[ It's only a matter of time until Kara decides to make a trip to the Bay Area to see Levi. She's made a handful of plans to see people like Yael, but her primary reason is to see her boyfriend (?!) in-person for the first time. Kara wasn't lying when she said she looks like herself in the MMO – instead of armor, however, she's wearing a cute floral dress with some accessories, determined to look her absolute best for the man who's given her so much already.
Kara sends him a text before she leaves: ]
Good morning! Heading there now! Can't wait to see you :3
See you in a few hours. Call me if you need anything! <333
[ She can't seem to calm her racing heart as she gets closer. Time seems to travel too slowly up until she pulls up next to his house.
Kara steps out of the car, sends Levi a text to let him know she's outside, and waits next to her car. Impatiently. She's nervous and it's written on her face, even if she really has nothing to worry about. ]
Not long after their first date—and subsequent first night—together, they were solidifying plans for Kara to come visit in person. Levi obtained permission from an expectedly surprised Lucas to have a guest in the Blake family home for a few days, and began furiously cleaning both his room and the common areas of the house. Once that was all done, the only thing left to do was wait.
The fateful day arrives, and Levi is up much earlier than normal. He could hardly sleep the night before due to the excitement and anxiety over getting to meet his new girlfriend for the first time.
He's in the process of making himself a strong caffeinated drink when his phone pings in his pocket.]
Okay! ^^ I can't wait either!!
Have a safe drive! <333
[The next few hours are absolute agony. He can barely focus on anything- not even all the anime episodes that he needs to catch on. But he just barely manages to distract himself for long enough to wait for Kara's arrival. As soon as her text comes through, he bolts up and runs for the door.
The Blake family home is beautiful and absolutely massive, lending credence to how well-off Levi's oldest brother Lucas is. As such, it takes a moment for Levi to make it to the front entrance. But not long after he answers her text that he's on his way, the door to the stately entranceway is thrown open to reveal a familiar figure.
Levi's face flushes almost immediately when he catches sight of Kara just a few paces away, and he stares at her with wonder before...]
Kara!!
[Already a little out of breath, he pushes forward and breaks into a jog to rush over to her. She's here! She's really here and she looks so pretty!!]
[ The house is huge, and she's a little intimidated when she sees it, but given that Levi's brother is financially helping him and who knows who else out...she's not as surprised as she could've been otherwise. Still, seeing it up close is startling, and Levi can catch a peek of her just looking at it in awe before her eyes quickly dart over to him. ]
Levi-!
[ She's tempted to run over to meet him halfway, but given that she's in heels, she knows better than to trip and eat shit on the ground. She waits for him to approach, and as soon as he makes his way to her, she can't help it –her hands go to his shoulders, and she gives him a once-over. ]
Oh...oh my gosh. You're real.
[ Listen...they've only met in a video game.....
But she looks so surprised. Her cheeks are flushed, and her grip on his shoulders tightens. ]
[Levi gets it 100%, because he's having the exact same thought himself. This is real! Kara's here!
It takes him a moment to catch his breath, but he's grinning from ear to ear to have Kara touching him.]
Eheheh! [phew] Like you can talk!!
[He could stand there and marvel at her for ages, honestly. Buuut he's eager to get in on the physical action himself. He carefully wraps his arms around her to give her a much-desired hug.]
[ While she knows Levi gives good hugs, kisses, cuddles and all that from the MMO, there's something very special about feeling his arms wrap around her in person. He's so warm, and he makes her feel so safe already. She embraces him in kind. She can't stop smiling. ]
It's good to see you, too! This is so much better than meeting up in Fragment, isn't it?
[ It's good to know he's exactly who he said he is, too. She pulls back slightly so she can raise a hand and brush his bangs out of his eyes again. Her expression is soft, sincere, and very much the look of a girl who's falling in love all over again. ]
[The honk of the horn from the driveway comes in the early afternoon, a red Jeep Cherokee puttering to a stop with someone squished asleep against the window of the passenger side door. There's not much for a while once the horn honks, but eventually the front door unlocks under the protective barking of Lucas's doberman, Barrett shooing the dog off with a nudge of his foot as he shoulders the front door open.]
We're home. [It's a blank and empty call into echoing space, but he doesn't wait for someone to greet him. His arms are full of another person, after all, a dark haired and lithe young man completely passed out in Barrett's arms, drowning in an oversized hoodie and torn acid-washed jeans that seemed a size too big. An enormous duffel bag is swung over one of the redhead's empty shoulders, the tank he wears framing the picture of a crescent moon, a full moon, and a rising sun in a half sleeve tattoo down his bicep.
He's not much paying attention to who's available - he's slipping right up the stairs to the only double bedroom in the house. He can be found either in there, or rummaging down in the kitchen with the dog growling at his heels.]
[It's a few days into Kara's visit, and the two of them have managed to settle into a nice little rhythm by this point. They're in the middle of watching anime OP/ED compilations in Levi's room when he hears the familiar honk from Barrett's jeep outside his window.]
Oh! They're here!
[He's reluctant to untangle from Kara on his little couch, but he's also been looking forward to getting to hang out with Barrett and Booker. So with a nod toward her, he pauses the TV so they can both get up and go greet the twins.
They run into Barrett in the hall and he excitedly raises a hand in greeting.]
Hey.
[He keeps his voice down so he doesn't wake Booker. Heh. The younger twin always falls asleep on the drive over.]
[ The anime compilations are cute, and she's certainly told Levi about her favorites and things that seem interesting among the bunch. Seems like some of his family members are home, though, and if she recalls correctly, Barrett is one of them. Kara had been strangely hesitant to meet him, and she still is for reasons she hasn't disclosed to Levi. She doesn't know when she will. She'd tell Levi about her therapy experience, but she knows better than to disclose that sort of thing about Barrett to...anyone, really.
So when Barrett comes in with...a sleepy Booker in his arms, Kara straightens herself and tries her best to put on a convincing smile. ]
[There's immediate recognition from Barrett at the sight of Kara, though it does little more to his expression than a raise of his brows.]
Oh. Levi, you have company. [He weakly waves his fingers from where they are trapped carrying his very asleep brother.] Hi. Barrett. This is Booker. Sorry, I'd have gotten donuts or something if I knew Levi had a friend over.
[Levi looks... unusually excited, though. Cute.]
Yeah, the ride was fine. Booker laughed a little too much at something he said to that weird Humanities professor and knocked himself out about halfway up. He'll probably have a headache when he wakes up. Hit the window a little hard.
[It's said rather nonplussed, as though this happens a lot. Because it sure does.
[Whoops. Levi swears he said something to Barrett about having Kara over, but it must have completely slipped his mind. So much planning, so much preparation...some things slip through the cracks.]
O-Oh! Yeah! [He blushes the second Barrett draws attention to his company.] This is Kara, actually! We did a lot of talking and planned for her to visit! She's been here for a few days already.
[He's going to go into detail, but he should finish introductions first. Can't get too ahead of himself!
He turns his gaze to Kara.]
Barrett's Mr_Misteaks in Fragment! And Booker's his fraternal twin. They're my youngest brothers.
[Kara's back in town, both for another visit and to attend Barrett's first football game of the season with the rest of the Blake family. After a nice dinner and a little socializing with the brothers currently in the house, Levi and Kara retire to the guest room to have some time to themselves.
They spend some time doing their own thing while they share the bed, catching up on their phones and playing games while chatting idly. But after a while of this, Levi sets his game console aside and rolls onto his side to wrap his arms around his girlfriend. It's cuddle time!]
[ Kara spends most of her time playing Monokemon and scrolling through social media. She finds a comic of two foxes in love, hands over her phone to show it to him. It's about spending quality time together, just by being in each others' presence. ]
Here, honey.
[ She rolls onto her side and snuggles up to him. ]
Yeah? [ She holds onto him a little tighter. ] I'm glad you told me. I was wondering if...I don't know, if I was being boring or something.
[ She looks a little sheepish. Kara's certainly more outgoing than Levi is, and takes longer to reach the point of needing to recharge her battery. Still, though, she kind of feels bad for saying that. She frowns a little – ]
I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have told you something like that.
[The game went well. Very well. And the buzz from the aftermath of people being introduced and players congratulated by their families had come crashing to a halt when Barrett had been pulled aside in private.
He'd suddenly been on his phone, texting frantically, then trying to call. He muttered frantic apologies to his brothers and to Kara, that he had to go check something at the dorm before he met them at home, that he would meet up with them later.
"Something's wrong. Something bad happened in Fragment."
It's a couple hours later that Barrett's jeep finally crawls into the driveway. His eyes are red, and though several of his brothers greet him at the door, there's an obvious aura that something's happened.
A few of them are watching a movie together now that it's late. Barrett tries. But he can't concentrate, and inevitably dismisses himself to his room. The day's tired him out, he claims.
Despite that, he can be found against his bed in the twins' shared room, his phone glued to his ear with his forehead exhausted cupped against his free hand, leaning over his own knees and keeping his face away from the door. He says nothing, only periodically pulling the phone away to redial and wait in agonizing silence.]
Levi hasn't bothered to log into Fragment, not since Barrett left in a panic and he and Kara were likewise informed what was going on. He didn't know Mithrun very well, but it was still a complete shock to the system to hear about a death occurring in Fragment. Shocking still was Barrett's reaction to it all. Levi felt like he was missing something vital to this story, but all he could do was try to get through the evening with Kara and his brothers until Barrett came back.
He was one of the brothers at the door when Barrett finally returned, and from the look in his brother's eyes, he knew it was anything but good. He and Kara had exchanged concerned glances.
After some time of Barrett retreating to his room, Levi tells Kara he's going to go check on him. So after stopping by the kitchen to grab a leftover slice of cake from that night's dessert, he heads upstairs and gently knocks on the twins' door.]
[It's a ragged response. The phone hasn't left his shoulder, still bruised against his neck and arms from the game, with the redhead carrying a deep look of exhaustion and ebbing worry.]
...Sorry. I've been keeping everyone waiting on me. [It's dully muttered as he redials whatever number was ringing in his ear.] I'll be down soon.
[With Barrett's permission, Levi enters and takes in the state of things. It's horrible, seeing Barrett in such a state when today was supposed to be full of fun and celebration.]
It's...not about that, actually.
[He approaches and sets the plate down on Barrett's end table.]
Can I stay with you for a bit? Please?
[He doesn't fully understand what's going on, but he figures he might be able to understand more than their other brothers. This is Fragment-related, after all. He doesn't want to leave Barrett alone like this.]
[ This is just awful. Awful, awful. She knows PKing is a thing, but this seems vastly different, like something almost...irreversible? Who can say. Fragment is such a goddamn mess and she can only imagine what must be going on in the game right now.
After Levi gets to talk to Barrett, Kara looks at him, nods, and takes her turn. She may not be particularly close to Barrett, but she knows about how the brothers had lost their mother, their sister -- and while she's never experienced the death of a loved one, losing someone in any way, shape, or form...it's painful.
God. When did she become so compassionate?
She's not going to dwell on it, though, as she knocks on his door. ]
[By the time Levi is finished, Barrett isn't even on his phone anymore, simply gazing down at the caller ID with a blank expression. The door is ajar and easily opened.
The redhead will turn his attention briefly, acknowledging Kara, before looking back down.]
I. Um.
I think you should check on Hani. When you have a minute.
[ She doesn't know. She doesn't know about how much Mithrun means to them, so there's a hint of confusion in her voice when that's the first thing Barrett says. ]
Okay. I'll do that after this. I'm here for you right now, though, 'kay?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
week of 8/21
Kara sends him a text before she leaves: ]
Good morning! Heading there now! Can't wait to see you :3
See you in a few hours. Call me if you need anything! <333
[ She can't seem to calm her racing heart as she gets closer. Time seems to travel too slowly up until she pulls up next to his house.
Kara steps out of the car, sends Levi a text to let him know she's outside, and waits next to her car. Impatiently. She's nervous and it's written on her face, even if she really has nothing to worry about. ]
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Not long after their first date—and subsequent first night—together, they were solidifying plans for Kara to come visit in person. Levi obtained permission from an expectedly surprised Lucas to have a guest in the Blake family home for a few days, and began furiously cleaning both his room and the common areas of the house. Once that was all done, the only thing left to do was wait.
The fateful day arrives, and Levi is up much earlier than normal. He could hardly sleep the night before due to the excitement and anxiety over getting to meet his new girlfriend for the first time.
He's in the process of making himself a strong caffeinated drink when his phone pings in his pocket.]
Okay! ^^ I can't wait either!!
Have a safe drive! <333
[The next few hours are absolute agony. He can barely focus on anything- not even all the anime episodes that he needs to catch on. But he just barely manages to distract himself for long enough to wait for Kara's arrival. As soon as her text comes through, he bolts up and runs for the door.
The Blake family home is beautiful and absolutely massive, lending credence to how well-off Levi's oldest brother Lucas is. As such, it takes a moment for Levi to make it to the front entrance. But not long after he answers her text that he's on his way, the door to the stately entranceway is thrown open to reveal a familiar figure.
Levi's face flushes almost immediately when he catches sight of Kara just a few paces away, and he stares at her with wonder before...]
Kara!!
[Already a little out of breath, he pushes forward and breaks into a jog to rush over to her. She's here! She's really here and she looks so pretty!!]
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Levi-!
[ She's tempted to run over to meet him halfway, but given that she's in heels, she knows better than to trip and eat shit on the ground. She waits for him to approach, and as soon as he makes his way to her, she can't help it –her hands go to his shoulders, and she gives him a once-over. ]
Oh...oh my gosh. You're real.
[ Listen...they've only met in a video game.....
But she looks so surprised. Her cheeks are flushed, and her grip on his shoulders tightens. ]
You're even cuter in person.
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It takes him a moment to catch his breath, but he's grinning from ear to ear to have Kara touching him.]
Eheheh! [phew] Like you can talk!!
[He could stand there and marvel at her for ages, honestly. Buuut he's eager to get in on the physical action himself. He carefully wraps his arms around her to give her a much-desired hug.]
It's so good to see you for real!
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It's good to see you, too! This is so much better than meeting up in Fragment, isn't it?
[ It's good to know he's exactly who he said he is, too. She pulls back slightly so she can raise a hand and brush his bangs out of his eyes again. Her expression is soft, sincere, and very much the look of a girl who's falling in love all over again. ]
The drive was so worth it.
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1/2
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Friday!
We're home. [It's a blank and empty call into echoing space, but he doesn't wait for someone to greet him. His arms are full of another person, after all, a dark haired and lithe young man completely passed out in Barrett's arms, drowning in an oversized hoodie and torn acid-washed jeans that seemed a size too big. An enormous duffel bag is swung over one of the redhead's empty shoulders, the tank he wears framing the picture of a crescent moon, a full moon, and a rising sun in a half sleeve tattoo down his bicep.
He's not much paying attention to who's available - he's slipping right up the stairs to the only double bedroom in the house. He can be found either in there, or rummaging down in the kitchen with the dog growling at his heels.]
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Oh! They're here!
[He's reluctant to untangle from Kara on his little couch, but he's also been looking forward to getting to hang out with Barrett and Booker. So with a nod toward her, he pauses the TV so they can both get up and go greet the twins.
They run into Barrett in the hall and he excitedly raises a hand in greeting.]
Hey.
[He keeps his voice down so he doesn't wake Booker. Heh. The younger twin always falls asleep on the drive over.]
How was the drive?
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So when Barrett comes in with...a sleepy Booker in his arms, Kara straightens herself and tries her best to put on a convincing smile. ]
Welcome back.
[ ... ]
It's good to see you.
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Oh. Levi, you have company. [He weakly waves his fingers from where they are trapped carrying his very asleep brother.] Hi. Barrett. This is Booker. Sorry, I'd have gotten donuts or something if I knew Levi had a friend over.
[Levi looks... unusually excited, though. Cute.]
Yeah, the ride was fine. Booker laughed a little too much at something he said to that weird Humanities professor and knocked himself out about halfway up. He'll probably have a headache when he wakes up. Hit the window a little hard.
[It's said rather nonplussed, as though this happens a lot. Because it sure does.
Another glance at Kara.]
...You're not KaraBear, are you?
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O-Oh! Yeah! [He blushes the second Barrett draws attention to his company.] This is Kara, actually! We did a lot of talking and planned for her to visit! She's been here for a few days already.
[He's going to go into detail, but he should finish introductions first. Can't get too ahead of himself!
He turns his gaze to Kara.]
Barrett's Mr_Misteaks in Fragment! And Booker's his fraternal twin. They're my youngest brothers.
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Friday 9/1 (nsfw imminent)
They spend some time doing their own thing while they share the bed, catching up on their phones and playing games while chatting idly. But after a while of this, Levi sets his game console aside and rolls onto his side to wrap his arms around his girlfriend. It's cuddle time!]
Find any good memes to share?
[Memes are going to quickly become irrelevant.]
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Here, honey.
[ She rolls onto her side and snuggles up to him. ]
It's cute, right?
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Super cute, and so true! It perfectly describes my type of relationship. Just being beside you while I game is so peaceful.
[He hands her phone back, then returns to the snuggling.]
I love this too, obviously. My social battery needed some recharging, that's all.
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Yeah? [ She holds onto him a little tighter. ] I'm glad you told me. I was wondering if...I don't know, if I was being boring or something.
[ She looks a little sheepish. Kara's certainly more outgoing than Levi is, and takes longer to reach the point of needing to recharge her battery. Still, though, she kind of feels bad for saying that. She frowns a little – ]
I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have told you something like that.
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CRYING AND WHEEZING
nods deeply
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Saturday 9/2, around 9pm
He'd suddenly been on his phone, texting frantically, then trying to call. He muttered frantic apologies to his brothers and to Kara, that he had to go check something at the dorm before he met them at home, that he would meet up with them later.
"Something's wrong. Something bad happened in Fragment."
It's a couple hours later that Barrett's jeep finally crawls into the driveway. His eyes are red, and though several of his brothers greet him at the door, there's an obvious aura that something's happened.
A few of them are watching a movie together now that it's late. Barrett tries. But he can't concentrate, and inevitably dismisses himself to his room. The day's tired him out, he claims.
Despite that, he can be found against his bed in the twins' shared room, his phone glued to his ear with his forehead exhausted cupped against his free hand, leaning over his own knees and keeping his face away from the door. He says nothing, only periodically pulling the phone away to redial and wait in agonizing silence.]
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Levi hasn't bothered to log into Fragment, not since Barrett left in a panic and he and Kara were likewise informed what was going on. He didn't know Mithrun very well, but it was still a complete shock to the system to hear about a death occurring in Fragment. Shocking still was Barrett's reaction to it all. Levi felt like he was missing something vital to this story, but all he could do was try to get through the evening with Kara and his brothers until Barrett came back.
He was one of the brothers at the door when Barrett finally returned, and from the look in his brother's eyes, he knew it was anything but good. He and Kara had exchanged concerned glances.
After some time of Barrett retreating to his room, Levi tells Kara he's going to go check on him. So after stopping by the kitchen to grab a leftover slice of cake from that night's dessert, he heads upstairs and gently knocks on the twins' door.]
Bear? Can I come in?
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[It's a ragged response. The phone hasn't left his shoulder, still bruised against his neck and arms from the game, with the redhead carrying a deep look of exhaustion and ebbing worry.]
...Sorry. I've been keeping everyone waiting on me. [It's dully muttered as he redials whatever number was ringing in his ear.] I'll be down soon.
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It's...not about that, actually.
[He approaches and sets the plate down on Barrett's end table.]
Can I stay with you for a bit? Please?
[He doesn't fully understand what's going on, but he figures he might be able to understand more than their other brothers. This is Fragment-related, after all. He doesn't want to leave Barrett alone like this.]
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After Levi gets to talk to Barrett, Kara looks at him, nods, and takes her turn. She may not be particularly close to Barrett, but she knows about how the brothers had lost their mother, their sister -- and while she's never experienced the death of a loved one, losing someone in any way, shape, or form...it's painful.
God. When did she become so compassionate?
She's not going to dwell on it, though, as she knocks on his door. ]
Hey, buddy. My turn?
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The redhead will turn his attention briefly, acknowledging Kara, before looking back down.]
I. Um.
I think you should check on Hani. When you have a minute.
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[ She doesn't know. She doesn't know about how much Mithrun means to them, so there's a hint of confusion in her voice when that's the first thing Barrett says. ]
Okay. I'll do that after this. I'm here for you right now, though, 'kay?
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9/16, post-football incident
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we're on the way to the hospital now
kara i'm so scared
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I'm here for you.
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i don't evne know what to say
i just wanna know he's okay
but ican't stop thinking about what they said on the tv
i can't stop hearing his screams
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