Drinking Buddies

Of course, naturally, it would be him that
had to go home alone. For a majority of the night, Elias had been spending his
time enjoying what was a general consensus of perhaps too much alcohol in some
dingy alleyway bar. He was as elegant as barflies could have been, considering;
but even though he was alone, that didn't mean there wasn't a party. In fact,
the current location was as rowdy as these things come in. God, someone could
get smacked right upside the head with a chair if they didn't
watch their back close enough!
Eventually, though and as all these things do, the ruckus
began to die down, and the man embarked on his journey through the streets of
Bethnal Green to half-stagger home, to the Society. Slummy streets were slowly
beginning to become more dignified buildings as he walked, but Elias had too
little of his wits to take notice.
Tairais: Richard had, at some point woken up, stumbled and
shambled to the kitchen, cooked a meal, eaten the meal, nearly vomited from his
stomach's disuse, then bathed and gotten dressed.
It was at some point because while he still felt full, the events had blended
together like so many paints into a vague, murky, brown gap in his memory. He
still couldn't quite remember when he had gotten his arms back on in that whole
situation, but they were there, and so was the feeling of hollowed bones and
burrowing insects that came with their reattaching.
The light breezes of the twilight hours snatched at his clothing, and he noted
that while he wore his usual pinstriped attire and waistcoat, his apron was
replaced by Jack's gray overcoat, warm, heavy, and billowing as if it were made
of smoke.
He realized- after a terrifying moment where reality was suspended in the air-
he was on the roof of the Society, looking down on the streets below. Odd. He
recalled a grounding exercise H-.. his mentor of sorts had taught him, and let
his voice be caught up in the wind.
"It is some time in the early hours of the morning. I am on the roof, and
my name is Ričardas."
Though the words calmed the swirling, nebulous nature of his thoughts, it did
little to sooth the restless buzzing under his skin. Indulging in a bit of
recklessness, he jumped and clambered his way down the side of the building,
probably scaring a few Lodgers in the process.
Landing with hardly a sound and feeling a rare moment of pride at the
craftsmanship of his false leg, Richard pivoted on his heels as he rose from a
crouch, letting Fate carry him where She would.
He would later surmise that Fate had a very odd sense of humor.
As he meandered down the streets of Bethnal Green, the slippery nature of his
thoughts honed themselves like a knife when he caught a glance of someone
familiar. In his current state, he couldn't find the energy to feel the myriad
of emotions he should have experienced when he realized it was Elias. The
thought prickled under his skin, and he smirked to himself. The fact he was in
his usual state of detachment boded well for the categorization of his mind,
and he was grateful.
Not grateful enough to resist the temptation to sneak up behind Elias and tap
him on the shoulder, as silent as a big cat, blending in with the smoke and fog
of London in his blacks and grays.
"F-fancy s-seeing you here, E-elias." He almost forgot to let his
smile creep into his eyes, having forgotten he was wearing his scarf. In
another corner of his mind, he mulled over the thought that Elias had probably
seen him without his scarf just as much as he had with it. Some small part of
him shied away from the thought and what it might entail that he didn't feel
discomfort over it, but the rest of him was unperturbed. Elias was.. a good
friend, at the very least.
His eyes sparkled with mirth instead, not betraying the miasma of emotions
shifting underneath.
Decipherer:  Elias stiffens at the unexpected someone, and he darts
away from Richard with a speed that his body, in the state it was,
unfortunately didn't agree to keep up with: he starts face him with a scowl,
but it quickly morphs into shock as he begins to lose his balance, stumbling --
soon falling -- forward.
Tairais:  Instinct
took over before logical thought had time to even begin, and he found himself
shifting forward and hooking his arms under Elias' before he could fall. His
heart stuttered in his chest in for the briefest of moments as Elias came to
rest on it before he wrestled control of it again. He was grateful his scarf
hid the lower half of his face, though, as his blush was much harder to negate.
Regardless, his expression of mirth turned softer with concern, though
amusement still danced in his eyes. "A-are y-you well, Elias?"
Decipherer:  Elias
quickly scrambles to straighten himself out, laughing as he rubs his neck. His
heart thumped rapidly in his chest, though it was likely that if he were aware
of it he'd simply attribute it to too many drinks.
He clears his throat, and his voice comes out slurred on top of stumbled words,
"I'm fine. I jus' -- I'm fine, Richard."
Tairais:  Richards
eyes, already bright with amusement, glowed with the dawn of understanding. He
tilted his head, a smile twitching onto his lips. "Y-you a-are terribly
d-drunk, a-are you n-not?" He could now smell the faintest trace of
alcohol in the air, and it burned his nose slightly.
Elias was, he mused, quite charming like this. Looser in a way he hadn't had
the pleasure of seeing before, and entertaining to watch and hear. Richard
chuckled as he realized that, given the state of his motor functions, Elias
would likely have a rather bad hangover in the morning, though his assumptions
were mainly based off the early escapades of Jack. The thought made him pause.
"Do y-you r-require h-help returning t-to y-your lodgings?"
Decipherer:  Elias
looks up at that, and begins to laugh. Naturally, of any Lodger to see him in
this state, it would be Richard. It was always Richard. After a period of
unrestrained giggles, he pauses to examine the street in its transition from
the poor to the refined. He then realized he didn't know where to go from here.
"... Yeaaah, that might be best! I d-- I don' quite remember where to go
that much."
Tairais:  Richard chuckled again, nodding through the peculiar
feeling in his chest.
"W-will you b-be able to walk on your own, o-or d-do you need to l-lean on
me?"
The peculiar feeling in his chest warmed at that thought, and he did his best
to chase it away for the time being, allowing his body language to relax and
become the pinnacle of calm amusement. Absentmindedly, he watched the play of
shadows over both of them, and his hands itched with the urge to draw.
Later, then, when Elias was safe. And that was a curious thought on its own.
Decipherer:  Elias
snorts, rolling his eyes rather slowly as he begins to walk alongside Richard.
He had to retain some kind of pride, didn't he? Even through slightly wobbling
steps, it didn't appear that he would fall over like he had moments before. He
grins lopsidedly, "I'm gonna really regret this t'morrow."
Tairais:  Richard's
smiled wryly in response to Elias, though he remained on the balls of his feet,
ready to act or react if need be. "I-indubitably. Y-you are w-worse t-than
J-jack on C-christmas, t-though that m-may have been due t-to his.. admirable
t-tolerance to alcohol."
He began leading the way back to the society, doing his best not to scratch at
his arms and the buzzing feeling underneath. He'd need to wander the rooftops
properly, get into a fight, or go for a run later.
Decipherer:  He scoffs
at this and crosses his arms, flashing a cocky grin. "Aw, you sho-- should
give me more credit. I think I'm keepin' my balance pretty well for a man who
had..." His voice trails as he tries to recall how much he had drank, but
this fails him, and he amounts to a giggle and a, "... too much."
He adds with a smirk, "Unless, that is, you want me to
fall into your arms."
Tairais:  Richard
chuckled through the blush hidden under his scarf. He kept walking forward,
though his eyes darted to glance at Elias from the side. "I w-would n-not
mind, t-though I imagine y-you w-would prefer not t-to have me
d-drag you t-through the streets of London.
Decipherer:  Elias
mumbles under his breath as he continues to walk semi-steadily, "Don't put
it past me."
Tairais:  Richard chuckled again at Elias' mumbling. "I
w-would not d-dare."
Minutes passed like water in a stream as they wove their way towards the
Society. Once he reached the front stairs, Richard strode up then two at a time
before turning to face towards Elias, should he need help climbing the stairs.
Decipherer:  Elias
half-staggers up the stairs and only barely avoids losing his balance. He faces
Richard with a smirk, nudging him with his elbow. "See? I t-- I told you!"
Tairais:  Richard
snorted, then placed a hand over his mouth to muffle the snickering laughter
that followed. "T-that y-you did, Elias, that you did."
He tilted his head towards the door invitingly. "I was going t-to m-make
tea, if y-you are inclined to j-join me. If n-not..." He shrugged through
his half-lie. "F-forgive me f-for being overbearing, I have h-had t-to
help J-Jack escape the l-law while intoxicated one t-too many t-times to be
anything b-but.. I believe a t-term is 'mother h-hen.' He chuckled sheepishly
and shuffled on his feet Decipherer:  Elias
opens his mouth to reply but shuts it rather adamantly, his voice quieting
slightly as a thought occurs to him. "Sure, uh... What time is it?"
Tairais:  Richard
frowned slightly, tilting his chin up to look at the sky. "Y-you know.. I
am n-not entirely c-certain." Glancing back at Elias, his eyes twinkled
mischievously. "I h-had to d-dismantle my pocket-watch t-to d-do some
m-maintenance on m-my hand s-some time back, and I n-never got around to
replacing it."
He glanced once more at the sky before shrugging. "I b-believe it is t-the
early hours of the m-morning, but beyond that, I cannot say."
Decipherer:  He mumbles
something about Artemis still being asleep as he follows Richard's gaze, his
head tipping back to look towards the sky. He gives a small sigh, adding
somewhat slowly, "Eh, alright."
Tairais:  Richard nodded, then stepped inside, making his way
towards the kitchen. He hummed a soft, lilting tune as he walked, a tease of a
singing voice not heard by anything but the wind for several years at least. He
felt.. surprisingly at peace with himself, though that was more likely due to
the autumn weather approaching than any of his halfhearted attempts at
soul-searching. There had been quite a few of those attempts as he reattached
his still slightly faulty arms and improved the sole on his foot.
The latter is what lent him the full extent of the cat-like tread he now
employed, slipping back into old habits like the first breath of winter air.
The energy bubbling under his skin perplexed him, and though his curiosity
insisted he find the source of it, the rest of him simply willed for the good
fortune to last.
Crossing the threshold of the kitchen, he began to dance through his usual
tea-making ritual, his quiet song buzzing down to a more focused hum. He nearly
forgot Elias was nearby.
Only nearly though. It was hard for him to forget Elias, and oh, wasn't that a
peculiar thought?
Decipherer:  Elias
watched Richard's graceful movement with a grin, his arms crossing on his
chest. He leans against a counter, and after a moment, he laughs. "I like
your humming." He giggles as his voice drifts into more quieted, unclear
words.
Tairais:  Richard's
hands tensed slightly before he covered it with a warm chuckle. "I s-shall
endeavour to h-hum more often, t-then." That strange, semi-familiar
feeling of warmth unfurled in his chest at the compliment, and he felt equal
parts unsettled and uplifted.
He turned his attention to the collection of teas he had hidden away in the
cupboards. "D-do you have a particular b-brew you would prefer
c-currently?"
Decipherer:  He glances
somewhat absently to the cupboards, his thoughts clouded. He flashes a smile
and shrugs, "Surprise me!"
Tairais:  Richard
chuckled again before selecting an eastern-style brew, full of spices like
cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg. He left the brew to steep as he
searched for the little jar of honey an associate traded in exchange for one of
the very few daggers he'd made.
"This b-brew, while not identical, is s-similar to a favorite of my
father's. He w-would often bring entire b-boxes of it home when business s-sent
him eastward."
Finding the missing bottle of honey, he set it on the counter before turning to
pour two still-steaming cups and added "He w-was fond of asting a l-little
honey to offset h-how strong the s-spices a-are. P-personally, I prefer
drinking it straight from the k-kettle."
He picked up his cup and savored the warmth of it for a few moments, his quiet
humming resumed to drive away the silence that clung to his mind like heavy
seaweed.
Decipherer:  Elias
picks up his own cup and smiles slightly, taking a small sip of it as he rests
an arm against the counter. He grins up from his glass, "Sounds l- like a
smart idea."
Tairais:  "W-which part? The b-bringing home boxes of y-your
favorite tea, or drinking tea s-straight from the k-kettle?" Richard
smirked, eyes glinting with a teasing light as he unwrapped his scarf to sip
slowly at his own tea. A delighted grunt managed to escape him as the tea
warmed his stomach, and it was all he could do not to cough in embarrassment at
his lack of manners.
He leaned back against the counters and glanced at Elias with a warm but
analytical glint in his eyes. The pale ghosts of first impressions and memories
played out before him, however they were far away enough not to bother. He felt
safe in Elias' company, if still a little nervous given recent events and the
feeling that there was still more to be said about them.
It was all very odd, but given the fact the people he felt safe around were few
and far between, he was reluctant to question fate. Reluctant, not willing to
ignore, however.
Decipherer:  He takes
another drink from the glass and drums his fingers against it to the rhythm of
an unknown song. Now relaxed somewhat, his words are far less stumbled, but
they retain that strange slur, amplified by his accent. " 'm sure both's a
good answer to that."
Tairais:  Richard's
lips twitched as he huffed out a small breath, quietly amused. "T-true
enough."
There were a thousand little details in the room to get lost in, and so he did.
A quiet, thoughtful curiosity, which had served him well through his schooling,
replaced his colder look from before. Elias' fingers sounded like the gentlest
April rain against stained glass, the fading warmth of his teacup almost seemed
like some fragile bird roosting in his hands, and so on.
A thousand little details he would have never taken the time to notice in his
life Before, and he was all the more in awe of the world for it.
The space between words was comfortable and warm, and he paused to marvel over
the very novel experience.
Decipherer:  He looks
towards Richard and his strange silence with a smirk, one that wouldn't be out
of place on him any other time. "Got something on your mind? Is it me? Am
I on your mind?"
Tairais:  Richard
smiled one of his more genuine smiles, one corner of his lips twitching up, his
eyes carrying the brunt of his expression. "A-always, Elias. I f-find it
hard to w-want you to leave it." The words were out of his mouth before he
could stop himself, (truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to) and
he hid his blush behind a well-timed sip of tea.
If it was a slightly longer gulp of tea than usual, well... he'd blame his own
foolishness on empathizing with Elias' inebriated state.
Decipherer:  Elias
blinks, sputtering on his sip of tea for a moment with wide eyes. His cheeks
grow heated as he clears his throat behind a laugh, and he relaxes, his
shoulders losing their tension. He smirks into his glass as he takes another
gulp and mutters, "There's yet another thing in common, then."
Tairais:  Now there
was absolutely no hiding his blush, for it tinged his whole face and his ears a
rather vibrant pink. He felt himself relax and mirror Elias' posture, heart
beating ever so slightly faster as his stomach fluttered, and that was
very strange...
With a realization not unlike a shattering teacup hitting marble tile, he
realized just what precisely his feelings of near-overwhelming fondness meant.
It took every ounce of his wrestled self control not to start spluttering; He
instead chuckled out a (still somewhat breathy) "I-Indeed?
W-w-wonderful."
Decipherer:  Elias,
fortunately (... or unfortunately), doesn't notice Richard's blush at first,
being unusually interested in his cup. Though his subconscious was well aware
of his own feelings, and they were begging to be heard, it felt too far away to
understand what they had meant. Not that he'd have accepted them anyways.
Eventually, though, as he lifts his gaze from the glass, he sees Richard's
reddening face. He giggles at the sight and gently sets the cup down, observing
with a smile.
Tairais:  Richard
resisted the urge to set his cup down, though his hands twitched with the
effort to remain still and appear nonchalant. He was now fairly certain he
couldn't move if he wanted to as his mind darted between images of Jack, lying
on the ground in a pool of his own blood, and the feeling of desperate hope
unfurling in his chest.
At Elias' giggles, he forced himself to roll his eyes good-naturedly, only
halfway grumbling. "W-well, I am t-thoroughly g-glad my
uncertainty is a-amusing." He couldn't wipe the wry smile off his face,
though, and settled for relaxing his clenched toes and calves. He didn't
entirely remember the urge to run until it had fled for the most part, and he
addedthat to his 'List of Things to Analyze Later.'
Decipherer:  Elias
picked up his glass again, and his eyes remained fixed on Richard as he took a
sip. Though his sober self would never say such things, and would deeply regret
them, he figured that there was no harm that could be done here. Or he didn't
think it through. Both were logical thoughts for the time being.
He smirks, his voice again dropping to a mutter, "Uncertainty? You hurt me
so."
Tairais:  Richard
kept his eyes locked with Elias' for longer than he would have deemed possible
given his general avoidance for such a thing. He somehow managed to blush even
more fiercely, and though he grumbled, he was nearly grinning, a canine poking
out near the upturned corner of his lips.
"O-only uncertain of y-your later actions, never y-you." He shifted
on his feet, the familiar bubbling sensation of too much energy tingling under
his skin as he desperately tried to figure out how this exchange would play
out, and how to adjust accordingly.
Decipherer:  He pouts
playfully, shifting and crossing his arms. Though his face was previously
reddened by alcohol, his cheeks somehow light up even more. His attitude
betrays this, though, as his voice remains playful and cool, even despite it's
still-evident inebriation. "My later actions? What could I, your dear
friend --" He paused with a grin, placing a hand to his chest, "- ever
enact or say to make you uncertain of what I might do?"
Tairais:  Having
drained his cup of tea, Richard could no longer find excuses to hid his flaming
face, though he grinned at Elias' continued shenanigans. He crossed his arms
and leaned forward slightly, tilting his head as his heart lurched and
scrabbled against his rib cage like a newly blinded bird in a cluttered
basement.
"N-nothing and everything at all, s-since you are, in fact, as d-dear as
you say. I w-would quite h-hate t-to lose you f-for one reason or another, mi
amico." His accent roamed the streets of northern Italy as he infused an
air of mirth completely at odds with the true terror of being known. He felt
vaguely dizzy, and hid it as he leaned back with a smirk.
Decipherer:  Elias
finishes off his tea with a grin, and he continues to joke, "Amico,
huh?"
He chuckles, mindlessly wiping his mouth on a sleeve, his manners forgotten.
"Y'don' have a reason to worry about losing me."
Tairais:  Richard
chuckled softly, speaking past the feeling of standing on the edge of a cliff
into the feeling of falling. "W-would you rather I call you mio amato o
mio caro? Either c-could be a-arranged."
He paused, a somber light entering his eyes though his smile stayed in place.
"At any rate, I find I h-have many a r-reason to d-do so." He
dispelled the mood with a soft smirk. "I-indulge me in my w-worries: y-you
are s-stuck with them regardless!"
Decipherer:  Elias tips
his head off to the side with a laugh, shrugging as his arms move to support
himself against the counter. "I'm gonna hope all that Italian means what I
think it means."
He pauses, his smile softening into a smirk. "I have no problem with that,
's long as I can help you out."
Tairais:  Richard huffed a series of aborted breaths that could be
considered a chuckle, but were almost decidedly too nervous to be.
"I-it means w-whatever you want it to m-mean, and you h-have 'helped m-me
out' q-quite a great deal as it is." He shrugged, spreading his hands out
to make some unseen point before crossing them again. He felt too exposed to
just let them fall.
Decipherer:  Elias is
silent, gears in his still-slowed-by-alcohol brain using excessive labor to try
and figure out what exactly he wanted it to mean in the first place. When he
settled on an answer for himself, he turns onto Richard, asking quietly,
"What do you want it to mean?"
Tairais:  Richard took
a very sudden interest in the floor as his mind raced and his breathing sped up
slightly trying to contain the frantic, impressionistic nature of his thoughts
long enough to channel them into a coherent statement. He frowned slightly
before sighing.
Though he did his best not to, he stumbled over his words. "A.. f-friend
of m-mine once.. s-said that to... l-love s-someone, er, or t-to let t-them
k-know y-you w-wholly a-and c-completely, is t-to give t-them the power t-to
kill y-you." His eyes darted to Elias for a few moments before he glanced
anywhere but. "Y-you d-do not q-quite h-have the p-power t-to.. kill m-me,
per say, b-but t-the metaphorical k-knife is.. w-within reach. At t-the very
l-least, y-you h-have the.. admittedly t-t-terrifying p-potential t-to do m-me
great h-harm. H-hence the.. un...c-certainty I.. m-mentioned earlier."
He forced his jaw to cut off that train of rambling, chuckled nervously, then
shook his head. "W-which is t-to s-say, t-the words m-mean their
l-literal.. t-translations, I believe."
If his heart was a panicking raven before, it was now beating in time with
every drop of a summer tempest, booming like thunder in his ears as he resisted
the urge to bolt from the kitchen immediately. The nervous energy bubbling
under his skin returned in tenfold, and he was astonished it wasn't arcing
along his hands. That being said, his vision was graying around the edges in a
not-very-comforting familiar way, and he had to close his eyes for a few
moments to get his breathing to level out.
He was in free-fall, the anticipation of scattering into a million pieces on
the ground almost too much to bear. So much for feeling dizzy,
there were black spots in his vision still and his hands were digging into his
arms.
Decipherer:  Elias knits his eyebrows together as he processes the
words. Excitement, only faint nervousness, and concern created butterflies in
his stomach, weighted by alcohol. His cheeks burned as he spoke, but another small
smile, a reassuring little thing, appears.
His voice carries a nervous energy, "Richard, y- y'know, I'd be devastated
if I hurt you." He clears his throat with a pause, before slowly
continuing, "and I'm glad -- really glad, we're on the same page."
Tairais:  Perhaps
he had scattered into a million pieces on the ground, because
after Elias spoke and his emotions frantically tried to backpedal into
something resembling relief, he felt as if he were missing some integral part
of him where his anxiously lurching heart settled down slightly.
He smiled, a tentatively bright and hopeful gesture. "L-likewise, I am
s-still devastated for h-hurting y-you, and.. m-more than glad t-that we even
r-read t-the same b-book... Though p-perhaps t-t-terrified c-comes c-close to
what t-the rest of m-me f-feels."
He felt as if his face had been blushing for several days, as it had never
really stopped once it started. His panic was a mostly distant thing, though it
was certain to swarm him in waves once he was alone. Drunken confessions had,
in his past, never gone well, and as a result there was no small amount of
trepidation aimed to the future.
Decipherer:  Elias
gently takes Richard's hands in his own, his grin softening. Worry over the
events that would transpire when he was sober was farther off in his head.
"I wish I could help to ease your mind."
Tairais:  Richard
somehow managed to keep his breath from hitching when Elias took a hold of his
hands, though he couldn't keep his heartbeat from speeding up in a sickening
mixture of anticipation and some small amount of fear.
Regardless, he offered up a small, almost shy smile. "T-there is.. not
m-much you can d-do, I am a-afraid. It is in m-my nature t-to worry." He
chuckled as a though occurred to him. "On t-the plus side, i-it is t-this
worry t-that leaves m-me alive and able t-to s-speak to you, s-so that is
s-something to appreciate."
Decipherer:  Elias
gives a small laugh. "I suppose I have to appreciate it, then."
He seems to stare past Richard for a moment, paused while considering what came
next. A decision was made in his mind, and carefully, he leans up and kisses
his cheek, pulling back with a wide grin and a giggle.
Tairais:  Richard's eyes widened almost comically as a new wave of
heat rose to his cheeks. The grin he sported as he gently touched his cheek was
one of awe, disbelief, and overwhelming fondness.
He was at a loss for words, but given that he felt like the human equivalent of
an erratic exclamation point, perhaps that was for the best.
Decipherer:  He laughs
at the sight, his head tilting to the side. "You okay there?"
Tairais:  Richard
nodded, coughing sheepishly as he did so. "M-my apologies. I... w-was not
expecting that." His smile stayed on, and his eyes twinkled like stars
being born inside emerald.
Decipherer:  Elias
raises an eyebrow, the whole of his face a reddish color despite his grin.
"I hope that's a good thing."
Tairais:  Richard chuckled. "M-most certainly... mio
caro." Though his voice took on a teasing quality, there was very little
he could do to hide the way his heart sang with the realization that it had
been love underneath the plethora of other emotions Elias
invoked.
Decipherer:  Elias is
actually caught off guard by this, and he bursts into giggles. "Very
nice, agápi mou."
Tairais:  Richard
bursts into his peculiar laughter after the briefest of pauses, the weight of
the past few days slowly falling off as it continued. "Y-you.. y-you are
ridiculous. W-we are ridiculous." He covered his mouth in
an attempt to stifle further giggles, but the effort failed miserably. Still
chuckling, he added, "I a-am n-not certain h-how to proceed w-with.. this,
t-truth be t-told."
Decipherer:  Elias rubs
his neck with a small laugh, shrugging despite his concerns. "Nor me,
but... I -- I do believe that's something we can figure out together,
yes?"
Tairais:  Richard
nodded, shifting his weight back and forth on his feet as he pondered a
decision that had been at the forefront of his mind for quite some time. His
heart began it's frantic gallop once more, and he tensed and relaxed his
shaking hands in turns for what seemed like eons, but was really a minute or
two at most.
It would be better to play this safe, given all that had happened recently.
In a voice that a owl, in all its auditory prowess, would have trouble hearing,
Richard asked, "W-w-would you...a-allow m-me.. t-t... t-to k-k-kiss
y-you?"
Decipherer:  Elias'
face lights up and chuckles softly, wrapping his arms around Richard.
"Definitely."
Tairais:  Richard
grinned and leaned forward ever so slightly to hover (almost teasingly, despite
the fact he had no idea how to be teasing) inches from Elias'
lips. Huffing out a small breath to steel his nerves, he closed the distance by
tilting up Elias' chin with gently trembling hands. He knew his lips were
rough, scarred beyond any hope of being smooth again, but he couldn't really
find it in himself to care when Elias' were so warm, even if they did taste
strongly of alcohol.
His heart was humming in his chest, and he was smiling through the kiss. It
was, by no means, perfect, given that it was the first kiss he had ever
initiated (receiving was another story, and not one he enjoyed telling), but
the memory of the moment would stay in his mind's vaults, forever remembered.
Decipherer:  Elias
smirks into the kiss and lightly places a hand on Richard's cheek. Something
about this, despite all of its quirks, was oddly pure. It was strange. It was
nice.
After a moment, he very hesitantly pulls away, but his bright smile remains. He
brushes his thumb along the hollows of Richard's cheek, his voice dropping to a
small mutter, "S'agapó, Richard."
Tairais:  Richard's
eyes (or rather, the one that still could) fluttered closed as he leaned into
Elias' touch. He breath hitched slightly as Elias spoke: Though he didn't
understand the language, he understood the emotion behind it.
Opening his eyes, he let the full, terrifying depth of his feelings show in the
recesses of his eyes for but a few moments before they smoothed over like
ripples in a pond, settling into pools of glimmering joy and soft fondness.
"Aš irgi tave myliu, Elias. Dėl tiek, kiek ji mane baugina, aš irgi tave
myliu." His voice was low and rough, and he cleared his throat when he was
done talking, content to stay where he was. All thoughts of the future and past
left his mind, and though he could see a flicker of the stag that haunted him
over Elias' shoulder, so too did the beast seem content.
Decipherer:  Elias
gives a small gasp and smiles, staring up at Richard with a gaze full of
happiness, excitement, and warmth. A minute or so would pass until he speaks,
and when he does, it's in a small chuckle. "Artemis is probably wondering
where I am."
Tairais:  Richard
quickly smothered the flare of disappointment that followed in the wake of
Elias' words (which was yet another thing to go over), chuckling in agreement.
"M-most l-likely." He stepped away from Elias, and tilted his head
thoughtfully. "D-do you need h-help back t-to you room?"
In the wake of it all, there was a decided feeling of lightness in his limbs.
The relentlessly murmuring energy within him had quieted slightly, but was now
creeping its way back. That was fine, he couldn't even be bothered to think
about it at the moment. He deliberately kept his focus only on the present:
neither the past's ghosts nor dreams of the future had any power over him at
the moment.
Decipherer:  Elias nods
somewhat eagerly, looking towards the doorway and then back towards Richard.
Truth be told, he didn't really need the assistance - he just enjoyed the
company. "That'd be nice."
Tairais:  Richard
smiled softly and took a moment to fix the path to Elias' room in his mind.
When it showed no signs of slipping away, his smile brightened and he looped
his arm around Elias', like one might escort a partner to a gala. Though, he
supposed they could technically be considered partners in a dance only visible
to the two of them. Technically. It was a charming thought nonetheless.
He chuckled and leaned into Elias slightly, basking in the warmth.
"S-shall we?"
Decipherer:  Elias
looks up at him and smirks, tilting his head to rest on Richard's arms.
"We shall."
Tairais:  Richard
chuckled, giving Elias a small smile. He took a moment to admire the surge of
happiness that followed Elias leaning on him before he led them down the halls.
He only took one wrong turn this time around, and that may or may not have had
to do with the fact he wanted to enjoy that moment for as long as possible. The
future was uncertain, the past was (for the most part) sacred and unchanging,
but the present would stay as it was.
He did get them to the door eventually, unhooking his arm from Elias' as he
stopped. He turned to look at Elias but paused, unsure of his to process his
mess of emotions into mere words. A puzzled frown flashed on his face for half
a second before he smiled at Elias. "W-well, h-here you are."
Decipherer:  With a
bleak laugh, Elias repeats with a "Here I am." He glances towards the
door like it had shot his puppy, but when he turns to face Richard once more,
his smile returns just as fast. After a short kiss on Richard's cheek, he bangs
his fist against the door heavily.
Not a single beat passes before it swings inward, revealing a very tired
Artemis, his hair down, frizzy and almost completely obscuring his face. When
he sees the two together, his face quickly shifts into confusion, but Elias
simply staggers past him, patting his hand hard against Artemis' shoulder.
Artemis raises an eyebrow at this, looking to Richard questioningly.
Tairais: No longer alone with Elias, Richard felt his grasp
on control reassert itself almost violently. He sculpted his features into his
classic, wry smile, eyes twinkling with soft amusement.
"H-he's d-drunk. I f-found him w-wandering Bethnal G-Green a-and brought
h-him home. I m-made him drink some tea that s-should alleviate t-the..
h-horrid hangover he m-may or may n-not have in the morning, but it m-most
likely w-will not have a terribly profound effect." He said, sotto
voce.
Once he had spoken, he wrapped his scarf around his mouth, intending to go back
onto the streets when Artemis dismissed him.
Decipherer:  Artemis
looked back towards Elias, who was sitting upright on his bed with an eager
grin. At least here was someone who was certainly ready to fill in the blanks,
Artemis thought.
He smiles at Richard, his face reddening with a tinge of embarrassment, but he
laughs and plays it off. "He didn't do anything wrong, did he?" He
pauses, and snickers. "I don't have to pay for any damages?"
Tairais:  Richard
chuckled and shook his head. "T-to my knowledge, n-no, though I only
g-guided him home." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "If t-there is
n-nothing else...?"
There was a faint buzzing in the back of his skull: A memory begged to be known
and clashed with his inner restlessness in a way that left him itching to run
and know nothing but the wind and the ground in turns.
Decipherer:  Artemis snorts and pushes his shoulder playfully. "You're
free to go."
From behind the door, however, Elias waves and makes a kissy face right before
it closes.
Tairais:  Richard flashed a smile that was more felt than seen to
Artemis and a snort and a halfhearted salute to Elias. Turning on his heel,
coat billowing around him, he stalked off like a dancer.
Within a few minutes he found himself crossing the Society's threshold once
again as dawn's great radiance burst over the rooftops, the sky still dark.
Golds, oranges, purples, and reds painted the sky like so many shards of
polished sea glass tumbling in a kaleidoscope, causing him to pause and admire
with a heart full to the brim with admiration and wonder.
He smiled as he disappeared down the still-quiet streets of London. His music
and the heart behind it may have belonged to the night but...
But his was the spirit of London at twilight, caught in the world of change
between dreaming and sleeping.
== Obtained From ==
Drinking Buddies
Category:Main Plot
Category:Tales from the ER