littletonoidea | IC Inbox

[ that pings elias' is that a terrifying story i sense senses. but he refrains from asking just yet. let's get through day two of this wardening first ]

Why not the bar?

[ there's no tempting railing for elias to not throw his warden over ]

If we do, it's gonna be a party of one. That's not one of my vices.

[Or rather, it very much is and he's resisting so hard despite yesterday really testing that.]

How about I grab you a bottle and meet you in your room? I'll still feel like a chaperone but at least that way it's less like a high school safety programme.

[ the very last thing elias wants is eiffel in his room making pop culture references about everything he owns. ]

Ah, well I wouldn't want to inconvenience you. There's a lovely gazebo up on deck if you'd prefer?

Can do, buckeroo. What's your poison?

[He still doesn't particularly like getting the bottle alone, but it's for someone else. It's totally fine.]

A little whiskey wouldn't go amiss. And I'll meet you there shortly.

Sounds like a date!

[Not that he's hanging around to hear the sound of Elias gritting his teeth in self-restraint. He swings by the lounge to pick up a small bottle indeed, and is juggling it in his hands as he makes his way down the deck to the gazebo.]

[ elias doesn't have that second drink, because he isn't a complete fool. even if he thinks it would really help. later.

so he's waiting patiently outside the gazebo, patiently waiting for his warden of the month to come and open it. ]

Eiffel. You're looking well.

Hey handsome~ [His tone is lilting, teasing as he gives the bottle one last toss and catches it with both hands, presenting it like a wine waiter at a restaurant.] Bought you a present!

[But then he looks between the closed door and Elias, and blinks in confusion.]

Is this one of those doors where I have to be the one that says 'open sesame'?

[ it takes effort not to watch the bottle fly up precariously through the air. elias smiles politely back ]

Wardens-locked. We inmates might hurt ourselves with all the dangerous musical instruments or potted plants.

Hey. [And he points the cap of the bottle at Elias, raising one eyebrow in an expression that's apparently serious.] Don't underestimate the lengths someone'll go to for decent potting mix.

[He holds the pose for a moment with another lilting noise, like it's a real thinker, then--]

Think fast!

[Throws the bottle in a lazy lob at Elias.]

[ Elias blinks, starting to raise his hands to catch the bottle and--

-- between one moment and the next a whole lifetime passes.

The bottle smashes at his feet, Elias takes a step back. He can't control his expression for a moment, overwhelmed by-- he isn't sure what. ]

Oh-- hell.

[Eiffel can't help it - the sudden shock, of being here then not here, the entire lifetime of memories and bad decisions and the weird horrible fairy Cutter - he screams as he jerks away from Elias, tripping over his own feet and landing hard on his back with a sudden grunt that cuts off his scream.]

Wh-whatthehellwasthat?! What did you do?!

[ Elias ignores the other man.

He's only experienced a few of these; but each time the days following have been an uncomfortable mess as he extricates himself from whoever's life he had been living and--

he quashes the residual panic, the feeling that he's going to somehow miss his exams; that this is some faerie magic; that he doesn't know where--

he can't do this with someone else here. He grits his teeth and steps back again. ]

Excuse me.

[ his voice is so much older in his ears than it should be-- he's twenty and now he's an old man, and not even that, he's not even in his own body he's--

He reaches out for the wall of the gazebo, steadying himself. ]

I did not sign off on the consent forms for that one, pal, I thought you said you needed admin privilege before you could give 'em the full Teddy Daniels!

[His panicked rambling is the exact opposite of Elias's terse silence, but the same function is fulfilled. Giving himself a minute to think while his mouth goes off on its own damn tangent, to register the lack of weight on his shoulders like a stone noose from his deal with the fucking terrifying Cutter fairy, realising that he recognised most of the staff and students there from the Barge, that Elias was...

...not... really okay, either. And not like passing-out-exhausted, like... kind of in shock?

And just like that his own tone softens - his panic isn't any less but seeing someone else just as fucked up helps.]

W-wait, uh... are-- are you okay, Elias?

[ And in the midst of Elias trying to carefully reorganise his inner self comes the sudden and unasked for awareness of just who Teddy Daniels is and what it-- ]

Stop that.

[ He can't compel his warden. He doesn't know what knowledge to reach for to put in his head to shut him up. He has as little control over him as he does over his own mind, and Elias cannot cope with that.

He takes another step away. ]

...doing what?

[He literally hasn't done anything, it's not like he's had the chance.]

Look, you're... [He holds both hands out, like he's placating a dinosaur.] You're gonna go full Shining if you don't calm down, let's just- take ten, alright? Breathe, take it easy...

[And he doubts Elias is gonna let him, but he's gonna try stepping slowly towards him as he's talking, to try and put a hand on his shoulder.]

[ all work and no play makes--

Elias grits his teeth, glaring up at Eiffel as his warden sets a hand on his shoulder. He reaches up to take the hand-- ostensibly to pull it off his shoulder, but also to give physical contact with which to shove a particularly nasty Flesh statement at his warden.

Nothing happens, except that Elias is left holding the back of Eiffel's hand and frowning at him in confusion.

Then with a snarl he pulls his hand away. ]

I do not need your condescension.

Edited (just one hand) 2022-04-25 06:37 (UTC)

[...is that what it's supposed to look like when Elias tries the thing without permission? Just... nothing.

Huh.

Eiffel lets his hand get thrown off, but he scowls right back.]

Hey-- no-one's being condescending here! I'm trying to help, you're the one throwing a Caillou-scale tantrum over-- God knows what!

[He doesn't try to grab Elias again, but he doesn't move away.]

I'm supposed to be your warden, letting me do some goddamn first aid is literally not gonna kill you! Exactly the opposite, in fact!

I do not need--

[ Elias stops, hearing how little control he has over his own voice. It's an effort. He'd like nothing more than to try throwing a punch, to make this insufferable man shut up for good. To stop him from seeing him like this-- but he won't let himself.

He takes another step back, forcing his hand off the wall. ]

I do not need first aid from you.

Okay, okay-! [Backing away is bad, he knows that much, but he can't just leave Elias when the man looks like he's only freaking out harder the more Eiffel tries to help.]

Uhhm, buh- what about-- [He snaps his fingers in a skittish looking-for-the-right-word staccato.] What about the ArchiJon, Jon! We can get him to come help, he can still- you still like him, right? I could give him a call...?

[ That's too much. The mention of just-- telling the Archivist about this has Elias drawing back his arm and aiming a punch at the side of his warden's face. Whether it hits well or not, he follows with an unsteady: ]

You are not to tell him anything of our interactions. Nothing.

[It's the surprise more than the force of it - but he'll admit, the amount of force is not what he'd have expected from such a scrawny desk jockey - that sends him to the floor again with another shocked yelp, and both hands fly up protectively.]

Jesus Christ-- Sécurité received loud and clear, Canaveral, Warm Body's reports will not get forwarded on to Eyes Aplenty.

[He leans forward and rubs his cheekbone gingerly.]

...again.

[ Elias regrets it almost immediately. Not that he'd hit him, no that felt good.

But that he'd let someone see how much they'd gotten to him. He ignores the pain in his hand, holding it steady when he wants to flex it.

He takes two more steps back, gritting his teeth again as Eiffel once again proves himself incapable of being quiet.

Until he realises exactly what he's said and stops in place. ]

Again.

I, uhh-- you- I mean--

[He gets back to his feet, one hand protecting his face while the other is outstretched defensively.]

Y-- you're the one that downloaded Scream directly into my brain, pal, you're the one who showed me your home-grown man-cronomicon! What the hell was I supposed to do?!

You went to--

[ It isn't often Elias is rendered speechless, yet here he is again and it's a moment or two before the incomprehension and horror in his eyes is able to be reigned in.

He needs to leave, before he does or says something drastic. And so he turns on his heel, back to Eiffel. And takes a breath. He can walk away with dignity and a calm expression on his face. All the way back to his quarters and away from this-- ]

Once again I'll have to request a rain check.

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