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

[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.

[deadelfwalking]

[clearing his throat once the spell wears off.]

You've grown a sense of humor. Fantastic.

[healplz]

[ Okay, the smirk is back to being just a smile, and he reaches out to clasp Koltira's forearm apologetically. ]

Forgive me, that was a poor use of my spells. [ totally worth it, tho. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[he can't retaliate, because even his silences are based around CHOKING A BITCH, but he just shrugs. Eyes on the forearm clasp.

Koltira murmurs.]

How curious that someone like you should be my only friend here.

[healplz]

[ Even if it's hard to tell where glowy eyes are looking, Ashraf doesn't miss that. He eventually drops his hand again, but settles himself near enough that their arms brush. he ain't afraid of no cold. ]

You would have more, if you only allowed it. [ ...but wait. after a beat he frowns. ] Someone like me?

[deadelfwalking]

[he soundly rejects that assertion, but he decides to address the other part of Ashraf's response instead. Lightly.]

A priest with a deep-seated hatred for all that I am?

[healplz]

Ah, that. [ "ah, that" NO BIG DEAL. He shrugs a little, the smile back again. ] You won me over, my friend. The first of many, would be the logical thought.

[deadelfwalking]

Well. [lookin' into the bottle, quietly.] Don't be too generous, now. Many of us are not worthy of your kindness.

[including me, he's thinking, helplessly.]

[healplz]

Kindness is given to all, worthy or not. It's the admiration I've come to feel for you that is more sparing.

[ But this time he actually resists launching into anything too passionate! He bites back the rest and glances around for his drink instead. He's left it sitting somewhere around here... ]

[deadelfwalking]

[aw honey, he'd blush if his body was still capable. As it stands, he nudges that drink over to Ashraf, then picks up his own.]

I've come to admire you as well, despite our initial ... friction. [lifting the glass to Ashraf.] Of course, I've forgiven worse than threats to my life.

[healplz]

[ Oh look, his wayward booze has found its way home. He wraps both hands around it fondly, smiling down into it. ]

It isn't as though they were ever true threats. I've come to realize that my opposing you was... something like a lapdog yapping at a wolf. A bear, perhaps.

[deadelfwalking]

[flatly, though he's smiling.]

Yes, it was exactly like that.

[healplz]

[ There's a brief grin, but it's back to that quietly amused little smile by the time he downs the rest of his drink. ]

Well, then thank you for not killing me, Koltira. I don't believe I've said that yet.

[deadelfwalking]

[emphatically.] I would not have forgiven myself if I had.

[healplz]

[ oh pshaw. He waves a hand, alcohol doing wonders for his usually sparse gesticulation. ]

Even if I had forced your hand? You didn't know me from the next man, then.

[ It all seems so much less serious in retrospect and through the haze of drink. Matters of life and death? Whatever. ]

[deadelfwalking]

You were defenseless. There is no honor in such a kill.

[glances at his supply. Man, he's actually starting to run low, over here. Sighing.]

Besides which, I would have done it outside of my own power. If I am going to kill someone--if I am going to do anything, I want it to be my decision.

[that's the most important thing, that's what he struggles for most of all--the strength to be his own person, and make choices that he can say, with certainty, are his own.]