you trust me, don't you baby?

[implying]

Date & Time: forward dated to the 27th
Location: somewhere in Old London, there is a shitty hovel with a dude in it.
Characters: Marduk & Vanadi (& Apollo)
Summary: space-elves and non-elves and a lack of maturity, or any other kind of desirable personality trait (& Apollo)
Warnings: probably not (Apollo)

[ It's been long enough by now that there seems very little reason not to pick up what tattered shreds of pride he has left, and pack them away. Besides, this is ridiculous. There hadn't even been an actual reason for their last conversation to go as poorly as it had — to the point where he isn't even sure what to apologize for. If there's even one needed. He feels relatively sure that there is, but he's not fully sold on it yet.

But either way, Vanadi trudges unhappily through the snow, bundled enough that he hardly even needs his hologram emitter (he'd brought it anyway), and hones in slowly on the signal his mind can trace from Marduk's tablet. It brings him to a door, half lost in the snow, amidst the ruins of what Transports used to know as Exsilium.

With a breath in to steady himself, he knocks. ]

Comments

[oversleeps]

[ vanadi's touch makes his fingers twitch, and it's enough to make him lean back again. dangerous waters, friend-- though for which one of them, it's hard to say. ]

Yeah. As you should be. [ there's no malice in his words; it's the closest to 'apology accepted' he can manage. and... his eyes focus on the strings of lights still hanging on the walls, his mouth quirking into something that's almost like a smile. ] Merry Christmas. [ so what if it's over? it's just a little late, okay ... ]

[implying]

Ah, yes, that. Merry Christmas.

[ Weird holiday, that one, but okay. The lean is noted, but mostly ignored. It's a small setback, nothing more. He's overcome that before. So he only shifts, pats the cushion next to him, and smiles expectantly. ]

I do plan to take full advantage of that memory of yours now, my dear! For a start — it's been six years, how old does that make you now?

[oversleeps]

[ he's not sure why he's surprised that vanadi remembers that, but it catches him off guard regardless. age is sort of a tricky thing, and when he eyes vanadi up and down this time he realizes he has no idea how old he is in return. ]

Older than you. [ his best guess, given that for the most part, they look like they could be peers. ] Significantly so.

[implying]

[ Spurned. Ah, well, he'll live. And in fact, he'll put his feet up along the rest of the couch while he's at it, as long as Marduk's not using it. He eyes Marduk thoughtfully right back, considering that. ]

Possibly. How long does your race live compared to, say, humans?

[oversleeps]

[ w ell. marduk hesitates even more with this answer, searching for the best way to spin things. ] ... No differently.

[ yes; he's satisfied with that. it sounds so much better than 'the same as.' ] And yours?

[implying]

[ What carefully chosen words. He quirks a smile, amused. ]

Kitrites have briefer lifespans. And considering that by now I'm — oh, twenty-five, say — I may well be comparatively the older of us.

[ so there. ]

[oversleeps]

[ what is this now, a competition? marduk clucks his tongue disapprovingly. ] I'd say that depends on how much briefer.

And honestly-- [ another pause. ] I could be wrong. The comparison is only an assumption. The last time any of my kind died of old age was in an era long forgotten. [ so there right back. (it is totally a competition.) ]

[implying]

Really?

[ He arches his brows, looking impressed. Pay no mind to the swat he gives the empty air, as if shooing away a fly. ]

Sounds rather a violent world, unless you mean you've all taken to not dying in general.

[oversleeps]

[ he grins entirely too broadly at the word violent, showing as many of his teeth as possible. ]

I'm sure you know what I actually mean. [ he rests his head on one hand again, his free arm hanging down the front of the couch now. ] Thirty-one. [ he offers, with no other comment attached. ]

[implying]

Ah, then we would have been precisely tied! [ He sits up from his lounge, triumphant. ] If you hadn't gone and cheated, of course.

[oversleeps]

Is it still cheating if it wasn't intentional? [ pff. he makes a little shooing motion with one hand after vanadi sits up all the way. no need to get excited, now.

especially since he won. ] I didn't ask to go, you know-- I'm just not terribly upset with how things turned out, either. [ god, being alive is awesome. ]

[implying]

[ While he's sitting up, his eyes flick down to Marduk's hip, and the sword there. Huh. Looks like a totally normal sword to him. Right, back to ignoring it, then. He smiles warmly. ]

You do look very good. I'd thought you handsome before, but now I see precisely how right I was.

[oversleeps]

Bullshit. [ between vanadi's comment and the look he actually catches, that time, marduk begins to feel uncomfortable again. he shifts slightly, leaning forward again but deliberately looking towards the fire instead. ]

I hardly look any different. [ now this, this is a sore spot. it's easy to chalk everything up to magical... ritual... whatever the fuck, but that only excuses so much. ] I'd hate to see what else you say you're right about, if this is worth patting yourself on the back over.

[implying]

Now, there's no need to be bashful.

[ He grins, leaning to brush a hand under Marduk's chin affectionately. ]

I really do like your eyes like this. They're quite nice.

[oversleeps]

[ as soon as he feels contact he grabs for vanadi's wrist, slamming it down on the back of the couch and holding it there. marduk stares at him, long and hard, squinting just the tiniest bit. ]

Flattery gets you nowhere. [ at least, not here. not anymore. ]

[implying]

[ Instantly comes the look of irritation, with pursed lips and drawn-back ears. But he leaves his hand as it is, and diverts the annoyance. (There isn't any use aiming it at Marduk, not again. They've done that already.) Instead he drops his eyes, over the back of the couch and toward that sword again.

A little sharply: ] Is there anything about your sword? Enchanted, perhaps?

[oversleeps]

[ what a subject change-- is that really where he was looking? hm. marduk's free hand immediately gravitates towards the hilt of his sword, hovering there uncertain. he tilts his head towards it, looking down with a sidelong glance as though he'd never seen the thing before.

it's at about that point that it's obvious even to him that's he's being a bit suspicious, now. that's enough cause for him to grasp the handle proper, gripping it so hard his knuckles turn white as he looks back to vanadi. ] If being my chosen weapon here counts-- then yes.

[implying]

[ There's a brief red glow in his left pupil, but it doesn't turn up anything, either. He doesn't spend much longer studying the sword before he aims a doubtful glance at empty air to his left, shrugs, and easily wrenches his hand back. ]

Ah, well. [ He settles back into his lounge, arms folded behind his head. ] Where were we? Flattery, I think.

[oversleeps]

Hold on. [ the change of subject gives him some room to relax, though he's still visibly tense.

but for all his defensiveness, there's not that much reason to be so worked up around vanadi; bit by bit, marduk forces himself to ease up a little. ] I think a better place to go is-- why were you asking?

[implying]

Because I was curious? [ He addresses the ceiling in a lazy drawl, folding one leg over the other to bob his ankle through the air. ] Really, my dear, I liked my direction better.

[oversleeps]

Puts us at odds, doesn't it? [ he scoffs, placing both his hands down on the back of couch now. ] I eagerly await the day you manage to be upfront for longer than a sentence.

[ that may be a little harsh. didn't they just have a nice, if vague attempt at having a heart-to-heart? he frowns, more out of displeasure with himself than anything else. ] Go on with your idea, then. If you were planning on elaborating. [ or whatever. ]

[implying]

[ He's not particularly enjoying this little game of baiting and antagonizing, but it keeps happening, so who is he to resist it? He keeps his eyes on the ceiling and a wry smile in place. ]

Oh, I could elaborate, but you would probably just pretend not to enjoy it.

[oversleeps]

Try me. [ he leans forward with that comment, and then immediately realizes what a poor move that would be and rocks back on his heels. it's like having to stay out of the range of a venomous snake.

an irritated one. ] I certainly don't recall pretending to anything.

[implying]

You certainly could have fooled me. ( It's out in a murmur, and yet -- challenge accepted. He sits himself up again and gives Marduk a slow and very thoughtful once-over. )

You look very healthy. Even those charming spots of yours. I've mentioned your eyes, but that's still very true -- that's a beautiful color. And of course, your ass has never looked finer. Is that a new cut of pants for you?

goddammit vanadi

[oversleeps]

[ well, that backfired in spectacular fashion. marduk actually turns his whole body away-- not too much, but some-- biting st the corner of his lip. it takes a long moment of gazing at nothing in particular on the floor before he's able to respond. ]

They're the same. [ a lie; and a pause. ] My line of conversation was better after all.