis a want to have those emotions back, or give Brother a place here and still allow him space to have a lover.

Not sure about the first, but the second could be solved with a bigger room. Just knock down a wall and stick a door in if the apartment next to you is empty.

It's not... quite right, Brother. That vampire next to me when he visits Snake... one day, I may finally kill him.

Vampire... Is it one of the Vamps? You won't be able to kill him. He's immortal. I've tried.

He's stupid, that's all.

It is. It seems he has a bad habit of becoming attached to these vampires, despite one not even bothering to tell him he was leaving and the other not able to keep his alternate from killing Snake.

This shouldn't make me so angry. Not due to more than his death not being by my hands.