(Takes Place December 5th 2024)
MEET ME AT SPILL THE TEA AT 1600, read the note that was abandoned atop the empty spot next to where Waru typically slept. Notable was the absence of permeating heat.
In the mundane world of Destiny City, Eion didn't give himself much of a head start. He banked on fifteen minutes being enough to assemble one dirty chai, one London fog, and two of their largest waters. It was in off hours, after all, so the better part of his fifteen-minute buffer was to account for is sleep-addled mind and his waning familiarity with simple things like standing in line, ordering beverages, or remembering to pay for them.
Eion knew he needed the caffeine to function so early in the day. Still, it was important that they have three hours' worth of daylight for this endeavor. And it was important that Waru be punctual about it, too.
The ability to teleport offered nothing but punctuality. Assuming Waru found the note in a timely fashion, reaching the tea bar should require little more than a thought, and perhaps 30 seconds' worth of buffer to account for jogging the rest of the way from some more private landing point. Though, that also assumed that Waru had the sense not to teleport himself right in front of the ******** shop. Fafnir's ribbing should have been enough to at least pause that habit.
The cashier's reminder had saved him from walking out without paying for the drinks, and once he pocketed the change, Eion was back out the door with a carrying tray balanced on one hand. Better that they sat at an outside table, he decided; the road ambience and formless chatter of a Friday afternoon would cover any conversation.
Most of the tables were open on account of the late August weather. He found a pair of patio chairs lined up to a glass table with a captive umbrella in the center. Setting the tray down, Eion soon collapsed tiredly into one of the chairs. It was time to wait, then. He curled spindly knees to his chest and pushed up his sunglasses, fully expecting to get in a cat nap before Waru arrived.
***
Waru wondered sometimes if he should apply to be a heat detector for houses? Like snakes with their infrared, like a robot? The way he noticed the distinct absence of it as he sauntered back into the room; hands washed, piss taken, curiosity blooming over his features as his eyes wandered the scene and found only a note out of place.
Suspiciously unsigned—- not a single scorch mark to be seen…
“Huh,” and he was always game for a good surprise. His reading comprehension however? “Spill the Teat? What—“ He read that s**t back over slowly, sounded the individual words out. One at a time. “Ooh, teaaa—“ and he should’ve known, after all? What kind of reputable titty-bar would open as early as — ”<********>” — and the time it took him to power up, to check the time? To decipher 1600 into civilian hours and —
“First he makes me start carrying a dictionary around, and now I’ve gotta do time math? Brat.” and there was no malice in his tone, only sharp grinned exuberance, the way he took to deciphering the code that wasn’t, to the task of blinking into a back alley filled with the particular rot-stench that only tea-mulch, old syrup, and expired milk product could produce.
He nearly forgot to power down—
The weight and drag of overlong dreads as he stepped around a dumpster and into the side yard — caught the noise of the city awake, alive, prowling for endless things to spend money on. That there was enough of a reminder for him to hastily shuff off one mortal coil for another. To slip from powered to person and out into the pre-golden hour light, and saunter his way down to the shop proper.
He paused only once he saw Ei’ tucked up at a shady table in all his flesh, blood, sunglasses wearing glory. There was his boy — he didn’t hesitate to pull out his phone and take a picture. Wanted to cement the image in more than just his mind's eye of Eion curled cutely into a ball of limbs and looking for all the world a man doing his best to hide from the sun.
A true moon-lover!
He thought he might text it to Aelius later—
But for now?
“SoOooo— is one of these for me? Or are we drinking our calories t’day. N’if we are? I do actually know a titty bar that serves real milkshakes. Like— s**t so good you’ll never get the boys back out your yard levels of thicc with it shaky goodness.” laughing as he slid into place in the seat across his beloved, teasing light in his eyes, patience for whatever came next held onto by a thread.
***
He'd nodded off a touch — impossible to say for how long — but roused from his dewy cat-nap to the sound of his boy's protracted entrance. Unballing himself and submitting to the loss of heat, Eion fixed Waru with a look of consternation. What the ********> He signed easily, as if it was the most oft-repeated turn of phrase exchanged between them.
Why the ******** would I go to a titty bar for a milkshake? Where do you come up with this s**t? Then Eion shrugged as if giving up the idea altogether and waved away the topic. Sit down for a minute. He kicked the chair in front of it, sending it out a few inches from the table.
Eion spared only a moment to loosen one water and one dirty chai from the trays. Both were, of course, filled with enough ice to keep the drink cold and sweating for a while. Once the two were firmly in front of the boy, Eion yawned against the back of his hand and began spelling out the plan for the afternoon, as the day dragged into his more wakeful hours.
We're going to spar, he explained. As normal people.
I wanted you to help pick a location for it. You would know what wouldn't catch as many looks. And if he didn't, Waru knew what would catch many looks, and they could do the logical opposite from there. Don't care where. But I need to get more comfortable sparring like this. Eion gestured to the whole of himself: from his wavy black hair untouched by heat to his narrow shoulders and frame. He didn't volunteer a 'why'; often, his boy was incurious enough to forgo asking. Or, perhaps he was considerate enough to spare Eion the frustration of being asked? He'd never looked into it, only relied on it.
The drinks are for staying awake. And hydrated. It's ******** early.
***
Middle fingers held a love language all their own, in Warus’s opinion. How that singular word held a Swiss Army knife's worth of meanings. All the ways he’d found to really work an entire vocabulary outta that one sign. The way he loved how Ei’ threw it at him with swiftness, like muscle memory. It was a vice of a ring around his heart that never came off, having his husband this way too—
Half awake n cussing up a storm.
He scoffed at his taste in good shakes and their whereabouts being questioned, but otherwise said little else. Looked along Eions body contemplatively; whether he was truly thinking about sparring or the task at hand was anyone’s guess.
Of course the silence didn’t last.
“Just early, actually. We haven’t gotten to the ******** yet— could probably do some late morning ******** though? Light frottage— heavy petting?” Teasing as easy as breathing. He didn’t bother to hide his excitement for it, the mere idea of having a go at Eion as he was now — ********, had they ever before? Body to body, just as people, sparred? Waru realized they might not have — and how terrible a shame that was — an absolute waste of a missed opportunity that he could now claim as one more shared moment with the man.
“I know a place— I know several —“ and the chai made him humm and smack his lips like a child, good as it was, deliciously spiced and cold and caffeinated! Ei knew him only too well! “Mmph, s’good. Real quick? Weapons or no? Passersby or, like, no one at all? Any particular kinda terrain….” and if this was their first spar as people? He was reconsidering being within a radius of others at all — but if what Fauatite was aiming for was an experience in sparring? Rarely did any ******** ever get jumped in the middle of nowhere — sept the hills have eyes sorta situation — n of course destiny city parks — aaannnddd —
He’d fallen back into the chai, let it buy Eion precious silence, shut himself up while he watched his boys hands with the sort of reverence one held for fine arts and statues of idols. Was idolatry the same as adultery? And Waru winced to himself knowing he’d now have to look that s**t up and see how to actually pronounce it, cause it sounded the ******** same to him! He very much didn’t curse his love for burdening him with time math and word puzzles so fuxking early in the day. He did however, very sweetly, flip him off.
***
Eion held his face in his hands. Waru was absolutely incorrigible, spouting such bullshit in the middle of the street like that. Some passersby shot him a weird look, or observed the two of them prudishly, but they didn't loiter for the part of the conversation that Eion wanted kept private.
The insufferable boy didn't linger on his lewd remarks, and jumped back into the task at hand without Eion having to prompt him. That he liked the chai was a bonus; Eion had taken a guess at what he might like best from the tea bar. Relaxing some, Eion slouched into his chair and took a sip of his own drink, some of the foam becoming orphaned on his lip.
He tilted his head back and forth as he considered the questions. When he was ready, the answers came rapid-fire and succinct.
No weapons. No passersby. Urban shithole terrain.
He realized that saying as much might indirectly reveal some of the aspects of his mission, but he doubted that any admission about the terrain would give an idea of where that mission was occurring. Eion couldn't think of a place that didn't have an urban shithole in it. Maybe distant farmlands, but that was fairly remote. He also trusted Waru to be just incurious enough to not think anything of it. And even if he did, the boy had the discretion to keep any details to himself. Much as he liked to ******** around, he understood when secrecy was paramount.
I'll leave the rules to you, he added, almost as an afterthought. Shouldn't truly hurt each other if we can avoid it.
Which, he thought, would be far easier for them to honor as normal, regular humans. Wasn't like Eion would be setting fire to Waru without having weapons in his hands to do so, though he likely didn't have the durability he was used to as Faustite.
Eion raised Waru's gesture a playful kick at his foot.
***
He escalated, obviously, quick and playful with it. All agrin as he slid his foot higher and pressed on the underside of Eions chair in an attempt to unbalance it slightly. To see if the slight man would be moved from his catlike perch while mentally weighing the pros and cons of giving into the sudden impulse to climb across the table and kiss the bit of foamy bit of caffeinated delight off of Eions upper lip.
He settled for letting his eyes linger there instead, wild auburn glinting with endless ideas. Crinkling at the edges as he caught Eions intent in a flurry of fingers. Beautiful boy — giving him carte blanche like this. Giving him permission like this, and oh, the trust was just as warming as the chai.
“Damn, that leaves strip-sparring kinda off the table, doesn’t it? For me, at least, maybe— Though, what’s another tetanus shot? Bet that never hurt no one.” Insincere as he was unserious, though that light lingered on. Could’ve made one question if he didn’t still plan to get naked at some point down the line. One way or another.
He seemed to let the thought go, to meander on through one passing thought and on into the next between sips.
“N’you’re right, it’s probably for the best we don’t use actual weapons. I mean, we’re both deadly enough without ‘em. N’it’ll make it fair. Like a real training session.…. Hunnm, yanno— something I realize I’ve never asked? Like— not even the once! What’d you start with when you first started? A spatula, ballpoint pen? BadDragon d***o?” Waru tsk’d softly, sucked the lingering taste of spice off his bottom lip. Wondered after Lieutenant Elex, a boy that existed before claws and flames; who would’ve had to fight with toys and lick and his mind.
The kinda thing Waru thought would’ve made himself choose to Youma-up right quick. Waru couldn’t imagine — having to stave off an enemy with wits alone instead of magic or an axe. To be given a toy and told to go forth and not die while wielding it. To be told to bring home bodies n souls with it —-
Metallia was a whole a** piece of work. Truly.
“A silver pocket watch on a chain?” his smile softened a notch, lost that manic edge, leant towards thoughtfulness as he considered the sort of desecrated ground he’d drag his boy off too. Just which rules he’d choose to apply. Quickly, even, now that he understood the game had a time limit on it.
***
Eion sputtered, choking on his tea with a few wet hacks. Some had come back out his nose, scalding the passages with a sensation that was wholly familiar-yet-not. Hastily, the boy reached for the napkin dispenser and wrenched out a wad of paper napkins to soak the mess off his face. He didn't care much for the spill on the table but to mourn the loss of wasted tea.
Rat b*****d, he signed at his husband after he'd gotten most of the mess off of himself. A few light coughs still escaped him, his nasal passages burned terribly, but he was able to blink back the tears.
Wasn't expecting you to s**t out one of your horny ideas. And yet, he could only blame himself for letting his guard down around a known repeat offender. He'd already dropped one of those heavy-handed hints into their conversation; Eion would be remiss to think that such talk would never come up again before their spar was finished.
Despite his tomfoolery, Waru corrected course smoothly and framed his own appraisal for Eion's parameters. After rubbing the sides of his nose for a moment, Eion continued.
Right. Better that we avoid passersby, too. Might call the cops on us. Complicate matters. Turn into ******** senshi, he added, rolling his eyes.
He paused at the question of his old weapon, however. Sighed at the mention of the pocket watch. It had been so terribly long ago that he had a weapon. Years had passed and he never spared that weapon a second thought. Can't remember anymore. Might've been rings? Or a tablet glove. Know I didn't use it. Thought it was pointless. The question struck him as odd; he didn't have that weapon anymore, couldn't revisit it, and he never paid much sentiment to those affairs. His weapon was a fickle thing that was altogether absent for his Captain and General ranks, and he knew Waru never had one. So why was he asking?
]Let's move, he signed as he stood up. Tell me why you asked on the way.
The tray was gathered after he replaced his tea in one of the empty holsters. While it hurt his long damaged wrists to hold the tray like waitstaff, he could balance it on his forearm to similar effect.
***
‘Always expect the horny inquisition–’ Waru kept the thought to himself, the thirty thoughts that followed in that single one's wake, and left tilting in his chair with laughter. Gods forbid he entertain his mind gremlins, or else he would’ve wasted the entire day going on about how all his soldiers were always ready to fight that good, hard, loooong fight. To really dig in n commit to trench warfare when it came to his husband! He thought he’d tortured Faustite enough for the moment, watched the man hack chai n tears, not his intent, and yet?
Waru smothered his giggles behind a fist; quiet quaking of lungs beneath his muscled chest, a fire in his gaze. The noise that became quiet and patient listening while Faustites hands turned serious in their flickers. Leaving Waru feeling contemplative as he up and followed — twisting into the lead and beckoning Faustite down a less trash strewn alley that he thought they could disappear behind.
The silence that could’ve been mistaken as thoughtful didn’t last, couldn’t, truly. Not with Waru at its helm.
“We’re gonna be sparring right? And of course for us it’s play. But out there?” a vague beckon to an unknown there, to the world, its skies. He knew he didn’t need to explain this to Faustite, that it was asinine. A child explaining to an adult how taxes worked—-Faustite was the expert, he the neonate, but it all led somewhere.
“When you’re people—“ a gesture to himself, as he tilted his head back and smiled. “N’I’m imagining a situation where you simply can’t *afford* t’be anything other n people, yeah?”
People — soft, vulnerable things, and what if Faustite got stuck as one? What if it was necessary?! What if—-And Waru’s list of what ifs was far too long to verbalize. He’d kill himself trying, to go over it all; asphyxiate on ******** air if he attempted to divine every ‘break glass in case of magical bullshit’ level of who knew what sort of ******** would occur out in the wilds. s**t got invented all the time, people got killed by said s**t. Got thrown into situations where they were stuck powered down n powerless in equal measure —
Waru shook the thought off and stilled his wagging tongue long enough to do the same. To gingerly nudge Eion with him into a dark alcove — whisper on power in a tame display — step out of the shadows with his boy onto the other side of a completely different brick wall.
Like committing to a single step tango.
“Like—when maybe flesh n bone n cool moves just aren’t cutting it? So, terrain comes in. N’the kinda s**t that’s available in that terrain comes in—“ Waru shivered through powering back down, it was as if a cold wind had hit him and blown it all away. “Which then leads me to thinking about what you’d use if you had nothing but yourself? About the last time you were that powerless — as a lieutenant, probably? The weapon you might have had then.” He took his time surveying the place, the caution tape, the crashed out windows, cracked streets, plywood, trash, abandoned equipment.
A housing project that’d never made it off its feet. FHA and long abandoned in the mud due to the market — at least a few years old if all the unfinished foundations and half stacked walls said anything —
T’befair? When the houses looked complete, Waru knew they weren't worth squatting in. Had probably been stripped down of valuables within the walls. The city planned to bulldoze, remodel, renew? Some refresher project — laughable, really, the concrete sewage pipes they meant to lay still sat stacked above ground.
But that made it perfect—
Left alleys, hazards, a cloister of trailers on one end, a smash of unfinished Modular’s with foam roofs that looked alien next to actual ******** houses!
“Cause those things are always useless at the start…But you’re given 'em for a reason, m’sure? And I’ve never had a proper weapon — “ Waru hummed, held his arms out wide, did a little half turn, as if to say ‘here we are, what do you think of it?’‘ As if he expected applaus, medals; he even took a bow beneath the king of approval from his own ego. “Plus? I thought it’d be cute to know! If you ask me? Lieutenants have it even worse n baby Senshi. It’s hard t’defend yourself with a spork or some s**t—never did get a mental handle on how Mama-Shadow chooses to hand the damn things out. If it’s like the cosmic tailor? If it’s a personality thing?” <******** it’s about learning a lesson the hard way— err — culling? Like too many goldfish in a tiny pond.” Waru shrugged, because the truth was mostly that he was curious, that he’d never considered such a thing enough to even ask. That even though Eion had a wicked maul of a blade at his beck n summon now — he always thought of the weapon second to the man wielding it.
“Now…about those rules? Hmmm…….mmmmm....”
***
Eion nodded. There were many times when he had to be stuck as people, had to look the part of a human to avoid blowing their mission. Waru was quite right on that.
He considered it while Waru guided him with an arm at his back. Thoughts drifted back to a tattered, war-strewn city where the streets were oft filled with rubble and broken glass. Where the smell of gunpowder and burnt pork filled his nose with every smoke-stained breath. While it was a place he abandoned for better times with his boys, it was likewise a place he yearned for — some part of its rancor satisfied the youma in him and challenged it simultaneously, even while constrained under the guise of a person.
He had been so steeped in thought that Eion noticed only belatedly when Waru — Albite — Waru had gotten them to an elsewhere far more suited for what Eion had asked. Blinking, he looked about himself and took in the newer scene, trying to divine by the sight of brick and concrete and chain link where they were now.
When he had caught up mentally, Eion began to sign to his boy. Goes back to when my first General was training me. While he didn't like remembering those days, they were less painful than the ones that came after. Guess I started learning early to rely on my body when I was out of options. Headbutt when pinned. Kick at weaknesses. He paused, then, leaning against his boy's warmth for a moment before picking up the conversation again. Remember having to use trash can lids, two-by-fours. Broken bottles. Rocks. Handfuls of dirt.
Eion began to wander, to survey the paused interim of a construction project. Weaving around a concrete pipe, he waited to reply until he could see Waru again on the other side. Don't know why we're given things like that. Heard people rationalize that we're to prove our mettle first before we're trusted with something real. Doesn't make any sense to me, though — why leave a new recruit without any tactical support?
I've a different theory. Might take a lot out of Metallia to magic a weapon out of nothing. She's creating their uniform whole cloth, granting them the ability to drain energy, granting them permission to pull starseeds. Changing their starseed. Has to be a lot at once. Perhaps she lacks the energy to grant them something better — that such changes need to wait for a promotion.
Or perhaps jumping straight to a weapon is too much for their starseed. Have to walk it back, start with something small, else she risks splintering their soul. Eion shrugged, his conjecture over.
It was about as far as he could proceed on the topic, so Eion was glad for the transition. Arms crossed over his chest as he looked about the place again.
It was a good course, he thought. Waru picked something quite serviceable, much to his point that the environment became a weapon. Naturally, that meant many different methods to hurt each other, whether accidental or otherwise.
No glass, he signed. Or broken bones. Probably have enough time for two rounds. Could do wrestling rules for being down on the count. Five seconds is plenty.
What else?
***
“You had more than one General?” More a passing observation filled with light curiosity than a true question; something Waru squirreled away for later like a large, shiny nut. Because it wasn’t an uncommon thing, was it? To be passed amongst superiors depending on the season. Or so he assumed, after all it was an experience even he shared. He simply wondered how he’d missed that bit about his boy, if maybe that first General had been mundanely informative only? A good trainer that simply passed Ei on once the job was done—
The kind of ******** who’d taught his boy to fight feral early on; with dirty tricks, over rough terrain, using whatever was at hand. Waru only knew he hadn’t glimpsed whoever this was quite yet, not in any flash he’d spied of Eions past; time capsules of what preceded fire and had him thinking of muscle cars and hot-rods—
Yet there was nothing that made him think of other Generals that’d existed before….Well, before Schorl, actually? But that was neither here, or there, or over where Eion paced the scenery; slow and exploratory. He hoped it measured up to his boys standards; lighting up for the flash of signs as Ei’s warmth peeled off and he was left peering around an obstacle comically, eating with wide and hungry eyes all the new information like it was precious visine in a parched land.
He hadn’t known—
But it all made a lot of sense, didn’t it? The way Eion was trained specifically. Those honed reflections visible far down the road and in the now of the present.
“It’s a good ******** theory.” Easy praise for how he loved the philosophical, had always admired his boys ability to muse on these things. To tolerate his own personal nonsense and give reason to the void. “The way you can’t promote someone early cause it’d crack ‘em open n kill ‘em…make ‘em youma if they're lucky…Tama was always good at talking about things like that, like the starseed in our chests is some living vessel? It’s ready t’take on more when it says it is n’not a moment sooner…takes more resources to summon a sword than a plastic spork I’m sure.” A laugh that fell into quiet focus as he considered what else to add to the list, how to improve on perfection? He searched and grasped at nothing, was too enthralled by the idea of getting Eion into the dirt and seeing what the deceptively thin looking boy did once there.
“Wrestling rules—“ he liked it; how simple, clean, and decisive it all was. “I like it. Nothing that’ll leave us maimed, or bloody, or broken. Cause I kinda wanna keep my eyes n bits attached—“ As if he’d encourage those kinds of tactics heartily if Eion were facing down anybody else. “And I’ll remember t’tap out after five, and you too! In case my a** forgets how to count that high.” A joke, uproariously funny if the growing smile on his face was anything to go by. “Can’t help but think how you’d be ******** deadly with a knife — no one would expect it of you. For you t’be dangerous. Not looking the way you do—“ Earnestly contemplative as he trailed around a bit of concrete and gently dragged his nails across the rough siding.
“That’s probably how they’ll die, your enemies, all unassuming n’shocked. The fool-a** people who ******** with you when you’re like this. Course, that means getting in close on your end, yeah?” Slothishly lax, save for his grin, the way that stayed even as he sized his boy up with purpose now; eying those endless layers, the fine bones beneath them. “I don’t think I’ve gotten t’have you like this before— so let’s see it —“ As he threw himself into a lunge after his boy; ticking off all of Eions endless advantages in a space like this —
Including his boys silence! No, better to not give him the chance. To avoid playing fair all together.
***
Eion nodded to the question. Tell you more if you win, he quipped back, a brow arching subtly while his fingers carried the rest of his sass.
But there would be time to discuss such things later. For now, they would start their competitive skirmish in a manner that would not find them so easily interrupted. That, in part, proved exciting — knowing that they fought with the barest of their abilities. No magic, no weapons, no enhanced speed or endurance. Only the mundanity inherent in being human. Only the strength latent in their own rigorously built muscles.
He was sure he could win against Waru if he played tactically. If he couldn’t, Eion wasn't sure; he felt his own human limitations keenly and found such flaws to be quite stifling on his creativity.
Sweet of his boy to imagine Eion with different weapons. As if he could've been a traditional agent for more than the scant weeks that were afforded him. As if, by the power of his love alone, Waru could gift him the Captain's weapon he never had for Faustite's christmas gift, then recreate his General's weapon on his birthday. And while they were silly thoughts, they carried respect and meaning: two aspects inherent in Waru's every action. Eion smiled, faint and fleeting.
It was done, then. They both agreed to the rules. Waru's admission for getting carried away was received with a nod. Even if the odds weren't in his favor, he fully expected to challenge his boy plenty before going down.
Seemed his boy was incentivized enough to start. Eion dropped low as Waru approached, and Eion reminded himself that their gap in strength would feel much wider like this. Best that he didn't challenge Waru head-on. Thankfully, his boy delivered to him an entire environment's worth of improvised weaponry, should Eion prove creative enough to make use of it. Should he remember old lessons taught to him in the beginnings of his Negaverse career.
He waited until his boy was nearly upon him. One hand curled in the dirt, Eion launched the fistful up at Waru's face once he was in range. Banking on some measure of success, he tucked and rolled to the left.
Having Waru against a concrete pipe would be a solid early advantage.
