[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/JsDT4zW.png[/img]
[b]Location: His gym
Interacting with: Himself, of course, he’s a brooding monstrosity, didn’t you know?
Time: 1:50 A.M. - 2:07 A.M.[/b]

When had he arrived at the gym? He didn’t even know. It was strange to think it was [i]his[/i] now, that it didn’t belong to the old man. It, along with so many other things, had been left to Troy in his passing, as if the old man didn't have a family. Knowing that it was what the old man would have wanted, Troy trained as hard as ever, perhaps even hard. But now, today, his skills seemed to be escaping him. It was [i]frustrating[/i], [i]enraging[/i] even, and in his rage Troy knew that he was only floundering harder. He turned to walk away from the punching bag and leave, to give up, but he stopped himself and spun on his heel, launching into a flurry of jabs and kicks against the bag, shouting as he did so.

It was getting late, almost two AM in the morning, but Troy wasn’t finished training. And he wouldn’t be, until he did it [i]right[/i]. He swung a left hook, then a right hook, and ended it with a kick against the training bag, driving his foot into it. Still, the bag didn’t move. Internally, Troy screamed. Externally, he ran through it again. And again, the bag didn’t move. He shook himself, but suddenly he could hear a voice he hadn’t heard in months; the old man’s.

[b]“You have to breathe, boy!”[/b]

Troy snarled, shaking his head. Dead. The old man was dead, and he was still here to spit his ‘infinite wisdom.’ [color=3545c4][b]“I am breathing! Are you watching or what, you old motherfucker!?”[/b][/color] He barked, glancing over his shoulder to face the man, though he felt a sharp pang in his chest when he realized that he was just [i]hearing[/i] things. The old man wasn’t there, but Troy could clearly remember the first time he’d learned this.

He shut his eyes and let himself imagine the old man in front of him. Perfectly, he could hear the voice in his ears, as if the old man was standing right behind him. [b]“You breathe out with each strike. Inhale, exhale strike. Inhale, exhale strike. With three hits, and your strength, the bag should swing, and swing hard.”[/b] Troy opened his eyes and imagined the old man standing next to him, not the weak, dying man he’d been a few months ago, but years ago. When they’d first met, when the old man might as well have been Superman in Troy’s eyes.

[b]“I’ll show you, Troy. Are you ready?”[/b] Almost excitedly, Troy nodded rapidly and the old man smiled. [b]“Inhale,”[/b] he said and Troy parroted his movements, breathing in deeply and pulling his arm back. [b]“Exhale.”[/b] Simultaneously with the man in his mind, Troy let out the breath and fired off the punch.

This time, the bag swung. Smiling slightly now, Troy took the next blow by himself. Inhale. Exhale. The blow hit the bag and it swung again. Troy smiled, he knew how proud the old man would be with this showing. One last time. Troy took in a huge breath this time, and launched off the kick at the bag. He struck true this time--yet the bag didn’t move. Instead, the old fabric tore from the strength of his blow and the sand began to spill out. With a huge smile on his lips, Troy turned to look at the old man. [color=3545c4][b]“Did you see it?”[/b][/color] He asked, but the man was gone. Troy’s fists clenched tightly and he could feel the tears coming. Crying [i]again[/i], what was wrong with him?

The old man would never see it again. He’d never really be there. Troy blinked away a few of the tears and did his best to steady himself as the sand piled at his feet. He tightened his fists even further, and he could feel the tape around his palms rip and his fingernails dig into his skin.

He gave up.

The tears fell freely into the pile of sand and Troy turned himself away from the bag, as he let out a pathetic sobbing noise. [color=3545c4][i]’He was never there,’[/i][/color] Troy bitterly reminded himself. [color=3545c4][i]’I was hearing things. Imagining things, like a child. He’ll never be back. He’s [b]gone.’[/b][/i][/color] He had to accept it, even if it hurt more than anything else. Troy hadn’t know what it felt like to lose someone, but now that he did, he was terrified of facing it again. He let his fists uncurl, and he wiped at his eyes as he walked toward the door, fresh blood from where his fingernails had dug stained the white tape he’d carefully wrapped around his hands.

He had school in the morning, but what was even the point? No one cared about what he did; and now that the old man was gone, Troy wondered if he even cared. Deep down, he knew he was only doing it because it was what the old man wanted, but what was the [i]point?![/i]

He didn’t know anymore.
[hr]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/AIhRAx0.png[/img]
[b]Location: His basement
Interacting with: Himsefl
Time: 1:57 AM to 2:09 AM[/b]

Should he be in his bed, sleeping and resting while he mentally prepared for the day after? Probably. After all, it was the beginning of [i]school[/i], possibly his single most disliked time of year, for a variety of reasons… and, for the most part, the reasons were tacked onto his corkboard wall by this point; he’d been working on them for ages now, ever since he’d woken up and it sort of dawned on him that [i]school[/i] was coming up.

David had spent the entire evening drawing pictures of his classmates, stylizing them in a comic-book esque fashion. Mostly, he drew people he’d interacted with--or largely feared interacting with: as he was finishing it up now, it amounted to Troy(drawn slightly in the style of one of Davy’s favorite comic book characters, the Punisher), Jareth(who Davy drew with a particularly excessive use of black, even going so far as to give him a skull mask--Jar would have liked it, Davy thought), the gruesome twosome(the ferocious duo of Eve and Audrey--drawn as demon girls, complete with--admittedly fan-service-y--devil tails, whips, and ears), and, finally, the dynamic duo of Tyler and Josh(stylized vaguely as the wonder twins, with neither one looking like they [i]enjoyed[/i] being super heroes, and speech bubbles extending from both of them containing ‘...’). These were the people Davy was excited to see regularly, and the people Davy [i]really[/i] didn’t want to interact with. The only notable ones missing were Aurora and Alyssa, both of whom Davy had just been unable to decide on how to stylize.

He took a few of his thumbtacks out of the container and lifted the final drawing, the wonder twins, up toward the corkboard and pinned it up, then stared at his handiwork as he looked down at his watch. [b][color=228B22]”...it’s late.”[/color][/b] He stared at the drawings for a few seconds, then glanced back down at his watch. Sleep was necessary, he figured, but he didn’t really [i]feel[/i] like it. Already dressed in his pajamas--don’t tell anyone, but Davy simply hadn’t changed out of his pajamas from the night before--the young man stood up to his feet and moved over to one of the beanbags in his basement bedroom, flopping down on it. [b][color=228B22]”Maybe I’ll sleep in and be late.”[/color][/b]

He yawned and rubbed his eyes, reaching down to the floor to grab a discarded blanket and pillow from the night before. At least, he thought to himself, it was his last year. Maybe… there was something beautiful in store for him. After that thought crossed his mind, even the mild-mannered Davy blew air out of his nose in minor amusement. With the people he went to school with? The only thing beautiful likely to come from Beverly Hills High was beautiful oblivion.

David clapped his hands together, and the lights in the room shut off. He fiddled with the remote to the bluetooth surround sound in his room, turning it on, but kept the volume low as he dug around in his phone’s files to select a song to rest to. Once [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-ZfcqUczXc]satisfied,[/url] David rolled to tighten the blankets around himself and closed his eyes. Sleep would come in time, he was certain.
[hr]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/rdNolLb.png[/img]
[b]Location: His bedroom
Interacting with: His younger sister
Time: 1:58 AM to 2:06 AM[/b]

He had to be dreaming, right? That was the only way this would be happening. Aw, hell, dreams were to be enjoyed anyway.

[b]”I’m here with #18, Connor, of the Dallas Cowboys, who just beat the New Englad Patriots. How does it feel to win the Superbowl, get the Superbowl MVP, and break the record for most passing yards scored in a season, [i]and[/i] get the winning touchdown of the Superbowl, all in one night?”[/b] Mean Gene Okerlund excitedly asked Connor as he held his trophy high above his head, to the fans that were screaming his name as he stood victorious in… Madison Square Garden?

Yep, definitely dreaming.

[color=d32626][b]”Well, the first thing I want to be done is to get that piece of ball deflating crap Tom Brady out of my arena! Actually, don’t just get him out of the arena, get him out of the NFL, because I just proved son, without a shadow of a doubt that you ain’t got what it takes anymore!”[/b][/color]

The crowd started to chant his name even louder, more rhythmically… no, wait, frantically, like it was something important? Blatantly, Connor ignored them. [color=d32626][b]”My first order of business is to serve some notice, and I’m servin’ notice to the everyone in the National Football League, I don’t give a damn who it is, they’re all on the list and that’s Connor’s list and I’m fixin’ to start runnin’ through all of em!”[/b][/color] Excellent Stone Cold impression Connor, well done. The man himself would be proud.

Connor then turned his attention to the cheerleaders near the sidelines, [color=d32626][b]”Now, I’d like to thank those pretty girls of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleadin’ squad for helping me through my rookie year, if y’know w-”[/b][/color]

Connor was suddenly physically shaken to consciousness, the form of his younger sister, Olivia, shrouded in the darkness of his room in front of him. Connor yawned and switched on the bedside lamp as he sat up. Damn, the dream was just getting good too… He smiled down at Olivia in the low light of the lamp, before he spoke tiredly. [color=d32626][b]”What’s up, bubbles?”[/b][/color] The Powerpuff Girls was far and away Olivia’s favorite television show, and Connor called her by the names of the titular characters at different times. Bubbles was just his personal favorite.

[color=f73bf4][b]”There’s a monster under my bed! I had a nightmare! I think he’s gonna e-e-e-e-eat me!”[/b][/color] She blubbered out and Connor was suddenly very aware that his baby sister was, in fact, sobbing.  Geeze, it seemed not everyone in the O’Connor household was having glorious dreams with cheerleaders and Superbowl wins and MSG appearances. Connor reached out and patted the girl on the head.

[color=d32626][b]”Well you tell that monster, that if he messes with you, I’m comin’ for him. I’ll be locked, loaded, and huntin’ his ass [i]down[/i].  And you can tell him just like that because I’m the boss and I gave you permission to cuss him out. Ain’t no monsters scaring my little sister.”[/b][/color] He poked her nose and, bashfully, Olivia gave a small smile, but she was still scared. Connor scooted over on the bed and lifted her up beside him. [color=d32626][b]”Are you excited for school tomorrow?”[/b][/color] In response, Olivia stared at her brother as if he’d lost his mind.

[color=f73bf4][b]”Uhm, [i]no![/i] It’s [i]school,[/i] Connor. No one [i]likes[/i] school. I don’t like school… I like birds, and Netflix, and Saturday morning cartoons, and… puppies. And that’s it, honest. Nothing else.”[/b][/color] She replied and Connor rolled his eyes again, smiling. Of course she wasn’t excited. She was seven. Seven year olds were on a whole nother level. [color=f73bf4][b]”Plus, school means you’ll have practices and stuff, so you won’t be here! How am I supposed to be safe from angry monsters without you here to protect me!? What a terrible big brothhhhhhhhhhhherrrrrrrrrr.”[/b][/color] She complained with a huge yawn and Connor thought for a moment.

[color=d32626][b]”Well, I’ll get a doge. A puppy. The sergeant of the house, someone to protect you while I’m gone, and me when I’m around. You know, someone to guard the guardians,”[/b][/color] as Connor spoke, both siblings laid down in the bed and Connor threw the blankets over them. No way Olivia was gonna sleep alone after the monster thing. They snuggled together as Connor started talking again, [color=d32626][b]”It’ll be cool. I’ll go first thing after school tomorrow. Maybe I can even find one that’s already house trained… What do you think, bubbles?”[/b][/color]

Connor’s question was met with quiet breathing and sleepy noises from his sister, who, no longer scared and feeling much more safe in her older brother’s embrace, had already fallen asleep. Connor shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, deciding that he’d just return to his Super Bowl victory. Now with added puppies to taste.[/center]