An Airbnb in Baltimore, Tuesday Afternoon

[myownface]

Sparkle had given the island's weirdness one night! One.

One was enough. The message that he'd left for Atton in the wake of that night was dubiously coherent and had been left without a single breath taken between words, and Sparkle could not get off the island fast enough after being caught out after the airhorns sounded, thank you very, very much. Sparkle had put up with years of Fandom horror, but very little could prepare a guy for the things he'd seen, stabbed, and screamed at while trying to make his way to somewhere that didn't involve...

... those.

It was a frazzled, tipsy Sparkle, wielding a tupperware container with a fish in it in one hand and half a bottle of Fireball in the other, who made his way up to the Airbnb that Hernando had booked and who knocked on the door. With his face.

There might have been sobbing involved? Or it could've just been frazzled ranting in between bouts of quiet screeching. It was hard to tell.

Sparkles were not made for Silent Hills.

[OOC: For the one, or for texts and/or phonecalls! NFB for distance!]

Comments

[myownface]

Sparkle blinked at that.

"Oh my god, fish treats."

Fish. TREATS. Sparkle wasn't going to point out that Milady probably wouldn't care either way.

"For," he said, smiling faintly as he picked up one of the pieces with peanut butter and cheese on it, "when he's being a very good fish?"

[hernando_fuentes]

"Or when he learns tricks," Hernando said slyly, "I found a basketball hoop and ball. It's in the tank."

[myownface]

"I think," Sparkle said, bemused but maybe the tiniest bit delighted, "you might be overestimating the athleticism of my fish."

[hernando_fuentes]

"Possibly but we won't know until he has a chance to check it out and even if he doesn't wish to play, it is something for him to look at," Hernando shrugged, "He is on vacation too, he should have a nice view."

[myownface]

"I mean, I guess if I had a view of the basketball court I'd have a good time too," Sparkle mused. He was making good time on that toast, now, taking full advantage of this distraction. "Depending on who's playing."

[hernando_fuentes]

"There are definitely plentiful toned asses for him to watch if that is his thing," Hernando agreed, "The room is not all that big." And.. yeah, he was absolutely sort of waggling his ass in Milady's tank's direction. Shut up, the fish was still in tupperware anyway.

[myownface]

Okay, you know what? Mouthful of toast or no, Sparkle absolutely needed to take a moment to blow a wolf-whistle and applaud, right there. Because really, now. Milady might not care, but this was a great distraction, as it so happened, and he reserved the right to enjoy the show.

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando had a proper amount of pride. It was, after all, a pretty great ass. He laughed a little and kissed Sparkle's shoulder. The distraction was working. Sparkle was clearing that toast like a champ. It would help to have something in his stomach.

And then, because he was being very silly, he rolled over and waggled his butt again.

At Sparkle.

[myownface]

And Sparkle was going to resist, barely, the urge to reach out and swat that butt.

"Dinner and a show," he said, instead. "Babe, you're spoiling me rotten."

[hernando_fuentes]

"I like spoiling you," Hernando said, turning around before he got a buttery handprint on his ass. Because he knew Sparkle. "I made you toast with peanut butter and cheese." Beat. "So how was it?"

He wasn't certain Sparkle had even tasted it. Didn't matter, it was a thing to talk about that'd keep him distracted.

[myownface]

"It," Sparkle shared, "is great."

He really hadn't tasted it. But his mouth hadn't immediately rebelled on him, and so he ate another bite just for show.

...

"Actually, no really, it is pretty good."

[hernando_fuentes]

"Baby," Hernando said, bonking his forehead on Sparkle's shoulder, "Well. At least it is edible." Speaking of.. he rolled and gave another good view of that ass while he dug in the small travel bag near the side of the bed. When he rolled back, he handed Sparkle a plastic medicine bottle. It looked no different than the kind aspirin would come in.

It did not, however, contain aspirin and the label did not claim it to be. Hernando had no idea what the percentages meant but Sparkle might know.

[myownface]

Sparkle did, in fact, know! He was actually humming a little as he took the bottle, a piece of toast now hanging from his mouth as he looked it over. Negligible CBD, that was fine, this was recreational, not medical. It was that other number Sparkle was looking for, that THC. And his eyebrows actually quirked up a little as he read the percentage on the bottle. Nearly twenty with heat?

"Oh," he said, chewing and swallowing that bite of toast and humming, "Dani wanted you to have a nice evening or ten."

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando shrugged, "She said I needed to chill out. I assume that is what they will do? It is not something I am interested in taking but thought you might want them."

He wasn't above smoking an occasional bowl, no. It just wasn't something he did more than very rarely, for fun.

[myownface]

"Oooh, yeah. This'll chill anyone right the fuck out," Sparkle agreed, popping the cap off and giving the contents a thoughtful sniff. "You know, I've only ever had this in, like, bud form? This'll be new and exciting."

He pulled one out and looked it over.

"... Seems like cheating. Wanna make brownies?"

Yes. Now was an excellent time to make brownies, Sparkle.

[hernando_fuentes]

"Tomorrow maybe," Hernando offered, "For now, you have toast and tea and little capsules of plant matter. Cheating is okay right now, baby. You're very tired."

[myownface]

"Yeeeh," Sparkle sighed. "And with any luck I won't pass out before it kicks in. It takes longer this way, you know?"

Still, he was popping one into his mouth and then washing it down with some of that tea without another thought. Maybe he'd chase it with another in a bit. Maybe he wouldn't. Right now, the idea of just not giving a shit for a while had some big appeal.

[hernando_fuentes]

"I don't know," Hernando shook his head with a lopsided smile, "I've never tried it enough to know a time difference or even that there was one." He wouldn't be unhappy if Sparkle managed to sleep though he didn't expect that to happen soon if it happened at all.

"How's your head, baby?" Didn't mean a headache, no, but left it open to that interpretation.

[myownface]

"It's... chewy," Sparkle offered. "Kinda... like... crawly. I dunno. There's been... like... a lot." He reached for another piece of toast. He was running out, which was kind of impressive, all things considering. "But like, not even the lot that's the most? I've seen another other a lot a lot of times before."

[hernando_fuentes]

He was not going to ask for details. He wanted Sparkle to keep the food down. "The summer has been 'a lot' for weeks on end," he offered, "You've held up through it far better than I would or even could have, baby." It wasn't a throw away comment. He meant it. "Is there anything more you need that I could do to help you while you are coping with this?"

[myownface]

Sparkle huffed out a soft breath, finishing off another piece of toast and washing it down with another mouthful of tea before shrugging.

"Hug me and pet me and tell me I'm pretty, I guess," he murmured. "This is nice. I mean. Just... this. Kinda normal, comfortble... us-ness. This-ness."

[hernando_fuentes]

"Some calm in the crazy," Hernando agreed. He sat up and wormed am arm behind Sparkle to cuddle up against him. Fingers, of course, going into the still damp hair to stroke through it. "You are pretty, you know," he said, "and if you want me to tell you, then this means you don't get to argue with my opinion." Mostly teasing. "I adore you. I want you to rest and let yourself recover. Don't push it, okay? You can be held and petted and I will tell you how pretty you are and make you all the ridiculous food you want for as long as it takes."

Kissed his head. "I can't handle the things you can handle, baby, but I can take care of you after you have. Your job is to let yourself let me, okay?" Which he knew wasn't easy. Especially for someone who wasn't all that used to depending on anyone.

[myownface]

"Kay," Sparkle murmured. "I'm gonna ask for cheese and peanut butter all the time from now on, then."

He... might, actually.

"It'll only be a week," he murmured, "whatever it is. Only a week." And then what? He didn't know. Didn't care. Didn't want to move from this spot right here.

[hernando_fuentes]

"I will make you peanut butter cheese toast," he said, because hell, if Sparkle ate it, it was protein and carbs. "Or soup with the little oyster crackers in it and sandwich soldiers to dunk." Comfort food.

"Only a week," Hernando agreed, "Though I have rented this place until September. I am not going back until it is stable again. Not for more than long enough to check on the store and make sure the fish and quokka have food. You don't have to either. Not even for Atton. He can come crash on the sofabed here." Which was why there was a sofa bed here, yes.

[myownface]

"Gotta go back eventually," Sparkle mumbled. "Someone's gonna take over my shop on me if I don't."

Between that and Atton, he was kind of getting low on reasons to keep going back there, though. Except...

"... Gotta keep my head down, here. You're allowed to be in America. I'm kinda here by grace of Portalocity."

Kinda. Sorta.