Marcus

˙ ˖ ✶ Marcus

"You definitely should but then put a slutty picture as your icon so you'll get more traction. What do they call that? Thirst trapping?" Kit giggled, the idea of this sweet man thirst trapping people on twitter seemed so far fetched to him. "Your DM's would be flooded, and I can't even repeat some of the things they'd be saying to you, well I could but you'd probably lock me up somewhere because they're that unhinged," he mused. "Young vulnerable, very demure and very modest world renowned best selling author Kit Santos, caught in a risky adventure with would be hottest muscle baker in New York city. Is their passion just as decadent and sweet as their desserts or is it a spicy," Kit said dramatically as if he was reading the gossip blogs. "Not that any of it matters, I'd just rather not get you involved in any of my craziness, you're far too sweet and good for that," Kit could not find a single flaw in Marcus Thompson, try as he might there wasn't a single blemish in his personality. The man was a walking green flag, and whilst love was quite tricky and complicated given both their pasts, he was sure there were many around the city completely in love with his friend. "Hey, parents do love me! Plus Kit Thompson has a ring to it, but Marcus Santos sounds better or maybe we should hyphenate. I'm not signing a prenup by the way." Things were so easy like this with Marcus, Kit could always just relax and find the flow of words with such ease. Jokes, laughs, warm hugs, he was like the kindest fire that would always draw you in. He was safe, he was the safest place.

Kit was quick to bury himself in Marcus' embrace, his words completely muffled against the man's chest. If he could freeze time and just stay like this forever, he would. "It's just that the anniversary of my time in that place is coming up and I can't help but remember all my friends. To everybody else in the world they're just characters in a book series, but..they were my family when I was sick. I remember all the laughs and stories we would share when we were all in that home, how even through all the laughs we could see how each of us was terrified," Sifting through all the memories of his youth a tear found its way down his cheek as he looked up at Marcus. "I don't understand why I got a second chance, and I just hope I'm actually doing something meaningful with the memory of them." he sighed. "Sorry, I know this isn't the usual fun and happy Kit you're used to seeing."

Marcus chuckled softly. Wise wasn't a word he thought most people would label him with and when they did, it was likely because he just repeated sage advice his grandma gave him at one point. "I'll have to put that in my Twitter bio or something." He joked. The next comment from his friend pulled a louder laugh from him. "Okay, okay, you can ask me to bake you whatever at a more reasonable time then so the rumors don't get too out of hand. That'd be like, anti-wingmaning for you." The small moments in life where he could joke around with a friend like this were easily some of his very favorite. To him, those moments were what life was all about. "I think I have an aunt that would believe the tabloids and then the next thing I know, I'd be in the middle of a family meeting." Eloping itself wouldn't be the problem, his family would just be a little concerned if he actually did it within less than a year after his failed engagement. "I like to think no two people are quite alike." A small smile rested on his face. "Keeps things interesting and lets you learn a lot more from different people."

When the conversation turned a little more serious, Marcus reacted appropriately, offering all his attention to Kit. "You know I always have one of those for you." His arms stretched out to offer the other a hug. "I'm also always willing to listen if you ever need it, but I get it if that's also not what you need right now." He knew it was exhausting to talk about certain subjects if they felt too mentally or emotionally draining in that very moment.

˙ ˖ ✶ Karmen

"Well if it isn't my savior," Kit beamed at his friend who at one point in his stay in New York was pretty much harassed by a fan who didn't really know the meaning of boundaries and Karmen had sort of come to his imminent rescue. Ever since then the young author likes to keep up with his newfound friend. "So any new juicy gossip I can somehow turn into a best seller or are both of our love lives a little staleyana grande?" @lovemetopieces

˙ ˖ ✶ Violet

"Don't worry about it, it's face painting it's meant to look silly, and it's not like we'll be displayed at the Louvre anyway." Kit commented as his painter began the brush strokes on is features. "Oh you'll just have to wait and see." he mused not ready unveil his idea till it was truly finished. Once it was all done he stood up said "Ta-Dah!" He giggled. "I'm Baby Yoda, now if people get mad at me I can just say I'm baby."

Closed Starter for @kitsantoss

Location: Glazed Finish @ Aura Music Festival

"Okay you have to tell me if it looks stupid. I know it's silly but face painting is so fun and where else would it make sense for me to do it?" Violet asked the person next to her as a volunteer painted her face with sparkles and flowers. She debated choosing an animal but that felt like a little too much. Was there such a thing as tasteful face painting? "What design are you going to do? Maybe you'll be braver than me and get an actual animal design."

˙ ˖ ✶ Violet

"Oh, that's not...You know what honestly, you could easily turn that into a hypothetical not so subtle statement about how the patriarchy believes it has ownership of female bodies." Kit mentioned quickly finding an excuse to make that sort of thing work if Violet ever found herself in that situation again. "Thank you, and I do think your little cootie cat on the cheek was definitely cute, but it's a good thing that didn't happen today. Honestly, face painting can never be a bad idea, I'm pretty sure a hot star wars nerd is gonna ask me out now."

"Very true. I feel like the last time I got my face painted was in college. I lost a competition and had to get a vagina with a top hat and a mustache on my cheek. Honestly it was a cute look." Violet mused, trying not to move her face too much while she was being worked on. "Oh I love it! You look adorable I doubt anyone would even get mad. I love Star Wars so I especially like it. This was a good idea."

˙ ˖ ✶ Teddy

"Oh I know," Kit giggled, his eyes never leaving Teddy as he wondered what could've driven his friend here. The author had lost count just how many times they've spent the night together this month, their casual fling was becoming a more prominent thing which could only mean one thing. Teddy was running. Something in their life had recently turned sour and this was the solace they needed to forget. Teddy's visits had been helping Kit push back those thoughts of not being wanted, of feeling that his entire life he'd just always be a second choice or a consolation price.

Kit had always been the type to remember the people he loved when he was out and about. Pick out things that reminded him of them, or things they mentioned they liked at a certain point. No matter the circumstance he'd always come with some sort of gift as if it was nothing. Concert tickets and hotel stays when a friend mentioned an artist having a tour but nowhere near them. Putting their friend on a fashion show because the spoke about having dreams about being a model. No matter how big or how small he'd always try. So getting the ointment for Teddy was just natural, healing those bruised hands so they could keep on creating more music. Kit loved every part of Teddy that the other would let him seen, even the unseen, the gritty things lying right below the surface.

As the tension in the room rose to a fever pitch, his hands flew towards Teddy's arms, pulling them towards him as he turned the other around. "Hey, you're okay babe." he spoke softly, pressing a little kiss on Teddy's temple. "Let me help you not be bored then,"

teddy huffed out a laugh, shoulder lifting in a shrug at the words. ❝ i take that as a compliment, you know, ❞ they replied, eyes following him as he disappeared into the bathroom. incorrigible, reckless, stupid, impulsive, hedonistic; these were all descriptors they'd become all too familiar with, but they'd been called much worse. in fact, they typically embraced these adjectives as though the words were a part of them, though they doubted that kit meant it as an insult, anyway.

green hues watched as he reappeared, pressing a small tube into their chest, the force of it shoving them back a step. they let the neosporin drop into their palm, looking at it for a moment as they tried to parse out how they felt about it. it wasn't like teddy didn't care for their own wounds; the action was almost second nature at this point, given they'd been playing the drums for roughly half their life. still, there was something almost touching about the gesture, the idea that kit went out of his way to pick something like this up for them to use while they were here. they didn't think they were even here that much, but they supposed these visits had grown more frequent over the course of the last year; even more in the last month or so.

suddenly the blond was overcome with emotion, the reason for their drop in forgotten nearly completely as their hand closed around the medicine. they turned away from him, his knowing expression that would almost certainly morph into real concern that teddy felt they didn't deserve. ❝ uh - ❞ they started, grasping for an excuse to get as far away from here as possible. the bravado and joking tone was gone now, palms coming up to dig into their eyes. ❝ nothing, really. i was just bored, kit. honestly. ❞

˙ ˖ ✶ Micah

Kit could never ascertain just how much time since his eyes decidedly glued themselves onto Micah. Studying his features as he admired just how sweet and charming they truly were. If he were much younger he'd have said the man looked like a prince from one of those fairy tales he read long ago.

"I'd say let him, Juliet seems to be enjoying the attention. She might be a bit of a diva, but I think Romeo might just be her new soft spot." Kit giggled as he watched how his pup eyed the other dog, going about meeting him and what could only be described as giving Romeo puppy kisses. "Romeo's quite the Casanova, has my Juliet charmed already,"

Kit took Micah's hands, but before he could process what Micah had just said he simply nodded and moved forward. "Sure, that sounds great, and honestly I'd never hear the end of it if Juliet were to be separated from Romeo right now. She'd cry for hours, she does the same when my roommate leaves." he grinned. "She loves people,"

"You know in all my walks with Juliet I've never come across you, and quite frankly, you're definitely someone I would've remembered." Kit mentioned forgetting how he was still holding onto Micah's hand.

there was no way to say what drew micah in more, the melodic giggle calling him close like a siren song or the sweet puppy’s name. quite literally the juliet to his romeo.

it almost embarrassed him now. like this stranger could see right through him, into the source of the red blood he bled. it was his mother who had offered him the deep connection to shakespeare, but micah was the one to take it. he tried to brush it off as a guilty pleasure. deep down, though, it was true: he was a romantic. just not a very good one.

still, micah responded first with a chuckle to show his appreciation for the coincidence. then he started, “of course it’s okay.” incapable of hiding his amusement as he went on, a wry grin graced his expression. “we just have to keep an eye on these star-crossed lovers. romeo can get a bit carried away.” he gave the leash some slack and romeo stepped forward, then rested on all fours to get to juliet’s level, allowing her to initiate the inspection. it is something micah is quite proud of his dog for learning; their way of showing smaller dogs he’s harmless.

“i’m micah. i never remember mine,” he replied, leaning forward and offering kit his hand to shake. then after a glancing at the pair of wagging tails, he tells him, “we’re heading over to the park, if you wanna join us.”