@deceitanon 147
Eddie wraps his arms over Remy's neck after he takes his shirt off.
"I love you so much~"
He moans when Remy rubs his bulge, his hips bucking into Remy's hand.
"Fuck, you're so beautiful, my love~"
He runs his hands along Remy's chest as he kisses Remy deeper, pressing his tongue to Remy's lips. His hips keep grinding against Remy's as he does, panting ever so slightly.
"Wonder what it'd feel like for you to touch my soul too?~"
“Nghh~ mmm I can show you how it felt for me~”
{Remy grinds himself against Eddie’s movements with a groan}
“I love you so fucking much”
Eddie pants more at Remy's movements and rests one of his hands on Remy's hips with the other gently tugging at Remy's pants.
"I'd love for you to~ Mmng~"
He nips at Remy's lip and moans softly.
"Please~"
And they fucked!-
——-
{Remy has given Amber a location to go to… she hesitated as she shakily steps out the door, immediately flinching when a car drives past}
{she rarely goes outside anymore.. modern times freaks her out and makes her spiral}
{But she trusts in what Remy has told her, she clings to the walls of the alleyway, her fox ears flattened at the loud buzzing noises of the light up signs on the streets, she clutches her amber encased soul, trying to be the brave adventure she used to be}
“Dark sun protect me”
{she whispers, knowing the god isn’t here anymore.. it’s a habit at this point}
At first it would appear the library isn't there, but with a slightly more intentional look it is now there in that dimly lit shaded alleyway.
The painted text on the window "The Archive." The golden bell, flower bed, dim orange glow instead. The old worn stained glass and green door with the short stone steps and old black metal railing.
{Amber relaxes at the sight.. she was raised in a library, her mentor has the book keeper of her home towns knowledge}
{she smiles at the flowers and says hello to them- like she’s used to plants being able to understand}
{she immediately rushes in when another sound of a car horn in the distance can be heard, she breathing heavily, she hates cars}
{she hates this world so much- she’s happy with the people she met sure.. she’s used to the crime and corruption. But it’s different here}
{she doesn’t wear modern clothes either.. she doesn’t like that she has to hide her fox features. So she wasn’t going to change her style, so she is still wearing her leather armor, a red fire cloak that she wears to honor her magic and her studies back home}
The front room is large with hundreds of bookshelves, and dimly lit orange lanterns. The desk nearby with new scattered papers, and a fresh bottle of ink.
Howl isn't visible from this room, but a fox does trot over calmly from the right of the room. The fox is a more firey orange, eyes glow a light blue... It's a spirit guide. Shortly after it walks over a raven flies over as well, landing on the fox's back. It's a dark blue with white specks dancing in its feathers.
It seems to be a spirit guide as well... The two seem close.
The fox looks up at Amber with a slow tail swish and then turns, beginning to walk towards the back left of the room. It turns its head to her as if expecting her to follow.
{Amber stares at the fox and the birb.. and immediately starts crying}
“A…Alder”
{her voice breaks as she mutters that name in her own tongue, her best friend.. the one who raised her as a fox, and the reason why she rejected death .. who turns into a silly duck, a bird.}
{she misses home- and everything here reminds her of it all}
—-
{She wipes her tears and slowly starts to follow}
The fox tilts its head slightly at her reaction, but continues regardless.
It leads Amber back past the living space and down a hall to the second door on the left. The door is beautiful nature warped wood stained dark brown. A golden door handle carved to be decorated with forget-me-nots.
The raven pecks a pattern in the door.
"Oh? Another visitor already?"
He gets up and heads over to the door. Once again in his cloak, eyes hidden.
"Well hello, welcome to The Archive! Who do you happen to be?"
He holds out his hand to shake. The golden star like tattoos visible on the back.
{Amber blinks slowly and stares at the hand, she doesn’t understand English, she is too overwhelmed to cast any sort of spell right now}
{she slowly shakes his hand}
“Fȳr?-“
{she shakes her head, she knows this isn’t her mentor.. they look nothing alike.. she points to herself}
“Amber” {she said in a thick accent that can be described as old English mixed with fire it Fire itself had a language}
“[Remy] zheixev ahafa safadv kz xelbyryzhebyv ba zheyz py? ahafa daac dxecz i piqz.. i easyrbrfad alz..”
{She sighs, she knows nobody can understand this language.. Amber holds up a finger as a waiting gesture, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, calming herself down before she mutters a spell, casts a comprehend language spell, a simple spell in her world.. probably unknown here}
“Sorry.. I’m Amber, Remy said that you would be interested in seeing me? He said it was a library so that what convinced me really”
“Who are you?”
“I know a mage when I see one.. but you are very kind. So I’m assuming you aren’t from where I’m from..”
{Amber rambles and talks, she likes to do that, rambling to avoid her feelings, or maybe in hopes to get on the mages good side}
{No Flirting.. she learned that the hard way with Eddie}
Howl shakes her hand gently and smiles softly as she speaks. He doesn't mind the other language, though he hasn't learned them all, he knows of far more than exist in just one universe.
"It's quite alright, good to meet Amber."
He lets go of her hand to walk past and out to the kitchen once more. Behind him a cluttered but clean study sits there. Tall stacks of books, overcrowded shelves, many many herbs and flowers hung to dry, and a handmade desk with a soft glowing oil lamp. The window say in front of the desk shows the night sky and a beautiful forest with overgrown shrubbery. It was not night when Amber walked in, nor is there a forest near here.
"Do you like tea? And you can call me Howl, Selkie Howl. Though I typically only introduce myself as The Archivist at first, you are from Remy so I suppose I can say early on."
He smiles softly as he starts a kettle on the stove this time. The kettle is rather beautiful and ornate, a lot of the things here are.
"I'm not from this world or yours, no. But this place exist between the all, so I'm sure you can find just about anything from one or another. Plenty trinkets come my way from time to time."
Some of the souls bring small gifts, he tends to put them in front of the soul's respective book.
"My familiars are Calcifer and Solace. Calcifer is the fox, and Solace the raven... Calcifer tends to be less of a trouble maker, but Solace will drag him into her schemes on occasion."
He smiles softly, before realizing he should ask something.
"Remy mentioned you were a sorcerer and warlock? I have met some sorcerers before, but not a living warlock..."
He hasn't explained what the library is yet so the specification of living might sound odd.
“I do like tea, yes please..nice to meet you howl”
“Oh- yes I am, I’m a rouge, sorcerer and a warlock.. I was also gonna to study up on other classes”
{Amber blinks slowly at the souls around them}
“Uh… - you have souls? I guess life and death doesn’t work the same here.. but how are they moving on its own? Are they dead?”
"Lovely, what tea then? I probably have anything your looking for... Possibly from your own world as well if you want ask?"
He smiles softly as he grabs lavender for his own tea this time. He takes his cloak off in the process, he seems to prefer wearing it when people aren't here.
"Rouge as well? Quite a few skill sets under your belt then, huh?..."
Howl's always loved hearing about people who study all these wide variety of skills. They tend to have a lot to say.
"Oh! Yes those are souls, they come and go... Specifically lost souls. Ones that aren't ready to go to the after life yet. I talk to them a lot, about their lives, their interests, what they loved and hated. I'll write their whole life into these books, and then on the shelf they go."
"I find a lot feel comfortable moving on once they feel their memories are more permanent. Some also never leave here. It's a bit of a safe haven for them."
He takes a deep breath as he searches for the honey... He misplaced it this time it seems.
"There are different states of souls. Souls within a living person look the same as these ones, just aren't visible, but when a person dies the soul is separated from the body. Like the core of a person. They contain their story, their memories, feelings, dreams, everything a person is and went through. A body is more of a vessel to them..."
"Souls travel directly to the afterlife typically, but some become lost. Whether they aren't ready to truly leave, or have unfinished business... Solace guides them here."
He finds the honey misplaced in the spice cabinet.
"Generally speaking I'm bound to this place. I'm a soul myself, but I can't help myself wanting to keep writing."
He laughs at himself with a little sigh.
“Any tea will be lovely”
“And wow.. I wish.. it was that lovely back in my world”
“I love libraries and learning, I can understand the passion”
{Amber smiles softly as she slowly moves her hand over to her necklace, she rubs the amber.. encased soul?! Does she not have a soul inside her body?}
“Souls work differently, when you die, a god takes your soul and eats it.. which produces the worlds kinetic energy.. there is no afterlife for us.. if we are lucky we get trapped in the death realm until it’s our time”
“Ah sorry.. I don’t mean to burden my story on you so suddenly”
Howl hums softly and looks through his cabinet of herbs...
"How about strawberry leave with a bit of honey? I had a friend who loved that a lot."
He gets out the ingredients for that to make their teas. There's also now fresh coffee beans next to the herbs...
"Well if there's anything you've ever wanted to learn, I wouldn't be surprised if one of these books contained the answer. I've had my fair share of people wanting to pass on what they learned in here... In fact I have a separate section of those books."
Textbooks from the dead almost.
He turns and looks at her soul for a moment while listening.
"That... That is unpleasant to think about. Everyone deserves peace after death. Living on its own is beautiful, but it can be tiring too... Some souls actually get reborn here. Sometimes our souls just need some rest and peace."
"Your soul... It's in that Amber isn't it? I've never seen something like that... And you are quite alright."
He smiles softly.
"It is my life's work to listen to souls and archive their stories after all. If you need a person to talk to, I am happy to listen."
“Yes… technically it is my soul- uh”
“Hmm”
“But this isn’t my body”
{Amber says as she rubs her neck}
“It’s… really complicated.. but I begged to live so I could protect my best friend, Alder.. he raised me..”
“I.. didn’t want to die, so a god took pity on me.. took my soul and took a life so I could live.. at least that’s what I thought happened.. apparently this bodies mother sacrificed her own child to that god.. and I was born into it, they encased my soul so their child could live”
“I didnt know that until recently.. before I was teleported here after”
“I saved the world yknow! We saved the world! And now they get to live on without me! While I’m stuck in an unknown world! Where magic isn’t taught and cars exist!”
{Amber pauses and takes a shaky breath, she slowly takes off the necklace and holds it in her palm}
Howl finishes brewing the and sets it down on the coffee table as she talks. A sunset pours in from the sun room.
"Long journey then... Whether long by time or not, sounds like a long one for a soul."
He smiles softly and offers for her to sit on the couch.
"You wanted to live on to protect your best friend, and you went on to save the world despite being on a second life... I may not be the best to comfort with such things, but... I can teach magic if that may help? At least as a distraction I'm sure."
He knows he can't help her back, guarantee everyone's fine, or really comfort missing her friends. He can offer a distraction though, and hearing the last comment makes him think it'd be a good one.
“You can teach me magic? Yes please! I’ve been dying to know more spells! Especially ones in this world!”
{Her tail is wagging hard}
Howl smiles brightly with a chuckle.
"Sounds great, and I'm sure you have some things you could teach. I work specifically with magic circles though. Some involve incantations, others don't, some require concentration too. Just depends on the spell."
He settles in his arm chair and takes out his book again. The papers vary in age, the circles in color and patterns, and notes for each are written around the circles.
"Is there anything in particular that you'd like to learn first? If it gives some idea of range I have travel spells, stat boost spells, healing, communication related ones, and then ones specialized to my skill set. The ones I listed are more general use, and may not be high level in what I have."
"The ones I specialize in have to do with spiritual magic. Summoning is the main one I use, lets me summon certain souls. Another spell I use temporarily gives a soul a vessel. Ones to heal souls, calm them... Etc. there's a lot of application for them."
The book is leather bound with ornate carvings and golden detailing.
"For my more complex spells I have a room for the large circles. But I can show that later."
The way he says it gives away it is of importance and likely very interesting.
{Amber stands, she shifts unsure what to do with herself but she makes do}
“I… can you teach me how to use this worlds mana and magic?”
“I use my own, I honestly don’t know why my magic still works- I fear I might have brought something with me but I have no clue and haven’t really worried about it”
“You see I use mushroom spores to use my spells”
“I would love to learn some healing and anything that can be of use-“
{she said, as if afraid she will be kicked out if she isn’t useful}
Howl nods and scans through his book for a moment.
"I can teach you how to use this mana. Healing magic is a good start too, but learning to bend the mana in general is the first step..."
He flips to a specific green magic circle in his book.
"And don't worry about 'being of use'"
He smiles softly at her.
"You're alright to just exist here. There's no pressure to do or be anything for anyone, okay?"
He gets up to grab some of the green ink and a normal fountain ink pen, and then some sturdy paper.
"I don't exactly do more than magic circles though, but there are other ways to use mana for magic. The way I do it isn't as common anymore."
He seems happy to teach his way.
"There's also alchemy as another use for mana, but that is very very different. It's unlikely a magic user could teach you alchemy."
“It’s okay! I’m a fast learner and I don’t do well with school, I was homeschooled and trapped in my house until I was 18? Then I was founded by a nice magic user who turned into my mentor, he ran a library and taught me all I know now, but still I made it my own yknow? So I’m sure I’ll learn and adapt, that’s what I’m known for”
“Learning and Adapting”
{Amber seems proud of that, no matter what’s thrown her way, she still figures out how to survive and thrive in the best way possible- yes she is struggling with this new world, but who wouldn’t. Everything she knows has been turned inside out and tossed into the void, but she is adapting}
“It.. just feels weird not going on adventures or quests anymore.. I miss it, feeling busy and having a objective too”
{Amber stares at the paper and frowns}
“I… can’t see that color well?”
“Does that matter?”
Howl pauses a thinks for a moment.
"Ah well the color is caused by the form of mana embedded in the ink... While the color is the quickest indication, you can practice sensing the mana instead."
"You don't need to see it, just be able to tell what type of mana ink goes where. I rely on the color, but if you can't see the color then that solution would work."
He hadn't really thought of that before, he knew about the different mana types of ink, but never considered identifying them besides color.
"This is the green ink, commonly used for healing type spells. When using revival spells with magic circles you use golden ink, light mana embedded, with the green ink. The circles get more complex in patterns and ink combination as you go so learning to sense mana types might be more useful for you to learn earlier."
"There's ink ratios too, when don't need to be exact for the spell to work, but the more attuned it is for you then the more powerful it will be. I could say more, but I don't want to overwhelm you with information quite yet."
He chuckles a little and sighs.
“Oh- wow that’s a lot of information but I’m a fast learner!”
{she said proudly as she tries to draw the spell if she is allowed too}
Howl smiles and watches her draw the spell out.
"Ask any question if you need to as well."
He gives pointers as she draws occasionally. Not enough to be interruptive.
{Amber looks at the reference and her hand is shaking slightly, she’s not nervous, just her body get trembles a lot due to how much mana she holds, not only is it just from being a magic user.. being max level in two different classes of magic, it doesn’t harm her, her body adapts.. her god, the Dark Sun is all about change and adaptations, the dark Sun is the reason why mutants exist}
{She huffs when it doesn’t work, but if she is given another go she will try again until it does! On her third attempt she manages to get the drawing correct!}
“How do I know if it worked?”
Howl lets her try as many times as she needs.
He notices the trembling first, and then senses the amount of mana.
"Huh... I don't think I've ever seen someone who has enough mana to cause them to be shaky? Seems I keep getting surprises with my visitors lately."
He chuckles quietly before answering Amber's question.
"Try flowing your mana through the ink on the page. The ink conducts the mana. The mana in the ink is more of a conversion, while the circle determines what spell it is expelled as. It essentially conducts your mana, converts into the correct type, and then expels the mana accordingly. The pattern determines how it is reflected."
"The more neat and perfected the pattern is the stronger that specific spell will be. The more mana put into it can effect multiple factors depending on the spell. For example this spell requires touch, so the person or entity you are healing has to be within arms length, so the amount of mana would effect the amount of area healed... It can also effect the strength, but if you put too much mana into it it could break down the ink if it is too much for the circle itself..."
"Ranged spells can increase distance with more mana input."
So these types of spell require drawing skill, preciseness, and heavy mana control.
"Magic circles can often be stronger than simple mana bending, but it depends on skill level for either. Personally I like magic circles for my spells, because they can be used as many times as you wish give you have the circle drawn... Over time it may take less mana to cast the same strength spell as before even... There is a lot to it overall."
He likes explaining this all.
“Hm? Oh my shaking? yeah it’s more of a reaction to feeling the sp- um mana coursing through my body, my mind itches to use it a ton to the point it causes the jitters”
{Amber chuckles as she pauses to listen to the rest of his explanation}
“Flowing my mana into the ink..”
{Amber focus as she draws a circle again while letting her mana slip into the ink.. and before she finishes, the paper sparks a small fire instead by accident}
“Shoot! I know this was going to happen- sorry!“
{Amber casts her own spell and controls the fire until it burns out, she takes the smoke and balls it up into her hands, pressing the ball, converting it into clear oxygen before release it}
{Amber has a lot of control with her own magic, to the point it’s perfection. This should be almost second nature to learn another. Not setting paper on fire like a person who never touched magic before}
“Sorry, I hope I didn’t ruin anything”
"How intriguing... I wonder how that exactly hap—"
Howl cuts himself off, seeming rather surprised at the sudden flames.
"Oh! You... You're quite alright. I wasn't expecting that, but no it's okay."
He thinks for a moment, tilting his head in thought.
"Oh... You flow mana into the circle after it's drawn. Mixing mana into the ink before it's dry can cause it to irregularly bounce through it. It does dry fairly quickly once applied to the paper... I also have plenty of ink and paper, I wouldn't worry about wasting any."
He smiles softly at Amber.
"Try as many times as you need, it takes practice, even for a quick learner."
“Take…. My time?”
{Amber blinks slowly}
{That seem to strike her hard, she grows quiet}
{she never had time, not recently at least.. from stopping world wars, while juggling the end of her world, while solving how to stop evil druids from killing a god, watching cities getting blown up, natural disasters striking, like volcano eruptions destroying her home town}
{safe to say, she never had time to just figure things out. She and her group had less than three months to stop it all}
{She wasn’t even sure if it worked}
“I.. don’t think I’ve been told that before”
Howl sits up more at the silence. His concern settles in with her last comment.
"... You can take as much time as you need here. There's no rush or pressure to learn this, nor do you have to learn it... You can just go at the pace you want."
He smiles softly and holds out his hand. He doesn't know everything of what she went through, but he knows that tone and expression and type of silence well.
"It's safe here. There's nothing to rush to save or stop here... You can just exist and do what you want on your own terms, okay?"
He just sounds so calm, sweet, comforting... He takes care of lost souls after all. He knows a lot... And he wants to help.
“….”
{Amber sniffles and wipes her eyes, she stares at her lap}
“I..don’t know”
“I don’t know what I want to do”
“But…. You’re right, can.. can you help me? Not just with magic.. but with learning how this world works?”
“Maybe I can teach you things in return..? I don’t have a lot that would be of value though…”
{she fidgets with her soul necklace}
Howl frowns and stands up to offer Amber a hug.
"It's okay if you don't know what you want to do... You have time to figure that out too."
He smiles softly but sadly, his eyes matching that expression.
"I'd be glad to help you learn... Magic or about this world, I'm happy to teach it."
He just loves learning and teaching in general... Part of the archive is collections of just knowledge too. This place goes beyond just stories.
"I'm sure you have things you could teach, and any knowledge is valuable..."
He pauses briefly and takes a deep breath.
"I can't actually leave this library though... Not in a physical way, so I can't interact with anyone who isn't here. That may make teaching you about this world a little more difficult."
He does wish he could leave sometimes especially in this moment.
“Oh.. that’s okay! Honestly I know absolutely nothing about this world.. so anything I can learn will be appreciated”
{Amber says with a soft smile, like she understands the feeling of not being able to leave, the feeling of wanting to leave even though the place you are in isn’t bad}
"Well then, I'll try teach everything I can..."
He smiles softly at Amber. He's happy to teach regardless.
----
Eddie had heard of a small alcohol company in a small town a bit away while he was working a few nights ago. He's gotten really curious about it with the way those people talked about it... Now he's planning a road trip to the town.
{Unfortunately everyone seems to be very busy}
{Remy smiles softly at Eddie}
“I’ll watch the business babes, I’m on kid duty”
Eddie is a little disappointed everyone is so busy, but he doesn't mind too much. Maybe a road trip on his own wouldn't be too bad.
He smiles back at Remy with a happy purr.
"Thank you, spark... I love you."
He leans to give Remy a kiss before heading out.
{Remy kisses him back}
“Try to not bring home any strays~ I know we both love doing that”
{Remy said with a wave}
——-
{The road trip is long and way outside the city, long stretches of land can be seen when you are out this far}
"I'll try not too, my seeker~"
He chuckles and heads out.
----
Eddie kind of enjoys the wide long endless stretches of land here. Air feels fresher than in the city too.
And in the mild of absolutely fuck no where... Eddie's car breaks down.
"... Fuck."
Something about the engine keeps making weird noises, the belt looks worn, the tires are also on the flatter side... Eddie knows basic repairs for cars, but not to this extent, he doesn't even know what actually went wrong.
It is an old car. Probably from the 1980s even. It would be well over 50 years old by now.
{Luckily for Eddie, a person slowed down and rolls down their passenger side window}
“Hey Doll, looks like you got some car troubles, I’ll drive to the tow yard to have them come and getcha”
{the lady offers with a smile}
Eddie looks over at here and chuckles a little.
"Yeah, I'd appreciate that, thank you..."
{It takes a little over an hour and a half for a tow truck to appear, it’s an old but reliable truck, the man backs up in front of Eddie’s car, before hopping out, putting on a safety vest}
“Shit, Never seen this car in a while, you all good if I start towing her up? I can take ya to the mechanic nearby”
"Ah, yeah, suppose she's quite old. From the 80s if I'm remembering right... And yes, please, don't think I'll be going for otherwise."
He laughs a bit nervously, but accepts the help.
“You got it Bossman’l
{The tow trucker preps Eddie’s car, hooking it up safely}
“Hop in the passenger seat”
{The man doesn’t seem to want anything more than just to take Eddie from point A to B, not in a mean way.. he just got other towing to do}
“We got a little over an hour, where ya from anyways?”
{he said as small talk when they get in the truck}
Eddie gets in the passenger seat and adjust himself to sit comfortably.
"Oh, I'm from [City name that I need to make] near new york city. It's a bit more west of it."
A dense city, not quite as much as new york city, but pretty close to it.
"Ah, so your' a city boy? Didnt take a city licker bein interested in these parts"
{The man said simply as he drove, as they get closer to the city, he rolled down his window to wave at the small town folk, it's a very very run down farm like town, everyone know each other}
"Well, I'm takin ya to Simon, he's.... A bit odd, so just be careful"
Eddie chuckles and smiles slightly.
"Yeah, not out often, but heard something about an alcohol company here. Got curious, so now I'm here."
He looks out the window at everyone in the town.
"Odd...? I think I'll be alright, thank you for the heads up though."
Eddie feels like he's seen enough weirdness for a life time... Surely it's not odder than usual.
“Ya ya I know, just sayin’ he’s yknow”
{The man waves his hands with a sigh as he pulls into the mechanical shop}
{he hops out of his car, and shouts}
“Ya got an olddie today! You come out or what”
—-
{after a few moments, a grunt can be heard as a broad short man walks out from his house, he wipes his hands with a bandanna}
“Yea yea I heard. Stop fuckin yellin”
{his voice is dark, like he smokes with a dark rooted country accent}
“Whatcha brought today”
—-
{The Tow trucker huffs and crosses his arms}
“Some city licker broken down on the side. He looks lost.”
The car is from a brand in the 80s that no longer exists. This car would likely be one of the last ones, if not the last one, of it's model.
It's lucky the car brand did not use brand specific parts for it's models otherwise those parts would no longer be manufactured.
Eddie looks at the car mechanic with curiosity, though he keeps that subtle.
"Well hi, I'm Eddie— I didn't say my name did I— I'm also not lost."
He smiles slightly, feeling a tad awkward, not being used to this type of area and people.
“I didn’t say you were lost son, just said you looked like it, big difference”
{The tow trucker puts the car in the proper place}
—-
{Simon walks up to Eddie, giving him a one look over before turning to his car}
“Head inside, sit, I’ll take a look.”
{he didn’t say much.}
Eddie decides to stop talking before he says the wrong thing at this point.
--
He nods at Simon, briefly looking him over too.
"Thank you."
Then Eddie walks away to sit inside. If there is a seat near a window where he can see Simon he would choose that one. Maybe glance around a bit, but not wanting to be nosy about the mans place.
{There is a window where you can see Simon, he takes a look at Eddie’s car, he opens the hood and with skillful hands begins to mess with the inside}
{the man’s place is dark and simple, there is a rifle hanging on the wall nearby, some cowboy hats, and tools, the house itself is a rustic vibe.}
{It takes him awhile before his shirt is stained with old oil and blackness, he turns back and walks to where he thinks Eddie would be}
“Hm, your engine is completely busted, and the alternator is blown to shit.”
“Most people would call it total loss”
Eddie watches as Simon works on the car, just humming to himself. He isn't fond of guns, but he has an interest in the mechanics behind them.
He turns to Simon when he talks to Eddie.
He frowns slightly and looks back at the car.
"I've had this car for a long time, it would make sense... Is there a way to fix it though? I wouldn't be concerned about the cost... It's bit sentimental to me now."
Mari used to love this car back then as well, it's partly why he bought it. Given he bought it in the later 90s, it was built in the early 80s, but he really likes this car still.
“Well I did say most people, I can fix it up for ya no problem, gonna cost around 550 in total, but it will take a week”
{Only 550? Damn most people in the city would up charge hella}
"550? Are you sure? That seems very low for that level of repair and the age of the car."
Eddie has had electrical repairs in the bar cost more than that. He knows he's well off, that amount is still a lot for many people, but it's a hell of a low ball price.
"I have no problem waiting a week, this was the town I was heading to anyway... I just would need to inform my partners."
“Hm? Yeap, I’m sure, I’ve been doing this for years, I got some scraps that can easily fit with a lil elbow grease-“
“Partners? Don’t see why your fancy business partners needs to know your personal business. But it ain’t my life”
{Simon said with a shrug}
“Guessin you might need a lift?”
Eddie chuckles for a moment and smiles slightly.
"I mean my romantic partners. They also help run our business, so they know a lot already."
He thinks for a moment.
"If you wouldn't mind? I'm fine staying in the town if there's a place I can stay for the time being. I'm looking for the alcohol company here, I was hoping the make a deal with them actually."
Eddie is decently open about his business and some surface level things, but he wouldn't specify having kids or who his partners were. That is something that requires trust for him.
{Simon blinks slowly}
“Huh? Multiple? Didn’t take you as a player with different side hustles type of guy. Looks can be deceiving. Still ain’t judging I guess”
{Simon grabs a pair of keys, he genuinely doesn’t know about bein poly, it was this kind of town, but he didn’t sound judgemental? Maybe it wasn’t known around here}
“There is a motel a mile into town.”
Eddie pauses for a moment, brain buffering on realizing that some things aren't know everywhere.
"Oh, no, they all know of each other. Some of my partners are also dating each other. I'm married to two of them and engaged to another two. It's a pretty full house honestly."
He smiles happily as he stands back up.
"Ah okay, and you're fine driving me?"
He actually wouldn't mind walking, but he isn't sure if that would be a normal human statement to make out here.
“Well you certainly ain’t walkin’ take you 3 hours to get there..”
{Simon pauses again}
“Huh. Heard nothin like that before, and they are all woman? Must be poplar, huh city boy?”
{Simon gives a smile smirk, he doesn’t should much of an expression until now}
"Ah okay, well thank you for the ride then."
He pauses again and clears his throat. A little part of him is finding this interaction a bit funny, not in a rude way, but pleasantly amused.
"No, no. Women, men, non binary. Not just women. I have a wife and a husband, and engaged to two other men with my wife."
His tails would be wagging happily if he wasn't hiding them right now.
“Oh…”
“You’re…”
“Uh hm”
{Simon didn’t know how to respond next. To be honest, nobody ever really talked to him, he was rough on the edges, everyone knew where he came from so they avoided him…}
{Simon guides them to his car, it’s nothing new and exciting, it’s a pickup truck that is rustic but in a caring way}
Eddie seems a tad confused at his reaction, but follows anyway.
"Is something wrong?"
He remembers the tow guy calling Simon odd at one point too, he is curious about that...
"Don't have to answer, but the tow guy called you odd, and I don't get why?... To be honest I don't think much can surprise me anyway."
He's being honest and genuine. Just curious, but not pushing.
“Don’t meet many Queers, you seem… proud about it?”
{Simon avoids the question with a shrug}
{Simon starts the car and begins to drive, in the cup holder there is a cracked pendent with a tree seedling encased in resin}
Eddie pauses again. He slowly begins to realize, mostly remember, that it's still not fully accepted everywhere. The cities are almost always fine now a days, mostly, but he hasn't been to the country side in a long time... He does feel some anxiety start to creep up at that realization.
"Oh... Uh..."
This is the moment where he begins properly being careful on what he should be saying.
"Well, yes, I don't really think about it as unique honestly? I just am queer I suppose— I don't even use labels much anymore. A few still, but... I'ma stop talking about it sorry."
He isn't exactly sure what Simon thinks of it, but he doesn't want to risk conflict. He's here for business after all.
He looks at the pendant in the cupholder and decides to question that instead.
"What's the pendant? It looks rather interesting."
{Simon immediately tenses up and pockets it pendent}
“It’s mine”
{he says defensively, as if afraid Eddie will take it, it’s probably very important to him}
Eddie startles a little at the sudden change.
"Oh uh... I wasn't going to take it. I was just curious... I... Assume it's important to you then?"
He fidgets with his hands slightly. He's having trouble getting a good read on Simon.
“….”
{Simon keeps his eyes on the road, he is very very tense now}
“Yep”
{he said popping the P at the end in a sharp tone}
—-
{he didn’t say much as they arrived at a old style hotel}
Eddie nods and stays silent for the rest of the ride. But now he is so curious. He came he for an alcohol supply deal, and now there's Simon.
--
"Thank you for the ride, Simon..."
He does kind of just wait for Simon to say something or leave before he actually goes to the hotel.
He wants to know more so damn bad, and he knows that is usually what gets him in trouble...
{Simon looks over at Eddie in a wary manner, like Eddie was out to get him}
“ ‘re welcome” {he mumbles like he wasn’t expecting a thank you}
—-//
{inside a woman at the front desk smiles, which falters when she realizes Eddie got out of Simon’s truck}
“Hello Dear! How can I help ya?”
Eddie knows that wary look. He doesn't say much else though, at most a hint of concern on his face.
--
Eddie immediately notices the falter in her smile... It doesn't take him much to connect the dots on that one.
"Hello, I'm just wanting a room for about a week? Simon is fixing my car, said it'll take a week."
He smiles politely, also mentioning Simon casually, wanting to gauge her reaction. Externally it just seems like he's oblivious and polite though.
{The woman hesitated at the name but nods}
“He is a good mechanic.”
{She says with a smile}
“A room for a week will be 350$ is that alright dear?”
“You seem like just a sweet boy, please be careful around that man..”
"Well it's good I have him working on my car then."
He smiles back and nods.
"That's perfectly okay."
He takes out his wallet to pay in cash. Just cash. Casually $350 in cash...
"I wouldn't worry much about me, love. I'll be okay."
He sounds incredibly certain about it. As if the warnings he's given really don't concern him in the slightest. It's true, but he knows either people will stop talking about it, or get concerned and say more.
"I appreciate the concern though."
At worst he's concerned about anyone here being discriminatory since that could affect the business deal. So he decides on not commenting on his personal life around anyone else for the time being.
{The woman accepts it, paying with cash is normal}
“Dear… I..”
“I don’t like to gossip, but I’ve heard he was raised in a cult that burned down, killed 66 people. I heard he was the reason for it. Don’t get yourself caught up into any trouble, it ain’t so ya any good”
Internally Eddie pleased to have more information, but of course externally that wouldn't be a normal reaction.
"Oh... I wasn't expecting it to be that heavy when I heard him be called odd... I apologize for taking the warning lightly before, and thank you for the warning... I'll be careful, love."
Shock and worry shows on his face, but internally he's just trying to think about what the full story truly is. He isn't assuming that it's the entire picture even if true.
He makes his way to his room once he's given the keys. If there is a door lock, and window curtains, he'll allow his illusion to drop so he get proper rest without mana drainage.
He does send text updates to everyone to explain the car breaking down, and a bit about Simon, but not saying anything to concern them. He wants to know more before he goes spreading anything.
{Remy reads the text lovingly and pauses when he reads about Simon}
‘Oh no, someone is picking up a stray~’ {he texts playfully}
‘Is he cute?~”
Eddie chuckles and plops down on the bed, tails wagging slowly.
'Not sure I'll picking him up, but you never know with me~'
He honestly gets a feeling he might. He can tell Simon isn't treated great out here.
'Perhaps handsomely rugged would be a good phrasing~'
He sighs.
'Honestly forgot the countryside still has homophobia going in some places. I am fine, but does make me a bit nervous.'
'I can't get a good read on Simon yet either. I'm safe though.'
Remy he will be a bit more blunt with. At least if Remy gets worried it's easier for him to get over here fast.
He'll be updating Remy and Virgil first if anything starts going wrong.
‘Well, maybe it’s just confusion? And not homophobic”
{Remy offers a brighter thought}
‘Just stay safe okay babes?’
Eddie hums for a moment in thought and then sighs.
'Yeah, you're probably right... At least with Simon. I think that's right, but I'm going to play it safer around others at least.'
He knows even if no one is vocal about it, that sadly that could affect business deals.
'I promise I'll stay safe, my seeker~'
'Love you, I'll keep you updated.'
He smiles softly and adjust to lay down properly in the bed.
If it's late enough he'll sleep, if not he'll go out in the town to try and see what's around.
He'll go to the company tomorrow.
‘Love youuuuu’
——-
{Eddie can sleep!, in the morning he will realize just how far everything is}
Eddie smiles happily, putting his phone on the charger before falling asleep.
----
When he wakes up he makes sure to hide his chimera features again and get ready before walking out... Everything is really fucking far.
He isn't sure who else to contact other than Simon, but Eddie doesn't have his number. He isn't sure anyone else would even have it, let alone not be weirded out by him asking for it.
{He is the only mechanic, luckily his business is family owned. So there is his company number on the phone in the hotel!}
Eddie finds the number and dials it so he can ask Simon to drive him to the alcohol company.
Hopefully he'll be able to work out a good deal, he did hear the alcohol has a unique flavor... He just realized he brought no one to taste test it. Well shit.
{Simon blinks slowly when the store phone rings, he swore that thing was busted months ago}
{he picks it up, and Eddie hears the deep voice, lance with country, smoking but in a hot way}
“‘Ello. Who is this?”
{he says… not very customer service trained}
"Hey, it's Eddie. I didn't consider how far out everything was so I wanted to ask if you wouldn't mind driving me to that alcohol company? I can pay for the gas money?"
Eddie speaks quite casually and politely despite what the lady said. Simon seems nice enough to him.
“Hm, oh yeah, city boy”
{Simon thinks for a moment}
“Sure, no need for gas money, I hope you like horse ridin’ be there in 15ish”
{Eddie swore he could hear a smirk before he ends the call}
Eddie smiles excitedly. He's never ridden a horse before, never needed to before. He's always wanted to before, Mari talked about horse riding a lot.
"See you in 15 then."
His excitement comes through his voice well.
{15 mins pass, and Eddie hears the sound of a horse gallop and a horse chuff, Simon is sitting on a beautiful brown with black accented horse, waiting for Eddie}
Eddie smiles very excitedly and walks up to him.
"Never been on a horse before actually! Actually always wanted to ride one."
He has no clue how to get onto the horse...
"Oh uh, how do I get up though?"
City boy.
"Real pretty horse too."
Though the more he talks out here the less of that smoother city accent comes through. He wasn't raised in a city, or even lived the majority of his life there. In the modern era, sure, but his native accent is not city like.
More rough and low, vowels just a bit harsher, and more gravelly.
"Tsk"
{Simon almost, just almost chuckles, he has never seen someone so excited to do this}
"Classic City boy"
{Simon gets off, and stands next to Eddie, he slips his hands around Eddie's hips and lifts him up and onto the horse, like he just lifted up air...}
{Simon hops on behind Eddie and holds the lead}
“Ready angel”
{he pauses when the nickname slips out. He immediately tenses and grows quiet}
{there is a LOT on this man’s mind.. best tread carefully, act like he never heard it}
Eddie chuckles and then lets out a surprised squeak and getting picked up like that. He gets slightly flustered as his mind buffers...
He clears his throat, and to Simon's knowledge Eddie did not hear the nickname. He did like the nickname though.
"Ready!"
Eddie is still flustered due to the fact Simon is sitting behind him like this.
{Simon lowly and very very quietly chuckles at the squeak, but continues on, he gently taps Ellie to get going, as she starts a good speed}
“So… this business deal, whatcha hoping for”
Eddie has to stop himself from purring...
"Hm? Oh! I'm hoping to get a deal for shipments of alcohol from their business for my bar. I heard some people at my bar mention the alcohol from here being very unique and thought I'd go see for myself... I quite like having variety in my bar, and I have collected some old bottles of alcohol too think I have a bottle of rum from the 1800s sealed with red wax on my shelf."
Jesus christ that would be worth a fortune in the present.
"I realized a bit late that I didn't bring anyone to taste test the alcohol though. I can't drink it."
He hopes Simon doesn't ask why, but he wouldn't lie if Simon did ask.
He seems very happy to be riding the horse right now as well.
“Hm, I can taste it, since I’ll be there”
{Simon just assumes it’s a city thing, or that he just didn’t like the taste of some things}
“I’m assuming that was an offer”
“Holy shit, the 1800s? What are you some ancient Deity that hoards old ass things?”
{Simon teases.. a little more of himself comes out, but he quickly hides it}
"Oh, thank you, yes actually that'd be very nice."
Eddie pauses and ever so slightly tenses at the ancient deity joke— Because... To be fair... Eddie has been around for well over a thousand years... And also is comparable in power to a god. Literally? Wrong, but on a comparison level? A biiiit too close.
He laughs nervously, wishing that it came off genuine.
"Cost a lot I'll tell ya that... But just like collecting alcohol specifically. Bottle of wine from 1920s was a gift a while back. Pretty looking color to it."
He tries to brush past that nervous laugh.
{Simon notices and raises an eyebrow}
“Ah… not the religious type… I get it, kinda a hard topic for me too, I get it”
{he mutters as an apology}
Eddie takes a deep breath and sighs to get himself to relax properly.
"Ah, it's okay..."
The irony being Eddie worshipping Logan, but that doesn't quite feel the same as usual religions, small or not.
"You know, you seem pretty nice. Makes me confused on how the townsfolk are with you?"
He knows why, sorta, but Eddie is always a past is the past type guy... He doesn't always remember most people aren't like it to that degree.
“…”
“……”
{Simon grows silent again}
“Don’t go listening to gossip, City Boy… you’ll be back in your city by the end of this week”
{Simon mutters, tense once again… a silent beg to let him enjoy this rare fleeting moment}
"I know I will be..."
He stays silent for a moment.
"I don't trust the gossip if that's your concern. Even if it is true, fuck if I believe that's all it is. Gossip is never the full picture. I'm a bartender. I know that well."
...
"I've heard worse things."
He tries to be reassuring.
"I won't press further unless you want me to. We can just have fun for now."
His tone softens.
‘Hm, wow I guess Angels do curse..’
{Simon says to himself as he doesn’t speak, he gently tugs on the reins when they stop in front of the building}
“Looks like we made it”
Eddie smiles softly and gets down carefully when they arrive. He has less trouble getting down given his balance is a bit better than most.
"Seems we did... Thank you again."
He looks at the building and then back at Simon. He realizes he has no bag he is carrying the legal documents in. Because he's using his pocket storage thing. He meant to put it in a bag beforehand.
He thinks for a few moments and then looks at Simon more clearly.
"Don't ask."
Ask what? He summons the legal papers and a bag from thin air before putting the documents inside.
"Ready to go in?"
... He gives no other comment on whatever the fuck that was.
{Simon just stares and blinks}
“Uh-“
“Sure, I guess”
{Simon hops off of Ellie and offers his rough hand}
‘So an Angel and a magician, what do they feed city boys- obviously not enough, this man is skinny compared to myself’
Eddie takes a deep breath and adjust his outfit as he heads up to the building. He gave notice he would be coming over, they approved. It was brief, but Eddie prefers these deals in person.
"Hope this goes well, yeah? I appreciate you being a taste tester for me by the way."
He smiles happily.
“Not a problem, I don’t mind getting a few drinks as payment yknow, win win for me”
{Simon shrugs and follows Eddie, his eyes scanning the area goes unnoticed, almost military trained}
——-
{they are lead to a meeting room where the business owners were middle aged people, clearly not born here, probably brought some land here to start the business}
“Mr Eddie, thank you for coming!”
--
Eddie smiles professionally and nods.
"Of course! Thank you for having me."
He takes a seat where he's guided to and sets down his bag.
"I'm hoping to make a deal for shipments to my bar as stated, but I would like to have them taste tested before I make any choices if that's okay?"
"I won't be able to test them myself so I brought my friend with me."
He keeps a good professional tone and smile.
“I suppose that’s okay. We brought some bottles to test”
{The man takes out four different brightly colored beer bottles}
——
{Simons eye brow raises in judgement..}
“Fruity Beers…?”
{Simon mutters in confusion}
——
{the man ignores Simon as he opens them and slides them to Eddie and Simon}
“So if I may ask as well, do you run the bar by yourself?”
Eddie does seem a tad confused about the beer. They were discussing liquor... Maybe he's misremembering? He gives the benefit of the doubt.
"Oh no, I run it with other people, but I am the main bartender."
He's careful with his words. Not mentioning is relationship statuses even if they are relevant, their relationship is not.
"Though I believed we discussed liquors and not beers, right?"
“Well Technically we are reinventing the system! Why not combine the two!” {the man said happily}
——
{Simon squints and looks over at Eddie with a sigh, he wants to say some mean shit, it’s obvious, he bites his tongue and behaves for Eddie}
Eddie slowly catches on, but he takes a deep breath and stays calm.
"I do apologize, but beer, wine, and liquor are defined by alcohol content. I'm sure you can get similar tastes, but no you can't combine the two as you describe. Perhaps we discuss the liquor though, and not reinventing the system as you say. After all it's rather unprofessional to suggest offers without proper warning."
He smiles, that type of professional smile that is a corporate threat.
"Do you want to stay professional for this meeting? I highly recommend doing so."
{Simon covers his mouth, holding back a laugh, he so bites his tongue}
—-
“I am aware, but Beer is a fermented and Liquor is distilled. So we did half and half!”
——
{Simon pauses, holy shit these people are idiots}
“Yeah… I ain’t drinking that..”
Eddie chuckles and stares at the persons eyes.
"Fermented and distilled do not mix together pleasantly. Say, do you know how to make alcohol or did your father buy you a factory?"
It's framed as a genuine question, but is painfully obvious it is a dig at entitlement. Not legally provable though!
He smirks, a tiny electrical shock from seemingly no where would tap the persons leg. Eddie surely has no clue. It just felt like static shock, so surely it was nothing.
"Say what your implications are directly please. It's unprofessional to use unclear communication."
Still that professional tone. Getting more unsettling.
{Simon eyes Eddie cautiously.. he hasn’t seen this side of Eddie.. it was- he shakes his head. Don’t think about it. Don’t think! Just sit and listen}
——
“You don’t get to talk shit! You just serve what is given to you! You’re just some lowly bartender! I’ll have my father sue your ass to the ground you hear me!”
“You egotistical fuck low life minimal wage-“ {he gets up and close to Eddie, he was to like at Eddie’s chest}
{CRACK}
{the man stumbles back, holding his nose}
___
{Simon is there, he punched the man square in the face, he tackles the man and clutches his shirt, about to go in for another punch}
{he was so.. strong}
{So human, he didn’t transform or show any hidden form.. this man is just a scared human with a shitty life}
{that’s rare now adays in Eddie’s case}
Eddie doesn't actually react to the mans tantrum until Simon punches him. He gets up and blinks.
"Minimum wage is an awfully bold claim. I make 12k a month, I'm sure you read that as part of my email, right?"
He does step over and gently grab Simon's fist, giving him a look telling him to stop. Despite how much smaller Eddie looks, and how gentle his grasp is. He still has no issue stopping Simon.
"I am a bartender, yes, but that means I personal experience with how alcohol is used, made, among other things. I built my business all on my own. You had your daddy buy your way to money. Seems like you didn't have proper P.R training either."
"Also I have said nothing that is a sueable offense. You're on your own. You've made a few mistakes in terms of legality. You yelled at me and got up close and personal while threatening me. That is a legal mistake, especially the threatening. We discussed in my email about presenting liquor. You did not present liquor, therefore you made a false claim in a discussion of sales and products."
He stares at the man in his eyes.
"Would you like to continue, or leave? I have no issue fighting a legal battle if you want to attempt that. I promise you will lose, and likely lose any amount of trust your customers have for you... It'd probably be good publicity for me."
His professional smile and tone remains.
"I didn't come here to be berated."
{Simon clenches his jaw and gets up to leave as soon as he is stopped by Eddie, he needs some fresh air}
——-
{fhe man holds his now very broken nose} “Get out of my building! I’m done”
"With pleasure, sir. I recommend icing your nose and going to the hospital if you can't pop it back into place yourself. It's best to not like it get infected."
He smiles and leaves shortly after.
His face drops and he looks exhausted as hell.
"Simon? You okay?"
He looks around for him, but doesn't invade his space.
That didn't go as planned. He also made sure to take his bag with him.
{Simon is outside, leaning against a wall nearby, he groans when his lighter isn’t working after a few clicks, he has a cigarette in his mouth}
“Fine.”
{he muffles, a lie… a small hiss can be heard in Eddie’s head, Ethos didn’t show up, but a sign of a lie}
{his fist still has blood on it, he seems used to it..}
Eddie sighs and summons a lighter, and offers it to Simon.
"You're not fine."
He says plainly but calmly.
"You want help cleaning off your fist? Can tell your used to it, but I know dried blood isn't a pleasant feeling on skin."
How would he know that so well?
"You don't need to talk about anything, but if I can help I'd like to. You defended me back there, I respect that."
“You’ve only known me for a fucking day. How would you know anything about me! You’re confusing, you summon shit out of fucking nowhere, maybe Eden was right”
{he laughs kinda like he’s going crazy, but he keeps it together surprisingly}
“Maybe angels are real, maybe I’m dead and you’re here to guide me to my fucking punishment”
Eddie hums for a moment and rolls up the sleeve to his right arm. It's a prosthetic. The arm he lost due to that dragon.
"I don't know you, but I think I understand at least a little even if it's not the same. I certainly know how dried blood feels on bruised calloused knuckles."
He still holds out the lighter.
"Naw not guiding you anywhere you don't want to go. You aren't dead either."
He's surprisingly calm, and... Caring. Even if his tone is on the rougher end.
"Who is Eden, if you want to talk about that?"
He says nothing about angels being real or not, given they are, but probably not in the way Simon knows.
He can discuss the summoning stuff once Simon his calmer. He has a feeling the truth will be more than just seeing for now.
{Simon pauses and takes the lighter and lights his cigarette, and takes a drawl… he.. pauses and looks away to blow out the smoke so it doesn’t hit Eddie, he is so.. soft behind those guarded eyes}
“…not.. not until I get your car fix”
“Then if you want to get away, you at least don’t feel forced.”
“Deal?”
Eddie takes a deep breath and smiles softly, hey, progress.
"Deal... Seriously though can I help you wash the blood off, because it does smell very strong to me?"
It would not smell that strong to Simon compared to Eddie.
He rolls his sleeve back down.
“Not used to the smell, Angel~”
{He takes a deep breath and nods}
“Wanna… head back to my place? … maybe even stay the night?”
{he mutters quietly}
Eddie huffs out a laugh.
"I'm used to it, but it gets old after you smell so much."
He hopes that makes sense.
Eddie smiles at the offer.
"Hmm... Staying the night sounds good~"
He pauses when he realizes he can't maintain the illusion when asleep though.
"Hm... Though... You have a spare room? Like with a lock?"
Odd thing to ask so directly... And in that tone...
“Erm…. No”
“It’s fine, I can..just drop you off at the hotel”
{Simon frowns and slowly closes himself up again, of course Eddie would want a separate room.. and lock}
{he was a convict.. a sinner.. was he even- he shakes his head, you’ve only known him for a day Simon. You weren’t ever gay before. Now one man shows you a lick of kindness and you’re drooling}
“Sorry I shouldn’t have asked”
Eddie pauses heavily and seems deep in thought.
"I don't have a problem with not having that if you... Don't have um... A problem with... This."
He hesitantly lets the illusion drop. Folded up moth wings, cat ears, tail, and hind legs. Four cable tails, and wire hair.
"... Please don't freak out."
He mumbles as he looks away. He wants Simon to trust him, so he tries showing trust to Simon. It's fine, it'll be fineeee.
{Simon stares… stares harder, he checks what he is smoking before looking back up}
“What…”
“The”
“Fuck”
{Simon’s breath hitches when an employee is walking out of the building, he immediately drags Eddie against the wall and covers Eddie with his body, he is shaking in confusion.. but still willing to protect Eddie}
{he’s holding it together}
Eddie was in the middle of taking a deep breath when he startles at Simon grabbing and dragging him. He gets incredibly flustered when Simon covers Eddie with his body.
It takes him a second to notice the employee.
"... Thank you..."
He mumbles very quietly.
He's silent for a while.
"Does the uh... Offer to spend the night still stand?"
He looks at Simon as he asks. Simon still against him on the wall.
{Now up close.. Eddie can see Simon’s scars peaking out of his collar.. it looked like it was a tattoo before it was branded off with hot iron, he has a soldier like massive build but enough to be flexible}
{he smells like amber musk, soil and petrichor, despite all of this.. he is still human}
“I…I shit Angel… I guess it does”
Eddie looks at Simon's scars and smiles softly.
He's purring.
"Thank you... You smell kind of nice actually..."
An extremely odd compliment, but is well meant.
He doesn't mention the scars for now.
"Should hide this before heading back to your place probably..."
He comments before putting the illusion back up.
"I'll answer any questions you have when we get there, okay?"
He seems to relax again.
{Simon nods a bit shaken up}
“Holy shit- you can purr too…”
{Simon slowly guides Eddie to Ellie, and picks him up to saddle him onto her}
Eddie notices Simon still being shaken up, but at least waits til they're both on the horse again.
"I'm sorry that I startled you... Are you okay?"
"I just wanted to spend the night, but I can't keep that illusion up while asleep... And bit of a risk for me."
He mumbles slightly.
“Yeah… yeah- you said I can ask questions when we get back…right?”
{Simon makes Ellie start going when he is on}
“But… why.. why risk it- we’ve only known each other for a fuckin day”
“What’s your goal here.. I don’t have anything to offer you”
Eddie nods.
"I did..."
He pauses for a moment in thought.
"... You don't need to have anything to offer to someone... You seem... Nice, and I don't know you... You just kind of remind me of how I used to be? Given it was not the same, but... I used to be similar in some aspects, but eventually went down a far more self destructive route."
"Met my wife during that time... She helped a lot. I wouldn't be here without her."
He sighs.
"Also for the risking it part... Partly because I'm dumbass who makes stupid choices."
He chuckles at himself.
"But also just cause I want to know you more, and I figured being honest shows more trust than just not risking anything."
“…”
{Simon let out a deep genuine laugh}
“Yeah, you’re a dumbass… but I ain’t gonna snitch, don’t worry your sparky tails about it~”
Eddie laughs as well and sighs.
"I won't worry then~"
He purrs again, seeming content.
"Sparky tails is a good one, don't think I've heard that one before."
