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After the return of the local perfect scientist from the desert otherworld, life in Night Vale was supposed to return to some semblance of normalcy for a certain radio host. It didn't, as the scientist brought along the not so perfect doppelganger of the same radio host. Or rather, didn't so much bring him along, as the other guy just sort of refused to stay in the other dimension and came to Night Vale to try and redeem himself after the whole Strex fiasco.
Point is, feelings were developed and they got into this weird entanglement at some point and just kind of created a new normalcy for all three of them, together.
In completely unrelated news, a few months after the aforementioned glorious return, the neighborhood mice infestation problem suspiciously mostly disappeard. The SSP got appropriately unnerved about this fact, since the rodents were, to quote an official: "Not at all radioactive and man-eating, what are you talking about? It's not like we can't get rid of them ourselves for reasons and just kind of wait and see what happens. Wait, are you writing this down?". The forces in charge of controlling, I mean protecting Night Vale population made sure to convey this piece of information to the citizens via methods of communication such as interpretive dancing or leaving letters written with chalk and smelling faintly of perfume in people's fridges. The letters didn't nessecairly always pass on particulars about the sudden disappearance of irradiated, violently carnivorous mice. Sometimes they just kind of tapered off into tangents unrelated to the main issue.
Anyway, that's how Cecil and Carlos found themselves in their living room, chalk smudged on their fingers, staring at a grinning Kevin and the wall behind him. The wall that was splattered with suspicious red liquid with lumps which might have been mice shaped at some point, sliding sluggishly to the bottom.
"...Kevin, what is that behind you supposed to be?" Carlos asked in a slghtly trembling voice he used when he kind of already knew the answer but was hoping to hear something else.
"Well, silly, it's obviously blood! I couldn't help but notice how dull this room seemed... So, I decorated a little! I know we talked about the violence thing, but doesn't it look so much nicer now? So homey?"
It took a moment for either of his partners to gather their words of adoration and gratitude, but Cecil beat Carlos to it.
"What in the name of the glow cloud, ALL HAIL, do you mean by homey?! This absolutely is the violence thing that we've talked about! Y-You can't just paint our living room wall with animal blood! That's only done during Bacchanalia! And is a pain to clean up! Also..."
By this point, Kevin had gauged the reaction of his boyfriends and his smile seemed to fall slightly with every word. He also didn't miss the slightest look of distress in Cecil's eyes, briefly remembering him mentioning in one of their talks that he didn't appreciate seeing the Shawns from sales spread all over his studio... 'Aw shoot'. He really did it this time didn't he? The residue influences of Strex and living in Night Vale were so difficult to reconcile sometimes...
And Cecil was still talking.
"...how many times do we have to repeat that we should discuss stuff like this first? I swear to the bloodstone circle Kevin...!"
Having properly voiced his frustrations, Cecil didn't seem to have any more choice words. In the momentary calm, Carlos decided to step in.
"H-How about we have a talk about this after we clean up? Then, we could, maybe, reach a-a compromise of some sorts? Scientifically, this would be the best course of action."
He laid a hand on each of their shoulders, carefully avoiding stepping into the growing pool of blood on the floor.
Sufficiently bummed out, Kevin was about to apologize: "Y-Yeah, seems like... we could do that. Um, I-I'm so-"
Suddenly, Carlos' phone blared the 'something very scientific and very dangerous is going down in the lab' alarm and before much else could be said, he pecked both of them quickly, after which he ran to the door, shouting: "I'm sorry, but this is important! I'll be back as soon as I can and help with cleaning up okay?! Love you!" And off he was, first running down the sidewalk and swiftly returning because he forgot he had a car. Soon enogh, he took off down the road and an awkward silence filled the living room.
Cecil let out a quiet huff and said: "Let's just... clean up like Carlos said, shall we?"
Kevin couldn't say no to some productivity.
---
They spent a good thirty minutes with minimal talking, which was ironic what with the whole radio hosts thing. Despite Kevin's best efforts at imitating a relaxed smile, Cecil could see the strain on his face. After his intitial disappointment mixed with anger dissipated into an unpleasant memory, he started feeling quite bad about his outburst. His relationship with Kevin tended to be shaky with all the baggage that came with it, but they managed most of the time and it would be a lie to say Cecil didn't care for, or even love Kevin.
With those complicated feelings in mind, Cecil started: "Listen, Kevin, I'm. Sorry for earlier. I shouldn't have reacted this strongly, especially with how much I know you are trying to reign in the bloodlust. I... guess I got scared that you regressed."
Kevin stilled in scrubbing the floor, pools of black void in place of eyes zeroing in on Cecil's face. His expression faltered and remembering that he didn't have to put the smile up all the time, his face proceeded to form the slightest of sad frowns.
"It's... quite okay. I forgive you Cecil! After all you have your own feelings regarding all. Uhm. This. And really, I am quite alright now. Just, haha you know. Still got to get used to some stuff."
After a slight bout of hesitation, Cecil couldn't help but to point out: "You mentioned that it was supposed to be 'homey' and that it was dull in here, didn't you?"
"Aah, that's. Sort of embarassing now-"
"No, no, just please hear me out. Have you felt this way all this time? Is there maybe something you would like to change to feel more at home? I-In only a certain realm of possiblity of course. I'm afarid that the blood on walls thing is. Uhm. Not an option for Carlos and I. But I'm sure we can think of something?"
Kevin had to pause at that. He was somewhat surprised by how considerate the question was but, even more than that, Cecil seemed to notice something even Kevin conciously didin't. The feeling at home thing. Because that was true. Kevin had a hard time relaxing sometimes, felt like he needed to hold up his walls instead of lowering them. And today was the day he sort of snapped and decided that those pesky rodents terrorizing this part of town would make good use to make himself feel more at home. "Somehow, the red seemed soothing..." He couldn't help but murmur.
Cecil perked up. "Red you say?" He asked as his eyes widened slightly. "Does it have to be blood though? Or is it the color that you liked?"
'Huh'. "Now that you say that..." Kevin thought back. To earlier today. To how it made him feel as confident and at peace as when he was with Strex. He was aware those feelings propably weren't healthy, but it wasn't even the violence that he missed. It was the freeing feeling of surrounding himself with red. Warm, not like the Smiling God's yellow sun, but like the blood that flowed through his lovers' veins. Living blood. Like the warmth between people, between a community. He couldn't help but smile at that, a real, imperfect smile. "I think it might have been the color..."
Cecil reciprocated in an exicted grin of his own. "In that case, my dear Kevin, I have an idea!"
---
Much later in the day, when the crisis in the lab was averted through Carlos somehow stopping the sentient time vortex from starting the fifth Blood Space War, the scientist couldn't wait to get home. He just hoped that his boyfriends managed to at least start cleaning up the mess. 'They should be done by now' he thought, but one never knows just what can happen, especially in Night Vale, especially between Kevin and Cecil.
Prepared to face another crisis if needed, Carlos pulled up to their house. Upon getting out of the car, he didn't see or hear anything suspicious, but he didn't quite get his hopes up. It was after he entered that he knew something was up. There was a weird, sythetic smell coming from deeper in the house and music by the british rock band King blaring. Carlos was apprehensive, but still calm. Quietly, he moved towards the living room that seemed to be going through a lot that day, especially since the smell was coming from there. Soon enough Carlos was greeted with the sight of both of his lovers engaged in an intense renovation of their living space. Cecil and Kevin had painted most of the walls surrounding them in a deep red, not unlike the color they were splattered with earlier in the day. The furniture, alongside with all the knicknacks, haphazardly hidden illegal books and pens that covered it, were hidden underneath sheets of plastic and newspapers. Before long, Cecil noticed Carlos gawking at the sight. He proceeded to turn down the music and embrace his beloved in quick succesion. Kevin wasn't far behind in nuzzling up as well.
"My beautiful, perfect Carlos, you're finally here! I thought I'd have to leave poor Kevin to finish up by himslef once I leave for work!"
Kevin giggled and added: "How was your day at the lab? Sorry that we didn't consult you on the makeover, but we got a litte excited. Can you see how a beautifully productive day we've had?"
Carlos had some answers and more questions, but somehow, the first thing that came out of his mouth was: "Where did you get all the materials for this? I thought that the only hardware store got sucked into a sinkhole?"
"I borrowed them from John's aunt."
"Who's aunt??"
"Not important. But let's focus on the relevant stuff. Do you like it?" He asked with the most brilliant smile that made the hearts of every other person present in that room skip a beat. That description might or might not include the SSP officer under the floorboards.
"It's... bold? I, uhm. Do not know much about interior design, so sadly I can't say anything scientific about this. It's nice, I think?" That seemed to do the trick, if their saitisfied expressions were anything to go by. He couldn't help but ask though: "But can I ask why? And what made you two choose such a color?" He had an idea, taking the earlier incident into account. He was a scientist after all. His deduction skills were to be reckoned with. Still, he shouldn't jump to conclusions and was genuinely curious as to what happened in his absence that resulted in such a scene.
It was Kevin who answered: "Well you see, dear Carlos, earlier, Cecil had the most brilliant theory that maybe my violent actions had a reasoning behind them! We figured out that maybe it wasn't so much the blood that I was craving as the feeling of safety that I associate with it's color. So we tired this and you wouldn't believe just how much comfier this space already feels!"
Carlos was honestly impressed with this resolution to their earlier problem. He didn't mind the renovation, he never was too attentive towards stuff like aesthetics and it seemed to make both of his boyfriends happy. Upon their insistence, he soon joined in on the work and finished everything up with Kevin once Cecil had to leave to do his job. In that time, he gained a lot of valuable data from talking about those supposed associated feelings. It seemed like something that could help the relocated Desert Bluffians feel more at peace. They also caught Cecil's broadcast and heard him gushing about both of them to the point where station management had to remind him to get back on track.
---
In the following weeks, Cecil and Kevin developed a shared love for eclectic interior design. Carols let them be, happy at the somewhat hamony that ensued.
To keep Kevin comfortable, they incorporated a lot of red in their home. Walls in the living room, blankets and fairy lights in the bedroom, towels and soaps in the bathroom- there had to be something red in every nook and cranny. Still, they agreed to break up the monotony a bit, which ended up in all sorts of color combinations, some better, some worse. To keep Cecil and Carlos comfortable, Kevin abstained from killing animals and all that, even if sometimes the idea got particularly tempting.
---
The faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home naturally became aware of the changes quite quickly. Safe to say, she hated what Cecil and Kevin did with the house and made sure to make her displeasure known. Each resident in the Palmer-Scientist-Kevin household recieved mulitple disgruntled voicemails and sticky notes detailing their crimes against good color combinations. The two in charge of the renovations however, simply started sticikng them on the wall in the corridor.
"I knew this wall needed some artwork to go on it! Makes it feel so much more lived in, doesn't it, sunshine?"
"You are so right on that, Cecil dear! Oh! How about we hang up those drawings from Janice that you keep in your drawer? This could become a whole gallery of whimsical creativity!"
"That's genius! Maybe I could call up old woman Josie, and Michelle and Dana and ask them for some contributions too."
---
It seemed like the faceless old woman got fed up with them as she apparnetly alerted the vague yet menacing government agency. They wanted to meddle at first, since the decor wasn't municipally approved, but Kevin could still be pretty scary when he wanted to be and they couldn't be bothered with that. Also, mayor Cardinal became quite a big fan of the concept.
Soon enough, the faceless old woman gave up and was mean about the whole affair only on occasion. However, she started leaving some cute drawings of cats on the wall as well.
Carlos couldn't help but think that it was weird that the authorities had to be alerted in the first place, after all their little family was being spied on anyway, just like everyone else. 'Maybe they're preoccupied' was his thought process, especially when he discovered another note, this one written with eyeliner and hidden behind their nonfunctional grandfather clock. It stated that the remaining mice totally didn't enter the surrounding neighborhoods and that the citizens could maybe leave out some meat on their porches at night for no particular reason at all, especially not to somewhat perserve their safety. Carlos made sure to bring up the contents of the note with both of his partners to say something about it on the radio.
---
In the first weeks of their three person relationship, Carlos was worried about the fragile peace between Cecil and Kevin for reasons regarding their troubled past together. In the following months however, this turned into Carlos worrying about the fragile peace between Cecil and Kevin for reasons regarding their little rivalry in their jobs. Both were working for NVCR, but while Cecil had the evening spot, Kevin had the morning one. There were many reasons for such an arragement, one of them being mayor Cardinal thinking it would be a great way to assimilate all the Desert Bluffians who were already used to hearing Kevin on the radio. It was also hard to ignore the expertise the smiling radio host brought to the table after all his experience. This of course brought with it many opportunities for conflict between the two, but over time, they seemed to grow used to one another and the citizens of Night Vale grew used to their town having two voices.
Taking all this into account, Carlos couldn't help but think that maybe those bridges were finally being crossed when on a few occasions he had to stay late in his lab. During those times, once he returned home, he was somewhat startled but ultimately happy to catch Kevin and Cecil making out on the floor over some home decor catalogs.