Universes Unite [Rebooted!] discussion

Liam's half of a duplex.

Liam had finally gotten his finances in order and managed to move out of his aunt and uncle's house. It had to do with paying off school and all that, but his under the table business was also doing great. All of his things were in boxes that had been lugged from the house to this place with a singular cart and many trips. He'd kicked his family out of helping a while ago because they frustrated him, and...he didn't really have many more people he liked. Only Diana.

“I think you should paint the walls.” Diana said, sitting cross legged on one of the boxes and chewing on an apple as she looked around the living room. She’d gone mainly for emotional support, because she wasn’t very good at the whole carrying things around thing.

"To what, a different gray?" Liam asked, setting a box on the pre-provided coffee table. It wasn't heavy, but he had no idea what was inside. He'd been so ready to get out that he hadn't been very diligent in packing conventions.

“A darker color.” Diana clarified, glancing over at him when he passed her. She had initially found it very difficult to believe he hadn’t dated anyone until her, because he was attractive and a lot flirtier than others could imagine, but then she’d seen him around others and realized he just didn’t like people. Which was great because she didn’t really like others either, so it was a wonder that he decided she’d be okay enough to date. “That way you don’t get so much light in here.”

Liam paused, glancing around as if contemplating the room and mentally adding her suggestion. "Not a bad idea," he said. "Some dark curtains would be good too. But I don't know how to pick that stuff out."

“Just pick out the one that doesn’t make you want to claw your own eyes out.” She told him, knowing it would sound pretty obvious but it really wasn’t. She, for example, hated a certain shade of green. So she’d never get curtains that color. “Like a… blue, maybe. Dark blue.”

((is this green significant haha))

He nodded consideringly. "Yeah alright. I don't suppose you'd feel up to helping with that?" He asked, truly expecting the answer to be no. But when she hung around, that was fine too.

((There’s a shade of green that makes me puke haha))

“I would, but not as much as I’d like not to.” She replied, shooting him a grin before waving him over. “Come on. You’ve been carrying things around all day and you need a break.”

((ah haha))

He rolled his eyes at her, but didn't really mind. Maybe he could convince her when the time came, but that was just as unlikely. He huffed a sigh and went over to her, even as he said, "There are no breaks to be had. Literally everything is in boxes."

((Yeah haha

Haha Archer and Bowman.))

“You got everything in here, didn’t you?” She asked, reached over to hand him an apple. Diana could tell he wasn’t going to stop other wise- she was related to two neat freaks so she knew the signs- and she liked to think she’d become somewhat of an expert on getting him to do things even if he didn’t think he wanted to do them.

((Why is that significant...hmm))

"I did, but that still doesn't mean I have anywhere to sleep," he pointed out and took the apple. He was exaggerating a little. His mattress was here and there wasn't even that much stuff on it so it wouldn't be a big deal. "But I guess I did do a lot."

((Idk but it’s funny haha))

“And all on your own.” Diana added, giving him a small grin and leaning her head against his shoulder. “That’s the reason I didn’t help. So that I’d be able to use it against you.”

(((ohhh I get it lol))

Liam's mouth quirked into whatever semblance of a smile he had. "I should have known that was the game you were playing. Well it worked. Happy?"

((Why did you think haha))

“You know I am.” She replied, turning her head to kiss his cheek. Taking as long as she could before the urge to puke crept in. Not because she didn’t like him enough to kiss him- no, she liked him plenty- but because of his powers. “I like getting away with my plans. I rarely ever fail.”

((it sounded like an ever after high character haha))

"One day, I'll foil you," he said, nudging her with his shoulder. He didn't kiss her much because believe it or not, the sight of your girlfriend getting nauseous after kissing you wasn't very romantic. Not that he never did it, but usually let her initiate. Touching did it too, sometimes, but not as strongly. He also likely wouldn't foil her plans, as he usually didn't mind the result.

((Ooh haha))

“You wouldn’t.” Diana replied, smiling still before she nodded to everything in the boxes. “I could spell these things to get where they’re supposed to be, you know. We don’t have to do all of this unpacking stuff.”

((I'm not convinced it isn't lol))

Liam gave her a look. "You're just telling me that now?" He asked. Honestly he hadn't considered magic because it would have been just as much trouble for him to get the spell as to just unpack himself.

((I don’t even know what that is haha))

“You didn’t ask.” She replied, laughing a little as she got up and tossed the rest of her apple into the trash bin before waving him over. “And I wanted to give you a few minutes of doing it yourself so that you wouldn’t feel lazy for letting the magic do the work.”

((I'll show you haha))

"Yeah alright, that's fair," he said, since he probably would have refused if she offered right away. He took a bite of his apple and waved an arm at the boxes, telling her to go for it.

((XP))

Diana gave him a wink before she stood in the middle of the living room, rubbing her arms together before she separated them and spread them out so that some sort of magical golden sigils or whatever came out from her hands. “Ecalp Lufthgir Sti Ni Gnihtyreve Tup.” She said, and before she could finish, things began to move. She stepped back as things came out from boxes they’d been packed in and flew towards where Liam would eventually put them in.

Liam shook his head a little. That saved him days of work, and she'd done it almost instantaneously. Annoyed as he was, he was also relieved. "That is a useful trick," he commented, rather than thanking her.

“It worked for John when he moved to his place.” She told him, picking up her drink and going to sit besides him again as things continued to move around. “My room came with everything already in it so it didn’t matter for me. But I’ve been meaning to use it.”

"Does it work in reverse too?" he asked out of some kind of curiosity. In whatever way he could show curiosity. That was to say, subtly. "Just in case I ever want to get out of here."

“I don’t see why it shouldn’t.” She said having to think about it as she took a sip of her soda to think of it. “There’s a spell for everything, I think. So it would be incredibly lame if there’s not a spell for that.”

"You've got time to find out. I'll be renting this place for a while," he said and took another bite of his apple. He hadn't decided yet for how long, but he'd signed a two year lease to get a better price on the place, so at least until then.

“I’m pretty sure you’ll want to take your time packing things by the time you move out.” She told him, closing the cap of her bottle and setting it on the counter they were next to. “It’s your first apartment, isn’t it? You’ll probably want to see things on your own.”

"I had a dorm in college, but that's different," he said. Now he had to deal with furniture and space that he didn't have in that minuscule room. Plus, this place was his own. "I will do a better job of packing next time. I just wanted to get out."

“Good thing too.” She said, taking his hand but not explaining why it was a good thing. But if she were being honest, it was hard to visit him when everything there made her feel nauseous or sick. She could handle him without issue, but being in a closed space situation was… hard. “What do you want to eat later?”

"Do you want me to cook or order something?" he asked. "Because I've got boxed mac and cheese or we can call for something and get it delivered." He cooked on a semi regular basis, but more often than not, he couldn't be bothered. Especially not today when he didn't know how everything worked yet.

“I think we should order something.” Diana said after a moment, looking around the room and seeing that there was still a lot to unpack in the boxes. Obviously not them doing it, but definitely the house deciding what went where.

"Then our options are endless. But maybe a pizza?" Liam answered. There was just something about greasy carbs after a long day of packing and moving. Moreso for unpacking too, though he hadn't really done that. He deserved pizza regardless.

“I’m not getting the meat pizza thing everyone is raging about.” Diana replied, wrinkling her nose. She didn’t like eating a lot of junk food lately- maybe because she’d been hanging out with Luke a lot more and he wasn’t a fan of those things. Or at least, not a fan of eating them so much.

"No, there's this new artisan veggie pizza I heard about. That's the one I was thinking," Liam said. They could always get two if they needed, but he knew what kind he wanted.

“I guess that one’s fine.” She replied, pulling her phone out and looking for the pizza place they usually ordered from. This all seemed perfectly normal that she didn’t know what to do with it. Although she was happy for him. Definitely happy.

((is the stuff still moving haha))

((Yeah haha))

"You might have to order drinks too. I don't have much here," Liam said. As he was speaking, all the chemistry equipment and his current project were flying towards...well where had he wanted to put it? He supposed he'd have to find out where it went later if it vanished.

“Soda?” Diana asked, watching a few vials of stuff flying past her. She wasn’t fast enough to catch them, but she was able to grab a notebook she’d seen him carry around. “You’ve never told me what you write in here.” She said, forgetting all about the pizza as she opened it and was greeted with… formulas. The most complicated thing to read- even more so than the book of Magic.

"They're all the work-in-progress formulas I have for my candies and...stuff," Liam answered, only having to glance up once. If she had seen it, it was his working journal. "They go in a separate notebook once I've established and finalized it.

“These are pretty impressive.” Diana admitted, because for some reason she hadn’t really known there was any science to these things. She looked at the formulas he had solved, recognizing a few, but paused by one with a strange name to it. “What’s this last one about?” She asked him, eyebrows furrowed before she looked at him.

Liam went over to look at the one she meant and was quiet for a moment, unsure how to say it. He hadn't thought about her finding that and he...wanted it to be a surprise? Maybe? "That is uh...for you," he said casually. "Something you can take so I don't make you sick."

Diana was speechless for a moment, studying him just in case he was toying with her, before she handed him the book with a small smile. “Was this meant to be a surprise?” She asked, crossing her arms as she turned to face him. “Because, on the Queens name, I am. Surprised, I mean.”

"I didn't want to tell you in case I couldn't get it to work," Liam answered before tucking the book into his back pocket. "I didn't want you to get your hopes up."

“It’s a nice gesture.” She told him, smiling still as she reached over to take his hands. It really was, and she was a little disappointed that she ruined it. “Thank you. So.. how’s it going?”

"It's coming along decently, I think. I'm having trouble stabilizing it long enough to last in a pill or chewable form," he answered. She'd never asked how it worked before so he wasn't sure how much she wanted to hear. "I guess you could pick a candy and I can try adhering it to that."

“What about cough drops?” She asked, moving closer to him. She liked to think she didn’t need it- that she was strong enough not to- but that would be a lie. The more time she spent with him, the more difficult it was to take the hits. “I feel like using any sort of candy I like would ruin it for me after I take them too many times.”

"I could try it," he said. Having an idea of what form she wanted it in could guide him a little, but it still needed a lot of work. He gave her the ghost of a kiss on her cheek, doing his best not to toxise her. "I'll figure it out. But it won't be done soon."

“That’s fine.” She assured him, giving him a small smile before pulling away to finally call the pizza place. She briefly wondered why he hadn’t tried to work on something years ago, but realized it was because he’d never been close enough to anyone he wanted to be around. It was nice, yet… some part of her was freaking out a little. The part of her that always felt like something good was indication something bad would happen.

For years, Liam had only been concerned with more or less weaponizing his toxins. To use them to scare and sicken. But he'd seen the downfalls of it too. It affected a person when one of the only people they cared about gets sick just being around them. He didn't want it to progress to something worse, either. Whatever the future held for the two of them, there was still a reason to have this antitoxin. He slipped the book into a bookshelf where he knew he wouldn't lose it and let that be the end of it for now.