fiddlestick | aefenglom IC Inbox

I wouldn't say that.

[While Eren might be feeling angry and frustrated at being denied going home, Elliot was thoughtful, calculating. Elliot knew how to focus on working with what reality gave you.]

This answers a big concern I had about being here, that we'd miss stuff back home. But if you remember from the exact second we left here, that's not a worry. What we need to do will be there waiting for us when we return...so we don't have to rush here.

[They can take their time and do what they need to do here properly. Elliot knows that this worlds problems weren't technically his problems, but it didn't feel right just leaving all these people to eventually die from Cwyld. He wanted to help where he could.

But he also knows Eren is probably having a moment here. ]

...I'm sorry you didn't get to stay home longer.

[ good for you, he would say, if he was willing to let his feelings run rampant and his tongue free. his judgement is clouded with anger and the last time he spoke his thoughts with rage he nearly hanged hange from the other side of his prison cell. time was already a fickle thing when it came to home, with those coming from earlier or later times. how was it for them?

it just cleared a hunch, left him with more questions and no sure answer. yes, a moment is being had, but he’s at least moderately wise about it. ]

Everything is waiting right where I left it.

[ “right?” consider it a mildly strained little “don’t be sorry”, since he knows elliot is probably just. trying to help the way he can? it’s unfair and yet such a damn bitter answer for him to swallow. just need to know what happens next after being shot dead, if there even is a next. his brain didn’t register the sound, too fast a projectile before his eyes opened back here.

god fucking damn it.

one more bump against the mirror’s surface with the lower part of his fist, before eren’s turning around, eyes low and ears flat. ]

Let’s get some air.

[He doesn't need the feedback from the Bond to tell that Eren is unhappy with what he said. Body language and the strain in his voice was enough to tell him that. Eren was...in a mood. It was easy to imagine why. Whatever Eren was trying to do at home was very important to him, enough that he was driven to get home despite it meaning he'd have a short life because of it. And now, he was ripped away from it, possibly right when he was in the middle of it. That'd make anyone moody.

Which...fine. He can let it slide for now. Give Eren some time to work out those feelings. So he clasps his own hands in front of himself before nodding]

...Alright.

[On cue, the little ball moves ahead to guide them out the way Elliot came in. Elliot will start to follow after it. For a moment, he slows and considers taking Eren's hand, but then decides better of it- moving on ahead to hold open doors for the other.

Eventually they'll come outside. It's still dark out, with sunrise not being for several more hours. Stars can be seen in the sky, and the air is fresh and cool especially compared to the dusty mirror house. The usually busy Coven is dead quiet, with no one wandering the streets.

Elliot looks back at Eren, as if watching to see what the other does before deciding to act or say anything.]

[ a good choice, for the time being. eren keeps his hands in his cloak pockets either way, giving no room for hand holding to occur and possibly making an attempt awkward at best. not a good time. maybe in a few days? he shoulders the doors open when elliot holds them out for him, and only keeps going once the other lets go and continues moving.

the air is cooler out here, refreshing and holding a touch of the coming scent of rain. it should happen later, the clouds are far and the sky, for the time being, is clear and brilliant with the stars alight and the waxing crescent of the sister moons beaming rays. he looks up, just keeps looking— and sighs through his nose when he’s come to a stop and folds his arms. the flaps of his membranes need some adjusting, as do the way he stands: more on the balls of his clawed feet than flat against the ground. it felt weird to stand flat now, but then again, he isn’t all too accustomed to his balance.

the result: some back and forth swaying, or stepping when he’s about to lose balance. ]

What do you at this hour, anyway?

[ u are like wide awake my ginger friend (he is trying his best to get over himself) ]

[He notices the change in Eren's posture mostly because well- it adds an sege or two of height, standing on the balls of his feet like that, making him tower against Elliot even more. Which man, is so unfair. Witch's magic hasn't made him grow at all, and Eren was already tall enough.

Okay, petty thoughts put aside, he then notices Eren wobbling and swaying, so he'll reach out his warm to the other to help steady him.

But ah. Right. That is a good question]

Huh? Oh, I usually compose. I'm usually busy during the day, so it's easier to sit down and focus on my music when everyone's asleep.

[Which sure explains how he's able to pursue his music and tend to all these different things during the day. Also, why it's so rare to see him in the early morning.]

[ his dragon feet are getting bigger, growing pains aside. you’re gonna b tiny af. eren steadies himself with the other’s shoulder, only briefly. his ankles are . . . a little too high up to settle his heel down, and holding them too low brings strain. more or less in between, then, arms to himself once he’s got it.

maybe he’ll have less trouble with a tail (not that he thinks of it). ]

Not a morning person. [ he says, eyes up and arms crossed back into themselves again. the air gives him clarity, cools of the steam collecting from his shoulders and his ugly thoughts— it helps. and he supposes, it’ll help if he speaks of something else.

not that he wanted to avoid the subject of what had just happened to him. it was . . . irrelevant. ] I wasn’t either, when I was a kid.

[He'll continue standing close, even once Eren pulls away, just in case he's needed again for balance. He wishes there was more he could do to help but there really was only so much you could do for a foot completely restructuring itself.]

Nope, not at all. The only time I like seeing a sunrise is if I stayed up for it. [He knows this is a frivolous topic that doesn't matter. But if it's helping Eren, he'll keep it up]

Oh yeah? That makes it sound like you got converted to it though.

[ it’s helping. elliot could tell momentarily, when there’s a crack in eren’s shield. never gone, would the sensations be and susceptible memories to go with them, but they could always be subdued.

what eren has done through all his time home was nothing short of this, except here he has nothing to truly hide. only a friend he really wanted to protect right now, short and ginger-light hair going along with his dumb procrastination. ]

His name is Keith Shadis. [ ah, keith. he’s sorry about him to. ] Drill sergeant.

[He feels the crack, even if it's just momentary. It's strange how reassuring it feels. He's only had this bond for about two and a half months now, and he's still grown so used to feeling his Bonds along with his own feelings. ]

Oof, yeah. Drill sergeants love the early mornings. [A knowing sigh. He knew all too well about military habits. Yet in all his dad and Thors' attempts, it never really caught on. Another sign he wasn't suited for that life]

Well, if you ever feel inclined to come back to this side, I wouldn't turn away occasional company. [Occasional, since he really did use this time for music work]

[ elliot knows his words well uwu ]

You’ll see me around.

[ especially around those days, perhaps. eren decides to sit and rest his ankles now, propping a leg up closer to his chest and just. looking up. just looking up and listening to the insects chirp. the bond bleeds, though not entirely open— what drips from eren is heavy reverie. ]

And I’ll be fine.

[ because he knows you’re worried af ]

[That gets a smile out of Elliot, happy at the prospect of spending more time with Eren. He liked the guy, okay.

He'll sit down with Eren, his own knees bending and his arms wrapping around them. He's close to Eren, but he's still respecting his personal space. The feeling he's getting from him is a relaxing one, not unlike playing an instrument. A fitting emotion, on a night like this.]

I know you will be. [Worried or not, he's being truthful] You're one of the strongest people I know.

[Eren has proven himself to be resilient, adaptive, over the last few months. He had such a strong will, but it wasn't detached from reality. ]

And I won't ask what you're hiding from me. [Because he knows he is. Even before this memory update, he'd see Eren in the coven classes about creating mental blocks.] Even if it's something bad.

[ something bad, something good. whatever word you call it, he didn’t quite care anymore. it wore him down, but it gave him hope. it made him horrible, but it kept him going.

faintly, eren replies. ]

It’s just mine. [ neither nor. his burden, his vow, and his actions. ] We all have them.

Aha, sure, but you seem to have more than most.

[His tone more light and teasing than accusatory. He's really not trying to pry for information here. As such, he'll change the subject]

Oh yeah, my waterproofing spell's all done.

[ eren’s placid to it, nevertheless. no sneers or feelings that would reject it, and lower do his walls come, undone. there’s nothing in there but a buried unhappiness— but god damn is there hope worth fighting for that throws it all under a rug.

he’s less angry, but the feeling is there, still, and easy to rile if something prods too far. mild relief pokes out of the cloudy storm beneath his greater emotions, and he sighs out, eyes up to the sky that prepared for morning showers in some hours. ]

I’m going to get markings for it later. [ because . . . there is a thing, that he’s thinking about. ] Not far away from my changes in full.

[ at least he won’t be surprised when he suddenly. gets big. ]

[Elliot hadn't expected that wall to come down, honestly. He figured it'd stay up for awhile. So there's a bit of surprise coming from Elliot as he realizes he fully feels that Bond again. Some parts of it feel different than before, a different energy from Eren in a sense. Something's changed, and the effects will reveal themselves in the days to come.

But...it's still familiar enough that Elliot relaxes for now. Even the buried unhappiness, well, it's not like Elliot doesn't have his own share of that. Instead there's just affection and acceptance towards Eren. No prying emotions, no distrust. His nerves of course, were ever present, but it's radio background noise ]

Oh yeah, your tattoos. I did some reading up, I think I should be able to apply enchantments to tattoos just fine. Might wear off sometimes though...

[So that'll be a thing to keep in mind. And ah, right the changes. Elliot looks over Eren. Physically he's changed a lot over the past few months. ]

Yeah...you're really dragon-y now. With how you're walking now, I wonder if you'll get a tail like some other dragons I've seen.

It . . . Might even help with balance.

[ in actuality, so— he doesn’t actually mind! he’s never minded much to begin with. while he’s sitting, he lifts his foot and moves his toes and flexes his joints, all clawed or scaled, or both.

the tattoos are a good thing to look forward to, even if he’ll have to get more enchantments to them every so often. after a moment longer . . . eren clears his throat, stabilizes on all limbs before lifting himself up in a slow stand. ]

We should get going. I have to check on someone before I go back, too.

I'd say. You're pretty wobbly right now.

[He looks at Eren's feet. They're starting to look more dragon-like than human. No wonder this guy is having such trouble walking.

He gets up with him]

Lex, I'm guessing? [The third bond] Let me walk you there, it'd be bad if you tripped on the way.

Not so bad.

[ but he gestures and waits for elliot to come over and walk him over there, anyway.

but, yeah. lex!!! ]

I managed to keep her asleep until now.

Uh huh, sure. [Because Mikleo and Lex would love to wake up to see Eren with a broken nose from falling flat on his face, surely.

He comes over to Eren, standing side by side and lifting Eren's arm so it'll rest on his opposite shoulder. He's wrap his arm around his waist but...the wing blocks that. So him acting like something to lean on will have to do]

Considering her world...she's probably used to sleeping through worse. [Like how she was intent on sleeping through the entire dream] I like her, she's nice.

[ eren’s stiff, walks on wobbling for a few paces— but for perhaps one of the first times he was offered help, eren retreats. his arm pulls away from his bonded’s shoulder, and he walks. he came all the way out here on his own, it wasn’t now that he’ll need a crutch. he was used to accepting it, but there’s more to it than this. no matter how many times he tells himself they have nothing to do with it, the same apprehension sits on his concerns. ]

. . . I meant it, Elliot.

[ the last thing he wants to do is emotionally attack him to force him away, but the point stands. eren’s feelings are reserved, tense but more gentle in his honesty than he could’ve been. there’s loss. there’s a hole in his heart that he doesn’t think freedom can fill. he doesn’t want to lose anyone because he relied on them. ever again. the smaller the favor the bigger the habit.

what’s worse (or better?) is the pang that comes with elliot’s comment of lex. a bubble of warmth that doesn’t deserve the look on the dragon’s melancholy face. he loves her. like a smitten fool. ]

Me too. Both of you.

[He's a little surprised to feel Eren retreat. Eren's always been independent, but he's never really pulled away like this. He feels a little baffled, confused- as if something that wasn't supposed to happen just happened.

Were he younger, he'd probably take that as a comment about him. Heck even now, unwanted anxious thoughts tease such an idea. But he's matured enough to push aside those thoughts for now before he could jump to any conclusions, and tries to get clues from Eren to what's going on. Feelings from the bond, his body language, his choice of words...

...]

And we like you too, you know.

[There's a feeling of confidence with his words, warmth and love. There may be no filling that hole in Eren's heart, but that hole doesn't have to be the only thing there.

He won't try to take him again, but he does speak gently, picking up on that apprehension mixed with that loss. He doesn't know what happened in Eren's memories, and true to his word- he's not going to pry. And such, he can only speak for their own situation now.]

Someday we'll go our separate ways. And it'll hurt, no matter what. But that's all the more reason to embrace the time our song lasts, don't you think?

Edited 2019-09-13 05:04 (UTC)

[ it’s a favorable way to see it, and eren . . . would agree. he does agree. it’s the reason why he’s even bonded, and is staying that way without any sudden canceling. it’s why he lays with them, why he does spend time with them and why he’s allowed himself to anchor and harbor feelings since the beginning. ]

Let’s see how the tune plays out. [ he might not be saying yes or no, because things could change as plans do— but, he’s not going to turn blind eyes and make promises he maybe might not be able to keep. he’s willing, in all honesty, but he knows he has the cold calculation to do the opposite, no matter how much it twists him inside.

he’s not a good person and he’s pretty sure that no one is aware of that yet. he doesn’t know which is worse, leave them in innocence, let them find out on their own or just show them already. “see how the tune plays out”, he thinks again. and with that, smiles, small but there. he was born to feel, born to live, and born to be free. ]

There’s a lot of ground to cover.

[He knows Eren agrees to it. Their time together being finite wasn't new, they'd known it from the beginning. But sometimes a little reminder of that helps, especially when he feels apprehension over loss coming from the other.]

That's all we can do. [He says in agreement, his tone still gentle and warm. He wasn't expecting any promises here. But seeing a smile coming out of Eren was rewarding enough, no matter how small.

This time, he'll reach out to hand to take one of Eren's. A compromise. He won't force the other to lean on him, but he wants to be there for him all the same.]

Aha, good thing I like traveling.

[ even if he’s hurting and even if the smile is short lived— at least it was there. the hand that comes into his, though, that isn’t necessarily retreated from. at first, loose holding takes command before eren ends up inhaling. a slightly firmer hold from there, not too tight, not too dead.

he’s alright with this, all up until they get there. ]

I’ll . . . See you later. [ . . . honestly? there’s a better word for this. ] Thank you.

[He gets a small smile on his face as Eren firms up the hold of his hands. As they walk, he intertwines his fingers with Eren's claws. He's used enough to the clawed hands that he knows how to move his fingers without getting cut

When they reach the spot, he gives Eren's hand one last affectionate squeeze before letting go and stepping back.]

Hey, anytime. [He means it too.] Say hi to Lex for me, okay?

(no subject)

usurpers - 2019-09-15 12:22 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

fiddlestick - 2019-09-15 14:39 (UTC) - Expand