[008]

[bloodsugar]

A): phone - mid-morning.

[OPEN;]

[one hazard of spending a good deal of your time lurking on the phone lines is that one might become prone to forgetting that people can HEAR you while you listen. so, it's entirely innocent, of course, when the half-absent and somewhat petulant mumble comes across the phone lines sometime this morning.]

...all this talk of Valentines Day... honestly! As if they're rubbing it in some of us are destined to be forever alone. 'Vow of celibacy'? More like vow of perpetual and ongoing boredom.

[...a pause.]

It's not like I wanted to find out what a romantic holiday with another human being is like, regardless... eh? I'm sure edible underwear isn't all it's cracked up to be, anywa--

[...]

Eh? [wait for it.]

AH--

[...there's a rather flustered squawk, and a hasty CLICK of the phone into the cradle.]

[filter to Charles Fei-Ong]

Alright, so maybe I'm a little late in checking in. You'll forgive me, right? After all, I'm sure you've been busy collecting recipes and taste testing! [no really are you okay... :| last time he saw you, after all, was... uh, colorful, to say the least.]

...I don't suppose you'd be up for a cup of tea, Charles? [he has a feeling you'll just bs him even if you weren't alright over the phone, anyway. CLEARLY HE MUST BE NOSY IN PERSON.]

[filter to Esther Blanchett]

Esther-- do you have a minute? There's... ah, something I wanted to ask you. [AND IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH EDIBLE UNDERWEAR HE SWEARS DEAR GOD.]

[filter to Django]

How are you holding up, partner? I hope the radio silence is because you've been gloriously enjoying the sunshine, hm? Making up for lost time and all that...! [are you okay partner? :(]

B): action; 1648 Albright Lane - lunchtime.

[there's the smell of something burning, late in the morning approaching lunchtime -- and if Rachel or Cain follows their nose, they might find the source in the form of one (1) Abel Nightroad with his drone wife's FRILLY PINK APRON several sizes too small draped around his neck and haphazardly tied back in the process of butchering... grilled cheese. yes, he is a total failure.

...somehow, he's gotten butter all over the counter and is trying to catch an overturned bottle of orange juice that is apparently spilling its contents over and onto the floor. the pan is burning and he's jostling cups and plates, trying not to drop EVERYTHING EVER as he fumbles to cease the spill of juice fruitlessly.

NO ONE SAID YOUR DAD WAS GOOD AT BEING DOMESTIC. this is why.]

C): action; around town - afternoon.

[the tall, lanky, and often times clumsy priest is among your streets today, Mayfield! anyone similarly prone to hitting up the bakery quite often might recognize his face, or simply wish to gape at the way he's leaving cheerily with a bag under his arm and so engrossed in the effort of inhaling the vanilla frosted doughnut in his hand he is clearly not paying attention to anything else. ...like the sidewalk. which, he may or may not inevitably trip over at an uneven crack and WOEFULLY lose his doubtlessly precious bounty as the bag tumbles to spill the fruits of his labor everywhere...

...and maybe his doughnut might happen to ah. misplace... itself from his hand and end up on your face. WHAT DO?]

D): action; church - evening.

[Abel's day eventually brings him to someplace to seek solace, to rest a weary soul... or something of that effect. one who enters might be hard pressed to FIND said priest who should be more or less easy to spot on the regular, right? how many 6'4 lanky bastards in cassock ARE there in here?

...but if one is apt enough, they might notice that the Father's side of the confessional is occupied. do you care to confess? ...or notice that said Father might just be lightly snoring if you listen hard enough...]

Comments

[bloodsugar]

[he hates that look on her face, and what she says coupled with it just... breaks his heart, his face falling a bit further as the intensity is beginning to dissolve into something softer. Esther... ;(]

...

[ahh. what... can he say? it can't be 01, it... can't, but that's... the only possible explanation, and one he certainly can't offer to her in any form of consolation. hearing that story would certainly be no comfort, would it?]

[birthmarked]

Father... [Say something. Tell her how to fix this.]

[bloodsugar]

[...Esther ;(((

the silence is stifling. he knows he should be filling it, somehow -- but with what, he... hasn't got a clue in the world, completely floundering.

in the end, all he can do is bite his lower lip, and shake his head. to tell her Cain is dead, or worse -- what happened afterwards was too cruel. her imagination can't be harder on her than that.]

[birthmarked]

[Esther's voice is tiny. She can come to that conclusion that's he dead all on her own by his refusal to say anymore. She isn't stupid.]

He's dead, isn't he? [Esther swallows thickly.] Please just tell me it isn't like the Baron of Luxor. Say he's a fake.

[bloodsugar]

[a... ah.

sadly, it isn't much different than that, is it? just as Dietrich was a monster pulling Radu's corpse on strings, it's... Crusnik, with his brother. just the thought makes him sick.

he's supposed to be gone.]

...

[birthmarked]

[Esther takes in a couple of breaths. She's going to cry. She can feel the tears coming. This has to be worse for Father. Cain was her friend. Abel was his twin brother. This had to be tearing him apart.

She doesn't have to think about it. Esther is moving in to wrap her arms around him. It probably looks ridiculous having this tiny woman trying to hug him in the middle of the sidewalk but, she doesn't care. He needs this and so does she.]

1/2

[bloodsugar]

[--? he was expecting... something angry. maybe an accusation. he was holding out on her again, right? he knows she doesn't like that, and it's... important. really important to her, this time, it's...




...but she's... hugging him.]

[bloodsugar]

[Esther...

...

;(...

he is sluggish to reciprocate, but not due to hesitance -- and when his arms fold around her in turn, it's... firmly. he can feel the tremble in her shoulders that means she's crying.

...this is the first time a human has cried in grief for his brother.

Abel's feels it... right down in his bones, the single most bittersweet gratitude he's ever known.]

[birthmarked]

[He'll feel a tell tale warmth against his skin too. Esther is genuinely devastated. She'd been happy to know they would meet again someday. She'd been proud that despite of how annoying Cain was, he had gone up to be the right kind of man. He saved the girl and seemed to genuinely care. The fact that it was all an illusion? Even if she doesn't know the details it burns. Just knowing he was probably dead and his memory was being tainted like this...

It wasn't right. He was a good kid. He deserved so much better.]

[bloodsugar]

[she's really crying... for Cain.

she's really... mourning.

Esther truly loves his little brother.

...he pulls her a little tighter, and his eyes sting but he doesn't seem to realize they keep watering up and over. he's fixed staring off dumbly, so utterly struck down to his core by this... surprised, and taken off his guard. she loves Cain... loves him enough to cry at the prospect of what lays in his future.

and Abel in turn could not possibly love her more for that.]

[birthmarked]

[Esther stays like that for a few more minutes before something occurs to her. The fact that Abel never denied her questions told her what she needed to know, but Cain. He was going to need answers. She glances him at him, paying no mind to her wet face.]

What are we going to say to Cain? If he asks...

[What can she say? She highly suspects he's dead because Abel refuses to speak about it? That he never rescued her? That's the last thing a kid needs to hear.]

[bloodsugar]

[as she pulls away, he lifts his sleeve to his face and rubs at watery eyes. E... Esther.

the question that comes is one that he was dreading, and his head is a fuzzy whirl after this -- to be honest... he has no idea.]

...I don't... know. The reason I'm asking is... he was going to come to you and ask himself. But I knew it wasn't... possible, so...

[ahh. he can too clearly recall the naked hope in his brother's eyes, big and blue and almost radiating on his when he'd refused to give up, demanding to know if there was any possibility he was still alive.

even if it meant it was alive, too.]

I'll talk to him.

[birthmarked]

If we had talked...

[Her face falls. She would have gushed to him and made things so much worse. There was no Esther could have known better but, she feels stupid all the same. She let this stranger deceive her while wearing Cain's face.]

... Do you think he'll be okay?

[bloodsugar]

[...he can see how miserable she is after this revelation, and it makes his chest tug. this is the part where he begins to realize he's been selfish-- being selfish... and it's time to do what he should have done from the start.

so, he finishes rubbing at his eyes and stops indulging childishness with it; he forfeited the right to be a petty kid a long time ago. to protect Cain and Esther meant to protect their smiles as much as their physical welfare.

Abel rubs a thumb over her cheek to smooth away tears. she really had been pouring her heart out, hadn't she? his lips tug in a sad but... immensely grateful smile.]

I promise you... he's going to be just fine.

[tilting her chin up a bit, he sets his other hand gently but reassuringly at her shoulder.]

...He has friends who truly love him. In the end, he'll... he's definitely going to be okay.

[birthmarked]

[Esther wants to believe in what he is saying. She's not a fool. There's no way someone can react to that in a productive way. Cain did have his friends. That logic wasn't flawed in any way.]

That's right. No matter what happens he'll be okay if he has friends. You can endure anything as long there's someone on your side to cheer you on.

[Wonder who put that stupid idea in her head.]

[bloodsugar]

[it's the memory of that invigorated hope in Cain's eyes -- that desperation to be told that he's alive in any shape or form that has some weight behind what he's saying. they aren't just placating lies, this time...

Cain will be okay. hope... is powerful. even if that boy might not realize what he's hoping for. Abel is happy to leave him to that blind faith in pleasant ignorance as long as he can. no one deserved to know, nevermind experience, that... hell that was his fate.]

...We'll be there. Right by him.

And I'll be right by you, too.

[birthmarked]

Father... [She rubs her face. Esther wasn't just crying over Cain. Shut up.]

This isn't about me... but thank you. I'm on your side too. I know this must be unbearable for you so don't feel like you have to hide behind a smile. It's okay to rely on your friends during times like this.

1/2

[bloodsugar]

[partner... ;;

he is a little misty eyed, but he's still smiling as he rubs the back of his head.]

To tell you the truth, I... I get really embarrassed when I cry in front of you! My nose runs and I make a really dumb face, so...

[bloodsugar]

I'll be just fine. I know you have my back.

[birthmarked]

[Esther smiles at him. Okay if he wants to play it that way she won't force him to cry on her shoulder. He just needs to know it's there if he ever changes his mind.]

It's not that dumb.

[bloodsugar]

You're just... saying that to make me feel better, aren't you? [partner ;;]

It's alright-- really...! I've come to terms with it. My heart can take the truth, Esther. [joking around is much easier than bawwing forever isn't it? let's just. joke. into eternity.]

[birthmarked]

Now that you mention it, your nose gets really red.

[They can joke a little longer before they have to be adults with puffy eyes and red faces.]

[bloodsugar]

[aslkdjg rubbing his nose self-consciously...]

Like Rudolph?

[birthmarked]

Maybe a little. [Do they even have Santa in the Trinity Blood world...]

[bloodsugar]

[maybe before the Armageddon...?!

...Abel's probably whined about Santa not leaving him anything regardless.]

It's a little late in the season for that. [heh.] I guess just another reason not to cry.