[Open with Closed prompts] We are all our hands and holders

[silberfuchs]

Who| Albert and various people
What| Doing various plotted things, and also an open prompt!
Where| Around the Tower and maybe in the city
When| Through this week, after the kid's arena (back or forward dated as desired, but not too far forward)
Warnings/Notes| Main post is a general open prompt, character specific prompts are in the comments.

With that awful and thankfully short children-only Arena behind them, Albert has focused on his physical therapy as much as possible. He's walking without a cane entirely now, working out again in the mornings - or rather, the afternoons. Jet still comes up the second the curfew is lifted and they fall asleep together for a few hours. He still feels on edge, like they're simply biding their time until the next Arena, and then the next, rats running the wheels. It's frustrating.

To keep that frustration to manageable levels he tries to find other things to occupy his mind, worthwhile goals. During curfew hours he spends time writing music again, a practice to re-hone his fine motor function with a pen but also calm his mind. During the unconfined hours of the day, in what little time he spends without his husband (or sometimes with Jet), Albert makes other plans with the friends and allies he's made here as well as potentially looking for new ones.

He can be found nearly anywhere around in the afternoon and evening, most often in the Training Center or at the piano in the lobby, testing the strings of notes and chords he'd written the night previous. If anyone wants to join him for training they're welcome to do so, and even if he does seem a little shy, he doesn't mind an audience to his playing either. He needs feedback, of course, or else how will he improve? And if someone has in mind to go out somewhere, or runs into him on the street while purchasing more paper or more raw ingredients for Bruce's habit of stress cooking throughout the night, then he'll usually be pleased to stop for a chat.

Comments

Jet, and later Terezi

[silberfuchs]

The start of curfew is always a damper on Albert's day. After Jet had gotten rejected for a pass, the German hadn't even thought to try considering he doesn't want to owe the Capitol any favors. They say goodnight as always, Albert's kiss perhaps a little too lingering than is chaste for the hall outside the District 2 suites, then he takes the elevator up to 3 with a drawn out sigh, preparing for another sleepless night.

[metalicarus]

Jet can still feel the kiss on his lips even as he walks away and into his suite. He wanted to run over and kiss his husband senseless for leaving his lips tingling like that...but Jet had a surprise for his German and that would ruin it, so he resisted. All in good time.

Jet gathered up his stuff again -just enough for the night and tomorrow, the rest he could get later- and slung the bag over his shoulder. A gentle purring started up from the corner of the room and a grin bloomed on his face. One last thing to gather. The little purring bundle safely tucked away inside his jacket pocket and the papers giving him his freedom held tightly in his hand, Jet followed Albert up one level.

Jet was a little pleased to see the German hadn't quite made it to his room yet, instead having stopped into the kitchen for something. It worked just fine for Jet. He snuck up while Albert's back was turned and leaned against the counter with a smug little smile on his face.

"Hey there, come to this joint often?"

[silberfuchs]

Startled, Albert closes the fridge with a loud bang.

"Heaven, ass, and fathom, Jet what are you doing here?!" The curse just sounds comical in English but Albert is too worried about his husband being caught breaking curfew to notice at the moment.

He strides over to Jet, breathing between his teeth in an urgent near-silent hiss. "Are you insane? They've already made us cyborgs again, do you want to end up like Alex?"

[metalicarus]

The mangled curse Jet knew was supposed to be in German made his smile grow. He wasn't above laughing at how strange some of the things that came out of Albert's mouth sounded when he was being auto-translated.

That smile faltered ever-so-slightly at the remark about Alex, but his spirits were too high to be dampened very much. Jet reached up to trace his metal fingers against Albert's cheek. He didn't blame his husband for his reaction, considering the potential consequences, but this time Jet wasn't just being reckless like Albert clearly thought.

Jet pressed the papers into Albert's hand as a way of explanation. "Thanks for the vote of confidence but, for once, I do know what I'm doing. I got a pass."

[silberfuchs]

Papers crumple against his metal fingers but Albert straightens them out and reads after a warning look at his husband, mouth moving as he reads the words in the page.

"...grant a pass for curfe- Oh!" The look he gives Jet after tearing his white eyes away from the pass is joyous and somehow accusatory even in its mirth. He doesn't like being scared like that just for Jet's amusement. "That's... well, that's alight then."

He coughs, clearing his throat and handing the pages back. In the process, another worry unfortunately occurs. "What did you have to do to get this?"

[metalicarus]

Jet groaned and wrapped his arms behind Albert's neck to press a quick but hard kiss on his husband's lips. Once he'd pulled away a moment later, his smile had turned into an amused smirk. Albert had a knack for making the sharp edges around a situation seem more menacing rather than making them shine like a silver lining. It was frustratingly endearing.

"You're such a wet blanket. I get a pass and the first thing you ask me is if I've sold my soul." He shook his head and pulled away to fold the papers and stick them in his pocket. "I just promised to do some promotional stuff, nothing life or limb-threatening."

Truth was, he didn't know what it entailed fully, just that he'd have to do something for the Capitol in return for this, the uncertainty was what he got for not being specific, but he thought it was worth it. For Albert, whatever it was, it was worth it.

[silberfuchs]

"Alright..." He sounds cautious, but truthfully right now he's not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth. Granted it could mean they get ambushed by proverbial Greeks later, but when he'd been facing another sleepless night alone that's now turned into a potential sleepless night together, he'll take it.

"Well then, Faustus, seeing as you're here..." Albert lets a grin take over his face, slipping his arms around Jet's neck to return the kiss that had been visited upon him a moment before. "I think a celebration might be in order, don't you?"

[metalicarus]

Jet's arms laced around his husband's waist and his smirk turned a little more devilish.

"I think you're right. If you're not too busy here, maybe we should take this somewhere else."

Like the bedroom. Somewhere private where he can lavish attention on the older man and grant him the best night of sleep he'd had in a while. That either of them had had in a while. Metal fingers lace together as Jet pulls away and leads them out of the kitchen.

[silberfuchs]

That sounds better than heavenly and Albert smirks right back, unwinding himself in order to lead his husband down the hallway to his room. The door is marked with notes and chalk, childish handwriting declaring him all manner of silly names and even the outline of a... something - Albert's not sure what but it has a snout like a dragon - laid out in white as if at a crime scene.

But the games he's played with Terezi in the past to pass their lonely curfew times are the last thing on his mind. No, tonight it's entirely taken up with much less innocent pursuits. Albert pauses before opening the door, hand on the knob as he leans up to kiss Jet again, lingering and hungry. He gives a smoldering look as he pulls away, not breaking eye contact with Jet as he opens the door behind them, thinking to drag Jet backwards towards the bed...

And instead the second the door gives even a little, it's shoved fully open by a veritable avalanche of vibrating fluff as a mountain of tribbles in varying colors comes pouring from Albert's bedroom and buries the unsuspecting German in a furiously cooing mountain of fur. The top of Albert's head comes up a moment after the dust has settled, looking much like a bit of tribble himself with his short hair, and the resulting yell is enough to rattle the cups in the kitchen.

"Terezi!!"

[metalicarus]

Jet, thankfully, was out of the direct path of the avalanche and he merely watched on as his husband was buried beneath the mountain of tribbles. It all happened so fast that it took a moment to register, long enough for Albert to resurface and make his ire known. Yeah, their plans had pretty much just derailed thanks to whatever was going on when he wasn't here, but the entire thing was way too funny for Jet to be mad.

As a matter of fact, he was propping himself up on his knees as completely open laughter shook him. Amusement at Albert's expense was some of his favorite.

"I see you've got other plans for tonight. D-didn't mean to get in the way."

[pythianjudgment]

There is no way that Terezi wouldn't be nearby to witness the fruit of her labor. Nevermind the fact that it was curfew, and her presence in the suite was mandatory. This was priceless and just couldn't be missed.

As soon as Albert and Jet start heading back to Albert's room, Terezi inconspicuously wanders towards the hallway to better hear the result of her efforts. Sure enough, there's a avalanche of tribbles that cascade out the door when Albert opens it--which is honestly a lot more than she expected there to be. The hilarity of the situation only increases when Albert shouts her name loud enough for the floors above and below them to hear.

She cackles delightedly, even more-so when she hears Jet laughing, too. What a brilliant success. There is no way that she can't rub this in further for good measure. "Oh wow, I completely forgot to mention! You have company. They are so happy to see you."

[silberfuchs]

It takes Albert a surprisingly short time to wriggle his way out of the cooing, vibrating pile of fluff that is Terezi's well executed prank and even less time for the cyborg to whip one of the offending tribbles at his adopted-daughter-turned-vile-nemesis (not too hard, of course. He may be angry, but he's not out to actually hurt her).

"I'll get you back for this, I'll--!" He steps forward, or at least tries, only to step on another of the offending tribbles. In an effort not to put his full weight on the creature, Albert loses his balance and topples backwards, right into the very same pile that had buried him only a moment ago.

Maybe he can find his dignity in there somewhere.

[metalicarus]

Jet was nearly on the ground with how badly he was laughing, but he found support in a nearby wall and picked one of the poor tribbles up to pet it as the giggles started to subside. The ball of fluff trilled pleasantly in response and Jet turned his broad grin on Terezi.

"What's been going on after I leave at night? Are you two in a war or something?" If that was the case, Jet would never let Albert live it down. His usually straight-faced 'stick-in-the-mud' partner being in the middle of a prank war was too priceless.

[pythianjudgment]

It is difficult for Terezi not to double over in laughter herself. Jet's laughter isn't making this any easier. ...Nor is Albert throwing a Tribble at her and then falling ass first back into the pile of creatures. She can't even manage to dodge, she's laughing too much. She stifles another bout of laughter by clapping her hand over her mouth until she can control herself.

"Of course not!" Terezi finally answers Jet, giving Albert a minute to right himself in the tribble pile again. "I just thought that he would appreciate the company! He's so lonely at night, and I didn't realize that you were going to be here to entertain him." Whether or not Terezi means 'entertain' the way that the men were intending isn't apparent, but she doesn't seem bothered by the innuendo, accidental or otherwise. "I just left him some friends. Like, a couple hundred of them, I guess."

[silberfuchs]

While the other two chuckleheads were content to make him feel more the fool, Albert finally extracted himself from the pile for good and with another handful of tribble-ammunition to throw at his husband this time, the furry thing trilling and vibrating in his hand. It's so very childish but damnit, he's embarrassed and caught in a prank by someone he thinks of as his daughter when he was about to go do... adult activities. Not to mention the further innuendo just now.

It leaves Albert more flustered than he's been in recent memory, which accounts for the tribble-tossing.

[metalicarus]

Jet finally calms enough to straighten up again, although he leans against the wall a bit while he regains his breathing and Albert extracts himself from the pile. With a handful of tribbles he appears to intend to thrown again, this time at Jet.

He pointed at Albert accusingly, though the smile hadn't left his face. "Ah! Don't you dare. Those are living things, what would Geronimo say?" Invoking their teammate's name like some spell of protection is sure to work. Geronimo valued every living thing, Albert couldn't possibly throw the creatures again.

A little triumphant, Jet moved to stand next to Terezi, his arm coming up to wrap around her shoulders while he extracted the silver tribble he'd brought with him from his jacket pocket. "And to think, I was bringin him one myself. Great minds think alike. Now he's got enough he could just sleep in a tribble bed with tribble blankets."