[REG] It's Now or Never (Seth + Andrew)

[Xaki]

Raite hadn't seen his captain in some time. Several weeks had passed before Seth had realized the lack of communication between the two. Which was, frankly, not that surprising. Yet his captain was one of the few people that Seth genuinely liked. Even if it had been his fault that Seth was pulled into the negaverse today.

But nobody had heard from either Andrew or Obsidian in the recent weeks. Which was unusual for a general of the negaverse, as well as Andrew Collins. Which was why Seth had shown up in front of Andrew Collin's apartment building with his motorbike, two bags hanging off one handle while Seth pulled off his helmet. The smell of fresh food wafted through the air. It was still early night, around eight or nine. It was just after dinner, yet appropriate for the usual night time activities to start.

He took the elevator to Andrew's apartment, a note in hand with Andrew's address written down. He kicked the door, unlikely to have knocked or rung the doorbell. "Open up." In one hand was two six-packs of drinks, some soda, and in the other hand was two take-out boxes of steak from one of his usual restaurants. Two steak dishes, rare.  

[Tsunake]

Life really didn't have much meaning anymore.

The general had long since retired to bed despite how early it still was--the usual routine for him these days. He'd get up the next morning and go to work, as per usual, and then come straight back to the apartment. From there it was a poor excuse for dinner, perhaps some TV, and then sleep. The worst of it was that he knew he had condemned himself into this mind-numbing routine, and had no interest in shaking himself out of it.

They were dead. What did it matter anymore when they were dead? Whatever raw grief he'd first felt was gone now, leaving nothing but a void less hole that tided him over with nothing but apathy.

The sudden impact against his door was enough to make him instinctively tense, half-ready to pull his blade from another dimension entirely when the voice cut clearly into his senses. Half-sitting up now on the couch, green eyes only stared at the door for a moment, debating with himself. Seth was a goddamn idiot, is what he was, and Drew wasn't entirely sure if he even cared to deal with it.

He still got up, one would note, dressed in sweat pants and a wife-beater even as he pulled the door open. Facial features devoid of emotion, he only stared at the boy for a moment, taking the time to note the alcohol and the hot food in his hands before he turned his back and slowly sat back down on the couch. The door was still open, however, clearly as much an invitation as Seth was going to get.

Hopefully he hadn't come over with high expectations for chatter.  

[Xaki]

Contrary to expectations, Seth was not a frequent visitor to somebody's home (or anybody's home) for that matter, nor was he a sparkling conversationalist. Ask anybody, and they would tell you about the communication skills that Seth lacked. In fact, he probably needed a lot of help with that. He normally respected people's privacy as much as he respected his own. Or was it that he didn't care to visit people? Either way, he was at Andrew's apartment now.

He stepped in, taking off his shoes while surveying the apartment. What had he expected of his superior? Neat? Messy? He didn't know, but what he could see from his complexion and the way that his clothes hung off him that Andrew wasn't eating properly or exercising. No wonder that Seth hadn't seen him at the gym. He was tempted to sigh, knowing that this problem was well beyond his hands.

He closed the door behind him, and plopped down on an uninvited seat next to Andrew on the couch. He pulled out the two fresh take out boxes, complete with their disposable utensils. "Have some." He said as he pulled out the still cold six packs of beer. For himself, he popped the soda tab, taking a drink. A well-needed drink. He slung an arm over the roof of the other side of the couch, not sure of where to begin. The beginning would be a good place. "You look like s**t."  

[Tsunake]

There was no response to the rather blunt observation, for Drew had neatly distracted himself by cracking open a beer and chugging it back. A favorite poison of his, alcohol. It was soon set aside for the steak, however, and the General ate both quickly and neatly. Hungry, it seemed. Maybe he hadn't been eating as regularly as he remembered, but no harm done.

"Feel like s**t." The man would actually respond once he seemed to have devoured most of his meal, leaning back on the couch to wash the remains down with another draw on the bottle. It was mostly true. Physically, he'd been neglecting himself. Emotionally, he was still too apathetic to summon up the will to care.

"What do you want?" He cut cleanly to the point, his eyes fixed on the television though the thing certainly wasn't on. Glancing over to Seth would acknowledge that the boy was even there, and Drew pointedly avoided doing so.  

[Xaki]

Seth ate reasonably slower then his dinner partner had. Of course, he hadn't neglected himself, nor did he have anywhere else to be tonight. He noticed Andrew's avoidance. Well, that didn't bother him. If things deterred him as easily as that, Seth wouldn't be the person he was today.

But he was still in the middle of eating, when Drew answered his question. Seth set his fork down, trying to find the answer as well. "I wanted to see.." Seth paused. To see how he was? How he was faring? No, Seth wouldn't come for something as trivial or as stereotypical as that. "I wanted to see how far you had fallen." He hadn't fallen in his physical strength, as it seemed that Obsidian had lost his drive. He had lost his path, looking desperately lost. Seth wouldn't insult the other man by trying to place himself in his shoes, or imagining how he felt. He couldn't relate. Any attempts to do so would be pity. Pity was not something Seth tolerated nor gave to other people.

Still, Seth found it difficult to see, to see the strong person he once knew, become this person. This lifeless person who went through the passage of life like it was something to be endured in a monotonous routine, with no purpose. ".. and how much farther you'll fall, I wonder?" There was nothing hidden in his words. It was pure honesty, and even .. concern for the general? Though Drew couldn't probably give a s**t about it.

"How is the view from up there?" He was speaking about the general position. Seth asked with a trace of irony, although he took care with his words. Just a bit, since Seth was a lieutenant. Everybody seemed to covet the rank, wanting to rank higher and higher within the Negaverse's ranks. You were given strength, power, yet.. "..Was it worth it?"
 

[Tsunake]

How far he'd fallen. How far was he still falling. He hadn't stopped yet, he knew that much, not with that empty, hungering hole in his chest that ate and ate and ate away at everything Obsidian had once been. Would it stop when he'd been all hollowed out and primed like some empty vessel? Could he be filled and remade with something new? Or would that be the end? Time was the only factor that would tell, and until then, he was in no hurry to rush and find out.

"That depends on what you were expecting to find at the top." He said neutrally. "There is no revelation. Things don't suddenly click into place. The responsibility is greater than ever." And the loss of humanity even more than apparent.

"Don't allow yourself to get attached." The caution was perhaps unexpected. "You'll regret that, if you do." If Seth wanted to make it to the top, anyway. Duty would always come before personal lives and issues, and if he wanted to avoid future dilemmas, he'd do well to heed the General's words.  

[Xaki]

Andrew's advice had Seth looking off to the side. "...Is that so?" He leaned back, his head tilted back against the top of the couch. His black locks concealed his eyes although the ironic smile remained on his lips. His hands brushed over his forehand. "..Right." Was it already too late for the other male? But no matter what, Seth had no intention of giving everything up for the negaverse. Even his loyalty to Queen Beryl was nothing more then a farce. Unlike the other negaversers, he had no ideals that Queen Beryl's ideas were right, or that she would create a better world for them.

If both of them were weak -- they might have asked themselves why things had gone the way they had. Why had they been recruited into the negaverse? Would their lives have gone differently if they hadn't? What if senshi and negaverse had never existed? Would they have been happier with normal lives?

Seth couldn't offer any helpful words. Instead of debating such useless ideas, Seth stood up and began to clean their plates. "Is that all you feel now? Regret?"

"Should I send flowers to your funeral?" Tulips. They were scentless. At the rate that Andrew was holding up, he would waste away to death. "Or should I save you the trouble now?" But from the way Seth casually said it, it wasn't likely that Seth wasn't serious. After all, Seth would admit that as General Obsidian, Obsidian was stronger.

He effectively picked up Andrew's trash, tying the knot briskly, intending to take it to the dumpster on his way out. For now, he left it on the side of the kitchen and sat back on the couch. He finished the rest of his soda, not sharing in Andrew's like of soda. Unfortunately, Seth was what you considered a lightweight.