[color=CA8643][table] [row] [sup][h3][b][color=2e2c2c] ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ [right]▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅[/right][/color] [/b][/h3][/sup] [/row][row][cell][color=2e2c2c]______________________________________[/color] [center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/4Nz1LS9L/zT499iR.gif[/img] [/center][/cell] [cell][indent][/indent] [img]https://i.postimg.cc/DzGpJLNk/marco-text-header.png[/img] [color=F8C77C][sup][b]______________________________________________________________________________________[/b][/sup][/color] [sup][color=F8C77C]☼[/color] [color=daa520][b]LOCATION[/b][/color] [color=F8C77C]☼[/color] Castillo-Brady Home[/sup] [sup][color=F8C77C]☼[/color] [color=daa520][b]FEATURING[/b][/color] [color=F8C77C]☼[/color] [color=D592A5]Mom[/color][@Venus][/sup] [color=F8C77C][sup][b]______________________________________________________________________________________[/b][/sup][/color] [/cell] [/row] [/table] [center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/CKv7Cnqw/UmDaXEd.png[/img] [color=F8C77C][sup][b]______________________________________________________________________________________[/b][/sup][/color][/center] [indent][indent][indent] [i]Tap tap tap[/i] Marco’s left fingers hit his white gaming keyboard at such a speed that the tapping noise was almost like a mild click. His room had posters all over it so the sound didn’t echo as much as it would have had he not decorated it with his [url=https://i.imgur.com/suLSEgw.jpg]K/DA poster[/url] that spread from one end of his wall to the next and, if you were to ask him, that was his favorite thing about the amount of LoL merch he has, which includes his Draven shirt and hoodie. [i]Tap tap tap[/i] [color=b8860b]“Cover me!”[/color] Marco said into his headset. On his screen, Marco stared intently, his fingers tapping away while on his dominant hand, his hand right clicked and clicked and clicked some more. He mained Master Yi. Might’ve been outdated, but in the four years Marco has been playing League of Legends and the almost two years he’s been taking it seriously, which in the process created a bit of an addiction, he knew his way around him. He could effectively kill other players while taking minimal damage. And he did. Alpha Strike and Highlander was always a guaranteed strategy to ensure victory. And he got it. His team, that is. While he took out most of the enemy players with his perfect timing, his team took out the final turrets and the enemy nexus. In a moment of triumphant victory, Marco did what he always did. [pre]The Pancake Man: ggwp DeezNuts: Report Pancake Man DeezNuts: they cheated [/pre] [color=b8860b]“They’re always so negative.”[/color] With a sigh, Marco closed out of the LoL window and stood him. His limbs ached and cracked, though his left leg had genuine, grunt-worthy pain. The same leg that was a month off of full recovery. The same leg he got shot in, though it didn’t ache in [i]that[/i] way, every time he stood up, Marco felt a certain stiffness in his shin. Sometimes it was mild but other times he felt it in his entire leg. [color=b8860b]“Wow, what time is it?”[/color] Marco looked to his clock on the wall and immediately grimaced when he realized he had been playing...all night. And then he shrugged. It was totally worth it. He racked up at least ten wins in a row, which was a nice small improvement on last night’s win streak of seven. Surely, Marco was on his way to reaching Gold III. It would be a first since he started playing. The furthest he achieved had only been Silver I, so that was something he was looking forward to. After a few moments of stretching out his limbs, the same stretches he learned from his time at PT, Marco took a spot on the edge of his bed. He yawned at the same time his stomach began to growl. And so he was faced with a tough choice: ignore his rumbling tummy and sleep away the morning and early afternoon or go out into the kitchen. Both presented their own risks. For option A, of course, there was the disservice he was giving himself by not eating. Marco wasn’t his brother or sister or even parents when he was hungry. Sure, he was a bit grumpy and yes, even Marco Brady, patron saint of Northie Boston felt that, but he wasn’t an asshole or even an insufferable cunt. ...Not that he would ever say that to Marcy’s face. Marco just healed from an injury, so he’s not stupid enough to risk another and he knew his sister’s kick was almost as precise as his was, so if he said anything meaner than bitch to her face (agian he wouldn’t), he could say goodbye to any future kids he may or may not want. But more importantly: he wasn’t a dick when he was hungry. But that brought him to the other end. If he went out there and his mother found out he stayed up all night again... Well, he shivered at the thought of it. Now, it wasn’t like his mother was going to yell at him or anything. It’s not like he has any classes in the morning or anything. It was more the fact that if he was up [i]now[/i], she’d made him do stuff as punishment. [color=b8860b]“It’s early though. And it’s her day off. She wouldn’t be up, would she?”[/color] Now whether it was a larger power forcing him to or just coincidence, Marco glanced over to his door and his heart sank to his bottomless stomach, rumbling as it was, as he saw her in the doorway. She didn’t seem angry but pleased was not a word he’d describe his mother’s face right now. [color=b8860b]“Oh! Ma, what’s up? You’re up early!”[/color] He said, greeting her with a smile as he stood up somewhat sluggishly. Not exactly what you would call convincing. [color=D592A5]“I could say the same thing to you, [i]Güero[/i].”[/color] In regular circumstances, [url=https://media1.tenor.com/images/d8b370464c07bfa45787531e1adf5e81/tenor.gif?itemid=14214035]Marlena Castillo-Brady[/url] was nothing short of a sweet, kind and warm mother-- the kind that would smother her kids with copious amounts of affection at a moment’s notice. But right now, the lavender silk robe-clad Mexican woman stood in the middle of the boy’s doorway, arms crossed in front of her chest while blocking Marco’s exit. Although her oldest son was significantly taller than her, the level of commanding authority that oozed out of her made it clear who was the clear boss of the house. [color=D592A5]“How was your sleep last night? Did you get a good rest?”[/color] she asked him with a fake smile, knowing fully well that Marco had spent yet another sleepless night behind his computer monitor playing his life away. The evidence was painted all over his dark circles, heavy eyelids and the way the blue of his irises stood out from his bloodshot eyes. [color=b8860b]“Oh, yeah! Totally!”[/color] He laughed, which honestly was all the energy he could muster at the moment. Both tired and hungry, Marco’s ability to put on a convincing lie was almost as good as his brother’s attempt at making anything other than cereal. [color=b8860b]“How about you?”[/color] He asked, smiling. [color=D592A5]"It was wonderful!"[/color] she answered, the smile still in place. [color=D592A5]"You know, when I woke up to get a glass of water at like 1 AM this morning and then later at 5:30 when I came down here to make your dad some coffee before he left for his shift, I thought I heard you shouting something about 'cover me' this and 'cover me' that. Were you just having a nightmare, sweetie?"[/color] she asked him innocently, faking concern. Marlena knew that wasn't the case, but it always amused and entertained her to see just how much Marco was willing to lie to her face. [color=b8860b][i]She heard that?[/i][/color] Marco’s laugh dipped a few levels as it became spaced out and dominantly nervous. He didn’t realize just how loud he was, but then again, those noise-canceling headphones his Tio Mateo bought him for his 19th birthday must have worked better than he thought they would. [color=b8860b]“Oh. No, I didn’t have a nightmare. Or at least, I don’t remember.”[/color] When in doubt, Marco played the dumb, clueless son role almost as well as he did Master Yi. The dark-haired woman tilted her head and raised an inquisitive, perfectly arched eyebrow. [color=D592A5]"Oh? Then what was it, then?"[/color] she curiously asked her son, giving him one last chance to admit to what he'd done before she brought it up herself. Marco sheepishly hummed, momentarily looking down at his aching feet. For a moment, he considered exactly what he should do. Coming clean might make the blow less embarrassing for him. But on the other hand, he really didn’t want to face the music right now. He didn’t want to hear her usual disappointed tone, especially when it came to this not-so-healthy habit of staying up all night. As he brought his eyes back up, Marco said, [color=b8860b]“a very intense dream?”[/color] [color=D592A5]"Hmmm… Okay…"[/color] Marlena looked at her first-born son with an almost thoughtful expression on her face. [color=D592A5]"So you mean to tell me that every intense dream that you have also happens to include the glare of your computer monitor shining through the crack under your door?"[/color] [color=b8860b]“I-” [i]Crap, I didn’t even think of that.[/i] “Would you believe me if I said I fell asleep at my desk?”[/color] Marco asked, giving her a half-assed grin. The way Marco stumbled over his answer and the twinge of guilt visible in his smile was all the confirmation his mother needed to know that she was right. She flashed him a knowing Chesire cat smile. [color=D592A5]"I'd believe it if I was born yesterday and didn't know about you playing all night and sleeping all day,"[/color] she told him, dropping the fake niceness in an instant and settling into her 'I mean business' mode. [color=D592A5]"And since you clearly feel well enough to be behind a computer screen yelling at a game until your dad wakes up to go to work in the mornings, then I'm going to assume you're also feeling well enough to go outside, walk the dog and fetch the mail while you're at it."[/color] And there it was. Hidden behind the soft hints of the Mexican accent his mother always had, her graceful posture and the eyes that always were full of so much love, trapping him like the idiot he was. [i]This[/i] was the reason why he wanted to avoid going out...anywhere. Why he wanted to sleep despite his stomach that roaring for food, screaming to be fed pancakes and bacon. Marlie wouldn’t leave until she knew Marco heard what she said. And even though he grimaced through the tension in his legs, he walked over to her dresser and heard the sounds of his mother’s bare feet smack lightly against the smooth wooden floors and he cursed a few times in a subtle murmur. He was so close. So close to being able to sleep and now, because he got so caught up in his game, he had to do a few errands. [color=b8860b]“Knowing Ma, it’s not going to stop at just the dog and mail.”[/color][/indent][/indent][/indent][/color]