𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢.

⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀──⠀just⠀𝚃𝚁𝚈𝙸𝙽𝙶⠀to⠀𝓢𝚃𝙰𝚈⠀in⠀𝖑𝐢𝐧𝐞.
⠀⠀

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

⠀⠀
𝓘'm⠀the⠀𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙱𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙺⠀that⠀𝖆𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬
⠀far⠀𝚃𝙾𝙾⠀𝙼𝚄𝙲𝙷⠀to⠀be⠀𝖘𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝.
⠀⠀⠀⠀

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

A brief sigh and a pinch to the bridge of his nose as he opens the door wider, beckoning her to come in.

"Depends how much and what for."

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

He glances back at the mess of books on the floor of his apartment, then shrugs.

"No, why?"

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

Pulling the door open slightly, meeting gaze behind glasses.

"No, I'm alive."

[* 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐠. @boyforgiven]

⠀

⠀

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

Okay, an unlikely event, then.

[ᅟ* 𝙚͟лена . @ivoryvdova]

haha, very funny.

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

A miracle.

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

Dragging himself out of the apartment, obvious bags under his eyes.

[𝕯𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌. / archived @onelromanced]

https://t.co/Azp965rHKV

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

Furiously washing his hands.

A patient died on the table.

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

— the picture of a professional doctor, and gestures to the door that leads to the consultation room once again. No differently than Caleb would have done.

"No, please. I insist. After 𝘺𝘰𝘶."

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

A subtle brow raises over an eye, and Kieran can't help the shadow of a smirk looming over their lips.

Gaze flickering around, making sure nobody is listening, before he leans in closer to the patient's ear,

"You won't find what you're looking for there."

He straightens up, —

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

"How much do you want? Name a price."

If it's money, it's no problem. Their bank account is flush with blood money.

"I believe in suspending my disbelief until something can be disproven, beyond reasonable doubt. That includes anything supernatural."

[𝑼͟𝑵͟𝑫͟𝒀͟𝑰͟𝑵͟𝑮⸺𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒 .ᐟ @fuegosolarus]

“ do you believe in supernatural creatures? ”

he inquired with a dubiously quirked brow. he would love to tell the other lots of things but alas, a stranger he was.

“ you might need more than a penny. ”

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

Struggling with stitching a gash on his forearm.

The surgeon needing stitches. Joke of the year.

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

— the rest of them know of what's truly going on.

He chuckles, raising his gaze from the pages of the journal to glance at the kid.

"You're interesting, but not that interesting. Two-way compromise isn't the way to do this."

Because it will go bad when it goes bad.

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

"What makes you think I'm planning anything?"

Idly, or as idly as he could, he turns the chair towards the desk and pries open the bottom drawer, retrieving from it a leatherbound journal.

All these schemes, all these years. Blood they didn’t want to spill any more than let —

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

— state while his mind begins to conjure up scenarios.

If he could take this man down, that's one step closer to freedom.

"You did good work. Doesn't give you a gateway to my personal decisions."

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

"Fair. My bad."

Split-second judgments would only take them so far—ridden with biases and the emotionality of the moment.

Though he can't deny, he's curious now.

"Our deal didn't include questions, kid."

He leans back and places his hands behind his head, feigning a relaxed —

[𝖉𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐢. @diminutized]

"I've seen some weird shit in my time. Try me."

If it's the weed kicking in or if it's just his general disposition, is hard to tell, but he grins and kicks back further into a more comfortable position.

"I'll give you a penny to hear that."

[𝑼͟𝑵͟𝑫͟𝒀͟𝑰͟𝑵͟𝑮⸺𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒 .ᐟ @fuegosolarus]

“ you wouldn't believe me even if i tell you. ”

the shapeshifter smirked, extending their legs forward with a careless shrug.

“ ah, well? i do have a story. ”