The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Idea

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Gray clouds flooded the sky, painting it like a cold ocean above Hurricane Keep. Anyone could tell that they would bring rain with them. Luke would watch from the windowed doors of his balcony as the first drops started to fall. Good day to stay inside. He mused. With a sigh, he would turn from the window and return to his work room. Today was something of a day off for him, a day where he would give himself a reprieve from commissions or repairs. 
    
    But judging from the project on his workbench, a "day off" didn't entirely exclude all work from his schedule. 

    There wasn't much of a theme to the parts yet. Just a basic idea on a piece of paper that he'd yet to bring to life. Assorted wires and electrical parts were strewn about haphazardly, like pieces to a greater puzzle. One that Luke was still trying to fit together. The idea was in his head, but the problem was figuring out how it all worked. How it all pieced together to make the greater picture. Luke sighed and tapped his finger on the table, looking them all over. Where to begin? Finally, after a few moments of mulling it all over, the young techy would set to work, starting with the wiring. 

    Admittedly, this project wasn't exactly for himself. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to put effort into it. Well, actually, that meant the boy was putting more effort into it than normal. It's a weird state of being.

    Don't judge him. 

    Luke would continue working on it from morning to midday, putting the finishing touches on the device just after lunch. Of course, the rain would have picked up outside, the droplets making rhythmic tapping noises against his home, but for the young man it was just background noise. Something to listen to idly as he worked. 

    As he leaned back in his seat, he would let out his breath in a long, drawn out exhale. Only, he didn't get much time to appreciate his finished product as the sound of knocking pulled his attention away. The techy huffed and climbed out of his seat, muttering under his breath as he went to the door, pulling it open to see who the hell decided to come to his doorstep on a day like this.  

[Sora-No]

Click here for Character Sheet

    Mike would walk in the second the door opened, with a smirk across his face. He walked in with full hands, though they weren't the items you would typically expect someone to bring into someone else's house. Or, at least, not together. Mike's got a terrible idea. A wonderfully terrible idea. Explaining it would be the beginning of it. Well, before things went ahead, it would be a good idea to set the scene.

    Mike had four items in his hands. Three of them were clear shot glasses. Now, most would typically assume that the other hand would be paired with some kind of alcohol, right? Some of the strong shit, to down and act like absolute fucking morons, blacked out off their asses, right? Well, if you assumed this, then you're dead wrong, and also don't understand Mike's type of terrible. No, in his other hand was a small bottle of apple cider vinegar. Yes, that terrible shit for rapid detox. Meant to kill small bugs that buzzed around houses. And he carried it like a signature booze.

    He'd finally turn around, looking at Io, his smirk turning into a twisted sneer, "See, I have an idea. Good for people who want to make friends." A pause, "And for masochists. Whichever you want to go for, in this scenario." The redhead would set the items on a table, pulling up a chair, "Now, before I explain this, yes- this is vinegar. And yes, in this blissful idea, we will be downing this. Well, only if you chicken out, but that's beside the point."

    The idea was honestly not even his. He heard it from another person he used to know. An absolute madman, if you asked Mike. Digressing aside, it was a nice bonding experience, from what he's heard. A really, really painful one, but it seemed to work pretty well. Whether it would work in this scenario or not depends solely on if this idea is stupid enough for Io to join in on.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Luke would pause and blink in surprise. Not at Mike's grand entrance, or the fact that the guy didn't even say hello or ask how Luke was doing, or the fact that he didn't ask to come in. No, that was all normal shit. Instead, Luke was just drawn to the fact that for some reason, Mike had walked all the way here in the pouring rain with shot glasses and vinegar. Already Luke could see where this was going.

    "Hey Io, how's your day going? Oh hey, Mike, it's going pretty good, thanks for asking. Ah, man, that's pretty sweet, Io, hey do you think I could come in? Of course Mike! Man, don't forget to take your shoes off at the door. Oh of course Io, you know me, always considerate." The young man's voice was monotone as he shut the door, having a conversation with himself as though to drop some not-so-subtle hints towards Mike on his entrance. Of course Luke wasn't actually upset, it was just a bit of lighthearted teasing. Mike was always welcome to come over whenever the fuck he wanted, but Luke did have to admit that the redhead's entrances were a bit odd at times. Part of his charm, he guessed. 

    After shutting the door, the young man sighed and slid into the booth across from Mike. This was going to be an interesting one, that much was certain. "Alright, slow down a bit there Red. I'm gonna need you to take a step back real quick. I think I know what you're planning here, but I think I want you to say it to me real slow like. Just so I know for sure."

    It was obvious, really. There had to be only one reason for the shot glasses. And seeing as there were no other drinks in Mike's hand... Luke was almost absolutely certain that Mike had some sort of challenge in mind here. What that was, he had no idea. 

    But he was going to find that out real quick. 
    
    Or he would have, if Luke didn't remember something. Before Mike would even have a chance, the techy would hold up a finger and push himself out of the booth. "Actually, hold that thought. You actually picked a perfect time to barge in, I just finished making something for you. So just sit your stupid ass right there while I go get it." 

    With that, the young man would saunter back to his work room, grabbing up the device he'd been crafting all morning. Only, instead of just going out and handing it to Mike, the techy tried to think of a way to make it as over the top as possible... well, without breaking the damn thing he worked so hard on. First things first... I should probably wrap it. But I gotta make it shitty wrapping. Like, low effort, barely an attempt type wrapping job.

    Oh, fuck, actually, I have a shitty idea. 

    Mike would likely hear the sound of a lot of shuffling, and a lot of paper and tape ripping with a few curses added in for flavor. Once the ingredients had all been mixed just right, Luke would let it all simmer in silence for a few moments. Just to really set the mood. And then, he would return to the kitchen, with a few stray pieces of tape and "wrapping paper" stuck to himself. Of course, Luke wasn't actually that inept. It was all just to add to the effect as he baseball pitched a box straight at Mike's face. 

    Hit or miss, it was truly an awful sight to behold. Shitty newspaper acting as the wrapping paper, just ripped and crumpled onto the old, beaten up box with more tape slapped onto it than was actually necessary. Oh, but that wasn't all. The box had a second layer of awful, in an absolutely abhorrent amount of pink glitter just fucking slapped onto it with a bit of glue. Oh, and speaking of glue- for some ungodly reason, Luke had used hot glue on parts for absolutely no reason. And as though to tie the whole thing together, a pretty red bow was slapped ontop. 

    "I hope you like it." Luke said with a sneer. It was a beautiful fucking warcrime. But that wasn't even the least of it. Underneath some of the paper, just an assortment of drawn dicks were scattered about, a few circling a terribly drawn rendition of Mike's head. One could quickly infer what else was happening to that poor drawing. 

    But wait! There's more!

    After poor Mike would get through the first layer, he would find a second box, also terribly wrapped, and also equally fucked with glitter as though a drunk fairy face fucked the poor thing. Under that, was a third box which looked even worse. Alongside glitter, for some reason Luke dumped a metric fuckload of hotglue and then dropped sprinkles into the mess of it. But thankfully, comedy was in threes and after getting through that tragedy, Mike would be greeted by a box filled to the brim with 3d printed dicks. 

    But those weren't the gift. Those were instead just a carefully picked out choice to act as plastic penile packing peanuts prudently protecting the precious present. For within, the real gift was actually something more. Something that wasn't abused by the fairies or unicorns in heat. Inside were a black, sleek pair of headphones, with led's carefully placed within the shell. Of course, it wasn't on, as it was unplugged, but aside from the obvious aesthetic lines where the lights would pour through, on the side plates were Mike's initials. Those too would also light up when the LEDs were activated. 

    "You can change the colors freely or just set it up to go full rainbow. Spent all day makin' em for you. I planned to hand em off next time I saw you, so, guess that's right now. Hope you enjoyed the awful effort I went into packing them." Luke would sit back down in the booth, looking smug and proud of what he did. "Alright, so let's hear this terrible idea now." 

    

[Sora-No]

Click here for Character Sheet

    Mike would scoff at Io's tease, giving a retort, smirk dotting across his features, "Hey, you said I could come by, don't complain about my entrance. You asked for it." The redhead would lean back in the booth. He had almost nothing to do today. He doesn't have a job yet, and he doesn't have many friends, if any. And even then, he stayed home the entire time. Just sort of thinking, and playing music. Shit like that. So, he's kind of hyper, he could admit. He's got a lot of energy that he hasn't spent, and he's going to spend all of it forcing Io to become a part of this idea.

    As Io would leave, he'd contemplate the idea. So, he knows what the game is, and how to play it, but where should he start? He should probably start off small, right? Build up over time and shit. Or he could make his pace based off how Io wants to take it. Maybe let him start, go from how big of a question he starts with? Yeah, go with that one. It's easier, and as energetic as Mike is, he's still a lazy shit, so the simple route is always the first he'll go down.

    Io would return, with Mike looking at... an absolute fucking mess. Wow. He would slowly peel back the layer, speaking as he did so, "Wow, you even wrapped it. How sweet." Sarcasm dotted his words as he ripped up the dick-infested picture of Mike. When he made it to the second layer, he'd give a sigh, a laugh leaving his mouth as he continued to talk, "You know how I said wrapping it was sweet?" He'd lean the box over, showing the dicks and glitter, "I meant trashy and covered in fairy jizz."

    When he actually got to the gift, he'd take a minute to look it over, not saying anything. This shit's pretty fucking dope. And he can change the color? Hmm. How quickly do the colors change? Can he change the colors at a rapid pace? Listen to his music close to someone he dislikes and hope that they have epilepsy? Yeah, that might work. Ideas, ideas. But, that would be for another time. For now, he would give a smile, looking at Io, "Thanks, my dude." A snicker, "Could've not used the literal package form of a shitpost, but I'm not complaining." He would grab one of the tiny, 3d printed dicks, "Oh hey, and you modeled it off of your size! Nice!"

    After a chuckle, he'd move the glass and vinegar between the two, slowly filling each shot glass as he explained. "So, there was this absolute fucking mad man I used to know. He had a... weird way of bonding with people. But, I find it funny, so we're going to do it." A pause, "So, a person starts, and asks questions. Any type, of any topic. If the person answers, they ask another one, until they either are done asking questions, or can't think of one. Then the other person goes and does the same. Now, on to why the vinegar's here, courtesy of Senior Fucking Nutjob."

    He'd slide the glasses forward, all of them bringing with the reeking mess of wonderful enlightenment. "If the person you ask the question to doesn't want to answer the question, they take a shot of this disgusting shit. Then it becomes the shot-taker's turn, with them able to either be petty and ask a fucked question, or to play fair." He'd give a laugh, stretching and putting his hands before his neck. "I'm gonna let you start, since it's just common courtesy to not have the person you throw this idea at down a shot."

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Luke would grin as he watched Mike tear open the package, eyes gleaming with his signature brand of mischief. Mike should have expected something like this. Sure, Luke could have gone through the effort of making it look pretty, but where would the fun in that be? Plus, this is a bit of revenge for how the redhead entered. 

    Was Luke really upset about it? No, not quite. But it was still a playful jab that he could throw out. When Mike got to the actual present, his eyes would soften a bit for a brief moment. There was a genuine hint to his look, seeing as the headphones were something he put a lot of effort into making. Sure, it might have had only six, maybe seven hours of time put into it, but that was still time taken out for the sake of someone else. There was genuine hope that Mike liked what the techy had crafted. Thankfully, the guy gave Luke an out before he could notice anything sappy, and the young man would laugh. "Nah, nah, those dicks are way too big to be to scale for me. I'd have to shrink them down for them to be accurate." 

    Jokes towards dick size never got to Luke. He didn't exactly understand the fascination with it, so he'd never actually cared. Besides, he had enough self confidence that it really didn't matter if someone took a swing like that at him. It was a lot better to just shake it off and roll with it, otherwise he'd be like the guys he picked on back in Blackmarsh, getting up in arms because someone said their little Jimmy's were anything other than twelve inches. 

    Seriously, what is with the fascination with dick size? Like, sure, a pinprick-dick ain't gonna give a lady a good time, but at some point with how big some guys wanted their whoopee sticks to be, you'd think that'd start being... well... kind of a hassle?

    Whatever, in reality this was just an excuse for Luke to try and think up funny names for man meat, so the end result didn't matter. 

    The young man would listen intently to Mike's awful plan. At first, it was just standard fair. And then it got juicy. Luke would grin and let out a chuckle, just wondering what type of friends the redhead had before, and what other top tier dumb ideas they had in their arsenal. Those were the type of people that Luke could learn a thing or two from. Absolute fucking legend, whoever that man is. He thought with a grin.

    "Alright, so the gyst is that we shoot the shit but whenever we get to a question we don't like, we just slam back a shot?" Luke leaned back, quirking a brow in Mike's direction. "While I think this is a fan-fucking-tastic idea, I also gotta ask, like, isn't this what we did back at the rich fuck's place just with added steps?" 

    He felt that was a fair question, given they did throw a few back and forths back during the job Luke brought him on. Sure, maybe it wasn't exactly the same because now the two could drop all pretense and not have to be worried about someone eavesdropping on them, but also they did find out quite a bit back then as well. So really the question was, how much poking and probing could the two of them do before they just started downing shot after shot?

    Especially given the fact that they still show hesitance towards one another. Luke would voice those thoughts directly.

    "I'm just wonderin' how much we can get in before the only thing we'd be doing to each other is just forcing ourselves to drink vinegar, get me?" The young man felt that it wasn't too far a stretch to bring up. And there really was only so much they could talk about before some nerve was brushed and they ducked back. "I unno, fuck it. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it I guess. I'll wager a guess and say you went to school, tell me what that shit was like."

[Sora-No]

Click here for Character Sheet

    Mike would chuckle at the remark Io gave. He also didn't honestly get the big hype of a 'MAGNOCOCK' or whatever absolute overcompensating dickwads call it. Honestly, too much is too much. And if you can't take a dick joke, then it's really saying something. Especially since- why the fuck would you get pissed off from a fucking dick joke? Wow, watch me get pissed off cause someone joked about me having a tiny peeper, and as such I'm going to yell at them, making it painfully obvious that either A.) it is that tiny, or B.) Their masculinity is that tiny.

    Mike shrugged at Io's question, "Sort of, but with higher stakes. And it'll be more to hit someone with a hard-hitting question. Get them out of their comfort zone." A chuckle would leave his lips, "And hey, think of it this way. If someone does take a shot, it gives an idea to where their boundaries are. Even if someone doesn't answer a question, it gives a bit more understanding."

    At Io's remark, the redhead would scoff, "Oh, I wouldn't doubt it. Should've gone with alcohol. Same terrible shit, but you won't feel it halfway through." That was a joke. Sure, Mike has had alcohol. He's old enough to. But he doesn't understand the appeal of it. Like, 'look at me, let me drink this shitty liquid which makes my face cringe into itself, only for the appeal of lack of brain cells and inability to form coherent thoughts. #hellyea.' It's fucking dumb.

    He'd grab the shot, using a pause to give a look at Io before setting it down, a grin across his features. "Nah, just kidding. My school time wasn't too extraordinary. I mean, I was home schooled until high school, so most of my actual memories and shit came from after that point." The questions shouldn't be too bad, overall. Unless Io wants to go full deep, thought provoking questions out of the blue. But that'll be fine.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "I don't drink alcohol anyways, so probably for the best that we picked an even worse idea. Freebie from me, but back in my home city I saw way too much of that shit. People gettin' drunk of their fuckin' asses, hurtin' others, killin' themselves. Shit ain't for me. And I mean, yeah, sure, I have good self control so I could just do it in moderation, but it's not me." Luke would draw circles in the air with his finger, followed by a small sigh. "And hey, that's fair. I've never been to school period, so, hey, long as you ain't a fuckin' moron, home schooling ain't something to scoff at."

    "The only real problem is learning how to be social. I mean, obviously I'm me so that's not as big of a problem, but I also grew up with people too so I don't think it ever had a chance to become a problem. Then on your end, you got highschool to help fill that need for you so you wouldn't end up becoming an awkward fuck." The young man paused. "Well, more of an awkward fuck." 

    Joking, of course. Mike was better adjusted to dealing with people than Luke was, but at the same time he also wasn't. Weird way to look at it. It probably came down to the fact that they both were really hesitant around others. 

    "Uh, anyways. I guess that means I keep going so... hm. We've talked about movies, games, and music before so, how 'bout this; What'd you want to be when you were little?" The techy leaned forwards, keeping his arms against the table now. 

[Sora-No]

Click here for Character Sheet

    Mike gave a laugh, "Yeah, alcohol's fucking rancid, I agree with you there." Though the way he said it, it gave him a good idea for what questions to ask later on. Though, that would probably be a shot right off the bat. So, maybe go a bit more casual. Talking about experiences with alcohol-induced shit stains might not be a great avenue to go down right off the bat.

    The redhead would give a laugh at Io's joke, "Fair, but 'less awkward' is kind of a stretch." Though now it becomes a little more interesting. Since Io gave some more info, he could definitely ask some good questions. Or at least like- one or two? Fuck, he should probably think of a question when it's actually his turn, else he just sits here spacing, attempting to remember the banger he thought of a couple minutes earlier.

    Mike would snicker at Io's question, "Funnily enough, I wanted to be one of those stupid adventurers. You know, do all that 'good guy stuff', to fucking punch the dragon in the throat and laugh as it coughs up its heart." He'd look at the table, a faded smile on his face, "Though reality hit like a brick." Mike would snap back, giving a chuckle, "And besides, I'd rather not have my life threatened every other fucking second for money. Normal jobs are good, too."

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "Edgy." He quipped, referring to the... quite vivid scene Mike was setting. "Yeah I feel you on that one. I wanted to be a mad scientist as a kid, creating monsters and robots and shit. I dunno, but I'd say that I'm not too far off from that dream." 

    "But doin' adventuring stuff ain't a bad dream. Everyone wants to be a hero. Hell, I'd say you'd actually have a shot at something like that." Mike was similar to Luke, but the guy knew there were significant differences between the two. Despite how the redhead might have thought of himself, Luke genuinely believed that between the two of them, if he wanted to do heroic shit,  the guy could probably succeed. Luke though? He felt he was too far gone. Besides, all he did was punch shit. He didn't have fancy, flashy magic. 
    
    Dude was just some normal guy.

    Luke hummed and tapped his fingers against the table. So far he was being pretty light on Mike. So, it should be time to start cranking things up a notch. Of course, Luke didn't actually want to force it. The young techy certainly could have done that right off that bat, but he wanted to start testing the boundaries a bit. See what he could prod at, what Mike was willing to tell. 

    "Alright, how about this for a question." The techy tilted his chin up slightly, his gaze studying Mike. It was obvious what Luke's intent was, he wanted to know where the line was, and there was only one way to find out. He had to try to cross it. "Tell me about the person you hate the most and why you hate them." 

[Sora-No]

Click here for Character Sheet

    Mike could honestly have seen Luke as a mad scientist. It'd make sense. Especially since he made a machine to give someone an electric-shock induced dab. It wouldn't be too big of a step up to go to mad scientist. Maybe one step before that stage would be to brain wash someone to speak only in edgy 'xd' speech. That'd fucking hurt to hear. Anything more than that is encroaching on fucking evil mastermind scientist.
    
    At Luke's comment of being a 'good guy', Mike would only chuckle, "Yeah, no. Not the best example of a knight in shining armor. Being a hero just isn't a thing I can really approach anymore, anyways." Fuck. Well. Mike kind of left himself open for that one. Now it gave Luke an opportunity to ask more questions. Hell, he could definitely answer them, it's not that hard to say 'he's not the one you want to see as a hero'.

    Mike had been hoping that the questions would go a bit more normal before taking a swan dive of contemplation. The river of 'should I take a shot or should I vaguely answer this question?'. It's a wonderful fucking game. Honestly, it's not always like that, but because of the fact that it's taking the opportunity of picking apart someone's life to bond, it kind of makes an appearance.

    He just hoped he wouldn't have to deal with it until later.

    Fuck, he wanted to have Luke take the first shot. Shit. Most personal questions, he doesn't have too big of an issue with those. But he asked one of those spicy ones. When it comes to things like that, where it goes to who you hate the most in the world, that is a personal question nine times out of ten. And now he's either got to answer it, or down water giving its best acid impression.

    "Damn, that's a good one." He would give a chuckle, his eyes looking up as he tried to remember who it was. Oh wait. He knows. He doesn't actually have to think for a second. In reality, he's just attempting to find a way to word it where he doesn't open himself up for more questions. "I'd have to say..." Hmm. How can he word it. You know what, fuck it, doesn't really matter, anyways. Questions are questions, "...my mother's ex. Absolute and utter fucking scum, he shouldn't have gotten as far as he got with my mother, and he's much better gone." His voice didn't have its normal air to it. It had a small tinge of venom. Well, that's to be expected, though, they are talking about who he hates the most.

    "Okay, Mr. Mad Scientist with an Army of Dab Bots, hit me with another one," he said with a smirk, changing the subject, "You got a better one than that, right?"

    Mike hoped he didn't.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "Hey, just because you ain't a knight in shining armor doesn't mean you can't be a hero to someone. All that matters is you stand up for what's right. That's what someone important to me once told me." Luke was very direct about it. Hell, even in comics heroes have done shit that most people would think was terrible all for the greater good, and they've come out on top in the end because it was the right thing to do. "Just because you do something wrong doesn't make you a lost cause. Sometimes heroes do bad things for the right reasons."

    Sure, Mike might not have been a sparkling beacon of moral purity- he was friends with Luke after all- but he was likely better than Luke could hope to be. That didn't even matter, either. Long as he wasn't some sort of fuckin' apathetic monster, he still had the potential to be redeemed. 

    "Speaking of which. Here's a better question for you." The young techy would lean forwards, quirking a brow with a flat expression. There was pure apathy in his gaze as the words left his mouth. "Ever kill someone? Who was it? Thieves, bandits, hell, your mother's ex? I mean, you don't strike me as the type to go for anyone who's innocent, but hey, you could be going through a redemption arc type shit here." 

    Well. Mike asked for a better question.

    And unfortunately, Luke had caught Mike in a catch twenty-two. If Mike didn't flat out say no, then he had to specify as young man asked, or take a swig. And sure, he might get out of specifying who he killed, but the boy would still know that the redhead killed someone. 

    "Honestly, my next question was going to be 'what did you do that makes you think you're so terrible' but depending on your answer to this I might end up knowing so." Luke shrugged. "Honestly, it's easier to knock out the insane shit when you're tryna probe deeper. Feel me? It's like working backwards, if it ain't the worst things possible then you're only going up from there." 

[Sora-No]

Click here for Character Sheet

    Mike shrugged at Io's remarks. "Honestly, it's not that, I could probably pull off the stupid hero shenanigans, but I'm just not built for it, anymore." He'd lean back, talking as he did so, "At this point, everything's more of a moral gray for everyone. Sure, there are the extremes, like murderers and rapists, but even for murderers there are different point views on who was right, who was wrong. I wouldn't have the patience to sort it out."

    Mike would chuckle at Io's question. "Fucking nice one, hit me with a Catch 22. Those are the best ones." Though not for him, no. Either he answers the question, or he drinks. And he doesn't want to do either. Technically it's two questions, but even if he makes that distinction, Io would just ask the second part right after. Didn't really matter much, there.

    Well, fuck it, he's going to have to answer now, since he ain't drinking that piss-poor shit.

    "Yes, I have, though most of them were self-defense." Mike's hands would shuffle in his seat, moving his hands into his pockets, "Though, there were bounties I did when I was in a town to get pay, if I couldn't find a good job. Not really self-defense there." That'll hopefully be enough of an answer. And if it's not, he'll take a shot. Simple and easy.

    "Well, guess I shouldn't have tested you with a better question, huh?" A chuckle would leave his mouth as he leaned back once again. Fuck, that was pretty close, though. There are certain things he doesn't want to bring up, and Io is just fucking with the surface of it. He's going for the extremes, testing the waters. Though, testing the waters with a fucking ultimatum is kind of annoying. Smart, but annoying.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "Such is life. I mean, all that shit is pretty much socially accepted, so it's not like it's too terrible." The techy shrugged his shoulders, unfazed by the newfound knowledge. Surprise, surprise, Luke is unaffected by death. Besides, it wasn't as though Mike had killed innocents. Bounties targeted criminals, monsters, bandits, etc, and self defense is... well... self defense? Not really much you can say on that one. But, hey, Mike didn't back down, which means this whole thing was probably going to be a lot harder than first expected. The young man rubbed his chin as he thought of a new question.

    While he did learn what had happened, it really wasn't anything that could really clue a person in on what made the redhead think he was so awful. The situations he had to kill people in might be the cause, but they're not really... exceptional. Self defense and bounties are pretty easy to dehumanize the targets, unless they were someone close to him? Jeez, guess I have no choice.

    "Man, it's a lot harder to get you to drink than I thought. Probably should have thought of that. I'm almost afraid to try and push too hard, honestly." The boy sighed and combed his fingers through his hair as he mulled some things over. Admittedly, he did kind of want to force Mike to drink, just so this wasn't super one sided, but he couldn't get a read on where the boundaries were just yet. "Aight, whatever, I'll just fall back on my original question for now."
    
    Luke kicked back, resting his arms behind his head. Silver eyes studied Mike with a critical gaze. There was a different intent behind them now. The techy needed to figure out where the line was, so now he was actively going to try and push it as hard as possible.

    The first barrage of questions was just kinda of skirting the edge, scouting the border, the last one was pushing towards it. Now he was trying to cross it. Of course, Luke wanted to make Mike drink, but really he just needed to get a read on the guy for the future. Beyond this "fun" game. Where did he draw the line, what could and couldn't be talked about just yet, how comfortable was Mike with Luke?

    If the two wanted to actually be friends, these were important things to learn. Eventually, even Luke had to yield to the fact that lines had to be crossed at some point, but the real gauge of trust was whether or not someone invited you over, or if you were just trying to force yourself past relentlessly. Luke saw friendship like a house. You can't brute force your way past someone's door, and even once they invite you in, they may still have some rooms you can't enter just yet. Basements, bedrooms. Rooms that lay dormant when you visit. You'll never know what secrets are kept inside until the person trusts you enough to show them. Same deal as before, if you try to brute force it you'll just wind up kicked out. 

    While this "game" Mike came to Luke with forced the two to purposefully push those boundaries, they had an escape route to show the types of things and broadcast their comfort zones. In that way, it showed one another how much trust was between them. 

    "So..." The tech-head kept his expression neutral as he quirked a brow. "What's the reason why you think you're so terrible? Depression? Trauma? Bullying? Lay it on me, Red." 

[Sora-No]

Click here for Character Sheet

    Mike would shrug as well. Death was a certainty. Getting fucked up by it, letting it completely destroy you is just dumb. Everybody's going to die sometime. There's no timer, there's nothing like that. It's just... done. You see the god of death, whoever that is, and it's a simple done deal. You pass on, have some heart-felt conversation with the god about regrets and letting things go, and then... something happens? He doesn't care enough about an afterlife to find out, and he wasn't taught when he was younger, so he doesn't really care.

    Mike would chuckle at Io's remark. "Hey, man, that's what this is all about. Knowing boundaries and shit is better to learn than actual stories from the other. If you understand where someone comes from, even without a sappy story or a depressing one, it builds some actual trust." In that sense, it was better than actually trying to get it out of them. Cause even if they take a shot, it's more than just dodging a question, it's a built up, emotional moment that you have to take note of. And, if you're stupid and didn't bring your notepad and pen, then you're screwed. Wait, Mike didn't bring either. Fuck.

    At Io's next question, Mike would simply sigh, "It's a lot to pick apart." He'd grab a shot, swirling the shitty acid liquid around in the glass. Was it worth a shot? He doesn't necessarily have to pick it apart himself, he doesn't have to give him all the answers. He can give him a glimpse through the slit in the attic, though. That's all he's gonna get for the moment.

    "At this point, with all that happened in the past five- hell, even three years, I'm just done with it." He'd slouch, talking as he did so. His voice was the same tone, but it was a bit more... reluctantly said, "I don't want to be a good person. It's responsibilities, it's expectations that I can't meet. It's making the hard call." A long pause would follow that, "I'm tired of making that hard call."

    He'd sit back normally, giving a stretch, "But hey, it's what I chose to do, for the most part." Mike would let a small snicker leave his lips, changing the subject, "But, before you ask me to elaborate in any way-" He downed a shot.

    Fuck this shit sucks. Like, he expected bad. But this was so much more than worse. If he could have removed his taste buds, along with the entire inner lining of his esophagus, he would do it, right now. About three minutes of coughing later, he'd talk, his voice hoarse for the first couple of seconds.

    "So, Io, I might as well start it off with an easy one, or at least a light one." He'd start refilling the shot glass, speaking as he busied himself, "What's your like, actual name? Names are simply words used to identify something, so what I call you is completely dependent on what you want to be called. You want to be called Io still? Totally fine with that. This is more for my own intrigue than anything."

    At this point, he was just doing his best to push the conversation off himself. Sure, he's fine with talking about certain topics, but Io was testing the waters, so he was going to go deeper and deeper. And, before Io asked another question that a shot would answer as well as his voice would, he thought fuck it, why not just move the conversation without revealing so many fucking details? Slowly, he'll reveal shit, but he doesn't have boundaries for them to break over not sipping poison with an apple aftertaste.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "Tough calls have to be made. It's not something you can run from. Not forever. You can try, but life will find you, and it doesn't give up." Luke leaned forwards. His posture shifted as he set his shoulders, looked straight into Mike's eyes. "Real question is; when it finds you, are you gonna face it, or just give up and let it walk all over you?"

    Luke let the silence settle after his statement, before breaking the quiet with a huff. The young tech head sat up straight again. Shrugged. Moved on. "I get it. Responsibility can be daunting. And sometimes you don't want to be that guy that makes the decision that gets people hurt. Makes people hate you. But sometimes you just gotta say fuck it. The choice has to be made, and it's gotta be done. I won't say I know what it's like to be through your shoes, the only ones I've walked in are my own. But if there's one thing I know, it's that you can't sit back and be an observer in your own life. Shit don't work that way, dig?"

    At some point, you have to get up and move. 

    Luke watched as Mike downed the shot. Either to get out of elaborating, or just to pass it along, whatever the case, the black haired boy took a bit of pleasure watching Mike cringe. He had to imagine that shit felt like hot magma being poured down the redhead's windpipe. Vinegar was an acidic liquid after all. 

    However that smug smirk would be wiped away right quick once the boy heard Mike's first question. Easy, huh? The redhead didn't know just how hard that question really was for Luke. Infact, the techy even started reaching for the cup, stopping halfway. The uncertainty became almost immediately apparent. Do I really want to chug it at the very first question? The boy's fingers pulled back slightly. No, but I don't even know if I trust him enough yet. His hand reach forwards slightly. 
    
    This would continue for a few minutes, the young man's silver eyes moving ever so slightly towards different points as his mind bounced between thoughts. He'd known Mike for a while, but this was the first real... kinda real moment of development between the two. Was that enough for Luke to tell the truth? With a sigh, the tech head brought his hand back and set it down. 

    "You have no idea how much baggage actually comes with that question." He stated. Slowly, he rapped his fingers against the table's surface. Of course, he didn't need to tell the guy why he used the name Io. Why he picked it. What it meant. But there was still a lot of weight, especially as to why he rarely gave his name to people. "Was kinda hopin' that whenever I told it to you, I'd be able to say it to both you and Soren at the same time too." 

    Luke stood up and moved to the fridge, grabbing out a bottle of water. The boy looked it over for a moment, then tossed it to Mike for his throat, gabbing a different one for himself. The techy needed to move. Get his mind running. Use that to help figure things out. And so he did. He paced. He just... walked around the room.

    There was a lot he had to sort out first. 

    A lot he had to think on. 

    The black haired boy paced for a couple minutes, and when he stopped he finally spoke up again. "Look, I'll be real with you. This isn't anything against you. This is just... a me thing. A trust thing. So, it's a lot I gotta... work with first."

    The boy cracked open the water bottle and took a seat. After taking a swig, he would look towards the shot glass. He genuinely looked as though he was going to drink out of it. And indeed, he even picked it up. Lifted it up. Brought it to his lips. However, before he tipped it back all the way, he gave a heavy sigh and set it back down. 

    "It's...it's..." Luke took a shaky breath. He seemed genuinely, genuinely uncomfortable with this question. His snark, his confidence. It was pretty well and gone. The techy couldn't even bring his silver gaze to meet Mike's. Deep breaths. Had to do it eventually. "It's... Luke..."