ioduanlogs | closed-ish, hmu if you want additional starters

Entry tags:

closed-ish, hmu if you want additional starters

Characters: The Fool, Devin, Zephyr, Rutile + ???
Date: Mid-January.
Location: Throughout Aifaran in the aftermath of the storm.
Situation: Still reeling from the effects the peculiar eddies had on him during the storm, the Fool ventures out into the city again.
Warnings/Rating: None yet, will update as needed.
Notes: All starters are closed, but please hmu if you’d like one!

I. Playing House (closed to Devin)

The apartment is spare in a way that speaks more to the demons that plague Devin’s heart than they do to his aesthetic preferences. The Fool is hardly one to criticize--especially being that he is the recipient of his partner’s kindness and generosity until his own living space can be salvaged. (If it can be salvaged.)

Some evening after Devin returns home from supporting the recovery efforts, he’ll find the Fool--with Holly perched upon his shoulder--listening to the latest news reports on the radio with a grave expression on his face. He glances up from where he sits to greet Devin with a wan smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

Understandably, one hopes. He’s been loathe to leave the apartment for very long after his experience during the storm.

II. Homeward Bound, The Incredulous Journey (closed to Zephyr)

One cannot avoid the world forever, and the Fool has never been one for remaining cooped up indoors for long. Besides, his (morbid) curiosity has gotten the better of him, and he is determined to see what has become of Die Rosa Tulpe--and his apartment. This excursion seems as good a reason as any to text Zephyr on his (newly acquired) yimo, to ask for a bit of help sorting through what’s left of his home.

“What’s left” turns out to be “drowned.” And inaccessible.

The Sentry won’t let him inside the strangely flooded building, but if nothing else, they are letting him close enough to it to see with his own eyes the state of the place. He’s left to stand staring at it in silent, wide-eyed awe.

III. Peculiar Derailment (closed to Rutile)

The copse of other-worldly trees that have sprouted up in the middle of the Skyway throw a wrench into the gears of the Fool’s plans to journey to the turtle’s head for a much-needed respite through meditation. The detour en route lets him disembark from the train a stop or so ahead of the closed section of track… and of course, curiosity gets the better of him.

He ventures towards it and stands just below the elevated tracks, lifting his eyes up to shield them from the sun as he takes in the strange qualities of the gnarled roots that protrude out into the open air.

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Staying nights with the Fool was distinctly different than having the Fool staying at Devin's apartment, even if he's been practically living above the cafe by now. Offering his space as a respite had been easy enough; he's hardly attached to the residence in any significant way, and the Fool needed a safe haven. Devin's rules and regulations have been loosened significantly by his time in Konryu. But as days stretch on, he's becoming more and more aware of his spartan living space and how it fails to serve his partner. It had been selected for location and factors that no real estate agent would enumerate in a list of amenities, and while it isn't a squeeze with two people, it lacked the soft touches of comfort his lover favors.

He's been out most days helping with storm recovery, though for shorter time periods than he might if he didn't have someone to return to. Luthien trots to the door, chirping happily up at Devin as he enters. The vampire ruffles her fur, raises his eyes to the Fool and smiles back. For once, strangely, his is a shade warmer than his partner's.

"I hope you haven't been listening to that all day," Devin says gently as he walks into the living room, slinging a duffel bag off his shoulder and setting it on the floor by the Fool's feet. He leans down to press a kiss into the Fool's hair, careful not to unbalance Holly. "Can I tear you away, or would you like to finish the broadcast?"

"Not all day." The Fool closes his eyes and tips his head up as he is kissed; there is no point in trying to stop Holly, who is already tumbling (in a somewhat coordinated fashion) from the Fool's shoulder to the floor, where she begins sniffing at the duffel bag inquisitively.

"Can I tear you away, or would you like to finish the broadcast?"

"Oh, turn it off," he sighs, turning a beleaguered look towards the radio before looking aside again, "I am hardly hearing anything that I do not already know myself." At last, he gives the bag on the floor a curious second glance. "What have you brought home?"

The duffel no doubt carries a multitude of sensory intrigue for the little batkitten. Luthien is somewhat more interested in Devin's legs, nudging at him affectionately.

"There's not much that's new," Devin agrees, switching off the radio and sitting next to the Fool. Immediately, Luthien takes this opportunity to occupy his lap as a perch to watch Holly from. The vampire smiles again, a little uncertainly this time. But there's an edge of sly pride in the curve of his mouth, too.

"Call it a housewarming present," he answers, deliberately vague. He leans around Luthien, who doesn't seem to mind being sandwiched for a moment, and unzips the bag. Loose fabric is what's visible at first, most of it roughly cut but far more colorful than anything in either the apartment or Devin's wardrobe. The pieces aren't large enough for individual garments, but they're in good condition otherwise. Beneath that is a curtain the shade of new leaves in spring with a plain pattern woven into it.

At the bottom of the bag, there are pieces of wood wrapped in canvas to prevent splinters from being a problem. Some are stained or decorated and some not. Tucked at one end are several rolls of cord and a few small, mismatched pots of paint that escaped the flooding. The paint has obviously been used by someone, but there would be no way to determine who their owner was.

"I asked permission to do a little salvage while I was helping out with repairs," Devin explains, quieter than average. "We don't know how long the cafe will be uninhabitable, and this--" He gestures around to his relatively bare apartment. "--is safe, but not exactly a haven for you. So I thought I would offer you free reign to redecorate."

"Oh--" the Fool exclaims at the first sign of the colourful fabrics hidden in the duffel bag, and lifts a hand up to cover his mouth. The next treasures that are revealed bring a startled smile to his lips; he reaches out to tenderly collect the pieces of wood, brushes his fingertips across the paint. (Deciding that none of this is as interesting as she'd hoped it would be, Holly trots off with her tail up in search of other mischief.)

"We don't know how long the cafe will be uninhabitable, and this--is safe, but not exactly a haven for you. So I thought I would offer you free reign to redecorate."

"Thank you." Still cradling the wood in his lap, the Fool turns to look up at Devin beside him and regards him with earnest affection. "You have been--'generous' seems such an insignificant word, but how else can I describe it?" He reaches up to touch his partner's pale cheek and, smiling wryly, says, "I think you leave me no choice but to call you my hero."

Luthien takes advantage of items being removed from the bag to hop inside, head disappearing as she sniffs curiously around the corners. There must be a multitude of interesting smells he's brought back.

Devin's huff of laughter at my hero is less scornful than it would be with anyone else, and he takes the Fool's hand from his cheek to brush a kiss over his knuckles. "I would hope simple decency isn't so rare as to be considered heroic," he teases softly. A breath, and his expression grows more contemplative. "You opened your home to me," Devin reminds his partner, lacing their fingers together. "As much as I'm still getting used to sharing a space - any space - I'd be remiss if I didn't do the same when you needed it. And it is nice having you here, even if it was prompted by necessity."

Notably, Devin rarely refers to this apartment as 'home'. It's where he lives. He's beginning to suspect that 'home', if he can let himself have one at all, is wherever the Fool is. When they had lost contact during the storm-- well, that's over now, at least. They're both fine, and they're together, and that's more important.

The events of the storm continue to weigh on the Fool's mind, but it is... easier than it once was to let those thoughts simply be as they are, and not regard them as some grim portent. (For a time, at least.)

"...And it is nice having you here, even if it was prompted by necessity."

"I cannot imagine you are much accustomed to having company here," the Fool tells him, somehow managing to inject both affection and some gentle needling into his tone of voice. He leans gently into Devin's side, mindful of the pieces of wood he still holds (really, he should find a place for them soon), and rests his cheek against his shoulder. "I will not be offended, if you've a need for some privacy from time to time."

Devin tilts his head against the Fool's, silent for a few breaths while he thinks about this. True, he's lived alone most of his life, interspersed with travel and military service. Privacy has its place and its value, but sequestering himself at the estate wasn't privacy, not really. It was isolation, and self-imposed at that.

"I appreciate that," he still says, and he does. "And I'll let you know if I do. But... seclusion isn't so much a preference for me as a tool. A habit." A punishment. Devin rubs a circle against his partner's hand, contemplative. "I told you I have a rule about attachments. Had," he amends a moment after. His tone has taken on that of quiet confession. "I wouldn't have needed that rule if I were as solitary a creature as I pretend to be."

He is built to be with people, and has been denying that part of his nature for too long.

A punishment indeed. Devin doesn't need to say the word aloud for the Fool to hear it in the timbre of his voice. He listens quietly as Devin continues: "I wouldn't have needed that rule if I were as solitary a creature as I pretend to be."

"I know what it means to wear a mask so often it becomes your own skin." After a moment, he lifts his cheek from Devin's shoulder and turns just enough so that he can frame his partner's face with both of his hands. Gently, he brushes some hair back from Devin's eyes. "I am humbled that you set that mask aside for me."

Oh, this is awesome. The curves this place throws him know no bounds, apparently. "So," Zephyr says, with a forced brightness. He claps the Fool on the shoulder -- remembers himself -- takes his hand away. "I know I said I'd help you sort through the wreckage and all that, but... I don't have gills."

Just as a starting point. He'd be happy to help if he could, but this is kind of... well, a non-starter.

"I'd say you can crash at my place, but X and I already have houseguests. Might be a tight fit."

The Fool doesn't quite startle when Zephyr claps him on the shoulder, though he does look almost alarmed until the hand is withdrawn. Still, while he can't hide his dismay over the state of Die Rosa Tulpe and his apartment, neither does he broach an argument.

(That is not to say that he has not been known to bend reality to his will from time to time--but not on such short notice, surely.)

"I'd say you can crash at my place, but X and I already have houseguests. Might be a tight fit."

A sigh and an airy wave of one hand, dismissing the concern. "You needn't concern yourself," he says without thinking, "I am staying with Devin for the time being." ...Oh yeah, there's a piece of news he hasn't had occasion to share with some of his friends yet. ...surprise!

Right. Hold back on the touchy, judging by that face. That's fine, Zephyr's not a big cuddler in the first place. He makes a mental note and moves on.

"As long as you're set," Zephyr says, with some doubt, and his continuing concern is rather obvious. "...wait, Devin? Doesn't know how to smile, suspicious nature, kind of a dick, that same Devin?"

Look, he's just checking. He's aware his experience of Devin can't be universal, but also he hasn't seen anything to imply to him that Devin has what you would call a softer side. As far as Zephyr knows, Devin stopped in to check on X out of self-interest.

"...wait, Devin? Doesn't know how to smile, suspicious nature, kind of a dick, that same Devin?"

"The very one," the Fool replies with a benign smile, but what delight he might otherwise derive from Zephyr's reaction is tempered considerably by the state of his home. He sighs and looks back to it again, unable to prevent melancholy from taking over his expression. "He has done what he can to make his home as comfortable for me as possible, but I had hoped to find some personal affects here to..." There, his voice trails off, and he lowers his gaze.

"I suppose there is nothing left to do but wait for the water to drain away, is there?"

What a smile that is. "That's nice of him," Zephyr says, still sounding highly dubious. "Let me know if he starts being a jerk, all right? I don't mind punching him for you."

Translation: Please give him an excuse to punch Devin for you, Fool.

It's a little harder to maintain lightness in the face of the last. Zephyr lets out a long sigh, companionably melancholy. "Probably not. Even if we could get in unsupervised, I don't think we'd practically be able to get to your things. ... Sorry."

Sighing, the Fool waves off Zephyr's apology, lacking even the energy to summon up a proper reassurance. What can he say--that he is all right? He isn't. After losing so much prior to his arrival in Aifaran, this loss aches more acutely than he'd expected.

"You said that you and X have lodgers?" he says instead, changing the subject entirely.

"Yeah. Just for now, but... well, who knows how long 'for now' is going to last?" Zephyr shrugs, looking a little uncomfortable, and glances from the Fool over to the drowned building, then back again. "Getting a little crowded, but I'm not the best at this."

Strangers, friends, anything. He's trying, he swears.

"...you wanna stay here, or...?"

He's better than he realizes. He's here after all, isn't he?

"...you wanna stay here, or...?"

"No," he sighs with audible melancholy, "I suppose not. Any exploration I attempt now will surely be thwarted." There, he casts a dubious look towards the nearby loitering Sentry, but a moment later he has looked to Zephyr again. He takes a moment to breathe in and rally his flagging spirits, then smiles. "Let us find a place to sit and speak, instead. You can tell me of your lodgers, if you wish."

There is an additional curiosity hidden within him--about Zephyr and X--but the Fool is careful not to reveal it just yet.

He is here. Zephyr doesn't quite realize how much that matters.

"There's not a whole lot to say about them," Zephyr says, shrugging lightly again. He's finding himself doing that a lot. "I'm not sure where I'd start. Mostly I try to stay out of their way. You're welcome to come for a visit, though?" He's pretty sure X would be happy to see him, if nothing else.

He's not sure there's anyone X isn't friends with.

"Here, I'm sure we can find a café that's still open."

"Here, I'm sure we can find a café that's still open."

There is one--albeit, not as nice a cafe as Die Rosa Tulpe is. Was. The Fool firmly forces those thoughts away and instead takes a seat near a window, and thanks the server who delivers to them a warm pot of spiced tea and two mugs. He gathers up the pot and pours one for himself, and then for Zephyr.

"You and X appear quite close."

Right for the jugular, eh Fool? There's a nosy, whimsical glitter in his eye as he looks back at his friend.

Zephyr's pretty quiet for most of the process of getting them settled, shoulders slouched, casually assessing their surroundings. He's not quite at the relaxed stage, but he nods an appreciative thanks when the Fool pours his tea, leans in to prop his elbows on the table and wrap his hands around the tea.

And then thank whatever deity happens to be listening he wasn't actually drinking any of it.

"I mean, we're roommates." This after just a touch too long to be actually casual. Zephyr quirks an eyebrow right back. "Wouldn't move in with someone I didn't like."

"Wouldn't move in with someone I didn't like."

"Naturally," the Fool replies with an enigmatic smile, evidently deriving a bit of enjoyment from this gentle needling. He hides half of his expression behind his mug of tea as he sips from it, then lifts his chin afterwards. "I shall not pry, of course--" of course, "--but I will say that you have good taste in friends." Friends.

Sip.

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