spirits

“Is it?” She asked, glancing over the top of her laptop screen at him. “I can’t say I’ve heard that before, but I guess I was never in the crowd who knew what ‘the rage’ was - so maybe it’s been that way for ages and I’m late to the game.” 

“You old ones, so cranky.” He scoffed. Shrugging at the words, he was certain most people would say that he only did things because he felt like it. “I do things to get what I want at the time, not for no reason. If you’re going to put effort in, you better get something out of it.” That was his general thought process, do what you could to get what you wanted - no matter what it happened to be. It wasn’t like other people were going to help you out. “A week or two? Oh I’m so relieved, I thought you’d be on your way out in a couple of days.” 

“it would depend on how well behaved your pet is,” rapunzel wasn’t too sure how to react to the male’s question, “and what pet you have?”

danielle nodded her head, offering him a smile and a wave of her hand.  “it’s not a big deal.  i just need a second set of eyes.  staring at one thing for too long and all.”  danielle explained with a sigh, taking a couple of steps back and turning around completely.  “alright.  my attention is fully on you now.”  which was only partially a lie, as she snuck a glance back at the flowers to look and see how she felt only to turn back quickly and nod.  

Perking up at the question, he nodded his head. “You can say I know a fair bit about it.” He replied, taking the seat opposite the other. “I can set it up for you if you want? Or I can walk you through it, so that you can do it next time? Because I happen to be very much not from the middle ages, and thinks everyone needs wifi. A slow connection is almost torture.”

It wouldn’t have surprised her if the word did come from the French (in fact, she was quite positive it had) but she decided against saying anything. Better to let him ‘win’ the conversation. She took in a deep breath at his words. Did she want to talk about it? Not particularly, but if she didn’t tell someone, she was afraid she might burst. And at least he wouldn’t call her crazy. She hugged one of her legs to her chest and rested her chin on her knee. “I haven’t been able to sleep lately. These horrible dreams - nightmares, really…” She went on, detailing everything that had happened - even a war between wizards. “They seem so real. I don’t know what to do.”

He listened intently, nodding at all the right moments. He didn’t belong here, maybe it was possible that someone else didn’t either. “Dreams always come from somewhere. Either you have a really good imagination, or maybe these things- these nightmares... maybe there’s a reason for them. Everything seems so ordinary here, but it’s all... wrong! It’s hard to explain but... Okay, hear me out.” He closed his eyes. “One of my brothers is a monkey and another is an old man but looks like a teenager. My sister caused the apocalyse and I was transported to this island from 1961, thirty or so years before I was born in 1989, to a mother who wasn’t pregnant. Also I talk to ghosts. And I used to be a male model. That bit was a lie but the rest is honest truth. I haven’t told anyone, but your visions... well, they make me wonder if I’m not the only one.”

rapunzel was about a few seconds from having a full blown panic attack as she listened to his words, “no. that can’t be true. can it?” wide doe eyes looked at the male, “blew up the moon?!”

“Oh she knew she was expecting, the kicker is the mother wasn’t the one who left my sister in the toilet. That honor went to the father, the vice principle at the time. The mother gave the baby to the father, who decided he didn’t want to explain where she came from and thought leaving her in the toilet was a get out of jail free card.” Something that didn’t even seem all that surprising in Neptune, but at least it gave Trina something else she could talk about.  Scoffing a laugh at the words, he gave a one shoulder shrug. “What can I say? My parents thought making polite talk with reporters was more proper than telling them to go enjoy themselves.”

galleria watched the exchange with a confused, yet amused, expression on her face.  but she wasn’t about to ask a ton of questions about everything.  she’d seen a couple of things on the island that she didn’t question much anymore.  letting out a laugh she smiled at him.  “we’re both going to be superstars.  because, obviously, i can’t make you one without being one myself!”  galleria exclaimed with a faux gasp before nodding her head as he introduced himself.  “i’m galleria.”

“well, it’s one of the only things that came easy for me.  i’m better at the intellectual stuff.”  she shrugged, playing with the sleeves of her shirt as she spoke.  “i’m not exactly the best at the whole social, interpersonal stuff.”  she tried, and tried, but there were times growing up where she felt as though she had literally nobody to talk to.  and that it was something she had done to make her feel that way, but she wasn’t entirely too sure if that was the case.  “i’m sure you’re not just good at that.  there’s got to be something else.”

“Don’t bother, you don’t need that social stuff. There’s only one person you need in your life: Jack Daniels.” He mimicked raising a glass. “The one man who’s always been there for me.” He always what others considered their problems to be a bit amusing. They all seemed so normal in comparison to his own. He blinked at her last statement. Self-positivity didn’t come naturally. “I’m not sure. What do you think? What’s your impression when you look at me?”

There’d been visions of someone who felt like a sister to her, but those were simply an overactive imagination. It wasn’t as though she could forget someone she grew up with after all. “Can you… Talk to them at least?” There seemed to be a lot of people missing their family around, and for some reason, she’d heard people talk about not getting to see or talk to their family - which seemed foreign to her since you could always call or facetime people. “I’m sure they’ll be trying to find you. This place is just a little out of the way. Where did you move from?”

Klaus rubbed his eyes with his palms, trying to clear his head. “Mmm, no. If they ended up in the same place I came from, they’re a bit too far away for that.” Sixty years too far, to be precise. He looked down at his hands. Whenever he used his power to contact the afterlife, they glowed with blue light. They hadn’t glowed since he arrived on the island. “One of my brothers, Ben, he was dependent on me... well, we were dependent on each other really. But I can’t reach him either. I try every day.”

PIETRO MAXIMOFF 🗲 QUICKSILVER

do you remember who you really are? have you been getting flashes of your former life?

Of course I remember who I am. This is just another of many messed up things that have happened in my life.

do you want to try to escape the island?

Yes, I want to get out. I can get from one end of this tiny island to the other in a minute: I feel like a bird in a cage. For me, this is not freedom.

what time are you pulled from? What’s the last thing you remember before being pulled here?

Ultron was invading Sokovia, the town where I was born. Ultron is a big metal man, one of Stark’s creations. We were winning, so I would like to get back there so I can smash him into pieces myself.

what has your life been like on the island?

Slow. Oh, you want more? Very slow.

what do you do around the island?

“And yet French is difficult?” Fleur tilted her head. Honestly, French had more unpronounced vowels than English did, but she couldn’t help the retort. She opened her eyes and sighed, leaning her head back against the chair. “If I was imagining you I’d be very concerned. Not that it’d be much worse than what’s happening now.”

“Probably comes from French...” he muttered under his breath, hoping to get the last word in. His eyebrows shot up his forehead at her comment. “How rude!” he exclaimed, folding his arms like a child. She had a point though. He cocked his head. “Sounds like you’ve got some things you wanna talk about. What’s it the kids say these days? Spill the tea. Sis.”

“i am sure yours do but i am going to have to decline any potential of confirming those details,” a slight blush covered rapunzel’s face as she looked back down at her sketch. she had never been too experienced with other people let alone the other gender and their genitals. as soon as she heard his next words, wide doe eyes looked up at him frantically, “is the world ending soon?!”

“Should I find you a walking stick old man?” Sarcasm clear in his voice, but he at least could appreciate someone willing to pick a joke at themselves - even if he wasn’t one of those people. “What’s the point of doing something if there’s no purpose? Seems like a waste of time.” And there were better ways to waste time in his mind. “A close second? Ouch, I thought I was a far in the lead first.”

“Yes, please, so I can beat some sense into you!” he mocked, miming smacking the other around the head. “There doesn’t have to be a point, that’s the point. Haven’t you ever done something just ‘cause you felt like it? ‘Cause you wanted to? Life becomes very liberating once you understand that others’ opinions of oneself mean, well, absolutely nothing.” He shrugged apologetically at the last sentence. “Afraid not, but don’t worry. You’ll take the lead after I die of old age in a week or two.”

“Your father bought you?” That one he hadn’t heard before. “That is truly going to devastate my sister. She thought finding out she was left in the toilet during the prom was the most dramatic way to end up adopted.” Should he have said something more sentimental or sympathetic? Maybe, but that wasn’t exactly his forte. The guard only came down around people he trusted, this time it didn’t seem so bad considering Klaus didn’t seem overly sensitive. “No small talk huh? Pity, I spent most my life learning how to do that. Of course I ignore it every time, but the knowledge is still there.” 

“Jeez...” This time Klaus was at a loss for words. He tried to appear suitably shocked but, as he thought of what to say next, he couldn’t hold back the smirk on his lips. “I mean, that compares, but... was her mom expecting her or did she just think she had a big lunch? Lucky she didn’t flush without checking!” He slapped Logan on the shoulder. Good, more violence means more bonding, right! “Uh, why would you ever learn how to make small talk? That’s like studying for a degree in fine art or creative writing. Waste. Of. Time. And you said so yourself so, your words not mine.”