|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 3:46 pm
Bright lights, big cityIt had been an unusual morning, but not a bad one. At least not for Zeke. The Mist seemed to be in incredibly high spirits as he tucked the carefully folded pile of clean laundry into his bag on top of the extra pair of shoes that rested in the bottom. In another pocket went toiletries and supplies. Heading off island, he switched out his freshly remade intermediate jacket in exchange for something a little nicer. Dark and fitted, it went well with the button up left open at his neck, and the layered waist coat that rested above it. Dark jeans, over his boots instead of tucked into them, and leather belt. Packed and dressed, he headed down the hall to collect Ever from his room so they could make their way to the portals.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:34 pm
For a moment after he opened the door, Ever just stared at Zeke, in a long and uncertain sort of silence. This was probably because all he had was one bag, small and old, with a handful of things in it -- and the outfit he'd thrown on had, more or less, been what he was wearing when Deus had collected him. Jeans with holes in the knees, a worn-thin t-shirt with a collared shirt hanging open over it [his concession to 'slightly fancier], the same battered army green jacket with someone else's patches sewed onto the shoulders and the pocket. He was certainly not in a waist coat, and so Zeke's outfit made his nose wrinkle just a little. The man's shirt was even tucked in -- "Should I change?" It sat somewhere between confusion and sarcasm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:50 pm
Zeke gave a faint snort. "Only if you want to." It wasn't as if the Mist didn't realize who he was going with, or in what direction their fashion sense tended to sway. If he'd had any inclination at all for the other man to dress up, he'd have mentioned it before they'd parted that morning. "Wear what you're comfortable in." Shoulder's popped up in a shrug, Zeke's gaze lingering for a moment on the blonde before he was dipping fingers into a pocket to extract his glasses so he could slide them on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 10:35 pm
There was one more long pause, one skeptical look, and then Ever gave up: if comfort was key, this was what he'd wear. Well, no. If comfort was key, he'd be in the basement of the life labs. Gambling was usually a poor choice. As it was, though, he leaned down to scoop up his bag and tossed it over his shoulder, took a step to the door, and then paused -- turning back to grab his phone, as well, tucking it into his back pocket. That was probably important. "Just showing me up, then." No resentment or regret, not really. They each were who they were.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 9:22 am
Zeke side stepped to rest his shoulder against the wall, waiting for Ever to collect his bag, then his phone, before falling into step beside him. "Or I could be dressing with you in mind," he countered lightly, voice neutral enough that it was hard to tell if he was teasing or being sincere. A little of both, perhaps. "You don't like it?" He pushed open the door to the dorms, holding it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 8:25 pm
"I thought I'd be okay what with the lack of, um." He gestured, slowly, behind him -- bag loose on his shoulder -- and for a moment maybe it'd seem like Ever was pointing to his butt. The name eluded him for long enough to be entertaining, eyebrows pulling together, and then smoothing out as it clicked -- "Fanny pack. Someone told me Vegas was land of the fanny pack."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 9:02 pm
A brow rose as Ever gestured, eyes lowering to take in the other man's backside in a long, appreciative stare before the Life seemed to stumble upon what he wanted to say. Which just made Zeke smile. "Is it? You'd think it'd have a touch more class." Sarcasm dripped from the word, and she chuckled. As they reached the lighthouse he waved Ever on ahead of him through the doorway, then headed for the technician on duty to set up their destination.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 6:52 pm
Taxi Please The line to get a taxi to the hotel was incredibly long, and Ever was just glad that he had a small-ish bag: easily tossed over one shoulder. And also that he had a pack of cigarettes, even if people waiting around them kept shooting him nasty looks. He didn't see a no smoking sign. Check-inThis was Zeke's deal: his choice of hotel, his booking, his plan, and Ever was just around for the ride. It meant that he could deal with the check-in, with getting them to their rooms, decide if they carried their own stuff or got a bell-boy. Picked the location, and the kind of room. Ever just poked at the flowers in a vase, and then came back with a bemused smile to whisper to the other man, "They're all real." And the concierge glared, because of course they were. SlotsThere was no way Ever would put the money in to do anything more than penny slots -- not when this was going to net them free drinks, as a little old lady had caught his elbow and pulled him aside to say. He'd be perfectly happy to sit and feed pennies into a machine until he was rip-roaring, so long as Zeke was next to him. And if the other man wanted to do something else -- well. Once again. This was his game.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 6:02 pm
Taxi pleaseWhile Ever smoked, Zeke was making a phone call. Restricted to a closed network made making things like reservations difficult. Having the ability to take leave almost literally whenever they wanted made it a little easier to find available rooms. Something the Mist was thankful for, given how spontaneous his trips off island tended to be. Room booked, he hung up and pocketed the phone, then reached for the cigarette in Ever's hand so he could take a drag. "We're all set." Check-inEver had wandered off a few moments after they'd stepped into line for check-in at the Venetian, and Zeke's gaze had trailed him until it was his turn to step up to the desk. The lady behind the counter greeted him, and he smiled back at her charmingly before offering up his information and card for the room. Ever returned to him as she was handing back his card and the keys for the room, and he tipped his head to listen to the quiet voice, breath escaping in a huff of amusement as the concierge glared. "Were you expecting silk petals and plastic stems?" He pocketed the cards, then waved off the bell-boy that came eagerly over to them. They could handle their two bags. SlotsThe penny slots were an indulgence. Zeke had played, at first, but the stakes just weren't high enough to hold his attention. Ever, on the other hand, as he drank and fed copper into the machine beside him, was pretty entertaining to watch. Even more so after Zeke had gotten a few drinks in himself. "And you don't want to try your hand at something a little more challenging?" Not the first time he'd asked, but at this point the question was light tease. Zeke seemed perfectly comfortable on his stool, one leg tucked up behind one of Ever's, elbow resting on the machine he was sitting in front of, but not using. There were rules about that sort of thing, but they weren't very severely enforced at the penny slots.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 8:57 pm
Penny Slots"It's not about the challenge, Zeke." Ever said it in a matter-of-fact, mock-pompous way, even as he fed another coin into the machine -- and, to his delight, it paid out. Not a whole lot. Just a handful of coins, enough to rattle at the bottom, to dump into his bucket. He took a long drink, before he finished, "It's about the free stuff." Sloppy DrunkMaybe he should have had a few less. It meant that even in a crowded elevator -- tight enough that there was an elbow in his ribs and someone huffing, annoyed -- Ever leaned in to kiss Zeke. Maybe because it was a crowded elevator. And the woman from Ohio looked really put out by it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 7:12 am
Penny slots
"It's not?" Lips twitched in very obvious amusement at Ever before the jackpot of pennies pulled a bark of laughter from him.
Free stuff was certainly a perk of, but the Mist did enjoy the thrill and risk that came with gambling and pushing his luck. Obviously. At some point he'd hit something that offered that. Later.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 9:15 am
Sloppy drunkWhere drinks flowed freely, it was expected, at this point, for Ever to drink more than was probably wise for him. Zeke knew this. Hell, Zeke probably helped contribute to this, happily making sure the Lifer's glass never stayed empty for very long. Amused and delighted with the results, which was a far more publicly affectionate partner in crime. The unfortunate side effect to this, he had also come to learn, was a mighty hangover the following morning. The Mist, adopting the Boy Scout motto, had come prepared for the inevitable. All possible inevitables. But he'd worry about it when they actually went back to the room. Until then he was going to enjoy himself, because worse than Ever, Zeke was utterly shameless. A sidelong glance was directed to the lady giving them dirty looks before Zeke was topping his head into the kiss, hands falling to rest on narrow hips. Vegas lightsThe hotel and casino for entertaining in their own right, but if you went to Vegas, you had to walk the strip. It was an unwritten rule, something that was just known. And definitely worth it. Aside from the lights themselves, there were steer performances that seemed to spring up at random in front of the various hotels. Zeke pulled Ever to a stop in front of the one with the giant pirate ship in the larger than life fountain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 7:00 pm
All you can EatMaybe the buffet wasn't the wisest option, with Ever in tow, but it had been so cheap -- well. Too late now: all-you-can-eat breakfast it was, with Ever mostly eating jam on toast and drinking orange juice and watching people as they passed with plate after plate of food. It was kind of awe-inspiring, but mostly, it was disgusting. It made his eyebrows shoot up. "Jesus." LOVEHe'd never actually heard of Cirque du Soleil, and maybe most of his decision on that show over anything else was more founded in the fact that it was French than anything else -- but in the end, it was a show worth seeing. Ever'd seen acrobats before, but mostly street acrobats -- impressive, but nowhere near the artistry of this circus. They didn't speak, the French had no actual impact, but the music was Beatles and at the very least he knew it. He sat on the edge of his seat, drink forgotten between his knees, to just watch. Late NightHe was still drunk, and still naked, but that didn't stop Ever from taking out his laptop when he thought Zeke was asleep to poke through his work again. It wasn't intense work, just -- he just needed to check in. See if any new insights had cropped up. No such luck.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:19 am
All you can eatEven with Zeke's appetite, he had slowed mid way through his second plate, and now he was passing time watching Ever watch everyone else. Chewing thoughtfully on a piece of bacon. There were a lot of things the Lifer had experienced that Zeke never would. It made it, at times, easy to forget how much he hadn't experienced. It made the Mist glad he'd picked here for their little spontaneous trip. Late nightIt was the combination of lack of warm body and night screen that woke the other man. He grunted, dragging Ever's pillow over his eyes before his sleep heavy brain caught up with what was going on. "No working," he grumbled authoritatively, shifting the pillow so he could narrow pale eyes. Then he was up on his elbow, reaching over to loop an arm around the thin man's waist. "You have ten seconds to save anything on there before I close the screen." And drag you back to be was implied but unsaid. New York New York"You've never been on a roller coaster." He still didn't sound like he believed it. Though he supposed with how strict he knew Ever's parents to have been, it wasn't that surprising. The coaster had come whistling past as they were walking along the sidewalk in front of the large hotel. Now he had a hand on the small of Ever's back, leading him back towards the entrance. They could add one more new experience to the list.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 12:45 pm
New York New York"It just doesn't seem like a safe idea." Ever looked oddly wary of the thing -- head craned back to stare up at the coaster, eyebrows pulled together and expression closed off. Maybe he was afraid. Or maybe he wasn't sure what he was. SouvenirThe shop Ever'd found was completely over the top, completely ridiculous, completely vegas: a mix of goofy souvenirs and costuming, and Ever turned to face Zeke from one of the displays with an oversized pair of sunglasses perched, goofy, on his nose. "What do you think?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
