listen puppet boy, before you disobey

[generationlost]

There's a knock at the door.

The sound is startling, makes Ranboo suddenly bolt upright from where they'd been lounging on the couch.

Knock-knock.

They pick themselves up from the couch and, as quietly as possible, they creep out of the room, searching frantically for somewhere to hide; his frame is much too long to tuck away into a cabinet or something, but he does, with some internal amusement at the joke, find a closet to tuck himself away into. Thankfully the swords in there aren't taking up too much space.

Knock knock, Dirk! There's a knock at the door!

Comments

[themostempty]

There's a protocol in place for 'someone at the door.' It's not an elaborate one. Pretty much the only people who come to Dirk's door are packages that need signing for and food delivery. He has contingencies in place for things like cops and other similar dangers to him (and by extension, Ranboo), but Ranboo's part in those is literally the same as anything else.

Haul ass and hide. Which usually just means go stand in the bathroom or bedroom or something, out of sight, for a few minutes.

This knocking, however, is unexpected. Dirk hasn't ordered food. He's not expecting any packages.

The instant he hears it, he goes on full-body all-alert; he's on his feet from the couch instantly, every thought organising a new action, every muscle primed for reaction. Ranboo has time to hide because Dirk has practise. He knows how to jog slowly and audibly to the door, covering for any additional noise and ensuring that whoever is on the other side has the sense they are not being ignored and nothing 'abnormal' is occurring. He knows how to 'fiddle' with the lock clearly enough to cover for his other prep, which involves the katana he keeps on the wall nearby--a katana that's hidden by the door itself when he opens it, guaranteeing a perfect surprise if he needs one.

Is all of this necessary? Depends on who you ask. But that's the procedure, and when he opens the door, he's just a random, somewhat bescarred early 20-something in a plain black tanktop and basketball shorts, looking like he hasn't slept in months and very, very unenthusiastic about answering the door for...

Uh.

".......... yeah, what." It's not the friendliest greeting, but that's also part of it. Or maybe that one's just Dirk's personality.