Re: The Divine Queer Mansion

[Plume]

Luca entered the bedroom, looking around with wide eyes and brows raised.

"Aah, so you really are a newbie," he muttered, taking a seat on the chair by the desk. He set the chip bags on the table and pouted at his macaroni on the floor. Deciding that he was too lazy to stand up again, Luca waved his hand, bringing more air into the room.

A miniature cyclone began to circulate the macaroni container, slowly lifting it up. With a flick of his wrist, the container started to drift towards him.

Luca made an appreciative sound as he took the now-cooled macaroni. He grabbed the spoon atop the container, opened it up, and stuffed the noodles into his mouth.

"Sho! Tell me owr abouf you!"

[Herald]

Kevin pulled out his own chair and took a seat opposite Luca. As he reached for his salad, what he saw fascinated him.

He snapped back upright and stared as the tub was whisked up towards Luca.

"An air manipulator!"

Kevin wasn't all that interesting -- but Luca. Another powered person with something more tangible and exciting. Luca was very interesting.

"No please, I would love to know more about you instead. What exactly can you do? Also how? What are your limitations? Do you believe you have full mastery of your abilities?"

[Plume]

Luca choked on his food at the sudden outburst, coughing up his poor (and wasted, ugh) macaroni onto the container lid.

"W-What?" Pounding on his chest, Luca grabbed a beer and fumbled with the bottle opener.

Once he had two large gulps of sweet, sweet beer, Luca spoke again as he wiped his mouth.

"H-Hey, I was the one who asked the questions first! That's a bit unfair, don't you think?" Luca leaned against the chair and folded his arms.

"And you made me waste a good bite of macaroni, so you answer first, newbie." He huffed at the last bit and raised a brow.

[Herald]

The sight of spluttered mac and cheese. Kevin winced at the sight. He was definitely off to a bad start. While he didn't like being called Newbie, he let it slide given the look on Luca's face.

"Sorry," he simpered, "I carried away a bit. I just find you far more interesting than me." He pinched the upper bridge of his nose in slight embarrassment, looking to the floor and taking a deep breath.

He finally looked up at Luca, slumping into the back of his chair. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to talk about myself. What would you like to know?"

[Plume]

A small 'humph' escaped his lips and Luca grudgingly picked up his macaroni, still scowling at the other man. After eating a few quick bites and letting out a happy sigh, he put the container back down on the table and rolled his shoulders.

"Alright, fine. Apology accepted. Now," He tilted his head at Kevin, a small smile on his lips. "Since you brought it up, what are your powers, bello?"

[Herald]

Ah, it's that smile again. Relief washed over him as he reached over to crack open a beer.

"Well," he started, before taking a swig, "I'm a technology manipulator for the most part. Hacking into systems, fiddling with appliances, that sort of thing. Otherwise what I can also do is materialise weapons quickly, although I'm really only limited to things which aren't complex. Swords, spears, daggers."

He paused for a moment, unsure if he was overthinking things. Opting not to play safe, he threw the question back at Luca. Surely it wouldn't hurt. It was just a casual conversation... about powers.

"That's about it. How about you?"

[Plume]

"Hmmm, interesting.." Very interesting. Wonder if he can materialise my kind of sword...

And of course, this guy would ask him the same thing.

"I've got vapour and air manipulation, prefer vapour though because it's less taxing. I make smoke bombs and absorbent shields from clouds and stuff." Luca took his beer and downed the entire bottle before continuing. He never really told somebody about his powers before; Luca preferred showing them off. But if Luca did it right now, he wasn't sure what would happen if he did in front of Kevin.

"Uh, I don't use my air manip powers that often, heh. Only use them for flight or for the small stuff." He points at his macaroni, grinning. "I'm capable of making small tornados and whirlwinds, but I tend pass out immediately after that. Sooo, it's not really a good idea for me to use it all the time."

Luca fiddled with the empty bottle, thinking about his next question.

"Hmm, so what do you do in your spare time?" He glanced at the white lab coat hanging by the bed. "You a doctor or something?"

[Herald]

Kevin listened intently the entire time, his cold beer warming between his palms.

"Oh. That's awesome! If you could give me a show of what you can do some time -- of course as long as you're cool with it -- that'd be amazing."

Powered people. How they... how he worked. There was so much to understand. He made himself the perfect opportunity to see and learn for himself the mysteries of powers by accepting GG's offer -- there was no way he was going to hold back from doing so.

"I'm a scientist. Power major-- Major power." He grinned, holding back from puffing up in pride. "Dropped out from becoming a full-fledged researcher for this whole she-bang. Not exactly a herologist. I do the hard work for them. I just think being around other heroes first hand is a lot better than just reading reports, you know?"

[Plume]

Luca's smile grew as he listened to Kevin's adorable rambling. Ugh, not only does this guy look (probably is) smart as fuck, he's pretty passionate, too. Alright, I totally like him already.

He straightened up and ran a hand through his hair, catching Kevin's eye.

"Well, if you'd want to see my powers so much, I wouldn't mind showing off a few tricks for you. But you better be there to catch me if I fall." Luca winked at him for good measure.

He is soooo going to be mine.

[Herald]

For a millisecond Kevin's gaze flickered to Luca's fingers travelling through his long hair.

My, did he want to feel those locks for himself. He could imagine it already, Luca in his arms as he'd gently comb through them-- Maybe even sneak a few kisses to nape of his neck in betwe--

Okay, that's enough.

Ceasing that train of thought, Kevin switched his sights at his empty room with a sigh before bringing himself back to the conversation. Soon enough, he was beaming through another drink of his beer upon Luca's offer.

A breath of satisfaction. The glass bottle left his lips as he replied.

"Absolutely. You have my word."

[Plume]

The smirk on Luca's softened into a smile, and rubbed at his thighs.

"That's good to hear."

Luca threw his macaroni away and stood, stretching his arms over his head.

"Alriiiight! Well, I'm done with my food, so I wouldn't mind unpacking now."

He walked toward some of the boxes by the bed, lifting the open flaps to check out the contents. Some of the boxes had objects that looked pretty fragile, and he wouldn't want to carry things that Kevin would prefer handling himself.

"Is there anything that I can move around for you?"

[Herald]

Kevin hadn't had a bite yet, and instead decided to carry his salad with him as he walked over towards the boxes. He wasn't too sure which box had exactly what, but he was sure that Luca would be able to shelve some books and DVDs; and probably set up some appliances (including the 3V) he brought from home. The man seemed trustworthy enough not to destroy anything -- so his optimism claimed.

Besides the hunk of scientific equipment he had long dealt with, Kevin carried comparatively few basics with him to get by. Partly it was a compromise with the delivery man for bringing so much in the first place. Nevertheless, Kevin had little issue with it. What it did give him was an opportunity for more shopping. Nicer clothes. Nicer decor. It was going to be great.

"You can basically take the left half and I'll take the right."

Kevin pulled open one of his boxes which was filled with spare cables and then looked towards Luca.

"Mind handing that over?" He asked, pointing his chin toward the suitcase at the man's side.

I'll leave my wardrobe for later.

[Plume]

"Sicuro, here."

Luca bent down, grabbed the handle and slid the suitcase across the floor to Kevin. Patting at his legs as he stood up straight, he looked around for the closest box. He took a box and began rifling through the contents. The first thing that he pulled out was a Blu-Ray of Pacific Rim.

"Oh, you've got Pacific Rim! I never had the chance to watch this in the cinema.."

The other DVDs were absentmindedly placed in a neat pile beside the Italian as he read through the Blu-Ray's description. Luca was pretty excited about del Toro's new film, but he still wasn't in his right mind by the time the last showing aired.

[Herald]

"Thanks."

Kevin reached for his suitcase, laying it on its back to unzip it open. At the very top was a new packet of bedlinen and pillow covers which he promptly pulled out and began to open up.

As he did so, he turned to Luca who discovered his copy of Pacific Rim to which he offered a, "You can borrow it if you like."

Unravelling the manchester out of the plastic bag, he headed towards his bed to begin making his new place a little more homely.

[Plume]

Luca chuckled and placed Pacific Rim on top of the DVD pile.

"I wish I could, but I don't have a Blu-Ray player."

He unloaded the rest of the disks and began to arrange them in alphabetical order, humming the alphabet. As he was just about to start on the 'R's, an idea hit him. Luca whipped his head around and faced the other man, a big grin on his face.

"Do you mind if I come over and watch it sometime? I can bring marshmallows!"

[Herald]

"Oh, that's too bad."

Throwing the linen across his king-sized bed, he began to encase his mattress, hands carefully tucking the cloth under. All that was now left were his pillows. His cases tucked under his arm, he returned to Luca's side, ferreting in the cardboard boxes for his memory pillows.

Hmmm, where did I leave my pillows?

Just as he saw one of his pillows peeking through one of his boxes, he turned to Luca. This guy, he was really trying wasn't he? A casual movie not-date (maybe) didn't seem too bad.

"Sure, you're welcome to." Kevin replied with a laugh, unable to see the harm of doing so. "You'll just have to set up my player in return."

[Plume]

"... Oh. I have a better idea, bello."

Dividing up the stack into two, he placed the disks on the desk and turned around to face Kevin. He leaned against the table, his arms hitching his tank top up, showing a sliver of tanned skin.

"I'll show you my powers, and will demonstrate as much as you want. Well, or until I pass out. But," he paused, "you watch Pacific Rim with me, and you set up the player." Luca folded his arms, face smug and shirt lifting a little bit higher.

"You think the deal's a little sweeter now?"

Nope, the shirt was definitely not an accident.

[Herald]

Sss--slugger. So much for getting work done.

Brown eyes travelled down towards Luca's waist where they just settled at the bared skin. His heart rate picked up a notch, and once again he was having trouble not accepting Luca's subtle invitation. Luca's words were almost going straight out of his ear. What he did notice was more and more of that skin revealing before his eyes.

"Mmm-- Sure," he managed, before reconstructing himself after a sharp inhale. The bit of unease tugging at him, holding him back from possibly making out with that face and body, had to stop.

He had to ask.

"Wait--" Kevin held his palm out at Luca, looking away. "Are all of you going to be like this? Is this like a welcoming ritual for newbies? I just don't like being played around."

He hated wasting his time with stupid games with anyone. Powered or not.

[Plume]

"......... What?"

Luca had to ask, because what? Doesn't this guy know when he's being hit on? For slugger's sake. He was almost on the verge of just laughing his ass off, but when Luca looked at the other man's face... Oh god, he's serious.

"Bello, pretty sure I'm the only one with the guts to tell you how hot you are. ... Hm, well excluding two other members here, but they're pretty much .. 'taken', probably?" He still didn't understand Joule's, Kade's and Nathan's situation. Probably never will. Nevertheless, Kevin was his now (not really, but soon), and no way is anybody taking him away from Luca. Never.

"So, no. You're not being played with, so don't you worry your pretty little head." He cleared his throat and walked closer to Kevin.

"Is it a deal then?"

[Herald]

"Oh, thank god for that--"

Muscles relaxed as relief washed over him. Hands pressed against the back of his head as he looked at the ceiling with a sigh, feeling a rush of wind clear his eyes. There was no need to worry about stepping away from the Italian's calculated seduction.

Finally, he looked back, eyes locking on to his, rather pleased with his circumstance. He had an attractive man in his room who was genuinely hitting on him. Why wouldn't he be?

"In that case," he began, a mischievous smile painted on his face, "It's a date."

"But of course you still have to hold up on your end," he quickly added as an afterthought, "Or you're going to be absolutely stood up, alright?"

[Plume]

Luca chuckled at Kevin's relief. Looks like that was the only thing holding back, and he's glad that the feeling's are mutual.

He sat down beside Kevin, and ran his hand through the soft, brown locks.

"And you better hold up on yours," he mumbled, trailing the same hand down Kevin's chest, "yeah?"

[Herald]

"Yeah."

Kevin resigned to Luca's forwardness. Or at least he truly wished to, but it seemed too fast. He was acutely aware of his ribcage rising and falling against Luca's hand, and he was already so close to pulling the rakish slugger over and tumble into a heated entanglement on the floor.

It wasn't as if one-night stands had never been a thing he'd done. (Well, it was just one time -- totally consensual but a bit too high on life.) Nonetheless, he could already feel unnecessary room for discomfort in his life here if he decided that a night of casual romping was the only good that would come from this.

Rather than reaching out for Luca's neck to pull him in closer, instead he lightly patted the stubbled man with a playful smile.

"Alright. You're distracting me and I'm clearly distracting you." Kevin pried himself away, pushing his feet from the ground and quickly grabbing his pillows from the box. "We better get all of this set up, otherwise you and I won't have a movie to watch."

[Plume]

Luca frowned at the loss of warm muscle beneath his palm. It was nice while it lasted, but he's got to keep his cool to prevent Kevin from losing his interest.

"Alright, bello, you win," Luca sighed and got up from the floor, trailing after the taller man.

"Just tell me what to do so we can have the slugging date."

[Herald]

"You can get back to shelving those DVDs. Then you can just do what you like with the rest of the stuff. I'll just start setting up the electronics."

A low laugh escaped Kevin at Luca's reluctance as he tossed his now covered pillows back onto the bed.

That's the last of those--

Returning to the boxes he started searching for the Blu-Ray player, grabbing it to set it up inside the 3V cabinet.

In the end, I'm left to do the hard work.

It was a pity. However, Kevin didn't say a word as he continued to set up his 3v area. At the very least, even if he didn't finish packing, he could get their date on the way.

[Guardian]

With suitcase in his hand, Earl hesitated on walking into the mansion. Once he walks through this door, he had to be on guard all the time. Living with so many people, there wasn't a place to be considered as private. But it wasn't like him to back out at place like this. He would be able to survive in this place. He would just play the character that would be accepted by people already living here.

After taking a deep breath, Earl gave himself a small nod of assurance for himself. Then he pulled his suitcase along as he walked into the mansion. The building he was in was much bigger than he had imagined it. He expected that what he had saw on the show wasn't everything however he never imagined it this enormous. It seems like he would have lots of troubles getting used to this place.

Earl studied the hallway as he walked passed it. He wanted to make sure he knew where he was going in order to prevent himself from being lost. But if no one notices that he is here, he was bound to get lost here in this building.

'Let's hope that someone finds me.'

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