|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 6:26 pm
The upgrade made it known. Obvious, even, for how Alkmene's sleeves migrated to his bicep in that detached fashion. Lace brambles hadn't covered it up — they meshed with it.
Eion had said nothing about it at the time, not in front of Tama. But they had a count of days behind them, now, and he and Albite made some headway on that dilapidated hole they would soon call a house. He couldn't say if it was enough time, or if it was too much time. He learned to care less about what was socially correct, instead trusting his boys to tell him about any social missteps. If Haru thought him obtuse or uncaring, he expected a conversation about it.
In the between days, he spent some of his off hours on the leftover bone from Waru's ring. It was preemptive to give away another one, he knew, but he had a surplus of material, and every reason to put it to use. Often, with scribe in hand, he whiled the hours into the early afternoon before passing out on his slap of steel, tools still in hand when five o'clock struck.
He bought the proper india inks. Stained, carefully, the inner portions of his project. The delicate framing filigree was coated in violets, and a sufficiently dilute wash blushed the design in the center. Once he was satisfied, he looped a chain through the finished product, dumped another medal out of its box, and used the box for the gift.
Having no phone since the incident with Albite, Eion didn't send word ahead of time — he simply showed up at Haru and Hina's rang their doorbell, and let his creeping tendrils of wariness draw his eyes down both sides of the hall, as if a lack of auric sense meant an ambush.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 25, 2022 9:59 pm
Haru was pretty sure they weren't expecting anyone today. Then again, visitors weren't always expected. He'd been lounging on the couch, reading, and he shoved in a bookmark, slinging feet clad in beribboned knee-high socks onto the ground. Stood up, opened the door, and blinked.
He certainly hadn't been expecting Eion.
"Eion," he said, brightening. "Come on in."
He did his best not to think about the fact that he was wearing a very comfy black dress that also happened to have spaghetti straps, which meant bare arms, which meant the tattoo that he was sort of hoping Eion just Wouldn't Bring Up was fully on display. Maybe if he was very chill and casual about the whole thing, they wouldn't have to have a conversation that would involve Haru stumbling over feelings.
"Hina's out, so."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 26, 2022 5:18 pm
He had the box in his hand when Haru answered the door, and he kept it at his side, out of the way, blended with the velvety soft black jacket that Celadonite had so easily made. But more importantly, Haru was inviting him in while wearing only socks and a bigger, black, spaghetti strapped body sock. He was all socks.
Eion knew exactly what the third sock was for. He hadn't forgotten his time as a teenaged boy.
Biting back any expression of lasciviousness, Eion stepped past the threshold and into Haru and Hina's apartment. Hina being gone was troublesome — he now had every excuse to spend the next few hours in a tangle of limbs on the couch, or bed, or wherever. "Sure we can find something to do without her."
Eion wandered his way into the kitchen, checked the countertops, peered into the teapot that was left under its cozy. While he did so, he slipped the box under the tea cozy as he moved it off the pot. He had to hunt down a cup — he wasn't so familiar with their space that he knew the cupboards by heart — and he found one soon enough, It was green this time; he would drink it straight.
Filled cup in hand, he turned to lean against the counter. The hem of that sock was so tauntingly short —
"Found a, mm, house, I guess." Eion paused to sip his tea, sample his next words. "More a dump right now, but it gets me out of the Barracks. Thought it could also help the team out.
"Got a few floors, several rooms. Heliodor suggested opening up the first, making something of a gathering space. But I thought it important for everyone to be able to take shelter there, at anytime. Maybe, for some, live there." Another sip.
"Wanted your ideas." He glanced up at Haru's sock over the rim of his teacup.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 27, 2022 5:54 pm
Haru snorted. True, he suspected that he and Eion could find plenty to do while his sister was busy. His eyes flicked over the lovely jacket, and then back to Eion's face, and he couldn't help but feel a little warm. There was something especially intimate, for him, about letting Eion into his space--no matter how many times it happened, it always felt like an unexpected pleasure.
And there were more signs of Haru's personality and personal preferences, even in the open spaces he shared with his sister, than there had been a few months ago, when he and Eion first ended up tangled together in a room bare of all but the lightest trimmings of personality. Plants, for one; windowsills and counters held little trays of succulents, which Haru had found he very much liked tending.
Prickly, but beautiful under the right hands.
He stood back, amused, and watched Eion prepare tea; if it had looked like hew was actually having trouble, Haru supposed he would intervene, but at least the cabinets were fairly reasonably laid out, and mugs and teacups were front and center for how frequently he and Hina both used them.
"I guess it'd have to be in rough shape," Haru admitted, "to be in the Rift. It's all thousand year old ruins, right?" Was that what his planet would have looked like, if he'd ever bothered to visit? A bunch of crumbling dumps? Worse, maybe, since at least the Rift had inhabitants who might find reason to make use of spaces.
Still. Ideas. Thoughts.
"I think it's a good idea," he said. "More private than your office or the barracks, if a bit more complicated to get to. Think we could rig up something with the cats to make it easier to get back and forth?" It was an idle thought, but it would be useful if they could manage it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 27, 2022 6:53 pm
While Haru spoke, Eion's attention wandered the room. Easier to stay on topic if he wasn't looking at Haru, and he'd been over enough times to play 'spot the difference'. More plants appeared, and he wondered if that was Waru's doing, much like Kamacite's office full of foliage was Waru's doing. They looked alive, even thriving; it was a sight quite unlike the solitary cactus that Eion took off of beleaguered Yuuri's hands, which now sat, half-dead, in the window of said dilapidated house.
"Remind me to bring you two that plant tomorrow," he interjected as he stared up at a succulent-laden windowsill. "Might be able to save it."
Haru was correct that the Rift was all ancient ruins, most completely dismantled by the occupants. Only the Tower had stood against time, though even that required a rescue mission for a set of gears before it began working. But —
Eion held up a finger, then cocked it to the side. "Mm," he began around a sip of tea. "Not in the Rift. Sunken City." Resting his cup on the countertop, Eion mapped an area out around it by splaying his hands against the surface. "Citadel's got some ruins around it. Too unstable for casual exploration; had to apply for a permit to find one. Should be able to teleport straight inside.
"Albite show you how to do that yet?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 2:17 am
The mention of a plant made Alkmene's eyes flicker over to the counter, and he smiled faintly.
"Yeah, we can give it a shot," he said. "Kinda think I like plants, actually." It was something that rewarded his efforts, and that he didn't have to think too hard about.
The correction about location made him hum, and he nodded to acknowledge it. His understanding of the geography of Negaspace and the Rift was, frankly, messy--he knew he ought to get better about it, but fortunately he had a General who was experienced with all of it.
"Gotcha," he said. "Much more convenient, then--but, uh." He flushed, a little. "Hadn't thought to ask, about teleportation. I'll make sure to get myself in for lessons." No reason not to learn about a useful new ability.
"Have you started doing anything with it, yet? The house?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 4:17 pm
Good — Haru found something to devote himself to, learned something about himself. He was acclimating, which Eion found relieving, especially when framed against his sister's departure. And, of course, Kamacite's cactus would be in safer keeping with Haru than with Faustite.
"You can ask me any time," he said as his eyes shut momentarily. He'd only been a General for longer than Albite had access to teleportation; surely he knew a few tricks by now. Unless Haru was reticent to ask, though Eion could not rationalize a reason for that. He thought he was approachable (despite being on fire), especially to his boys.
When Haru spoke next, Eion met him with confusion until he clarified that he meant the house, not teleportation. "Mm. Here and there. Structural repair.
"Haven't established what to do with the interior yet. Heliodor — my first subordinate —suggested opening up the first floor and using it as a communal space. Somewhere for team meetings in relative privacy."
Speaking of privacy — "For how long will Hina be out?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 10:39 pm
Haru flashed Eion a grin. "Dangerous to give me blanket permission for anything," he teased, "but I'd appreciate the guidance."
Not that he would ever want to abuse Eion's kindnes,s or impose, but...well, he did get to have a little fun every once in a while, even if that fun was confined to teasing the possibility.
He huffed, briefly, and pulled himself up to sit on the kitchen island, batting a heel against the cabinet underneath. "A private space for meetings sounds ideal." He wasn't stupid enough to assume that just because the Negaverse was supposed to be a well-oiled machine, there weren't petty rivalries that meant the possibility of attempts to undermine operations, never mind the possibility of prying traitors.
The question made him blink, and he looked towards the door.
"An hour or two, I think. She's running a couple of errands, and she'll probably end up tacking a couple more on than she planned to do. So, we've got a while."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2022 6:40 pm
Haru knew precisely how to press his buttons, and precisely which buttons he wanted to press. In return, he received a lidded stare as Eion shifted a little uncomfortably.
"Suppose I can make room for you next week," he tossed over his shoulder as he turned. He started off toward the hallway, fully expecting that Haru would follow. Distantly, he wondered what was supposed to be socially appropriate — did he wait for Haru to invite him back, or was there some other dynamic at play now? — but he decided he didn't care half as much about those questions as he should, and twice more about how best to enjoy Haru's company for his three scant hours. It would've been to everyone's advantage if Eion taught him to teleport in this instant, but Eion was feeling terribly selfish.
As for the house — "Give you time to think about it." Then he paused in the mouth of the hallway, his hand resting on the corner. "Mm, but not right now."
If he had his way, Haru wouldn't be thinking at all for a few hours.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
