[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

[kinship]

[Hiding it away lets him carry on, it always has done, even back home.]

Abel... I don't want to. I'm too scared.

[bloodsugar]

Why are you scared?

[Abel cups his cheeks again, affection and concern and something reassuring in his eyes.]

...I'm right here with you. It's... just me.

Long as you're right here with me, there's nothing to be afraid of. You can tell me anything...

[kinship]

[Tell him anything..? He feels his heart beating abnormally fast, too hard to handle and that pressure rising up inside him again. Too much, too much, too much..!]

I don't want to die! I don't want to try and try for nothing, it hurts so much and I know it's worth it because we're going to be free one day. I don't care what they do, here or there, I don't care if they test us or work us until we're sick or-- as long as we're alive and together then we can be free. We're going to be free, we are, I know we are... this... this future can't come true. It just can't. I can't-- I can't die before we're free, I can't be a tool forever and never get to be free with you. I can't lose you... With your new life and your new friends, even if you miss me you're still... you still carry on. You're breathing and smiling and loving other people who don't even know I exist. You're not a pair any more, you're a one and you can still carry on. I thought... I thought we'd always be together.

When you... when you died, I couldn't breathe, I didn't want to breathe. You're me, you're my heart and soul and I can't live without you. But you can and... I'm scared it'll happen here. What if one of us dies or leaves and the other has to carry on and I don't know if I'm more scared of if I could or couldn't.

I don't want to go home where everybody looks at me like I'm sub-standard, not when people look at me here like I'm a person. But I'm lying to them and they don't know, they think I'm just a boy and... what if they found out? What if they hated us? I don't want to have friends based on a lie, but I don't... I hate this town, I hate it, I hate how unpredictable it is. What if... something happens and you're dead tomorrow? Or the town is rubble again? Or all I can see are shadows coming out of the walls with twisted faces and evil eyes that are trying to kill me?!

[His words are getting faster and faster, tripping over themselves in a frenzy as tears start streaming down his face. It's getting to the point that only certain words are audible past the thick hiccoughs - Abel's name, please, sorry, scared... He's shaking all over now, raw and damaged and so very frightened.]

1/2

[bloodsugar]

[there's a muted shock on his face mingling with stark concern as his brother goes on -- the spill of emotions and thoughts and fears he's been holding back has clearly broken the dam and Cain's lost control of it. he... needs to; it's true -- he needs to, or he can never really 'live' as much as simply trying to 'survive' as a person.

and that is no way for anyone... -anyone- to live.

...but this... this visceral and terrible confession is just...]

[bloodsugar]

[...

he doesn't say anything, just shifts so that he can properly cradle the sobbing boy in his lap and ducks his head so that he's huddled as close and tightly over him as he can be, rocking him gently. the only thing he can offer is a quiet murmur -- to keep crying even if it hurts. it's obvious that he's been punishing himself so cruelly, keeping this all inside... trying to deal with these horrible thoughts and desperate fears a ten year old has no right facing or dealing with...

...]

[kinship]

[He's still trying to talk, even though his words have become completely incomprehensible now. But the rush of things he's been holding back is spilling out regardless, blubbering nonsensical fears that make his throat ache.

Abel...]

[bloodsugar]

[there's no need for anything else -- right now, the best thing he can do is hold him in silent support, to be the arms around him and make him feel safe even as Cain trembles in his fear and the force of his emotion.

it's... horrible, and terrible... but it's also necessary. in a way, it's something like a relief... this pain...

it cannot stay inside one single little boy.]

[kinship]

[It might have done if Abel hadn't pushed, but then it probably would have released down the line in a much worse place at a much worse time. At least now he has the peace and safety of his brother to be a rock, which he is clinging to with all his strength.

The torrent of unintelligible words goes on and on for almost fifteen minutes, before he's finally just crying. Head fuzzy and aching, snot dripping attractively over Abel's cassock.]

[bloodsugar]

[his little brother's pain in tangible, seemingly unending... when a break finally comes, Abel does not think a thing of his dirtied cassock or his brother's damp cheeks save but to gently smooth the back of his fingers from the corner of one eye to brush away tears. he's holding him still.

he's not letting go... just looking down on him.

...]

[kinship]

[The tears show no signs of stopping, though when he feels Abel's fingers lightly touch his skin he looks up at his brother. He seems blurred at the moment, but it doesn't matter because he knows the look of affection in Abel's eyes without having to see it.

He swallows painfully a few times, and though it doesn't stop the tears it does make his words, raspy and raw, at least understandable.]

...Abel.

[bloodsugar]

...Cain... it's okay.

[the smile is wan and there is little heart behind it, but the love in his eyes is a stark contrast of sincerity. he uses his sleeve to keep dabbing at those tears that don't seem ready to stop...]

[kinship]

[Don't mind him if he clings to the front of Abel's cassock again, pressing his ear with bruising ferocity to his brother's heartbeat. That perfect rhythm that finally started to help the tears abate.]

[bloodsugar]

[he doesn't mind at all... simply shifting his grip to accommodate him.

it's... alright.]

[kinship]

[Slowly... slowly... everything goes quiet again.

He feels boneless and breathless, completely drained of everything and wrung out like a sponge. It's a relief and frightening at the same time, he feels raw and exposed, as though he's cut himself open and left his insides on display.

But the tears have stopped now, leaving him silent and slumped against his twin.]

[bloodsugar]

[there is no harm in showing him your everything, Cain. of all the people in the world, this one will always be your biggest fan... utterly devoted. trustworthy.

he watches him, silent, letting him remain in his arms; he doesn't have the heart to move him or break the silence. he's hurt enough. now, he can just... be.]

[kinship]

[This is a part of himself he had never even shown his other brother, a part Abel must know he would have carried right to his death on the colony.

But for the here and now, he's safe in his brother's arms and gradually getting enough cognizant thought back to tilt speak again.]

...I love you.

[bloodsugar]

[Abel gives Cain a tiny nod of his head.]

...I love you too.

[kinship]

Talk to me.

[He doesn't care what about, he just wants to hear his brother's voice filling the silence.]

[bloodsugar]

Talk... to you.

[he pauses for a moment... before the low tenor of his voice comes, quiet.]

Why don't you ask me... 'what kind of future do you want, Abel?'

[kinship]

[Ah.

He still remembers? Even after centuries, he still remembers Cain asking him that?]

What... kind of future do you want, Abel?

[bloodsugar]

[how could he ever forget?

he shifts a little bit so that he is looking right down into his brother's still blurry and red-rimmed eyes.]

...The future I want is beautiful, Cain. It's really beautiful.

In it... you and I might have to endure some hardships here... ones we might not think that we can get through. But in the end, it's worth it when the day comes that the tables turn, and the humans playing God in this town are at our mercy. We're able to find our way home, and... we work together to make sure we go back with memories. Together.

We can head to the same world of our choosing. Make a 'home' anywhere we want. Maybe in a new universe with someone like Nanako, or... maybe a world where the trees grow ice cream. There's something like that somewhere, right? Mayfield opens up brand new doors.

But wherever we would go, no matter where it was... we go together. We choose our fate from then on. There are no orders to follow or masters to belong to. It's just us... brothers. Humans. A family. We can do and be and see... anything we want. Anything at all, side-by-side like we should always be.

[kinship]

[Oh, Abel.

His heart tugs painfully in his chest, but it's wonderful, so... so wonderful. It's what he wants too, and there's no reason it can't be possible. If the day comes-- no, when the day comes that they have the people running Mayfield at their mercy, they can do anything they want.

Congratulations, that's a new seed of determination planted. Tiny for now, but it will grow to be all consuming.]

...No... no ice cream trees.

[bloodsugar]

[he gives a quiet chuckle.]

How did I know that's the part you'd comment on? ...Predictable.

[kinship]

Because the rest... is already perfect.

[That's the future he wants too. Together, free, safe.]

[bloodsugar]

We'll get there, one day.