Prompt 17
Prompt 17 (Cryogenic Crisis): A strange phenomenon has overtaken the flora of Destiny City. Most prevalent in large trees, but occurring also in saplings, bushes, and any wooded plant, the color seems to be completely draining and the plants are becoming oddly crystalline. Leaves and bark especially almost seem to be turning to ice, and observant passersby might notice that the trees seem to be crystalizing. They are cold to the touch and even seem to melt under heat. The increased weight has made it dangerous to walk beneath any of these trees; branches also snap and fall, and even leaves and small twigs can become dangerous projectiles. Scientists have said there is a pollutant in the water causing a strange chemical reaction, but there’s still something suspicious about it. Destiny City has employed some specialists to treat the afflicted trees, and some already seem to be in various stages of recovery–but if you’re out and about, chances are that you’ll still find a few of these arborous anomalies.
“What are you getting him?” Diesel lounged back against the couch in Rakovanite’s office, boots propped up carelessly on the cushions, fingers prickling idly at the vibrant crystal of a once-leaf he’d plucked off a weird-a** tree before teleporting into the Dark Kingdom to meet up with his brother for patrol. He probably should’ve expected he’d be stuck here, waiting, completely convinced it was an intentional effort on Rakovanite’s part to do anything in his power to needle at Diesel, including but not limited to: wasting his time.
[[Further supported by the absolute lack of any form of acknowledgement. Rakovanite didn’t answer him, didn’t look at him, didn’t act like anyone else was in the room with him. He focused purely on the holoscreen of his tablet, gloved fingers moving silently across the keys as he typed.]]
Diesel flicked a few broken edges of crystal shard remains like glass to the floor and lurched forward to sit up. “Nat.”
[[“What.”]]
If anyone had ever taken a more noncommittal tone to answering him, Diesel couldn’t remember it. He persisted, anyway. “Are you getting anything. For your fiancé. For Christmas.”
[[He’d barely finished asking before the general started his reply, some desperate attempt to smother Diesel’s voice with his own. “We are happy with our burgeoning tradition of spending the day privately and indulging in intimate affairs that it frequently seems we have little time-“]]
“Wait, waitwaitwait. Hold on. I gotta make sure I’m getting this right. You’re giving Basyl d**k for Christmas. And nothing else.”
[[Rakovanite’s fingers stopped moving, hovering still over the keypad. A little flutter of heavy eyelashes was the only indication that his focus had shifted from his tablet to Diesel. The light reflecting off his glasses in the relative dark of his office made it otherwise difficult to tell. “…I prefer the way I phrased it.”]]
The answering bark of laughter added another layer of rigidity to the already-stiff set of Rakovanite’s shoulders. “Yeah, I bet!” Diesel scoffed, heedless of the effect he was having on his older brother. “And he’s happy with that, is he? Even I’m doing more for Gideon, and we haven’t even been together half as long as you two. Shocking that I’d give more effort than you, since you find me so In.Con.Siderate.” Each syllable was a needle, shoved under Rakovanite’s skin. Diesel knew it. The pointed edge of the crystal scraped against the dark glass of the low table situated in front of him where Diesel sat, thumbing over the foreign material.
[[And, after a heavy beat of silence, the reward for his efforts: “What are you doing for him?”]]
“Oh, I’m thrilled that you asked!” Diesel swung up from the couch, as if this was an invitation he’d been waiting for forever. He hoisted himself to sit on Rakovanite’s desk, back to the general, and with a flick of his fingers, sent the long, wavy strands of his hair cascading behind him, spilling like overbright ink across the full of the dark, glossy surface of the desk.
[[Rakovanite’s hands receded away from it, to settle in his lap instead.]]
Diesel was an animated speaker. Lots of hand movements, hair flicks, feet swinging from his perch on the general’s desk, making that horrific sound as the edges of his fidget-crystal grated over whatever surface he rubbed it into. “I’ve got the whole day planned out. Breakfast: I’m making French toast and sausage and squeezing orange juice. Then we’ll head over to his grandparents’ house to do the whole ‘presents and stocking’ thing. He likes making sure he spends some time with them on holidays.” He didn’t mention it would be a first for Ellian to meet his boyfriend’s closest relatives. A good showing for them was absolutely crucial. Gideon would probably take their opinion with some weight, if they decided they weren’t fond of Ellie’s efforts…
“I got him one of those, uh… auto-start things for our car? He complains about how cold it is when he gets in, makes his back hurt. Gotta fix that for him.” Jesus, Gideon sounded like an old man. “We’ll probably be over there til after lunch, so at least that’s not on me. After we leave, I’m taking him ice skating at the pond. Dunno if he’s ever done it, and if he has, it’s probably been a minute, for obvious reasons…”
[[Those obvious reasons felt enough reason to Rakovanite that most people would assume Gideon probably didn’t much care for many kinds of physical sport. “He uses a cane to walk… Why do you think he’ll enjoy ice skating?”]]
“Because he’ll have me to support him!”
[[An indulgence, then, Rakovanite decided. More for Ellian’s pleasure than for Gideon’s. He scoffed softly.]]
Diesel either didn’t notice or didn’t care. He continued on. The scrape of ever more fractured crystal grinding into Rakovanite’s desk accompanied him. “And once it’s dark we’re gonna drive around and look at the lights. Think I saw the city put something up where you drive through a couple streets and there’s light displays. Might take him to see that and go through the rich peoples’ neighborhoods to look at their houses.”
[[“It sounds like you will exhaust him,” Rakovanite muttered. A sentiment he shared.]]
“Oh, I certainly hope so.” It was the first time Diesel canted his head back to peer at his brother since he’d startled talking, having mostly been content to use sheer proximity and incessant speaking to invade his space. But Diesel was looking at him now, smirk very visible. “Cause once we get home, dinner. Figure I’ll get as much ready beforehand as I can. Steak, roasted reds, green bean casserole. The whole Christmas works, y’know? Then it’s into a warm bath with a cinnamony bath bomb, some candles, some light music, and only once we’re satisfied after a full day of activities: d**k.”
[[“Of course.”]]
“Of course!” Even if they weren’t the perfect plans, even if there were flaws, it was miles better than what Rakovanite was planning for his fiancé. His fiancé! A man who had inexplicably agreed to marry him. So whatever the ******** that tone was that his older brother was taking, acting like all Diesel’s carefully thought-out plans were basic- he wasn’t going to let it get to him. “It is the season of charity, so if you want to use any of my ideas for yourself, feel free.”
Diesel was situated closer now than he had been in the beginning. He could see it when Rakovanite’s gaze slid away from him in a slow drag back to his tablet screen, then down to his hands in his lap.
[[Rakovanite hadn’t gone out of his way to plan or to purchase anything. It was true that he held a certain expectation that they would be happiest with a very mild, personal day. They were grown adults with jobs- Basyl’s was particularly demanding. There was precious little time to sit in peace in each other’s company…
Would his love be disappointed in him…?
Nataniel knew Basyl better than Ellian did. He shouldn’t be baited into the trap of needing to do more than would make his fiancé happy. And even if he had concerns, there were people (his friends, Basyl’s friends, Basyl himself- who Nataniel had never shied from being direct with) more suited to knowing how to best meet his lover’s needs than Ellian would ever be.
These were reasonable thoughts and should be enough to persuade him to continue the evening as planned with no further disruption of rerouting. So why did Rakovanite feel this pressure…? Like the first few drops of regret, dread filling up a glass. That <******** scraping sound-
He eyed Diesel from beneath heavy lashes, without exaggeration hated what he saw, always. Then closed his eyes, sighed. “...Will you go shopping with me?”]]
Diesel’s fingers pressed hard on the crystal leaf, fracturing it into dozens of tiny shards on Rakovanite’s desk. “Dear Brother, I thought you’d never ask!”
[[Rakovanite wished he hadn’t. “Tomorrow,” he muttered stiffly, sliding his chair back, standing and rounding the front of his desk. They already had arrangements for this evening after all, and the general was particularly unfond of altered plans. “Clean up your mess,” he seethed softly, a flick of fingers indicating the shards of crystal glass littered about his office. “And we will go.” He might have expected refusal, but Diesel could surprise him on occasion.]]
The senshi did as he was bid, for once, with more attention to detail than might have been anticipated of him. Rakovanite would never have expected Diesel to retrieve a few rice-sized fractures from the floor, but he did. They'd been left there strictly with the intention of annoying him, after all.
But Diesel was pleased by the turn of events. Left there to annoy his brother? Yes, they had been. But he'd gotten something he hadn't even known he wanted out of the meeting, and he didn't mind showing his appreciation. Nataniel never volunteered to do anything with him... It was always a chore, a hassle, and he could always, always since they were small, see the disdain in his brother's eyes when made to do anything with Ellian...
So he could be good now to not preemptively spoil whatever came tomorrow.
WC: 1550
Diesel: 1028
Rakovanite: 522
[[Rakovanite's text is in brackets.]]
