No time for sleep but plenty of time for Sleeper

[codicies]

Who: Dylan Brock codicies, Sleeper solo_sleeper, Eddie Brock frenchkissed, Diana Prince monomachy
What: Dylan just saw his sibling on the network!!
When: August 1
Where: Diana's residence & Diadem hotel
Content Warnings: Family feelings??

---

Dylan was exhausted.

It had been a long week (and them some) in Excelsior, trying to get the machine shut down and get everyone's powers sorted back out. What... a fiasco.

Still, tired as he was, it was really nice to just be a part of it all. Dylan had spent so much time being shut away whenever there was danger out and about, and he greatly appreciated Eddie's willingness to let Dylan be a part of it — even though he mmmmay have needed a little convincing.

Now everything seemed to be righted. Venom was back where he belonged, with Eddie, and Eddie as back home with Dylan.

It was still midday when they arrived home, but Dylan was still ready to sleep for a week.

...After a snack, of course. He was a growing boy, after all.

He considered something substantial & somewhat healthy, but... no. Too much work to cook a whole entree. Blearily, he trudged over to the cupboard where he knew Diana kept her Pop-Tarts and grabbed a box of s'mores flavor. Chocolate AND Marshmallow: A truly balanced meal.

Wearily, he settled at the breakfast bar in the kitchen and tore into his pop-tarts without even cooking them first. To stay awake, he pulled out his phone and started to browsing social media to see what he'd missed over the last week.

Ooh, there was a viral cat video trending. Yes, please. Dylan clicked the link and —

...

Prior exhaustion forgotten, Dylan pushed away from the breakfast bar and glanced around for his not-Dad. "Eddie," he called, "Eddie, come quick! You have to see this!"

Comments

At the Diadem

[definecat]

Once Sleeper had confirmed that Dylan, Eddie, and Venom were on their way, they had taken some time to consider the room and what little they had acquired. A few things tossed into a backpack purse and they were ready to leave. The room had really been too big for one symbiote, anyway. Leaving everything relatively as they had been when Sleeper first came, they headed downstairs to claim a good view of the lobby and wait.

It wasn't the first time they'd decided to just lounge around down there.

[codicies]

The Diadem Hotel lounge was a familiar sight by now. Dylan bounded in, dodging a couple other guests in the process. Eddie and Venom were... behind him, somewhere, probably. Dylan had darted in pretty fast. But they'd catch up! Dylan had more important things to worry about right now. He glanced around, scanning the lounge for a familiar face.

At the sight of Sleeper, Dylan beamed.

"Sleeper!"

He didn't run, exactly, in a technical sense. He just... went at an unsafe pace slightly faster than a walk. Regardless of speed, Dylan made a beeline for his sibling, arms outstretched.

[frenchkissed]

To be more specific, Eddie is falling behind. Venom is content with soldiering on, with or without him... Which is hard, because they're kind of attached. It looks more like Eddie being dragged forward by a big, buoyant blob. Some people part for them, but Venom is fine with shoving his way past anyone who doesn't, leaving Eddie to apologize for the both of them.

"V, hey, they aren't going anywhere— excuse me— You can, like, walk. Walk! Don't hit people!"

"Our child! Our child is here, Eddie."

Eddie, who isn't quite over his role in this whole 'our' business lets his head spin as Venom gets caught up in the hotel's revolving doors.

"Left! Left, asshole! Make a left!"

...They might be a while.

[definecat]

Sleeper perks up the instant they hear that familiar voice, hurling themself in Dylan's direction like a cat-shaped missile. They leap into his arms, unable to stop a rumbling purr of affection as they mold into his arms in pleasure.

"Dylan, it's very good to see you," they begin, then look with unfeigned amusement at the scene developing in the entryway. "I take it that's our parents?"

Normally Sleeper doesn't really think of Eddie as their parent, but in this situation, well, maybe it works.

[codicies]

"That's them," Dylan says as he squeezes Sleeper tight. "The backpack is new. I like it."

He makes his way back toward the entrance, standing just outside the revolving door, waiting for Eddie and Venom to finish up their impromptu slapstick routine and grinning the whole time.

[frenchkissed]

Look, kids. Sometimes your alien gets super excited and gets stuck in a door. It's fine. It's natural. It's normal. We don't need to talk about it.

By the time they do make their way inside the hotel—inside inside, not just caught between worlds—Dylan and Sleeper are already making their way over. Is there a proper way to get on a cat's level? Is leaning over too patronizing? Is leaning away too standoffish? What are the rules??

"Hey... Hey. Uh... I know this is super to be super weird. But... Honestly, I think this is pretty cool. We've heard a lot about you. We're excited. Plus we're already met a few times. Mostly in passing, but I think it still counts. This is cool. You're cool. Do you mind if we do the petting thing?"

[definecat]

"If I'm going to have stuff to carry, it's easier to consolidate in a bag. It needs some...customization, I think," they say, glancing at what is basically one of those purse-style mini backpack deals with not much in the way of markings. Iron-on patches and pins and things will be needed to properly make it unique.

But then they turn in Dylan's arms to face Eddie and Venom.

"Speaking online or over the phone is hardly the same thing as being in the same place. And yes, I accept most forms of human-to-feline obeisance. But I won't make you get a litter box."

[codicies]

Dylan laughs and looks at Eddie. "See? I told you they wouldn't need one."

He loosens his grip on Sleeper — not that they couldn't have slipped out of it anyway, but he figured it was still the right gesture. He steps forward, closing the distance between them all and holding the cat a little higher to bring them closer to eye-level.