cuz though the truth may vary...

[healplz]

Date & Time: Forward dated to the 15th, evening
Location: Koltira's lake
Characters: Koltira & Ashraf
Summary: so a priest and a zombie start drinking together...
Warnings: PROBABLY NOT

[ Ashraf warps himself to the lake within five minutes of ending the call with Koltira, a bottle of scotch in one hand and two glasses in the other. He doesn't intend to drink very much, but... enough to relax. It's been a trying week and a half— nearly two weeks, really.

Just thinking of it makes him sigh. He starts toward the skeleton of the half-constructed cabin at the side of the lake, glancing around for Koltira. For once, he's moving at normal speeds, without his almost constant spell of agility. ]

Comments

[healplz]

Might have liked it? It sounds difficult to disagree with.

[ He's smiling a little at the description of it, or possibly just at the much-more-pleasant subject. Both are good, man. ]

You've been away, though? What has kept you from it?

[deadelfwalking]

[he gives him a look like 'Really? Really.' He downs the drink.]

Use your imagination.

[healplz]

[ ...Oh. :C He doesn't have to consider it long before he's looking immediately depressed again, and tossing back the rest of his drink. After a second of thought, 'depressed' starts looking a lot more like 'angry'. ]

Do you know, you may be the most noble man I've met here? There is no reason for that. None.

[deadelfwalking]

[He's more than a little taken aback by this sudden expression of feeling. Rather than jump straight to being a dick about it, he pauses.]

--what do you mean, exactly?

[healplz]

I've given you nothing but causes to hurt me— kill me, even— and you've taken none of those chances.

[ He pauses, frowning, because that's not entirely true. So an amendment: ]

—And even when forced to, you stopped yourself. And this— with Martin, Bariyan— who else has worked so hard to do right by it?

[deadelfwalking]

[frowning, because it definitely took a lot of willpower not to attack Ashraf--both when they first met, and in the forest. He had certainly wanted to, first because of Ashraf's aggression, and then because of his hysteria. But to fight blindly, for no reason, and against his will--these were things he definitively did not want.

And as for Bariyan and the child ... he shakes his head.]

My efforts were for naught.

[healplz]

I know. [ oh god, this again. ] I know well. But— you tried, did you not? No monster would have tried.

[ He heaves a sigh, flopping back into a recline with arms lifted to cushion his head. He has just enough presence of mind to know that he's kinda embarrassing himself here. ]

Forgive me, Koltira— I've had quite a lot.

[deadelfwalking]

[It'S ON HIS MIND OK IT HASN'T BEEN THAT LONG. Koltira's eyes follow the flop.]

I'm going to guess that you do not drink often.

[healplz]

Not often, or much. [ Kinda mumbling into a hand, here. ] It's frowned upon, in the Church.

[deadelfwalking]

[pouring him more, because Koltira is a good influence. Holds the glass over him.]

You're a long way from the Church, friend.

[healplz]

That hasn't gone unnoticed.

[ He eyes the drink for a few seconds, warily, but then smiles and takes it, propping himself up just enough to sip. ]

Pour yourself another, if you pour anything for anyone. It also hasn't gone unnoticed that I'm speaking far more loosely than you. [ read: embarrassing himself far more. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[atta boy. Koltira obliges Ashraf's request, of course. He's quite a ways away from anything even resembling inebriation, but he has made it to the 'pleasant buzz' stage.]

My speech is rarely loose.

[healplz]

[ He sets his drink down half-finished, because that seems like a safer thing to do, and makes a face at Koltira. ]

That's hardly fair.

[deadelfwalking]

[he picks up one of the bottles from the nest surrounding him and drains it.]

Such is life. [princess..]

[healplz]

[ huff, whatever. He's quiet for a few seconds, watching the lake with a small frown. ]

You know... [ What does this have to do with anything? Nothing. Is he saying it anyway? Yes. ] It's difficult to tell when you're looking, sometimes. I can't be sure I've made eye contact with you.

[deadelfwalking]

[stares. directly. at him.]

No? I will endeavor to make myself more obvious.

[healplz]

[ uh THIS IS SUDDENLY KIND OF UNCOMFORTABLE. He frowns, shrugging an arm up to shield himself from it. ]

My... thanks. That's very kind.

[deadelfwalking]

[he laughs.]

And yet you clearly cannot tolerate it.

[healplz]

Tolerate it? I can tolerate it.

[ ...This arm-shield isn't going anywhere, though. ]

...I only choose not to subject myself to you and that scrutiny, is all.

[deadelfwalking]

[he's teasing, but his voice tends to be just as inscrutable as his eyes. dead-pan darth vader etc.]

What's to scrutinize? Your expressions, by contrast, are always perfectly clear.

[healplz]

They aren't that perfectly clear. [ okay fine finally dropping this arm so he can FROWN AT YOU. ] I am perfectly capable of keeping thoughts and such concealed, when necessary.

[deadelfwalking]

[mission accomplished. He shuts one eye, grinning.]

You're an open book. [swills from another bottle.] An open hymnal, even.

[healplz]

I'm not.

[ He scowls, even if there's good humor buried somewhere under it, and waves a hand toward Koltira. There's a sound like the buzz of static as his magic works, and Koltira should find himself pretty effectively mute. And unable to cast any magic, but it's the former Ashraf casts it for. ]

If you disagree with me, you need only say so.

[deadelfwalking]

[Ashraf, you sassy little bitch. Koltira's at first irritated, then just bemused. He shakes his head, picks up a stick, and draws in the dirt:

I D I S A G R E E.]

[healplz]

[ And, sitting up, Ashraf drags a foot across the letters to obscure them as if by accident, hardly even having looked. And this might be a smirk, here. ]

I thought you would see things as I do.