All in a Cardboard Box || Kári

[Alfred F. Jones]

it's a

revolution

Word count: 835

Tags: @iceicebaby

Notes: Sorta vague...enter however you'd like.

Mornings were a beautiful time of the day.

Now, Alfred had not thought this for his whole life. For most of his life, Alfred had hated mornings. Mornings had meant school and work and breakfast and alarms. Alarms. God, those things were annoying.

But that had changed when he'd arrived in Russia. When dreams became nightmares. Everything had changed then. Mornings had for Alfred as well. He got up early, got dressed, and ran. Some days he ran just a few blocks before returning. Some days he ran miles and miles until he was a little mixed up as to where he was. Some days he just ran in circles. It was easy to forget one's worries when you were sweating and adrenaline was pumping through your veins. You couldn't think much more than concentrating on putting one foot in front of another. A few miles and you were on a runner's high, completely oblivious to whatever was happening around you. Alfred enjoyed the forgetting more than he was willing to admit.

Sleep was escape for some people and at one point, it had been for Alfred, but those days were long gone. Part of him wanted them back. It wasn't pleasant, being an insomniac, but it was the only way Alfred knew how to deal with the nightmares. Yet, if he went back...Alfred wondered if that meant he would revert to the person he used to be. He didn't want to be that boy again.

Alfred walked back slowly from his morning run. He'd picked up coffee on the way back, god he needed caffeine. It was frigid on the streets of Russia in the winter. Alfred didn't like leaving his room in the winter. It was too cold, too goddamn cold. But the cold seemed to work in the mornings. As much as he hated leaving his covers, staying under them was so much worse in a way, because he'd fall asleep. The cold kept him awake.

The nightmares had been worse recently. For a while, he hadn't been able to run and Alfred had been stuck in his house, trying to recover and not fall back into an abyss of darkness. He'd been in no condition to leave his room, much less exercise, and Alfred had known it. Still...Alfred had been desperate after...after...

Alfred paused, his fingers clenching just a little tighter around his coffee cup.

No. Denial. Alfred was okay. Nothing had happened.

Nothing at all.

Alfred watched his breath trail up into the air and he took a slow sip of his coffee. The caffeine soothed him, calmed him. He was alright. Perfectly, completely alright.

Alfred walked into the apartment building. The receptionist was too tired to greet him with more than a nod, and for that Alfred was glad. He didn't want to talk at the moment. Yet, at the same time, Alfred almost wished he did. He didn't want to go back to the loft either. His home had once felt safe. Now, Alfred would do almost anything to avoid it.

He needed to get a grip on himself. What had happened was over. Nothing would happen again. Alfred would make sure of it. Still, the memories haunted him and twisted painfully inside of him. He could still remember everything with an unbelievable clarity. Every single word that had crossed the man's lips. Every single moment.

Alfred had to stop remembering. He had to stop thinking of the incident. He would go crazy if he didn't.

Denial. Denial, denial, denial.

Alfred continued walking towards the elevator when he ran into a stack of cardboard boxes that had been placed to the side. He hadn't noticed them on his way down for some reason. As the top one began to fall, Alfred's eyes widened. He reached out with his left hand, grabbing the edge of it. God, it was heavy. He pulled it upwards, righting the box. His hand lingered on the box ever so slightly, gripping onto its side.

Alfred wondered what he was meant to do with this. He inspected the box. Nothing damaged—it hadn't even hit the floor. Luckily, it wasn't marked with caution signs that screamed “fragile” everywhere. Hopefully everything inside was fine.

Now who had left these boxes here? Was someone moving in? Distrust filled Alfred. He wanted to be a kind neighbor. But he seemed unable to trust people, after what had happened. He hadn't spoken to a soul in days, at least no more than what was necessary to survive. A new neighbor wasn't exactly news that delighted Alfred. It could be anyone. Someone who could simply wreck more havoc and...

God, he needed to stop thinking this way.

Alfred paused, coffee cup in hand. Uncertainty rippled through him. Normally, Alfred would offer to help a new neighbor move in. Today though, Alfred didn't know if he could bring himself to do that. Whoever it was didn't seem to be around though, so maybe he could sneak off...

i suppose

by Worldie for Leia

[Deleted]

we are wild...

Word Count: 704 | Tags: Alfred F. Jones | Notes: conversation starter: talking bird

M

oving was stressful. Kári stared at his new apartment, small by so many standards, but so big from just him and a puffin. The emptiness of it all only stood to make it seem bigger. He was so out of his comfort zone that he didn't even know where to begin looking to enter it again. This city put him on edge. This gilded city built on lies and the enslaved lives of the Powered individuals. He arrived early in the morning, just as the sun started to peak above the horizon. It was cold, so unbelievably cold. He had forgotten how the cold felt different here. It seemed to seep into his bones and his soul. He hated it.

The fact that he hadn't been able to fall asleep the entire plane ride and then arrived at the buttcrack of dawn did not help his mood about being in Arkaydia. Kári hated waking up early. He hated the exhausted feeling of dragging his body into movement before noon. For work, he had a purpose and a reason to bother waking up. For reasons that were all within his control? It made waking up all the worse. All he had to have done was reschedule everything. Just had a flight that came in later in the day, then moved all his stuff in during the evening and late into the night. Then he could have slept in and never had to deal with the Russian morning. Of course, that was his childish side talking. Logically speaking it was better to force himself to get things done during the day and start on a good schedule of going to bed at normal hours and waking up early to begin his job hunting. Logic sucked sometimes.

He had shipped most of his belongings ahead of him to his new residency, so he didn't have much luggage to transport from the airport. When he arrived at the apartment complex, however, he was bombarded by how much crap he actually had. He didn't remember packing so many boxes. How had be packed so many boxes? With the help of the receptionist, they hauled all his boxes from the mailroom to the hallway next to his door. How were there so many boxes! Kári wasn't even sure where he was supposed to put all his things. No doubt he was going to be living out of these boxes for a while until he could afford more furniture…

Mr. Puffin saw the comings of Kári shutting down and giving up to just take a nap and deal with everything late, so quickly devised a game plan for unpacking. First they would bring all of the kitchen supply boxes inside and unpack them, since there were actual cupboards and drawers for things to go. Unpacking wasn't so overwhelming while getting the kitchen in order. But as he put plates in place and sorted his silverware his mind wandered to the massive pile still waiting for him in the hall. He needed a dresser and hangers (he forgot to pack hangers, because they were such a common thing it wasn't something that crossed his mind!) and bookshelves and a desk and- He heard a small noise in the hall.

He looked up to Mr. Puffin, who shrugged. "Box probably fell. I think you made the mistake of putting a book box on top of a clothing box."

Kári sighed and set the last fork in place. What he hadn't expected, upon opening he door, was a bespectacled blond holding a coffee in one hand and supporting one of Kári's boxes with the other. "Oh- Sorry. Thank you," he said evenly, but rushed to lift the box from the man's hand. He checked the label, then the label of the one that it had been underneath. Of course Mr. Puffin had been right.

"I was right, wasn't I?" Said bird scoffed, gliding through the open door to land on Kári's shoulder. Kári immediately tensed, gaze flicking from the stranger to his talking bird. Mr. Puffin looked up and realized his mistake. "Whoops. Shit. Bird out of the cage. Hey random guy, do us a favor and don't mention the talking bird to anyone."

we are like young volcanoes

by worldie for jem

[Alfred F. Jones]

it's a

revolution

Word count: 609

Tags: @iceicebaby

Notes:

Alfred didn't notice that he was still holding the box in one hand when a boy with platinum blond hair rushed out, apologizing as he lifted the box and set it back in place. So this must be the owner of these boxes.

"No, no worries," Alfred smiled. Wow, this boy was young, and that was saying something, coming from Alfred. He was a bit shorter than Alfred, at least by a couple of inches. An average height, but that wasn't what made him look young. No, he just looked young if you looked him in the face. Was he alone? Alfred wondered why someone so young had already moved out. Not that he was really one to judge. After all, Alfred had been on the run since he was seventeen.

Alfred was about to speak up, when a bird came flying out. A bird? Alfred completely forgot what he was about to say, only staring as the black and white bird landed on the boy's shoulder. It had a bright orange beak and really looked a little out of place.

Alfred had seen one of these birds before, years ago. Maybe during a science class or something. What was it called? A puffin? Yes, a puffin.

...Why was a puffin in Russia?

Those questions seemed to fade when the puffin opened up its mouth and began to talk. "I was right, wasn't I?" Alfred's eyes went wide.

Kári shot a glance at Alfred, his shoulders tense. The puffin looked up at Alfred. "Whoops." Alfred stared. "Shit." The bird swore too? "Bird out of the cage. Hey random guy, do us a favor and don't mention the talking bird to anyone."

Random guy?

Somehow, Alfred found his voice. "...Um. Okay." Great starter, wow. "Introductions then. I'm Alfred. I live at the very top of this building. And...wow. That's a nice puffin you've got there." His eyebrows scrunched up. "What's his name?" Alfred had heard of parrots speaking, but talking puffins? Where the heck did one even get a puffin? And why the heck did this kid have one and choose to bring it to Russia?

Alfred wondered how smart this puffin was. It could certainly hold a conversation, which was more than any parrot Alfred had seen could ever do. He'd once tried talking to his friend's parrot. It just squawked and repeated random words that his friend had taught him. It was more of mimicry than talking, Alfred had realized. This though, was different. A fully intelligent puffin? One didn't see that everywhere.

"Say," Alfred said. The previous reserve he'd had was basically gone. This guy was just a kid, though it might sound hypocritical coming from Alfred. Besides, Alfred was curious about his talking puffin. "Do you want some help moving in?" He gestured at the boxes. "I could help you move them in and unpack. Not sure if you have anyone else to help you." He gave the guy a smile. What was he doing here, alone with only a puffin for company?

The guy looked tired, with visible bags under his violet eyes. Had he been up since dawn? Alfred had too, but he was used to that and he didn't have the stress of moving in. Alfred wondered where he was moving from. Maybe from his parent's house, but even then, why was he moving out alone? Alfred might not have gone through the most normal childhood, but he certainly knew that for most people, they moved out with a roommate. A good friend of sorts. Unless this puffin could pay rent as well as talk, this guy seemed to be alone.

i suppose

by Worldie for Leia

[Deleted]

we are wild...

Word Count: 501 | Tags: Alfred F. Jones | Notes: Mr. Puffin fancies himself a gangster

K

ári internally groaned and resisted the urge to hide his face in his hands. Good going. Instead of just keeping quiet, Mr. Puffin had to go and keep talking. Maybe he could try to pass him off as a talking bird taught a few tricks, but it was rather hard to explain an intelligent bird speaking on its own. Sometimes Mr. Puffin was a total idiot. "...Um. Okay. Introductions then. I'm Alfred. I live at the very top of this building. And...wow. That's a nice puffin you've got there. What's his name?" Yeah this was embarrassing. Someone wasn't getting any licorice today. Kári's shoulders dropped as he mumbled, "This is Mr. Puffin." He cursed his young self to not have the hindsight to name his pet puffin something a little less childish. "I'm Kári, pleasure to meet you…"

This man seemed to be in his own little world, not pausing long enough to even process the quiet answer Kári gave. "Say, do you want some help moving in? I could help you move them in and unpack. Not sure if you have anyone else to help you." Kári shot a glare at Mr. Puffin. This was all his fault. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut and then Kári wouldn't have to deal with some loud and 'helpful' neighbor. Weren't people from big cities supposed to be self centered and not care about their neighbors? That was the stereotype, it was just Kári's luck someone that defied the stereotype happened to be passing by.

"No, that's all right, thank you for the offer, but-" Mr. Puffin pecked his cheek with a mischievous glint in his eye. With a flap and a glide he perched on Alfred's shoulder and examined his claws on one foot as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. "You're falling asleep while unpacking as it is, Kári. This loudmouth's - ahem - sorry, young gentleman's help would be appreciated, don't you think?"

His face twitched slightly as he started to get angry. “That is not for pet birds that know a lot of tricks to seem like he knows how to talk to decide.” Without any consideration for Alfred, Kári lunged for the puffin, who only laughed and jumped up out of reach on top of Alfred’s head. He bent over so his face was in Alfred’s. “I think blondie here isn’t completely stupid and already figured out I’m not a normal bird. And he’s offering to help! Shouldn’t we accept his kindness and maybe tie him up when he’s unsuspecting to make sure he doesn’t blab?”

Kári’s jaw dropped and was visibly appalled at Mr. Puffin’s suggestion. He turned to Alfred and quickly apologized. “Please don’t listen to him. He’s extremely rude, I would never tie someone up. I- um would you like some licorice? I’m sorry about him.” Out of his pocket came a small bag of licorice, which he held up with Alfred with a small, apologetic frown.

we are like young volcanoes

by worldie for jem

[Alfred F. Jones]

it's a

revolution

Word count: 778

Tags: @iceicebaby

Notes: Mr. Puffin's making Al uncomfortable, pff. XD

"This is Mr. Puffin." Mr. Puffin? Alfred laughed a little to himself. Cute name. He wondered if the boy had gotten the puffin recently or if it had been with him since he was a child. Probably the latter, seeing as the puffin could actually talk and hold a conversation.

Kári. How did you spell that? Cowrie? Like a cowrie shell? Would it be too impolite to ask? Maybe, but it would also be pretty impolite to mispronounce it. Knowing Alfred, he would mispronounce it at some point...

Already though, Kári was rejecting his offer to help. Alfred couldn't help but feel a little relieved. He wouldn't get to know his neighbor after all, they would simply part ways. Alfred wouldn't have to pretend to smile and chat while they unpacked boxes. He would simply cheerfully head on upstairs, minding his own business. Maybe from time to time, he would give a friendly wave or nod in Kári's direction, but that would be that. Alfred had tried, good enough and...

Alfred froze as the puffin landed on his shoulder. It seemed perfectly at ease there, even as Alfred tensed. "You're falling asleep while unpacking as it is, Kári. This loudmouth's - ahem - sorry, young gentleman's help would be appreciated, don't you think?"

Damn, now he had to help. He couldn't just let a kid (okay, Alfred wasn't that much older than Kári but he was pretty sure he was by at least a year or two) struggle and move in by himself. Alfred had done that and it sucked. It was a boring, tedious job without someone with you.

...Wait, loudmouth? Alfred frowned. He hadn't been that loud, had he? Alfred was well aware he could be overly cheerful, but...with what had happened recently he really wasn't quite the same as usual...

“That is not for pet birds that know a lot of tricks to seem like he knows how to talk to decide.” Alfred blinked. Kári was sure emphasizing the fact that Mr. Puffin was supposed to be a normal bird (even though as far as Alfred could tell, it seemed far from it). What surprised him even more was when Kári lunged at the bird on Alfred's shoulder. Alfred jumped, flinching ever so slightly. The bird laughed (wait, he laughed? Was that even physically possible?) and jumped onto Alfred's head. It bent over, staring Alfred straight in the face.

Its beak was right between Alfred's eyes, both giving him an uncomfortable pressure between them and making Alfred go cross-eyed. It was like having a gun pointed at your head...except this was a bird. Stop thinking about that.

“I think blondie here isn’t completely stupid—" wow, gee, thanks, Alfred thought, "—and already figured out I’m not a normal bird. And he’s offering to help! Shouldn’t we accept his kindness and maybe tie him up when he’s unsuspecting to make sure he doesn’t blab?”

Alfred flinched again, subconsciously rubbing his wrists. He swallowed, images flashing through his mind. He knew the puffin meant it as a joke and normally, Alfred would have laughed it off. But with recent events in mind, Alfred couldn't quite seem to do that. Alfred knew that he could easily take someone like Kári, that it would hardly be a challenge. But still...the thought of being restrained again? Threatened again? It wasn't a pleasant thought and it brought to mind too many unpleasant memories.

Kári's jaw dropped when he heard his puffin speak that way. He looked appalled, which Alfred was grateful for. “Please don’t listen to him. He’s extremely rude, I would never tie someone up. I- um would you like some licorice? I’m sorry about him.” He hurriedly brought out a bag of licorice and offered it to Alfred.

Somehow, those few words seemed to help Alfred find his voice. This kid was harmless, the puffin was joking, and Alfred was supposed to be acting natural. Alfred grinned, though it felt a little shaky to him. "Don't mind if I do," he said cheerfully, taking a piece for himself and popping it into his mouth. The sweetness of the licorice seemed to calm him down. "No, but seriously...Kári, is it?" Alfred wondered if he was mispronouncing the name. Did it sound like Kari? Wasn't that a girl's name? Or was it pronounced like cowrie? "I'd be glad to help. I don't have much to do and it's no fun moving in without someone else." Alfred picked up a cardboard box easily. "C'mon, show me where you want this."

i suppose

by Worldie for Leia

[Deleted]

we are wild...

Word Count: 593 | Tags: Alfred F. Jones | Notes: man wouldn't it suck if Alfred dropped that ox and it burst open. Ha

T

hankfully, Alfred did not seem to take offense from Mr. Puffin's rude words. Rather, he seemed a tad shaken by the whole exchange. Who knew what kind of history and past experiences this man had! Kári was always lecturing Mr. Puffin to be more considerate of people and keep tabs on his potentially triggering behavior (because honestly, his puffin was so extremely brash and rude and his sense of humor left a lot to be desired), but his lectures always seemed to fall on deaf ears. Rude, stupid puffin always having to do the opposite of what Kári wanted. "Don't mind if I do," Alfred said as he helped himself to the offered candy. The stiffness in his posture and expression seemed to be completely gone as he ate the piece he grabbed. Kári could not help but mentally cheer for the power of licorice, it never failed him. Nothing was better than the power of licorice; and a win for licorice was a win for Kári.

"No, but seriously... Kári is it?" Alfred hesitated for a moment with the pronunciation of his name, so shook his head and quietly offered the correct pronunciation, less 'car' and more 'cawh,' but he was not sure if Alfred heard it before he continued talking. "I'd be glad to help. I don't have much to do and it's no fun moving in without someone else." Oh no, no, no, this was what Kári was trying to avoid. His stomach flipped and he started to panic, none of which showed on his face except for the slightly tick in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. Alfred had already picked up a box and was looking to him expectantly as he said, "C'mon, show me where you want this."

Kári started to reach up for the box to snatch it back from Alfred. There was no way he could accept this stranger's help, especially after Mr. Puffin had been so crass and threatening! Said bird took the outstretched arms as an invitation to perch. He jumped down from Alfred's head and landed in Kári's arms, knowing the teen would immediately forgo trying to grab the box in favor of catching his puffin friend. "This guy is decent. Keep him around, Kári." He said to Kári, who was too panicked to be able to form words. Knowing this fact full and well, Mr. Puffin then turned to Alfred with a pleased glint in his eyes. "That box should go in Kári's room." He leapt out of Kári's hold to glide onto another box. "Kári will grab this one and show you which is his room."

There really was no arguing at this point. Mr. Puffin had already made up his mind and had taken charge. Even if Kári tried to fight him, he would just waste time that could be spent packing and still end up doing what the puffin wanted. So obnoxious... He mumbled an apology to Alfred and, "Just a moment..." The box My. Puffin picked out for him was just clothing, nothing too heavy. He sighed and picked it up, nodding to Alfred for him to follow. Oh god. He finally noticed which box Alfred had picked up. Written in his mother's flowing handwriting was 'Dresses!!' with several hearts and flowers drawn around it. He had planned on just leaving them at home, but his mother had packed so many things against his wishes. Deeply wishing Alfred would not notice the label for the box he carried, Kári led the short way to his bedroom.

we are like young volcanoes

by worldie for jem

[Alfred F. Jones]

it's a

revolution

Word count: 601

Tags: @iceicebaby

Notes: Wouldn't that suck indeed. Also, this pic = Al's initial reaction.

Kári didn't seem too happy with Alfred helping out. The younger boy reached up to grab the box from Alfred's hands. Mr. Puffin seemed to solve the issue, jumping down from Alfred's shoulder and into Kári's arms. "This guy is decent. Keep him around, Kári." The puffin looked at Alfred with an almost human glint in his eyes. "That box should go in Kári's room," the puffin said, addressing Alfred' s earlier question. "Kári will grab this one and show you which is his room."

Kári seemed to be very much dictated by his bird, which was a mildly amusing relationship. Alfred smiled softly as Kári murmured an apology and picked up one of the boxes, heading into his apartment. So he'd passed the test. Or at least, Kári couldn't really reject him.

Perhaps Kári was a little embarrassed to have a stranger move in with him. Was he the social sort? No, probably not...most people would have had friends or family moving in. That made Alfred wonder why Kári was moving in alone again. He didn't feel bad about almost forcing himself to help Kári move in. The kid could use some help. To be honest though, his reasons weren't completely selfless. Alfred would much rather be down here, helping Kári move in, than to be in his apartment alone. He could at least talk here, to somebody who knew nothing about him. Even though it was probably better if he was alone... A shiver ran involuntarily down his spine. Alfred blinked, trying to brush away his thoughts.

Talk, Alfred, talk, Alfred chided himself. That was the easiest way to distract himself from reality. "So, Kári," Alfred said as he carried the box easily. It really was quite light, he probably could've taken two boxes... "Why are you moving in now?" It was the middle of winter. Most students didn't graduate until June, after exams. "Most people don't move in by themselves. Do you have fa-I mean, friends around here?"

Family...Matthew. No, Alfred couldn't afford to think more about his brother. His mind wandered for a moment as he thought about what the man had said about his brother. Alive...

The thought was both welcoming and disconcerting. If Matthew was alive...Alfred would do almost anything for his brother. Hell, maybe anything. Alfred wasn't sure. He was all too aware how big of a weakness it was, to have a mutant brother. He hadn't really thought about it before, having never been caught in his illegal escapades and never really daring to believe that Matthew was alive, but now? Alfred swallowed. Was the man bluffing? But Alfred couldn't count on that. He'd have to venture into the Underground again in a while, to find Mattie...

Shit. While being lost in his thoughts, Alfred had completely neglected to pay attention to where he was heading. Bumping violently into a corner, Alfred nearly fell over and the box, which hadn't been properly sealed, burst open. Clothing flew everywhere and Alfred's eyes widened in shock. Crap. Alfred scrambled to pick up the...

"...Dresses?" Alfred blinked. He wasn't sure what he had to say.

He recovered quickly though, reaching and putting the dresses back in the box. Alfred gave a weak smile to try and break through the awkward silence that had ensued. It wasn't like Alfred hadn't cross-dressed before, though that was for a con...no clue what Kári would use them for... "Not sure those will be warm enough for the weather around here," he commented.

i suppose

by Worldie for Leia

[Deleted]

we are wild...

Word Count: 416 | Tags: Alfred F. Jones | Notes: 

O

Of course, the dreaded questions that normal folk felt the need to ask. Never mind that is was not of Alfred's business, to him it was surely idle chatter and perfectly normal questions to ask when assisting a stranger move his belongings into his home. Perhaps for anyone else, it was normal, but Kári was not a particularly good liar and he doubted he would ever feel comfortable sharing his true intentions for moving to Arkaydia with, well, anyone for a while. He had yet the chance to come up with a decent story. There were many other things to be concerned about and Kári had not thought he would be faced with the question within hours of his arriving to his new home, just his luck wasn't it?

So he awkwardly coughed to clear his throat of his building anxiety. It was fine, everything was fine. Just answer vaguely and Alfred would leave it alone. "No friends. Some family in the area, sorta the reason I mov-" His words died in his mouth as Alfred collided with the corner of the hallway and split the box he was holding open, sending its contents across the floor. Not just any contents. No, of course it just had to be his dress box.

Kári stood frozen in place at the horrific sight. It was not as if he had any embarrassing dresses. They were all quite fashionable, but the fact remained he was a male with dresses and it was not normal. A lump in his throat started to grow as he bit back rising panic. He felt like he was underwater and in the distance he could hear Alfred question the contents on the ground. Was he going to start laughing now? Was he the kind to feel threatened by the abnormal, and thus in turn threaten the smaller, younger teen he had been helping? Mr. Puffin interrupted Kári's spiraling mind with a harsh peck, just in time for Kári to hear Alfred say ever so casually, "Not sure those will be warm enough for the weather around here."

He let out a deep breath and forced his tense muscles to relax. Alfred was not offended by his peculiar wardrobe. Why had he even cared? Honestly. Worked up over nothing. Kári shrugged and placed his boxes in his room before returning to Alfred to assist him in putting the rest of the dresses away. "It's cold in Iceland as well. I don't wear them much anyways."

we are like young volcanoes

by worldie for jem