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 Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:53 am
 "I have not met the other, I do not think. At least not a protracted affair. Only Khiviance. Desiderio…was not reborn yet.” How bizarre a sting to come from so innocent a source. The question did not grate. That anyone was asking him, in all honestly, if he had suitors was sickly comical. He looked up, through his bangs, across the board, "I am as you so often find me. I have not gone forth much since being branded. I do not socialize much. It is, after all, something of a taboo. I am the one who stabbed Creation through the heart. " "No. No in another life perhaps, in the ages before. Now….it is not so. Water has indicated at least carnal interest, but love does not find kinship in this body. I loved….unrequited. Now bound, no one is so foolish to test the bindings or chaos-mood of Destruction."
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:57 am
 "Foolish, eh?" The urge to reach across the board and touch, to try and offer reassurance was strong, but he suppressed it. If it was for the sake of his own pride, or the other's, he wasn't sure. Instead he drew back ever so slightly, looking down thoughtfully at his fingers as they curled up in his lap until the knuckles showed white.
"I.." He paused, not really sure what it actually was that he wanted to say. He'd wanted to stay clear from more grave and serious topics such as this one, had wanted to keep the conversation light, but now.. "I wish there was something I could do."
"While I certainly wouldn't dare to oppose His judgment.. Not, at least, unless I was in all seriousness convinced of the sentence to be unjust and that I am most certainly not.." He looked up, his posture straightening, his gaze serious. "But my word may still hold some weight, so at the very least I would be willing to vouch for you, should the need arise. To take responsibility." What am I saying?!
But there was no taking back his words now, and the offer of trust was, perhaps, the only true gift he was able to give right now. Trust and.. friendship. "Think of it as you will," he added gruffly, "just know that it is not an act of pity or because I believe I owe you." His lips pressed together, forming a stubborn thin line. Why he felt he had to defend his offer, he could not say.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:58 pm
 It was almost okay. Nervous words and hands stumbling through admittances that seemed as mad as he was. And this such an early meeting. What untold thoughts were inherited from afore time? He had not spoken to underworld, assignments and requests souls to be made constellations of great heroes had been received by the Worldshield and then related to him. Neither of them had been long or often at the court itself, and he certainly didn't speak much while there.....a silent spark near the left hand of the Throne as business was handled. Underworld came, severe and heavy mannered as a stone pillar. He could see ghosts of it, a figure, he joked to himself, that should be made of stone, not flesh. Maybe he had been. A walking sarcophagus sculpture. But the meanings did stumble. "I'm so glad you agree." He himself had fully admitted the wrong, but for the other to deliver such a statement, like a judge denying an appeal at court. "I do not dispute the judgement, I wear my mark and bondage in appropriate state....I. do. not. ask. you. to. " But it just continued, rough and grating like hands forced wrong-ways through primaries, into his down. "We owe each other nothing. And if you did, I have no use for favors and would see it released. If you wish to couch frankness in court. I will approach the Crown myself, if I have need, for my own behalf. But there is no need on my account. Others perhaps, but not mine." He slide the coins out of his hand again, a stronger throw then usual, and moved his second to last jackal in place.
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:47 am
"I.. I see." Nergal nodded briefly, his wings flicking slightly before settling against his back once more, their movement stiff and tensed as he seemed to draw back even more. There was a saying he'd heard from that woman back at Koiso, Xing.. How did it go? 'The way to Hell is paved with good intentions', something along that line? He had misstepped somehow, so much was clear, albeit the exact reason yet escaped him. "I should not have asked."
He didn't add an apology however, no matter how strong the urge to do so was. He was not going to apologize for an offer which had been way out of his way, deviating from the principles he was usually holding onto so tightly. However, if their roles were swapped, if he were to be made the same offer.. He would have reacted very much the same, he assumed. Except that he wouldn't have committed that foolish deed in the first place. Or would he? Love. Madness. So very close to each other, he'd had a taste of that. Siblings, weren't they?
"The wrong offer for all the right reasons perhaps," he murmured softly, more thinking aloud than truly addressing the other as he slowly drew the coins to his side of the board one by one. "I am.. clumsy with these things."
"Or perhaps I have been wrong all the way," he added thoughtfully after a little while. "I punished one of my aoidei severely once for speaking before thinking, but it seems I am prone to the same mistake now that there are no verdicts and sentences for me to utter." He adored the starlit skies and the freedom they promised, true, but was that.. that infatuation really enough of a reason to make an offer such as he had done? Careless. Irresponsible. He wished he was able to think more clearly, more rational, like he had done back then.. back then.. But 'back then' was the time he had failed. Failed and withered and-- He didn't want to think about it.
"Perhaps.." He weighed the coins carefully in his hand, taking notice of their diameter, the slight imbalance in their weight - he would be able to cheat if he only wanted to he realized, irritated that the thought even crossed his mind. "If I may, I would like to make an offer of that kind again, once we know more of each other, would that be tolerable? Please," he added after a moment, that six-letter word feeling so entirely foreign on his tongue that he instantly knew he'd never asked anyone for anything.
He turned his hand, letting the coins slide from his palm.
"If not, that is fine with me and I will never mention it again." Which didn't necessarily mean he wasn't going to do something nonetheless - that thought almost made him feel like he was crossing his fingers behind his back and he quickly directed his attention towards the coins rolling across the board, away from such 'wicked' ideas, only to stare in disbelief as the silver discs came to a halt. He hadn't been cheating, he was sure of it, but the knowledge that he could have was enough to make him hesitate to move his last jackal.
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:54 pm
 He lifted a hand to press a knuckle to one of his temples, sighing. He was trying hard, but it had to be more. This had to work. ”No….no no,” He couldn’t just react with Underworld. He could feel the back-peddling, and had already long ago noted the uncertainty with which the other engaged in social play. Underworld was young, new and uncertain about everything. He needed leeway….and….back to straight-forwardness. ”It was…just the delivery, is all. Forgive me….I am volatile, yet. Especially, “ The explanation was stilted. It would have to do. ”That subject. But fair. Only the addition of your own personal judgment to an otherwise honourable, kingly offer made it seem like tribunal again. An appeals court, if you will. If you had offered alone, and left that off, I would understand and feel your regard the same. " ”I know I was guilty. Am guilty. Others may feel free to feel the same. But hearing it pronounced at me so……righteously…" Lucius shook his head. ”It is difficult……for ……me--” The last hound was in place and the game was finished. Lucius blinked. He had lost after all. ”It appears Luck’s smile is for you.”
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 2:49 am
"Oh. I was.. I didn't mean.. realize.." He stopped talking with a slight frown, instead brooding over what had been said for a short while. "I.. do understand, I think," he finally said hesitantly, "Thank you. It is.. somewhat of a bad habit of mine to let my.. 'occupation', I think you could say, interfere with my private life?" If he'd actually ever had something akin of a private life. "A forceful habit which seems very hard to break," he added with an apologetic smile, "but I will try. It really does have no place here, between you and I. And.. I am sorry to have put you off like that." He bowed his head slightly. "There is much I need to learn still." Much he had never cared to learn in his previous life, he suspected.
It was never easy to admit one's failures and shortcomings, especially for him. The desire to do everything right still ran deep in Underworld's veins and was hard to ignore. What he couldn't achieve perfection at, was ignored and not done. Inappropriate, or had simply been 'too busy' for it. Judgment, in turn, was a second nature, carved deeply into his bones and hard to let go of even in situations when it wasn't appropriate.
"It is, apparently," Nergal agreed, looking down at the board, and the jackal figurines in particular. Perhaps he really would have them at some time now, now that they hadn't let him down in this game. Which was kind of silly really, but--
One hand reached up, fingertips brushing lightly against the ornaments of bone adorning his matted hair. "Which one did you want?" he asked abruptly. "I know it is I who won, but I want to make up for being such a.. such a.." 'such pain in the a**', his host's vocabulary offered helpfully; but no, he couldn't possibly say that. He almost could sense that woman's sneer.. Impossible. She was asleep still, and would remain so, until the last of her was gone, once and for all. "For being so difficult to deal with," he finished awkwardly. "Besides, I will need something to finish off the braids anyway."
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:49 am
 Lucius reached up and snagged the edges of strained nails into his hair, pushing back until they pushed into the tie that kept the cobalt gathered off the nape of his neck. It took some work, but he scooted it off the final ends of the ponytail and his hair ebbed down at last as a wild mane of blue. indeed......and make me doubly the winner then? I could hardly argue. "One you would not miss is fine. It is not so troubling to have you here." The last was soft, barely above a whisper.
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 1:52 am
"You should have me let do this," Nergal chided softly, not really serious about it. After all he had only been staring until just now, too mesmerized to even think of offering his help until it was too late. "And.. Uhm. Thank you."
He got back onto his feet, looking down at the ancient game board absently for a short while as he smoothed out the creases in his pants. He probably should clean up, put back the board from where he had taken it.. He would do so, but after he had collected his prize.
He tried to retain at least some dignity as he moved to step behind Lucius, but the young Underworld looked entirely too pleased and seemed too much in a hurry to get his hands on his 'prize' for those attempts to work.
"I really would like to come visit again then," he said, slender fingers burying eagerly into the cobalt-blue mass, though 'mess' would probably be the more accurate term to use. He might need a comb or something. But still.. Mmmmmmh~!
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Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:54 pm
You’d think he was about to get off, with that much relish.Lucius turned slightly to look over his shoulder at the eager god. “You….like braiding? Why do you keep yours in dreadlocks?” He wasn’t sure if he should be taken aback or amused by the fervor. Was this Echo aware of his fetish? How would she feel about the exercise of it on others if she did? Had he done this to any of the others? The probability was slim, given that his usual cold fish demeanor. If Nergal had even touched bare skin, other then his own, before today in helping Universe dress, Lucius would be surprised. He lowered his wings, flatting them close to the ground so they wouldn’t be in the way. He’d not had attention like this yet in this life….and from another god (ignoring extra parts) no less. Perhaps not all losses are bad luck.
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Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:08 am
"I.." Nergal paused. He looked positively puzzled about the question, reaching up with one hand to touch his own matted hair. It felt.. rough of sorts, compared to Lucius' or Echo's silken strands. "I have never given it much thought for some reason," he admitted, absently twirling one of the ashen dreads between his fingers. If there had been some significance to these once, he had forgotten. "It just seemed appropriate that way. Still does. Braiding my own hair never seemed appealing to me."
He shrugged, busying himself once more with combing through Lucius' cobalt hair with is fingers and dividing part of it into strands of equal thickness, always taking care to avoid touching the string of the eye patch.
"Honestly, the thought of braiding anyone's hair did not cross my mind until just recently. I did it for Echo. I seem to have done it for my wife, very long ago. Apart from that.." He shrugged once more, before he started skillfully intertwining and looping the strands around each other. "Yes, I do like it. Just not.. for everyone."
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Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:56 am
"You have suffered coming more then once to see me, and I would enjoy the excuse to go out....perhaps...when you are free next and not occupied with other company-" such as Echo.... he interjected only in his thoughts, "You can send ....that....servant of yours"He hated the thought of seeing the runner again. Hated the station. But it would be easier. "And it will be your choice of diversion. ""That can probably just come off, it would make it easier." Nergal had watched him remove the eye in the first place, it would be asinine to be vain about it before him. He was behind him anyway. Lucius pushed at it with his knuckles, lifting off the socket until the strap lost tension. He let it fall to the floor. 
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