#sambanova

جمعت شركة SambaNova Systems لرقائق الذكاء الاصطناعي مليار دولار بتقييم قدره 11 مليار دولار بقيادة شركة General Atlantic، في الإغلاق الأول لجولة السلسلة F، ومن المتوقع انضمام المزيد من المستثمرين قريبًا. وقال رودريجو ليانج، الرئيس التنفيذي والمؤسس المشارك لشركة SambaNova، لـ TechCrunch: “في الأسابيع القليلة المقبلة، سيأتي عدد قليل من المستثمرين، ومن المرجح أن تنتهي عملية الإغلاق الثانية”. وتأتي…

There wasn’t any money left. None. Nothing. Zilch, even. Jude’s part-time job hardly earned him enough to pay rent, even though he worked 5 days a week. He was exhausted, he couldn’t keep working, caring for his mum and going to school. Months ago, he’d accepted that he’d likely have to drop out, even though he was only a few months away from graduating. In a few months, he and his unstable mother would likely be homeless, that was how he rationalised the prospect of not getting a high school diploma. His aunt, recently made redundant, was no longer in a position to donate what she could to them any week, especially when she had her own kids. Jude envied his cousins, his aunt was a harsh woman but at least she was capable of being a mother. He knew it wasn’t fair of him to think like that.

come out with us tonight

Jude rolled his eyes at the note and shot an ‘are you kidding me?’ look at his friend, Luke. Everybody knew Luke, Luke was that guy. Wanna go to a party this weekend? Luke can give you a list of them. Need a guy to sell you some ‘stuff’ for this party? Luke can give you a list of them. Jude had known him since middle school; he was surprised that they were still friends now, considering Luke spent his weekends getting wasted, while Jude spent his weekends trying to fall asleep behind the counter at the gas station he worked at.

my shift doesn’t end until 1am you fucktard

Jude dropped the note onto Luke’s lap and tapped his pen on the desk anxiously. Why was he even here? Not only did he hate maths class but it wasn’t like he was going to be there for much longer. Another note dropped into his lap before the bell sounded and the class promptly dismissed themselves, ignoring the teacher halfheartedly calling them back.

come by whenever ― I got an idea your goin to hate love

At 1am, Jude clocked out with the intentions of going straight home. He was exhausted, he’d gone straight to the gas station from school and he hadn’t eaten since Luke made him take half of his sandwich at lunch. He stuffed his payslip into his jacket pocket, frowning when he another god damn note well out of the same pocket.

jade wilkes’s house when you finish your stupid job. be there or be square you fag

Luke had put that there on purpose, now there was no way of Jude using the ‘well you didn’t tell me where to go’ excuse. Jude was smart but he was a terrible liar ― like, the worst. He was sure whatever Luke’s idea was, it was probably incredibly lame. Jude didn’t see the harm in dropping by to humor him, it was on the way home so he may as well (trusting that his POS car could handle the journey). 

Jude parked a few blocks from Jade Wilkes’ house, mostly because he wasn’t sure if he was actually going to go in but also because he didn’t want people trying to break into his car ― like last time. He walked into the house with his head down, trying not to draw attention to himself but also looking for Luke. He knew a few of the people he passed, none of them he was really friendly with. There was music blaring and someone had brought an over-sized disco ball, which sat in the living room and illuminated rotating, multi-coloured circles on the walls. The air was thick with smoke, Jude couldn’t quite tell if it was more cigarette or marijuana.

“Jude!” An arm circled tightly around his neck and almost pulled him over. Jude stumbled but went with it, his own arm hanging loosely over Luke’s shoulders. “What was with the hold-up, man? You should’ve been here hours ago.” Luke was drunk, Jude could tell because he was being so ‘hands on’ but other than that you’d never know. He wasn’t even slurring his words, he could probably talk himself out of DUI.

“Some of us have jobs, asshat.” Luke ignored Jude and guided him through the house, a house too big for three people. Jade Wilkes’ life seemed even more tragic than his own, his father worked abroad, her mum popped pills and they’d been in marriage counselling for years because they were both addicted to having affairs. Honestly, it made Jude feel a little better about his own situation. As they progressed through the house, Luke greeted various people that Jude didn’t know and took sips from random drinks he found. Jude felt he should point out that he was probably drugged by now, although he could already see Luke ignoring that. “So what’s the idea?” Jude asked as Luke handed him a beer, which was thankfully unopened.

“Huh? ― Oh, yeah!” Luke made a quick turn and almost stumbled as they started down the stairs into the basement, which Jude then learned was the main source of the smokey air ― definitely marijuana. The basement looking like a kind of den, there was an old TV and mismatched couches, along with two mini fridges. Other than a couple making out on one of the couches, they were alone and the music was much less deafening from where they were. 

“Is this the part where you confess your true feelings for me and try to make me drunk make out with you?” Luke snorted and shoved Jude, flopping down onto one of the couches.

“Yeah, you wish,” he scoffed. Luke rolled a joint, taking his time to the point where Jude became agitated and impatient. He wished he could be one of those people that stayed at house parties until the early hours of the morning but the fact was he wasn’t, he didn’t know how long his cousin would be willing to watch his mum for him. “So, I know this guy...” Luke said as he lit the joint, taking a drag before passing it over to Jude, “...says he’s seen you around, knows you’re about as broke as you can be.” Jude tensed, he didn’t talk about his money issues with anyone, not even Luke.

“So?” He asked, his voice harder than he’d intended.

“He said he’s got a job for you, he’ll pay you $500 up front for it ― in cash.” That could buy groceries for a month, was Jude’s first thought. His second was...

“What’s the job?”

“I don’t fucking know.” Oh great. They probably wanted him to bury a body or hold a gun for them, it wouldn’t surprise Jude in a place like this. “He said he’d be here if you’re interested. Tall guy, looks like a greyhound, very Russian, you can’t miss him.” What the hell was this? Jude took a last drag from the joint and placed it on the edge of an ashtray. Luke was getting to that stage of his drunkenness where he was going to fall asleep, Jude quickly made him drink some water and made him lie on his side on the couch. 

When he was confident that Luke wasn’t going to choke on his own vomit, in his sleep, Jude ventured back upstairs. He was confident that whatever this guy was about, it was a waste of time, even though he could really use $500. Jude wandered around for a while, looking for the man matching the description Luke gave him. In the end, the man found him.

“You’re Jude.” A hand landed on Jude’s shoulder, he turned to see a stupidly tall man, who did indeed have a face like a greyhound. “You’re Luke’s friend. Did he tell you about me?” And very Russian. Jude nodded and tried to relax under the weight of the man’s hand, even though the fact that he was being lead outside immediately made him tense again. “I have a job for you,” the man said as he walked them outside, closing the glass doors behind them. Somebody had passed out next to the pool with a sombrero covering their face. They sat on adjacent sun loungers, the pool lights their only source of light in the back yard.

“Yeah, Luke told me. Listen, if this is something illegal―”

“How old are you?” Why was that relevant? Jude’s eyes narrowed and he shifted in his seat, his hands tucked deeply into his jacket pockets.

“Just turned 17.” The man smiled, it wasn’t a friendly smile, more like he was very pleased with himself.

“Then no, it’s not illegal.” That made Jude feel the exact opposite of assured. They talked for a while, Jude learned the man’s name was Malik, or at least that was the name he gave him. He still didn’t know what the job was and it didn’t feel legit, Jude was ready to say ‘thanks but fuck off’ and go back inside, until Malik presented him with a roll of notes. $500, cash, like Luke had said. “If you come with me right now then I’ll double it.” Jude followed Malik out of the house, forcing his brain to shut up as he got into the car with him. His own was still parked around the corner, he decided not to mention it because then he knew he’d decide to just go home. Whatever this was, it was sketchy and Jude wasn’t convinced that it was legal, whatever Malik told him. He hated that he needed money this badly, that he was forcing himself to get involved in whatever this was, just to make ends meet.

“Where are we going?” Jude asked, after they’d been driving for about 30 minutes. They weren’t in the suburbs anymore, travelling more into the heart of the city. If Jude knew Vegas, which he did, he’d say Malik was driving them to a not-so-nice part of town, which Jude only knew because it was a notorious shoot-out point with the Russian mafia and the motorcycle ‘club’. 

“My friends house,” Malik said, parking in an alley, “It’s just another party.” Jude got out the car and followed Malik, his hands now at his sides in case he had to run. Malik turned and smiled at him warmly, changing his pace so Jude would walk in front of him; his hand sat heavily on his shoulder again. He was guided into an apartment block that looked a million miles away from the house they’d just been in; graffiti on the walls, waste and litter everywhere, not to mention the fact that the place stank of piss. They went up a couple flights on stairs and it took Jude a moment to notice that none of the apartments had doors on them and people were going between them freely. “My friend owns the building,” Malik informed him, as they reached the only apartment with a door on it. Malik pushed Jude inside.

For several confusing minutes, Malik conversed with three other men in Russian. Jude wished he understood what they were saying because it made him nervous, especially when the men looked him over like someone would a shop window. Suddenly, they were all nodding at each other and then dispersed, Malik barked what Jude could only assume was a name because a women with a blonde wig and messy, purple lipstick stomped into the room in heels that she couldn’t walk in. 

“Niska will look after you,” Malik said, stuffing the second roll of bills into Jude’s pocket. He’d made $1000 dollars by doing nothing, he no longer felt he had the right to complain or ask questions. The woman ― Niska ― looked Jude over, holding his chin tightly in her small hand and examining his face.

“You have a very pretty face,” she told him, before reaching into her purse and pulling out what appeared to be breath spray. “Open your mouth, pretty boy.” Jude did what he was told, no longer questioning it. He regretted it because whatever Niska sprayed into his mouth, it wasn’t mint. “Give me your jacket, I’ll look after it.” Jude willingly slipped out of the jacket, everything starting to look a little hazy.

“What was that?” He asked, rolling his tongue around in his mouth, trying to evaluate the taste. “I don’t feel good.” Niska held his arms firmly and guided him into another apartment, more loud music and smoke filled air. Someone grabbed Jude’s chin and forced a drink down his throat ― vodka, what a fucking cliche, he thought.

“Just relax,” Niska said, she kept saying it over and over again even though Jude was almost completely lucid in her hold. Jude knew what was happening around him but he felt completely out of control of his own body. Hands grabbed at him, pulling and pushing him down onto furniture, grabbing his clothes and groping at his body. It didn’t feel right, none of it felt right. 

He blacked out for a long time, slipping in and out of consciousness. At first he remembered nothing then everything at once; people ― men ― touching him, grabbing him, kissing him. The Jude in those memories wasn’t him, that Jude let it all happened but the real Jude knew why. He had money stuffed into his jeans, which were unbuttoned and halfway down his hips when he woke up. There was more wrapped up in his shirt like a parcel, which Jude found in a bedroom. He didn’t know if any of it really happened, the longer he was awake the more it became apparent that it did. In one of the bathrooms, Jude washed his face and looked at the marks on his skin; teeth, nails, lovebites all over him. He remembered receiving some of them, he remembered his over exaggerated moans because that was what the men wanted to hear. He felt sick.

“You’re new.” Jude jumped and spun around, staring at a guy about his age sprawled out, fully clothes, in the bath tub. “You make a lot of money?” He wasn’t Russian either, although his accent suggested that he definitely wasn’t from Vegas. New Jersey, perhaps. 

“I don’t― I don’t remember what happened―”

“Ah shit, did they give you that spray? That’s pure molly, man, that stuff fucks you up for the entire night. Are you gonna throw up?” Jude nodded, the guy yanked him forward and Jude collapsed onto his knees, luckily directly over the toilet bowl. “Let it out, kiddo, let it all out,” he said, patting Jude on the back tentatively. It was then that Jude had spotted his shirt with the money stuffed into it. He remembered putting it there last night; in the midst of everything, he’d still been worried about the money. 

When he felt better, Jude sat against the wall with his t-shirt gripped tightly in his hands. He was panting but he wasn’t sure why exactly, he was possibly having a panic attack. “What the fuck kind of place is this?” He asked, glancing around the bathroom as if it would offer some kind of answer. He felt disgusting, every part of him felt pained and used.

“Take a guess, compadre,” the guy said, sitting up and leaning over one side of the bathtub to look at Jude. “You remember how all the guys are Russian? They got this crazy mafia thing going on in Nevada―”

“Are they sex traffickers?” The question made the guy pause. So far, he’d seemed lighthearted and care free, as if this was an every day occurrence for him. It probably was, Jude looked at him and saw that he couldn’t be much older than himself, they may even be the same age since the blankness in his eyes aged him so dramatically.

“Something like that,” he finally said, “you want some gum?” Jude cleaned himself up a little, at one point bursting into tears because he felt so awful. The man he’d been talking to made Jude take a shower, he said it helped getting the feeling of them off you. Even after, when Jude had scrubbed his skin red raw, he felt dirty. “You got some place to go?” They were on the balcony of one of the apartments now, the man had been kind enough to roll Jude a cigarette, saying he looked like he needed one.

“Yeah. I dunno how I’m gonna get back there.” His car was still on the other side of the city, that is if it hadn’t been towed or stolen. It didn’t matter, that things days were numbered. “Where is this?”

“Who knows.” Jude got the distinct feeling that this man had been here for a while, that he’d been Jude at one point and now he didn’t have a way out. “This your first time here?” Jude nodded and flicked the end of his cigarette off the balcony. “Good. I don’t wanna see you back here again, you hear me?” He nodded again, looking at the man when he shoved Jude’s shoulder. “I mean it, kid, if I see you back here then I’ll beat your god damn lights out. This isn’t somewhere you wanna get sucked into. Go home. Go home.” They stared at each other for a second, understanding each other completely. He was telling Jude not to turn out like him and Jude was more than happy to oblige. 

Back inside, Niska brought him his jacket and patted his cheek, telling him he did a really good job. That made Jude’s stomach lurch. Malik appeared and often to drive him back to his car, Jude didn’t see an alternative way of getting home. He was silent in the car, afraid that he’d say or do something regretted if he started speaking. “They liked you last night,” Malik said, “You did better than I thought you would. You’re very hostile.” Jude didn’t respond, his hands were clasped tightly in his lap to control the shaking.

“Nothing about last night was legal,” he finally said, his eyes staying fixed on whatever was out the window, “I’m not even of age, how do you know I’m not gonna go to the cops?” Another wad of bills fell into his lap, thicker than the previous two.

“I know your friend Luke and I know you need money. I know your mother is sick.” Jude snapped his gaze to Malik. In his mind, that was a threat. “The money you made last night will feed you and keep a roof over your head for over a month. You should be grateful.” Guilty swam in Jude’s stomach because he thought he should be grateful, when was he ever going to get the chance to make that much money again?

“I was drugged,” he spat. Malik sighed and nodded regretfully, just as they pulled into the street where Jude’s car was parked.

“A mistake, on my part. We don’t usually do that to the kids.” Jude felt sick again, he sank back into the seat and stared at the car ceiling. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to come to that building again. I have some things for you―” Malik passed Jude several ripped pieces of paper, all of them holding names and phone numbers. “They liked you, they want to see you again but in private. You don’t have to call any of them if you don’t want to.” He looked at Jude, waiting for him to either put the numbers away or give them back. Jude stuffed them into his pocket and opened the car door, just as Malik grabbed his wrist. “I like you. If you go to the police then I’ll ruin your life.” Jude yanked his wrist free and almost ran to his own car, his entire body trembling as he climbed in and pulled his keys out of the sunshield. Something moved behind him and Jude almost screamed when Luke sat up, lopsided glasses on his face and his hair sticking up in 1000 different directions. How the fuck did he even get in the car?

“Luke, what the fuck!”

“Hey buddy, how was your night?”

When Jude got home, nobody asked questions. His cousin had been waiting to scream at him when he got in the door, only she didn’t when she saw the state he was in. He took another shower and then a bath, sitting in it until the water got cold. He went through shameful intervals of crying until he felt sick then going completely silent, disconnected from himself. His mum came and towel dried his hair like when he was a kid and his cousin asked him if he wanted her to call the cops, when she saw the marks and bruises on his body. Jude said no, thinking about the money he’d hidden in the glove compartment of his car and what Malik had said to him. I’ll ruin your life.

“Lie still.”

The line of cocaine stretched from the small of Jude’s back to just between his shoulder blades. Jude looked over his shoulder and watched Caspian neatening it up, alone Jude’s spine. “You’re gonna give yourself a fucking brain hemorrhage.”

“Shut up.” Caspian flicked the credit card to one side and grabbed the $10 bill next to them on the mattress. “Stay still,” he repeated, impatiently, as he rolled up the note. Within 5 seconds, the line was gone. Caspian’s tongue drifted up the gentle curve of Jude’s spine, picking up any of the remaining power. He grinned as Jude shuddered. “You want some?” Jude shook his head and reached for the half-empty bottle of vodka on the bedside table, grimacing as he took a generous sip.

“This tastes like death when it’s warm.” Caspian huffed a small laugh and sat up, his back against the cool wall.

“If you don’t like it, we got a whole bar,” he said, gesturing dramatically to the half-open door. Since a recent argument with Rory, Caspian had taken to residing in one of the spare bedrooms at the club house. In many ways, he preferred it to living with his dad; he wasn’t constantly being yelled at for something and he had complete access to the bar. Caspian wasn’t entirely sure anyone even knew he was here, he’d spent the last 2 days skipping school and spending the day either in the shop or drinking and doing lines in his temporary room. Caspian fiddled with the sleeves of his sweater, it was the middle of summer but he’d had taken to keeping his arms covered. Most people wouldn’t be able to tell, because of his steadily growing collection of tattoos, but his pale skin had an array of red lines that seemed to just appear on his bad days. Caspian didn’t know why he put them there, they mortified him.

“You’re gonna get in so much trouble when they found out you’ve taken so much of that booze.” Caspian shrugged his shoulders and spared a glance at the empty bottles on top of the dressers. It wasn’t as bad as it looked, most of them were already partly used when he’d taken them. Jude’s curiosity had gotten the better of him and he’d been in the room since last night, it was now approaching early morning.

“Don’t get up,” Caspian said as Jude made to sit up. For a minute, Jude thought this would be followed by something but Caspian just looked at him, the irritating half-smirk on his face. Slowly, Jude lay down on his back with his arms behind his head, the slim rays of sunrise crossed his skin and shadowed the contours of his toned body.

“Not gonna join me?“ Caspian climbed off the bed and went to his bag, pulling out another small bag of white powder. Jude forced himself not to sigh, he wasn’t the only one that noticed Caspian’s was really overdoing it with the drugs but it wasn’t his place to point it out. The more he thought about it, the more he worried no one would do anything about it, least of all Caspian. A second line was placed on Jude’s skin, starting just above his belly button and ending directly in the middle of his chest. He felt guilty that it kind of turned him on when Caspian did this. When Caspian licked up the remains of the cocaine this time, his tongue continued up the remainder of Jude’s chest, to his neck and ending with his lips on Jude’s.

For teenage boys, they liked to take their time with each other. The main reason for this was Caspian was a fucking tease, he loved the build up of frustration until they were snarling in his face, sometimes threatening him. He loved it because they’d try and hurt him, when they eventually got down to it, and they didn’t quite realise that that was what Caspian wanted it. He liked it when they pulled his hair too hair and scratched too deep into his skin, at least he felt something. If he had to fault Jude on anything, it was that he had too much patience and never quite seemed to get the message. Caspian didn’t know how to say ‘choke me’ without sounding like a sadist.

He knew they’d have to be quicker because, unfortunately, it was morning. Some of the guys came into the clubhouse stupidly early, the last thing Caspian wanted was eyewitnesses to his escapade with Jude. “Close the door.” Jude got up quickly and kicked the door shut, Caspian shimmying out of his clothes, in the mean time. It wasn’t until he was crawling back onto the bed that Jude caught sight of Caspian’s scarred arms. Caspian saw him looking and immediately felt self-conscious, pulling Jude down to kiss him to divert his attention.

It didn’t take them long to forget that awkward lapse. They were both a little bit drunk and the drugs were buzzing pleasantly in his veins, he felt pumped up but somehow relaxed at the same time. They were lost in each other, Caspian didn’t even have ‘romantic’ feelings about Jude, he didn’t know if he’d even call him a friend. They knew each other’s secrets but they never really ‘hung out’; every now and again they’d hook up at a party or meet up on a whim. Maybe they weren’t anything at all but they knew how to make each other feel good.

“Hurt me.” Jude frowned at the request but his pace didn’t falter, he removed his head from the crook of Caspian’s neck, their faces close together as he looked at him questioningly. “Hurt me.” He repeated the request, his voice trembling and his bitten fingertips scraping over Jude’s skin. Jude was more confused than alarmed because what did that even mean? He couldn’t hurt Caspian because if he left physical evidence that Jude would pay for it, even if Caspian gave excuses. Jude grabbed Caspian’s arms tightly and flipped him onto his front, giving him a quick shove into the mattress and trying not to feel about the red marks his hands had left on his arms. Jude started again at the same pace as before then allowed himself a little more confidence, testing the boundaries by rolling his hips faster and harder with one hand gripping the back of Caspian’s neck tightly.

“Like that?”

“Uh-huh.” Definitely like that. Caspian was past being able to speak, choking on noises and gasps he had no control over as Jude kept hitting that spot and touched him in that way that turned him into a writhing, moaning mess.

Then suddenly everything went south.

“Milo...” It took a few seconds for Caspian to realise he’d whispered the name. He didn’t know why his mind wandered to Milo, in those last seconds before inevitable release. He suddenly felt completely…vulnerable. Vulnerable and mortified. Within an eye’s blink, his euphoria melted into a mess of what he could only describe as grief and confusion. Jude was oblivious, he seemingly hadn’t heard Caspian and he kept going because he didn’t see Caspian’s eyes welling up. All Caspian could do was bury his face in the pillow and bite back the sob in his throat until Jude was finished. He hated himself for how he felt about Milo because it was so wrong. They didn’t share any blood (thank god) but they may as well, they’d been raised like brothers and Caspian wished that was the kind of love he had for him. He’d told his dad because keeping it to himself for all these years was painful but Rory was more disgusted with Caspian than Caspian was with himself.

Jude collapsed onto the empty space next to Caspian, panting softly and staring at the ceiling. Caspian had turned onto his side, half curled in on himself with his back facing Jude. At this point, Jude would usually mutter ‘I gotta go’ before hurrying back into his clothes and leaving almost immediately. Caspian wished he would do that now because there were tears leaking from the corners of his eyes and his chest hurt from trying to suppress sobs. Jude turned his head to look at Caspian — well, the back of Caspian’s head — and reached over to smooch his knuckles over the ridges of his spine. Caspian flinched and the sound of a stifled sob broke the silence between them. Jude tensed, his hand frozen midway down the other’s back as panic and worry settled in his chest.

“Cas? ——Caspian...” Jude sat up on his side and placed a gentle hand on Caspian’s shoulder, which was quickly shoved away. Jude watched Caspian wipe furiously at his eyes as he stood up from the bed and quickly pulled his clothes back on, the sleeves of his lopsided sweater pulled down over his hands. “Did I hurt you?” What had he done? Why was Caspian upset? What went wrong?

“Leave.” Caspian managed to mutter, throwing Jude’s clothes at him while still wiping his eyes aggressively. In his head, he replayed the conversation he’d had with Rory about Milo over and over again, feeling humiliated and an unreal amount of self loathing. 

You’re disgusting.

  He’s practically your brother.

     What the hell’s wrong with you?

“I don’t know,” Caspian said out loud, as if replying to Rory. Jude was frowning, fearful and confused as he pulled his clothes back on with his eyes focused on Caspian. He looked like he was having some sort of psychotic break and when Jude thought that to himself, he was serious. He wished now that he hadn’t even touched Caspian, that he’d snatched the packets of cocaine out of his hands and asked him about the cuts on his arms. Caspian paced the room, pulling at his own hair aggressively and crying openly, as if Jude wasn’t even there. 

“Hey, look at me.” Jude slowly reached out and placed his hand firmly on his shoulder. Caspian jumped as if he was seeing Jude for the first time, he shoved Jude back and stared at him like he was an axe murderer. “Caspian, what’s wrong? What did I do?” He reached out again, this time shoved away before he could touch Caspian.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” He yelled at Jude. He’s practically your brother. He’s practically your brother. He’s practically your brother. The words rang again and again in Caspian’s ears as he backed himself against the wall and he wrapped his arms around himself. “I wish I hated him,” he muttered. “Why can’t I hate him?” Jude wished he knew what the hell Caspian was talking about and it frustrated him that he didn’t. He spent most of his life looking after other people and Caspian was the only person he couldn’t get his head around. Jude gently murmured his name against and took slow steps forward, even that suddenly too much for Caspian to handle. “Get the fuck away from me, I’m serious!” He shoved again, much harder than before so Jude only just managed to catch himself before he fell over. 

“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Caspian froze for a second, eyes wide and hollow and Jude felt like he’d suddenly made an awful mistake. 

“Get out,” Caspian spat, pushing Jude towards the door, telling him to get out over and over again, his voice increasing in volume and hysteria each time. Jude tried to stall him, tried to ask him why he was upset but they were past that point. He wasn’t even sure Caspian was grasping reality, the way he looked at Jude it was like they’d never met, it made Jude feel like he’d violated him. Struggling to get him anywhere, Caspian lunged for a the dresser and pulled out a handgun, pointing it straight at Jude. “Get the fuck out, Jude.” Jude froze, eyes wide and his heart rapid in his chest, he knew Caspian was a good shot and that he really wasn’t wanted here in the slightest.

“Okay,” Jude said, holding his hands up in surrender, “I’m going.” Jude made for the door and got out as quickly as he could. He cared about Caspian but he wasn’t going to make this his problem. After he left, Caspian slammed the door shut and paced the bedroom, gun still in his hand. Eventually, he slumped back on the mussed up bed and held the gun in his lap, staring at it with the barrel occasionally pointed at his own head.

“Cas.” His head jerked up and he stared at Milo in the doorway. “What’s up?” There were those stupid brown eyes, always so concerned and always looking at Caspian like he was one of the greatest things in the world. “You wanna put the gun down?” Caspian placed the gun on the mattress and stared at his lap, even when Milo came over and crouched in front of him, his hands smoothing Caspian’s hair like a worried parent.

You’re disgusting.

 He’s practically your brother.

    What the hell’s wrong with you?

boxing gloves

“Iris, I need my gloves!”

“Should’ve thought about that before you lost them!”

It was easy for things to be misplaced, in their chaotic life. The apartment was half Iris’ hacking/computer/technology crap, the other half was shit belonged to Cora. Most things got lost, then replaced and lost again, it was a never ending cycle. Tony had to leave for a fight in 5 minutes and couldn’t find his gloves, Iris was in the middle of...doing something and couldn’t find her laptop charger.

“Are you sure you didn’t put them—...What the hell is that noise?” They both paused, frowning at the strange, thumping noise. It was coming from somewhere in the apartment and it wasn’t really like the sound their neighbour’s bed made at 3 in the morning. They both followed the noise through to Cora’s bedroom.

lava lamp (jude and shane)

Since his mum died, Jude found it difficult to have a good day, unless he was with Shane. It didn’t matter what they did, even just binging Netflix shows together made Jude feel better. Sometimes, if they’d both had particularly stressful days, weed was a common occurrence. It took the edge off and made for some pretty interesting evenings.

She holds grudges passionately

If you piss Iris off once then she’ll never forget it. People who don’t know how to treat others aren’t to be trusted and Iris will only surround herself with people that she knows won’t negatively effect her life. If you do fall into this unfortunate category then your only way out of it is to stay out of her way and take whatever opportunity you can to make things right. Remember, she can do more with a computer than anyone could think of; she can very easily ruin your life. If she’s still glaring at you from across the room or disregarding anything you say to her then you’re not quite there yet.

She is burdened by her intelligence

Iris is one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet and she knows it. What separates her from the criminals she works with is that she’s an educated criminal, she went to good schools and didn’t learn her trade through her street smarts. She doesn’t like to make people feel inferior but she also wants to be proud of her skills. If she seems like she’s bragging, remember that it isn’t to make you jealous, she just loves what she does.

Never ask her about her family

She’ll never talk about them or mention them unless it’s completely relevant and important. No one knows precisely what went down between Iris and her family before they stopped talking to her but it still bothers her. Sometimes, she misses them and wishes they would be proud of the life she’s made. She’s often jealous when she sees the others, who get to see their family every day. It’s best not to mention it, or you could fall into that grudge list of hers.

She’s terrified of storms