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

[implying]

Mm. [ He shrugs, nonchalant. ] It's something to look forward to, yes? And I've waited a long time, I can wait somewhat longer.

[ But now, with this aside, he glances over expectantly. ]

Your turn, my dear.

[oversleeps]

[ his smile fades with the reminder. right. ]

The story of how I came back to life, right? [ it sounds funny when said aloud like that. marduk hasn't thought much on it since it happened, and he's not even sure to begin. in an effort to stall for time while he considers where to begin, he comes back around to the front of the couch, lightly smacking at one of vanadi's legs. ] Move.

[implying]

[ He obliges, and doesn't even stop to weigh his options. He's more interested in hearing the story than in being a dick, for once. He slides his legs off the couch and sits up, giving Marduk all the space he could want. ]

[oversleeps]

[ marduk sits with a heavy sigh, resigned to his fate of exposition. he tries to be considerate and give vanadi room of his own, but-- well, there wasn't that much of it to begin with. ]

Truthfully, I didn't have much to do with it. [ he slumps back in his seat, eyes closed. ] Cheating death isn't very... common, where I'm from. Most of it was tracking down someone who claimed they could.

[implying]

[ Once Marduk is seated, Vanadi drapes a leg over his. It's a casual move, fully encouraging of being wholly overlooked and ignored. Pay no mind to the proximity, none at all. ]

Was it just you, then? Or did you have help?

[oversleeps]

If you could even call them help. The company I keep is-- [ haha. ] You'd like them well enough.

[ meanwhile, that leg is a whole problem unto itself. while he makes no immediate attempt to dislodge it, he does lean away, up against the armrest. ] Vanadi. [ he hisses, unwilling to let things slide completely. ]

i will never find a better use for this icon

[implying]

[ He looks wholly and completely innocent, arched brows and small smile and all, and makes absolutely no attempt to move. ]

Yes, Marduk?

jfc dont use that thing at me

[oversleeps]

[ he grits his teeth; how the fuck is he supposed to respond to that? the logical move here would be to push him off next, but... ]

Anything else? [ they were kind of in the middle of a conversation. ]

you can't tell me what to do

[implying]

( Gods, but he would like to kiss him right now. It's probably the barely restrained annoyance. But he would also like to hear the rest of this, so he doesn't. )

Well, how about these friends of yours? Tell me about them.

[oversleeps]

[ friends is a bit strong of a word, really. marduk leans his forehead against his fist, resting it there, his posture still distinctly trending away from vanadi. he never should've sat back down. ]

That I don't see the point of. [ he makes an irritated noise. ] It isn't as though I have any great attachment to them.

[implying]

[ Well, he hasn't been shoved off, that's a minor victory. He'll take it. ]

Well then, what of your romantic attachment? Surely you must care about that one.

[oversleeps]

Do you really want to hear about her? [ a glance. his tone of voice is dubious at best. ] I always figured you for nosy, but never to that degree.

[implying]

No? Then you hadn't figured me very well. Romance is my specialty, my dear. ( and he adds a wink, just because. )

Go on then. How did you meet her?

[oversleeps]

[ marduk shakes his head. ] I think-- that's probably enough questions for now. Isn't it?

[ he's not exactly looking for agreement on this one. he stands up, finally brushing off vanadi's leg in the process. ] It is getting late. [ not that he has any idea what time it is in here. he doesn't even look outside if he doesn't have to. ]

[implying]

( Vanadi frowns. He'll take his leg back if he has to, but he doesn't look ready to stand any time soon. It certainly isn't enough questions for now. )

Quite alright. Getting home in the dark is hardly an issue with my particular assets. ( not that infrared is really all that much help in such a uniformly cold climate. But more importantly: ) Why don't you want to tell me?

[oversleeps]

Asking a question doesn't entitle you to an answer. [ he crosses his arms at that, to give his words some sort of reinforcement. ] Am I not allowed to keep things to myself? The why of it shouldn't matter.

[implying]

No, I suppose it doesn't entitle me to an answer.

( He slowly draws himself straight, one leg folded over the other, elbow on his knee and chin in hand. )

But I do want to know. I'm excited to see you alive and whole, Marduk -- I'd very much like to learn who you are now, and how you differ and have grown from the man I've known.

( 'Loved' had been at the tip of his tongue, but he has enough experience not to use it. Too much truth can drive people away. He smiles. )

You've no obligation to answer, but I do ask as a friend.

[oversleeps]

[ ugh, that's entirely too reasonable. marduk hunches over, arms wrapping around himself a little tighter. vanadi is persuasive ]

Maybe I don't know you that well. [ to backtrack a little, here. ] That we can probably agree on. Doesn't count as much of a friendship. [ even the word is bitter tasting in his mouth-- by no fault of vanadi's, mind. ]

[implying]

[ There's some hurt to hear that, but it masquerades as annoyance, which is much easier to handle. His ears draw back, but he keeps the smile. ]

Gods, but I should hope you don't know me that well -- with the amount of time it's been since you last saw me? I quite simply refuse to believe any memory is that good.

[ There, pride more or less salvaged. He looks a little less taut, forcing himself back into friendly relaxation. ]

But of course, there are always opportunities to learn more, should you care to take them.

[oversleeps]

It would depend on what constitutes an opportunity. [ it's true that he hardly has a flawless recollection of his previous time in exsilum. not everyone gets to have an eidetic memory, as much as some of them would like to. (it'd save him a fortune in paper.)

but he remembers some things-- kisses exchanged for information, among other deals; ones he couldn't possibly follow through with now. ] ... And what the cost of them are.

[implying]

( He probably shouldn't be offended by the implication there, as anyone who knows him might say the same -- but he still is. His smile fades entirely, and he half spreads both arms in self presentation. )

Merely ask. There is your opportunity.

[oversleeps]

[ it's not that he doesn't trust him. it's just that now, provided with the option to ask anything he wants, there's nothing marduk can think of. the one thing that was nagging at him the most vanadi had already seen fit to answer.

well, maybe there is something else. ] Why are you being so persistent with this? [ with him? whatever. reverse the situation here and marduk would've left a while ago-- hell, that's half what he's been gunning for this whole time. ]

[implying]

( His spread hands hover for a moment, then fall to the couch, before he moves them to rest in his lap. Honesty never comes naturally to him. )

I've told you already. I care for you a great deal -- whether or not you've ever remembered me.

[oversleeps]

[ is that really enough? marduk chews on his lip, thoughtful. it's an answer not nearly selfish enough for him to be able to accept, in the end. honest, maybe, but not honest enough. ]

Maybe too much. [ that probably goes both ways. after a moment's pause he speaks again, quieter this time: ] I might not have always remembered you right away. But I never forgot.

[implying]

[ He watches Marduk unhappily. What's the use of hearing about how things used to be between them, in the face of how they are now? He frowns, and finally glances away. ]

Lovely. Not much I can do with it now, but terribly touching.