viciousabyss | IC inbox.

ELI

@viciousabyss

☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠

NAME: Eli Azrael
AGE: 40... ish
HOMETOWN: Kingdom of Solterra, Feywild

yo. its eli. hit me up.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

yes. its when you kill things in the woods.

[And to be fair, he is hunting for some food for him and Cas. But he'll also be hunting any Patho-Gen scum that go after Bricks.]

you didn't. who's he?

( Does he really come off like that much of a city boy, or is Eli just that sarcastic.

He never knows how to describe Atsuhide. )

Fellow Handead. My right-hand man since I was about twelve.

If it's a bad time, I can leave you be.

[He's just that sarcastic.]

ooh. a bestie, or a man you jerk off with your right hand?

i didn't say it was a bad time, did i? i've been out here for hours and it's not very exciting at this point

More like a man I keep in line as much as he keeps me grounded. We work together but have a lot of history. He wanted to be alone for a bit.

Hours? Come take a break.

my guy. that makes it sound even more gay than a handjob does

come where?

Yes, it does.

My room at the Valentia ... but I can come out there if you'd rather?

[At least he acknowledges it.]

i died a painful death there lmao so i'm never going there again. but if you dont wanna come all the way out here i could meet you halfway at a bar or something

( Pardon. )

That. Sounds like a story.

A bar works. Do you have one you like especially?

sure is. you know all spectrals die right

[Something to look forward to.]

i have a few

[A moment passes as he deliberates.]

cherry's club.

[He sends the location of it.]

Thankfully, I'm already halfway there. :) I'll see you soon.

( And off he goes. When he arrives a little while later, he's leaning against the wall outside, looking a little tired. )

[Eli, on the other hand, lingers. Despite how much this monstrous version of Brickston has hurt him, how little of his partner is left inside it, he still can't help but love him and want to protect him. He wishes there was something he could give him. It's a good thing Eli doesn't have blood anymore, or he might be trying to offer himself up as some strange sacrifice.

In his stillness, he spots a fox. He possesses the creature, making it move toward the Katalyth-monster that was once Brickston.

He then finally turns away. Hopefully that helps him somehow.

He goes home and gets his bike so he doesn't keep Ko waiting forever. It's electric, very fast, zoom zoom.

His winter wear is of course as dramatic and moody as he is, which contrasts a little oddly with the innocent way he hops off a bicycle and locks it to a lamppost (though the bike is black too, of course).

He levitates to Ko, because he's still lacking the prosthetic on his right leg due to the tentacles in the way there. He hopes that... Resolves itself, somehow.]

Hey.

[He looms closer, kissing Ko on the cheek softly.]

( The bike and the floating and the moody look might be what some would call gap moe; Ko is endeared further. He kisses Eli on the cheek in turn, feeling himself warm immediately at the contact. )

Hello.

( His hand finds Eli's, giving it a brief squeeze. Tilting his head, he says: )

I hope the trip over wasn't an issue or anything ...

( And then he's heading inside with Eli, looking over the interior carefully. )

No. Sorry if I kept you waiting.

[He queezes Ko's hand back and tries to smile. He is glad to see him, but it's hard to get out of brooding-mode sometimes.

They head into Cherry's Club, which is a speakeasy-style bar with a stage for performances. Currently there's a slow jazz band playing. The lights are dim and the atmosphere is relaxed with a gentle undercurrent of excitement.]

Bricks used to work here. So did my friend Tifa, who's also gone now.

[Which makes being here kind of sad, but it feels important to remember them. Also, the bar is awesome, and he wanted Ko to see it.

Eli leads them to a small table, a bit secluded and off to the side so they can have a little privacy.]

Good cocktails, if you like that kind of thing.

( The stage and band immediately piques his interest. He watches them for a good few moments, following Eli through to the table.

To hear his loved ones have worked here ... He's had such a rough go of his time here, and Ko doesn't even know too many details. It makes him ache for Eli.

With Reiji, he can somewhat relate; going to those cathedrals and parks they used to haunt around the anniversary of his death, singing his favorite songs all alone.

He exhales a breath he didn't know he was holding in once they're seated. )

I hope being here can be something of a comfort, then. I ... don't normally drink very much, but since coming here from home, I've wanted to a little more. Can't place why.

( He's normally a wine at special occasions kind of guy and that's about it. )

[Eli rubs the back of his neck, now realizing how tired he is. He always tells himself he can't get tired anymore because of his soul, but it's just not true.]

This place will do that to you. The stress of it. The constant change.

[He looks at the menu for a moment, thinking maybe he will indulge in a cocktail or something sweet for once, rather than just getting their cheapest ale or hard liquor or a shitty strong whiskey sour.]

How did things go with your... Atsuhide?

[He definitely pronounces it wrong. Not versed in Japanese names.]

( Ko's gaze lingers on Eli; he looks weary, and his words certainly indicate such. He reaches out on the table idly. )

If it's any comfort, I'll be with you.

( Ah. Atsuhide. )

Atsuhide, he ... ( how to say it ) ... it's a lot for him. He wanted to take a walk for a little while to clear his head.

( There's more he wants to say, but it dies in his throat. )

I'd turned him Handead when we were much younger. We've been through a lot.

[Eli takes Ko's hand in his.]

It is.

[He brings the hand up to his lips, kissing Ko's knuckles softly.

Ah. So that's how you say it.]

It's a lot for anyone.

[Understandable that he needed some time.]

You turned him?

Yes. I was young, he was barely an adult. It ...

( His eyes unfocus for a moment, but come back when he continues. )

Was more out of necessity than anything else. Half-life or death.

( He laughs. It was hard back then. Strange to think about. Atsuhide getting cleaved in the head with construction debris made him feel like he was dying, the sight was so horrific. Not to mention it brought back memories of the friend who did pass.

It ended up alright, but he still remembers the taste of his blood as he bit him to turn him and save his life. )

So we've been by one another's side since.

[Eli watches him carefully. That moment of detachment, like his mind is protecting him from a certain memory, and then a laugh right after recalling it to brush it off. It reminds him of Amos, a little bit. It's not lost on him that Ko is empathetic, and his job is helping people whose minds are messed up. People like that don't usually like talking about or focusing on their own pain.

On the other hand, Eli's empathy is incredibly selective, and the only way he's caring enough to notice any of this is that he already really likes Ko.

He squeezes his hand.]

Life-or-death situations have a way of creating weirdly intense bonds, I guess. Been there.

[Eli tilts his head.]

Are you glad he's here? Or do you wish he didn't have to go through this?

( Ko squeezes back.

That sure is the question he's trying to figure out himself. )

I don't know. I don't want to be selfish or to see him hurt.

( His voice drops a little.

Maybe he needs a drink for real. )

At the same time, his presence is a comfort. I think at first I was just ... overjoyed not to be alone.

You're allowed to want him here with you.

[Eli's thumb rubs over Ko's knuckles.]

Gods know I have people I miss. He'll be okay. Because he has you. I'm also happy to help him out if I can. If he's important to you, he's important to me.

( That's a statement that helps him feel a little better, but with all the stories that he's heard of Patho-Gen, its not entirely convincing. Ko exhales and that's when the waitress shows up.

He orders whiskey and coke, since its one of Atsuhide's chosen drinks; he used to have to rely on him for what to drink back then. )

Thank you, Eli. That means a lot to me.

( There's a smile. )

Maybe we'll be able to perform soon. I'd been floating the idea solo, but having him here to sing with makes that seem more possible.

[As the server comes to take their order, Eli makes intense eye contact with Ko and warns:]

Don't laugh.

[And then he orders a shirley temple. As a double. That's just what he feels like, okay.]

You guys are in a band or something?

( Ko does not laugh, but the intense eye contact warning like he might laugh is sort of funny in itself. He retains his poker face. )

Not a band, more like an ... idol unit.

( "Idol unit with office and community outreach work" is the easier way to describe it. )

It started off as just us, but we've gotten a more mature sound with the addition of two others. Takakage and Shino.

( Performing with all of them once more would be the dream. His expression goes fond, nostalgic, laying his cheek against his hand. )

[Eli represses the urge to sigh dramatically at the idol thing. Momo told him about this and Eli judged him pretty hard for calling himself an idol. He'll try to suspend his disbelief or whatever, since it's Ko and Ko is cool.]

Sounds like a band to me... [He murmurs this almost too quietly to hear, looking off to the side.]

Augmented perform here sometimes. [He gestures to the stage.] I'm sure they'd let you guys.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All