Remnants of the Earth

AEDOLIS => Haviah => Advanced Training Complex => Topic started by: Cheesigator on June 20, 2017, 11:08:26 pm

Title: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on June 20, 2017, 11:08:26 pm
TW: alcoholism, depression, suicide/suicidal thoughts,
self harm, physical abuse


He let out a long, drawn-out sigh, the warmth of his breath fogging up the inside of his flight helmet for a brief moment before the ventilation cleared up the visor again.

Most days he hated being a hemokinetic; being a military assassin because he was a hemokinetic.

While he could join a squadron, or go out on normal missions, he didn't want to--why would he? He hated people. He wished he wasn't psychic at all. He wished he could be a normal person who could hide away in a basement somewhere and whither away where no one could possibly find him.

That sounds so nice.

Unlike this place; his footsteps came to a stop as he entered the main lobby of the shooting range, signing in and taking the ammo and gun assigned to him by the worker there and entering the actual range proper.

It was loud, even on a midday in the middle of the week--which irked him severely. Sure, he could have stayed at home and practiced beating up his punching bag, done some kickboxing, but he'd been at home for several days straight now and there were times where even he needed fresh air.

Through the ventilation system of his flight helmet.

But today he wasn't alone there at the shooting range; a few shots were fired off and the persons paused to reload. Guns were pointless for him, really any weapon was--all he had to do was squeeze his fist and whoops heart attack. What a fucking life.

He found an empty station, a target some twenty meters away and he huffed, looking down at the gun in his hands.

Despite rarely using them now, he was still trained, and he loaded it quickly enough. He raised it to his shoulder, took aim, and fired several shots, most of them hitting the target board's head. There was something about the kickback of the butt of his gun slamming into his shoulder, and the sharp, piercing sounds of the shots that made him relax a little, however.

He lowered it, looking at his handiwork, and then fired a few more lazy shots: each shoulder, center of sternum. Reload.

Crotch. Nice one.

He smirked a little to himself before remembering he was in public and quickly wiping it off his face, even though nobody could see him anyways. He glanced around, listening to the shots of the others practicing, and went back to his ""fun."" He didn't want to think about anything, he just wanted to do something mindless, and this was pretty mindless if you asked him.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on June 21, 2017, 12:44:00 am
There was very little in the way of actually demonstrating what the devastating effects were an electromagnetically charged bullet would have on a human body without the requirement of a real body to test it on. There was always those fancy ballistics dummies with encased guts inside of them. Those made a real nice mess, but actually going about getting one turned out to be a lot harder than he'd preferred.

Much to Vander's chagrin. There were standard issue rifles, those were easy enough to obtain. And the laser ones that were given to heavier shock troops. He favored all manner of explosive weaponry, and the greater the potential chaos, the greater the glory one could achieve.

"Er...what the fuck do you think you're doing, Pilot Cardinal?" the worker in the main lobby asked. "I can't let you in there with...what the fuck is that?"

Vander just grinned at him. "Yes you can. And yes you will. Because as far as you care, all I took was some ammo and a rifle. That I'm doing right now. Nevermind what's in the duffle bag.  And the wagon." Vander signed out the prospective weapons that he'd had no intention of using save for a few practice shots and dragged everything he was carrying into the range.

The squeak of wheels and the jingling of zippers along that duffle bag were barely audible beneath the loud gunfire that he could see in projected soundwaves echoing across the range. He moved his things over to an empty stall, all along to the far right where he could set up his gear.

The range, being as wide as it was, Vander was able to be far enough away from the others to walk safely out over the partition with a pumpkin hoisted up and his shoulders. It was particularly heavy, about the size of his torso, planting the child's wagon on the other side and rolling the pumpkin back onto it.  He set up his target, taking down that sorry paper excuse for one and rolling out the pumpkins as far as they would go.

This was going to be fucking great.  And he saw that the shooter closes to him was taking crotch shots to his target. Pffft, amateur.

Vander rolled the little wagon back and he assumed his place behind the partition. "Oh, hey, I hope you don't mind, I'm testing out a little toy of mine. You don't mind if I shoot those things down there, do you?  You don't, cool," he said.

He really didn't bother waiting for an answer. Because he couldn't wait to test his new baby. She really needed a name. Jessica. Or maybe Dirty Harriet. Oh yeah, he liked that one. 

The duffle bag exposed a large rifle. Or it looked like a rifle and it was almost 4 feet in length, largely rectangular in shape with a groove cut out for his right shooting hand. It was heavy and cumbersome to be sure but that was the point wasn't it? The visor exposed the range in a bluish grid and focused the target of the pumpkin on the other end.

Fifty meters that one. "Easy, peasy," he chuckled and held the railgun to his shoulder. A small array of lights ignited in a row as the hissing sound of a charge powered up the bullet inside. And when the last light turned green, a bluish blast thrust out the projectile full speed across the range, and blew up that damn pumpkin in an explosion of guts.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on June 21, 2017, 12:57:04 am
Just as Loa was realizing that he was starting to get bored, and he thus started to contemplate his other options, the sounds of others shooting at the range petered off one by one, until finally even he tore his gaze away from the field, only to see what everyone else was staring at--some Pilot with silver hair and glasses with a wheelbarrow and a really, really big duffel bag.

The fuck was he doing? Everyone wanted to know the same thing--but Loa was the first to turn away.

Part of him wanted to know, but most of him didn't care to find out. He only had a few more rounds to go anyways, so he started loading them as the guy started to set up... Next to him. Of course. Of all places.

You know, Loa specifically picked this spot because it was the farthest away from everyone else.

He glared at the man with disdain as he chatted and didn't wait for an answer, ignoring him for the most part until he pulled the weapon out of his bag. Oi oi, that was a big gun. Big unnecessary gun, if you asked Loa. As long as there were people in the world like him who could make any living creature's heart explode then there would be little to no use for something as big, expensive, and time-consuming as that. What a waste of materials.

He stood there and watched with the rest of the Pilots at the range, who were inching closer to crowd around and watch the display, until suddenly Loa realized a small crowd was right behind him and he started a little, before refocusing his attention on this strange man and his equally strange equipment, and tried his damndest to ignore his anxiety and the heat in his cheeks, for the sake of his own curiosity.

The gun was set, loaded, and fired--everyone behind him collectively flinched as it went off and blasted the pumpkin to oblivion, but Loa had geared himself up for it enough that he didn't move. And as the last pieces of pumpkin gut rained down upon the earth, he just shook his head, picked up his rifle and fired off his last three shots, getting a few tiny pieces of pumpkin hidden in the turf some 25 meters away.

Officially out of ammo, he decided he'd fuck with this guy a little; maybe humiliate him a little because clearly he didn't seem to know what that was. Or maybe just make Loa feel better about himself. Probably both.

He mentally reached out, sensing with his powers and feeling the heartbeat, the warmth and the pulsing ebb and flow of the blood in this stranger's body. He was about to control it and send it all rushing down south, before he realized that nope, no need. Guy had already taken care of that himself.

Fucking disgusting.

He dropped it and put the safety on his gun, hoisting it onto his shoulder and deciding to leave the range as the unknowing Pilots started to curiously poke and ask this stranger about just what it was he was doing.

There, that was his socializing for the day. Now it was time to go home, and go lie in bed for another 14 hours.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on June 21, 2017, 01:37:07 am
Vander was only vaguely aware of the crowd that was forming behind him, around him, off to the side. The crowd that was whispering and watching that pumpkin explode into a slime and ooze much in the way Vander envisioned a body would. It wasn't because he was particularly bloodthirsty or wanted to wish real harm to anyone.

But out in the field where anything could happen, Vander wanted to be damn sure that whatever he fired this gun at would be turned into a fine paste where his teammates were concerned. He was Drop Team. Ground Level, and anything that came before this railgun would turn into what that pumpkin did.

The gun itself, while still technically a prototype was nothing to scoff it, and in its first practical application, Vander could say that it was already performing wonderfully. And so thought everyone else it seem as it blew up another pumpkin that was set up across the way. There was no shortage of that slicing grin that cut it's way across Vander's face.

Beneath the gray of his hair, short enough to stay out of his face, he switched hands to see if he could hold the gun just as steady in the other hand. For such a large weapon, and even with its weight, it was easy to carry. Or easy enough for someone accustomed to such unruly devices. Besides this would be a lot more fun to use than a minigun.

Those tended to take too much time spinning up. Even on a short charge, the railgun could turn a body into mist. Or so he was hoping. For now pumpkins would have to do.

Hmm, almost everyone. Save one guy that was griping outside when the Pilot watching the sign-in area had come in to watch the show.

"DUDE! ARE YOU EVEN WATCHING THAT RAILGUN! LOOK!"

And that was all Vander needed to rest the gun against his chest and he cut his red-glassy visored gaze over to the figure that was lingering in the door. "HEY! Where are you going? You can't leave without a chance of firing this gun!  Come on! You've gotta let me know how it feels in the hand! How else am I gonna know what mods to make!"

The others hissed and harangued Vander, trying to get a chance a turn. Of course, he'd be willing to let them. But why not the guy that clearly wasn't having a good time?

"Get Helmet Head back here!" another Pilot called out. "Hell, if he doesn't wanna test fire it, I will!"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on June 22, 2017, 11:43:11 am
He just wanted to go home. Was that asking for so much? He just wanted to turn in his equipment and leave but apparently that was like asking for a million credits around here, it just wasn't gonna happen.

Instead, the Pilot in charge of checking equipment in and out was arguing with him that he just could not step away from this spectacle for even thirty seconds to just do his damn job.

"Yes I can see perfectly fine and I don't give a shit, I want to check my equipment out!" He snapped, already irritated bordering on fury as the guy with the gun stopped for a moment and said something, and then everything errupted into a chorus of yelling Pilots whose loudness was all directed right at Loa.

Confused, as he hadn't been listening, their comments on him shooting the gun seemed pointless and out of place. Why the fuck would he want to shoot it when he gave absolutely no indication of interest? If they wanted to see it so bad why didn't they just shoot it themselves?! Why couldn't people just fuck off and leave him alone?!?!

And yet the equipment guy grabbed Loa by the arm and hauled him through the crowd, with some of the other Pilots pushing him and touching him god dammit as if to get him over there faster, and he protested the whole way.

Finally he was standing next to Smug McGunBoner as if he were expected to fire his stupid gun judging by the screaming crowd.

Sometimes he wished he could show his face more easily, because he was sure everyone in the room would have shut up in an instant if they could see the cold look of pure hatred he had for every person at the shooting range right now.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on June 22, 2017, 05:59:23 pm
Some things simply were asking too much. And when there was a spectacle going on like this those that didn't want to appreciate it were clearly missing out on a good thing. Only assholes that didn't know how to have a good time tried to bring everyone else down with them.

So when Helmet Head finally came around his corner, Vander snorted and could pretty much feel the pure venom seeping through the ventilation holes in the encasing. He shrugged the rifle into an easier grip because from the look of it, the guy seemed to at least have enough muscle to grasp it.

"All right, hold it steady. Wouldn't want you to fall over now would we," Vander said and dipped the railgun in one hand and pulled the man's other firearm out by the other, setting it to the side. The crowd was still chittering and chattering about them like a bunch of squawking Margad hens.

With a grunt, he hoisted it up and pressed it into Mister Mask's hands.  "Okay, relax your shoulders. It's heavy. I've gotta figure out a way to get the weight down, but until then, it's capable of being held.  You think you know how to fire this time?  Hmmm, nah, I'd better show you."

Vander maneuvered around the Helmet, and shifted to his left, so that the rifle's butt could be placed naturally in as most comfortable position as possible. "Okay, it's got a recon scope. Take that fifty yarder out." With an index finger he pointed out to a large grey pumpkin on the other end of the range. A little farther than even what he'd been shooting. "Okay, now to start the charge, you press your fingers into the pressure guages on the grip, that hissing noise - vaguely squirrel like - indicates the increasing power of the charge. It's designed to interface with your flight helmet when in combat, it'll be on your hud."

"I haven't worked out that detail yet. But lessee. Steady now. The lights on the side indicates five clicks. Click five means it's at full charge. And when you're ready, pull that trigger, bud," Vander murmured, and took a step back so that he could take in the full sight of Helmet Head obliterating that pumpkin.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on June 22, 2017, 07:32:14 pm
There was a moment where the two men regarded each other, their gazes meeting and yet not behind their visors. Loa's was a look of sheer contempt, and judging by his snort, this stranger's seemed to be more of one of amusement.

Loa hated him even more than he thought he did.

As he was settled into position, his former equipment being taken from his hands and replaced by this new, obscenely pointless prototype, Loa considered the following ways of reacting to the scenario:

1) He could use his powers and make all the blood in this man's body go rushing up to his head where it would explode out of every orifice on his head, but then get executed for treason,

2) He could use his powers more discretely and make this man suffer a heart attack, at the risk of being suspected of treason and executed, and of the man living if he was brought to a hospital quickly enough,

3) He could just turn this prototype on him and blast him into oblivion and most definitely be executed for treason and murder,

4) Or he could just not say a damn thing and wait for karma to kick this bastard in the balls.

As much as he hated to admit it to himself, 4 was looking like his only option.

So he stayed mute, refusing to so much as even scoff as the man instructed him on how to use the gun as if he'd never picked one up in his life before. He resisted the urge to make biting remarks equivalent to a 'Your Mom' insult and just kept his mouth shut, taking aim as instructed, and as soon as the gun was charged, he fired.

He didn't hit the target dead-on in the center, but he caught most of it, and the power of it was enough that he knew it'd make his shoulders sore tomorrow. And while everyone else whistled and clapped and hollered, he raised his head from the sights and let out a heaving sigh, completely unenthused. His heart was pounding from firing such a monstruous weapon, sure, but apart from the mild adrenaline, he didn't feel a thing.

How utterly pointless.

"Can I go home now?" He asked, his tone completely flat and monotonous.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on June 22, 2017, 09:15:57 pm
Frankly Vander was excited to watch the display. And he wanted to see the look on Helmet Head's face when he finally let the railgun loose when it achieved its final click, Vander's grin went from ear to ear, to a slumped half-frown when he didn't even blow up the whole pumpkin! What the hell was that?

Oh no. That would never do. Not at all.

"Hell no, you can't go home! Not until I show you how to properly rain hell down on your target, Pilot!" Vander made a sound that was a cross between a scoff and a chortle and his nose hurt to make it. He blinked stupidly underneath that visor

"Let me show you. Watch me. If you can through that godawful helmet," he said with a cackle. Taking the gun back, Vander raised it, clicked another charge into place and shifted around to stand close to him, holding it steady and aiming further out. "75," he whispered, pursing his lips.

And the gun went off, a blue bolt of terrifying energy that made the rest of the crowd jump with the kick of the gun and that pumpkin was paste, just everywhere.

"Like that. Now try it once more. With feeling this time," he suggested, handing the prototype back to Helmet.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on June 22, 2017, 10:00:16 pm
Of course. Of course he couldn't go home. Silly him, why would he be able to freely leave somewhere without being harassed? Seriously what the fuck was this a prison?

Well it was to him now, as he rolled his eyes and happily passed over the prototype back off to its owner, or perhaps creator, which would explain his over-enthusiasm about his glorified cannon.

As the man tried to demonstrate (poorly) how to properly shoot a target, Loa tried to squeeze in between a few members of the crowd to weasel his way out--maybe he could just leave his equipment on the desk with a note or something--but was stopped as the other Pilots pushed him back with the complaints of "Hey, stay here till he's done with you, you're being rude!" and "Just stay here till he's finished with you so the rest of us can have a chance, be more considerate!"

Considerate. Rude. DID THEY NOT KNOW

WHAT IRONY WAS?

Nevertheless he was shoved back over by Gunner Boy and the gun was back in his arms and he was told to try again like he was a fucking school boy or something. If this stranger could feel the anger seeping out of his helmet's ventilation before, then what he might feel now would probably be more closely described as poisoned lava.

He took aim again, clenching his teeth so hard they ached as he found the next target, waited a moment or two after the gun was charged and fired again, this time getting all of it--and certainly no thanks to this idiot's help. It could have been luck or gee maybe the fact that he was a trained fucking professional but oh no apparently that was SO RARE TO COME BY it hadn't even occurred to the jackass.

After it was clear he'd hit the target dead-on this time he looked over at this stranger with such a frustrated motion that his body language spoke for itself:

There, I shot the motherfucking thing, NOW CAN I GO HOME?
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on June 22, 2017, 10:26:16 pm
"DAYUM SON! NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Vander howled and cupped his hands over his mouth as he did so when that pumpkin when kers-plooosh! all over the fucking shooting range. The sheer joy Vander was experiencing was rather manic and ridiculous and Vander nearly feel backwards by how much his back was arching and his pelvis rolling forward.

The ache in his pants was rather pointed, but thankfully everyone seemed to be paying more attention to the display his gun was making and even Vander didn't really notice. He shifted his visor of his face, the grid expanding and zooming out all over that mess and he reached down to pull the Harpy necklace of his squadron up and he gave it a small kiss.

"Hell fucking yeah," he cackled and took his gun back with gusto.  "That's some mighty fine shooting, brokowski." Oh yeah, he was mad. Everyone else in the room might have been oblivious to it. But Vander figured the guy could probably lighten up if he just kept letting his rage out with another array of bullets.

"Come on, man. What dy'a say!? Shall we keep shootin'!? I've got to a whole truck load of those pumpkins!" he said with a wide beaming grin.  And he reached his hand out for him to take.  Except maybe Vander took Helmet's hand before permission was granted and shook it vigorously all on his own with a firm squeeze. 

And the rest of the crowd howled and hollered as Vander took his turn again. Now he was really going to put that gun through the paces. Already it was performing just as he'd hoped.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on June 22, 2017, 10:38:50 pm
Loa couldn't possibly understand what these people were getting out of this. Okay, yes, it was a gun, and it shot things. Whoop de fucking do. He was an assassin, and he killed things. Whoop de fucking do.

He might have understood it better if they were shooting different items at the very least, but all they were doing was shooting pumpkins over, and over, and over again. Sometimes even at--gasp!!--different lengths! But they were still fucking pumpkins, and this was still a fucking gun. Amazing, when you pull the trigger, it shoots the pumpkin.

Wanna guess what happens when you pull the trigger a second time?

IT SHOOTS THE FUCKING PUMPKIN. YEAH BETCHA DIDN'T SEE THAT ONE COMING.

And yet Gunner Boy next to him was simply rife with joy, and apparently arousal, which Loa understood even less. What in the world did death and destruction do for someone? How could it appeal to anyone?

His hand was forcibly grabbed and shaken, and considering the state of the man who did it, Loa felt mildly violated. And yet that was only the start of it; it seemed no matter what he did--how finely tuned his shots were, how big a mess the pumpkin made, how far away it was--nothing was good enough. The crowd just wanted more, and the Pilot with gray hair and a boner was more than happy to give it to them, with Loa involved of course.

He eventually lost track of time--not because he was having fun, oh no he was fucking miserable, but he'd finally just accepted his fate and tried to do what was asked of him as mundanely and mindlessly as possible. He tried to think of other things, like how much alcohol he had left at home and whether or not he should pick up five more bottles each of rum and whiskey on his way home.

Until eventually, the only other person there besides the two of them was the equipment guy, and he finally had grown tired of the prototype and asked them to check out their things and leave. Finally. FINALLY. FREEDOM!

At 11:30 at night.

And thus Loa found himself standing out there outside the shooting range, night having descended upon the city and thus ruining any other potential plans for his day. And he stood there next to a gray-haired asshole who had harassed and kept him there against his will with a raging boner throughout the entire ordeal.

Loa just turned to the man and stared at him through his helmet;

"If you ever speak to me again the next thing that gun will be shooting is your balls."

And he turned and walked away to go catch the next public transport home. Hopefully not in the same direction sir Jackass had to go.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on June 22, 2017, 11:19:57 pm
The shooting range by the end of the night was a bloody mess of exploded vegetable carcasses. Pumpkin shells and skin and stems and just guts everywhere. Vander knew that they'd have a hard time cleaning it up, and a very vague throbbing of guilt wiggled its way down into the pit of his stomach. The hard-on, thankfully, went away after a few hours. He'd probably have to change his shorts when he got home though.

And the railgun would have be cleaned up and go back to the workshop bench. Vander stuffed the weapon back into the duffle bag and slung it back over his shoulder, rolling the wagon out from the range once their guns were checked back out.  Vander wiped the sweat from his brow and could feel the heat from the railgun seeping through the fabric.

Hmm, he'd have to see about heat discharge as well.

OH...oh, so it seemed his new found friend had a voice after all. Vander ignored what he said. Because frankly h was used to vague threats. And nothing bothered him. Not unless it was a truly serious matter.  Vander scuttled off after him and maneuvered around in front.

"Look, sorry about all that," he said, apologizing and tone sincere. He cleared his throat. "I'm Vander Huxley, in case you didn't know. You're uh...hmm, Louis Vitton right? I mean Pilot Echo Loius Vitton. Nice to meet you. Come on, let's go get sushi," he said and extended his hand once again, but this time didn't steal it.

He knew he'd seen that helmet before from somewhere. The guy was a damn good shot. Maybe he was just as good at downing beers too.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on June 23, 2017, 07:32:18 am
If Vander was at all used to being threatened, then perhaps he should take a hint from how many people must loathe him and use that as proof that the problem wasn't with everyone else.

And yet as Loa thought he was finally free to get away.. He wasn't. Because the slightly-taller-than-him shithead followed him and it took a lot of self control to hold in that exasperated groan.

"No, I didn't know, because I don't care. And no, I am not going to get sushi with you."

Who the fuck did this guy think he was? First off he addressed him way too casually and secondly he was being way too friendly when Loa had literally just voiced out loud how much he disliked him. He'd said that out loud, right? He was pretty sure he did.

So he just kept on walking, ignoring the hand extended to him and determined to turn this guy off as quickly as possible so he could go home and never see him and his stupid visors again.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on June 23, 2017, 10:09:52 am
What was wrong with this son of a bitch? Was he just allergic to anyone that just wanted to be nice? Ha, well if he was going to act this way then Vander would let him. But if thought his nasty attitude was going to get him down, he had another thing coming.

Vander laughed instead and shrugged. "All right then. So noted. But hey since you're probably heading back, I'll just ride with you! Ain't no reason not to. I'll just work on some notes," he said and did just that, following Loa and gauging the other man. What was his problem?

A vague consideration had Vander wonder if he had anything to do with it. But nah, couldn't be. Clearly this guy had other hang ups that no amount of railgun shooting could solve.

"But I'm just saying... You're probably hungry. You can't go home hungry. I'll treat! Look on the way to the Citadel is Sushi Rama! You'll love it, or you can sock me hard across the face!" A promise Vander had no intention of actually letting Vitton follow through with. But it was the thought that counted.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on June 23, 2017, 03:09:12 pm
Good, okay, great. So at least this idiot seemed to understand the meaning of the word "no"--

Nope. No he apparently didn't.

Loa just paused for a moment, looking over at this Vander and staring at him as if he were dumb, forgetting for a moment that his facial expression couldn't be seen through the mirrored surfave of his helmet visor.

He just tried to ignore him then, didn't even respond to his comment that oh well herp derp here because you seem so amicable and social that totally must mean you wanna hang out durrrrrr LET'S GO HOME TOGETHER.

Loa was only clenching his fists a little bit as he walked. This must've been how some women must feel when stupid men wouldn't leave them alone--he didn't know, he wasn't straight, nor a woman. But he figured he probably wasn't too far off.

And yet even after complete cold silence the jackass still just kept talking.

Yes maybe he was hungry but A it wasn't any of this fuckwad's business and B he didn't want to go to dinner with him anyways so it shouldn't have mattered!

"How about we skip out on the dinner and I just punch you in the face instead?" He growled, not slowing his step or even looking in the man's general direction to acknowledge him as he spoke.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on June 24, 2017, 05:44:09 pm
Vander just continued to prattle along behind him and eventually caught up with this wet sack of flour. Because while there would be no cure for his attitude - Vander wasn't going to pass up the prime opportunity to take this smug bastard out for sushi! Because why the hell not?

So just as they seemed like they were going to pass up the restaurant, Vander hooked his arm into his and aimed them straight toward the two front doors. Once once inside, he grinned widely, ear to ear and just nudged Loa to have a goddamned seat.

Because he wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Have a seat, and stay there. I'll get us something easy. I swear you'll like it!" Vander promised. Normally he didn't make promises he couldn't keep, but somehow somewhere underneath all that, he just felt like the guy could use a friend.  And Vander knew no better way to bond than over guns and sushi.

When he came back with two cartons of rice and fish and some other goodies, he took a seat in front of Loa. "Okay, so I brought forks and chop sticks because I didn't know which one you'd like better. So whichever you prefer it's there!"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 13, 2017, 10:55:31 am
After a while of travel Loa was starting to figure out ways of tuning out the Pilot's annoying chatter; he did his best to focus on literally anything else he could to ignore the man walking beside him. Counting every step he took eventually became the easiest way to tune him out, he found.

But unfortunately that meant that his focus wasn't on where they were going, or what Vander was saying, or rather, what Vander was doing.

Suddenly there was an arm hooked around his and Loa was quite jarringly pulled from wherever he'd stuffed his mind that didn't have a Vander Huxley harrassing it. Vander might have caught the barely audible gasp as Loa was suddenly jerked around and dragged into a restaurant, but Loa didn't actually see the interior of the restaurant at first.

No, those first few seconds sent him flying back in time to when he was 11 and Ru was 11, and despite their same age, there was quite a size difference Ru was hooking his arm in Loa's, grinning down at him and tugging him along with all that superior strength. He heard echoes of Ru's voice saying "Come on, Loa!" And his eyes were so bright, the sunlight was silhouetting his hair pulled into a messy ponytail--

"Have a seat, and stay there. I'll get us something easy. I swear you'll like it!"

He was snapped out of it when Vander almost literally shoved him into a seat inside the restaurant, and he was so shocked and disoriented, heart pounding inside of his chest that he couldn't even give the man a response--he just sat there, dumbly, eyes wide behind his helmet as he glanced around, not moving a muscle, trying to discern where he was and what... What the fuck just happened.

He slowly reached out to rest his elbows on the table and he realized he was trembling, just slightly. Probably from the shock, and the fact that he hadn't eaten since last night, or something. His stomach had been twisted in painful knots all day and now his chest was too. It felt like he was slowly being suffocated, like some monster had him in its grip and was squeezing him tighter and tighter. He could've sworn he almost felt his ribs shifting and creaking.

He put his head in his hands, trying to make sense of what happened, his heart in his throat. Obviously something about Vander reminded him of the past and he had a rather painful flashback, that was all; he glanced up as the man was heading back to the table, arms loaded with food Loa did not feel up to eating. He was about the same height, maybe an inch or two shorter, same build...

And he had that same stupid grin on his fucking face.

Fuck.

He looked away as the food was set down on the table and he sat up a little straighter, placing his hands in his lap so Vander hopefully wouldn't notice the slight tremble.

"Thank you but I'm not hungry." He blurted without thinking, his voice wavering slightly; he'd completely forgotten his anger from before, though there was still a slight bit of irritation burning deep down in there, it was now mostly buried under the fear and confusion and, most of all, anxiety.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 13, 2017, 12:10:49 pm
Vander was not blind. Not in any real sense that his vision was so absolutely fucked he would never see. Ever. For those that could afford it, there were augmentations that could fix a problem like that. Candidates with no ability to see more than two feet in front of them were Trimmed and that was end of that story.

In Vander's case, his lack of ability to see color and the distortion that came with how his brain perceived the world around him, was enough to almost keep him from graduating. If it wasn't for his visor, the world would be nothing more than monochrome ghosts bubbling in and out like the fluidity of a lavalamp. But with no glow, no warmth, only cold, only dark, only gray.

He wasn't blind, and the visor that covered his eyes, corrected that distortion, and brought the world into an ordered vision, picked up on that slight tremble, on the sheer nerves this guy had. Because even something as minute as a twitch was enough to be picked up by that visor and it sent those signals back around to his brain.

"Um, all right then," Vander murmured.  He knew he could be pushy. And maybe part of him still wanted to. But something deep down told him if he did, this guy had the potential to fly right off the damn handle like a dud grenade that was being chucked around like a ball. "How about something to drink. My treat. We can just talk? That all right with you?"

"So what is it you do, Loa? I mean, department. Do you live at the Citadel?"

Vander had gotten used to the use of chopsticks and somehow managed to roll a few pieces onto his plate, pincing them and delivering a crunchy roll into his mouth. "You can order anything you want!"  And gave him a playful smirk. "After shooting like that, you've earned it."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 13, 2017, 03:43:46 pm
Something about the air around them changed, and Vander backed off a bit for a moment. Inwardly, Loa cursed--that meant he'd noticed something was up. But for the moment, was kind enough not to ask about it.

He hated relying on the kindness of someone else to keep from coming completely undone. He hated it with every cell in his body.

Vander suggested they get something to drink instead then, and Loa looked at him, everything in his body feeling still oddly chilled from the jarring flashback.

"Drinking is the last thing you want me to do right now."

He'd wait until he got into the safety of his own apartment before he drunk himself stupid and passed out on the floor of his living room, falling off of his lousy couch. At least there he couldn't hurt anyone but himself; here was a different story, and who knew what he would do if drunk right now. He didn't want to take any chances.

He took in a silent, deep breath to steel himself and focused on the conversation at hand, now almost welcoming it when he loathed it so much not even fifteen minutes earlier.

"I'm an assassin. No team. I go where they need me."

He kept it short and to the point; he didn't like talking and he sure as hell hated talking about himself. "Yes I live at the Citadel."

Just get the conversation away from you, Loa.

"And what about yourself?" He grumbled, resting his arms on the table after a few moments, the tremble much less visible now. "Heavy weapons specialist or something I imagine?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 14, 2017, 03:46:28 pm
Whatever Vander had noticed, he didn't make a point of focusing on. After the adrenaline of shooting up pumpkins and splattering their guts all over the shooting range wall, Vander had settled into a soothed state of being. As he usually did after a good day of testing his equipment. He didn't have to be shooting all day to enjoy the end of that high. It was always good, even if he'd just been fiddling around with his rifle.

But this guy, was something else entirely. He seemed to be nothing more than a bundle of nerves. As Vander looked at him through the green highlighted hud on his visor, he could see the elevated heart rate, the twitch in the timbre of his voice. And he didn't need his visor to tell him that this guy really didn't want to be here right now.

"Well, when I say drink I don't mean you have to have alcohol," he chuckled. Vander ate another crunchy dragon roll and munched slowly, savoring the wasabi paste. It was too good not to savor it. "They've got soda here too! Look. ok. Uhh, gimme another second!"

Vander removed himself from the table and ordered two drinks, just root beer floats that would make Vander guaranteed to burp and this guy hopefully on edge. Everybody loved root beer floats, didn't they?  Of course they did!

Vander returned with the drinks, set the float in front of Loa and even put a bendy straw in it with a small purple umbrella. It was a nice touch he thought. Vander's own drink had a red umbrella in it, and another bendy straw. "Yeah, that's me. Vander Huxley. Pilot Cardinal and member of the best damn squad in Haviah. The Harpies. I'm fairly new, but don't get me wrong, I know how to make things....get real exciting real fast."

Vander made a show of brushing off fake dust off his shoulder as if the task was nothing. "Drop team too. That means I get to fly around and hit the ground running. But I'm a technopath, so that big bubba you were holding earlier was my latest project. Railguns are fun ain't they? Just love 'em."  Adjusting the visor, he grinned and gestured to the drink. "It's not beer, but it's got a nice bubbly to it. This place makes bomb as fuck root beer floats."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 14, 2017, 04:09:42 pm
This smug guy who had pretty much kidnapped him into dinner with him--Huxley, he supposed--was too quick for Loa's addled brain. He couldn't even protest the drink before the weapons expert was up darting off to grab something; maybe he was as eager as Loa was to get the hell out of this awkward situation and he was just trying to be nice about it.

Hah. Fat chance.

He raised his eyebrows, pausing a moment as he looked at the root beer float set in front of him; Huxley talked to him like he'd never seen one before and it irked him slightly before he reminded himself that for all this guy knew, maybe he hadn't before. It went ignored for the time being--the umbrella gave him mixed feelings. Was he being mocked? But Huxley had one too.

Fuck he hated people. He hated people so much.

So it turns out this guy was from the Haviah Harpies, and he was so proud of it Loa was almost certain after a moment that his chest was going to explode with how he metaphorically puffed it out like a peacock showing its tail feathers. Gods. What a guy.

Loa, of course, being the awkward antisocial prick that he was, didn't understand in the slightest what the appeal of having a team was. Why would someone ever want to work in a group when all the other group members would just push off all the work onto you and then claim all the rewards from it? He'd always thought teamwork was a joke. It was probably why he made for such a good assassin--he didn't let anyone get in his way.

His stomach gave him another stabbing pain and he finally gave in and found the straw, sliding it through the helmet's hole for the breathing apparatus attachment since he didn't have it on right now. Unfortunately, he had to give Huxley a bit of credit--it was some really good root beer. That or the fact that he was literally starving just made it taste that much better, but there was no chance in hell that his helmet was coming off until he was behind his own closed doors. Not after today.

"Uh, right. Sure. Railguns are fun." He didn't think they were fun. He could care less. But maybe if he agreed then Vander would ask less questions and would be much happier to babble about the things he cared about so Loa could just go back to tuning him out again, that'd be nice.

He removed the straw and finally took a moment to actually look this guy over; gray hair, and that weird visor thing going on. He didn't know what it was for, and while there was a small, tiny sliver of him that was curious, he didn't bother asking. He wondered if the gray hair was natural or dyed. Again, didn't care enough to ask.

"Participated in any of those team tournaments yet?" He asked, just trying to keep the conversation going and away from him with as little comment on his side as possible. The sooner they got out of here, the better.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 14, 2017, 06:31:28 pm
Vander's specialty stemmed mostly from being able to read machines and communicate with them. Sure he was psychic and could get a read on just about anyone's basic surface thoughts. That didn't take much talent aside from the occasional focusing in on someone when they said some dumbass shit. He was all about that mental gossip. Ah, insofar as it came around benign things that no one else gave a shit about.

Vander was almost done with his sushi rolls and just when he thought this guy was just gonna be a complete asshole and reject a perfectly good root beer float, he stopped mid-bite and watched from the corner of his vision, the man actually taking a sip. Of course he fixated on him very briefly. A small smirk played on his lips, and he finished his last bit of wasabi sauce and began to work on his own root beer.

Yeah yeah, the guy only had to suffer his company for a few more minutes, so Vander so no harm in trying to get to know this guy a little better.  "Oh yeah, just last year. We made it to the finals too. Fucking awesome that was," Vander went on. "Did you watch it? Or do you not watch TV? It's cool if you don't, not everyone does."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 14, 2017, 06:43:02 pm
Damn. He was more of a decent person deep down than Loa was willing to admit, particularly out loud. He was actually trying to include Loa in the conversation, rather than just prattling on about anything and everything that came to mind without a chance to get a word in edgewise like he'd initially thought Vander to be the type for.

So no matter what he did, he'd have to come up with answers to questions he'd rather not talk about. Like if he watched tv. Or if he had any hobbies.

The answer was kind of no, to both.

He could always lie; make himself seem like less of a loser. Except this guy seemed to be sharp enough that if he did lie, the guy would probably pick up on it, and then he'd seem even more pathetic than he actually was. Well, no. He really was kind of that pathetic, he was at least self-aware enough to acknowledge that.

"I don't watch tv." He grumbled, pausing for a moment as he searched desperately for something to say.

What a surprise, when you shut yourself off from the outside world and refuse to leave your bedroom for sometimes weeks on end for years of a regular basis, you end up with shitty people skills.

Who'd'a thunk it.

"Congratulations. Seems like you're enjoying your team at least." It was half-assed and flat as fuck but screw it it was all he had right now. His head felt like it was swimming, even with the root beer.

He finished off said root beer, waiting patiently for Vander to finish because it was obvious by now there was nothing he could do to get rid of the guy just yet. If he got up and left he'd probably just take his unfinished food with and keep talking to him, eating while they walked. It was pointless to resist.

So he waited. Because that's what he'd done all day, what did one more hour make?
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 14, 2017, 07:04:14 pm
Maybe this guy wasn't a complete douchebag after all. That was always nice, to find people that you didn't at all expect to be how they tried to present themselves to the world. Vander himself knew only too well the dangers of jumping to conclusions about people. Others had done that to him enough as it was.

"Oh yeah. It's really cool. Great fun. But even I like go to out on my own and do stuff. That's what that stunt out on the shooting range was. Although...you really didn't seem all that excited. Forgiveable, my friend,' he chuckled.

Vander finished off his root beer and seemed to be waiting for Loa. Well he waited very briefly before reaching across and plucking the umbrella from his own glass and then the purple one from Loa's.  And put them both in his bag to be taken back home. Not for any real reason than because he thought they were cool. Vander slipped his bag back over his shoulder and off the stool.

And walked over to his new friend. Yeah. Whether he liked it or not, he decided this guy was now his friend. "Ready when you are, bud," he murmured, grinning again and holding the door open for him. "They just like to throw those umbrellas away anyway, so I see what kind of junk I can salvage and turn it into some kind of knick knack, that's always fun."

Vander shrugged and brushed his hand back through his hair. "You live in the Citadel yeah? Most do, so I'm just wondering. I'm headed that way myself. So, why don't we head over together? Makes the walk a lot less lonely. Cool."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 14, 2017, 07:47:33 pm
If by himself he meant dragging in strangers instead of hanging out with the same few people all of the time then yes, sure, Vander had been out on his own doing stuff--wait, what?

Loa froze up a little at the words 'my friend.'

Wait. Did he actually mean that? Or was it just a friendly saying. He'd heard it both ways. Wait. Wait what--no, that couldn't be. Nobody became friends that fast, especially not with Loa. No way no how. Nobody in their right mind should ever WANT to be his friend.

Guy was probably just being nice. Yeah. That was it.

He didn't respond to the comment, forcing himself to relax a little as he mentally shrugged it off, though his attention was caught by Vander yet again when the man reached over and took the purple umbrella out of his drink. He rose a skeptical eyebrow, looking at the not-so stranger and forgetting for a moment his expression wasn't visible. And yet despite not being able to see his face, Vander explained himself anyways. Perhaps he'd tapped into some of that telepathic power or whatever. Maybe he was just good at reading people.

He wanted to doubt the second one.

"Whatever makes you happy." He supposed. He didn't really care, just found it a little... Odd. Slightly creepy. Well, it'd have been creepier if he'd licked the umbrella or something so maybe it wasn't that bad.

He got up along with Vander, more than ready to leave this place and just go home and crash, but he asked about the Citadel and he knew he better answer truthfully or risk looking like an idiot. He just nodded in response; yes he lived there.

Of course  Huxley did too. Of course.

At this point, he didn't even try to argue; just stepped through the doorway, knowing full well that the man was going to follow. He didn't bother asking any more questions, though, because he was already starting to regret it.

(If only he had the slightest idea of the decision Vander had made while they sat at dinner together. Oh the irony.)

He kept his responses to any more conversation minimal as he endured the (thankfully) short walk from the restaurant to the Citadel, his brain feeling fuzzier by the minute. He just wanted to go home, lie down, and sleep for several days straight. He was having a hard enough time focusing on the topics at hand, and once or twice he forgot where they were going. Fuck, he should've ate something.

He accompanied the Cardinal up to his floor of residency, and once they were standing outside of Huxley's apartment door, even Loa's addled mind was able to register the number next to it and he realized that he literally lived directly above him, one floor up.

... So that explained all the loud noises that sounded like construction work that came from the neighbor downstairs.

He said nothing, praying that Huxley wouldn't figure it out, otherwise he might never get the man out of his hair ever again. At least now he knew where he was, so he could avoid him like the plague and hopefully never cross paths with him again. They could just forget this ever happened, and he could go back to his solitary ways of never talking with people outside of work.

That was how he preferred it.

Especially because his lack of social skills made goodbyes incredibly, horrendously, unforgivably awkward.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 14, 2017, 11:08:06 pm
Vander thankfully had no prior experiences with this guy to fall back on. He'd never been the type of guy to linger on the past regardless, because that was where it ought to stay. The here and now, this very moment, was all that mattered. What you could do, what you did do, none of it was relevant until the hammer struck the anvil. And when that happened, only then did your actions make any real difference.

So, no, Vander saw no real harm in having dinner with a perfect stranger after shooting up a bunch of huge pieces of fruit! Sure the guy was a bit of er, well, stiff in the joints, but he supposed the sushi was kind of awkward for everyone involved.

"Okay, bud, this is me. I'm heading in, you have a good night! Maybe I'll catch you later," Vander just waved at him, waved his chip across the reader and opened the door. The goodbye was short and sweet and gave the Cardinal prime time to wind down. The visor came off, and he showered, and put the umbrellas in a small jar he had in the corner of his kitchen.

The rest of his apartment was a stray mess of wires and circuitry, gadgets, and metallic parts all taken apart and various projects that have yet to come to fruition. Small robots went about doing simple tasks like starting the coffee in the corner of his kitchen, while another swatted that robot to correct it from making the coffee so late. But Vander waltzed over to the coffee maker and pushed the other bot away, to let the first one do it's thang, setting up the machine, grounds and all.

"Good critters," he murmured, and set his gun down. It'd be a long night but he had a lot tweaking to do and a concert to get to tomorrow night. He could sleep during the day and be spry enough to catch Aizo Creed, one of the best synthwave DJs in lower-level Haviah.

Well mid-level, Vander wasn't that much of an idiot.  Just enough to stay up all night and work into the wee-hours of the morning.

Something was playing above him, a song that he could hear through Cardinal level ceilings and he just let that music soothe him to sleep until evening came. No work meant he could dress how he wanted. And not talking to superiors was always a good day. No drills, and that mess in the shooting range could be....well, he'd think about the consequences later.

Club Freeze. It as a dumb ass name for a club that played bomb tracks. 15 credits admission at the door, but Vander, in practical fashion, got his ticket early and he sat at the bar as Aizo began the lightshow with the opening track.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 14, 2017, 11:27:58 pm
At least it was quick and mostly painless. He'd just given the Cardinal a half-assed wave, and as soon as the door was shut his shoulders slumped and he let out a heaving sigh of relief; now he just had to drag himself up to his own level, easier said than done.

Still, he managed it and once the door was shut behind him the helmet came off and was flung onto a rather sad couch. Unlike Vander's apartment, Loa's was almost entirely bare.

There was nothing on the walls; no posters, no pictures. The windows weren't just tinted, rather they were blockaded with thick curtains ans blankets to keep all daylight out, or perhaps to keep anyone from seeing in. His bed in the back had simple bedsheets and a gray comforter, a single light by one side. There was a desk in the living room, and plugged into it were all kinds of electronic musical equipment. Other than that, there was nothing to indicate anyone really lived here at all. It was hard to believe he was practically spending every day of his recent existence cooped up in here.

He staggered about half way to the bed, and didn't fight it; he hit the floor with a solid thump that probably echoed through to Vander's ceiling below, but he was out cold and therefor literally couldn't be bothered to give two shits.

He woke up several hours later, face bruised and his lip cut from going down face first. Oh well. He only knew because he could feel it--there were no mirrors in his apartment for him to inspect the damages. He didn't care, anyways.

He eventually forced himself to eat something, feeling better enough to get on his computer and work on the beginnings of a new song he'd started a week ago. It was a slow process, given his constant state of depression and crippling anxiety and self-loathing, it made it hard for him to get any personal projects done within any reasonable length of time.

He scrolled through a forum he read more than posted in, and saw a topic mentioning one of his favorite artists would be there in the city, in a club called Club Freeze--stupid fucking name. He sucked in a breath.

But potentially worth it.

He donned a leather jacket and close-fitting black pants and a pair of boots, throwing a bandana around the lower half of his face and tying it under his mess of wavy black hair--all after a shower of course.

He wasn't going there to mingle or catch anyone's attention; no, he found himself entering the club with a ticket paid for at the door (early enough to beat the lines) to watch and learn, nothing more, nothing less. So he found a spot along the wall, submerged in shadows as the opening notes rolled out across the floor, colored lights flickering all over the quickly growing crowd.

Fuck, he hated people. Couldn't they enjoy this artist some other time? Why'd it have to be the day he wanted to go?

Oh well, at least he wouldn't see anyone he knew here--or if he did, they wouldn't recognize him without his helmet.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 15, 2017, 01:32:01 am
Whatever stupid name it had, Vander couldn't argue that the music here was anything but amazing. It was a hot mid-level club, second tier and maybe not the Synesthesia, but a Pilot was welcome to free drinks on Wednesday nights, and Vander made a point of showing patronage whenever he could. Free time wasn't exactly a high light of squadhood. There were always drills to run, training never stopped, and Vander wasn't going to let himself lag just for a good time.

So when moments like this came about, he wasn't going to squander it. Aizo Creed was something of a growing name. And being able to say you were there before they became huge was easily one of the best feelings in the world to Huxley. He was already feeling the energy in the room, and the bumping of the bass as more and more people filed in to take their place and started to dance.

Vander couldn't say he was much of a dancer, but it wasn't like anyone was asking right now. So the only thing he wanted to do was have a drink and take in those sweet sweet beats. Or he would have if he didn't see someone skulking along the side wall there. Skulking, super suspicious.

Normally he wouldn't have had his hackles raised to eleven in a situation like this. This club normally had pretty good security and even with the few other Pilots in the room, people would have to be absolutely bonkers to try anything in a crowded place like this. Unless it was a bomb...  Or worse.

Vander glanced over to the skulking shadow. Black hair, pale as fuck skin, just trying to do their damnedest to even refrain from any sort of attention. Heh! Well, when you dressed like that, to Huxley it just meant you clearly wanted some!  So he ordered a beer and shimmied on over, walking slowly and shrugging in the green hoodie he wore.

Just plain jeans, a t-shirt, and some sneakers. No reason to dress up for an occasion like this in his book. And besides the jeans were tight enough. "What's up my man!?" he chuckled. At first the words were little more than a friendly ice breaker until he saw the hands, the stature in and over itself. Kind of slouched, didn't want anything or anyone to notice him.  With a general 'Bite me' attitude.

"Hey!" he murmured. "You're uh, Loa, right?  Hey, nice to run into you again. Remember me? Huxley! From the shooting range?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 15, 2017, 05:33:10 am
For the most part, it seemed like his plan had worked. He blended into the shadows pretty seamlessly, because nobody even spared him a second glance. A first one with suspicion maybe but they had nothing to worry about, honestly. He was just there to enjoy the music, and it seemed like life was actually going to let him do just that.

Haha. Just kidding.

He noticed someone approaching in his peripherals, and did his best to ignore the sucker. If it was security that'd have been ome thing, but the security around here didn't wear green hoodies and jeans. Guy could fuck right off for all Loa cared.

Except he didn't. And his voice was familiar to boot. He threw the stranger a sideways glance and recognized the visors to be the same that Huxley had been wearing the day previous. Great. You've gotta be fucking kidding--the one guy that Loa wanted to avoid most not only happened to be right here in the same club, AND he somehow managed to recognize Loa without his helmet.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

Begrudgingly, he turned to give the man his attention--just like yesterday, it was worthless to try and lie. But that wouldn't stop Loa from throwing Vander his meanest death glare. Because boy, if he thought Loa's sour attitude was tangible with his helmet, he had another thing coming to him without it.

"Yes, I remember." He growled, clearly pissed he'd been found. It swam in his piercing blue-gray eyes , showed through the tightness of his shoulders, visible through the unintentionally snug fit of the black t-shirt he wore under his jacket. If anything, his voice was much more crisp and clean now. Without the helme in the way, the chilled silkiness of it wasn't muffled, and it might have sounded oddly familiar.

Maybe if Huxley could visibly see his anger, he'd leave him alone?

Ha. Yeah right.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 15, 2017, 11:53:49 am
Death glares had no effect on this particular Harpy. He worked with Rodion Voronin so nasty attitudes came with the territory and was a part of his job that Vander had even come to enjoy. If he let even the smallest glares faze him, he probably wouldn't have graduated. He probably would be somewhere in a glass box in TRIM getting poked and prodded.

Haviah nights like these made it all worth it. Even if he was being glared at with such vehemence that if looks could kill, this would be the one to do him in.

Vander held up his beer and relaxed his visage, the muscles in his face still twitching into a smirk. And he caught a glimpse of those eyes. A glimpse that turned into a reflective stare. Damn, it was too bad he hadn't noticed those eyes before because he sure as hell couldn't ignore them now. The club's dim lighting, low and warm with reds and cool with blues from the strobe lights by the raised stage platform, reflected over the tempestuous blue-grays.

Vander said nothing, as if he didn't even hear the other guy speak. He just smiled, smirk growing by the second until he set the beer down beside the corner of the bar next to them. "You're an Aizo fan too? Or you just here to let the lights play on those starry eyes of yours? You didn't have to pay 15 credits for that. I'm sure they look amazing in any lighting."

Hopping up onto the barstool next to them, he shrugged and tucked his hands on the seat, cradling them between his legs. "How you been since yesterday? It's good to see you again. To be honest, I didn't think you really got out much!"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 15, 2017, 12:08:34 pm
Thankfully for Loa's sake, the visor that Vander wore kept his eyes hidden pretty well, and with the distracting lights of the club, he didn't realize Vander was staring at any particular part of him, especially not with any kind of... Interest. No, he remained blissfully ignorant, brows only furrowing as he fought the urge to just punch the guy and leave, looking away as no further comments were made; well, until Huxley spoke up.

Wait--his--what? He blinked, looking over at the other man and forgetting that Vander could totally see some of his facial expression now, looked at the guy like he'd just sprouted a second head.

What the fuck?

He was so taken aback by the comment he was utterly silent, completely unsure how to answer. He could feel his cheeks heating up with embarrassmen as he looked away, mostly out of frustration for the fact that such a comment flustered him so easily and it was really, really painfully obvious. So much so, he couldn't even think of a retort. He had absolutely nothing to say--how could he?

This--this guy was just fucking around with him! Had to be. He probably talked like that to everyone, it definitely wasn't worth it to respond. So he moved onto the next comment, albeit a full minute and 30 seconds after Vander had said it.

"I-- don't." He grumbled, disjointed and still confused and conflicted on how to respond.

He was horrible at hiding his emotions without that helmet. He was wishing he wore it--he should have, would have, if he'd have known that he'd just be recognized anyways. At least the bandana covered his face so Vander couldn't see the red tinting his cheeks still. He probably looked like an idiot, he definitely felt like one.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 15, 2017, 12:51:37 pm
Vander didn't make any further comment on his eyes. It was enough to know that they were there and still catching the strobe lights beautifully. Not to mention this guy could barely speak about normal things like food and drinks. Come to think of it, Vander could tell this guy really didn't like him. At all. And maybe this was him just being a glutton for punishment, but he saw no reason he couldn't try and change his mind about that.

"Hey, no sweat then right?" Vander tried to move the conversation along. "Hey, you can have a seat man. Just plop down right next to me. I'm a disaster on the dance floor, so I'm happy to just listen to the music from back here. Unless you wanted to dance? But something tells me you're not all that interested in mingling with the crowd.'

He snorted, had another sip of his beer again. "Sorry for startling you by the way. I've only been listening to this guy for a few months now, and I'm digging all his stuff. I bought every one of his albums so far. Love it. What about you? Do you like this kind of music? Synthy stuff, or what?"

This was getting awkward and Huxley did well to ignore it, mainly because he didn't want to be the one to make this guy feel like he had to tuck himself into a corner. Sometimes it just took one person to pull you out of that protective shell. Even if it was just one person, the world wasn't so bad then. You weren't alone, someone had your back.

"Can I get you something to drink? Maybe another root beer float?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 15, 2017, 01:43:35 pm
Loa couldn't ignore the feeling that was slowly creeping upon him that he felt more and more like a fish out of water, like the air was getting harder to breathe, and it was hard to keep himself from just bolting for the exit door. Why didn't he?

Look he already looked like a pathetic coward there was no need to make it even worse. Even he had SOME honor. Not much, though.

He glanced at Vander only to quickly look away again, hesitating for a moment before he finally gave up and sat on the seat next to him, because it was obvious that yet again this guy wasn't gonna just leave him alone. Fuck, of all people he had to run into here, why'd it have to be him??

"I don't dance." Again, his response was short; every muscle was tense, and he sat up perfectly straight on the bar stool, anything but relaxed. "I... I've been listening to his stuff for a year or two." He had to remind himself to speak up with the loud thrumming of the music. He sure didn't want to but he didn't want to have to repeat himself, either.

At the mention of what kind of music he liked, though, he paused a moment. So that meant that Vander hadn't figured out who exactly lived upstairs just yet--he'd probably heard the music Loa played and worked on when he was shut in up there, without a doubt. But he hadn't connected it to him just yet, and hopefully he wouldn't, ever.

"I guess I enjoy it." The guess part was an honest answer--he'd never really given any thought to whether or not he enjoyed listening to or creating his music; he just kind of did it. It was an escape that Amontillado actually allowed him to do, and the less mental abuse he got from the dragon on how he spent his free time, the better.

He couldn't help but stare at Vander, however, when he asked if he could get Loa a drink, and he didn't bother hiding it.

He'd complimented him (?????), mentioned dancing with him, was asking to buy him a drink--you know, if it was anybody but Loa, they might have wondered if Vander was interested in them.

But it was Loa.

He just thought Vander was being weird.

"A beer would be fine I suppose." He finally gave in, wishing someone would just come into the club right now and shoot him in the face. He felt so stupid and blind.

He took another glance over at Vander and before his brain could check what his mouth was saying, asked "Do you wear that visor to bed, too?" With a somewhat sarcastic tone to his voice. Well. It was an honest question at least.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 15, 2017, 04:09:48 pm
The guy looked like his head was about to pop off his shoulders and roll out onto the dance floor. Now that wasn't a good sign. Vander wasn't sure what to do exactly. So he did what he knew how and that was to lean back against the bar and just chill. What was the point of being high strung, if this guy seemed to have it spades enough for everyone in this room?

Vander shrugged and when at last Loa seemed to relax enough to accept his generosity, he grinned, nodded and maneuvered over to the bartender. Two brewskis freshly popped open and he brought it back over to Loa.  "Okay, here ya go. Cheers to...uh, bomb ass tracks. Yeah!"

Vander handed the bottle over to him and clanked one cool glass to the other and ignored his previously ordered beverage. He'd already paid for it, it wasn't like it would go to waste.  A swig back and he swallowed the sour taste. Oy, not his favorite, but it would do and he leaned back against the bar counter again.

"My visor, oh yeah. I wear it here, there, everywhere!" Vander cackled, throwing his head back and grinning ear to ear. "I mean I don't need it when I'm sleeping. So I can take it off just fine, my eyes don't make out so well without it. I made it back in Candyhood. And have made pretty good improvements to it over the years. I'm a technopath, in case that wasn't clear."

He wasn't sure if it was a dick move to reference it, but he was curious himself. So he pointed upward to Loa's face. "What about you? You cover your face when you go to sleep too? So far, it's a decent looking face. I mean the parts above the bandana."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 16, 2017, 01:34:25 pm
Yknow, Loa couldn't help but wonder what it must be like to have all of those ridiculous amounts of confidence. Was it annoying to him, having to live with it, as it was to Loa for having to endure it?

Probably not. That thought alone irked him a bit.

He watched Vander's every move, almost as if he expected the man to drug him with that beer, though it seemed drastically out of character for him to do so, and Loa didn't actually expect it. He just had no clue what to expect, and that also bothered him.

In the back of his mind he was still horrendously confused about the guy's comments from earlier, and it wasn't about to get any better.

He held the bottle handed to him almost comically still, like a mannequin, as Vander clinked his against it and made as if they were celebrating something, which was dumb, but whatever. He snuck the bottle under his bandanna and took a swig; tasted awful, but it wouldn't be nearly enough to give him even a buzz so what'd it matter?

Loa couldn't help but notice, however, the curve of Vander's neck as he threw his head back and laughed; if he just didn't talk he actually wouldn't be too far off from Loa's type. N-Not that it mattered. He quickly looked away again, using his powers to keep the blood from rising to his cheeks and making him blush again. No. NO. He wasn't having any of that, not tonight. Fuck that.

So it sounded like Vander had some kind of eye problems. Sucked but whatever, none of his business. At least now he knew why the guy looked like a douchebro wearing sunglasses at night all the time.

But then he asked why Loa hid his face all the time; he opened his mouth to make some snide remark but then Vander complimented him.

He stared at him again, completely thrown off and wondering why in the hell he'd just said that. His face? DECENT looking? B-Bullshit. He just--he was just--

He quickly looked away again, eyes suddenly on the floor as he tried and failed miserably to process what was said to him and how to take it and how to respond. Was this a joke? Was he being insulted? What the hell was this?? Why wouldn't this asshole just leave him alone!?

"Phobia." Was all he managed to get out, a blush tinting his cheeks anyways despite his earlier efforts, because he was so confused he forgot to keep his focus.

Suddenly, before he really had any other thoughts or even realized what he was doing, he looked over at Vander, and accusingly asked him "Why the fuck do you keep complimenting me??"

Well.

At least he'd get an answer.

Maybe.

Oh fuck why did he do that why did he say that he was such an idiot oh gods--
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 17, 2017, 01:22:57 pm
Phobia? A phobia of having people see his face?  Didn't this guy realize they lived in the drug capital of the whole goddamn universe? Whatever he had, there was a drug that could fix that. Sure, it was rife with all kinds of side-effects. Maybe he'd end up twitching and saying brazen words at the worst possible moments for a few weeks, but it'd keep him from being...uh, phobic of whatever it was that he was terrified of.

Vander couldn't think of any conscious thing he was afraid of, not off the top of his head. Well, nothing as odd as covering his face. But then again, he was the asshole wearing the visor around his eyes. He didn't care whether or not people saw them. But he did care about whether or not he was able to see them. He was a Pilot now. Even just a Cardinal, he'd graduated and he still wore that visor.

He had the ability to get his eyes fixed, and maybe he would with time. That didn't mean he made enough salary to get it just yet. So what exactly was he afraid of?

Frankly, Loa's question caught him off guard and even Vander hadn't realized he'd been staring at the poor fool until he got all flushed and looked away. Even in the strobe colored lighting he could see the guy just couldn't take a simple conversation.

"Hey, dude. It's cool. I'm sorry," Vander said, and put his hands up, zooming back into the real world and fondled the beer between his middle and index fingers. "I'm just calling it like I see it, that's all. Sorry it bothers you so much."

Vander stood up and took a long swig of the beer until it was empty. Oh, that would hurt coming on the way out, but for now, he wasn't going to leave and not finish his beer. "I don't mean anything by it, bud."  He smiled again and nodded his head toward the door. "Hey, wanna get out of here? Go for a walk? Aizo's cool, but it's getting pretty stuffy. There's this cool ass aquarium place just on upper level. Actually right in this sector too.  You're welcome to come with me.."

Vander hooked his arm out for Loa to take but he figured that was a bit of a stretch and soon relaxed his form.  "It'll be fun. They have sharks. You can't not love sharks."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 17, 2017, 02:11:46 pm
Oh.

Well.

That wasn't exactly what he'd been expecting.

Loa blinked, staring at the man for a moment longer before he too awkwardly looked away when he realized he was looking at him. Considering how pushy Vander had been the day previous, it surprised Loa that he backed off so quickly when he'd just asked a simple question. Had the way he phrased it been too harsh? Tone of voice? He couldn't remember. It was like his brain just blanked out what happened not even three minutes before.

He said he didn't mean anything by it, and Loa wasn't sure if that reassured him or made him... Kind of disappointed.

It'd been just about ten years, sometimes he thought he was allowed to move on, but most of the time he figured it didn't matter cause he wasn't worth it anyways. He kept his mouth shut and finished his beer while Vander finished his. The awkwardness was so thick where it hung in the air between them, it was almost as if one could have stirred it with a spoon like porridge.

Then Vander asked him if he wanted to leave the club, go do something else. It was true, he'd noticed more people filtering in and while it was stressful, Loa had figured in the back of his mind that he'd be fine as long as he stuck to the wall, despite it getting pretty toasty in there. If this guy left then he could at least enjoy the rest of the show in peace--until some other jackass with one too many to drink decided to try and sidle up to him and be funny or something.

It was either that or go spend time with this guy; maybe if he stuck with the club nobody actually would bother him--

Louis, just go socialize for once in your pathetic damn life. Go make some useful connections. Stop wallowing in your self pity for five fucking moments, please.

Amontillado's voice in his head was nothing short of jarring; he had a raspy quality to it that made shivers go up and down your spine, Loa was no exception, and he was the dragon's own damn Pilot.

They had kind of a mutual agreement that neither of them gave a shit what the other did so long as they did their jobs and they did it well; Amontillado didn't care about Loa as a person and never once tried to pretend like he did, that's just how they were. So even Loa felt like crumpling up under a bed with the shame he felt when even his dragon was telling him to go and at least ATTEMPT at being a decent human being.

And if his dragon was telling him he couldn't say no, unless if he wanted to suffer the consequences of it later.

"... Fine." He said, almost a bit too quietly. He stood up, gestured for Vander to lead the way to the door--he wasn't going to hold hands with him or anything weird like that. He wouldn't be caught dead doing something affectionate or cutesy in public, or even in the comfort of his own home.

Once they stepped outside and the cool air hit his face he felt a little better, thinking to Amontillado, There, fine. Happy now? to which he got no response. They rarely communicated, so he wasn't surprised.

"Didn't realize there was an aquarium near here." He said, trying to keep conversation going now that he knew his dragon was paying attention and keeping an eye. If he ever performed poorly in an assigned task he'd have hell to pay later; this now officially counted as one of them.

Why did the world hate him so much?
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 17, 2017, 11:21:42 pm
It was a much nicer place to be if there was nothing else going on for that night. Of course, Haviah being Haviah, there was always something going on. The city never slept. And nightlife was the very lifeblood of the city. If you weren't getting lost in it then something was clearly wrong. Vander couldn't say he was into the club scene. Club Freeze had been the exception, and Aizo the only reason to get out of his apartment if he wasn't training.

"Yeah it's just up this way. It's actually a pretty cool place to just go and chill for a few hours. I don't know how to draw much but if I could, I totally would be drawing some of the mutated creatures there. The whole area is underneath all the water, so you're like walking into huge tunnels and hallways that have things swimming over you."

Vander led the way and when the facility came into view, waved his wrist over the ticket kiosk and gained entry. The stub was tucked into his pocket and he waited for Loa to come along. The overhang was some prehistoric creature's mouth, the doorway leading deep down it's throat. The very thought gave him the creeps.

They passed signs along the way depicting the species on display and Vander grabbed a pamphlet as he passed on by - or rather scanned his phone over the code and it displayed the image on a file and he slowly scrolled on as they went further in, the glass ceiling revealed and the blue soft glow of the creatures moving leisurely on the other side.

Vander didn't say anything, just let the smooth music over the loudspeakers play on, to go with the ambient over all quiet of the aquarium.  Vander occasionally looked over to Loa to see if he was ok, nodding and smiling gently.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 18, 2017, 10:37:30 am
It seemed now that the settled feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach that had been there since pretty much yesterday evening had taken up permanent residence. He was never going to get the chance to live without it ever again, now. This was it. He was doomed.

Okay maybe he was being a little melodramatic, even he could admit that, but still. At the way things were going with this guy, Vander, it didn't bode well for the future. What exactly was life trying to shove off on him now? He didn't want friends, didn't need them. Didn't need to socialize. All other people ever did was get in the way, and in his line of work that was unacceptable.

But perhaps the part that confused him the most of all was the fact that he actually... Didn't really mind the walk over there. It was mostly spent in silence, with Vander answering his question and carrying on with life; he really did back off. And it made Loa feel a tad more comfortable--but only a tad. Things were less confusing when there wasn't any conversation going on; he didn't have to try and decipher the hidden meanings behind everything the other guy was saying when there was nothing being said.

"For a technopath I'd have assumed you draw. Blueprints, and such." He said, relaxing his shoulders, some of the tension slowly ebbing away from him until they reached the entrance.

He looked up, saw the big creature's gaping maw that "welcomed" them inside, and hesitated for just a moment. It was a visual for how he felt about this whole time spent with Vander--like he was stepping blindly and stupidly into the jaws of some great unknown monster and just letting it eat him alive. He had no idea what he was doing, he really shouldn't be here at all.

Yet he waved his wrist over the scanner and stepped inside, crumpling the stub up in the pocket of his leather jacket as they went on in; he ignored the fact that Vander waited for him, unable to make eye contact. His heart was slowly climbing back into his throat as he was once again refilled with more and more regret--

They entered into a tunnel and the form of a great mutated shark swam directly overhead, startling him a little as he looked up and realized all of the thousands of life forms around him. Swimming, living their lives, without the slightest care in the world. The aqua lights, and the way the underwater plants swayed with a mock current was rhythmic and enchanting, and the longer he stood there and watched, eyes wide with a bit of awe, the more he felt inspired to work on a new song.

He wanted to capture this feeling of surprise and wonder and he wanted to make it tangible--something anyone could feel, even without being here.

This was his first time to the aquarium.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 19, 2017, 12:53:16 pm
"Haha. Like little doodles, man, yeah I can do those. But not straight up amazing sketches. I guess I put most of my creativity into a real hands-on approach. I like to fiddle, and just use my doodles for vague reference. I got all kinds of critters just roaming around my apartment. You can come over some time and check the out. Open door policy on that," Vander explained softly, voice just barely above a whisper.

He stepped in closer, just staying within whispering range but far enough away to see those bristling feathers relax about Loa's form. It was a nice form, not bad for a guy that seemed to be a shut-in. Or so he just assumed. Nobody clung to a wall to be dark and mysterious if they wanted to be social.  That was bad vibes 101.

"You like the big ones huh?" Vander commented idly, pointing up to the massive shark that floated through the water, with narrowed squinty eyeballs. "I like hammerheads myself. Or mallet heads I guess you could call them. But that monster could eat them for breakfast."

Vander shifted around to the other side and spotted something hidden in the rockface at the bottom of that side of the exhibit. "Hey, look, an octopus thing.  Creepy. I love it."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 19, 2017, 01:22:38 pm
Loa was so full of naivety and wonder at the vast collection of life surrounded the two of them that for once he didn't notice Vander step closer; didn't notice the quiet voice and the intimacy of the moment--or it would have been intimate, if it was anyone else but Loa.

He blinked, realizing he was just standing there staring like a doofus as he looked to Vander and noticed the closeness in proximity. His heart beat a little faster and his cheeks flushed out of embarrassment for letting his guard drop so easily just because of a few lousy fish.

"A hammer?-- Oh." He looked back at the fish again. "I don't really know much about fish, but I know sharks can track the smell of blood underwater from miles away, or something."

He wondered how the logistics of that actually worked out--how they could smell underwater. To them it was probably the exact same as how it was for Loa to smell something on land, it was just that their brains were built differently. Noses were different. Still, it was kind of neat.

He looked at the creature Vander pointed out to him, taking a moment to find where it was camouflaged between rocks and coral, and when he spotted it he recoiled a little.

"That thing looks disgusting." He said, taking a step away from it, which coincidentally was a step closer to Vander. ".. Wonder if they have any deep sea fish in here. Ever looked at those?" Nasty things. Fish in general were just gross and nasty but some of them could admittedly be very cool.

Either way, he started heading towards the exit of the tunnel to the next showcase, glancing at a sign that said they were going in the direction of an exhibit where you could touch some kind of fish. He glanced back at Vander and pointed to the sign.

"Maybe they'll have some of those bug-eyed goldfish and you can go reunite with your people."

He was making a joke--a joke of all things--about Vander's goggles. He had no idea if it would land or not and the asshole in him didn't really care. But at least he was trying, his dragon couldn't fault him for that.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 20, 2017, 02:25:22 am
"Yeah, he's a weird looking bugger. But he's fucking cool. And with all those tentacles, he can probably stop any asshole from trying to stab him in that big bulbous head. Can karate-chop any mofo that messes with him. Wacha!" Vander whispered harshly. He laughed foolishly at his own joke.

No go? Dang. Well, he tried. Vander awkwardly stuffed his hands into his hoodie and wandered alongside Loa, wherever he went.  It wouldn't do to invite the guy somewhere and then he didn't bother at all sticking by him. That was a dick move if there ever was one. Vander shrugged and adjusted his collar, because maybe the AC was on or all the water around them made the tunnel chilly by default.

"Deep sea fish? Oh nah, never seen one. Let's go check them out. This is just one part of--"

What?  What was that?

Vander paused mid-speech and snorted, glancing over to Loa. "AHahahahahahaha!" he actually cackled, throwing his head back again, and the door attendant glanced back to glower at him.  Vander recovered and snorted, scratching at his cheek. "That was a good one, man. Very clever. Sharp. I like that," he snorted.

"Come on, hammerhead. Let's go look at those deep sea fish. Maybe we'll find some ninja ones with their faces covered too. And don't give me that look," he snickered. He reached out and gently tapped him on the shoulder. "You can tell me all about them. And if not, we can learn about them together."

He shrugged and nudged him forward, deeper into the aquarium, where a separate tunnel dragged them out into a darker section. Down down they went, a ramp spiraling down and there an array of lights igniting the walkway and little light beyond that.

Up and around them were the faint glittering traces of those same deep sea fish fluttering by. "Whoa," he whispered, speaking softly still as if to keep from disturbing the fish.  "I've never seen anything like it. Hey what's that fisherman looking one over there? The one with the thing hanging from its head." The fish themselves' ignited the tunnel with their faint glowing.

Vander had no trouble navigating in the dark, and there was nothing bright short of the walkway. But even that was rather non-invasive, only giving enough to see where they could step and not disturbing the world of darkness around them.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 20, 2017, 05:32:20 am
It'd been a long time since Loa had made anyone laugh, and he had completely forgotten the slight warm, fuzzy feeling one got inside from it. He didn't know how to take it, so he just said nothing, smirking only slightly behind his mask as he let Vander lead the way, the hand on his shoulder still a little stressful.

Ru had had a big laugh like that. Hearty, like he'd been laughing his whole life. Vander's was somewhat similar but it wasn't so deep.He still found the comparison interesting.

The walkway led them down into depths where the walls on either side of them were reinforced every meter or so with heavy metal frames that held the glass panels keeping the water in, if it was glass at all. They had to have been at least two, maybe even three feet thick--Loa found it mind boggling how many immense amounts of pressure was being held back here in order to keep those fish maintained.

Flashes of silver and platinum reflected off the low lighting as eerie fish mingled in the depths; it was impossible to tell how many fish were even around them, and the mystery of it all might have been what made it so creepy.

He glanced at what Vander was looking at and he shrugged. "Anglerfish?" He asked, feeling like that was the right answer--it swam closer and he saw its mouth was full of needle-like spiny teeth and shuddered. On the other side, he saw a length of silvery-taupe slink past them at least 6 feet long.

He nudged Vander and pointed to it as its head passed them; a frilly shark? Something like that, he thought, as he watched the snake-like head glide past, mouth open in an eerie grin, flashes of red inside of its gills and a large, round, reflective eye that seemingly looked nowhere and made the damn thing look possessed.

"If we got in that water right now we would die instantly." He said quietly, being surrounded by creatures that he never should have been able to see by nature's standards making him feel very small and helpless, "Not by the fish--the pressure would make us explode."

He stepped over to a little sign, illuminated by a small blue light, reading it over really quick. "... I guess a lot of these guys don't have bones. Cartilage."

He looked over at Vander, curious to see his reaction before they came to a set of doors that let them into the next exhibit, which made him squint and raise a hand to shield his eyes as they stepped out into normal lighting again. They were surrounded by reefs and sea bedrock, a showcase of the varying plantlife that grew under the water--or used to, rather, Loa realized.

This planet used to be so full of life. It was a little depressing, seeing the wonder and beauty they had chased off of it.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 21, 2017, 01:42:10 am
"That is one terrifying sonuvabitch," Vander admitted, but couldn't help but find himself grinning as he watched that eel-like fish slither on by. The thing cut right through the water like a hot knife through butter. Sure that wasn't an original thought, but it was an accurate enough depiction. Vander didn't know much about life in that world before Aedolis. As far as he was concerned there was no life worth living that wasn't Aedolis.

That wasn't to say he couldn't appreciate the creatures in front of him, or that dark and terrifying world behind the glass. "Wow," he whispered, more in awe of that darkness - and it's sheer vastness than anything else.

He couldn't imagine surviving in that smothered embrace - not the pressure - but the fact that there was no light, no vision. Nothing to be seen for miles and miles. And these creatures not only lived in it but thrived. He reached up, adjusting the edge of his visor to sit more comfortably on his face. It had never felt heavier than it did now.

Once they moved along, the light adjusted with ease through his lenses, and he stuck close enough to Loa. The rest of the exhibit was spent largely in observation, listening to the cued voiceovers, holographic projections, and the e-notes that Vander scanned here and there with his phone. Once the reached the end of it, Vander wandered back to the entrance, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Hey, that was fun man. We've got to hang out again some time. If you wanted! You're pretty smart, but I'm not really surprised you knew more about those fish than I did. Which ones were your favorite?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 26, 2017, 11:42:22 am
Loa found that he preferred the silence between the two of them as they explored an ancient world neither of them would experience in the wild. It left more room for mindless wandering, meaningless thoughts and actual relaxation. A couple times he forgot Vander was there at all, realizing he'd gone quite a ways ahead with something seeming off before he would stop and wait for his... Companion, he supposed, to catch up.

His dragon remained silent throughout the entire adventure, though every now and then Loa felt his presence. It was annoying and they were both aware of it, but Loa didn't question it. Amontillado had his reasons, and he would've shared them by now if he actually wanted to.

When they reached the end of the exhibit, Loa felt a little conflicted. A small part of him agreed when Vander said that it had been fun--well, he might not have said it was fun, but he did enjoy it. To a point. Kind of. Maybe.

"The deep sea fish." He responded simply; he found himself envying them a little. It must be nice to just swim in the blackened depths, your only concern being survival--no more, no less. That sounded very nice.

"I was surprised you didn't just stand there and look at them."

He'd been expecting Vander to look at each one, talk about how cool it was and make noises or narrate the fish's life behind the glass like an annoying teenager trying too hard for attention. Instead, he'd actually listened and read the exhibits, apparently open to learning, which Loa would not have pegged him for in a million years.

Their walk back to their apartments was spent idly chatting about what they'd seen, of course Loa letting Vander do most of the talking. When they said their goodbyes, Loa realized the oddly wholesome sense of satisfaction he felt, found that it bothered him and promptly went to his home upstairs to drown himself in a bottle or two of rum and work on some music inspired by the strange creatures he'd seen.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 26, 2017, 12:17:11 pm
Vander slipped into his apartment, waving Loa goodbye once they reached the Citadel again. The guy had wasn't all bad. And it was evident the aquarium walk had done wonders to make his bristles abate for the evening. The beer he'd bought him probably didn't hurt either. So when Loa actually walked with him, didn't try to make up a lame excuse to get away, or wasn't at all dismissive of Vander's harmless brand of nonsense, it was nice to see he could be chill.

Vander plopped his phone on the counter and then he heard it. That music... Hmmm.  It sounded a lot like Aizo but somehow not. The bassline permeated through and Vander suddenly felt an itch he had to scratch. In the corner was the railgun he'd been working on the other day.

He didn't bother going to bed at a timely hour, and spent the rest of the night fiddling with the weapon for as long as that music kept playing. Vander occasionally glanced up at the ceiling. Whoever that was, he was glad he lived under them. It was either that or he'd have to play his own music in the background.

By the time he passed out, it was on his couch and Vander woke up when he rolled off and landed hard on the floor.

Oh fuck. "Ouchhh!" he hissed. Ah well, there wasn't any point in going back to sleep. Drills all day today and there wouldn't be any other time to hit the gym if he didn't do it do it now. Vander changed quickly, snatched up his backpack and skeddadled down to the ATC before all the good machines were taken.

There were lots of gyms in the ATC. But Vander knew the best one less frequented was the one in the east wing. Being noon though, it wasn't that unusual to see a few people in there for a while. It wasn't that big of a deal. He could take a few people.

He dropped his bag and stripped out of his shirt and hit the treadmill in the front just beside behind the mirrored wall where some of the heavyweight lifters were busy with their squats.

Beads were already dotting his brow and a thin line of sweat trickled down his neck as he ran. He wasn't the tallest guy, but he had firmly cut muscles, each well-defined, from his legs to his shoulders, with more than enough bulk everywhere. Squad life wasn't easy. You couldn't just roll out of bed and carryon with nothing at all.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 26, 2017, 08:05:35 pm
He'd changed his system settings for nights like this: when he finally just fizzled out, fell asleep with his head in his folded arms that rested on his synthesizers. About an hour after inactivity, his computers went to sleep and the lights went out. He twitched and shuddered in his sleep, drifting in and out, remembering things from one year ago or eleven years ago. They would jolt him awake for a few seconds, long enough for him to realize he should probably drag himself to his bed, and then he would pass out again before he could follow through.

Needless to say, it was a stressful, fitful sleep.

When he did wake up, he wiped the drool crusted on the corners of his mouth from his face, sneering at himself in contempt as he tried to get up from the bench seat at his desk before stumbling over it and falling on the floor. Every muscle and bone ached, and in the back of his mind he heard his dragon guffaw and laugh at him.

Thanks, thanks a lot.

The sound of an important ringing on his phone got his attention, and he scrambled to get himself upright on two feet again to grab it in time. He had a mission briefing, today. Finally. Now he had a real excuse to stop playing around with that Vander guy and actually get back to business--and he sensed it, much to his dragon's irritation.

He took a quick shower, not bothering to shave the stubble on his face since he seemed to have a permanent five o'clock shadow anyways, and got dressed in his uniform, helmet on as he headed to the ATC to get his head in the game before he went in to meet his superiors.

What are you up to, dragon? He thought to Amontillado, expecting no answer.

I'm tired of the others mocking me for having a basement dweller as a pilot.

... Well.

It wasn't wrong. Now he wished he hadn't asked.

So he wanted Loa to be a more sociable Pilot; it was no surprise, Amontillado had told him from the get-go he wanted a Pilot who would get somewhere. You didn't get somewhere without knowing anybody, and his dragon was tired of waiting for Loa to change on his own, so when he saw the opportunity he jumped on it. Or rather, made Loa jump for--

He had been walking past one of the lesser populated gyms, figuring he could always practice kickboxing for a bit to get those silly thoughts about socializing with people out of his head. Or, he could have, he might not be able to now, thanks to who he saw inside. He didn't even notice that he'd stopped in his tracks. His helmet might have kept where he was staring a mystery but his body language spoke well enough to what he was so fixated on.

He saw Vander in there, running on a treadmill with sweat rolling down the gentle slopes and dips of muscles, which he could see all too well because... He was shirtless.

Loa's throat went a little dry and he finally jerked his gaze away, forcing himself to start walking again, refusing to look back. He'd find a different gym, he couldn't--no. He wouldn't. No. Nope. NO.

Louis you're unintentionally hilarious.

Loa felt the heat rising in his cheeks. Shut up now every dragon will know!

Know what?

N--Absolutely nothing.

He decided to bypass the gyms completely and instead found his way to the cafeteria, grabbing himself a cold water before locking himself inside of one of the lead rooms to try and pull himself together in isolation, make his heart stop fluttering. Stupid fucking man. He had to get his shit together and stay focused--every mission was important, requiring all of his focus, and this one would surely be no different. It took him a little bit longer than it normally would have to calm down and think only about business, it almost made him late to his briefing, much to his dragon's amusement.

This mission kept him away from Haviah for a few days, mostly do to travel, but also because he specialized in more delicate work, rather than just going in and shooting up the bad guy he had to sneak in, give the bad guy a literal heart attack and sneak back out to cause as little fuss as possible.

It was a welcome vacation, honestly. More time spent by himself, trusting no one, hardly speaking to anyone but his dragon or reporting in with progress. Everything went as smoothly as one could hope for an assassination, though he didn't come away completely unscathed, sporting a nice new cut on his upper bicep and across his chest. Nothing too serious so he didn't need to go to the hospital--just a couple of cuts in his uniform and a bit of blood. He just headed straight for his apartment once he got back after filing his reports, falling back into old habits and forgetting entirely that Vander even existed.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 27, 2017, 01:27:07 am
Drills. Drills. Drills. And oh look there were more drills.

He ate, slept when he passed out, and when the drills were over, he came around and flopped onto his couch until it just about had a permanent imprint of his ass on the cushions. And finally - finally!! - after several days there was a day off. Yet there he was, passed out on his couch, snoring lightly until he fell off yet again.

"I really gotta start sleeping in my own bed," he griped. Vander slumped over to the door. It was probably better to go outside maybe. Get some fresh air. Maybe get a coffee. Yes, because that's what people did right?  Yeah, it was good to experience something close to sunlight.

Or whatever it was these Citadel lights were. Or he would have if he didn't immediately bump into a solid body as he opened his door to step out of it. He paused and leaned back against the door jam. "Huh?"

What the hell?

Blood on his shirt. A lot of blood. Whoa, and it wasn't him!  Vander peeked up, seeing that familiar helmet and seeing the shorter man, the posture, and the blood. Again. Vander's stomach turned a little. Not at the sight of blood but the fact that this man clearly needed stitches and somehow just was meandering through the hallway like nothing - NOTHING!. What an idiot.

"Dude! What the fuck. Loa, hey. Buddy!" Vander waved his hand in front of his helmet. "Hey, dude. You know you're bleeding right? And like more than is good for people to bleed. Don't you need stitches or something?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 27, 2017, 06:46:56 pm
Each step felt weighed down with solid cement blocks on his feet. Every muscle felt heavy, even his skin was sore. He wondered briefly if this must be what it felt like to be a zombie, if those were a thing.

Actually, he could probably make one if the corpse was fresh enough, but it'd be more of a puppet and he would have to work out the logistics of using bloodflow to correlate with muscle movements which might not be something he could control, actually he probably couldn't control that at all, but maybe with a bit of telekinesis it wasn't entirely impos--

He'd been so wrapped up in his own outlandish thoughts--nothing serious, just something to think about while he meandered up to the next elevator, really--he didn't hear one of the apartment doors open, and it didn't occur to him until several seconds after the fact that he'd run into somebody. The only actual thing that made him realize was the fact that he had stumbled and ended up on the floor.

Shit, he'd lost his focus when he'd been thinking about the stupid zombie thing and started losing blood again. Everything had been fine until he got sidetracked and ran into this idiot.

"Watch where you're going, you--" He looked up and recognized the voice.

Oh--oh. Right. Vander. He existed. He didn't just stop magically existing because Loa hadn't seen him for a few days; fuckin hell Loa, what, do you have the mentality of a baby?

He stared up at the man blankly for a moment or two before he registered, delayed, that he was being spoken to. His ears were ringing a little bit; hey he'd come home looking way worse before and been just fine.

He forced himself to his feet, feeling a little woozy and swaying just slightly but he was fine, it was fine. He'd been through worse.

"Oh, fuck off I'm fine." He growled, getting his focus back together to suppress the blood flow trying to escape through the open wounds, it was the same concept as putting pressure on it to get it to stop, only he didn't need the physical pressure. If he focused and held it long enough his body would naturally regenerate like any other person's, he just had to be patient, that was all.

And not sleep for a few more hours so he could keep his concentration.

He'd been through worse, dammit.

Either way, he started to walk away again, determined to get to his apartment despite his slight trembling.

"Sorry about your shirt." He grumbled in passing, except he wasn't really that sorry.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 28, 2017, 01:11:28 am
"Oh fuck my shirt, it's a shirt! Dude! You're bleeeeding. Dunno if you know what that means, but for some other folks is means a wound should be dressed. Besides, I owe you one for not being able to drag you around for the last few days," Vander forced himself to laugh and yanked Loa on through the doorway and into his apartment.

It wasn't easy to move the guy. He was kind of small and didn't really have any physical strength to push away. Sure he figured he could just make his blood really itchy and tingly and writhing all on the ground and he could make his great escape.

"Look, uhh. You're going to have to get out of that flight suit man. Just the top half ok. You can use the bathroom to peel yourself out of it and keep your helmet on if you want. That's totally cool," he nodded to him. "Don't mind the little bots, they have bumper sensors to avoid being stepped on."

Vander snorted and went about putting a pot of hot water in the sink and preparing some towels. Yeah sure, he was a hemokinetic, probably a good one, but the guy seemed way too dazed and tired to deal with that kind of shit right away. And If he wasn't going to a hospital the least he could do was keep the poor schlub from bleeding in the middle of the hallway.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 28, 2017, 01:31:55 am
Well, it looked like Loa just wasn't allowed to escape Vander's clutches whenever the two of them made eye contact. And fortunately for Vander, Loa was dazed and tired enough that he couldn't really fight back as he was literally dragged into the man's apartment, which, to no one's surprise, was a fucking mess.

He blinked and stared dumbly for a moment at the chaos-- all the little robots moving around, doing gods knew what, minding their own business whilst being completely unsupervised. He was told to go to the bathroom, so after a moment he just growled and gave in, locking himself in and doing as he was told.

The flight suit was peeled off, and so was his helmet; he'd worn it quite a lot over the past few days and even he had to admit it got stuffy in there.

He shook his head, glancing down at his arms and noticing he was a bit more pale than usual--and that was saying something, usually he didn't have much color to his palette at all. He glanced up at the mirror, seeing his own face looking back at him and he grit his teeth, forgetting for a moment that he wasn't in his own apartment as he drew his hand back to break the glass, before a sound Vander made outside reminded him. Hell, he was just about delirious, wasn't he? Had he really lost that much?

He covered his face with his hand and glanced down at his open wounds, growling at them. Two mistakes that Amontillado had already berated him for and probably would continue to do so as soon as Loa was feeling better. And now he not only had to listen to the wrath of his dragon, but he also had to deal with Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes out there trying to take care of him like he was a child or something.

When he emerged from the bathroom his helmet was back on and his flight suit removed; he usually wore under armor underneath it, so he still had pants on but he'd kept the shirt off. He wasn't exactly built like a brick house, and while he might have been shorter than Vander it was obvious he could hold his own in hand to hand combat, with muscles taught from no doubt a lot of intense training. His skin was so ghostly pale it was almost pure white, though it had a bit of a gray cast to it that made it hard to tell if that was blood loss or just his natural coloring. He had a lot of scars, the most prominent ones being suspicious-looking claw marks on his chest and upper back.

"Let's get this over with, where do you want me?" He grumbled, the blood on his chest smeared and drying; the wounds were still clearly open but the fresh blood inside of them wasn't oozing out like it should have, clearly his own work of holding it back just under the surface. At least he wasn't making too much of a mess.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 28, 2017, 02:01:11 am
"On the couch. Just shove that blanket off to the side," Vander gestured. Right, training for this in the squad had been a particularly lazy day. He wasn't the medic but the basic dressing of wounds in the field was just common sense. Clean it up, disinfect, and slap a bandage on it. Right? Any idiot could do that. Nevermind the workbench with his mess on it, Vander had hands that could take care of tender delicate messes.

His gun was in pieces but that didn't mean he wasn't accustomed to working with small moving parts. He waited long enough for the water to actually finish boiling and meanwhile pulled out a small medkit he had in a cabinet in the kitchen. Needle and thread. He'd had to stitch his own wounds in Candyhood, so it wasn't that big of a deal here.

The nurse was usually backed up with other people that had their lips busted and noses broken from assholes that didn't like you or were trying to put you down.

"Damn dude. Deep cuts. Respect though," he murmured, after he sat down on the coffee table. A hand tucked underneath pulled the table closer so that he had Loa's knees between his legs and he was close enough to better examine the wound. "Do you trust me?" he murmured. "Enough to help you? Ah, moot question, but it still stands. I'm gonna have to touch you, ok. Sorry in advance, my friend."

Vander was quiet and beside him on a cutting board, the heated pot of water remained, where he dipped the cloth and gently patted it around Loa's cut on his chest. Better to get the big ones first. The guy was cut, and well, he was cut. He wasn't at all unattractive, it was just too bad he had to hide his face though. Being this close would have given him a chance to look into his eyes. They were such a nice blue. He couldn't help but admire them.

He glanced up and met the visor of that helmet, smirking a little as he cleaned off the dried out blood and pulled out a small apparatus that resembled a staple gun. Everything in the medkit was still brand new, and Vander didn't say anything still and kept his touches light and even. The staples were light and airy things, little more than light pinches as he ran it down the length of the wound, and there were small lines of biodegradable threading that would keep the wound closed until it properly healed and fall away as time went on.

"So, hot shot, how'd you get these wounds? Being bad ass, I'm assuming?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 28, 2017, 02:12:59 pm
Loa begrudgingly did as he was told, carefully stepping around the mess to perch on the couch and wait. He watched Vander move about as the water got to boiling, his eyes never leaving the man, his posture stick straight; alert, on guard.

Sitting definitely helped him keep his focus, though the little bots that were puttering around the apartment were good at trying to be distracting.

He said nothing as Vander came over, sitting on the table and scooting close. With his shirt off, he could feel the slight changes in the air and temperature between the two of them, and the grip he had where his hands rested on his knees tightened a little bit.

He'd forgotten how much he didn't miss this, this closeness in proximity to another person. He wasn't sure how to feel about it, so naturally his heartbeat sped up a little, purely out of being conflicted. He hated it.

Vander asked if he trusted him and Loa opened his mouth to blatantly tell him no, but the man kept going before he could respond, so he just clenched his teeth and tried to gaze anywhere else in the room that wasn't the man's face.

"Just get it over with."

He didn't react as the hot cloth was used to wipe away the dried blood that crusted his skin, and didn't flinch as the staples were brought into the equation. He'd done this plenty of times before, both of them had, he was sure, and this pain was minimal in comparison to Amontillado's temper tantrums.

He caught Vander smirking at him and his eyebrows knitted closer together with disapproval. The hell was he smirking at? Nevermind, Loa didn't wanna know. Probably something stupid, or perverted.

"On a mission." Was all he said in response to the man's question. "Confidential."

He paused for a moment, before deciding to continue.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." It was... A joke. Of sorts.

Only half a joke because he knew there was a part of him that would have delighted in killing Vander and ridding himself of the nuisance so he could keep whatever little sanity he had left. Unfortunately, that part of him was much smaller than he would ever willingly admit. He would also never admit to anyone, including himself, that deep down he kind of enjoyed the company.

Human beings weren't really meant to be truly alone, no matter how much Loa tried to prove to himself otherwise.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 28, 2017, 02:29:24 pm
"Haha!" Vander actually cackled. Not because he thought the joke was particularly funny. Death threats generally were no joking matter. But the fact that this guy needed to make one even after he was helping stitch up his wounds said lots. "Ok fair enough. I'll leave you to your tantalizing mysteries. You can tell me about them another time."

He wasn't really going to hold him to tbat. The guy seemed to have a hard time with basic communication skills. So expecting that much was less productive than squeezing water from a stone. Vander just quietly finished up the stitching and gently patted above his arm.

"All good there, Loa. Say, since you're here and kind of look like shit, why don't you just take a load off and have a beer? Huh? It's my day off. I was going to run down and pick up some snacks. You can come with or stay here. Watch some movie. What do you say? "

He grinned and got up, putting the medkit away and washing his hands. "Hey what kind of toppings do you like on your pizza? I'll order one of those instead."

Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 28, 2017, 02:44:39 pm
Without even realizing it, Loa smirked to himself when Vander laughed, a bit proud that the joke he'd intended to be funny actually kind of came off that way. Or Vander was laughing at his pathetic attempt, aaaand the smirk was gone. But the atmosphere between the two of them definitely lightened up a bit after that, even Louis could sense it.

He looked down, examining Vander's handiwork and finding it not as sloppy as he expected, and blinked when the man spoke again with a proposition. He looked up at him, instantly thinking to tell him no, before he hesitated.

He really was pretty exhausted, and getting up to go trudge up to his apartment didn't sound ideal now that he was already sitting. He just really didn't want to wear this flight helmet any longer, but he couldn't just take it off and be done with it--absolutely not. The mere thought of doing so made his anxiety start to swell up, maybe he should just go home--

Well, wait. He might've had a bandana in the pocket of his flight suit, if it hadn't been cut or soiled by blood yet that was.

Even showing his eyes made him feel a little queasy, but it definitely sounded more comfortable, and...

And he could spend more time with Vander.

NOT THAT HE ENJOYED IT OR ANYTHING. It would probably just, just make Amon a little less likely to throw a fit later if he kept socializing. Totally, yes. That's how he'd justify it to himself.

"... Fine. I just don't like onions, or pineapple."

He stood up, grunting with the pain of moving, and went over to the bathroom where he'd left his clothes neatly folded on the floor outside. Crouching down he dug around in the pockets, finding the bandana and hesitating a moment. If he went into the bathroom and closed the door just to take the helmet off he'd seem even weirder than he already was, and for some reason he actually cared if he seemed weird to Vander right now, so...

He quickly took the helmet off, giving his black hair a shake with his back to Vander before he quickly tied the bandana around his face, hoping to do so quickly enough that the man wouldn't notice or get a chance to see anything.

He pawed through his clothing again, finding his undershirt was also cut and soaked with blood, which meant he'd just have to stay shirtless unless if the man wanted to graciously donate some clothes, and Loa wasn't sure how he'd feel about it if he did.

"So, what movie were you thinking of?" He asked, standing upright and looking over at him, hooking a thumb in the waistband of his pants.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 29, 2017, 12:35:35 am
"No onions, no pineapple. Got it. So you don't like to live dangerously, all right then," he nodded as he went along and began dialing the local pizza joint just a few blocks down. It was a mom and pop gig that he frequented here and there - the family of a Candidate he knew way back then and had gotten TRIM'd - and liked their pie enough to make the order directly from them.

He didn't mind at all. And let Loa vanish into the bathroom to do his thing. Whatever that was. There wasn't any judgment because who was Vander to call him out on it.

"Yeah, just pepperoni and peppers would be great! Yeah and extra spicy sauce on one half will ya? Thanks man. I owe you one. Awesome, see you in twenty minutes then," Vander hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.  Oh those little critters weren't going to be letting up any time soon.

"Okay guys, time to settle in we have a guest," he shouted out loud and as if on cue the little robots began to put themselves away.  A few of them like the vaccuum continued to rove about the apartment going about it's business until Vander glared at it and the flat disk like machine roved under the couch.

Vander met Loa's gaze again, this time helmet-less. But still covered. Yup, he was a bandana guy, eh. "Oh, it's a great cyborg flick. About a cop that has to hunt down synthetic humans. But it has a lot action and drama in it too. Feels a lot like a neo noir. Pretty cool sound track I think you'll dig it a lot. It's not Aizo, but it's close enough.  Called Razor's Edge. It's really cool," Vander explained as he went about setting the movie up.

"You look...uhh, you kinda chilly?  Well, since I'm all bloodied up, I guess I better change too. I'll get you something to cover up with. It can get pretty cold in here." Vander disappeared into the hallway passed Loa and was gone for a few minutes. When he came back he was in a sweatshirt and he offered Loa a dark green T-shirt with a metal band called Mortal Coil. "Try that on. Should fit ok.  Hey, make yourself at home, Loa, and do you want a beer or something? I've got plenty to share."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 29, 2017, 12:44:19 pm
Didn't like to live dangerously? Loa's eyebrow twitched, some of his pride as a man a little offended by that. He was a bloody Pilot for fuck's sake, wasn't that living dangerously enough?

Either way, he listened idly as Vander placed the order on the phone, assuming he must frequent this pizza place often with how familiarly he spoke to the person on the other end. He wasn't sure if that was admirable or pathetic. Could he not even cook for himself? Well, it wasn't any of Loa's business.

He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against a wall as he watched Vander go about his business, watching with an eyebrow raised as all the little bots went scurrying away, disappearing into so many different places at once he couldn't keep track; one minute they were in an apartment teeming with artificial life, the next, it was like it was a barren desert and they were the only two souls in it. He felt a slight bit of disappointment, at how quiet it got. Now it was barely any different than his own apartment.

... W-Which was fine. His apartment was fine. Everything was fine.

"Razor's Edge, huh?" He echoed, scratching his cheek under the bandanna, the sound of his nails against stubble unmistakable. "Sounds interesting I guess."

He didn't really... Watch movies. Or do anything recreational, other than bum around on the interwebs and make music sometimes. And drink, but he was sure alcoholism wasn't something to be considered recreational in his case. More like an addiction and a problem.

He blinked when the man asked if he looked chilly; did he? He glanced down at himself, noting how pale he was, but that was normal. Before he could really say anything though, the man had moved off into another room and he didn't really know what else to do except stand there and wait. He hadn't been inside another person's home for a really, really long time. It felt... Weird. Like he was intruding. Awkward.

He probably should've just gone home.

He looked around while Vander was gone, with eyes only of course, noting the messes and all the mechanical parts and pieces lying around, half-finished, barely started. But a little intriguing nonetheless; he didn't understand any of it, he was about as good with making technology as he was making friends--he wasn't. So when Vander came back he didn't ask about any of it, only taking the shirt handed to him and examining it for a moment with another raised eyebrow before he pulled it on over his head. It fit well enough, he supposed. It smelled like Vander, and that alone was enough to make his cheeks warm up a bit. Fuck.

He wandered over to the couch, sitting down and nodding when he was offered the choice of a beer; he'd been planning to go back up to his own apartment and drink originally anyways, and while a beer was way lighter than what he normally had, it would do for now.

Still, it'd been so long since he'd been someone's guest, he didn't really know what to say or do except sit there awkwardly, and the awkwardness was much more unwanted than he'd care to admit. But what could he even begin to make conversation about?

"So... Those little robots everywhere, you made them? What do they do?" He finally ground out, just something to keep the conversation from falling into silence and dying, because even though he didn't realize it, he much preferred the familiarity he heard in Vander's voice to the sound of nothing at all.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 29, 2017, 01:32:25 pm
If he'd known that Loa at all appreciated the noise those little mechanical critters made, he probably would have kept them roving about the place, but the movie was going to start soon, however, and he didn't want them getting stepped on should Loa decide one of them was more of a nuisance than the rest. They didn't do anything harmful to anyone - even if repairing and maintaining them was an easy task for the Harpy.

With thumb and index finger and middle, he hooked two beers in his hand and plucked them from the fridge A handy wall clip hooked the bottle top off and dropped it into a metal bin at the base of it. Stepping on over to the couch, he pushed away the coffee table with his legs and set the beers down. "Here ya go, Loa," he grinned.

The remote started up the movie and soft synth music played in the background. A cityscape, not unlike Haviah from the looks of it, and transport ships gliding through the air between massive advertising billboards, holographic models, neon everywhere.

"Those little critters, yeah I made 'em," he nodded, taking his own beer and clinking it lightly against Loa's because it was bad luck to drink without honoring the beverage of your guest. "They do anything I tell them to do. I can talk to them and they sometimes talk back - I know it's a machine, but what I mean is I interface with them and program them to do just little things around the apartment.  I modified my coffee maker to function on it's own. It has a timer and makes a brew just right.

"I also have a little machine that vacuums up pizza crumbs and the like," he nodded. "When it's full, it beeps and another little critter comes along and empties out the dustpan in the back and chucks that into the wastebasket in the kitchen."

He smiled and took a sip of the beer. The pizza should be here sometime soon, but there was no rush. He was just hungry.  "But they know the rules. When we have guests, they make themselves scarce. But also I don't want them to get stepped on. They're harmless little buggers, and I fix 'em up and improve them between drills and work. I guess to say I'm a techie is putting it lightly."

He shrugged and settled into the couch, kicking his shoes off and sipping the beer again. "What about yourself? You like the latest and greatest tech? Or you don't have much interest in that stuff?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on September 29, 2017, 09:10:47 pm
Loa watched Vander across the apartment as he rummaged around in the fridge, making sure he kept his eyes on the man's shoulders rather than his ass, and then to the tv as Vander came over--he sure as shit didn't want to be caught obviously looking at the guy, would he? That'd be weird. And awkward.

He took the beer offered to him, feeling the weight of his host sit down on the couch and leaning over to clink their beers together, which Loa hesitated to do, but did anyways if it was what was going to make this guy happy. Whatever. It was odd how it was only the second time they'd had drinks together and it was already... Starting to kind of feel familiar.

He looked over at him out of the corners of his eyes while Vander answered his question, brows furrowing with a slight look of disbelief. You'd think it'd just be easier to make the coffee yourself, considering how much time he'd probably spent making the little buggers, it seemed unnecessary. But he seemed to enjoy talking about them.

Yeah, a techie. "Yeah, that's putting it lightly." He grumbled his agreement, turning his gaze back to the tv as the movie went on. "Guess you have company over fairly often then." Since he had rules for the little bots and all that. It was just a guess.

He blinked, glancing over at Vander when he was asked if he knew about tech much himself. "Me? No--I'm as good at building things or making shit as I am at having a social life." Well at least he could be honest with himself, that was always a start. "I just play around with instruments sometimes." When he wasn't passed out on the floor with a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

He took a swig of beer, attention turning more to the movie as characters started to appear and plot began to develop. He barely noticed Vander get up to go get the pizza until the man sat back down next to him with the box, the smell wafting over and making him realize there was a world outside the tv, and boy it smelled good. He hadn't realized how hungry he actually was until he could smell food in front of his face; it'd be tricky eating it without removing the bandana, but he'd manage.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on September 30, 2017, 11:49:09 pm
So far so good. He'd accepted the stitches without so much as a complaint. Accepted a beer without throwing it in his face. And hopefully he could enjoy a few slices of pizza without throwing it onto his lap and making it burn his junk.  Not having burned junk was always nice. That was the general goal of day to day life.

Vander didn't really have any expectations, and tried not to walk on eggshells around the guy. He seemed to fidget enough well on his own. Just relaxing normally against that couch with a pizza on the table and a cold beer in his hand. Really Vander couldn't think of a better way to spend his day off.

That railgun could wait. It was almost finished anyway, an the last few improvements could be spent on during the long nights after drills and squad work.

"Oh yeah yeah, I remember you liked synth like Aizo. Music your thing huh? That's pretty cool. Maybe you could play some for me sometime. Just some time. No pressure, though," he said and winked at Loa, making sure to keep his eyes forward as he took a bite of his pizza and sipping his beer.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 01, 2017, 10:59:11 am
"... Yeah..." Loa fell quiet, ignoring the wink Vander had given him in favor of over-analyzing the situation like he did with everything.

So, Vander hadn't figured out Loa lived right upstairs yet, huh? He probably would've blurted it out the moment he came to the realization so maybe that was a good thing. Part of his life was still secret, private and safe, and he let out the tiniest sigh of relief after he finished the last bite of his pizza, leaning back into the couch and trying to ignore the man sitting next to him.

He'd never played for anybody before, he had no intention of doing such a thing. His music wasn't really anything to write home about anyways, and Vander had already heard it, probably didn't even care for it that much even though he didn't realize it. Well, if the floors were as thin as they seemed; he'd definitely heard some of this guy's music playing downstairs, heard him tinkering and playing with things. So it had to work the other way around, even though he tried to keep things quiet. Such was life.

Everything was always a double-sided coin.

He eventually let himself get wrapped up in the movie again, and even though he found the plot intriguing, after a few days of hard work and the wounds, he started to pay attention less and less, eventually drifting off to sleep with his head kind of crooked on the couch. At the very least he didn't snore.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 06, 2017, 05:10:14 pm
Vander always got a little bit more sleepy after a heavy meal like pizza. It made passing out on his couch after a long day's work all that much more bearable, but for now it was something he didn't really want to sleep for. He had company dammit and he was having a harder and harder time trying to keep his heavy eyelids open until he felt something slumping against him.

He didn't even remember how he laid down in the crook of the sofa and just let himself sink in. Something else was laying on him and only when he felt a kink in his neck did he made a noise and he lifted his head up to see Loa's head slumped against him. He didn't bother moving. He kind of liked the warmth and the tv had reset itself to regular boring shit once the movie was done streaming.

Vander said nothing and just carefully adjusted himself to get better situated on the couch. It was a great couch for napping anyway.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 08, 2017, 02:38:16 pm
Considering the long week he'd had, and how he simply refused to take care of himself and just let those wounds drag his body down, it would've been surprising to no one that he just kind of passed out. It wasn't a simple nap for him, he was out cold.

Rare was a night where he didn't toss and turn, waking up from nightmares and trying to go back to sleep afterwards, wasting who knew how many hours in just laying there, staring at his ceiling wishing everything would just stop. Not necessarily that it would end, but that it would stop. Stop being so hard, so lonely, that he would stop being... Him. The way he was.

Right now though he didn't have to think about any of that; all he did was sleep soundly, eventually turning his body so he was laying more directly on Vander, head on his chest. The warmth was strange but so oddly comforting. He briefly recalled in his sleepy mind the times when he and Ru were kids and they'd have sleepovers, mostly at Ru's house. His family had always been so nice. Loa had always liked to sneak over to Ru after he was asleep and just sit or lay by him, enjoying the warmth like he was right now.

It wasn't until 6 or 7 AM that Loa finally started to stir, sleep crusting his eyes as he raised a hand to wipe it away; his shoulder hurt from laying in an odd position, draped on top of... OH. OH THAT WASN'T A COUCH.

He froze in mild horror as he realized he was laying directly on top of Vander, his heart leaping up into his throat as panic made every muscle lock in place. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuck what did he do? If he moved, would Vander wake up? Had Vander been awake when he fell asleep? Why the fuck did he fall asleep? How could he? Wait--

His eyes got a little wider. Bandanna. Where was it. It was gone oh fuck--

He started to move in panic to find it before he realized his movements, here again, might wake the guy underneath him. And then Vander would see his face, what he really looked like. That was infinitely worse than him waking up to Loa sleeping on him.

He took in a deep breath to try and momentarily quell the panic trying to drown him as he looked with eyes only around the couch, on the floor, seeing if he could spot it anywhere. He reached up with a trembling hand and tentatively felt around his neck, wondering if maybe it had--oh thank the gods. It had slid down. He had it.

He quickly reached up, pulling it off to retie it around his face, sitting up a little better so he was sitting on Vander's hips. Finally he was able to assess the situation a little better, although he was still groggy as fuck. He looked down at the guy currently underneath him and tried to ignore how that thought made his heart flutter a bit. Hell. How hard could this guy sleep, anyways?

He just didn't know what to do now. If he got up, Vander might wake up. If he stayed there, Vander would eventually wake up anyways. What did he do? What the hell was he supposed to do?? He was never coming here again. Fuck this it wasn't worth it.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 08, 2017, 03:08:12 pm
Vander didn't wanna get up. Didn't want to wake up even if the kink in his neck was getting even worse and if he was going to be late to his morning work out. Better get that in before drills today. Fuck!  But then again, when he slept, he tended to pass out really hard. Especially if he had pizza in him.

Oi, that kink was going to be bothering him all day.

Vander felt something on top of him and slowly, very very slowly, his eyes fluttered open. He moved, very gently. No sudden jerks of motion as he recognized it was Loa and his hands came up and settled on his hips. The action of squeezing them hadn't been anything consciously provocative, but his fingers added pressure to Loa's hips never the less and he just looked up at him in that quiet moment.

He couldn't see his face, but his eyes said plenty and the light coming through the small slits in the blinds played on that disheveled mop of wavy black hair. Vander just laid there and soon reached up to push the visor from his face, forgetting in that time that sleeping in it was really uncomfortable.

With it, he couldn't see Loa's face anymore, but he closed his eyes anyway and rubbed at the crusts in the corners of his eyes.  The impression of the visor lightly impressed in his cheeks and temples.

"Morning," he murmured softly. "Want some coffee?"  And just then, on its timer, the machines that fixed the coffee began brewing it and the scent filled the apartment.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 08, 2017, 03:35:42 pm
FUCK.

He looked down and saw that Vander was stirring, although it was hard to see since he was wearing that visor even to bed. He hadn't been fast enough, he was literally caught sitting on the man and he froze up in panic, eyes wide as his brain just stopped functioning for a good thirty seconds in horror.

Of course, thirty seconds was all it took for Vander to place his hands on Loa's hips, a movement that shocked the Pilot Echo so bad he was just plain confused, glancing down as his guard was momentarily dropped and then--

Pressure was placed on said hips as Vander, for some unknown reason, squeezed, and the sensation sent a tingling rush up Loa's spine that made his breath hitch and he--

--moaned.

Something nobody knew about Loa was one simple fact that might come as a surprise, or might not--he was still a virgin.

He had no clue about any apparent spots on his body that were triggers or sensitive or anything of the sort. He had no idea. So when that sound came out of him he was so horrendously confused and utterly mortified he couldn't even answer Vander's question. Hadn't even heard him ask it, to be perfectly honest.

All he could think was WHAT......... THE FUCK.......... WAS THAT?

At some point he'd covered his mouth with his hand in shock despite the fact that he was wearing a bandanna and Vander couldn't see his face anyways. He was literally so petrified he couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't do anything. This had never happened to him before. What was going on? What was that?! WHAT THE FUCK WAS HE SUPPOSED TO DO? His little interaction with people was of zero help here, he had no idea what to do, what to say, how to even breathe at this moment.

He was so horrified he couldn't even process enough to think to run. He just sat there. Stunned. Like a deer in headlights.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 08, 2017, 04:06:10 pm
Vander couldn't see, not clearly anyway without his visor, but he didn't have to know feel the weight of the man on top of him. He sat up, well, more like leaned up on his elbows and had set his visor on the side. He didn't need to see to feel something pressing against him and knowing more or less where Loa's face last was. And the fact that it was probably covered in that bandanna of his.

What...what was that?  Vander didn't even say anything regarding that and just reached for his visor again, slipping it over his head. "You okay there, buddy?" he finally spoke, slipping his hands on his hips again. The squeeze this time was more out of comfort and that's when he felt it.

Something

Pressing against his lower abdomen and Vander saw the hard-on pressing against Loa's pants. What? Oh...  The hip squeeze did it then?  It wasn't an unpleasant sound and the fact that Loa didn't even move left everything to all sorts of confusion. He pushed himself up to actually sit against Loa and he just smiled softly. "I'll get the coffee," he said with a gentle tone, not bringing attention to any more awkwardness.

Gently he pried Loa off and fixed his clothes before going to the pot and poured two cups. He wasn't sure how Loa took it but he fixed them both with two heavy dollops of creamer and stirred them before going back to the coffee table and setting it down there.

"Hey, I gotta take a piss. IF you...uh, wanna take care of your 'situation' there...." Vander pointed to Loa's groin. "Take all the time you need."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 08, 2017, 04:25:18 pm
Oh gods. He noticed.

Of course he would notice, Loa, how the hell would he not when the only other sounds in the apartment was that of the coffee maker!?

Vander started to prop himself up better and Loa thought for a half second to smack his visor away so he wouldn't be able to see the traumatized look on the assassin's face, but he was too little too late once again and Vander asked if he was okay and started to put his hands on his hips again. This time Loa reacted, but, "D-Don't--"

He gasped as the tingling sensation ran through him again and he realized he'd never wanted to die more than he did in this moment, right here, right now, blood rushing up to his cheeks in a horrible blush and then running south as he realized too late until Vander had pried him off and set him down on the couch again. Quickly he got a hold of himself enough to use those blood powers of his to make that thing go away, just in time for Vander to set down the coffee cup. But before the technopath could even finish speaking Loa was up and darting out of the apartment, door shutting a bit loudly behind him.

He couldn't even apologize, couldn't say a single word. He just bolted, like the coward he was, all the way up to his own apartment which he tried to sneak into as quietly as possible. The last thing he needed was for Vander to find out now, of all times, he lived directly above him. That would be the absolute worst, and would just make everything more awkward than it already was.

He shut himself up in his room, completely forgetting he'd forgotten his flight suit and helmet in Huxley's apartment for now. Right now, he didn't care; the only thing he could do was keep replaying those awful moments over and over and over and over again in his mind. This, this was why he was unsuitable for friends, for hanging out, for being a normal fucking person, because he couldn't do anything right.

What the hell was wrong with him!?

He pulled off the shirt Vander had loaned him, tossing it by the door as he went into the bathroom, using what few shards of mirror were left against the wall to try and look at his hips. Maybe he'd been poisoned, was this some kind of toxin? Maybe there was nerve damage.

And yet he saw absolutely nothing in the mirror, other than the two wounds Vander had fixed up for him last night. Physically, everything seemed fine. So what the hell was that, then!?

He stepped back out into the hallway, looking into his bedroom where his dented alarm clock read that it was 7:32 in the morning. He had no idea what to do, and the last thing he wanted was to keep reliving those horrifying moments over and over again for the rest of the day. His mind instantly jumped to one thing that would help wipe that stupid fucking memory from his mind so he never had to think about it again, and he didn't give a damn what anyone might say--

7:32 AM was not too early to start drinking.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 09, 2017, 01:26:03 am
If one thing was for sure, he wasn't expecting that. Vander had been standing there one second with coffee in his hand and before he could even offer breakfast, Loa just noped it the fuck on out of there. Didn't even bother saying goodbye. Vander blinked behind that visor and just stood there, glancing out toward the door, half expecting it to burst open again to say he was just kidding and that...well, that was hoping for just a tad too much.

The coffee was cleaned up and as he moved into the bathroom for a quick shower, he spied the helmet and discarded flight suit in the corner. OH right, he was all shredded up when he came in the night before.

Vander gathered up those things together, neatly folded them and studied the name on the flight suit.  Vitton. Louis Vitton. He'd probably want these back before the day was done that was for sure. Later though when he came back from drills. The day wouldn't stop just because this guy seemed to have some sort of panic attack.

While he was away, the little machines that helped take care of Vander's apartment took the flight suit and did what they could repair the ripped portions of it. When he came home, it was more or less good as new. Within reason, he shrugged and tucked the items underneath his arm and looked up Vitton on the directory.

Huh, Pilot Echo. And...apparently right above him. Wow, this whole time? Was he the guy that made that bumping ass music late into the night? Those were the questions that lingered on his mind as he made his way up to his apartment and once he was in front of it he gently rapt his knuckles on the door.

"Uh, Loa?" he called through the door. "It's Huxley. I just got some stuff for you. That you probably will want back. Like your helmet."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 09, 2017, 05:49:32 am
The rest of Loa's day went by fairly quickly thanks to the alcohol. The day after coming home from a mission thankfully nothing was really expected of him other than rest when he had confirmed wounds. So he spent his day indoors, simply unable to go out and face the world after what had happened that morning. His dragon would be lucky to even get him out to work out for the rest of the week.

He didn't work on anything, just lazed around and did fuck all nothing all day, bottles of various whiskeys in his hand depending on what time it was, his alcoholism having long before reached a point that might've been a point of concern for anyone else. But it wasn't like he had any friends or immediate relatives who cared about him or his well-being, so it didn't matter.

By the time Vander made hid way to the Pilot Echo's apartment it was fairly late in the day; he received no answer when he called, but if he tested the doorknob he would find it unlocked, the door swinging open on loosened hinges. If he entered, he'd find the interior of the apartment would be hauntingly empty. The only decorations to speak of were empty bottles of various types of booze quite literally everywhere. On the floor, counterspaces, one on the couch. The living area was pretty barren, the tv mounted on the wall and serving as a monitor for the computer desk below it that was surrounded by instruments and synthesizers. All the lights were on, but it seemed no one was around, unless if he decided to venture further.

The back room was the bedroom, and it was arguably just as messy and naked as the kitchen and living room. Loa was passed out in his bed, for once not wearing anything to hide his face, and only wearing boxers. The bed was only dressed in sheets, which had been tormented and thrown and twisted in Loa's apparently restless dreams, said sheets tangled around his legs and missing just about every other part of him.

He was out cold so if Vander had been hoping to speak to him at all, there was no chance of that happening today.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 09, 2017, 07:28:26 am
By the second knock, which had been far more forceful than the first, Vander figured he wasn't going to answer the door. And by that knock the door actually was nudged gently ajar, the gentle squeak of hinges parting the way for him. An Echo's door didn't squeak unless it hadn't been opened in some time. It was an assumption that became more and more apparent as he entered.

And the more he saw the more those suspicions were confirmed. Did anyone even live here? From the looks of it a raging alcoholic with excellent taste in music. Vander's stomach turned itself over when he saw the liquor and the musical equipment. No one was mixing anything today, but from the bottles they'd definitely been drinking. There was a trail of them leading into the hallway.

He made no noise as he passed through, tucking the helmet and the flight suit underneath his arm and turning the corridor into the bedroom. "Loa?" It came out as no more than a whisper one that Vander set the items down on the edge of the bed and moved over to Loa.

And nothing was hiding that face. Vander could see that scar running across it so clearly, he was tempted to reach forward to touch it but refrained. He was beautiful, so what on earth would convince this man that he had to hide his face? For all Vander knew, at the time when he met him, he'd had mandibles installed in place of human jaws. And he knew if he had something that bad ass he'd want to show everyone!

"Loa," he murmured again, louder this time. And still no response.  Vander leaned forward and reached down to take Loa's nearest hand. His touch was delicate and he just felt for a pulse. Just in case. The gentle rise and fall of his chest indicated he was in fact still alive. But clearly just clinging to it. Because no one could drink all these bottles and have everything be okay.

Vander didn't know when he would wake up, if at all. But at least the poor schlub was breathing. And with that he carefully moved a chair from the computer in the living room to the the bedroom, making as little noise as possible and setting it tucked flush to the bed. Sitting down, Vander reached across and settled Loa's hand in his and Vander perched his feet up on the bed. It was awkward to be sitting in that chair like that, but Vander wanted to feel when he woke up.

His free hand reached up and pried the visor from his face, leaving it in his lap and he just laid his head back. The guy needed to cover his face to be seen by the rest of the world. Vander wondered if he'd feel better knowing that he could make no distinction between that and the shadows that liquefied in the corners of that bedroom.

Vander could see him amorphously, vaguely made out his hand. And just waited for him to wake up.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 09, 2017, 03:35:00 pm
Somewhere in the dark depths of Loa's sub-conscious he could feel that another person had entered his apartment. He could always sense when someone else was nearby, he could feel their pulse. But he was so drunk and so deeply asleep even that didn't wake him; all it did was prompt more nightmares.

The touch on his wrist made him twitch in his sleep before his brows furrowed and he rolled over, grumbling something unintelligible. As the minutes wore on he would flinch, remembering his days in Candidacy.Those hellish days of torture and misery, made only worse when Ru was TRIMMed. The only reason he'd even succeeded was out of his sheer stubbornness and willpower to not let Ru's sacrifice go to waste, and it was all he could do just to stay alive as it was right now, for that man who would never know how much he meant to Loa. It had been so long, yet he kept replaying that awful moment over and over and over again in his head.

He was screaming, fighting against the Pilots who held him back as Ru fought two others barehanded, who overtook him in a few moments. He'd always been a big guy but when they were still just teenagers, still not even sure of how to use their powers yet, Loa in particular, it was all too easy for the adults to put them in cuffs to get them ready for transport. He screamed and screamed, struggling as they took him away and all he could see of Ru was the look of shock on his face when the blood went rushing up to one of the Pilot's heads who was holding Loa, making him drop the teen and scream as he started coughing and crying blood.

More Pilots swarmed in then as they took Ru away and Loa kept fighting to get to him, literally beaten down and stunned until he lay there on the floor with a fat lip, blood in his own mouth as he was dragged back; his powers had finally awakened and he could be useful. If they could subdue him they'd give him one more shot--

His eyes flew open and he suddenly bolted upright in bed, covered in a cold sweat as he panted, throat a little raw, he must've been yelling in his sleep again. His fingers and knuckles were full of cramps from clutching the bedsheets so hard in balled up fists, and his heart wouldn't stop hammering in his ches--

He wasn't alone.

Loa was still a little drunk, so he didn't think to investigate, didn't think to call out or see who was there in the dim light of his bedroom, he just reacted based on pure instinct.

His movements weren't as sharp as they usually were, but considering his current status they were still impressively fast; in one moment he was in the bed, the next he had a bowie knife in hand from where its sheath was strapped under his mattress and he had the blade up against Vander's throat while his hemokinetic powers kicked in and cut off the blood flow to his brain from his neck down.

One must understand, Loa didn't have any friends. The only kind of person who would sneak into his apartment must be an enemy.

And yet the moment he saw Vander's face he stopped, brows knitting  in confusion before he remembered oh yeah gotta release him from that semi-chokehold there, and he relinquished his grip on the other man's blood, removing the knife from his throat as he just gawked at him, not registering yet that his face wasn't covered, instead more confused as to why the man was here.

"H-How--Sorry. Sorry. Why--How th'fuck did you get in here?" He attempted to snarl but it wasn't nearly as menacing as he wanted it to be--he just sounded like an angry, wet cat, that also happened to be drunk and slurring if anything. He hadn't eaten anything today, he was literally so full of booze it was amazing he hadn't drowned.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 09, 2017, 10:32:23 pm
Vander didn't need to know what was going on in Loa's subconscious to know that when a blade was abruptly pressed to his throat, he wasn't just going to sit there and let it stay. He couldn't see him clearly, and he didn't have to before his fight or flight instincts kicked in. And since he couldn't exactly run away, with the guy half on top of him, Vander held his breath and waiting for the blade to loosen when Loa seemed to half come to his senses.

With the way he leaned forward, Vander had his back pressed against the chair and when Loa leaned back, his foot reached back, thrust forward and into Loa's gut. Not hard enough to completely take the breath out, but definitely enough knock him back and he wasted him in lunging forward and pressing his entire body weight down on Loa to keep him pinned.

His hands fumbled for the other man's wrists and he held him there long enough to search his features. Or he would have if he could actually make them out in detail. Vander made a soft growl, gritting his teeth. "What the hell Loa!? Calm the fuck down! I'm not here to hurt you. And I can't see your face anyway," he sighed, calming down as he released Loa's wrists. "So you don't have to hide your face, ok? Good fucking gods. I'm...sorry for breaking in here. But the door was open."

Vander pushed himself off him, keeping his hands on his arm for Loa's left and he pulled him up to his feet. "You okay bud?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 09, 2017, 11:47:51 pm
In his fucked up state he didn't really have much of a chance to do anything other than react with widening eyes as Vander suddenly kicked him the gut and knocked him over onto his back on the bed. He coughed, the sudden movements ripping some of the stitches back open as he let Vander pin him, too dazed and dizzy to really fight back.

He tensed as his wrists were pinned and he let out a hslf snarl, trying to squirm under the man to get away, until Vander spoke, and he froze.

His face? .... OH--

Every muscle tensed and his chest seized up, heart leaping into his throat as panic started to wash over him because oh fuck. His face was barren and Vander had probably seen--was looking at him, right now even.

The panic settled into his gut but it wasn't alone; it was quickly joined by the sense of loathing that was so specific to Loa. He had the face of a fucking murderer, that was why he hid it, even from himself. He couldn't stand to look at himself in mirrors, or in reflections.

It was his fault Ru died. He was also the one solely responsible for the deaths of so many others as well.

His breath caught in his throat as he realized Vander was right, he wasn't wearing the visor and he still probably couldn't see him. All Loa could do was turn his head to the side, eyes shut tight as he clenched his teeth.

Fuck. Fuck. 

Vander was right, if he'd only just come to help. What the fuck was wrong with him?

The other man sat up, pulling him up as well and by doing so pulled the two of them closer in the process. His body heat felt nice, and surprisingly comforting. Loa wanted to curl up on him and fall asleep again like they had with the movie. Still, he couldn't look the man in the eyes now that he knew full well his fave was exposed. All it would take was Vander putting that visor on again, and he'd see what Loa really was.

".. No." He grumbled finally in response to the technogeek's question.

"I've never been alright." He said, his voice going a little hoarse for a moment. He was still so dizzy and lightheaded, he didn't k ow why he was opening up to Vander at all.

"Just... Had nightmares, like usual. That's all." He growled as he started to try and climb out from under Vander's lap.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 10, 2017, 12:39:17 am
Vander shifted around and got off Loa, sitting instead at the edge of the bed.  He calmed down significantly and the adrenaline was leaving him. With the drive to no longer keep him down, he sighed and buried his head in his hands, brushing his hair back and out of his face.

Keeping his eyes closed, he kept those shapes at bay, accepting the darkness of his vision and wanting to put his visor back on. His hands refrained and he reached down to feel where he hoped he dropped it onto the ground. Fingers touched onto something familiar and he didn't interface with it, instead just picked it up and stuck it into his jacket.

"Nightmares, huh?" he murmured, following the trail of Loa's voice. "What kind of nightmares?" The concern was genuine, and if he wanted to talk, Vander was here to listen.

"They can't be that usual if they make you want to kill people returning your helmet and flight suit back to you. Admittedly, I probably should have woke you up. But you were out cold. You looked like you needed your sleep."

Vander didn't move, and kept his eyes shut. He wanted to get up, to reach for the helmet that he'd left at the edge of the bed and had fallen off in the scuffle, so instead he just kind of gestured in that general direction.

"You uh, left it in my apartment yesterday. I thought you'd want your helmet back.'
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 10, 2017, 10:57:39 am
Vander finally got off of hin abd Loa worried at his lower lip, watching him fumble around on the floor for something, eyebrows furrowed. He stayed where he was, laying there on the bed as he turned his head to stare up at the ceiling, which was still swimming a little.

"Other than me, you're the first person to ever step foot in here." He finally admitted, throat still a bit scratchy because he couldn't be bothered to clear it. "Thought you were any enemy." After all, he had no friends. Other than Vander, apparently, which he still didn't understand.

"Thanks." He said, awkwardly, unsure of what else to say.

The silence between them was quickly growing with awkwardness and Loa's addled brain desperately tried to search for a way to fix it, and he could only go back to what he'd initially been drinking to forget in the first place.

"Sorry. 'Bout yesterday. Dunno.. That's never happened before. I panicked."

He slowly pushed himself up, wincing ad the change in gravity affected his head in new and more painful ways, a full on migraine coming back to squeeze his head like a goddamn face hugger. Did he still have anything left in the bottle on the nightstand? That'd make it feel better.

He reached over and grabbed the bottle, inspecting it for a moment before he took a swig of whatever was left, which wasn't much. It was straight rum.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 10, 2017, 12:11:39 pm
Vander opened his eyes to the sounds around him, listening to Loa's movements and letting the shapes spill across his vision. A line for movement, bleeding out to something half-solid and sloshing in front of him. The movement caught his attention, the raised container, and most importantly, the smell. It smelled like rum and if it wasn't apparent that this guy had a drinking problem before, it sure as shit was now.

By instinct, Vander lunged out and hoped for the best and swung his arm out to knock that bottle from Loa's hand, uncaring if it clattered onto the floor and spilled or broke. And as he stood up, he reached out for Loa and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "Stop that.  You don't need that shit. Let's uhhh, go down to my place, and I'll fix you up some real food.  I have coffee and left over pizza. I'm your friend, Loa. What's mine is yours," he offered gently.

He didn't even stop to think before pulling him into a hug, although it was brief. Arms came around him firmly, squeezing him and patting his back. "Don't worry about a thing. Or...if you don't want to leave, I'll bring the pizza up here, and something better to drink that that garbage water? If you want I mean..."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 10, 2017, 01:04:19 pm
Just as the mouth of the bottle touched his lips, it was suddenly knocked from his hand where it flew and hit the wall and shattered. Loa stared stupodly for a moment before he started to get angry. That was his, dammit! Now he had to clean up broken glass and shit but that was his and yes he did need it!

Before he could argue though, Vander was speaking and it made him bite his tongue long enough to hear him out and get confused again, which seemed to be the ongoing theme of this evening. He just stared at the man when he called himself Loa's friend.

... Why? Why would anyone do that to themselves, why had this guy done it intentionally?

Suddenly Vander's arms were around him, and he just blinked stupidly before he just.. Reacted. He returned the hug, holding onto the man tightly and burying his face in his shoulder.

"Let's go." He said quietly, clenching his fists in the shirt on Vander's back as he closed his eyes and just enjoyed his warmth and his scent and the comfort it brought. He didn't understand why it felt so nice, he just... Did it. He was a pouty drunk, it seemed.

He pulled away finally, glancing down and realizing he was bleeding again from his popped stitches and elected to ignore it, it was just a few droplets of blood. He was pretty much naked this entire time, and he also was probably in desperate need of a shower. Maybe the shower would help his head feel better.

He didn't really know what else to say and he didn't actually want to let go of Vander, the hug felt too nice. But he found his way off the bed, grumbling under his breath that Vander better help him clean the broken bottle later as he scrounged around and found a pair of sweatpants and a tshirt, pulling them on. He was swaying a little as he stood and he reached up to rub at his temples, his head pounding.

"Mind if I use yer shower?" He asked, looking over at Vander after he'd pulled some shoes on; he didn't wanna stay in this hellhole right now. Which was funny when half the time this was the only place he ever wanted to be; maybe he was a little more honest with himself when he was drunk.

He didn't really want to stay cooped up and hide from life forever. He wanted to get out, see the world, have friends. But he sucked at all of those things. At least now Vander was offering him the direct choice, and with all that liquid courage in him he didn't have to think too hard before he accepted it.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 10, 2017, 02:29:31 pm
Yup, a shower definitely wouldn't hurt and considering that Vander had just gotten home himself and the first thing he thought to do was come here and drop off Loa's things he probably didn't smell like much of  rose either.  It wasn't a bad idea. Vander felt that cool clammy skin drift off him when he pulled enough away from Loa.

"Yeah you come along with me. But I'll need to put my visor on again to actually see where I'm going. I'm not one of those cool kungfu monks," he snorted, smiling goofily. Vander turned his back to Loa and pulled that visor from his pocket, sticking it on his face and securing the band. Once his vision focused on that grid, he took in a deep breath and led them both out of that apartment.

Down to the level below, he opened the door, letting the Pilot Echo first.  The door closed with a soft click and Vander kept his face down to avoid looking at him in the face and slowly gestured to the bathroom. "Help yourself to the shower. I have rags you can cover your face with if it makes you more comfortable. I'll throw some cold pizza in the oven," he offered and smiled despite covering his visor with his face.

He did just that, pulling the pizza from the fridge and popping a few slices on a cooking sheet and throwing it into the oven.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 10, 2017, 03:00:31 pm
At the mention of Vander putting on the visor again Loa felt mixed feelings; his heart made a half-assed attempt to leap into his throat, while the other part of him almost didn't care--that part was the alcohol. He hadn't eaten in like 12 hours, he wasn't really himself. He just... Didn't care about anything.

On their way out though he snagged a bandanna lying on the counter, using it to hide his face as they walked through the hallways back down to Vander's apartment; walking any kind of distance though while having such a hangover yet also still being drunk proved to be way harder than he realized--it wasn't like he did this outside of his apartment, he hadn't thought that out very thoroughly. He ended up leaning heavily on Vander for most of the way there.

Once they were inside he took it off again, tossing it to the couch since he couldn't exactly wear it in the shower, and he'd noticed Vander purposefully looking away from him. Something made his heart do a flip but he figured that was the alcohol and ignored it, instead just nodding to the man and finding his way to the bathroom, damn near tripping over himself on the way there (which would've been funny any time that wasn't now.)

He pulled his clothes off and rested an elbow against the wall, forehead resting against a clenched fist as he let the shower water run, having left the door open. If he stepped in there was he gonna slip and break his neck?

It was a possibility.

His knees had already almost buckled several times on the way here. Hell.

He took a deep breath and called out to Vander, eyes shut tight partially because he felt embarrassed but mostly because the bright bathroom lights were nearly blinding as much as they were making his head hurt ten thousand times worse.

"Hey Vander? Come here--please."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 10, 2017, 04:27:59 pm
The pizza would take a few minutes to warm up and the oven would automatically turn off when it was finished. Vander had everything rigged in that apartment for extra convenience. Sometimes he'd spend hours and hours fiddling with a project and forget important shit. This way at least his apartment wouldn't burn down. That would really fucking suck and having to relocate all his little buddies would be a pain in the ass.

Just a few of the minor inconveniences that he'd rather avoid.

"Hey Vander? Come here--please."

No sight required when it came to walking around his own apartment, but he kept it on anyway. The guy could barely stand and the last thing he wanted was him cracking his head on a shower floor. That thought alone made Vander shimmy on down to the bathroom and he stopped short of the wide-open door. "Whoa."

It was nothing more than a breath as he got basically all of Loa in his vision. And this time it was his turn for his cheeks to warm up. The guy could barely stand, and here he was butt ass naked. The water was running and already steam would soon filling the room. Vander wasn't going to let him get hurt. And it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before, personally speaking.

Vander licked his lip for a moment and didn't hesitate to move forward. He needed a shower too. Two birds, one stone? And he could make sure Loa didn't fall and crack his head. It certainly made sense to him. Taking Loa's hand, he put it on his hip, and Vander undressed.  The uniform came off easy, and when he was about to slip his pants off, he paused, hesitating for a moment.

Would this guy freak out about showering with another man? For purposes of making sure Loa didn't collapse, Vander didn't see the harm in it. And it wasn't as if he was at all bad to look at. It didn't matter what technicalities were in place. Those can be considered later. For now Loa needed him, and he'd be damned if he was going to leave him like this.

"Here, on my shoulders," he murmured, looking directly at his face. Placing his hands there in the crook where his traps met the rounded edges of his shoulders, Vander dropped his pants, slipping them down and kicking them away.  "Hold on to me. And easy into the tub. You're not gonna fall,"

Steam didn't do well for that visor and taking a shower wasn't anything exponentially difficult. Vander slipped that off his head too, tossing it onto a hook with a flick of his wrist and it caught on the back of the door.

He eased him into the tub and closed the curtain, the water making Vander yelp as it struck his back. "Too hot," he laughed and reached behind him to ease the temperature. "You ok there, Loa?" 
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 10, 2017, 06:27:32 pm
Loa felt a certain kind of nervousness and anxiety start climbing its way up his spine as he thought about what he'd just done. Vander was going to come in and see him naked. The hell had he been thinking? He was probably fine on his own, he was just being stupid? Why did the thought of Vander seeing him naked make him nervous? They were both guys it wasn't like he'd see anything new--

He heard Vander stop and say something in the doorway, and Loa cracked an eye to see him standing there and staring.

Loa's pale skin was covered in scars, the most interesting of note looking to be burns and claw marks running over his shoulders, back, hips and abdomen, which were muvh easier to see against his palid coloration with the brightness of the bathroom lights reflecting off of them. That being said, he certainly had a toned body for someone as anti-social as he was. He had to be, given his job.

He looked away as Vander came in, realizing he had the visor on still, and his heart pounded a little harder in his chest, he still couldn't figure out why. It was worse when Vander approached him and took his hand, placing it on his hip as he undressed. At least Loa didn't need to explain anything or he might have died even more on the inside than he already had.

He couldn't look the man in the face but he also couldn't help but stare as the uniform came off and he got to look at Vander up close and personal.

Shower water must've been hotter than he realized, because this room was really warm. Really. Warm. Why couldn't he look away? Thankfully for Vander, no Loa didn't freak out at the prospect of showering with him because he already knew he was pretty well fucked if he didn't get some help. Probably.

He obeyed as Vander moved his hands from his hip to his shoulders, and Loa did steady himself like a good boy. The pants were dropped and now he was blushing too, trying not to look but... Well. He'd seen. Now his heart was in his throat trying to climb out of his mouth and run away screaming. He couldn't handle this, nevermind this had been a terrible idea.

"Thanks." He mumbled. He couldn't think of anything else.

With the other Pilot's help the two of them got into the shower and Loa jumped a little when Vander yelped; at least now the visor was off and Loa felt better looking him in the eyes, knowing he couldn't see.

But this was also the closest he'd gotten to Vander, the closest he'd seen his eyes. He had really pretty eyes, and Loa's breath caught in his throat.

"D-don't scare me like that." He grumbled, hesitating a moment before he rested his forehead in the crook between his neck and shoulder, hands falling a little to Vander's biceps.

Fuck. Fuck.

He could see the man's chest move up and down as he breathed and he had the distinct want to wrap his arms around him and be closer and he didn't understand why. Was this normal? Was this normal for any guys? Was this weird? he didn't... Know. He hated not knowing, that was the worst part about all of this.

"Think I'm okay." He said and swallowed, trying to make his heart go back into his chest and failing. Damn. "Heart won't stop pounding." He muttered, gripping Vander a little bit tighter.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 10, 2017, 07:11:09 pm
Scare him? Right. The yelp and the water temperature and the sheer fact that this guy could just drink so heavily and somehow not be dead or in the hospital was another thing to be scared of. But nope, it was just the water this time. Vander tried not to linger on that small little fact, that whatever it was that made Loa drink, obviously ran deeper than even he would let on. He didn't know what was wrong, and he wouldn't pry unless Loa himself wanted to speak of it.

For now, there was the matter of getting scrubbed down and not getting spooked into cracking skulls open. Yup, that was operative.

"Sorry," Vander whispered softly, smiling and looking as if he could see Loa's face. There was a shape of something resembling it, and the liquefying shadows that moved around it, and then he tucked his face into the crook of his neck and shoulder. It was there that his own pulse could felt, ignited at the contact and Vander's hands fell to his hips, carefully turned them around so that the now warm shower water was hitting at Loa's back.

But at the proximity, he couldn't not feel Loa's pulse. And he wasn't kidding at all. "Yeah it's racing real fast," he murmured gently and tilted his head, feeling his cheek beside Loa's ear. It was all warm and flush, such as his cheek. Vander held his breath and when his own face found the crook of his neck, he released that breath splaying it out against the water that was running down it.

"Steady now." The Pilot Cardinal adjusted Loa's hands to wrap loosely around his waist and he didn't at all remove his head from his neck. With the water cascading down the shorter man, he felt around for how he had everything placed in that shower. He pushed his hair back, letting those waves get soaked, drenched before he got a dab of shampoo and began to lather it into his scalp. Fingers were spread out, getting a good feel of his scalp, the hair and he carefully tugged it to make sure the soap was getting in there good and coaxing Loa's head back to rinse it.

"How'd that feel?" he asked, keeping the conversation light. "Water's not too hot?"  It was a mild distraction for himself as well, and he could feel that pounding pulse reverberating through him. He couldn't ignore it and it made his own stomach do a flip. A smile cut across his face, and it eased out and relaxed. It felt good having another body so close to him like this, and Vander couldn't say he'd shared a shower with...well, anyone.

He sighed and just let Loa lean on him, relax, finding he didn't at all mind the clinginess. In fact, he made his belly warm. Vander applied the conditioner and took the loofah from the wall, soaped it up, and scrubbed carefully at Loa's back, following every curve, minding the stitches.

He held his breath, pressing his face to Loa's neck, to the heavy pulse that continued and pressed a gentle kiss to it, slipping an arm underneath the other Pilot's to keep him steady.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 10, 2017, 07:51:56 pm
Still not completely aware of himself or his surroundings, Loa didn't realize Vander's hands were moving until they were already on his hips and he let out a soft gasp as his breath caught, heart skipping a beat. Fuck. He'd forgotten--both of them had?

The water hitting him was a welcome distraction but part of him wished it was cold; the warmth was just making things worse. It got even worse when Vander confirmed what Loa had already pointed out, now he knew the other man knew, he could feel it. It sent the slightest of shivers up his spine, and then that shiver was amplified when he felt Vander's breath hot against his neck; his lips parted and he was barely able to choke back a moan to a small whimper instead.

His arms were placed around the other Pilot's waist and therefor the two of them ended up even closer together, chests brushing. All Loa could do was keep cursing over and over again in his head.

What the hell was wrong with him? He wanted to reach up, let his fingertips caress the man's cheek, he wanted to pull him close and touch every inch of skin and muscle. He wanted to feel it all. Why?? Why?? Why did he have to feel this way, when he'd much rather not feel anything at all? Why was he tingling, his blood boiling in his veins? He didn't understand and at the same time, he also didn't want to understand because he was terrified of the answer.

"F-Feels fine." He murmured as Vander rinsed his wavy black hair. "Water's fine." Gods he could barely speak. For a moment he forgot how to.

Every touch felt so nice, he wanted to arch up into it like a cat. He didn't want Vander's hands to leave him, didn't want to stop touching him. He felt so warm, and it only got worse. He felt it, the softness of Vander's lips pressing against his neck and it sent a rush of tingles throughout his body in waves, making him physically shiver in the man's grasp, one of his hands instinctually moving up to the back of the man's head, weaving fingertips through wet gray hair.

He felt like he was on fire, why was he so hot? The water was even starting to feel cool at this point. He started racking his brain, trying to find answers, but all he could think of were indirect things.

Vander had turned out to be so much more than he'd initially pegged the man for. He'd thought he was just some idiot with a hard on for guns and no brains, but he was so much more than that. Sure he was still kind of an idiot, but the... Good kind? Loa hadn't even known there was a good kind. He was funny, charming even. And... Kind. Caring. He thought back to the night previous, how he'd helped him, fed him, let Loa sleep on him for fuck's sake and all Loa had ever done in return was be a jackass. He felt the urge to make it up to him, but he didn't know how, or even if he should.


"V-Vander--" He started to say Vander don't, but he stopped himself because he didn't want him to stop, and he'd caught himself before he even realized it.

That, and the way he said it, the way his voice lilted, that had also caught him by surprise. It had been a breathy moan, and he hadn't even realized he'd pressed himself further against the man, bodies flush as his lips parted, feeling the urge to pant and barely holding it back as he kept his head tucked against Vander's neck; he could feel the blush burning up on his face.

"Please don't stop."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 10, 2017, 08:34:35 pm
Heated shower aside, the warmth between them made Vander perfectly aware. He didn't need to see the actual distinction in Loa's features to know what those touches were doing to him. It wasn't that he wanted to get a rise out of him, that the flustered responses were instigated with intent. He hadn't realized himself how much he loved that closeness, missed it, craved it. Vander's breath came out heavily and he wished he could see the look on his face instead of amorphous shadows that comprised it.

As it were, he could use his imagination enough to picture his face, and the noises he made sent shivers down his back. He made a soft noise close to a grunt, a growl if you would, and he stopped washing long enough to entwine both arms around Loa, letting his fingers press into the dips of his muscle, pushing down the lather there until the soap was running down his ass.

"Don't stop?"  It wasn't a question because he didn't understand the request. The words were muttered in desire for affirmation. Permission to continue, and he waited until he heard it again and directed himself to better place Loa's face before his.

He relied on feel, on that touch of wherever it came from and his mouth sought after the source of those spoken words.  He found it, pressing lips to Loa's, kissing softly and with increasing pressure, moaning softly into it.

Vander tilted his head and his hand reached up to push back his hair, fingers threading into that black hair that now smelled of lavender.  The coaxing was soft, easing him into a deeper kiss before slipping his tongue inside to better taste him. The flavor of alcohol was still heavily present, a facet that Vander did well to ignore. Instead he let himself meld in with the other Pilot's form, his other arm wrapping around his waist to keep them pressed together.  He wasn't about to let him get away this time.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 10, 2017, 09:03:36 pm
Despite the sound of the shower water in his ears Loa heard Vander's heavy breaths, and when he growled his own body responded, in a way Loa didn't bother to control. There wasn't a point when he had an idea that both of them were reacting in much the same way. For some reason his heart fluttered at that thought and his stomach flipped. To hear and feel confirmation that Vander was enjoying this too.

Every touch felt sensitive, he could tell his skin was burning and the feeling of Vander's hands on his body was intoxicating. The headache had been pushed to the back of his mind, 100% of his attention was entirely focused on the right here and now.

Vander's voice in his ear made Loa bite his lip, taking in a breath before he raised his head, gently resting their foreheads together as he closed his eyes, his other hand coming up to slide his fingertips along Vander's jawline, thumb stroking the man's cheek.

"Please." He pleaded, his voice full of something he didn't recognize; full of want, desire. Lust, probably, though he couldn't think of it. "I don't... Want you to stop."

When Vander raised his head as well there was a moment of terror, that maybe he'd gone too far, but then the softness of the other man's lips against his own laid every fear to rest in an instant. It was as soothing and comforting as it was exhilarating. He had no idea what he was doing and did his best to mimic, moving his lips against the othe man's and briefly recalling what he'd seen in movies, videos.

When Vander moaned into him his heart damn near stopped for a split second, the sound waking him up in a sense. He couldn't understand it and yet he did at the same time, or his body did more like. He looped his arms around the other Pilot's neck and parted his lips when he felt Vander's tongue, letting him in and tasting him for the first time.

He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, if he'd expected anything. But he tasted the way he smelled, even though that was a horrible way to describe it--he tasted like Vander.

He let out a heated pant into his companion's mouth, pressing himself against him and sliding their hips together, feeling Vander's body heat and reacting naturally as their tongues danced and he let the man do whatever he wanted, melting desperately into it.

It was the best feeling he'd experienced in his life, and he didn't even realize it, but that was his first kiss.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!]
Post by: Lion on October 10, 2017, 10:03:42 pm
Visualization and imitation was half the art of perfecting practice. You never knew what you could do until you tried, and once you tried - even if you didn't do it right - there would always be opportunity for improvement. Vander didn't think at all that this was Loa's first kiss, he didn't even bother thinking it was sloppy or poorly performed.

Whatever the case was, it seemed to come easy to him. As if he'd been holding back all this time and once kissed the flood gates opened. Their bodies pressed together, the feel of movement on his hip, Vander made a noise when Loa's body moved against his cock. Already blood was raging everywhere, and he felt himself harden at the contact.

It twitched and the temptation to grasp it, to press Loa's hand against it was stronger with each tug of his lips. Vander moaned again, pressing that hardness against Loa's hip, the Pilot Echo's body responding in kind. The exhilaration was enough to make him dizzy, and as he tasted along his mouth, he did stop, despite not wanting to. Vander pulled his lips away, biting at Loa's lower lip, releasing it with a tug.

Was this how he really wanted this to go? It wouldn't have been so unusual. They hadn't known each other for long, and had been face to face for even less time. Did it matter? When another was half dazed and vulnerable like this, to Vander, it did. 

"That was really nice," he said, keeping his forehead pressed to Loa's. "But the water won't be hot for much longer. We should finish that shower." The suggestion was made reality when he picked up that loofah and resumed the ministrations he'd started with. But he was smiling, and wouldn't stop grinning all the while.

No more words were spoken while they finished up and Vander dried his hair and walked naked to his room, sauntering over and pulling on a pair of sweats and a loose tank. He didn't bother with the visor, and maneuvered around the familiar layout of his apartment to take Loa's hand and guide him back into the kitchen. "You're still hungry right? There's still lots of pizza left."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 10, 2017, 11:22:46 pm
The kiss left him feeling like he was on fire, and suddenly the phrase burning with desire made all the sense in the world. He felt like Vander was literally stealing his breath away and he couldn't have been happier about it. He knew there was no way in hell this would have ever happened if he was sober--probably--and he wondered briefly if he'd even remember it tomorrow--probably not.

He whined as Vander pulled away, lip caught in the other's mans teeth in a gentle tug before he was released. He didn't realize he was so out of breath because he was left panting as Vander rested his forehead against his and said they should stop.

Wait... What?

Loa's brows furrowed in confusion, those blue-gray eyes looking into Vander's and for one minute he wished Vander could see.

He still didn't want to stop, but the first thing his mind jumped to was if he did something wrong. Had they overstepped boundaries? Probably--definitely. But his muddled brain couldn't think much farther than that.

Loa didn't fight it and nodded; at the very least he used his powers real quick--wincing as it brought his headache back twice as strong--to help with their... Problems. He still had enough control to do it slowly enough Vander probably didn't even notice. And now he was glad Vander couldn't see because he couldn't see how Loa had a hard time keeping his eyes open because the light hit him three times as hard.

He let his hands drop back to Vander's shoulders, and remained obedient throughout the rest of the shower. He noticed Vander's smile, and wonder why his heart felt so warm, like it was melting. And yet at the same time he couldn't shake the voice in his head that told him to never speak of this moment again, for both their sakes.

"Yeah.. Don't get mad but I don't think I've eaten since last night. Pizza sounds great." He'd gotten dressed again while Vander had disappeared, noticing that he left his visor in the bathroom, and he was glad that he did.

He leaned against the counter and watched as Vander got said pizza out of the oven, still squinting against the harsh lights. He was tired, his head was pounding, and he was in a weird limbo between feeling happy (which was a really weird feeling in and of itself) and feeling absolutely miserable. He wasn't sure what was the alcohol and what wasn't. If that had even happened or if it had been a strange hallucination of sorts.

He stayed quiet and ate the pizza slowly so he didn't turn around and throw it up like the alcoholic moron he was. That'd just be rude. He also just... Didn't know what to say. Or what any of it meant. So might as well pretend nothing happened.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 10, 2017, 11:55:59 pm
Vander didn't want to make any remark on the stupid stupid fact that he had drank however much alcohol he'd guzzled down and didn't eat anything in that mean time. It was bad enough he was practically half dead on that bed when he found him.  It was a thought he didn't want to entertain more than he had to. So he pushed it away and focused on the pizza.

No conversation was necessary, and he enjoyed the quiet, listening and reaching out to his little machines that maneuvered around the apartment to clean up and pick up the discarded clothes from the bathroom.

They buzzed about and folded them and took them to the laundry machine to be cleaned, and then carefully put themselves away after their tasks were finished. Good machines, even if they weren't anything more than small creations that would have no greater purpose. Vander let them know that they were valued regardless.

Once the food was finished and the clean up was done, Vander stretched and gestured over to Loa. "You're welcome to anything in the apartment. What's mine is yours," he muttered, smiled and stepped into the hallway to his bedroom. "Good night, Loa."

He waved at him and snagged the visor from the bathroom before turning in. He hadn't realized how exhausted he truly was before plopping down one side of the bed, kicking the sheets over him and flopping onto his belly. It didn't take long before he passed out, the ache of his body easing off into a deep rock-like sleep.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 11, 2017, 12:14:23 am
The silence continued, interrupted only by the whirs and clicks of the little machines doing their chores, running around Vander's apartment. Loa was curious about them, but it was such a small sliver of him that cared right now that he didn't bother trying to investigate.

The food helped alleviate some of the pain, but not all. Eventually the pizza was finished and Vander apparently decided it was time for bed. The man said goodnight and Loa gave him a small wave and a mutterd "G'night." in response, watching him go down the hall to his bedroom and disappear, leaving Loa alone once again.

The longer he leaned against the counter, the longer the food settled in his stomach the more he sobered up, the hangover still kicking him in the ass in the meantime.

What did he do now? What had he done? It was all kind of a hazey blur, but he remembered enough to get the jist of it.

The longer he stood there the more miserable he felt, the more the loneliness seeped back in, and the more he regretted agreeing to come back to this apartment. He wished he hadn't woken up. He was getting so tired of this, and this... "Friendship" he'd had going on with Vander hadn't even lasted that long. It was taxing, confusing. And right now, painful.

He just smiled and left like nothing had happened. He'd been able to dismiss it so quickly, those few moments of euphoria and, Loa supposed, happiness. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been that happy. Content, sure, he was content or pleased with himself when he made music.

But happy?

He crossed his arms over his chest, hugging himself.

What do I do?

He meandered down the hallway, using so many years of training and stealth missions to sneak silently into Vander's bedroom, now about an hour after the man had gone to bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress, watching him like the creeper he was in the darkness.

He'd killed a lot of people this way. What an awkward, horrible thought that was.

He watched the rise and fall of Vander's sides eith every breath, and while it was oddly comforting, it was also painful at the same time.

He remembered, he used to do this with Ru. And the moment he remembered that his gut lurched. He would follow that man everywhere he went, like a lost puppy. Sneak in and stay with him while he slept, sometimes falling asleep on the floor next to his bed like a loyal guard dog, waking up early enough in the morning to sneak back out before he was caught.

He swallowed ths lump in his throat. He absolutely did not want to go through that again.

He got up and snuck back out to the kitchen, finding scrap paper and a pen. He left a note on the counter thanking Vander for his kindness. He found his remaining belongings, tied the bandanna around his face, shut off the lights and left.

He'd pretend none of this happened, act like he'd forgotten everything, and leave it at that.

He wasn't doing that again. Not to either of them.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 11, 2017, 01:22:42 am
It'd been a full two weeks since he'd found Loa passed out on his bed, and it felt even longer since he'd kissed him. Vander didn't know what was going on in his mind, and he still had that note he'd written before he left that night. It was a real shame. Just when he thought he was building bridges, the gaps just kept getting bigger and wider.  And he was starting to wonder if he'd done something wrong.

Maybe he'd clearly gone too far too fast. In any event it wasn't something worth lingering over in the possibility that doing so would only make Vander miserable. And he had no real penchant for misery at this current moment. In those few weeks, he'd texted Loa a few times, asking him to hang out, most of which had been responded to with him working and being unable to do so.

He pushed that under the bridge, and figured if the guy was busy, he was busy. If he wanted to hang out, he would do just that.  Vander finally got it in his head what he wanted to do, and he wasn't going to take no for an answer, not now.  And if he wanted to be fussy, he'd drag Loa out if he had to.

Bowling Day was a big day. The biggest, and Vander had been working on his game for some time now. And he needed a good partner to practice with. Everyone else on the squad had their own thing going. This was his. Ahh, well sometimes. Really, it was just an excuse to meander up to Loa's apartment and rap his knuckles against the door.

"Open up! It's Vander! I have an emergency! I need your help!"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 11, 2017, 01:45:19 am
Loa... Needed some time.

Deep down inside he had an idea of what was going on even though he wasn't yet ready to admit it to himself. He knew that in some cases absence made the heart grow fonder, and in others it pulled two hearts apart.

He'd hoped it would be the latter.

The faster he got over this and moved on the better it would be for both of them; Vander could find someone else to befriend, and Loa could go back to his life of one, plus dragon.

But the dreams he had since that night were miserable; when he wasn't having vivid nightmares, either of reliving Ru's expelling to TRIM, sometimes with Vander in Ru's place, or of killing Ru or Vander on accident either by mistaking them for targets or enemies or by losing control of his powers. And if it wasn't a nightmare, it was something much steamier he hadn't had in years that left him a hot, sweaty mess when he woke up from his own moans that required long cold showers to remedy.

He refused to give in to those dreams in particular. He didn't relieve any of the pent up frustration, because if he did that would only encourage it to get worse, in his mind.

Sometimes he had both kinds of dreams in the same night, sometimes it was one or the other. He was functioning off of barely enough sleep, and having a heavy drink first thing when he woke up to ease his mind became ritual.

He knew he was getting worse and it'd hit a horrifyingly close-call-with-death-once-again kind of moment eventually and once he hit that moment he'd either die or slowly get better and get back to the way he'd been before Vander walked into his life.

It was sad that he had mapped it out.

Similarly, there were days when Vander texted him and he thought of responding back, saying yes, being with him, and when those thoughts started to wander he had to stop them somehow. The thing with being a hemokinetic was he could keep himself from bleeding out when it was necessary, and sit there for the few hours it took for things to heal enough while he thought about what he'd done.

It was a vicious cycle.

Today was a day where he actually happened to be off; he was sitting at his desk, working with his music in a vain attempt at letting out some of his frustrations. He'd started recording vocals, eyes closed as he focused on nothing else and just put what he felt into the words.

"You have a way with me and you know
You know, you know, you know, you know
And I just cant seem to let go
Let go--
"

He jumped as there was a rapid knocking on the door that he heard even through his headphones. He quickly stopped the recording and pulled them off, looking at the door and recognizing Vander's voice. His heart immediately jumped into his throat and he panicked, quickly grabbing a long sleeved jacket and throwing it on to hide his wrists, pulling his flight helmet on and hesitating a moment.

He couldn't just avoid the guy forever though, either.

He reluctantly opened it, standing there staring at the man.

"What, what's the problem??" He asked, the concern in his voice too obvious, he immediately kicked himself for it. That and the way his heart fluttered when he saw Vander's stupid face.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 11, 2017, 03:40:24 pm
Yup, here he was going stupid again. Without hitch in his plan or a skip in his step, Vander went about doing the stupidest thing he could think of and he just didn't care. He wanted to get out, and do something. Anything. And he'd drag Loa unconscious in a dufflebag if he had to. He wouldn't mind of course, no matter how grouchy the old skin job was.

Eh, older. The guy didn't look a day over mid-twenties, even if he tried to act like some kind of hard ass.

"Loa!" Vander pleaded desperately pushing his way into the apartment even if he was met with resistance. "Loa! You have to come with me quick down to the rec center on in Sector A-15c. It's critical that you come immediately and with as subtly as possible there's an emergency down at the bowling alley. Just get your things, I'll tell you more on our way down there."

He was as calm as he could be all things considered and he glanced over to the music equipment that seemed to be fiddled with recently. Oh? Had he interrupted something? As much as it bummed him out that he hadn't had a chance to actually listen to him play. He didn't want to ask.

It was imperative that he keep up the ruse for as long as possible and play along. Or Loa might actually catch on he was trying to coax him into getting out of this apartment and actually do something fun for a change.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 11, 2017, 07:25:04 pm
Loa was immediately met with Vander barging into his apartment, which only flustered and confused him as the other Pilot babbled about something going down in the Rec Center.

Why the hell would he need to go down there? Wasn't there emergency services for that?

But he supposed he didn't have much of a moment to really ask; despite something in his gut telling him there was obviously something fishy about this he just threw on a pair of boots, dressed and ready to go otherwise--he just couldn't take the jacket off, which would probably be fine.

"Vander, what the hell is going on?" He asked as he shut the apartment door behind him, letting the slightly taller man lead the way while he just followed, still confused and conflicted.

He really shouldn't be doing this, he should have said no. But the worry in Vander's voice sounded genuine enough and he couldn't just... Not investigate. He had to know everything was okay, at least as far as Huxley was concerned. Gods, he hated knowing that he felt that way. It made his stomach do a flip, and not a good one.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 11, 2017, 11:28:30 pm
"Let's get going before shit really goes down," he said gently and carefully ushered Loa out of that apartment. He didn't need to worry him any more, but he had a distinct feeling the other guy would immediately decline any direct interaction with him if he told him, "Hey! I know we haven't hung out in over two weeks, but we need to and we will, and now you're coming with me." No no, a ruse was so much more casual.

"There's this thing that's going to go down at the rec room. It can get real messy and it needs someone like you and me to make sure these 10 guys go sprawling every where with one blow. I know you don't like to work in teams but if you can make an exception for tonight, I have a feeling we can keep the whole thing undercover. No one else has to know," he explained on the way.

He didn't say anything else and kept it on the down low, staying close to Loa until they finally arrived to their destination. The rec room he'd indicated in particular was a darkened bowling alley that seemed to have nobody in it. What Vander didn't tell Loa was that he's spent quite a chunk of credits to rent out the bowling alley and reserve it for a few hours of that evening.

The darkness was cut abruptly with bright neon lights. Greens, blues, and reds and violets ignited the lanes and suddenly the lights above them also resembled that of a darkened dance club and synth music played in the background.

"Okay now, Loa," he murmured, "Don't panic, but...see...those ten guys I was talking about, aren't so much as guys are they are bowling pins. And we're not so much going to knock them out, as we are going to knock them out with balls. Bowling balls." Vander grinned widely and stepped back enough to flourish his arms out and he gestured to the lanes. "We have the whole alley to ourselves for a few hours. And...yeah!"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 11, 2017, 11:42:36 pm
The more Vander spoke the more he just confused Loa. If there was such a situation going on surely other Pilots had it handled--what, a brawl of some kind? A fight? Sure Loa was good at those--he could literally cool people down in an instant--but he wouldn't think someone like him would be someone's go-to for fixing such a situation. Surely that was a job for Pilot Royals, people of a higher status who could enforce proper punishment.

"Why does it sound like we're about to do something horrendously wrong?" He grumbled, considering Vander spoke about it as if they were about to go fight against the Pilot Imperial or something with how secretive he was being.

Regardless, he knew it couldn't possibly be that bad. Vander was a member of the Harpies and a good Pilot, and a good man, Loa at the very least knew he could trust him because of that.

When they arrived at the bowling alley Loa kept looking around, expecting to see guards by a closed door and hear yelling or something, anything to indicate the sense of urgency Vander had gone on and on about. But his senses picked up nothing; no other pulses, no other people in the entirety of the rec room.

Just Vander and himself.

He started a little when the lights came on and he looked around, hearing the music playing softly in the background, and then turned his attention to Vander as the man explained and Loa just deadpan stared at him for several moments, caught off guard and taken aback. They were here all by themselves, and that glint of something he thought he caught in the man's eyes, well...

He started laughing.

Yeah. Louis Vitton, eternal stick-in-the-mud, has-probably-laughed-enough-times-in-his-life-to-count-on-one-hand Pilot Echo Vitton was laughing. He'd even raised a hand as if to cover his mouth like he forgot he had his helmet on for a moment, cuz he did forget. The situation was just that absurdly silly to him, and the warmth that seemed to wrap around him like a blanket just from seeing Vander's face and knowing everything was okay...

He coughed, quickly getting over it as he realized what he was doing, but he was still smiling behind the helmet and it was easily heard in his voice.

"Hell, Vander I thought something serious was going on, some real bad fight you got into, pissed off the wrong person--you had me worried."

And yet... The sweetness of the gesture wasn't lost on him, either. He looked around, noting the music choice, the lighting, and most importantly the fact that they were alone. Had Vander set all of this up, rented out the whole hall and everything?

"I don't want to think about how much this cost you." He said with a slight snort, pausing for a moment as he studied the man's face and his gaze fell back to Vander's lips.

He remembered for a moment what they tasted and felt like, and he had the distinct urge to pull the helmet off and kiss him again. But he didn't.

Couldn't.
Shouldn't.

"I don't think I've ever bowled before in my life." He admitted, looking at the bowling pins instead and half wondering if he should use that excuse to leave. But when the other man had gone to all this effort? He couldn't. Even though he knew he should.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 12, 2017, 12:07:51 am
A number of possible reactions he'd been expecting from Loa, but laughter - nope, not laughter - wasn't at all one of them. Vander kept his distance enough from him. Just in case, and just let the other guy take in the whole of the moment. Yeah he was just a Pilot Cardinal and didn't make half as much as what Loa did, but it didn't really matter.

Credits were just that and were going to be spent anyway.

"Oh don't worry abut it," he gestured and waved him off.  Vander took off his jacket and slung it on the back of a plastic chair as he moved over to the side where a counter had some already cleaned bowling shoes and he plucked a pair off for himself. "What's your shoe size?"  He grabbed the appropriate ones for his companion and scampered back down to him.

"It's okay, I'll show you! It's pretty easy. So, the object of the game is to hit all the pins down at the end of the lane by launching a ball down and letting it smack all the pins.  I'll show you, but first you gotta put these shoes on. They've already been cleaned, don't worry, I made double sure." 

He did so himself and once they were on he forced himself into a spin, posing in them and doing his best catwalk impression. "If this is your first time, it really isn't complete without wearing some ridiculous shoes," Vander grinned at him.  He turned the machine that dispensed the rented out ball and took out a gleaming glittery red ball and stuck his fingers in the holes.

"Okay, just watch me first, and I'll show you how to properly posture it. Gotta be extra graceful, like me. The epitome of grace," he nodded affirmatively.  Vander raised the ball, concentrated on the pins at the other end and walked forward, gently lowering and releasing the ball with his right leg splayed out behind him.

The ball rolled out not quite as gracefully as he intended, instead landing with a loud thud and rolling slightly off center to hit only 6 of 10 pins. "Okay, so I'm not the best bowler," he explained and shrugged as the ball disappeared and would return back into the dispenser back to where they were sitting.

"But for now, it's your turn to try. You've got more of a dancer's form than I do, so you'll probably hit them all on the first shot.  "Come on up." When that red ball came back, he picked it up and handed it off to Loa, positioning himself behind him and his hand at the other man's elbow to better guide his form down the lane.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 12, 2017, 12:24:14 am
Loa still wasn't sure how he felt about this. He already knew he was starting to regret it because he was enjoying it so much more than he thought he would have. It was completely different from how he felt about the man a few weeks ago, and the thought made his heart clench.

"9." He said quietly, watching Vander's excitement with mild amusement and begrudgingly putting the strange footwear on as directed.

He had a rough idea of what bowling was, but as far as actual gameplay and rules he had no idea. Just that there was a heavy ball, some pins, and a lane.

Still, he paid attention closely, standing next to Vander and watching as he demonstrated, the sounds of the pins hitting each other and the wood echoing loudly in the vastly empty room and making Loa jump a little. Suddenly it came to be his turn to play and he worried at his lip, nervousness (yeah, as if that's all it was) making his heart beat double time.

"'A dancer's form'?" He repeated, scoffing a little bit at the notion, before he remembered that Vander had indeed seen what he looked like. Seen everything.

"You can tell that just by looking at me, huh?" He said, the question coming out feeling klunky as he continued to play dumb.

Vander standing so close to him made his stomach do a flip; he posed similarly to how Vander had earlier, pretending to look down the lane and pick his shot, when instead he was looking at the man's face next to him. He was thankful the visor hid it so well, because he just found himself continuously going back to his face, staring at him and wishing he could... Do more. Be more, with Vander.

He rolled the bowling ball, and it went askew, hitting only three pins, the sound jarring yet again.

"Build clearly has nothing to do with it." He said with a faked snort.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 13, 2017, 01:16:13 am
There were technicalities that Vander could have gone into more and more when he started. But really, he didn't even know if Loa was going to stick around long enough for him to teach it to him. The smallest thing could send the guy skittering back out of here and into that hell hole apartment of his that smelled distinctly of vodka and rum.

The guy really liked the strong stuff didn't he?

Refusing to dwell on that, Vander went about staying close to Loa and guided him into the throwing of that ball, as it loudly landed onto the polished lane, where it rolled sloppily and knocked down some of them. Ha! It was something and Vander pulled away long enough to applaud at his companion.

"Maybe not, but you did better than I did when I first rolled the ball down there," he nodded affirmatively. Vander went briefly over the rules. Starting with a half game and the first to a hundred and fifty points would win. Hitting all the pins was a strike and they each had two turns to knock down the rest of the pins if they got only part of the pins collapsed.

Vander reset the game and the ball came and it was his turn once again. "I just mean you're lithe is all," he said, going back to his earlier comment. "Graceful. Way more than I am. Makes sense though. I like things that go boom!"  Vander laughed and threw the ball down the lane.

A heavy breath and he grinned as the ball knocked down all the pins.  And he turned around to Loa, bowing deeply. "You're turn, sir. If you can do better."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 13, 2017, 02:00:11 am
He did better than Vander had, did he? He found that hard to believe and wondered if the other man was just saying that so he wouldn't feel bad or something. He gestured towards the lane, raising his eyebrows enough it translated in his voice despite his helmet masking his expression.

"What, so you're telling me you went and threw the ball into... That... Gutter. Thing? Vander you're a gunner and a technician don't BS me that you can't aim."

And yet there was a kind of sharpness to his voice that heavily implied he wasn't being serious--he was joking with him.

He nodded and listened carefully however when the other Pilot explained the rules of the game. It was a bit strange, in Loa's opinion, but he'd do what he could to make it work if not purely for the fact that Vander seemed to be really enjoying himself. Granted, it didn't seem to take much to make the guy happy--hell, shooting the same gun at the same pumpkins for several hours straight seemed to make him as happy as a kid getting a puppy for Yule. At least he was relatively easy to please.

He watched Vander knock down all of the pins and traded spots with him, lightly bumping their shoulders against each other as he snorted and grabbed the ball. "Alright, sure. We'll go with that." He said as he tried to line up the ball and aim properly this time; it was easier to focus when Vander wasn't right next to him. Touching him.

His brain did a stupid thing and made him remember the feeling of the other man's body against his own in the shower right as he threw the ball, it hit one pin. Hell.

"... Fuck that ball." He grumbled, blaming it on something else rather than taking a moment to reflect and realize that the reason why he was so jumbled up was standing just a few feet away, and he had no idea what to say.

As Vander took his next turn and Loa sat back on a bench, he tilted his head a little bit, feeling the need to say something.

"Hey, by the way I've been meaning to talk to you, about the other day, a while ago." Yes, good job Loa, very specific. "I wanted to thank you, for your help. I don't really remember what happened though so I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble." With his pathetic, cowardly drunk ass.

He watched the other Pilot carefully, trying to gauge his reaction to his words but unsure of what he was looking for, or hoping for even, for that matter.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 13, 2017, 02:51:21 pm
The thought was amusing enough. Yes he was a gunner, and yes he actually had good aim. He'd demonstrated it enough when when they were shooting pumpkins. But he wasn't going to bullshit Loa either. Nope, there was time for that later. Bowling was a special kind of beast where it was okay to be klutzy so long as you didn't drop the ball on your foot, Literally.  That would really fucking hurt.

"I can aim just fine," he snorted, snickering and trying not to fall over laughing.  Vander watched Loa and took the time to jot down their respective scores. Because even if it was Loa's first time, he wasn't going to play nice forever. This was a game and he had every intention of winning.

"HA!  Well, that's okay," he chuckled and took is turn as the pins were restored.  Raising the bowling ball to his chest he pressed it there and at...that...

Was he thanking him?  Wow, weird. Another thing that Vander clearly hadn't expected it from Loa.  Yet somehow the thought warmed him and Vander turned around to shoot him a small smile. "I wasn't gonna let you drown in your own spit," he nodded to him. "It was no problem. I'd do it again if I had to. But uh, it was kinda scary, can't lie. Seeing you like that."

He threw the ball and it rolled slightly left only knocking down 6 of the 10 again, and he found he didn't give a shit that it wasn't a strike. He meant every word. It was awful thinking that this guy thought it was perfectly okay to just drink that much and he'd be fine. Or maybe that was precisely why he did drink. Because he wasn't fine.

Vander returned and sat down beside him. "You said you had nightmares. You looked like you were practically dead. I'm not sorry I came in there, but I'd be real sorry if something bad happened to you. I mean, drinking alone is no fun at all. If you ever want a place to crash, just to have a few beers, and watch a movie, or even go to a bar, just knock on my door. Or call me. I like hanging out with you."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 13, 2017, 03:10:58 pm
Loa watched Vander intently, watching his form and pose, only to get distracted when he turned and smiled at him. It made his cheeks get warmer. Gods dammit.

"Scary?" He echoed quietly, eyebrows knitting in confusion under the flight helmet. Why would it be scary? It was a perfectly normal thing, happened all the time actually. Some days were worse than others.

He hesitated for a moment as Vander stepped back over after not hitting all of the pins to sit down beside him. He knew he should get up because it was his turn next, but he stayed there, looking at him while the man spoke out of respect. Funny, he never would've thought a few weeks ago he could've ever respected somebody, particularly a guy like Vander. But maybe it was his good-naturedness and charisma that he respected the most.

The other Pilot said he could hang out with him, and admitted that he liked being around Loa, which just surprised and confused him. Why?? Nobody liked being around him, hell he didn't like being around himself. He'd never understood why Ru liked him either. He wasn't a guy to make friends with and share a beer with and watch movies with. He was just... A guy that existed. That nobody knew and everyone ignored, because that's the way he always felt it should be, even when he was a kid.

He looked away, realizing his fingers had curled into loose fists, and quickly stood up to go get the bowling ball and take his turn next. He should tell Vander that he hated him, hated spending time with him, that way this shit could end right here and right now.

But he didn't want to. He didn't want this to end. The thought of it tore his heart to pieces. Vander was the first real person he could call a friend in some ten years.

"You're not half bad yourself." He said, and let the ball go rolling down the lane. 5 out of 10, alright that wasn't too horrible. He turned, looking at Vander as he gave the man a shrug. "Had nightmares since I was about 16. I deal with it. Haven't had any major problems yet. But I'll keep your offer in mind."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 13, 2017, 03:35:58 pm
Of course it was scary. What part of that didn't this guy understand? If he'd seen someone just lying, sprawled across a bed looking as pale as he was with little to no pulse, Vander would be scared again and again. No so much because he was dead. No, previous missions meant he'd seen dead bodies before.

But it was different when you were blowing up people that were trying to kill you, as opposed to someone else who you had drinks with, shared sushi with, hell shot pumpkins with. Knowing someone was alive and then abruptly not alive was jarring for him. He had his squadmates and not much else, now that he thought about it.

And he very much didn't enjoy entertaining the thought of something bad happening to Loa.

He hadn't been expecting much in the way of a response. But it did seem as if this guy was getting mellower and mellower the more time they spent together. Didn't seem like he got out much, and if it was pity he thought was what made Vander want to hang out, then he'd be wrong. Maybe they both just had gaps that needed bridges across them.

"Oh...um, yeah cool." He didn't know he sounded so crestfallen even as he though he'd spoken casually. As it were, the invitation was there and just not being shot down immediately was something that he tried to smile about. Small bridges today, meant to larger bridges tomorrow. Maybe. Probably.

"I don't think I've ever had a bad dream that I really remember," he admitted, tallying the points and quirking his brow. Still in the lead, but not by much if he kept letting himself get distracted. He took his turn and concentrated on the lane in front of him. Target practice right? He'd blown up pumpkins. Maybe aim didn't matter so much when you were looking to make a mess, but for now, he wanted that ball to strike at a central point.

So he kept himself steady and launched it, getting another strike.

"What kind of nightmares are these? You have some about some dark and mysterious stranger?" he murmured, curious and only partly trying to make light of it. Easy does it after all.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 13, 2017, 04:20:30 pm
Loa might not have known everything there was to know about people, but he did recognize that disappointment in Vander's voice, which caught him by surprise.

Here he thought he'd just done the equivalent of successfully running a first marathon, because it'd been hard to admit that he liked Vander, instead of just outright lying and saying that he hated him. It was already bad enough he'd practically ignored the guy for the past two weeks.

He didn't... Really know how to respond. How to fix it, how to make the man happy.

For some reason that tugged at his heart and he thought it again; how could he make Vander happy?

Because he wanted to. He just didn't know how.

His shoulders tensed a little and he looked back down the lane as the machine reset the bowling pins, he didn't sit this time as the other man came up to try his hand next after tallying points, which Loa had completely forgotten about till now.

The game had just been an excuse. But why? What did Vander want to get from this? It was giving Loa a migraine just thinking about it. What if he was way smarter than Loa had thought him to be, what if he was just doing this for his own gain. But what could he possibly gain from hanging out with someone like him? He couldn't understand it, it didn't make any sense.

He hesitated when the man asked him what the nightmares were about; his first instinct was to say it was none of his business and leave because this was frustrating and he hated being so lost and confused. He wasn't used to it. But something held him back and he bit his tongue, arguing with himself. Should he say anything? Should he lie? Should he change the topic?

"They're about my friend." He said quietly, and that was all he said. The ball came back up for his turn, but he lingered, still staring at the pins for few moments of silence before he shook himself out of it and took his turn, aiming and getting 7 out of the 10.

"Did you have any plans after this?" He asked, trying to change the subject and throw something out there that might make the man happy. Might make him cheer up a little. He seemed to like doing stuff, right? If this didn't work he had no fuckin clue.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 14, 2017, 01:58:46 am
Nightmares about his friend. Nightmares that seemed to be a regular thing considering how casual Loa was about them and how many empty alcohol bottles, he'd found when he'd thought he was dead. But he was trying to play it off; Vander didn't need to be a genius to know that he didn't want to talk about it and probably would rather they both just dropped that particular subject.

Fair enough and far be it from him to press just when things were going so well. The game went on and keeping score was a good way to stay focused, in the here and now.

"Oh, pfft, just crashing on my couch, watching some tv, having a few drinks and working on my little bots. Wanna come help? You don't need to know much about tech stuff to watch. They like having company around once in a while. I'm sure they get real tired of hanging around me all the time."

The last one was a joke. He was a technopath, sure, but he knew that even they were still just machines and just did what they were programmed to do.

"Or we can go someplace else? Do you ever get tired of being cooped up in that apartment all the time?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 15, 2017, 12:59:09 am
Inwardly Loa let out a huge sigh of relief, feeling like he'd just saved the world from mass destruction because Vander seemed to perk up at the topic of what to do after their bowling game.

He was extremely grateful that the man didn't press forward with the issue of his nightmares, because he didn't want to talk about them. He just wished they would go away again; he'd been doing so well up until a few weeks ago, and then they'd started to come back and torment him again.

But that was neither here nor there.

He paused, looking at Vander and slowly shaking his helmet head. "No, I--Just going back to your place sounds fine." He said, quietly, looking away again as if he couldn't make eye contact even with the visor over his face--because he couldn't.

"Yeah, my apartment is pretty depressing." He admitted, crossing his arms over his chest, feeling nervous now that he'd just gone and doomed himself even further than he already had. "Besides, I would like to watch you work. I'm curious."

None of these were things he should've been telling him but he just found it so easy to open up to this pain in the ass of a guy he just couldn't help it. Being with him was as relaxing and comforting as it was horrifying and anxiety-inducing. He wasn't sure if he loved it or hated it.

Hell. He would probably die before he ever figured out the answer to that question.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 15, 2017, 01:26:03 am
"Well, ok then, as long as you tell me when you actually get bored and want to leave because the bottom line is...running out is a little rude," Vander whispered. He didn't mean anything malicious by the comment, yet as it stood, it was something that Loa had done twice, once in sheer terror, and the other quietly with at least a thank you note.  Vander appreciated the second one more than the first and before he would let Loa linger on that fact he stood up and stalked over to take his turn.

The game went on in much the same way with a few casual comments here and their, Vander dancing terribly in those ugly ass bowling shoes, and mock grunting as he tallied up their points at last and suddenly went, "Uh-uh! Nah! I...wow, I can't believe it. Loa, you son of a bitch. You won."

He took the tablet displaying their points and gestured to where his numbers added up. "Well, shit! First timer's luck, or however that saying goes," he said with a mock glare, although his expression was difficult to read under that visor.

A small smirk played on his lips and he pursed them. In that moment he really wished that Loa had worn the rag, or better yet didn't wear that awful helmet at all because the temptation to lift it and kiss him was making his lips tingle. Vander bit his lower lip a moment, letting the smirk linger as he stood up, and took his hand instead, tucking it into the crook of his arm.

"Let's get out of here. That was a good game but I want a rematch," he said.  Back outside he hailed a shuttle back to the Citadel, back to his apartment, all the while catching sidelong glances to Loa, picturing his features beneath the reflective helmet. The black set against the visor, the pallor of skin underneath that. Sweet skin that was a little too cool to the touch.

Once they arrived back at his place, Vander let him in first and set his jacket on the hook. "Welcome to Huxley Deluxely Manor," he coughed.  A pause and he reached up loosen the visor from his face and rest it up by his forehead. He'd put it back on when he was working.  "You can....um, take your helmet off if you want. Can't see you all that clearly remember?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 15, 2017, 06:41:17 am
At Vander's oh-so-casual comment about how Loa had literally run away from the man's apartment twice now, he tensed up and resisted the urge to flip him the bird out of sheer spite. He knew the guy had a point it just... He didn't know how to do this. How to be friends with someone, how to go to their apartment, hang out for a bit and then leave. He didn't understand and hadn't done it in somany years he'd forgotten.

Not even to mention the fact that he'd been having a panic attack the one time and the other he'd slipped into depression. He felt both instances were perfectly justified.

Still, he said nothing, preferring to eat his words and play the game with Vander so the other Pilot would stay happy. Somehow, he won the game, which he just shrugged at in response.

"Pure chance." Was all he said before agreeing to get on out of here, even if he had enjoyed a few certain moments of it so far.

He was surprised when Vander took his hand and led the way; it made Loa blush under the helmet as he found his gaze gravitating towards him, committing every detail of the image to memory. They boarded the shuttle and he tried not to stare at him, with Vander sitting next to him it would've made it obvious with his helmet if he was looking at him. So he missed Vander's lingering looks and glances, eyes instead focused on eveeryone else. He tried to stay alert simply for the fact that it helped him focus on something other than his nervousness.

They found themselves at Vander's place after having left the shuttle and made their way back to the Pilot housing. He hesitated for a brief moment as Vander opened the door and gestured for him to go first, and he hovered by the door while the other man came in and took off his visor, casually suggesting Loa could do the same if he wanted.

Yeah, he remembered. Hoped Vander wasn't kidding around, saying he was blind without the visor when he really wasn't. But the way it sat on his forehead made Loa's stomach queasy; it would only take a brief second for him to pull them back down and see Loa's face. That thought alone was terrifying.

He didn't know how to turn it down so he just shrugged after supposedly pondering it for a moment and said "Maybe later."

The last thing he needed was for the other Pilot to notice him staring and think he was a creeper moreso than he probably already did.

"So what is it you've been working on, lately?" He asked, turning the topic of conversation to something else yet again as he followed Vander like a lost duckling and sat in whatever room--probably the living room--Vander seemed to want to stick around in first.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 16, 2017, 12:18:18 am
"Lately it's been improvements on the little moomba robot, the little sweeper that takes care of the floors," Vander explained, shrugging out of his jacket and he laying it on the back of a chair. He maneuvered around his furniture like it was nothing with that visor hanging loosely on his forehead. Yeah, just one slip and he could put it back on, and although Loa didn't want to remove his helmet, he didn't have to.

He got his tools out from a side cabinet revealing that a few of the other machinations he'd been working on, piecing together and what spare parts he could take from one doohickey and add to another. For all intents and purposes nothing here wasn't recycled, nothing was wasted, and even that which wasn't yet used, Vander would find a purpose for it.

That's all anyone wanted it? Some kind of purpose?

Vander took a seat and pointed to the little circular disc cleaner that lay sprawled out on his workbench. It wasn't moving at this time and it's small ball bearings that maneuvered it around the floor were being polished and repaired. Vander did drop that visor back down and he kept his eyes down to the object before him.

"Wanna help me?" he offered.  "You're good with your hands right? Think you can handle a few simple tools?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 16, 2017, 12:35:04 am
Loa watched him in silence, gray eyes never leaving the other man as he went about taking his jacket off; he noticed the taught muscles under Vander's shirt, the way his shoulder blades seemed to cut through the fabric with the way the shadows played on his back.

He felt really lucky right now, to be able to share this moment and appreciate everything Vander was, as he was many things, both good and bad.

"I see." Was all he really had to say; of course in his desperation he hadn't thought before changing the topic of conversation to something he knew nothing about.

Then again, he really didn't know much of anything at all.

" .. My hands are trained for murder." He said bluntly in response to the other Pilot's offer, but stood up and came over to join him nevertheless. "Guess I can still attempt. Just don't let me do anything important so I don't break it."

The closeness between the two of them made his heart skip a bwat, and he wasn't sure if he was an idiot for accepting the invitation to help, or the world's biggest moron.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 19, 2017, 10:09:22 am
"Hands made for murder. Yup that's one hell of an ice breaker," he laughed, although it was more in the spirit of the moment than anything at Loa. Vander made sure to turn it into a cheeky grin before deciding that Loa ought to help anyway. "You've sold me on that resume, recruit. Ok. You've got the job. All you have to do is take up that stool, and we're getting that screw driver and all those little metal helixes - those are the screws - and we're putting them back into the moomba.

"Earlier I saudered in a new mapping chip and interfaced with it, so it can better navigate the apartment and avoid bumping into walls as it did before," he explained. Vander showed Loa the tools, the small screw driver and watched him work as he held down the little machine.

He was quiet, just letting himself admire the focus that went into each movement.  "Excellent, Easy does it." Vander slowly pushed himself off the stool and grabbed two beers from the fridge. There was a moment of hesitation. And he figured if it was only one, it couldn't hurt, and this particular stuff was only cider, more sweet than sour anyway.

"Oh I didn't know you had a tattoo," he was about to begin. Except it wasn't a tattoo. And having only gotten a glimpse at the side of his wrist. Vander set the beers to the side and he reached forward gently to pause Loa's work.

"What....what have you done?" he breathed, pushing the other man's sleeve up. And seeing the red lines along his wrist.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 19, 2017, 02:10:26 pm
Well, what did Vander expect? It was true.

Loa couldn't help but stare at him for a second when he said he'd been sold on his resume, clearly a joke but in this case he didn't think it was a good one because his resume was particularly shit. He knew fuck all nothing about machinery, and he tried to ignore the nervousness that bubbled up from his gut as he seated himself on the stool after a clear moment of hesitation, taking the screwdriver as instructed and carefully rotating each piece into place, locking it in nice and tight.

He hadn't even put his desk or a bookshelf together before, so it was nice to see that at least the project Vander had in mind was easy enough. The technopath's praise made his heart flutter, though the closeness in proximity as Vander leaned over him to watch him work made his heart race. He could feel the very edges of the man's breaths on the backs of his hands and it made it real hard to focus.

Eventually, as he was finishing up, Vander got up to go get some beers or something. He was kind of amazed the guy even still trusted him with alcohol of any sort, but he wasn't one to complain. Besides, he was almost done--

"Oh I didn't know you had a tattoo."

Loa paused for a moment, his heart damn near stopping as his subconscious realized what was about to happen before the rest of him did.

"What? A tat--" He started to question the man in confusion before suddenly his hands were stopped in the middle of setting down the tools and parts.

For a moment, it felt as if things were moving in slow motion. Loa's eyes darted to his hands where Vander had stopped them and he saw it; his jacket sleeve had pulled back just enough as he was reaching over, and the red self-inflicted marks were obvious against such pale skin. He should've known better, he should've fucking known--

He tried to quickly snatch his hands away but Vander was quicker, yanking his sleeve up as he was lifting his arm to keep it out of reach, therefor displaying the marks quite clearly as the light splashed down on them and made it all to obvious what they were, what they were from.

"What....what have you done?"

Those words rang out in Loa's ears as his heartbeat froze and panic flooded through him in waves. He heard it. The disappointment. The beginnings of much stronger emotions and he had no way of knowing what Vander would do or how he would react or what he was about to say. He stood up from the stool because he didn't want to stick around long enough to find out, but if he tried running now he knew Vander would probably be expecting it.

What could he do? The horror was seizing him up, making him freeze as he stared at Vander and the twisted look on his face through his flight helmet visor.

I don't understand. Why does he care? I'm an adult. I understand the consequences, I know what it is I do. Why is he asking me?

Why does he even bother when I'm not worth it?


He quickly yanked his sleeve back down, pulling his hand to his chest, worried about the consequences now. Terrified of what Vander was going to do.

"Nothing, i-it's nothing--" He quickly stammered, the world's shittiest excuse and probably the worst words he could have chosen and he knew it the moment they came out of his mouth. But what else could he say? His heart was in his throat and he felt like he was about to throw up. What else could he do?
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 19, 2017, 05:26:13 pm
The cold sickness that fell upon Vander's stomach in that moment made him forget all about the beer. All about the little moomba vacuum machine that he'd been fixing up in the meantime. He forgot that he'd been here with Loa to try and make amends for...however the other man perceived to be a reason to stay away from him.  He forgot all of that and all he felt was white-hot rage burning in his veins.

He just let the other man wrench away from him, as he stood from the stool and those awful words falling from his lips. Vander was at a total and complete loss. Part of him wanted him to shout uselessly at him until he was hoarse, the other part wanted to do nothing more than to ask him to leave. The Pilot Cardinal reached out for him gently and took in a deep breath.

"Loa...that's not nothing," he began and just when he was afraid the other man would spook and skedaddle out that door Vander did the only thing he could think to do and reached moved faster than he hoped Loa could.

Instinctively his arms fell around him and he wrapped a defensive Loa into a tight embrace and ducked his head in against his shoulder.  "Loa. It's ok. You don't have to run away. Not from me, I'm sorry I scared you," he breathed out and murmured loud enough for the other man to hear even through his helmet.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 19, 2017, 06:26:07 pm
Loa was no empath. And if he could've thought about it, this would have been one of the strongest circumstances where he would've been glad he wasn't one. Because even without that kind of a skill, he could've sworn he could feel the rage building up in the room, between the two of them.

He recognized it in the tenseness of the other Pilot's shoulders, his stance, his elevated heartbeat, the way his blood rushed, and was probably scalding hot.

There had been one time that Ru had ever noticed or spoken of Loa's scars, and it'd been in a situation very similar to this. In fact, Loa was having flashbacks, remembering his friend yelling and screaming at him, and he braced himself for the inevitable, getting ready to take a step back and run. His heart was hammering in his chest, the blood rushing in his ears and every instinct telling him to run. He wasn't safe here, he was very much in danger of getting beaten to smithereens and he had no idea what Vander was capable of--and worse yet, he already knew he wouldn't have fought back.

Not with Vander.

Either he could run, or he could take the beating and suffer the guilt and the shame either way, and the moment the other Pilot started to move towards him, and he heard it, just the barest hint of that angry tone in his voice, Loa started to bolt. He didn't care if it was cowardly, he didn't want to face Vander like this, ever.

And yet the other man was quicker; he felt arms wrap around him as he tried to take a step back, knocking the stool over onto the floor and just about tripping on it. Vander's embrace helped him keep his balance but he panicked, his fight or flight response floundering like a fish out of water because he refused to fight back but now running wasn't an option, and he could swear he couldn't fucking breathe, the fear was suffocating him and--

"Loa. It's ok. You don't have to run away. Not from me, I'm sorry I scared you."

Loa blinked behind his helmet, eyes wide.

The words were enough to give him a moment of clarity, a break in the surface to breathe before he kept drowning.

... What?

It didn't make any sense. What was this? Was he being hugged? Or was this a trap, to lure him into a false sense of security so he could get yelled at again?

And yet the feeling of Vander's head on his shoulder, the breath he let out and the tone of voice, though strained, it... Loa didn't know. He was so conflicted, so confused, and so abruptly brought out of his own head back into the right here and now it was as if he'd been plucked from planet earth and dropped onto an undiscovered alien planet with absolutely no rhyme or reason.

He glanced around the room, like he was trying to find some kind of evidence that maybe something had happened in the seconds that had passed, that perhaps he'd missed it, his brain had shut it out. But there was no overturned furniture, other than the stool behind him. No evidence of a struggle. Nothing. He hadn't missed anything at all.

His breaths evened out from the short, panicked and near silent gasps of a few moments ago, as slowly his muscles started to relax and the confusion set in as the shock ebbed away. He'd never gotten this kind of a reaction before. Even Ru had yelled at him.

So... Once again Loa found himself with no clue how to respond.

He hesitated a moment, before slowly reaching up and resting his hands at Vander's sides, clutching at the fabric of his shirt as he tried to figure out what to do, where to go from here. Hell, what he should even say.

"I'm sorry."

He blurted it, didn't really know why he'd picked those words to say but fuck it he might as well keep rolling with it.

"It keeps me grounded." He swallowed. "In reality. Makes me focus on something else." Something other than his stupid fever dreams, his nightmares. Made him focus on exercising control over his powers, patience. Almost like meditation, he supposed. Even if it also doubled as punishment.

"I'm sorry."

His voice trembled.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 20, 2017, 07:23:17 am
The initial squirming was to be expected. No scratch that. It was beyond what he expected. For someone that was good at bloodwork, in murdering, Loa could have probably dispensed Vander with little more than a knee to the groin and be done with it. Out the door.

Vander didn't want him to leave though, and thus resorted to hugging him, keeping him solidly against him. So that no matter how much he squirmed, he wasn't going to get away. Vander leveled out his breathing and relaxed against Loa to get him to calm next to him.

"I'm not mad," he lied, speaking in that same gentle even tone. Of course he was mad, anyone in their right mind would be right bloody pissed off. Because normal people didn't do that and something deep inside told Vander that being angry with him would only make it worse.

"It's ok." It wasn't.

"I know you're a hemokinetic, but at least let me take a look at them? Get you decently patched up?"

His hand moved in small circles up and down Loa's back, gentle and he brought his head back to look at that glossy helmet.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 20, 2017, 08:52:52 am
Even Loa knew that when Vander said he wasn't mad that it was a lie. He could still hear the other man's heart pounding, could hear the sound of his blood rushing through his veins even if it had slowed down tremendously in comparison to the raging tide it had been before.

Why was he lying, though?

What good did it do him to keep that anger contained inside, what point was there in lying to Loa and pretending as if everything was okay? Loa knew it wasn't okay, he knew what he did was broken, a dysfunctional mess that woupd make any other person cringe. The drinking, the cutting, refusal to leave his apartment. But knowing that it was bad obviously wasn't about to stop him from doing it, and no amount of yelling would, either.

So did he lie because he recognized how poimtless it truly was?

Loa tried swallowing down the shame that came over him, enveloping him in a cloak and tugging itself so tightly around him he couldn't even begin to think about looking at Vander as the other man pulled away.

He wanted to check Loa's wounds, and the Pilot Echo recoiled a little at the suggestion. He didn't know what he should do. If he showed them fully wouldn't Vander get angrier? Or would it make the man feel better if he could help Loa patch them up?

He hesitated a moment, before slowly reaching up--his hands were shaking, dammit--and unzipping his jacket from the collar down, letting it slide off of him as he set it on the sofa. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt underneath, his arms exposed up to his biceps.

It wasn't just his wrists that were cut.

The extent of the self mutilation became even more obvious now that his arms were fully visible; scratches on top of cuts and slices went all the way up to the insides of his elbows, some obviously as fresh as the night prior, some largely healed and looking to be only one or two weeks old at maximum, varying in depth, length, and severity, seemingly made with multiple weapons rather than just one item like a razor blade.

He said nothing, couldn't even get enough of his voice into his throat to say something, much less think of anything.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 20, 2017, 12:16:41 pm
Tonight's running theme was clear. It was gonna be chock full of the unexpected and Vander's gut twisted further, growing cold and all desire for appetite leaving him. The project robot on the work bench was forgotten and the beers were going to be warm.

He led him to the bathroom, breath hitching at the sight of all the marks on his body, his arms and Vander was  more focused on that than the tightness of his shirt. He sat Loa down on the lid of the toilet and fished out that first aid kit again. It seemed to be a running thing here.

And he was afraid of that.

Vander worked quietly patiently and cleaned at the fresher ones and wrapped them up in the gauze he had available. "Loa, stay over with me? Yeah?" Vander smiled at him and splayed his fingers out over his, sandwiching Loa's hand between his.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 20, 2017, 01:34:27 pm
The silence between the two of them was unnerving; Vander didn't react outwardly to the sheer amount of scars on Loa's arms that had not been there when Vander had found him drunk a few weeks ago. He hoped Vander didn't draw any connections or ask any questions because Loa wouldn't know what to say to him if he did.

He followed obediently, still unable to look the other Pilot in the face as he was sat down in the bathroom. He didn't wince or hiss at the stinging pains of the cleaning on the raw wounds, rather he was more fixated on how gentle Vander was, here again. Granted, he seemed to do lots of intricate work with his hands, so delicacy shouldn't have come as a surprise to him, just as it shouldn't have made him feel like he was being treated like some fragile, precious thing that meant something to somebody. It shouldn't have made his heart skip a beat, even with all the shame that weighed him down as if he were wading through a toxic bog.

He blinked and finally looked up at the man when he mentioned staying the night; all he could do was stare in confusion.

... Why?

And yet he heard a tone in Vander's voice that made it seem lile he would have to be a heartless demon to say no. That and..
 Maybe deep down inside he really did want the attention. He knew it. He wished he didn't, but he did.

"... If it's okay, sure." He said quietly, unable to think of what else to say. He had a feeling if he asked why he might hurt the other man's feelings, or piss him off, and he didn't want to do either.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on October 20, 2017, 06:05:09 pm
Vander slipped the items back into the slots of that medkit and put it behind the toilet. He didn't want to bring attention to the wounds on Loa's arms or the fact that theu disturbed him so. He had wanted to yell, to scream and shout but where would that get them? The man already had been proven he couldn't be trusted around strong alcohol.

He couldn't think of anything else to do before he stood up and smiled. "Ok! Then I  better get started on dinner. I hope you like bacon and eggs because I'm all out of everything else and I don't want to order pizza. Actually... Wait I have bread. Come on Loa. Make yourself comfortable. What's mine is yours."

He gestured the man to follow him back out into the hallway where the robots were making a fresh pot of coffee since Vander had been planning on staying up and working on his machines. There he whipped out the pan and eggs and the bread and began adding some cinnamon and sugar to it?

"You ever have cinnamon toast? Well, you're having some now and I guarantee it's gonna be so damn delicious," he said and began the process of toasting the bread and soaking and then frying it. Vander was a pretty fast cook and when he actually had time to enjoy it, like now, he enjoyed making simple meals.

He voice commanded the TV to turn on and when the food was finally ready he set two pieces out on the plate for each and some butter and syrup. "Ok, Loa. I'm bracing myself for your verdict. Oh right!" Vander slipped the visor from his face settling his vision back into that monochrome setting.

He smiled and set the thing on the counter. "I hope you're hungry because I made this with all my love."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on October 21, 2017, 10:36:29 pm
Loa watched him put things away in absolute silence, unsure of what to do or say. It was like he could feel the frustration and disappointment rolling off of Vander in waves. It made him want to shrivel up and hide under a rock for the next twenty years--moreso than he did on a regular basis, even.

But there he went again, saying that weird thing. 'What's mind is yours.' What did that even mean? It was confusing--no, what was Vander's was Vander's. Loa owned nothing in this apartment, nor did he even share in it. He hadn't put any money into it, any effort. He couldn't claim shit. So why did he say that? It made no sense.

Regardless, Loa followed him out like a straggling duckling from the bathroom and found himself a seat as he watched Vander cook. Something seemed to change in the air about him from how it had been just minutes before; he seemed to be happier. Like Loa's response that he'd stay the night made him happy... Which he couldn't understand for the life of him, honestly. He still couldn't figure out why he'd even offered in the first place.

"No, I haven't." He said quietly, not even really sure he knew what cinnamon toast would be. Just... Cinnamon on top of toast? didn't sound very good.

He didn't really pay any attention to the TV as it was turned on, letting it fade into background noise as he kept his attention on Vander, realizing now he wasn't sure how he was going to eat anything with the helmet on. Hell. He shoulda just kept with the bandanna, it was easier.

He blinked, looking up at Vander with a bit of surprise however when he took off the visor... Willingly sacrificing his ability to see again just for his sake. It made him feel a little guilty, especially when he still hesitated to take the flight helmet off. But... Vander couldn't see him, right? He was pretty much blind without the visor, he'd said. This was different from that night in the shower, he was sober this time. There was no booze to give him courage or to help null his strange fears.

He slowly reached up and took the helmet off, holding his breath as he did so and just forcing himself to do it. The feeling of the air hitting his face sent a shiver down his spine as he set the helmet on the counter out of the way, fingertips lingering on its surface for a few moments before he forced himself to pull them away.

It didn't matter that Vander had already probably seen his face in the past--no, had definitely seen--it was the sheer fact of anyone seeing it at all, especially when he wasn't drunk, that terrified him. Like the large claws of his dragon wrapping around him and slowly suffocating him, he reached up and his fingertips brushed across the scar that stretched across his face in a jagged diagonal line from jaw across the lips up to his cupid's bow.

He shook his head a little and his thick eyebrows knitted together at the comment that Vander made the plate of food with love. He couldn't tell if he was making some kind of sick joke or if he was actually being sincere. Either way, he still didn't know what to say.

"Right, so if it's terrible I won't say so so I don't hurt your feelings. Got it." His voice sounded so much clearer outside of the helmet--things he never paid attention to when he was on his own in his apartment, but now he was keenly aware of it due to his paranoia. Even still, what he'd said was meant as a gentle tease. Something to lighten the mood.

He reached forward and took a piece, deciding to try a bite of it without any butter or syrup to taste it as it was, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. He never would've expected a tech geek to be a damn good cook.

"That's... Incredible." He said quietly.

Granted, Loa wasn't the type of guy to go out and treat himself--when he did eat it was usually bare bones minimum cheap shit. Nutrition bars, instant noodles, that kind of thing. Hardly the extravagant diet many other Pilot Echoes might like to spend the money on in their spare time. Loa didn't care about himself enough to. So something like this wasn't just a treat, it tasted like fucking heaven, and it was clear in the absolute sincerity in his voice.

"Where'd you learn to make these?" He asked as a way to keep conversation going so it wasn't too awkward while he sat there and tried to resist the urge to wolf it down and demand more.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on November 15, 2017, 02:05:21 pm
"No no, Loa, if it's terrible you gotta tell me. Because then I'll keep making you terrible dishes and then nothing productive will come out of it. Sometimes something is wrong, but if you don't know it's wrong, how will you ever fix it?" Vander smiled at the other man and went about dousing maple syrup all over his own cinnamon toast. He was hungrier than he could remember but he didn't want to order out.

Pizza was only so good after like three weeks of eating just that and he was running out of beer.

Vander ate his and after a few moments of munching and the sound of little more than the knife and fork hitting the plate, he cleared his throat. Heavenly huh? He'd never gotten a compliment like that before and a small blossom of warmth spread across his chest. 

A warm smile and he coughed into his arm. "Uh, my mom taught me how to make it. There's like this trick she did of making it juuuuust this side of burnt, where the edges get real crisp so it's crunchy but there's still that softness in the middle right. Um, would you like some more, it's no trouble at all."

Vander had hoped he would say yes. It wasn't often that Vander  had an opportunity to cook for someone else, to share in hospitality and he was quickly finding he enjoyed very much sharing what little he had with someone else.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on November 17, 2017, 11:32:30 pm
If it's terrible you gotta tell me.

There was something about the way Vander protested his (shitty attempt at a) joke, that made Loa pause in the middle of eating as he looked over at the man. He'd been talking about the food but something inside the hemokinetic stilled for a moment.

Really, all of this was wrong. Not terrible, per say, but just... Wrong.

He'd tried to tell Vander from the beginning but the guy had just been so persistent and now here they were, defying the very laws that seemed to define Loa's plane of existence and he didn't know how he felt about it. Sure, there was a tiny, tiny part of him that liked it. That liked the difference, the feeling of having someone there, of not being alone anymore, and not feeling guilty or ashamed of wanting it. But that was only a small part--the rest of him felt guilty and ashamed. Disgusting. Vile.

Friendship was something he'd never thought himself to be cut out for--he was just odd. Stinted. Couldn't handle people. So this was wrong--Vander letting him in his home, cooking for him, trying to be friends with him... Was wrong.

For a brief moment he hesitated and felt the urge to get up and leave, but he also knew it wouldn't do any good--would it be running away, or fixing what was wrong, here? He didn't know anymore. So he just kept quiet, and kept eating.

"Your mom? Sounds like she knew a thing or two then." He said quietly, finishing the rest of his food and looking away from Vander sheepishly, even though he knew the man couldn't see him, when he was asked if he'd like some more.

"If... If it's not too much trouble, then yeah. S-Sure." Fuck. He felt so awkward and unsure of himself right now.

He pulled his hands into his lap, grasping tightly at his wrists as he waited for the plate of food; he could feel the scratches itching and burning under there, even with the bandages. He bit his lip, his anxiety climbing a little bit higher as he sat there and wallowed, until more food was presented to him and he then fixated on that, enjoying the taste of it (hell it was really really really good) and eating the rest of it in silence.

"Thank you, for uh. Dinner? I guess." He was so awkward about it, but at least he knew some manners.

Problem was, he'd only had sleepovers with one other person and he wasn't sure if the rules that applied then applied now. What were you supposed to do after you ate? He and Ru would usually go to bed after that--and by go to bed, that meant go to Ru's bedroom and stay up for a few hours with Ru rambling on about random shit that was neither here nor there while Loa would listen and insightfully say things like 'Yeah,' 'Uh-huh,' or 'Sure.'

"So... Now what?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on November 19, 2017, 10:29:16 am
Maybe it was wrong. And maybe Vander didn't know any other way to be than friendly. Sure he could be like Rodion and just breath fire on the first person that came his way, but that didn't strike him as any kind of recipe for a good time. When a man had that much pent up bitterness, it's probably because he hated himself than anything else. Which was a real shame because they usually ended up missing out on the good things other people had to offer.

Vander just casually looked at the speaking inkblot in front of his eyes. They seemed normal to any others glancing into his eyes, save for the faint cloudiness over the pupils. They dilated just a bit when Loa moved, shifting with the light and after he served him a second plate, Vander cleaned up and gently dried and stacked the dishes away.

A small blossom of heat swelled in his chest at the compliment of his cooking. He'd grinned shyly, feeling his cheeks hurt from the tension and he slipped around the counter to gesture to Loa to follow him. Sorta. Vander shoved his hands into his pockets and tilted his head, feeling heat rush to his cheeks. "You can stay with me. In my room. I..."  He stopped and removed a hand from his pocket and gently tucked it into Loa's curling fingers with his.

"Just lie down with me?" he offered. "I mean if you want to? You can take the couch or the bed. I just...want you to feel comfortable here. What's mine is yours after all."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on November 19, 2017, 10:54:46 am
Something about the grin on Vander's face made Loa's heart flutter, his stomach twisting a little with... Pleasant knots? Which he didn't know could be a thing but apparently okay, they could. The guy didn't really respond to his question with a verbal answer, just nodded for Loa to follow him, and so Loa did, keeping a step or two behind him as he realized the direction they were heading was Vander's bedroom.

His first thought was oh, this was like one of Ru's sleepovers. They might hang out for a bit and talk or something, that was... Probably fine. Loa could probably handle that. It was at the very least something he was used to, something he knew. He could just sit on the floor then and--

And then Vander made the comment about lying down with him and before he realized it, the warmth and tingling sensation of flesh against flesh made him look down to see that Vander was... Holding his... Hand?

There was a moment's pause where if Vander could have seen Loa's face he probably could have imagined the gears turning behind his eyes, the clunk... Clunk... Clunk... Of something trying to catch as he tried to put together the pieces of the puzzle.

So.. He...Wanted to... Touch. Or. Something. The word 'snuggle' popped into his head but he didn't know if that actually applied or not.

Loa hesitated, unsure of what to do, how to respond. Ru had done this with him a few times, but he hadn't asked or said anything like 'If you want to.' And that was what was throwing him for a loop here, so rather than try and figure that bit out he tossed it out the window. Vander wanted to be physical and Loa wanted to make him happy, even if it meant... Even if it meant hurting in the long run.

Old pains of heartbreak made his chest throb and he nodded, before remembering Vander couldn't see it, so he awkwardly cleared his throat. "Yeah--Sure. That's fine."

He didn't realize he did it until after he did it, but he gave the man's hand the gentlest squeeze, standing a bit closer to him so their sides brushed. It made his heartbeat skip a little.

"Still don't get why you say that." He admitted, trying not to think about how this was making him feel, how much it hurt and yet how... Giddy he was at the same time? Excited? At the prospect of getting to touch him again? See that worried him, but he wasn't about to let that on right now; the last thing he needed were his emotions and fears meddling and messing up what was between them right now, because whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not, Loa wanted to enjoy this as much as he could.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on November 19, 2017, 10:46:50 pm
"You don't get it? Oh, I was pretty sure you could decipher it real easily, but since you don't get it, I'd be happy to explain. It means I'm willing and trying to share with you. What's mine is yours is like...if I have an apple and you're hungry and I see that you're hungry, I'm gonna cut my apple in half and share it with you. Because well.... I dunno, don't see why not. My momma didn't raise me to be selfish, so I'm sure as shit not going to start now."

Vander explained idly while he tugged Loa toward the bed, his side tingling up against the spot where Loa had brushed against him, the hackles standing up on the back of his neck. A small nervous chuckle and he ditched his shoes, kicking them to the corner of the room and casually moving over to his closet where he stripped, not quite thinking about being watched or Loa standing there.

He knew he was there. He couldn't ignore it. And when he pulled his shirt off, he pulled on another shirt, a wrinkled t-shirt, and dropped his pants to change into some sweats he normally slept in. He wasn't slow and deliberate, but neither was he rushed or anxious about it. Nothing of his actions displayed any hesitation or embarrassment.

Vander crawled over to the bed and ruffled a pillow up underneath his head.  "You can borrow something to wear if you want. I don't think sleeping in jeans is all that comfortable. Or you don't have to if you don't want to," he offered and tried to focus on the inkblot that was Loa. A blink and he closed his silvery eyes, scooting over to give room to the other man.

"Sweats are in the drawer, you can use a shirt too. Whatever you want to do."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on November 19, 2017, 11:15:57 pm
Loa was a little surprised when Vander offered to explain what he meant with no hesitation, or the slightest sign of annoyance at Loa's question. Ru would've been irritated, so this made the Pilot Echo pause for a moment as he listened.

"Oh."

Well when he put it like that, suddenly Loa understood and it didn't seem such a foreign concept; sharing was something every parent taught their kid, or something every kid learned at some point in their life. Loa was a bit of a selfish person himself, he wasn't so sure he'd offer half an apple to someone who was hungry, unless if it was Vander--then he would.

"Guess that makes sense." He said it quietly as he followed the man into the bedroom and paused awkwardly in the doorway as he watched the man start to strip.

For a moment he immediately looked away out of consideration and... Not wanting to be weird. With Ru he'd always snuck glances, as awful as it was, but he realized then that he wouldn't have to with Vander. The man was practically blind, he probably wouldn't be able to tell if Loa was staring. N-Not that that made it any better, but...

He did sneak a peek, his heart beating a little faster as he glanced over the curves and dips of those hardened muscles and he quickly looked away again until he heard the mattress shift under the other man's weight.

He hesitated a moment at the offer to borrow some more of Vander's clothes, and glanced down at himself. He was just in a t-shirt and no, jeans weren't very comfy to sleep in, not in the slightest. But if he borrowed some pants from Vander he'd smell like him and he had mixed feelings about that. Guess it turned out that the positive ones outweighed the negative, because he stepped over after a moment, found a pair of sweats in the drawer and hesitated again, glancing over his shoulder at Vander before he bit his lip and changed into them. He was the exact opposite of what the Cardinal had been--he was quick, didn't want the other man to look at him even though he knew he couldn't see. There was always that what if, and yes he knew the guy had already seen him naked but... This was different.

"Thanks." He said quietly, trying to swallow the lump in his throat as he came over to stand by the side of the bed, seeing the spot left for him as his heart continued to hammer in his chest.

It hadn't occurred to him that something so small as the offering to stay in the same bed with the man would cause him this much anxiety, this much fear. Nervousness. He thought briefly about lying that he left the stove on to go back to his own apartment and then lock himself in but that wouldn't go over well and he damn well knew it.

He slowly got onto the bed, sitting awkwardly next to Vander for a moment before he awkwardly shuffled to awkwardly lay there next to him, close and yet not quite touching him, their bodies a mere inch or two away.

This was utterly terrifying and he hadn't the slightest clue what to do. Would... Would he say something? Were they gonna talk? Did he just want to go to bed?

He looked over at him, unsure of how to ask because he'd already used the 'So... Now what?' line earlier, and he was kicking himself for it.

"You know you don't have to do this." He said suddenly, a little surprised at himself that it had come so unprovoked. "You don't have to be so nice to me. Gods know I don't deserve it."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on November 20, 2017, 12:14:05 am
He could hear the rushed shuffling of clothing, and that mere thought that Loa was so nervous he couldn't even change in front of him, even with knowing that Vander couldn't see him, made Vander more than a little crestfallen. He averted his gaze as if he could, and once Loa was in the bed, he forced himself to relax. He'd gotten this far, Loa didn't run away just yet. But he left that door open, just in case, to keep him feeling less 'penned in'.

He could leave any time, Vander would not hold it against him. And yet when he didn't a small sigh of relief left him. Soft quietlike and he cradled the pillow underneath his head, relaxing and kicking at the blanket at the base of the bed to cover his feet.

Brows furrowed and his cut twisted at the things he said.

"Why don't you deserve it?" he asked, genuinely curious. "Why do you talk like that?" There was no accusation in his voice, the tone soft and gentle enough to actually be inviting. "You think I'm just being nice? I'm being friendly, and I like you a lot. I think you're pretty interesting."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on November 21, 2017, 06:36:27 am
Loa wasn't quite sure yet to feel about this situation, this... Predicament he'd gotten himself into. He was in Vander's bed (more on it rather than in it, big difference there) with the man, wearing his clothes, and he was already regretting what he'd just said, because now it was seeming to open up to a bigger conversation he wasn't ready to have yet.

Let's be honest here, he'd never be ready to have it.

Vander's voice wasn't accusing, or even irritated. He seemed as if he genuinely didn't know and that fact alone baffled Loa. As if it weren't obvious from day one why he didn't deserve kindness? He only knew how to return it with a sour attitude and hatred, he'd never been grateful for Vander's friendship, had loathed him at first and there were times that he still did.

"I..." He hesitated, as if searching for the right words, when in reality he was trying to think of a way to get himself out of this, but he could think of none.

"I'm kind of an asshole, Vander. I don't know how to... Be friendly. Have friends. There's nothing interesting about me, what you see is exactly what you get--a depressed alcoholic counting down the days until someone or.. Something does me in on a mission."

His brows knitted together as his gut knotted up with tension; there was no way to sugar-coat it. There was no nice way to say he was a suicidal loser that no one cared about, and for damn good reason.

So why Vander was so nice to him was beyond anything he could even hope to reason out. It didn't add up, why he would go out of his way for a person like Loa. And for the most part, Loa didn't wanna know why he would. Why he would kiss him or hold his hand, or why Loa felt so lonely even though he was laying in the bed right next to him.

He glanced over to him, holding his breath for a moment before his hand ventured just close enough to brush against the warmth of the man's torso. It sent tingles racing up his spine and made his heart ache, how he was physically so close and yet he still felt as if he were a thousand miles away.

That was how he felt with everyone. Isolated. Forgotten. Alone.

"You're the first person in ten years to actually seem to care."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on November 23, 2017, 09:57:39 am
The hesitation couldn't have drenched his voice more if he was asked to leave his hand in a steel trap and trust that it wouldn't close on him. The anxiety was there, the wounds laden into him that were scabbed but never scarred over. Vander was almost hurt at the incredulity that this man couldn't so much as recieve a compliment without it clearly meaning he was unworthy of it. And that little ache in his chest grew, like a pebble in your shoe.

It was stuck there, small and prodding, never overly comfortable. But present and it made Vander knit his brow harshly.

Vander had asked for nothing of him, save his company. And even that Loa had been hard pressed to give. Was this too much for him? Was he really pushing him too much. The vagaries of guilt ebbed its way into Vander and he clenched the sheets a little of that bed, wishing he could see for once the look on Loa's face.

And that Loa would let him look.

"Did something happen to you? To make you feel that way?" he asked, voice still soft. "I know you're pretty rough around the edges. But I'm not trying to change you. I just want to spend time with you. I'm not asking you to be anything other than yourself. I just like you, I wish I knew how to better explain it."

Vander laid out on his belly, arms in front of him and he bunched the pillow underneath his head. Yeah, he really wished Loa would let him see his face, that he might better gauge what the other man was feeling other than the defensiveness in his voice

"I guess I been told my since Candyland that I wouldn't amount to anything. That'd I'd be trimmed from the first moment I got there. It really fucking sucks when no one has any faith in you. That you're science slab fodder. I couldn't have felt more alone," he admitted. There was a vague crack in his voice, and he paused to collect himself.

"I understood that was the nature of the beast. You're expendable. Happens all the time to candies everyday. But I made a decision right then and there that I was going to make it. I wanted to make it. And I didn't want anyone else to feel as alone as I felt. I don't know if you'll ever understand what I mean. Or if you think I have some ulterior motive. I just want to get to know you Loa. Maybe you don't have to feel the way you do. I don't know any other way to explain it."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on November 23, 2017, 11:36:40 am
Loa was quiet for a very long time, even after Vander spoke.

He listened carefully, the man's voice as soothing as his words were gut-wrenching; it almost felt like it was too much to take in, like some kind of sensory overload. It made him squeeze his eyes shut, trying to focus on his breathing while he paid attention to what the other Pilot told him because it was so important. Moreso than he'd ever thought it would be.

He had struggled through Candidacy, too. Which Loa found extremely hard to believe--he was just so... Jovial, confident, charming. He wouldn't have guessed in a million years that they'd have threatened him with being TRIMMed, even though it made a bit of sense given his eyesight issues, but still. Loa pursed and worried at his lips, his chest feeling tight.

Vander was everything but a failure. Certainly not expendable, not in Loa's eyes. He was a valuable member of his squadron now, a strong Pilot, a good man. People like him were so hard to find, and yet Loa didn't have the slightest clue on how to go about treating him well enough. Giving him the recognition that he deserved, he... Loa was such a shitty person, such a shitty friend.

After a few moments of silence between the two of them Loa forced himself to swallow the thick lump in his throat, feeling like he was drowning in a bog of tar.

"I'm glad you made it."

He said it so quietly, his voice wavering, he didn't know what he was saying or how to say it, how to put all of his swimming, mixed emotions into a tangible format for the other man to process, or even if he wanted to.

Did something happen to you? To make you feel that way?

Those words echoed in Loa's head and it made his gut lurch; he sat up suddenly, terrified for a moment he might actually throw up, but it was just the anxiety clawing its way up his throat as he remembered so many sleepless nights in Candidacy, so many punishments, screaming Ru's name over and over and over and over--

"Been this way as long as I can remember." He mumbled. "Almost got TRIMMed, murdered my best friend." He sucked in a breath and put his head in his hands, fingers weaving through his thick black hair, clenching tight and pulling at the roots to give him something, anything to focus on other than the flips his gut was doing because he was so conflicted and confused.

Should he talk to Vander? No, probably not--he shouldn't be here at all, but he wanted to. He wanted to tell him everything, wanted to be close to him, he wanted so badly to just be a normal fucking person. He wished he could have been born without the psionics, without the crippling social anxiety, without his depression, his fear--he wished he'd never been born at all. Gods all, how many times he'd wished for that. Wished that they would go back in time and remove him from existence--he didn't ask to be brought in this world. He never wanted to be here.

So why was he here?

He drew his knees up to his chest, resting his forehead against them and hugging his legs, he didn't know what else to say or do or what to tell Vander other than what he'd already said--he was a loser, a lowlife, a waste of space, a man who never should have been or existed. And yet here he was. He just wished he knew what to do about it.

"I'm sorry--that you went through that." He said, voice tight with his chin tucked so close to his chest, eyes squeezed shut; if he focused more on Vander that might help things go away, right? "You're--You're a good man. Good Pilot. Your squad is... Very lucky to have you."

And yet the images of Vander struggling as a young Candidate that popped into his head seemed to bring just as much stress if not more, thinking of him specifically going through things that he and Ru did, dealing with the same threats, the same constant worry and fear that one day you would wake up and be dragged from bed, told that you were a failure and then shipped off to be a lab rat. That chilled Loa to the bone.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on December 05, 2017, 07:10:13 pm
Vander didn't know what he expected by admitting that and he hadn't counted on telling anyone that that didn't already know. Already his heart was beating rapidly in his chest and he didn't know if he could speak again without his voice breaking. No one bothered believing in him, he was a waste of space. Just another Candy waiting to be shipped off to TRIM.  Nobody would have missed him. He would have been fodder for another's experiments.

What would Loa think? That he was just trying to vie for attention? Feel sorry for himself? What would have been the point of that. What did he gain? He didn't reach out, not to pry into Loa's mind. He could understand smaller pieces of tech than he could people sometimes, but that didn't stop him from trying. He could only see the blurry blots that Loa was, and the desire to see his face made his heart leap into his throat.

Maybe. Maybe some day Loa would let him.

Vander listened to him though, pushed his thoughts away and although he could hear Loa moving he didn't know what he was doing. But the shift in weight on the mattress didn't dictate he was vacating anything. Taking that as a sign that it was okay, Vander wiggled himself closer and reached out a hand blindly to him. He felt skin, a leg, a knee, and just let his hand shift up until it was on Loa's shoulder.

A gentle squeeze.  "I'm sorry about your friend. I didn't know that, but I'm glad you told me. I didn't have much in the way of friends in Candidacy," he admitted. "Is this weird for you? Are you uncomfortable?"

Vander shifted closer and wanted nothing more than to pull Loa closer to him, to get the man to relax, even if that risk meant that Loa would pull away from him. But his touches were gentle, coaxing, but not pulling. "I'm glad your here though. Really I am. It really sucks to be alone sometimes, y'know. I know I have my little machines, but I know they're not people. People need other people. I don't think me and you are so different."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on December 09, 2017, 12:20:27 am
Loa felt the mattress move and he tensed a little, just slightly, as Vander shifted closer to him and suddenly the space between them seemed to shrink to nothing at all. He jolted slightly when he felt the hand on his leg, and suddenly he felt his heartbeat double in time as the blood rushed to his face and he felt the heat in his cheeks. But the hand was quickly moved up to his shoulder, and when he felt the gentlest tug, he obeyed.

"... No," He murmured quietly, reacting without really thinking when Vander asked if he were made uncomfortable by this.

Uncomfortable, no. He had done similar things with Ru, and yet somehow this felt different. His heart was still every bit as on edge, but it wasn't quite the same--the edge wasn't as sharp, wasn't as painful. It was like Vander was asking him to do a trust fall, and if the other Pilot didn't catch him he'd just fall onto a padded mat rather than fifty feet down. But his gut also told him Vander wouldn't let him fall, either.

So he laid down with the man, facing him with the softest, shuddering breath as the Cardinal told him that he was glad that Loa was here... And that made Loa's heart leap up into his throat, hard to swallow back down. He understood technology more than people, just as Loa understood music and liquor, although the other man's crutch was far less destructive.

Laying so close he could feel his warm breath on his face and it made his heart beat even faster, he could hear the blood rushing in his ears with every rise and fall of his own expanding lungs, and those words rolled over in his head over and over again.

"I'm... I'm glad you're here, too." He finally said after a moment, feeling the urge to desperately reach out and touch him but would that be weird?

It would most definitely likely be weird. And thus he didn't, instead curling up as their legs brushed against each other, and that brief warmth was enough to make his heart throb again. He'd forgotten what it was like, to be so close to another human being, to care about someone, because he sure as shit had never cared about himself.

His gaze flickered over Vander's pretty eyes, his lips, the shape of his jawline and the curves of his cheekbones, feeling strange knowing that even though the other man was looking right at him, he couldn't see him at all. He still felt as if his privacy was vastly being invaded, as if at any moment Vander could tell him he'd been lying about his vision the whole time and that he could really see Loa's face and that thought alone was terrifying, making every beat of his heart thud painfully against his ribcage, rattling with paranoia. And yet he kept the urge to run away down, stomaching his fear as he tried to focus on other things; the little things, like the strands of the other man's hair falling and obscuring his face, the rise and fall of his breaths, the subtle changes in his expression.

"I forgot what it was like. To be around others, around someone you like." He said quietly, his voice low, the slightest warble echoing throughout its tone.

He'd admitted it, albeit indirectly, but he did it. He admitted that yes... He did like Vander. And he did like his company.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on December 09, 2017, 11:22:45 am
Vander to hear his own heart pounding heavily in his ears. When was the last time he shared his bed like this? Oh, well he couldn't really remember...  Probably because the answer ranged from never - to not really - and not since that one game of spin the milk carton in his candy days. Yeesh. And even now, it wasn't quite like this could be considered really sharing his bed - not by most Aedolian standards. There were two bodies in it, laying side by side, and by Vander's standards, this was indeed sharing a bed.

The moment their legs made contact, Vander let out a slow breath from flared nostrils. He parted his knees a little and slid one leg back and let Loa settle a leg on his. In fact he pressed his leg into the mattress to encourage such a movement as he settled in beside him. Vander's heart was racing in his ears, throbbing  heavily as he felt the other man so close to him.

Vander's temptation to reach out and touch Loa's face won out - whereas the Pilot Echo had almost seemed too afraid to do so. The desire to touch him came from an odd mix of wanting to be close and being unable to see his face. The blob his features had become shifted and morphed when he opened his mouth to speak, when he admitted that he actually liked Vander's company.

Really now? It was...remarkably hard to tell.  He'd always thought he was being overbearing...and a small part of him feared that if Loa truly and thoroughly hated his presence, he'd tell him to go away. To which Vander would obey. He liked the guy well enough - even with his morose petulance - but he didn't want to be bother. Not if he was truly making him miserable.

His belly felt a jolt go through it and his heart sped up a little more, heat flooding his face. "I like you too. A lot actually," he admitted, his hand now resting on Loa's cheek. The back of his fingers curled against the other man's cheek, and he just felt the contours of it. This was as close as he'd ever get to actually seeing his face. No need to hide, no visors, no helmets, nothing to hide behind. Vander's hand turned so that his palm rested against his cheek, and he let his thumb rove very gently over the curve of his face.

Loa's cheekbone was so gentle, the slope physically pleasing as he stroked down to his chin, rolling he knuckle against the bottom of his lip and letting his fingers roll into the dips and curves of his features. Committing them to memory. Committing them so that he could properly visualize the face in front of him. "You're beautiful," Vander commented, the words spilling out before he could stop them. "I mean it. You're really pretty."

He smiled slightly and he felt the scar, but did not speak of it, just let the small curve of his lip just relegate how sweet it was that Loa allowed him to be close at all. "You can see, I know, but, you can touch me y'know. If you wanted to. It could be nice."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on December 11, 2017, 12:30:38 am
Feeling the warmth of the other man's leg against his own sent a strange rush of feelings through him that Loa didn't understand. It was like a feeling you might get if you where high--that urge to become addicted, to want more, and to never stop wanting more. It was scary, to say the least, but he didn't argue as Vander adjusted and did as he pleased.

And yet he said that he liked Loa too, having picked up on the implications from his earlier comment, and then--his jolted a little, just slightly, at the sudden touch of warm and calloused skin on his face, and he blinked, eyes wide as he recognized the blush on Vander's cheeks as well. Why was he blushing too? Should he be blushing? Loa was the one with the strange feelings here--or was he not the only one?

The feeling of surprise that took him by storm for a fleeting moment when Vander said he liked him too, a whole lot apparently, was enough to send the Pilot Echo reeling for a moment from the shock of it--and that wasn't even all of it.

As the other man's touch traveled its way over the rise and fall of Loa's face, touching his scarred lips, it made his heart beat even faster still as his breath caught in his throat, undoubtedly noticeable by Vander when the hemokinetic's breath was literally brushing over his skin. The tingles that were racing each other up and down Loa's spine, and down lower into his abdomen were quite distracting and quite honestly, horrifying, but still not enough so for him to miss what the other man said.

He called him beautiful.

And he couldn't help but just stare at Vander then, mouth slightly agape as he froze and thought to all the times he'd ever looked in a mirror and looked away with shame and disgust because he didn't fit normal beauty standards. He thought about all the times he went to school hiding his face and got made fun of or called weird-looking. He'd never once been called beautiful before, in his entire life. He checked it over in his head, and then double checked it again. Had he meant to say that? Had it been a mistake? No, no he just said it wasn't.

"I-I--" He stammered, the words getting caught up in his throat as all the emotions came flooding up at once and Vander suggested touching him too and he could've sworn if he got any redder his face might explode.

His hands were trembling as he reached up, hesitated a moment, hand a mere two inches away from Vander's shoulder, before he finally touched him, the fabric of the shirt in the way and withholding any particular sensations he might've felt from skin contact from him just yet, something he was slightly thankful for. And yet he hovered over his shoulder/bicep, pondering it, wondering if he really should, before finally he moved his hand up and ran fingertips through his silver hair, realizing after a moment that of all places to touch a person, their head, their most important and vital part, was a kind of universal place to try affection.

Affection.

He knew absolutely nothing about it, and he was terrified to.

And yet he settled for pulling his hand back to smooth a thumb over Vander's cheek anyways, unable to deny even to himself that he wanted to touch the man before him just as bad.

"T-Thanks. Uh. You... I find you very... Very handsome. As well."

His words came out stunted, the tone of his voice wrung tight with tension as he fought the urge to run for the hills screaming bloody murder.

"I'm--I'm no good at these kinds of things, I'm sorry," He quickly blurted out.

He felt the urge to kiss Vander's fingertips, to nibble at him and fuck, fuck he shouldn't be thinking about this. With another choke on his own breath he hesitated a split moment before bringing their faces closer together, resting their foreheads against each other as his hand slipped down Vander's neck to let his fingertips explore the dips and curves in the other man's collarbone, feeling the strength and power in his shoulders there.

"But... You're right. It... It could be nice," He murmured a repeat, looking directly into Vander's eyes as he said it, despite knowing that without his visor he couldn't see Loa's eyes at all.

Their noses brushed and Loa pursed his lips, swallowing hard with the lump in his throat of pure nervousness and anxiety. He tensed his leg, feeling Vander's tangled with it and he glanced down at the man before his gaze made its way back up and he realized he felt like he was on fire. Hell. His mind instantly went back to that night spent together in the man's shower and that only made things far far worse. Part of him wanted to ask Vander to touch him like that again, but he couldn't, since he was pretending that he'd forgotten.

And yet he ached for the feel of the other's lips crashing against his own, and he couldn't help but hope (the tiniest, tiniest piece of him hoped) that the man would take notice and kiss him anyways. He had no idea if it would work or not, their faces only an inch or two apart. But all he could do was try.... right?
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on December 11, 2017, 01:27:39 am
It was easier to dictate the outcome of things when there was very little variation involved in the formula. It wasn't exactly complicated, little machines that he could fidget with, gadgets that didn't need any more thought other than interacting with them with your hands, and being able to bend them to your will. They were easy, they were predictable and nine times out of ten Vander could understand them better than he could anyone else.

His squad was one thing; he could work in a team. But someone else, outside of anything he really did on a daily basis, he was at a floundering loss. He could have just as easily been made to nap on the couch and have Loa sleep on his bed. He would have given it to him. Hell he'd given him his own clothes and cooked for the man - now anyone else observing the situation could just as easily assume that he'd done so with a great deal of expectation, that he wanted something from Loa for all he'd shared with him.

That notion passed along Vander and set a small fear to broil in the pit of his gut. He shivered and the moment he was sure Loa was going to pull away from him, he held his breath until his lungs ached for release. An ache abated and satisfied when he felt the other man's hand tenderly grasping his arm before shifting over to his head. The relief that came with that exhalation crashed it's way through Vander's spine with a violent chill he tried so hard to suppress. And failed, failed miserably.

Because gods all did the touch to his head feel good, actual fingers running through his scalp and parting his hair. A soft noise escaped him, and he licked his lips. Vander blinked, wondering if his blurred blobs in front of him would focus long enough to make out Loa's expression. To know if he'd actually heard the noise he made. Heat still flushed his face, but he tried to smile anyway. Whatever panic he'd initially had, the fear gradually melted away.  And yes, gods, the hand in his hair felt better than he could have dreamed.

Man did he have some lame dreams if that was the best he could feel.

"No, Loa," he tried to quickly add the moment the other man's fear was blurted out. "It's okay. I'm not so good at it either. But I still like it. And if you like it too, I want you to do what you want to do."  He smiled genuinely and his heart was throbbing so heavily in his throat he could he could choke on it. Nope, instead that was just the knot that settled itself in the base of it just at his adam's apple.

He stopped himself from babbling, first instincts being what they were. Feeling his breath against his skin gave Vander a trail of goosebumps, the hackles on the back of his neck making everything else prick up. Their foreheads touching couldn't have brought them any closer. His hands were still resting on his face, and Vander slipped his hand down to rest his thumb against Loa's chin, feeling the roll of skin and bone and cartilage. No, he wasn't wrong at all. He was absolutely beautiful, and there wasn't any doubt in his mind that he'd see the same result if ever Loa would let him look at his face with his visor on.

"Yeah, it is. Isn't it?" Isn't what? Nice? Loa already answered that question. Oh yeah... Then why was he looking for an excuse to lean into him, their noses already pressed close to one another.  Why not?  Just once, to see how it felt when he was actually sober enough to remember what he was doing.

He didn't ask permission, not the way he would have, but nor was he going to pass up the opportunity staring him so blankly in the face. One that Vander would have met could he see with steadied vision. He did crash his lips to his, and the second they connected sparks jolted through him and his heart was just about ready to burst for all the thrumming it did in his chest.

Vander's arm slipped at the back of Loa's waist, gentle but firm, wanting to encourage him to press closer and return that hungered kiss. A soft moan and Vander parted long enough to catch his breath, ending with a nibble on the Pilot Echo's lower lip. No words, only the need to lean hook his arm tighter and pull Loa closer until they were hip to hip.

Well hello there, he thought, faced thankfully thoroughly flushed, feeling where the blood had rushed southward and the tension already growing in his boxers that decided to pop up at such an opportune time. Nice to meetcha.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on December 11, 2017, 11:50:32 am
Loa's eyes couldn't help but widen in surprise when the simple thing of his hand running through those silver locks was enough to bring out such a soft and sweet sound from Vander's lips. It was at that moment that his stomach jolted and he felt some of his blood rushing down with the tingles that raced down his spine southward. Vander was blushing just as hard now, the two of them with faces so bright and red it might've been comical to anyone from the outside who looked in.

Vander grasped his chin and his breath caught again, his heart working its way up through the tightness of his ribcage, steadily climbing its way up into his throat. He said that he wanted Loa to do what he wanted to, and that he wasn't any better at this--which Loa could have heartily disagareed with, at least Vander could pick up on social cues--and then he kissed him.

The feeling of the other man's lips against his own sent tingles all throughout his body, blooming like fireworks and he instantly found himself melting into it. The arm around his waist pulled him flush against Vander's body and a needy moan escaped him into the other's mouth, as one escaped Vander as well. That noise, that sound, oh it made Loa's heart clench, the muscles in his lower abdomen tensing as that sound went right down into the borrowed sweatpants.

When the kiss was broken and Vander pulled their hips afainst each other Loa quickly bit his lip to stifle an escaped whimper, only able to mask some of it. Vander wasn't the only one aroused, and as he felt the other man's hard length pressing against him an obvious shiver ran up his spine, his face burning with his own embarrassment.

His brain kept reminding him of that shower, and of Vander telling him not moments prior to do what he wanted--but what if what he wanted was something that he shouldn't do?

His body ached, he felt so empty and the urge to ask Vander to take him however he pleased was so fucking strong,and yet he knew if he did they would do something that could never be undone. There would be no going back, particularly for Loa; and yet he realized in that split second that it was already too late for him. He already cared about Vander so much, there was already no going back.

He moved instinctually, cupping Vander's face in his hands and pulling him into another kiss, this one much more than the last; needy, desperate, starving. He parted his lips for the man if he prodded, moaning into his mouth once again as the taste of him sent Loa's head reeling as he slid an arm down to Vander's hip, pushing his own against him and grinding against that heat, the sensation making everything tingle.

There was already no going back so at this point what did it matter if he pressed on forward anyways?
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on December 11, 2017, 01:49:36 pm
Inclinations toward things that went boom was Vander's forte. He liked a good explosion and a thrill went through him at the thought of taking Loa, of the chills that had been building up for so long. The tension was thick enough to slice through with a plasma cutter, made apparent by the hitched breathing, and how his muscles clenched at the mere thought of being inside him. His lower abdomen jolted, at the sound of Loa's needy moan.

He couldn't help himself, and the second Loa allowed him to stay close to him, Vander shifted so that he half dragged the man to lay on top of him. A shift of his hips so he could better feel at the hardness in the Pilot Echo's sweats. Never had there been a more fitting name for a piece of clothing. And Vander's couldn't have been more stifling than right then and there.

"Loa," he groaned, feeling the other man grip at his hip and grind down on his erection. Gods it felt so good, a deep rumble erupting from within his chest, his core already aching and wanting. The second Loa distracted him with a kiss, parting his lips and sliding his tongue inside with ease. The lack of resistance, how good the other man tasted on his tongue set the sweetness locked away in his memory. Gods fuck all he wanted him and he wanted him bad.

"Loa, I want you," he panted heavily, biting his lips and grinding up against him, the fabric of his sweats only serving to make him growl in frustration. Vander released Loa's mouth with reluctance, shifting up and pushing the smaller man's shirt off his body, pulling it up and over his head and following suit with his own. It wasn't a vast improvement, but it let Vander feel Loa better, runn calloused hands over the small dips his chest and abdomen.

"You got me Loa. You want me, I'm here, I'm all yours," he panted, bringing himself back up to face him. No vision forced Vander to focus even more on touch, and the tingles could no longer be hidden behind clothing. He moaned softly, dipping his head to kiss and nip at the curve of his neck and collarbone.

His hands shifted to Loa's ass, dipping at the small off his back and encouraging him to sit up enough to allow Vander to shift his pants off him, letting it rest mid-thigh. "Well boy howdy my friend," Vander smirked, feeling Loa's cock tucked firmly in his palm. He gave a gentle tug, and with a twist of his wrist, he pressed it against Loa's lower abdomen, rolling his thumb over the tip. "I like it. Do you like it?"  Vander couldn't be sure why he was babbling, maybe it was keep Loa calm, keep him here with him. Because the last thing he wanted right now was for him to go away.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on December 12, 2017, 12:44:16 am
The sudden shift in position admittedly caught poor Loa by surprise; his heart was already in his throat, now it was at the back of it, as his breath caught and he let out a gasp. The way his name sounded on the other man's tongue sent a visible shiver rolling down his body, the movement making his breath shudder in the middle of their kiss. He liked the way Vander claimed his mouth with such passion and heat, the way he fought him aggressively with his tongue to which Loa responded with soft whines and pleads that he'd do whatever the other man asked of him if it meant he could have more.

These emotions, these sensations, these were things that Loa had secretly been yearning for for years now; things he'd been too afraid to confront with anyone before, and yet he had never in his life felt more safe and yet nervous with as he did right now with Vander. The adrenaline had his blood roaring in his ears and all he could think about was the scent of the other man so close to him, the way he tasted, and the distinct urge to ask him to take him and destroy him.

Suddenly the concept of being fucked to death sounded quite appealing. And that had nothing to do with the death aspect.

His shirt was pulled over his head and he watched with a kind of dazed expression, eyes clouded with lust and heat and want as he found himself tingling with excitement? Nervousness? Joy? At getting to see Vander shirtless again because gods be damned he was gorgeous. Almost instinctively his hands moved forward to touch and feel as the other Pilot did with him; he moaned when those calloused fingertips slid over his nipples and made him shiver again, and his hands reacted by squeezing Vander's sides, digging his fingertips slightly into the warm flesh he found there.

He said he was all Loa's and his heart throbbed, and the kisses and nips at his collarbone and throat made him moan again, this time slightly louder, his lips parted as he panted and slid his hands up to brush them through silver hair, clutching at strands and tugging gently as he rocked his hips.

"I want you," He whimpered as he obeyed the other's commands and raised his hips enough to let him pull those sweatpants down, and the moment that hand was around his aching cock he moaned as he tried to continue, "I want you so bad, Vander, p-ple~ase,"

His nerves felt like they were on fire, and yet he was hyper aware of every touch from the Pilot Cardinal at the various spots on his body, it was a both too much and not enough and he let his forehead fall to rest on Vander's shoulder as he moaned and whimpered at the wonderful, wonderful feeling of being touched and stroked, the sensations almost too much, almost slightly painful or raw from how nervous he was. He nodded feverishly, unable to speak as he palmed Vander with that layer of clothing still in the way, and yet he was almost too scared to touch him and return the favor. Like there was still that tiny shred in him that was squeaking no, no! Don't give in, there's still time to escape!

No, his chance to escape had passed him by weeks ago by this point.

His hands had the slightest tremble as he pulled Vander's waistband enough to slip in and grip his hard length, the size of it making Loa worry for a split second that holy hell, he didn't know if he could do this--but fuck, he wanted to. He wanted to.

He mimicked Vander's movements without thinking about it, swiping his thumb over the tip and stroking him as he rocked his own hips into the other man's hand, little moans escaping him with each movement or thrust.

"Please, please do w-whatever you want to me. I want it. I f-fucking want it so bad," He whimpered, words slightly muffled with his face tucked into the crook between Vander's neck and shoulder.

He didn't realize it but he was thankful the other man was talking to him, it was honestly helping him stay grounded in the here and now rather than just getting lost in his own thoughts, which before he knew it would have him panicking and trying to run out that front door again.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on December 12, 2017, 11:27:05 am
"I want you." uttered so delicately, Loa's voice filled with such desperation it made chills course down Vander's back. He tensed again and could have asked him to say that again, but he didn't have to because Loa had repeated it with a begging lilt to his voice. It played over and over again, a mantra to the match the rise and fall of his chest, the pounding of his heart throbbing so heavily, it played in time with it and continued to stroke Loa with zealotry.

Vander could feel the other man touching him, the hesitation that followed until he slipped a hand into the waistband of his sweatpants and found his cock. Fuck.  Fuckfuckfuckfuck.  It was Vander's turn to whimper and moan, a shooting spark jolting it's way down his lower abdomen and into his groin. He couldn't help himself, that even with Loa's nerves, he still managed to touch him, to do something, and it made his heart leap into his chest. It didn't even matter if whatever he was doing was right, only that it felt right.

And gods fuck all did it feel so right, at this very moment.

"All right," he nodded to Loa, gripping the other man firmly and only loosening his fingertips from around him to allow him to shift them around on the bed. A whimper escaped him at the thought of loosing Loa's grip around his shaft, but alas he forced himself to pull away with a great deal of reluctance. He coaxed Loa to lie back, and focused on his sense of touch to scrape his nails down the Pilot Echo's legs, hooking at the remainder of his pants and sliding them off his legs.

Vander followed suit until he was as completely bare, his cock bobbing with each movement. He shivered at the sensation of cool air to heated flesh and with memorized mapping, he crawled over to his nightstand where he pulled out a small packet and a bottle of lube to follow.  The bottle was clear but had small pink beads in it. The packet itself was ripped and he carefully rolled the condom over his tip before sliding it slowly the rest of the way, his fingers used to a delicate touch making it's way down to the base of his cock, then applying lube to the outside of it.

He crawled back to Loa and coaxed him to shift around onto his stomach. "It gets tingly. I hope you like it," he panted, swallowing hard on a dry throat, feelingly maneuvering around to his ass, and testing the sensation at the base of Loa' spine, rubbing the excess on his hand on his tender skin. Vander set the bottle to the side and felt around to the muscles of his backside, present, an inviting shape that had Vander squeezing Loa's hips again.

He pulled them back and pressed them against his hard length, focusing long enough to find that entrance and slide inside.  Gods he was tight, Vander squeezed Loa's hips again pushed and pulled out to push in deeper, harder.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on December 12, 2017, 11:53:37 am
Loa had absolutely no idea what he was getting into. Sure, he'd seen porn before, after all come on he lived in Aedolis for fuck's sake. He'd daydreamed about it before, read about it. But that still didn't change the fact that he was a complete newb to this, despite his age, despite his hard experience in battle and life in general he had absolutely no clue what to do, what to say, or what to expect.

Of course the thought kept plaguing his mind that hey you know what? Maybe he wasn't ready yet, maybe this wasn't a good idea, maybe they should stop. But he'd already asked Vander to keep going, and Vander had already said that he would. His fate was sealed, and now he was doomed to lie in the grave he'd dug for himself.

Completely unsure of what exactly was going on, how they were going to do this, he obediently did as he was instructed, lying back and almost missing the warmth of the other man's cock in his hand like it'd been some strangely reassuring thing, because now he didn't know what to do with his hands, or any of himself rather.

He laid down, watching Vander with fear in his eyes and it was a good thing in that moment that the man didn't have his visor on or he definitely would have seen it. He didn't know what the man was doing after their pants were off, and then he watched him pull things out of the nightstand and the reality of what was about to happen sank into his gut like a block of ice. His heart was in the back of his throat threatening to climb out his mouth and leap, and yet he still lay there on that bed, partly petrified, partly because he wanted to stay and do this. He still wanted to go on

Most of his doubts were all on himself--it wasn't Vander he was afraid of. He was afraid of himself fucking this up, ruining it beyond repair, and generally being awful; but he also knew if he let those fears get to him then that was exactly what would happen.

He rolled over onto his stomach as instructed, the pressure of the mattress on his throbbing length making him let out a soft whine. He had half a mind to tell him the condom wasn't necessary because Loa had never been touched in his life--but he stayed quiet.

Vander said it would tingle, and he blinked, brows knitting for a moment in confusion. Tingle? Lube could do that?-- But before he really had time to question it, Vander's hands were squeezing his hips and he let out a moan, his body shivering and then he felt something warm and cold at the same time pressing against his entrance and pushing in in that perfect moment where he'd been relaxed enough from the pleasure of the squeeze to let him in.

Immediately after that? Oh yeah he was tight. Every muscle was tense and as the fear seized him and made his hands twist in the sheets letting out a shuttering breath and a short whimper, everything burned and it wasn't at all in a good way. It was no fault of Vander's--his fear was getting to him and making him tense, making it hard for him to adjust to the feeling of someone inside of him because yes the lube was tingly and warm and it did help the other Pilot slide in without too much friction, his muscles still burned from trying to clench and being forced open.

It was absolutely horrifying.

Of course he knew your first time could hurt and all that, duh, obviously, he'd read about it hello internet. But that paired with the awful fakeness of porn videos and the mixed responses that every person had because every person was different and he realized that no amount of research would have ever prepared him for this, ever helped him know what to expect.

He pressed his forehead to the sheets and squeezed his eyes shut, falling back on onstincts as Vander pulled out to push back in again and oh fuck it hurt--he focused on his breathing, trying to tune everything else out, like Vander's moans or the sound of his heart throbbing in his ears. Just breathe. It was ironically a technique he usually used to calm nerves when on a mission, something he'd discovered to get his mind back on track, focused, to get a job done and really he'd done things way worse than this--obviously way, way way worse. This was nothing.

He let out that breath and his muscles started to relax, letting the other man in deeper as he bit his lip, hands white-knuckled in the sheets as he let out a low groan at the feeling of him coming in so hot, the lube feeling like it was on fire and yet somehow not burning him. His muscles still burned with the ache of something unfamiliar but he got himself together quickly enough that Vander shouldn't have noticed, hopefully.

He could only hope that his inexperience wasn't painfully obvious, because he didn't want to ruin this for Vander or make things awkward. If things went Loa's way, the man wouldn't realized he'd popped the Pilot Echo's metaphorical cherry until after everything was said and done at the very least.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on December 15, 2017, 02:53:51 am
Vander hadn't noticed, thankfully, for Loa's sake, that his inexperience was at all apparent in the shudders and noises he made. For a full minute, Vander thought only of Vander and wanting to thrust as hard and deep as he could inside him. The tension was enticing and every time he pulled out, he wanted back in, rolling his hips and pulling Loa's back against his, meeting them with increasing fire.

He'd wanted it, he'd said. Practically - no actually begged him for it - and as much as Vander himself wanted to screw his brains out - he reined it in enough to keep from coming just yet. Vander's entire body shuddered, and he poised his legs just outside of Loa's, his hand at his back to coax him downward, and to encourage his hips to meet Vander's.

They were so sweet, that skin pulled taut over muscle, slender yet tender and Vander's calloused hands gripped those hips with encouraging pressure, rolling his hips and feeling another shudder roll on through him. He didn't know how long he could hold he, that excitement just waiting to burst. He didn't know just how often Loa got laid - if more or less than himself, but he didn't want it to be over, not so soon.

"Gods Loa," he panted, moaning heavily, working those hips back against his, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.  Vander closed his eyes, let himself get lost in that soft velvet heat, feeling muscles clench around him at times and favoring the sides that made Loa twitch and write the most. Every sensation passed across his 'vision' like a liquid inkblot, rolling into smoke clouds and shapes that his mind made, lost to how hot everything suddenly become.

Was it his blood, or Loa's hemokinesis.  Either way, when he opened, them, he still reached down feelingly at his back, pressing lovingly to his ribs, his sides, his spine and encouraging him grind back against him if he wanted to. Finally his fingers curled around what he was looking for, holding Loa's cock in hand and squeezing it and letting it slide in the crook of his palm, his thumb rolling over that tip, soothing over a bead of precum onto the foreskin.

"F-fuck Loa," he groaned, mouth dry from breathing so hard. "You feel so good...fuck."  If he could see, this was the part where the beads from his forehead would sting and blur his vision.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on December 15, 2017, 10:14:28 am
The longer the whole experience went on the stranger Loa felt. Hearing Vander's moans and knowing that he, yes he was making the man feel so good made his heart throb, his cock ache from being so turned on. But the moans weren't enough to distract him from how hard Vander was thrusting into him, fucking him right down into that mattress and making Loa an absolute mess, destroying him from the inside out. And that mental image just made Loa shudder and open up for him more, as he finally started to lose himself in the moment and emerged slowly from the pain and his own head.

He moved as Vander instructed via those pushes and pulls, crying out when the other Pilot hit sweet spots that made his muscles and teeth clench as he hissed at the static dancing across his vision. He angled his hips better to meet those thrusts as the pain became bearable and the pleasure drove him to seek more, his panting loud, heated and desperate. Every squeeze on his hips made him shudder and moan louder as he strived for what he quickly found he loved the most--Vander's pleasure and satisfaction.

However as much as he'd have liked to, there wasn't a single way Loa was going to come off of the internal stimulation alone, even if it was starting to feel good, because now his insides were starting to burn as if they were a bit raw from the sheer force and how much friction there was between them even with the added help of the lubricant. So when Vander felt around him to grasp his length, it was a surprising yet welcome gesture as Loa tensed and shuddered into it.

"H-haaah, V-Vanderrr," He whined, moving his hips a little more vigorously to feel the movement of Vander's hand around his aching cock as the pleasure started to build up twice as fast as before, and even he knew he wasn't going to last much longer.

"F-Fuck, fuuuuck," he groaned, the desperation rattling in his voice as clear as day as he rocked his hips harder, his moans coming so naturally and quickly now they bumped into each other as he built up the sensation, his muscles tensing and squeezing around Vander even harder while the pain and the pleasure mixed and Loa came hard into the man's hand and on his bedsheets, crying out his name until he ran out of breath and melted into a wheezing, messy puddle on the Pilot Cardinal's bed, twitching and panting hard as his brain came back down from the sensation overload. He was trembling so hard he was shaking with every exhale, and he glanced over his shoulder at the jot and sweaty mess Vander had become, wanting to ask if he'd enjoyed it but not quite remembering how his tongue worked yet.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on December 15, 2017, 03:11:08 pm
Every muscle in his body was shot right through with a bolt of tension that came and went as fast or even faster than the rattling between the bars of his ribcage. Vander didn't know how much longer he could hold out, what with all the tight velvet heat around him. The muscles responding in tandem to every thrust had him shuddering and trembling with pleasure roiling over and over on itself.

Loa's responses, the whimpers, the whines only made Vander want to hear more of it. Every sound escalated in on itself as he rolled his hips harder until the skin around his pelvis was made raw with the slickened friction between him. Vander wanted to hear him cry out, reach that peak until his throat was hoarse from the screams.

The thought made his hands squeeze hard on Loa's hip and cock respectively until Loa shuddered and bucked his hips back against him. Vander met him with every motion, the jolts come back full force, the heat building in his lower abdomen so much that he couldn't help the the last few half-hearted grunts that erupted from his throat.  "L-Loa," he whimpered, and his cock throbbed  as he was gripped even harder. Vander came, bursting hard into the condom, gripping Loa and falling upon him and the mess they'd both become.

Vander stayed firmly hilted still, leaning over Loa and his arms like jelly as he tried to hold himself up. When he couldn't, he just let himself lay on him, his heart throbbing painfully in his ears, ringing, and finding his own throat had been made hoarse. "Hmmm," he panted still, resting his head on his back and kissing along his shoulder blade.

"I....Are you..."  He didn't even know what he wanted to ask, and the words were croaked, half-broken.  "Loa...you're so beautiful..." was all he could say, his hands feeling the other man's arm and fingers digging in to find his hand, threading their fingers together.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on December 16, 2017, 02:30:28 am
Hearing Vander's orgasm was incredibly sweet, something almost musical to Loa's ears about it that made his heart flutter as the man came inside of him, although he felt no difference because the condom caught it all which was almost a little bit disappointing.

He panted hard as he looked back as Vander collapsed against him, their bodies flush and the heat shared between their sweat-covered skin undeniable as they both fought so hard to get their breath back. A glance at the clock and Loa found himself blushing redder realizing that that... Hadn't actually been that long at all, which felt fitting and yet not for how in the moment it seemed to go on forever before ending too soon.

Vander started to ask him a question before he seemed to lose the train of thought and switched to something else that made Loa's heart skip a beat.

"Nnnn... Take it you... E-Enjoyed it..." He wheezed, his muscles singing with pain as he shifted underneath the man to reach back and very stiffly ruffle his silver hair.

He didn't know what else to say, his brain could still barely function and the shaking of his body underneath Vander's was already probably more than enough to tell the guy he did a good job whether Loa knew it or not.

"He-Hearing you... Was my favorite..." He panted, a soft smile gracing his features enough to warmth the usual deadpan tone of his voice. If anything he'd at least have something to make a new song about, that was for damn sure.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on December 17, 2017, 08:59:16 pm
Hearing him was the best part?  If Vander could see, he was pretty sure he would say that seeing Loa's face in the throes of ecstasy would have been his favorite part. Would voicing that thought be unappreciated?  The only way to know would be to find out, right?  Right.  "I bet you looked beautiful the moment you were about to come...  Cheeks really flushed, mouth slightly parted," he murmured.

Vander didn't want to move, but the feeling of his come gushing around his dick left him a little uncomfortable.  He slowly shifted, pulling himself out of Loa with the utmost care and gently removing the condom, his cock abruptly chilled although his entire body was still warm.  He didn't see the small droplets of blood that had come off the condom upon it's removal, and he discarded it into a trashcan off to the side. Maybe, maybe Loa would like it more if he felt all of him fully.

Vander laid back down beside Loa, listening to his heartbeat and gently coaxing the man onto his back.  "You're really warm," Ugh a stupid idle comment to fill the dead air.  Still, he laid over him and pressed lips gently to his, licking at the tender flesh therein. Still so sweet, utterly wanting. Vander kissed him deeper, biting down on his lower lip and pulling it down, letting a moan out into Loa's mouth. Yeah he still wanted him.

He was a young man, energetic as it were and he slowly kissed down Loa's body until he was hovering over his manhood.  Yeah, he'd probably want a clean slate, it was the least he could do. In the meantime, he'd get to imagine what Loa looked like with his eyes just about rolling out of his head.  "You're a little messy, let me clean you up," he panted and released a breath down onto Loa's cock.  Carefully he wrapped fingers around it and ducked his head down to flick his tongue along the tip.

The taste was a little jarring and it'd been a while, but Loa seemed far too shy to ask him to do it, and taking initiative never hurt did it? Vander traced his tongue down a vein, parting his lips along the side to kiss along the side of his cock, blowing breaths along as he did so.  There was more to him than Loa probably would have mentioned, and he grinned up at the man, as if he could meet his gaze.  Only an inkblot form, wavering and shifting.

Still, he could tell it was nice by feel alone.  And feel was just what he wanted Loa to experience right now.  Vander parted his lips and slid his mouth down around it, lathering his tongue around the tip.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on December 18, 2017, 12:29:56 am
Really now, the last thing Loa had expected would be for Vander to try for another round again so soon. After all, in most pornos the people came once after a very long time of rutting and editing cuts and different camera angles, and then it was over.

But what surprised hin initially was what Vander said about him, that he probably looked beautiful when he was about to orgasm and that sent a shiver down Loa's spine and blood flushing his cheeks. He'd have thought that would probably be a silly face, but here Vander was telling him it might be like some rare and exotic art of some sort. Making him feel... Special. His heart skipped a beat as he clenched his teeth and let out a slow hiss as Vander pulled out, letting out a breath as he rolled over as instructed.

Immediately the other man was at his lips again, making Loa let out a soft noise of surprise into Vander's mouth as he parted his lips for him and let him in with no resistance, that sound quickly turning to a moan as his back naturally arched to brush his torso up against the man, desperate for attention already as he craved more of the man's loving touch.

"V-Vander," He whimpered as the man made his way down Loa's body and those thick, dark eyebrows pulled together with confusion as it took him several moments ti realize where the other Pilot was going with this, and then... His eyes grew wide as he forgot how to breathe for a moment, feeling those calloused fingers wrapping around his length and the heat of breath against still-too-sensitive skin.

"V-Vander you don't ha-haaa~ahhhh," He started to say but the moment that tongue swiped over him he was a goner, his body trembling as with a few strokes and attentive kisses from Vander the blood was rushing right back south again as his bit his lip to stifle a moan, his back arching against the mattress.

The moment he felt that wet heat around him as Vander took him in he let out a loud moan, with no clue how to hold anything back as his hands clutched desperately at the sheets again, his teeth gritting. He was still so sensitive from coming not moments earlier, he had no clue how long he was gonna last.

"F-Fuck, fuck."
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on December 19, 2017, 07:57:15 pm
There wasn't any shortage of affection, no shortage of the want that Vander felt coursing through Loa like a lodestone's vibration drawing material near it. Vander couldn't have been more drawn to him if they were opposite poles on a magnet and the need to hear Loa's moans and feel his body writhe up and press into that mattress was far too strong to resist. The temptation to swallow him whole, and make him beg for mercy had briefly crossed his mind.

He swiped his tongue on the underside of that cock, face fully flushed and the scent of Loa engulfing his senses. He started to speak only to have his words  ripped right out of his throat and Vander moaned down around him, starting to bob his head as he swallowed and gently scraped teeth along the shaft. He knew he was still so sensitive. He knew that just a few strokes could have him trembling, but he kept going anyway.

Vander's hands gripped Loa's hips. Well one did while the other one reached up to brush calloused hands on the heated point of his left nipple, thumbing over itand rubbing his palm over the point of it. Loa was unbelievably hot, his entire body flushed pink with blood. Vander's tilted his head and swirled his tongue over the tip, generously cleaning what he could, popping off only for a few brief seconds to run his other hand over it and stroke it again, ensure that it stayed slick.

Vander flicked his tongue over the tip, wiping off a bead of precum. "Do you like that?" he asked, lathering alongside it again. "Do you want me to stop?"

A pointless question since even if Loa did answer Vander didn't seem to listen, who just ducked his head down once more and slipped him past his lips again, slower this time. Deliberately taking his time until Loa was a complete sweaty mess.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on December 30, 2017, 09:52:08 am
Loa realized in that moment when Vander moaned around him and the feeling of those vibrations made him gasp and moan, back arching as he caught his lower lip in between his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut tight, that he was such a goner.

Suddenly it made a lot of sense why people did this, because it all felt so good he wondered if he was going crazy, his lips parting with more whimpers and moans as Vander bobbed his head on his length and it felt so good, so fucking good, his body jolting and back arching into the man's touch as he felt that hand on his nipple, the sensation rolling throughout him in waves of tingly pleasure. He finally reached up and bit intk the back of his own hand to stiffle his noises, realizing how loud he was being as Vander popped off of him, the noise itself obscene and making him blush harder.

Did he like it? His body loved it, his brain didn't have the slightest clue what to do with all the information in excess flooding it.

"P-Please don't stop," He managed to whimper, and Vander didn't, continuing on nice and slow as Loa's hips rocked a little bit into him with the rhyth., though he tried to hold it back because he wasn't sure if that was rude or not.

Regardless of how slow Vander wanted to go however, there was only so much he could do to keep Loa at bay as the pleasure built up on that hyper sensitivity, his whole body trembling as his moans increased and grew louder. It didn't take long at all for him to reach his peak, Vander's name choked out in a desperate moan as he shuddered and came again, his breaths hot and heavy once he was finally able to catch his breath again.

"S-Sorry, sorry--" He wheezed, realizing quickly that he hadn't lasted long at all and the embarrassment alone could've killed him as his face flushed with heat, with no clue of what to do next or how to proceed.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on January 03, 2018, 01:43:15 am
Hearing Loa's cries was the only sound Vander wanted to hear. At a time like this, or in the morning, or ever. The sounds sent shivers down his spine, made him tremble as he slowly bobbed, taking Loa's cock into his mouth and continuing to taste him nice and easy. He wanted Loa to feel nothing but good, and if those cries were any indication, the task was doing just that. Vander cupped his tongue against him, generously  dipping down and letting him reach the back of his throat, his hand at the base and wrapping his hand at the base of him.

Sound was all he had to go on, the visual of his face in ecstasy in his mind's eye gave another zap of chills jolting through him, and Vander moaned loudly against him, letting Loa rock his hips into him, and moving with the rhythm of those slow hot strokes. Loa was already a mess, trembling and at once when he felt that sweet hot burst, Vander swallowed and drank of him, making sure he was cleaned up, lapping at that mess.

Loa was indeed a messy boy, but that wasn't his fault. And the fact of the matter was, it was absolutely endearing, and Vander wanted nothing more than to make Loa feel good all night, to let him experience this for as long as he could. Vander wiped his lips crawled back up and over to him, trailing kisses up his body.

"Hey, don't be sorry. I wanted to make you feel good," he murmured, leaning over him and kissing at Loa's neck, soft pecks that alternated between left and right. "I care about you Loa. Those moans...are probably my favorite sound ever."  Vander stretched out beside him, half over him, laying tender kisses and dragging his mouth hotly over his.

He was beautiful, every line of him felt that way, even the scars, and the markings that made him distinctly Loa. Vander's hands slipped down to dip underneath Loa's head and pull him up against him, let him rest against his shoulder. "Loa, how you feelin'? You ok with all this?" His free hand gently brushed along his side, squeezing firmly along his hip.

Vander dipped his head in to brush his lips along his forehead, his cheek, the corner of his mouth.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on March 15, 2018, 01:42:50 am
In the immediate aftermath of his orgasm (which was a concept he had a really hard time wrapping his head around, still) it took him a few moments of staring stupidly at Vander to register that he'd drank all of that.

He wasn't sure if he thought it was gross or erotic, but apparently by the way it made his heart skip a beat he didn't get much of a say before the man was crawling back up over him. He kissed him and gave him all this affection that Loa was damn sure he didn't deserve and he didn't understand why Vander was giving it to him, and he understood less when he kissed him and tasted himself in the other's mouth, and less still when he said that he cared about him.

He stared at him, dark brows furrowing as the confusion fully kicked in and made him wonder if he'd heard Vander right. What about the noises he made could possibly be so wonderful? He probably sounded awful, like a dog or something. Or repetitive and annoying; he'd really not been paying attention enough to know for sure. But the way his heart kept beating so fast, feeling like he was so... Full, and warm and fuzzy? That was all new, and while not quite new around Vander, definitely new in its.. Intensity.

And he didn't know how to react. Or what to say. Or what to do.

Vander half laid on him and he just continued to lie there himself like a bump on a log, hesitating for a moment before reaching up to brush his fingertips so lightly over the man's shoulder he might not have felt it. Afraid to touch him. Afraid to speak. Afraid to admit anything when he knew what this was and could turn out to be.

"I--okay. I'm okay." He wasn't, not really, but if this made Vander happy then Loa would be fine, because he wanted to make the other man happy. Especially with all the bullshit Loa had put him through already, he... Needed to pay him back, somehow.

He did like this. He did enjoy it, even though it was confusing and a frightening new experience he probably would have never been ready for. But it happened, and he was here now, and there was no going back. His hip was squeezed and he whimpered, his muscles aching and a bit sore but the tingles rushed right south again and he shifted, pressing closer to the other man's warmth, their noses brushing.

"H-How are you doing?" He asked, knowing it was a stupid question the moment the words left his fucking mouth.

Vander was probably doing great, he'd probably done this countless times before, given how handsome and charismatic he was. He started mentally berating himself as he tucked his head in by the man's chest, wrapping an arm around his waist and hugging him (clinging to him rather pathetically, in Loa's own opinion.)

"Are you happy?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on March 27, 2018, 11:52:59 pm
It wasn't like Vander to feel this awkward about any kind of heavy petting encounters. But hey didn't really happen that often from his own understanding. It was Aedolis, it was the norm for consensual adults to put two and two together and boogie for the night. Vander had his machines, his little doohickies and those were easy to understand. A machine was code, parts, wires, circuitry. There were no complicated chemical compounds to navigate that manifested in emotional output from the events of the day. Nothing so heavy handed as that.

Funny. Most people would claim it was the opposite that was probably simpler. Would Loa do the same? Probably not since the guy didn't seem to have any friends outside of...well anything. Whatever it was that people understand they tended to stray away from didn't they?

Vander didn't want to stray away from Loa though, he didn't want to go away just because he didn't understand why Loa would stray away from him. He frowned a little at the thought, and although he couldn't see Loa's face, feeling the sudden feel of the other man laying against his chest kind of made the thumping of his heart go from his ribcage to his throat. Then gradually, just a little bit, it dissipated.

Vander licked his lips, staring up at what would have been the ceiling, the little amorphous shadows inbetween the splotches of milky monochrome. Vander closed his eyes and tried instead to focus on what Loa looked like, what his expressions might be just as he shifted and moved little bit so that he could physically nuzzle his face with his own.

Their noses were brushing and although he'd heard Loa's question he made no move to answer it right away. Instead the point of his nose brushed over his, letting his cheek rub against the other man's, committing how he looked to memory, every dip and curve of that beautiful face and when he felt that scar, Vander's breath audibly hitched.

He rested his forehead against his until Loa pulled away to lay against his chest.

Vander's hand brushed along Loa's back, tracing small trails down his spine. "I'm okay I guess," he answered honestly. There was a note of lightness to his voice. "I mean, I've been a lot worse. This is better than okay. This is...."

He didn't really know how to describe how he felt.

"Happy? What do you mean? Happy about you? The situation? Happy with life in general?" He furrowed his brow and shrugged. "I dunno. How do you know you're really happy?  I guess....I guess yeah, right now, in this very moment I'm very happy. Are....are you happy?"
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Cheesigator on April 22, 2018, 05:46:37 pm
The affection was addicting, and the more Vander touched him, the more Loa felt himself starting to ease into it. Quietly craving more.

He knew what this probably was; Vander said he cared about him but Loa didn't really believe it--maybe as a friend, but probably nothing more. Was that what Vander wanted? A friends with benefits kind of thing, because Loa happened to touch on his very specific kinks or something?

He had no idea what those kinks would even be. A fetish for broody types with lots of scars? Fuck, he didn't know. Couldn't possibly be anything else, though.

In theory it could, but he was terrified of entertaining the thought. Terrified of getting hooked on this feeling, this person, and having him yanked from him like Ru was. Or worse still, being the case of him being taken away.

Subconsciously, Loa's grip on Vander tightened as he hugged him just that bit closer, nuzzling his chest and squeezing his eyes shut as he drank in the scent of him. He seemed like a good guy, overall. He wanted him to stick around, stay safe. Live a good life. Vander deserved at least that much, even if he was persistent and annoying at times.

He tensed a little as the other man asked for clarification; he didn't really know what he'd been asking himself, and made his answer up. "T-The situation. I guess. The situation." He said quietly; he couldn't imagine Vander's happiness revolving around himself any. Why would it?

He was just some pale weirdo that had ended up in this guy's bed, somehow. Gods did he want to pretend that maybe it meant something else, though. The temptation was so unrealistically strong it made him feel dizzy.

Was Loa happy?

He chewed on his lower lip, his heart throbbing as the hand on Vander's chest slowly clenched into a fist. He knew the answer, did he wanna say it--

"Yeah."

He blurted it out before he even realized what he was doing; his heart was thudding its way into his throat as the blood rushed to his cheeks as he hid his face in the other man's pecs, clinging tightly to him.

He was really happy. Way more than he should be. And he choked back the urge to say anything more before he did something even more stupid.
Title: Re: Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]
Post by: Lion on May 08, 2018, 11:46:19 pm
What more could Vander or say that would make Loa understand that this wasn't a game that he wanted to play? The situation could easily be misconstrued and it wasn't like Vander was any good with words anyway. That aside feeling his arms falling around his chest and squeezing him so tightly, almost possessively even, had Vander's heart thumping in a quiet desperation.  He whimpered a little beneath the force of the hug.

And to hear Loa's answer. That what they did wasn't anything he was ashamed of or had to fear, sent an chilling ease down his spine as he reclined into the bed and wrapped his arms even tighter around the smaller thinner man. That slightly muscular frame just fit so neatly into his body, that Vander shifted his legs so that he could tangle his together with Loa's.

Vander didn't say anything more for that long gradual moment, instead content to pet Loa's black curly hair away from his face, enjoying the sensation, the intimacy of it all. He could hear Vander's heart underneath him, no doubt, the nervous ticks and the small shakes that made him kind of cling tighter and drag a hand gently down his back.

"Do you...uhh," he didn't know how to pose the question and instead tilted his head upward and down toward the other man, kissing at his forehead. "Do you wanna have another go at it?" he murmured.
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