"What kind of museum is that???" Miki yelped. "And they don't even pay you for catching the bugs for them? Rude."
Silver pulled her own phone out and then scrolled through Ben's contact til she found Dio's number. She hadn't exactly had a plan when she swiped Ben's phone off the kitchen counter, just the thought that popped into her head that she could copy Dio's number into her own phone.
After that she had no idea what she was going to do.
Cage nods. "I know! I catch fish for them too, but those don't hospitalize me. Wanna try to catch a fish?"
He hands her the DS.
*
Ryder runs a hand through his hair, taking a bag of m&m's from the counter and making his way to the couch.
"Thanks for letting me crash here again, Dio. Can't imagine why the apartment owner didn't like me." He pops a few m&m's into his mouth. "How'd that meeting thing go with the tall guy?"
Miki took the DS again and tried to catch a fish. "Is this all you do in this game? Catch stuff for the museum that doesn't pay you anything?"
Silver took a deep breath, staring at both phones showing Dio's number. I could text him from my phone but then I'd have to tell him who I am. But if I text him from Ben's phone Ben might see the texts.
*
Dio nodded from his nest of blanket on one end of the couch. "Of course. You know you're always welcome here." he flicked through files on his tablet. "Hmmm. Let's just say… it went. His children are absolute darlings, but he and his wife seemed really stressed. I understand, obviously, but I thought the evening went quite well, honestly. I thought they would enjoy having a relaxing dinner as well."
Cage bites his lip, pointing out a fish to her. "Nooo, I also have to work for that stupid raccoon, and pay him wayyyy too much just for a toilet. The guy is evil. And his nephews are annoying."
*
Ryder turns on the TV, raising his eyebrows. "He has kids? How old are they?"
Miki blinked at Cage, not even paying attention to the game. "This games sounds awful, Cage. Why are you even playing it?"
Slowly Silver typed "When are you coming back?" in the text field and stared at it. I'm gonna get in so much trouble.
Then she hit send and wrapped her arms around her legs.
–
"Oh!" Dio laughed. "No, they're not his biological children. They're other elementals he's protecting. But he acts like their parent. It's adorable." His phone chimed and he picked it up, frowning at the text.
"…who is this?" he typed back.
Cage shrugs. “I’m not allowed out of the house. Here,” he takes the DS back and promptly equips his character with a shovel. “Watch. If you whack your neighbors with the shovel enough, they get mad and gossip about you.”
*
Ryder gives a slow nod, “riiiight. Not weird at all.” He puts a few more candies in his mouth. “What’re gonna do about em? You just want elemental friends or is there something else?”
Miki burst out laughing. "Cage! You're terrible! How did you find that out?" She gave him a skeptical look. "Do you always hit your neighbors with shovels to find out what they'll do?"
Silver jumped when her phone dinged and snatched it up. She sat still for several minutes before responding "Silver."
–
Dio glanced up at him. "Both, hopefully. I want to help them, if Benjamin will let me, but i also want to be their friend."
Lackey appeared at the top of the stairs, having climbed in an upper window, and paused when he saw Ryder.
Oh. He's back.
Dio picked up his phone again and read the text. "Oh. Oooh dear."
Cage shrugs, giggling as he whacks his neighbor. “I dunno I got bored. I whack my neighbors when I’m bored.”
*
Ryder raises an eyebrow. “What? They tell you they hate you and plan to spill your guts? Come on, Dio, I’m dying for something exciting to happen.” He flops so he’s laying down on the couch and catches sight of Lackey, giving him a sharp smile (GET IT HAHAHA).
“Yo, kid. Wassup.”
Name: Ryder D’von
Age: 22
Gender: male
Appearance (clothing, face and body): Ryder is 6’2 and proud of it. He weighs a ton due to muscle mass, but probably less than Ben still. He’s not that buff. He isn’t as skinny as Gabriel, but he is slim. He’s very fit. His jaw is defined and almost square and his cheekbones aren’t as jagged as Gabriel’s but they’re still very visible. Half of his head has very short, only inches long hair (probably used to be shaved, but it’s just long enough to lay down but not brush) and the other half is an elegant wavy thats a little past his chin (barely). It’s ashy grey at the roots and the rest is pure white. Unlike Gabriel and Kissa, his skin is a richer, darker tan, making him look more middle eastern, and his eyes are a dark orange. His lips and palms are a lighter tone than the rest of his skin. His lips are not full or thin, and his nose is more square looking from the front and an average size. He has a few thick, white scars across his chest, resembling that of a very large animal attack. His wings are twice his size (so, normal for a Kavi) and are feathery and huge. They’re not as angelic and fluffy as Kissa’s and are more like bird wings. The feathers colors are ashy, white, grey and black. Normally shirtless inside (what did you expect) but other than that he wears a cream V neck and jean cargo pants. Normally has some kind of wrap on his forearm or is wearing gloves.
Additional info: he’s a sassy boi so watch out. He gives off a lot of Bad Boy vibes and does that cocky half smile all the time. Winking is his favorite thing to do right after making people uncomfortable. Even though he may seem very irritating, he’s very smart and knows a good bit about fighting and how to plan strategically. He can be a very big help. Also, he’s not great with his wings so they knock things over all the time. HIM AND GABE ARE LONGTIME FRIENDS
Element: meh, he’s Kavi.
Miki shook her head. "And here we thought you were the sweet innocent one."
–
Dio stared at his phone, only looking up and glancing toward the stairs when he heard Ryder greet Lackey. Lackey slowly descended the stairs, giving Ryder a nod of greeting. Dio could tell by his stiff, calculated movements that he was still in pain from whatever punishment Etienne had exacted on him for not turning Ben over. This was the first time Dio had seen him since that day he met Ben for coffee.
I'm fine, Lackey said, in response to the worried look on Dio's face.
"I went shopping yesterday." Dio said, turning back to his phone. "The pantry is full." To Silver he texted, "Hello, darling. Is everything alright?"
Cage giggles, setting the DS down. “Where do you think Sil ran off to? She bolted up the stairs earlier and I haven’t seen her since..”
*
Ryder clicks his tongue. “Was full, Dio. Was.” He pours the rest of the M&M’s into his mouth and stands, heading back to the pantry.
Miki glanced toward the stairs. "She did? That's weird. She probably did something she shouldn't have."
"Yeah, we're fine. I was just wondering if you were gonna come back."
–
Dio nodded absently, mind racing over the implications of Silver texting him.
A hint of a smile ghosted over Lackey's face as he followed Ryder into the kitchen. He retrieved a bowl from the cabinet and bared his teeth at Ryder in a fake threat when the other Kavi came back out of the pantry.
Cage squints at the stairs suspiciously and stands. “Wanna find out?”
*
Ryder bares his teeth right back at Lackey, scrunching his nose up. “You think you could possibly hurt me with those small fangs? Looks at mine,” he opens his mouth, feeling along his fangs with his fingers, “dere bihg.”
Miki pocketed her phone and stood up, heading for the stairs. "Sure. Better us find her doing something bad than Ben."
–
Lackey rolled his eyes and eased around him into the pantry, filling his bowl with trail mix before coming back out. He flicked an almond at Ryder on his way back to the living room where he stopped and watched Dio, still staring at his phone.
Dio glanced up when he felt Lackey's watching and sighed, shaking his head. "It's just… one of Benjamin's children. I'm quite sure she's not supposed to be texting me which means she's going to be in a lot of trouble. But I'm concerned why she reached out."
Ryder ignores the almond and quickly stands by Dio, leaning down to nestle his head on his shoulder. “Is she cute?”
*
Cage heads up the stairs, seeing the ladder to the attic down. “Mm? She’s hiding?”
"Oh boy." Miki said, heading for the ladder. "This can't be good. Silver!" she called up the ladder. "Are you doing something bad?"
Silver jumped when she heard Miki's voice and tried to scoot farther into her corner, frantically checking her phone every five seconds.
–
Dio made an exasperated, growling noise in his throat and turned his phone screen off so Ryder couldn't see Silver's texts. "Ryder, she's a kid! She's like eighteen or somethin–well, you're a kid too so I guess that's fine. I don't know if she's cute; she's not really my type. Also way too young for me to notice."
Ryder ruffles Dio’s hair standing up straight again. “Chill, Dio. It was a joke.” He turns around, walking back to tree couch with his trail mix. A sly grin crosses his face, “Give me her number?”
hes gonna punch me I can feel it.
Cage scrambled up the ladder and pushes the hatch open. “Sil?”
Lackey shot Ryder a sharp glance and leaned on the doorway of the kitchen. Idiot.
Dio glared at him and deigned not to answer, looking back at his phone. Instead of replying to Silver's last text, he decided to call her.
–
Silver gasped for breath, hearing them come up the ladder and wishing beyond anything that she could turn invisible like Gabriel, when her phone rang. She shrieked, jumping in freight, and then stared in horror at the caller ID.
"Yep, she's up there. Go on, let's find out what she's up to." Miki said, following Cage into the attic. "Sil, what are you even doing up here?"
Cage stumbles around with his hands, the room to black to see much. He catches sight of the phone light and heads over. “What are you doing??”
Silver panted, fighting away panic as her phone kept ringing and Cage and Miki found her. "I'm sorry!" she wailed as she answered her phone and held it to her ear.
"Oh my word." Miki came over and knelt in front of her. "Who are you–"
Silver made a silent shhhhh! motion, her eyes darting back and forth as she waited in silence.
–
Dio paused, hearing Silver pick up his call but not saying anything. "Hello…?" he finally said.
Ryder looks back to Dio, raising an eyebrow and listening closely.
*
Cage covers his mouth.
“Miki!” He whispers, “Sushi man!”
"What?!" Miki yelped. "Silver, why are you calling the Sushi Man?"
Silver flailed her arm, effectively slapping both of them repeatedly.
–
Dio raised his eyebrows, hearing chaos and growing more concerned. "Silver? Are you there? Are you okay?"
–
"Hi?" Silver said, staring at Miki in horror and guilt. "Yeah, I'm here."
Cage scoots back, rubbing his face. “Geez, Sil. Put him on speaker I wanna hear.” He looks into her lap and gasps. “IS THAT BENS PHONE!?!?!”
"Silver?" Dio said again. "What's going on? Who's there?"
Silver flinched and shoved Ben's phone into Cage's hands. "I'm sorry." she whispered. "I grabbed his phone to get Dio's number."
"Silver? What was that?" Dio asked.
Silver leaned her head back until it thumped against the wall and set her phone on speaker with a resigned sigh. "Uhhh. Cage and Miki are here too. We're okay. They just… they just found me right when you called. Sorry."
Cage bites his lip and shoves the phone into Miki’s hands. “I don’t want it.” He whispers. He looks down to the phone. “Hi Dio!”