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 Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 8:57 am
Faustite had been restless for the better part of the evening. To most, this was normal – the burning General seldom sat still, preferring to tap his foot or play with his hands or pace about the room, as if he had too much energy brimming up from the furnace in his gut. But to those that knew him well, this level of restlessness was only present when he had something weighing on his mind. And since he loathed to speak his thoughts, all they could do was guess the cause.
As evening fell to gloaming, and gloaming gave way to night, Faustite had sequestered himself. Waru was with Emmy, Celadonite had gone to visit Amazonite, and the rest of his team was either out draining or indisposed by some manner or another. Having his office to himself was a blessing of a kind; it gave him the opportunity to practice the people skills that he had been slowly cultivating since acquiring a team of such a size. Still, he would've preferred getting Waru's input before deciding how to proceed, but his recent success with Fafnir was won without the people-pleasing boy's judicious advice.
So he sat askew in his office chair as he practiced the ways he could extend his offer to Fafnir. For a time, he was silent behind steepled fingers. Then he would snap to animate, with hands moving about as he fumbled through a few stars.
"Fafnir, are you happy under Netherite?" He paused, then frowned. Improper focus.
"Fafnir. Wanted to know if you were interested…" He petered off, already tired of the words spent going nowhere.
"Think you should join my team." He paused, then sighed. Too forceful, perhaps.
Maybe he needed a different approach. "Spoke to Albite about it. Thought you'd bring much to the team, if you were interested." But that sounded like a business offer. And maybe that's what the Negaverse was to some, but he didn't want to go playing power politics with his rank leveraged against Fafnir's.
He sighed again as he rested his temple against his fist. "Headache, this is ******** impossible. Should've stayed in the ******** Rift. No way to make any of that sound eloquent."
Headache, posing as Heliodor that day, simply nodded as it kept recording the scene in a live transmission to Fafnir himself.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:06 am
The ‘call’ had come in while the corrupt was doing paperwork and he’d answered it promptly when he saw who it was from.
“Faustite.” He’d paused (stumbled) over the greeting he should give, setting aside the more professional ‘What can I do for you, General?’ in light of their new dynamic. It seemed absurdly formal, when he knew how much and where Eion liked to be bitten. ‘Hey, what’s up?’ seemed stupidly informal, and more like Waru than himself. They were both technically ‘working’, he needed something better.
“Its good to hear from you.” He finished finally, as smoothly as he could manage. Hopefully that was a good middle ground. Hopefully whatever Faustite wanted did not involve some reprimand, or ‘good to hear’ from him would be laughable.
Are you happy under Netherite?
He blinked in surprise at the question and focused on the transmission more carefully, seeing Faustite at his desk, frowning. He opened his mouth to respond, but then Faustite spoke again. Wanted to know if you were interested…
The general was not normally this ineloquent. Or this hesitant.
Think you should join my team.
Dark brows rose then, though part of him was not really surprised by the offer. Albite had said Faustite would have loved him on his team. Now, a formal invitation had come. He’d put a lot of thought into it, torn over what he truly wanted. He still wasn’t entirely sure, for many reasons that had little to do with the General alone.
As he tried to form a response, Faustite kept going, trying again, and it slowly dawned on him… Faustite wasn’t really talking to him. Probably hadn’t even heard him. Was this a… proverbial ‘butt-dial’? Or the Negaverse equivalent. That thought quieted him, and he watched as Faustite fumbled again, finally seeming to give up. It was… charming. Surprisingly so. It took him aback, even, how it struck something he hadn’t felt since… well, the last time he’d seen his brother. Eion was… so young, still. Granted, he only probably looked young, and like Fafnir, was older in spirit than he appeared, but moments like this… they highlighted the youthfulness that remained. Fafnir wasn’t much older, really, but. He didn’t know what to do with this old/new, unwanted feeling. He’d put it aside, forgot and neglected it… thought he’d been rid of it.
He left his communicator on Netherite’s desk when he left the office, making his way through the citadel to where he knew Faustite’s office to be. His knuckles rapped softly on the door and he waited, sorting through his feelings like playing cards and careful setting them in order again.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:08 am
It seldom happened anymore, but in moments like these, his thoughts would wander back to the Rift. Back to the moment when he first emerged, after years of wandering, to find a Negaverse largely unchanged but for the officers that gave it life. He was a stranger to most upon return, uncertain of his place in the grand organization and unsure what he could provide in leadership. It was meeting Yuuri again that convinced him to stay out of the Rift, to abandon his mission for a much later date. But if he chose to go back nevertheless, would he have still suffered his own inadequacies with human interaction? The thought gave him pause, and his countenance grew stormy and pensive as he chased the thought.
Faustite clicked his tongue when he heard the knock. Turning to Headache, he paused, then gave the youma a pinched look. "Put that away."
No sense in sending Headache to answer the door looking like that, either, he supposed. Shaking his head at the youma, Faustite offered an exasperated enter, expecting the other party to let themselves inside.
Negaverse Super by feel. Couldn't tell more than that on aura alone. Faustite guessed this one wasn't part of his team — or not yet, if this was one of the frustrating and unfortunate souls that liked to walk in on him and ask to join his team — as his subordinates all knew he was more casual about his office space.
He spared Headache a second thought, which soured as soon as he realized why the creature held fast to the communicator, then banished the thing straight to the Rift.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:09 am
The door swung open on command and Fafnir slipped inside, as smooth and polished as he ever was, his face arranged to a pleasant expression. Only the athletic tape stretched over and around his shoulder remained to mar his appearance, the leftover signs of his battle in that strange other place during the Star Festival. Well, that and the little bit of glowing nothing that trailed behind him, bobbing pleasantly. He’d forgotten it was there until he’d nearly closed the door on it behind him, reminded that the… thing had been following him lately and refused to be dismissed while he was in the citadel.
Ignoring it as he’d been doing since all attempts to remove it had failed, he turned blue eyes on the general, noting the irritation still written in the line of his mouth.
“General. I was wondering if we could talk about my position in the Negaverse.” He said as he stepped away from the door, keeping his tone and his manner casual, but warm. It felt weird… trying to talk like he was speaking to a friend. He did it so rarely… “I had some thoughts.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:42 am
He hadn't been expecting Fafnir, and his surprise wrote plainly across the face once he laid eyes on the boy. Ever the startlingly pretty one, he moved with all the practiced grace befitting a model. Moved like he was the one that owned the space, and Faustite was the visitor. And Faustite very nearly felt that way, were it not for his office being so particular to his likes and preferences.
He needed a minute to compose his thoughts beyond the initial barrage of gorgeous boy and sweet boy that filled his head uninvited. Faustite laced his fingers together and pressed his palms together before his mouth, obstructing any traces of the stupid, helpless smile that threatened to form. Despite everything, Fafnir seemed more comfortable with the cool veneers of rank deference over showing any intimacy or familiarity while in the Negaverse proper. Faustite elected to respect that, as much as he could manage.
He had to admit the uncanniness in hearing Fafnir mention his position in the Negaverse. It earned a swell out of him, but Faustite reminded himself that Fafnir could've been talking about switching to Information, or might've been interested in transferring under Amazonite, or Ashanite, or that terrible skank Chrysocolla.
Or he could be here to ask Faustite for that recommendation. Maybe it was time for Fafnir to become his equal.
Once he was certain he was no longer smiling like a lovestruck jackass, Faustite motioned wordlessly to one of the two chairs at his desk. Then he pulled the cozy off a pot that sat at the far edge of his desk. "Tea?" He asked as flame eyes looked askance at the boy.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:47 am
Fafnir’s brows rose when tea was offered, but he nodded as he settled into the offered chair.
“Sure. That sounds nice.” He said as he crossed one knee over the other. This was nicely casual… better than his weak attempt at a greeting when he’d thought the call had been real. He still felt… keyed up inside, a measure of… nerves? tightening his stomach. Not that there was a reason for nerves, or shouldn’t have been. Not with Albite’s assurances. Why he trusted that man-child… but he did.
“I’ve been thinking that I work alone too much.” He said as he made himself relax. “Or rather, that I’ve spent enough time working solo. I’ve learned a lot under Netherite, but he does not command a large team and I only have the one lieutenant of my own to oversee.”
All true. Not actually the driving force behind this, but something he had thought of as he worked through his feelings and goals.
“I spent most of my time as a Lieutenant in a cohesive team, and learning to work with a diverse group of officers, I think, is an asset. Something I’ve fallen out of practice with. And I was thinking, perhaps… it would benefit both of us if we were to work more closely together.” His voice slowed as he lifted his eyes, searching for Faustite’s own to judge what the man thought of this. He knew, of course, how it should go, but…
“Albite said you would like to have me on your team, and I thought… I would enjoy that as well. If you would have me.”
He’d thought about this so much. Off and on since it had been suggested to him, or even before, when he’d found he’d worked well with the half-youma general. He’d hesitated, though… Netherite truly was a wizard in Infiltration, and if Fafnir was truthful, he liked working alone. He liked having more control over himself, and less responsibility to others. He’d seen the size of Faustite’s team and it had given him pause. How was he supposed to stand out among that crowd… one officer among many? And while Albite had said Faustite wanted him, the general had never actually asked him. He wasn’t going to put himself forward like that, without knowing for sure.
Now though… he did know. It was probably highly unprofessional to seek to be on the team of a man he had begun sleeping with, even more so than sleeping with just another officer, but he could balance that with actual good reasons why this was a good move to make. Professionally, socially. Even despite how much harder it would be to get the attention he needed to reach his coveted promotion. He had decided, watching Faustite’s charming fumbling, that he did want this. And this was a decision he got to make on his own. He got to choose this time. That, as much as anything, meant a lot to him.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:53 am
Tea gave him an excuse to do something with his hands, to avert his gaze elsewhere, while Fafnir got into his explanation. Him and his brother shared that long-windedness, but it was different than Albite's grating drivel — Faustite felt he could listen to either of them talk, for hours, and find it relaxing. Like listening to a favorite audiobook, except Fafnir's voice was live and Faustite would be expected to respond at the end. but without intimacy or grating stupidity to distract him, he hoped he could dredge up a half decent answer.
Really, he just needed something better than the bumbling attempts at asking the very question that Fafnir seemed to be after.
The only thing that took his attention, albeit temporarily, from Fafnir was the glowing puff that tailed him. Looked like the one that Faustite kept shut in his bookcase, or the one that became Albite's intolerable bird. Might've meant Fafnir was at that disaster of a wisp assembly that Almadel fled, which meant he might know Almadel —
Didn't matter right now, he told himself. Focused on pouring the tea, Faustite nodded along to Fafnir's explanation. Faustite knew what it was like to work solo for much of a career, and he still found himself wishing for that solitude now and again. Once he finished the pour, he added milk and honey to each until each cup housed a pool of rich, golden brown. Silently, he passed one off to Fafnir.
Faustite quirked a brow at him for sounding so remiss to lack Lieutenants under him. He wondered if anyone really wanted Lieutenants — they were often pesky, rotten things, better suited to latrine duty than anything close to training. But, they were one of many ways that a Super like Fafnir could make a bigger name for himself. The more Fafnir successfully shepherded, the better he looked.
He tried his damndest not to smile when he heard that question, but his face was brutally honest with his feelings. A treacherous trait to himself, he was sure, and he never liked the way he looked when he smiled. He felt it, though, and tried to hide it behind his mug.
"Didn't need to ask," he returned. "Appreciate the formality. Imagine you knew the answer was yes before you knocked." Fafnir was a calculating boy; Faustite was certain he parsed that much.
Still, the timing was uncanny, and Headache wasn't around anymore to grill for answers about that. He wouldn't put it past the devilish thing to tip off Fafnir somehow. Or —
"… Albite put you up to this?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:53 am
Fafnir smiled when Faustite acknowledged what they both knew. Unlike every other smile, this one was entirely, genuinely honest. Open, bright, and it even crinkled the corners of his eyes just that little bit in a way that rarely ever happened as he leaned forward to take the cup of tea from Faustite’s hands.
“Of course I knew. I wouldn’t have come if I hadn’t known. I’m too… cautious, most of the time, to put myself out there without an assurity.” He said as he cradled the cup between his hands, lowering his eyes to it. “Sometimes I’m not so cautious, obviously.”
Not too cautious to try his paces with a boy after too much wine, it seemed.
“No, Albite doesn’t know, yet. He suggested it, enthusiastically, but that wasn’t what prompted this.” His eyes slid aside as he sipped his tea, wondering where whomever it was that had been recording Faustite had gone. His hands had been visible… he clearly hadn’t been holding the communicator. “Its only partly a spur of the moment thing… I have actually been considering it for a while. I just needed to think it through. I’m not someone prone to making decisions purely on gut instinct, for the most part, and I needed to be sure that what I wanted aligned with what would benefit both me, and you. And your team.”
Though, thinking about Albite… god, the man was going to be insufferable when he found out. The rest of the team though… he did not know a lot about them. Would the rest be as pleased?
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:55 am
The ice breaks. Fafnir looked stunningly cute when he smiled, and Faustite melted for it. Would've promised anything for that smile to come, the hint of the boy that was the organic coat rack. So much of Fafnir was so composed and practical, careful and scripted, that these fleeting moments had indescribable impact on the fiery youth.
He wondered if Fafnir had thought about it at all — if he planned that smile, or if it manifested spontaneously. But if it was deliberate, did that make it any less genuine? It didn't render that smile any less enjoyable to get lost in, for as much as Faustite had forgotten himself temporarily.
When he realized he'd been staring, he averted his attention to his tea, and tried to downplay the pink in his cheeks by taking a drink. He swallowed as if it was lukewarm, and if he'd left it in his mouth, it would slowly come to a boil again. But twice-boiled tea tasted terrible, and Faustite was determined to retain something enjoyable around all that fire.
He could scarcely believe it, however. Fafnir wanted to join his team. His team. He was getting another Boy. A gorgeous boy. A sweet boy, with a mesmerizing smile.
He tried to chew his smile away by biting his lower lip, but the smile wouldn't have it this time. He never liked how he looked when he smiled, especially when part youma, but there was little he could do for it after the fact.
"Could use your caution to temper the more reckless ones. Think the others can show you the rewards for taking risks." Though, he supposed Trey had already taken a Risk. "Infiltration knowledge would pair well with Jadarite. Lilith, too. Team's…" His hands searched the air for words, "like found family. Might get attached, if you let yourself," he finished, as he nudged Fafnir's boot with his own.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:55 am
”Perhaps.” He said as some of that brightness in his face faded, carefully tucked away again beneath the practiced, practical veneer. Not hidden, but reserved for another time.
It was cute, watching Faustite struggle not to smile. It made Fafnir feel warm and roused that sentimentality again, despite his desire to keep it at bay. He was pleased to have pleased him, even if that should have been one of the least of the reasons to do this. He doubted he would find a family in the team Faustite had clearly fashioned as one. His new teammates were… useful tools. That was all. He knew too well what happened when you let yourself get too wrapped up in them, and he preferred not to do that again. It had all been… too much, last time, and it had all proven to be little more than candyfloss in water when it had come down to it. They’d all stayed with Laybrinthite and the strings had been cut cleanly at both ends, it seemed.
“I think we’ll all have beneficial effects on each other, or that is the hope. At least learn something useful.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Except for Albite. I’m not sure anything I tried to teach him would stick.”
Faustite was the main reason for this, he had to admit that to himself. That, and because he got to choose this. The experience, the useful knowledge, the connections… that was all window dressing. A useful bonus. Good reasons, of course, but not really the main one. He was going to have to be careful about that, lest he get himself into trouble with it. He did not need to replace his brother with someone else, not now. Maybe ever. No one needed to fill that hole, that void, and it was a weakness to allow it to remain an open wound. Better to close it up and move on, even if it left a nasty scar.
“I would like to meet the members of your team, officially this time. I don’t think I’ve seen the full roster of them before.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:57 am
He laughed this time, and found it a strange feeling for how it resounded in his chest. And perhaps he laughed a little too long, too, but he tried to tamp it down before then. Tried, but a perplexing giddiness followed. He wondered if he'd have felt anything like that in the Rift, had he stayed.
"Only thing that sticks to Albite is tape," he offered helpfully. Albite could learn, he simply chose not to — preferred to keep touching the stove after learning it was hot, and Faustite couldn't say why. Close as they were, he didn't know everything about Waru, and he liked knowing there was yet more to learn about the boy, just like there was yet more to learn about Fafnir. And maybe they'd have that opportunity, given this agreement.
Faustite shifted in his seat, uncrossed and recrossed his legs. "Want them to meet you, too. Easier to arrange that in the house. More room."
He paused, then clarified, "in the Sunken City. Functions like a base of operations." Albite would be most excited, he imagined. And MIzuki was always happy to make new friends, and Jada might find him to be on her level (which, in retrospect, they both made great role models and Faustite wished he was more like both Fafnir and her). Oh, but Heliodor —
If they met each other as civilians, how would that affect them? Now wasn't the time to dwell on such what-ifs, however.
"Could invite you to see them now." Faustite paused, drank down more of his tea. "Or — could dally. While away a few hours first," he finished, watching Fafnir pointedly.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:58 am
Fafnir sipped his cooling tea with a glint in his eyes for Faustite.
“I think they can wait.” He said as he rose, pacing around the side of the desk till he stood beside the general’s chair and could lean back into the desk, the edge of it pressing into the backs of his thighs. He finished the rest of the tea before he put the cup back down by the pot and offered his gloved hand to Faustite. He could feel the heat radiating off him this close, and it felt pleasantly like standing beside the fireplace in his own backyard.
“I think we both deserve a little break. I know a good place.” He offered, the smile he gave now a different sort entirely.
Fin~
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