Author's Note: Hey y'all! So, I accidentally missed a couple weeks cos as usual, I hadn't finished the chapter. I've got two more to post to then be caught up and able to post on schedule for end of March.
Once I'm all caught up, schedule will return to normal as once a month; last Wednesday of each month.
This one was a favourite to write. As stated before, it can be difficult bc the writing style is a bit repetitive and restricted with this fic on account of perspective. But, this one made me smile whilst writing it.
I'm tired so Ima make this quick. I have not quite edited it to the fullest yet. I've added in the lines and also corrected most spelling errors. But, if you notice any real grammatical issues, don't worry. I'm gonna fix them tomorrow after work. Although, hoping there aren't too many to alter.
Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter! Thanks!
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.
Hide + Seek | Department Store
Uploaded by Gar Logan
18th December 2019
Length: 00:42:27
Gar dragged a hand through his hair and grinned at the camera which was perched on the tripod, just a short space in front of him. The red light on top was blinking and with a deep breath, he prepared to start his video.
"Whaaat's up, guys! It's Gar and welcome back to my channel!" He hollered, throwing his arms back in an inviting manner, his smile only becoming wider as he did so.
"As always, I am here with the gang; Raven, Vic, Kory and Dick." Gar continued, stepping aside to let the camera capture them in the shot.
Raven stood off to the far left, her hair half pulled up with some remaining loose; the purple dyed strands framing her face. A dark choker with a small crescent moon pendant hooked in the middle was laced around her throat. A loose fitting, wine swing strap top adorned her torso with a black leather jacket over the top. She wore ripped black skinny jeans with a pair of scuffed Dr Martens laced upon her feet.
Stood beside her, Vic had his arms crossed over his chest with a small grin on his face. He wore a charcoal hoodie, partially hidden beneath a loose fitting teal jacket with a check pattern all over. Dark jeans covered his legs with some turquoise sneakers to finish off his outfit.
Kory was on the other side of him, her long auburn tresses spilling over her shoulder, treated with some tousled beach waves. She was wrapped in a chunky, over sized sweater that was a mix of cream and mustard colored stripes, loosely tucked into the waist of her light washed and high waisted skinny jeans. White high tops were on her feet as she shifted on the spot, whilst Gar introduced his video.
And on the very end, Dick stood with his hands slid into the pockets of his dark wash skinny jeans that had a few rips in the legs. He rolled his shoulders back, wearing a black t-shirt beneath a light grey zip up hoodie which sat under a light denim jacket that was thrown on as an extra layer during the cold bite considering it was the middle of winter.
Gar stood in the center, dressed in a pair of torn black skinny jeans like the majority of the others but on top he wore a light, sea foam colored hoodie with the hood layered around his neck and a white long sleeved t-shirt underneath for extra warmth. Embellishing the entire outfit was the pair of bright lime colored converse that he wore on his feet, making him visible from a mile away.
"So, we're in Coast city today which is just a couple hours away from Jump cos' we've been finishing off our Christmas shoppiiing!" Gar enlightened his viewers, doing an awkward yet totally Gar type of dance on the spot.
"Yo… you're just embarrassing yourself, man." Vic snorted, giving him a smirk,
Gar gave him an obscene finger gesture before the bright beam on his lips returned, "My fans love the dancing. You're just jealous."
"Uh huh… jealousy is the word for it."
Waving him off, Gar refocused his attention on the lens of the camera, "But, since we're all done and the shopping is packed away in Vic's car, we thought it might be fun to play a game of sorts since we're waiting to meet up with some friends who live out here before we go back home."
"I seem to remember you being the only one to really get excited over the idea, actually." Dick reminded him, smirking,
Before Gar could retort, Vic sheepishly stepped in and scratched his head, "Actually… I'm pretty down for it..."
Dick chuckled and shook his head at the boys, "You two really are just giant children, huh?"
"You're damn right we are." Gar announced,
Raven sighed and rolled her eyes, eliciting a giggle from Kory as she droned, "Just get on with the explanation already."
Gar cleared his throat, "Right. So, today, we have yet another new addition to the channel." Gar explained, rubbing his hands together, "We are going to be playing hide and seek! But, not just anywhere… we're playing it in this huge JCPenney which we're in the parking lot of right now."
"And, we don't look suspicious at all." Raven interjected, raising a brow at him,
Gar chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeaaah, I'm really hoping that we don't get kicked out because we have at least two hours til we meet our people. But, hopefully any workers that see me with this giant camera will just ignore me."
"Does… that happen very much?" Kory murmured, turning her head to look at him,
"Um… not really. Most people tell me to put it away and I get told off." Gar admitted,
Kory slowly nodded her head, "Okay… so… positive thoughts, then."
Gar shrugged, "It'll be fine, guys. I promise." He turned back towards the camera that was still standing in place atop the tripod, "So, I'm gonna be the seeker and these guys are all gonna hide around the store."
"Any restrictions?" Dick queried, crossing his arms over his chest,
Tapping his chin, Gar perked up, remembering the rules he had thought of earlier on when he had first had the light bulb moment to play the game, "A couple. Since this store is massive… and I'm talking like five levels kinda massive, I say we should limit it to one level. Otherwise, I'm gonna be searching for hours."
"What about the clothing department?" Vic suggested,
Raven tilted her head, "Mm… we'll all just end up hiding in the railings. Not to mention, the clothes extend onto two levels. What about the home department?" She paused, "It's pretty big from the looks of it but it's just the one level."
"And… there were fewer employees up on that level than any of the others when we walked through." Kory added,
Gar nodded, digesting the information they had voiced, "Alright. Sounds like a plan. You can only hide on the fifth floor which is the home department. Try not to hide near the cash registers since that's where staff are most likely to be. Uh… you can't hide in the same spot as each other. And you also can't change spots. So, if you pick a crappy hiding spot and you don't like it, tough."
"What does the winner get?" Vic asked, placing his hands on his hips,
"Hmm… how about this… the winner gets to decide where we eat tonight and the loser has to pay for the winner's meal." Gar suggested, "So, first one found is the loser and last one found is the winner."
They all nodded and murmured between themselves, seemingly agreeing to the terms.
"So… surely you would not be involved in this?" Kory pointed out,
"I'm impartial since I'm the seeker. I don't win or lose. It's just you guys." Gar confirmed, "But… I do want you guys to use your phones and record your hiding places so that I can throw it into the video and fans can see where you're at while I'm searching for all of you."
"My phone doesn't have any more space to record though." Vic complained, his lips pouted,
Gar rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Then record yourself on snapchat."
Vic paused and blinked before he opened his mouth, "Ohhh yeah. Okay. I can do that."
Turning to look at each of them, Gar smirked, "I'm gonna give you five minutes to find hiding spots and then I'm gonna come in and try and find you, okay?"
The four of them nodded, each of them now smiling a little as the excitement of the child's game began coursing through them.
"You guys ready?" Gar took in each of their expressions before he turned his back to them, eyes solely on the camera, "Okay, go."
Behind him, they scurried towards the entrance of the store, with the exception of Raven who maintained her casual and collected walk over the threshold. Gar glanced over his shoulder to check and see if they had indeed dispersed and grinned when he looked back at the camera.
He shuffled closer, removing the device from where it sat connected to the tripod. Folding it down, he placed the tripod inside his backpack, partially succeeding in juggling the camera as well.
Gar exhaled loudly as he finally stopped moving around. He held the camera up and turned it on himself to capture his face as he spoke.
"Alright guys… so while they're hiding. I just wanted to say thank you so so so much because on Monday, I hit 900,000 subscribers and that… honestly… it's amazing and I'm so grateful to have you guys tuning into my wacky videos each and every time. We're aiming for that 1mil and who knows, maybe we'll get it soon enough."
He cleared his throat and shook his head, "Alright, enough with the mushy stuff. Time to count."
[ VIC CAM ]
Using the front camera on his phone, Vic's thumb kept hitting the screen and the dog filter kept cropping up and manipulating his face, giving him adorable dalmatian ears and a long pink tongue anytime he opened his mouth to speak.
"God damn it… stop with the filter!" He muttered, "Ah, whatever. Uh… hey guys… so I'm currently running round tryin' to find a place to hide. It's not really the easiest when you're as big a guy as me. And, I'm the tallest too."
Vic briefly paused as he stepped around an elderly couple, smiling politely as he moved. He stared at his own face on his phone and sighed, "I literally have no idea where I'm supposed to hide… I wonder if the others are gonna have issues. We all pretty much separated as soon as we got up to the fifth floor."
He double tapped the screen of his phone, turning the camera around so it faced his surroundings. Vic panned his phone from left to right, looking way less suspect than Gar probably looked with his camera.
"Hm… I wonder if anything in the bedroom sections would be any help…" He murmured, "We'll have a looksy!"
[ RAVEN CAM ]
With a sigh, Raven lifted her phone up to capture her face as she flicked a few strands of loose hair away from her face, "Um… hi…" She rolled her eyes, "This is awkward but… this is what he's asked so… hi people who sit and watch Gar's channel. I'm just near the back of the home department and I think I've found a spot for myself."
She paused and shuffled backwards, the light around her dimming considerably, "It's an ironic one but… I don't think Gar will find me that easily…" She paused and shrugged, "And if he does… well… I don't really care that much. I just want to eat. Whether I'm paying for myself or not."
She tapped her phone and turned the camera around, showing her position in a lounge showroom. There were two sofas placed parallel to one another with a sleek coffee table in between, sitting on a white fluffy rug.
Along the wall, there was a bookcase that looked quite grand in comparison to the other objects on the set. Raven turned the camera back on herself to show how she had slotted herself in between the bookshelf and the wall where a barrage of flat screen TV's were mounted all along it.
"So… I don't really know if you can tell but… I found this tiny gap in between this bookcase and the wall… and since it's pretty dark in this area, I figure Gar won't find me first. But, I guess we'll see what happens." She said, shrugging her shoulders before she covered the camera with her hand.
"Okay guys… so…" Gar paused and stilled his hand a little more as he trained the camera on his face whilst he walked towards the entrance of the large store, "I've just finished counting and I'm heading in! Wish me luck…"
He lowered the camera and turned it away from him so he could film the space around him instead, trying to maintain a low profile on account of employees that were hovering around as well.
"I honestly… have no idea where to even start." Gar murmured, attempting to keep his voice low in order to avoid suspicion from the few members of staff dotted around the floor.
He continued walking, showing the huge home department; a hefty kitchen section filling his view immediately, where small electrical appliances and decor such as jars, wine and spice racks and a plethora of other cozy accessories were situated. The whole section stretched across both sides of the store's entrance with various display units dotted around the floor.
Atop of the cases, sat sets of pots and pans, all varying in size and shape. Plates, cutlery and glasses were all stacked in neat little sets too, placed here and there across the large surface.
As he continued to walk through, he could see bowls and dinner mats, carefully spaced between one another on a table to his right; the price tags hanging off of each item.
"Yo… they've got some nice stuff here…" Gar murmured aloud, turning the camera back and forth as he moved.
"Hm… I wonder where they could be… the kitchen section doesn't have a lot of hiding spots…"
Bending down, Gar turned the camera under the display tables; a notion in his head that one of them might hide under one of them. He clicked his tongue as it revealed none of his friends, only the spotless beige carpet instead.
He weaved through the display tables, running his fingertips along the edge of the shelving units that were plastered against the walls.
"Well… I'm pretty certain that they're not in this part… I'll go look in the other kitchen area…"
With that, Gar spun on his heel and kept his camera facing forward as he crossed the walkway between the store. It was a marble floored path that led shoppers around the edges of the sections, as to not have customers crash into one another if they were merely passing through instead of shopping.
He felt the difference as his feet touched the wood flooring instead of the cushiony one he had just traipsed all over. Gar turned the camera towards his face but continued scanning the area with his eyes, rather than looking down like he usually would,
"Okay… this part is a little more promising… It's got a whole showroom kitchen bit. You know like… a whole kitchen that looks like it's been plucked out of some swanky apartment?" He paused and finally looked down, "Hang on, I'll show you."
He turned the camera back around, focusing on the fake kitchen situated in the center of the space. It had white cabinets and counters, running all along in a square 'U' shape, providing more than enough space to anyone who would want it installed in their home. The surfaces were black, with white marbling running within, giving it an extremely modern and clean appearance. An island sat just between the main unit and the rest of the section, matching in aesthetic, the white glistening beneath the strong spotlights above.
There was an integrated oven and dishwasher, alongside a basin that was a little further down on the main counter top. From what Gar could work out, it had one of those fancy single faucets that could change the water to hot or cold just from a tap of your fingers. He really needed to ask Vic about getting one of them installed in their home.
Canisters for sugar, coffee and tea were neatly aligned at the far edge of the counter, right alongside a kettle which was strategically placed beside a coffee machine; a sleek appliance with few buttons but still maintained the ability of brewing a fresh cup of java.
A toaster and breadbox were dotted in the middle of the counter with a microwave sat at the very other end of it, black and glossy and looking like it received a wipe down possibly twice a day to entice shoppers into purchasing one that they'd have no need for.
It truly looked like a kitchen that had just been picked up from a suburban home and dropped in the middle of the store.
The island was fairly empty with the exception of a vase type shape that held various cooking utensils such as whisks, wooden spoons, ladles and the like inside. Above the island, a rounded pot rack was hanging, with only a few pots actually dangling down from it.
Gar spun the camera back around towards his face, "See what I mean? Fancy stuff, right here."
He chewed on his lower lip, his eyes sweeping left and right in an attempt to catch any kind of movement; movement that shouldn't be there.
"Hm… I wonder if…" He trailed off as he closed in on the kitchen counter, ripping open the doors of the lower cabinets, "Ha! Oh wait… no. Not here."
"I'm not crazy, right? Maybe not Kory or Vic because of their heights but Dick… or more so Rae could curl up and fit in one of these cabinets." Gar mused aloud, using his free hand to scratch his head,
He swiveled the camera back towards the furniture pieces and continued to open the small doors of every single cabinet, ensuring that he had really checked the positions thoroughly.
"Dudes… they're sleeping on this spot. I would totally hide in here. It would be hella cramped but I bet I could do it." He mumbled, closing the very last door at the end of the counter.
Gar hummed quietly to himself, obviously deep in thought and considering where his friends could be hiding.
Focusing the lens on his face once more, he narrowed his eyes playfully and smirked, "They're very good at this so far."
[ DICK CAM ]
"Uh… so hey guys that watch Gar's channel…" Dick breathed, his face barely visible as he held his phone up so that his front facing camera could at least grab his outline, "So… I am in my hiding spot and… it's really dark because I'm covered up… hold on a sec…"
He fiddled with the settings on his phone and was able to turn on the front flash; a feature on his phone that he had never really had much of a use for before now.
As soon as the bright white light burst forth, Dick cringed, his eyes squinting at the onslaught to his vision, "Whoa… that's brighter than I thought it was going to be."
Dick was curled up, somewhat. His knees were drawn to his chin and he had little room to move from where he was positioned. He grinned at the camera and whispered, "I'm hiding just by the lounge area of the store and I'm…" He chuckled and waved his camera back and forth slightly to show the dimly colored cushions he was cocooned within, "I'm in one of those huge boxes with cushions filled to the brim."
He shuffled a little more, attempting to get comfier from where he was sat in the mass of softness, "It's hot in here since I'm surrounded by a thousand cushions but… isn't the easier spot to get into so hopefully, Gar won't find me. First, at least."
Dick smirked at the camera one last time, despite how much it was lacking in visibility under the shadows of his hiding place and flicked his wrist, giving a two finger salute.
[ KORY CAM ]
"Hello, Gar's viewers!" Kory beamed, a shroud of darkness surrounding her, much like Dick's position had given him. She held her arms out, capturing her head and shoulders on the front facing camera of her phone,
"It is a little dark but it is most spacious in here." She explained, flipping some of her red hair over her shoulder, "I am hidden in one of the wardrobes over at the back of the floor, in the bedroom section."
Kory eyed the lens she was basically talking to and shrugged, "I could not think of another place to hide but I do not think Gar will find me first because…"
She trailed off and double tapped her screen to switch the camera back around, so that it could film her hand as she slowly pushed open one of the wardrobe doors; just enough so that she could peer out.
Her hushed giggles were heard off screen as she tried her very best to contain them before she directed her phone towards the large bed that was being showcased, directly in the middle of the bedroom section,
"Vic is hiding… just under that bed…" Kory murmured, struggling not to burst into a full on laugh,
She squeezed her eyes shut and grinned as Vic turned his head from where he was laying on his back, in the tight gap between the double bed and the hard flooring underneath him.
Vic smirked and lifted his hand briefly, waving to Kory from where she was sitting cross legged, inside the wardrobe.
Kory took a deep breath to calm herself as she quickly raised a hand and waved back to him before she reached back up for the edge of the door and pulled it closed, concealing herself once more.
A few small giggles escaped her once she was out of sight again and she clicked the screen of her phone so the camera was recording her face again, "Wish me luck friends but I do not think I will be winning this game."
She pulled a mock expression of sadness but grinned right before she stowed her phone away.
Gar hummed a soft tune to himself, growing more persistent, the longer he spent trying to locate his friends. As he walked, the camera shook a little but he continued to pan it from side to side, just to give his audience a look for anything he wasn't seeing with his own eyes.
"God… I feel like I'm never gonna find em'. It's not as bad if I find at least one of them but I've been looking in this kitchen area for like 10 minutes… I'm moving away because… one of the staff was staring at me like I was a weirdo. Had to jump ship on that to avoid getting questioned."
He sighed, "Positive thoughts though! I've only really checked like a small part of this floor. I'm sure I'll find one of them soon…" He paused and halted his footsteps along the marble walkway, looking at both the bedroom section and the lounge section, deciphering where would be best to check next.
"Hm… where to go… where to go…" He deliberated, "I think… we're gonna shoot for the bedroom section. There's a few places to hide over there."
So, with that, Gar continued moving and walked just past the lounge section, stepping past a large white box, with tons of scatter cushions inside. He kept going until his sneakers brushed against the flooring of the area.
"Where might they be here…" He mumbled, determined to find at least one of them in the next 10 minutes.
[ DICK CAM ]
His face was scrunched up, like he was trying his damnedest not to start laughing. The low light from his phone as he filmed himself, lit up most of his facial features beneath the curtain of darkness,
"Oh my god… I just heard Gar… and he walked straight past my spot. I don't think he even stopped to check." Dick quietly laughed, after deciding Gar had moved from being within earshot, "See? I've got this in the bag, I know it."
He smirked and winked at the camera before he pressed a button to lock his phone.
Gar maintained the position of the camera, holding it out in front of his torso to capture any signs of his friends moving, ultimately revealing their hiding spots.
He stepped into the bedroom portion of the home department, panning the camera left to right in an attempt to find something that he couldn't quite see with his own eyes.
A big double bed was placed in the middle of the area, a crisp white and grey bedspread draped over it, giving it that fresh appearance to encourage customers into spending their money. As per with any of the displays in store, there were several white wood showcase tables dotted around, each with small objects that would fit a bedroom like a puzzle piece.
On one, there were rows and rows of alarm clocks, all in mixed colors and shapes. On another, there were bedside lamps and various wood picture frames, all arranged in lines that stretched along the length of the table
Even more tables had bedroom accessories perched atop the surfaces. There were packs upon packs of bedding, all varying in shades and appearances. Alongside those, there were a few limited edition packs with reindeer and snow scenes adorning the material; seasonal designs for people to really get into the Christmas spirit.
Fluffy blankets were stockpiled on top of each other along one side of a table towards the front of the area, bright hues splashed across each and every one of them. They were incredibly soft from what Gar could see and he had the strongest urge to go and touch one but he resisted for the time being.
Against the back wall, there were several rows of shelves, carefully presenting perfectly designed cushions that were stacked face on, boasting some very intricate and flawless patterns.
Standard pillows sat, wrapped in plastic on a lower shelf whilst at the far end there were some trinkets like candles, wall art and calendars; little things to make a bedroom that much more cozy.
There were a few long line mirrors that were mounted against the very far wall with one mahogany wardrobe that looked like it had been pinched straight from the British Georgian era. It was dark, with fine details inscribed against the surface and a swan-neck pediment. There were two huge main doors where someone would hang clothes, with 2 smaller drawers and 2 big ones below it, a circular handle for each that appeared extremely dated.
Another wardrobe was a few paces away from the Georgian one; this one appeared to be a lot more modern. It was white and glossy, bigger than the other. It was a 3 door model, three small drawers that were situated just below the second wardrobe door. It was smooth, with no decals or engravings anywhere on the piece of furniture.
Gar swiveled the camera from where he stood at the edge of the area, showing an oak desk that was pushed against the opposite wall, a hefty price marked card sat on top of it. It was nice but in Gar's opinion, it wasn't worth $700.
There were a few other pieces of furniture dotted around, including a rainbow dressed bunk bed for kids, another double bed situated a little closer to the kitchen section and a chest of drawers that had a price tag hanging off of it but he couldn't quite make out the numbers listed, even when he briefly zoomed in with the camera.
"Hm… okay… so there's a few different places that they could hide in this part…" Gar murmured, wandering past the central bed to reach the desk at the very back wall.
[ VIC CAM ]
Holding his breath, Vic zoomed in on his own face, purposely widening his eyes and biting his lips in a desperate attempt not to let any laughter come from his mouth. He suppressed the grin that was threatening to burst forth, slowly turning his head as well as his phone.
He tilted it just enough to catch a glimpse of Gar's neon green sneakers shuffling past the gap between the bed and the floor beneath his back.
Vic tightened his lips, pressed them together so hard that he was a little uncomfortable and turned the camera of his phone back on himself.
Pointing to the side, he mouthed, 'Gar's… right… there!'
"I'll try over here…"
Gar's voice could be heard off screen before his footsteps faded away, the youtuber apparently investigating another space.
Vic exhaled slowly, his stiff posture relaxing for the moment.
Gar hummed to himself quietly as he walked over to the desk. He kept the mini tripod in his hand, ensuring the lens was still recording what he was doing.
He bent down and glanced beneath the desk, eyes shifting left and right but finding that no one was under it.
"Hm…"
Getting to his feet, Gar looked around, using his free hand to scratch the back of his head as he deciphered where to check next. He eyed the modern wardrobe that sat directly opposite him. He smirked and narrowed his eyes at the object.
He quietly whistled to himself in the most nonchalant way that he could manage and sneaked closer to the wardrobe, gripping the tripod of the camera even tighter as he approached.
[ KORY CAM ]
Her eyes were wide and bright, even under the darkness surrounding her as she sat with her back pressed firmly against the back of the wardrobe. Kory kept her phone facing her as best she could, the front facing camera filming her as she stared at the tiny slither of a gap between the two doors, allowing a low stream of light in, washing over her drawn up knees.
She gasped and slapped her free hand across her lips, trying to silence any noise that she made as she could hear Gar's footsteps just outside of her hiding space.
Kory waited, sitting absolutely still as he got closer and closer.
"Got ya!" Gar yelped, throwing open the wardrobe doors, "Wait, seriously!?"
He adjusted the camera to show that the spot was also completely empty.
[ KORY CAM ]
She broke out into a grin but maintained her relief enough to remain still. Kory realized, only when he had muttered in confusion that he had checked the other wardrobe, rather than the one she had decided to take refuge inside of.
Kory bit down on her lower lip, trying not to laugh at all costs, in fear of giving herself away.
"What the hell… these guys are so good at this game…"
Gar gently closed the doors of the white wardrobe and turned away, suddenly smirking as he caught sight of something that didn't quite look right.
There was a shape protruding from the side of the middle showcased bed, just underneath and it was minute enough that no one who wasn't searching for people would ever notice.
Holding his breath, Gar tiptoed closer to the middle of the bedroom section, being as quiet as a mouse as to not alert the one hiding underneath.
Gar already had a feeling of who it might be beneath the bed, if the shoe sticking out in the corner was anything to go by.
He slowly crouched down, reaching carefully for the cover that disguised the space beneath.
His fist closed around the material and he yanked it, throwing the fabric back to reveal Vic who jumped at the intrusion.
"Got you, dude!" Gar chuckled, zooming in on Vic's surprised face.
His friend quickly burst into the bout of laughter that he'd been suppressing for the last 10 minutes. Vic breathed loudly and let his head fall back against the ground, his arm dropping over his chest,
"Aw no!" He paused and looked in Gar's direction, "Am I the first one found?"
"Mhm. You're the loser, bro." Gar smirked, giving him a hand to help him shimmy out from under the bed.
"Damn. Y'know, it was really hard to find a spot cos' of my height and my bulk."
"I think I would have eventually found you but y'know what gave you away?"
"What?"
Gar pointed the camera towards Vic's shoes, "Your foot was sticking out at the end of the bed!"
"Ah, shit!" Vic snorted, "Aww, I'll win next time. I know it."
Turning the camera on himself, Gar smirked, "Uh huh… keep telling yourself that, big guy."
Vic gently shoved his best friend, craning his neck and rolling his eyes so that Gar's viewers could see his face.
"Alright! I'm so happy I finally found one of you!" Gar exclaimed, "I thought this would be a lot easier than it's been so far."
Vic smiled and shook his head, "Well, time for you to find the other three, grass stain."
Gar swiveled towards him, the camera facing Vic now, "Is there anyone else hiding in the bedroom section?"
Vic involuntarily shifted his eyes towards the old, mahogany wardrobe just behind Gar before looking back down at the floor, "Uh… I don't know…"
Quirking a brow, Gar narrowed his eyes, "I saw that! You looked behind me…" He turned around, "Which means… there is another person in this area."
"No…"
Gar snorted, "Yes! Dude, I know your lying tone anywhere." He shook his head and spun around, the dark wood wardrobe directly in front of him now.
He poked his tongue out, his heart beating loudly as he stepped closer and closer at a snail like pace, building any and all tension for his audience,
Gar stopped just outside of the wardrobe and pressed his fingers to the inside of the handle, readying himself to unveil whoever was inside.
He threw back the door and maneuvered the door quick enough to catch her as Kory yelped loudly and covered her face with her hands, visibly jumping at the scare.
"Kory!" He laughed, using his hand to push open the other door of the wardrobe as well,
The redhead immediately descended into a fit of giggles, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. She held her stomach with one hand and used the other to touch her chest, just where her heart was.
"Oh! Gar! You scared me!" She panted, tilting her head to the side as she worked past the lack of air,
"Sorry." He chuckled, offering her a hand to help her out of the relic of a furniture piece, "Are you okay?"
"That was so scary!" She enthused, lightly clapping her hands together, "Oh… you went past me when you opened the other wardrobe and my heart almost stopped!"
Gar grinned and clicked his fingers, "I knew it! As soon as I opened that one, I thought… I bet someone is in the other wardrobe."
Kory giggled and ran a hand through her long auburn hair, "Oh that was fun!"
"Well, Vic basically gave your hiding spot away after I found him." Gar told her,
Her emerald eyes flashed to Vic and she paused mid laugh, "Vic!"
"I'm sorry, little lady! I didn't mean to… I looked over and he caught me lookin'." He explained,
Kory took a moment before she shrugged and waved a hand, "That is okay… you are the one who was found first and subsequently is the loser… not I."
Vic pulled a face, "Yeah, don't remind me."
She and Gar took the opportunity to laugh at their friend before Gar turned the camera towards his face and winked, "Alright, I've got 2 out of 4… I'm getting better at this."
[ RAVEN CAM ]
"So… I just heard Kory laughing from over that way…" Raven whispered, jerking her head backwards, towards the bedroom area, "Which means she's been found, even if no one else has."
Raven paused and leaned out from her spot just long enough to get a visual of her surroundings, not being able to pinpoint how close her boyfriend was and if he was any closer to finding her.
She tilted her phone up, casting more of a shadow across the side of her face,
"I mean… I think he'll likely find me. There aren't really any other spots in this part of the store… so… we'll see what happens…"
"The only other part of this level I haven't checked is over here." Gar informed Vic and Kory who were now trailing alongside him as he tried to locate the two remaining.
"Man, you shoulda started from the back… you would have sped this game along way more." Vic chortled,
"Well, I didn't think everyone would go straight to the back!"
"That's cos' yer a dumbass." Vic snickered,
Gar opened his mouth to respond but got distracted by the numerous flat screen TV's on the back wall of the lounge area, where they had come across next.
"Dude… we should get one of these massive ones." Gar mumbled,
"We already have a big screen… several, actually-" He paused, "Bro, we have a whole damn movie theater."
"I know… but these are so nice." He spun, capturing Vic on his camera by doing so, "Oh! By the way, when I was in the kitchen part, I saw one of those magic faucets."
Vic grinned, "The one that goes hot or cold straight away just with one touch?"
"Yeah! I told my viewers… we need that in our house!"
Vic patted his chin, "Mm… I'll think about getting it installed… maybe…"
Gar beamed and turned back to the area, "Right… let's see who we can find…"
He panned the camera from one side to the other, seizing every angle with his shot.
There were an assortment of flat screen TVs mounted up on the wall, all with the JCPenney logo on the screen; a default option for whilst they were in store, he assumed. Beside that, there was a medieval style bookcase that stretched for most of the remaining wall. It was covered in a dark varnish, with numerous shelves inside, filled with books to give it that homely appearance.
Beyond the coffee tables and sofas that were dotted in the middle of the floor, there was an army of rolled up rugs on the wall adjacent to the bookcase and TVs. They were wrapped in protective plastic, individually to avoid them getting dirty or dusty.
They leaned against the wall, a barrage of them to the point if there was anything behind them, you wouldn't be able to tell without having to get a closer look.
Another set of shelves were fixed at the end, a number of cushions wedged upon them as well as a few desktop plants, arranged on the lower shelves.
There were several coffee tables around them, some bigger than others and more appealing too.
One was a birch wood looking coffee table, a thick gap underneath.
Gar's brows lifted and he got down low, turning his head to look beneath. Vic moved to stand next to him,
"What are you doing, man?"
"Checking under the coffee table."
Vic shook his head, a gesture Gar caught on camera as he sat up again, "Dude, that gap is tiny!"
"Yeah? Dick is ridiculously flexible. He could be under there."
Rolling his eyes and laughing, Vic turned away whilst Kory smiled at the assumption of Dick's spot.
"Hm… lemme check behind…" Gar trailed off and searched around every inch of the sofas and armchairs that were situated around them, making sure no one was sitting behind one or next to one, and still managing to stay out of sight.
He pulled back and chewed his lip, "Nope. Nada."
"I wonder if either of them would have crawled behind these rugs." Gar murmured, getting closer and closer to one particular member of their little group.
With the camera still strapped into the palm of his hand, Gar juggled it and strolled over to the line of rugs, leaning to the side to get a gander in the small space that was left behind them.
As he turned, he suddenly narrowed his eyes, catching a flash of purple.
Gar held his breath, trudging ever closer to the bookcase.
Reaching it, he slowly peered around the edge of it, frightening himself as he caught Raven looking unimpressed,
"Rae!" He called, laughter seeping into his voice after his initial heart attack.
She smiled and raised an eyebrow, "I thought I was supposed to be the scared one in this game when you found me?"
"You were so silent and still and just stared back at me!" He chuckled, taking her hand and helping her out from where she'd been standing, around the side of the chunky bookcase.
"Raven! We should have known you would be near books of some description." Kory giggled, coming into shot as she arrived at her shoulder.
"When in doubt… always check the books." Raven dryly joked,
Gar spun the camera to face him, with Raven and Kory just past his shoulder, "How does it feel to be found, Rae?"
She gave him and his camera a bland look, "Peachy."
"I was saying to Kory and Vic… it was actually pretty hard to find all of you."
Raven snorted, "And here we all were, thinking our spots were awful."
Gar chuckled and turned around, taking the camera off of himself and pointing it forwards again.
"So… who lost?" Raven asked, folding her arms over her chest,
"Vic did." Kory beamed, proud that she had narrowly missed that title.
"Alright, alright. It was an okay spot, ite?" He shrugged, "I just got… unlucky."
"Dude, your whole foot was sticking out." Gar reminded him,
Vic mumbled something inaudible under his breath and waved him off, "Details, details."
"So, that means.. Dick won." Gar confirmed, smirking at Vic who groaned and ran a hand over his face,
"That means he's gonna pick some fancy ass place to eat and will order caviar."
Kory giggled and lightly bumped his shoulder with hers, "Dick does not eat caviar."
"Oh-"
"Although he does enjoy steak or lobster."
"Oh. Great." Vic deadpanned, shaking his head at Kory who was barely containing her laughter.
Gar led them away from the lounge area, stopping at the intersection of the marble walkway of the store, right beside the big display box of cushions he had half noticed earlier on.
"I still gotta find Dick though…" Gar mumbled, tapping his fingers against his camera in consideration,
Suddenly, Kory's phone beeped and she pulled it out, reading over the text message she had received. After a long pause, she closed her eyes and giggles poured from her throat,
"He has a message for you, Gar." Kory told him, cheekily,
"Of course he does…" Gar smirked, playfully rolling his eyes,
"It is… a hint for you. He says: 'Closer than you think. You can lean on me. I'm comfy.'."
Gar blinked and shook his head, "What?"
Raven watched Kory and something clicked in her mind; something that Gar apparently couldn't work out. Not yet, anyway.
"Ohh…" Raven surmised, quirking a small smile, "That's a good spot."
Gar tilted his head at her before he looked towards Kory, "I'm assuming you know where he is, Kory."
She nodded her head, hair cascading over her shoulder.
"You can lean on me… closer than you think… I'm comfy?" He repeated the words to himself, all the while his camera was locked on the others as well as the big box of cushions behind them.
Even Vic was now grinning, clearly having figured it out as well. Gar furrowed his brows and chewed on his lip before he glanced at Kory who was pulling a somewhat encouraging expression.
She ever so slightly jerked her head downwards, towards the box of cushions, urging him to join the dots.
"Huh?" He asked and it took him one whole minute of staring before it dawned on him, "Oh… OH!"
The other three burst out laughing whilst Gar gave the box a gentle kick with the top of his foot, "Dick? Are you seriously in there?"
There was a brief pause before the cushions jiggled and a few rolled, falling out and onto the floor. A few more joined them before Dick's head popped out of the mountain of furnishings.
Gar's mouth fell open whilst Dick simply slid his arms out too and leaned back for a second, brushing his hair back into place. He smirked at Gar, clearly smug that he had won the game of hide and seek.
"Dude!" He shrilled, smiling himself, "That's such a good spot! How did you burrow in there?"
"It was not the easiest. I had to take a bunch of the cushions out and then I texted Kory and she ran over from her spot to help cover me back over with them."
"That is dedication." Raven murmured,
Dick chuckled and freed himself a little more from his soft prison so that his top half was out, having had to shove a few cushions aside again.
"Well, Dick… I gotta hand it to you. It's a deserved win, bro. I would never have thought to check in there." Gar told him,
"I know. Just before you went into the bedroom bit, you walked straight past this thing and didn't even check. I was cracking up in there because you just had no idea." Dick laughed, accepting the help from Vic who let Dick use his shoulder for leverage in order to get out of the pit of cushions.
As he clambered out, multiple cushions fell out and onto the floor as well, which Dick was quick to pick up and put back in.
"Congrats, Dick. You're the winner." Gar smiled,
"Awesome. Who lost?" Dick grinned,
Gar matched the mischievous smirk that Dick also wore and his eyes flickered to Vic from behind the camera, "Vic diiid…" Gar sang, "And as you can tell by his face, he's super stoked about buying dinner from wherever you want!"
Vic shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, "Just don't take the piss, ite?"
Dick rolled his shoulders back, stiff from the position he had been curled into for the past hour, almost, "This is gonna be fun."
Jostling the camera, Gar opened his mouth to speak but paused, having caught a glimpse of something, "Uh… hold up, guys…"
"Okay… uh… sorry for the abrupt pause there. A lady that works in the store was proper staring us out from over in the kitchen area and I had a feeling we was gonna get kicked out so we just… nodded and smiled and left, real fast. So, now we're back in the parking lot, filming the outro." Gar summarized,
"She was not a happy lady." Kory mentioned, shaking her head,
"Yeah, she did not like us." Raven added,
Gar nodded in agreement before he glanced back towards the camera that was perched upon the extended tripod, just an arms length in front of them.
"So, our first hide and seek game was won by Dick; good job, Grayson." Gar said, lifting a hand in Dick's direction.
The ebony haired man smirked and looked very proud of himself.
"Although, I'm pretty sure we all had a feeling you might win." Gar snorted,
"Mhm… Dick is possibly the most competitive out of all of us." Kory commented,
Dick's dark brows furrowed, "Heyyy… I'm not that bad."
Kory smirked and turned to him, gently touching his cheek, "My love… you are. It is fine. We all know and accept this trait of yours."
He looked as though he was going to protest again but thought better of it and settled for a sheepish smile instead.
"Have you decided on what we're eating and what Vic's buying for you?" Gar asked, his tone one of teasing,
Dick glanced over at Vic who was waiting with a half bored expression, to be told where they would be eating that evening.
"I have, actually." Dick confirmed,
Vic sighed, "Alright, kid. Where?"
Taking a long pause, just to add suspense, Dick opened his mouth and said, "... KFC."
Visibly jerking back in surprise, Vic rapidly blinked, "What?"
Dick shrugged and smiled as Kory leaned into his side, wrapping an arm around his back, "You heard me, tin man."
"But… that's so… normal and… not expensive."
Snorting, Dick shook his head, "Why would I want to eat at some fancy place? I get enough of that whenever I visit Gotham. Sides, I really have a hankering for wings."
"Well, alright! I will buy you all the wings for that choice, Grayson!" Vic laughed, bumping fists with his friend.
"Uh, side note but we're gonna have to pit stop somewhere else too. I can't eat anything from KFC."
"Sure you can, B. They just released their vegan burger. Fake chicken." Vic informed him, "They brought it out a couple of weeks ago. Not as good as the real deal but…"
"Hey, I'll take it. As long as harmless chickens haven't been slaughtered, I-"
Raven cut him off with a sigh, "Please don't… whenever you explain the tortures… it puts a dampener on dinner. Just… hold off til after we've eaten."
Gar grinned at the camera, "Deal!"
He cleared his back and straightened up, his sole attention on the camera, "Alright, guys… that was hide and seek inside a department store. If you liked this video, don't forget to smash the like button and comment below if you want to see even more videos like this one!" He paused and pointed a finger in the direction of the lens, "And, if you wanna stay up to date, don't forget to smash that subscribe button to join the Logan family."
Gar stepped back and flashed a grin at the camera one last time before throwing up a two finger salute, "Until next time guys… peace!"