Hybrid Kingdom PSL

[no1likeme]

{ the “beach” episode }
for some more light-hearted/chaotic stuff happening at the hotel throughout the plot

Comments

[candybomb]

(( After he pulls himself off the floor where he literally fell from laughing so hard, Lucas scampers off to David's room. He's still laughing as he beats on the door. ))

Hey, hey! Did you do that? Int he business center?

(( He can barely breathe, okay? ))

[silvernaphil]

Dude, chill out, I'm coming!

[That's just a response to heavy knocking, but when David hears what Lucas is yelling about... well, he looks pretty proud of himself as he cracks the door open and peeks out demurely.]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[candybomb]

You're such a liar!

(( Excuse him giving the door a tiny push. ))

Let me in. Are you naked or something? Open the door.

[silvernaphil]

What if I am? You just gonna walk in and have a chat with me while everything's hanging loose?

[He's not. It's another test of Lucas's actual motives and intentions with him.]

[candybomb]

(( He looks a little offended by the question, wrinkling his nose before he answers. ))

That's disrespectful. You humans are modest.

(( A pause and then he looks at the door then back to David. ))

Are you naked?

[silvernaphil]

Kinda seems like you're picturing it now.

[Excuse him while he milks this for all its worth. David so rarely feels like he's got the upper hand with Lucas when it comes to this particular topic.]

[candybomb]

(( gentle push push push on the door. ))

Why won't you open it?

[silvernaphil]

[Aaaand ducking further behind it.]

If you want a peek that bad, just tell me so and I will.

[candybomb]

(( Such a coquettish move, David! Geez, Lucas is going to begin to think he's being flirted with.

WAIT.

Is he being flirted with? ))

I just want to have a laugh with you.

[silvernaphil]

[Ugh, David could've sworn he was getting somewhere, but Lucas really can ruin any mood. He steps out from behind the door (in a t-shirt and jeans) and throws it open with a loud huff, retreating into his room.]

You suck so bad sometimes. C'mon in.

[candybomb]

(( David seriously hasn't noticed how Lucas spends like 90% of his free time with or around him, has he? Well, maybe he wouldn't since Lucas has already characterized himself as David's protector. It makes sense in that context. Oops. ))

Do I? I'm sorry.

[silvernaphil]

[Yep, Lucas has accidentally covered all his bases and made it totally impossible for David to know if there's any real interest behind what he does. And the more invested David gets in finding out the answer, the more it distracts him from the fact that he really likes Lucas a lot.

Inside David's suite, all the monitors on his computer setup are alive with various loading bars and wheels and different processes doing their processing things while some old edited-for-cable movie plays on the TV. He crouches down and ducks his head to peer into the bar fridge in his kitchenette, a process that looks a lot like a crane lowering.]

Forget it. Did anyone else see the monitors while you were there?

[candybomb]

Not while I was there, unfortunately. It would've been hilarious to see someone else's reaction.

(( Maybe he should hang out in there to explain the joke to the ones who don't get it. ))

I'll keep my eyes open and report back!

[silvernaphil]

Want something to drink? I've got coke and coolers.

[He plunks a cooler on the counter for himself and stays in the crouch while he waits for a response.]

I've been thinking maybe it's too niche for the crowd here, y'know? Too terminally online.

[candybomb]

What's the sweetest thing you've got? I'll take that.

(( Lucas looks around once, not because he's being specifically nosy, but because he's looking for a place to sit. ))

I think it's funny. Hardly our fault they aren't up-to-date with humor.

[silvernaphil]

[Sweetest, huh? He pulls out a vodka cooler that's apparently meant to be rocket pop flavoured and hands it to Lucas as he stands up and kicks the bar fridge shut. That's about four different kinds of sweet in one, it'll have to do.

There's a couch and two armchairs in front of the entertainment unit with the TV, which is where David parks himself - draped all the way across the couch with his feet still hanging off the arm.]

Still weird to me that you're the most normal one here in some ways, Wheely Boy.

[candybomb]

(( Lucas has a monstrous sweet tooth. He's just been too busy to spend his days shoving hard candy endlessly into his face. But any chance for something sweet is one he'll pounce on. He takes the can with a quiet nod, quickly squinting to read the tiny print on it for the flavors (don't worry, he's not fretting about ingredients).

Satisfied by what he sees on the can, he follows David and settles into one of the arm chairs. Despite his often chaotic behavior, he doesn't flop into the chair. He lowers himself into it and sits there properly for a few sends before reclining more comfortably into it. The can cracks open and Lucas takes a long drink then sighs, satisfied that this is sweet enough. ))

What's really normal these days? Especially here.

[silvernaphil]

Well, that's what I mean, though.

[David's about to say something unusually frank and unusually complimentary all at once, which means he's keeping his eyes on the ceiling instead of looking at Lucas while he does. Lacing his hands behind his head, he continues:]

This place is crazy, yeah, but right now? This could just be my house, and you could be someone I hung out with before that cult fucked everything up. It's nice.

[There's a definite twinge of melancholy in those last two words. David tries not to think about his friends too much so he can focus on the work itself, but the reasons for it are never far from his mind.]