Cherubplay

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Why did she help him? She never really thought much about it, she just did it. Was she guilty about it? Of course not. Terezi though for a moment. "I guess it's because I see something inside you that I never got to have. Something I always wanted, but never really got to be, and I don't want you to lose that."

2015-04-13 16:24:20

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"........." So he was some kind of surrogate for her life. That was...almost disappointing. None of this would have even happened to him if she hadn't gotten him involved. But he didn't think he regretted it. After all, he'd gotten a chance to be at least slightly social. "That's...uh..." Then his phone went off in his pocket. He stared in shock for a minute, scrambling for it. He had completely forgotten the battered green flip phone was even there; it wasn't as if anyone called him on a regular basis.

2015-04-13 16:34:10

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Terezi fell silent. She didn't really know what to say now. Then his phone buzzed. Oh, something to distract them both. Yes, please. Answer that. She looked the other way to let him answer the phone.

2015-04-13 16:39:00

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Tassek opened the phone and held it to his ear without looking at the number. He knew who it was. "Hi, Dad, yes, I'm alive." Mostly.

A deeper voice could be heard slightly through the phone. "Are you sure? I was getting calls from your teachers about you missing class the last couple of days. Did you fall asleep on the bus again?"

"What? No. I don't even take the bus, I take the subway, and -- No, I didn't fall asleep on the way anywhere recently, okay?" He couldn't say entirely, that would be a lie. Not that this wasn't already. If he told his dad the truth he'd be back home tied to a bed before he could say "Let me explain!"

"You should get one of those shock bracelets, I've heard they work really well at keeping people alert."

"Dad, I get along just fine without those, thanks for worrying though." If he didn't thank him every so often, he broke down crying thinking that Tassek had grown up too quickly. God, what an embarrassing parent. His heart was in the right place, though.

"Why haven't you been at school, then? You earned that scholarship and you had better be making the most of it."

"I wasn't feeling that great, that's all. I'm fine now, and I'll be back at school in the morning if you'll let me sleep."

"Do you have padding in your apartment? You know, just in case?"

"/Blin , papa, eto prekrasno!/"

The conversation suddenly switched to Russian, with a brief argument about the merits of the buddy system and whether he'd been able to pay rent. Then it returned to English for the last few words.

"I need to make sure my boy's doing alright in the big city. I'll come visit in a week, okay?"

"Vait, vhat? No!" he protested, accent still strong. But his dad had already hung up. He groaned and dropped the phone, leaning back to stare at the ceiling and figure out a way out of this.

2015-04-13 23:22:03

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Terezi tried to tone herself out. It was rude to listen in on someone else's phone conversation. She at least had manners.

Well, until she heard the conversation switch to a foreign language to her. He knew two languages as well, huh. She would of never guess that. Terezi blocked herself out again.

Once Tassek hung up the phone, she diverted her attention back to him. "What was that about, if you don't mind me asking?"

2015-04-13 23:37:27

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He rubbed the bridge of his noise and sat up. "Just my dad freaking out about my narcolepsy and school. One of my teachers called him to check, I don't knov vhy they didn't just call me first. Maybe his number's first on the registry, I don't knov. Kind of veird though." Veird. Vvvveird. Dammit. This was why he tried not to speak Russian too often. This always happened. "Apparently he vants -- ...he's going to visit. In a veek."

2015-04-13 23:45:00

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Terezi took in the information as best she could, mostly to avoid the topic of his accent. Yes, she's been there. Yes, it's annoying to have someone ask you about it. It was even worse when men tried hitting on her because she knew 'the language of romance'. They were usually found in a dumpster sometime later.

"Well, maybe he's just worried." Terezi assumed it was true. "You shouldn't be too bothered by it, it's just a visit."

At least, she wouldn't of mind if her parents visited. She missed them dearly.

2015-04-13 23:50:27

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"He visited a month ago. Just before I met you, actually. And he's alvays vorried, it's not really something to be concerned about." He checked the missed calls list on his phone absently as he talked. Oh. Oops. His phone had rung more than ten times while (he could only assume) he was in the process of being dragged to Cale's apartment, unconscious. It was like his dad had a danger sense or something. "But if he finds out about you he's going to vant to knov everything, your legal history, your mother's maiden name, your e-mail passvord...." And they both knew how that would inevitably end.

2015-04-13 23:57:42

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"Tassek, I'm two hundred and fourty one years old." She casually crossed her legs. "You're father isn't that scary, and I'm pretty sure I can handle him. That is, if you even want me near you during that time."

It was probably a good idea to have her near for a while. Cale could come back for seconds at anytime.

2015-04-14 00:02:56

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Oh, she underestimated his powers of overprotectiveness. Undoubtedly he would show up with a package of bubble wrap and one of those shock bracelets he was so adamant about. But despite the potential humiliation, he didn't want to go without her. Also, if his dad heard that he still didn't have any friends, he would try and get him to hang out with the kids of his work buddies again. God, that was awkward. Well, more painful than awkward, really. He had traumatic high school memories of being shoved into a pizza place with the equivalent of half a football team and some assorted drama geeks and finding himself about half the size of all of them. His dad never believed where he'd gotten the bruises. They were great kids, he insisted. That's why the coach liked them so much. Not because they were good at sports. That was ridiculous. The coach hated Tassek, by the way.

Ehem. "...if you vant to stay, you can. I mean, if you're okay vith it...." He wasn't sure how to say /please don't leave me with him/ without sounding like he was directly begging.

2015-04-14 00:11:44

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"Trust me, I am." She leaned back against the couch, relaxing herself against it. "This will be an experience, however. I haven't met someone else's father in a LONG time. I think the last time I did I was..." She thought for a few seconds, this was a way back memory. "Sixteen, maybe seventeen? I think. It was when I was human."

Ah yes, her parents many attempts to marry her off. All failed.

2015-04-14 00:19:45

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Sixteen, two centuries ago, was...when she was meeting the parents of her future potential husband? Oh. Goodness. Nope, it wasn't the same thing, calm yourself you antisocial weirdo nerd. Neeeeerd.

Why was his subconscious insulting him?

"Oh. I guess you could call this a refresher course, then."

2015-04-14 00:26:48

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"I guess so. I have put on act for people before, so it can't be too hard."

Yes, it was no potential mate meeting, but it still meet her friends parents. She wondered if her parents would like him. Probably not. Which was a shame since he was such a nice person. Wait, why the hell did she care about what her parents think? They're dead.

2015-04-14 00:32:47

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How pleasant. In her century he would be something akin to the poor philosophers who in later eras would become one of the names of legend, like Aristotle and Plato, so it was understandable. Or so he liked to think. Not that he was even thinking about this at the time. His subconscious was having its own little party in the back room, complete with karaoke and pinatas.

That was kind of sad, actually. The putting on an act part, not the party. Someone had brought a goat and it was running around headbutting people. By everyone's standards, the bash was a great success. But I digress. Again. He hadn't noticed her faking any sort of anything, and he wondered what her 'act' looked like. "He's a journalist though, so it's his job to try and dig up vhat people are hiding. You should probably be careful."

2015-04-14 01:12:55

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Terezi couldn't help but smile. "Oh anything he can dig on me has mysteriously disappeared and if buried underneath a bunch of fake aliases. I have to keep somethings hidden about me, right?"

Yeah, it was a challenge, but it was worth not being thrown in prison. Whatever she left behind, Spyders usually took care of it to make sure he didn't caught as well.

2015-04-14 01:30:48

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He smiled a little. "Then you'll end up being the mysterious nonexistent girl. Probably better than vhatever else he might find, though." The guy really was good at his job. Tassek, on the other hand, now had an arrest on his record. He wondered how his dad would react to /that/. Glancing at his phone again, he took note of the time. At some point he really would have to go to school, and he would rather do such after a half-decent night's sleep. "Do you think it's safe to head home again?"

2015-04-14 01:37:26

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"Well he won't find the murders, if that's what you're worried about." That was something Terezi made sure about. What would Tassek's dad find out? That she was just a weird girl who worked from home and had some weird skin condition so she couldn't go out in the sun. Other than that, nothing. "Yeah, I think so. Though if you run into any trouble, well you'll know what to do."

2015-04-14 01:42:57

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No. No, he really didn't. All he knew now was how absolutely screwed he was if he /did/ run into trouble. Dammit, you wimp.

Stop that, subconscious. Get back to your party.

But he nodded and got off the couch, putting a hand to the bite marks on his neck again and tugging up his collar. It was the only thing he could think to do. Of course, it wasn't as if anyone paid him any mind in most cases, and his neck definitely wasn't at eye level with many people. "Thanks again...I'll see you in a week, I guess?"

2015-04-14 01:47:50

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"I guess so, and don't worry about those marks. They'll fade like any old cut or wound eventually." Yes, she took notice of what he did. She did it all the time. More than she liked to admit.

Once he left, she even the same as well. Once again, her scars were exposed, and she hated it. Every inch of them she hated. Oh well, she'll get her hoodie washed soon and she could cover them up once more.

2015-04-14 01:53:29

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Cale was looking for jobs on the internet. Zane was actually out doing his job. It was a good balance. Since they'd beaten up the toilet-cleaner-headed vampire douche king, there'd been an awkward tension as there was still the matter of Tassek. Zane, naturally, didn't approve at all, but there was nothing he could do now. Cale was dreading the day when the kid was finally drawn by the bond to their apartment, because then the issues would quadruple. But he hadn't shown. And hadn't shown. And. Hadn't. Shown. To the extent where Cale began to wonder if he'd fucked something up or there was something about the turning he didn't know. Wasn't something supposed to have happened by now? Terezi hadn't even appeared at his door to beat the living shit out of him, which would have been a sign in and of itself. This was weird as all get-out. Maybe he should go check....

Nah. Then he'd be dead for sure.

But it was starting to get to him, and the nagging curiosity was slowly overpowering the self-preservation instinct.

2015-04-14 02:12:00

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Welp, Terezi was stuck now doing absolutely nothing. Fortunately, Tassek was safe. To what level? She wasn't sure. At least Cale was out of her hair and away from him.

Once again, she was doing the closest thing to work, sewing. This dress required as little of her time as her previous dresses, but she really wasn't one to procrastinate. Besides, if she got it done now she could probably stop by the bookstore and pick up a new book maybe? But what hasn't she read. Even if she did find something, leisurely read did get boring after a while.

However, she enjoyed the peace she was currently having.

2015-04-14 02:23:10

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Since it wasn't his shift, Zane was just sitting on the sidewalk by some stores playing guitar. Technically it could be called a job, as passerby who liked it would toss coins and bills into the case, so there was money in it, but mostly he simply enjoyed it as a hobby. And if people who had their day made by whatever song he was playing felt he deserved a little something, well, that was just a bonus.

After he tuned the black and gold guitar he browsed his mental library of song chords. It was a fairly cloudy day, maybe something cheery. He began an upbeat chord pattern and sang in a low voice. "Midair....I woke up beneath the flight deck on a wallpaper airplane. As you stare...I strap my helmet on, and left your driveway behind." It was a nonsense song, but that was the point.

"Flutter all through the night, and we can blow the clouds around this paper hanger skyline. Summer smile again, and you can disappear...but I'd rather be here." Someone tossed a dollar into the case and he smiled after them. It was ignored, but that was alright.

2015-04-14 02:33:11

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Sure enough, she finished the dress within the hour. Since the shop was currently closed, she figured she could drop it off tomorrow. But right now? Book shopping.

Terezi stood up and walked to a corner of the room where a safe was. She punched in the code, and opened it. Ah yes, where she kept all her money. It was better having a paper trail of a bank account. She removed a few twenty dollar bills, and stuffed them into her pocket.

As she headed out the door as she pulled her hoodie on, and locked the front door behind her. The small stain from Tassek's blood still remained on the sleeve, but it was fading. If someone looked close enough, they might see some blood, but it was something that could easily be covered up.

On the way to the way to the book star, she heard a familiar voice singing. Was that Zane? She turned the corner. Sure enough, there he was. Playing a guitar and singing along to a pretty song. She stood by him and dropped a twenty into the case.

2015-04-14 02:49:55

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He had his eyes closed as he focused on an instrumental, but when footsteps paused next to him, he blinked up at Terezi. Then he looked from the bill back to her. "Ah...th-thank you!" He stood up and somehow managed to bow gratefully, apologetically, and as if on stage at the same time. "I am so sorry for what Cale did....is...is your friend all right?" Probably a little forward, but this had been gnawing at him for too long and he wasn't going to let the opportunity go. Obviously she wasn't mad at him, in fact he felt a little guilty at the amount of money she'd dropped, but it had been on purpose, so he was just going to be grateful.

2015-04-14 02:56:41

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She leaned against the wall, the side of her cheek resting on the cold surface. "Tassek? He's fine. Honestly I don't know if that guy was born lucky or lucky to be born somethings." She gave a smile. The fact that Tassek was alive was one thing, but unchanged was a fucking miracle. "And don't apologize, you didn't help him so I really can't blame you."

2015-04-14 02:59:59