DNA

@legioneoin location: Lupercalia notes: winner winner chicken dinner

Eoin did not like losing. And it certainly didn't look good on him either. As a matter of fact, it pissed him off to no end. What made it worse was that he knew this would be coming if he did lose. There had never been a moment where the witch thought that would ever actually happen, but he was prepared for any outcome. Or so he thought. Instead of being calm and collected like he had told himself to be, he crossed his arms over his chest in frustration. "Whatever, Atlas." He huffed and then dropped his arms. "I didn't need the stupid coupon anyway so..." Well, he wanted it though. He didn't need it, but he wanted to win and that meant getting the stupid buy one get one coupon. "Whatever."

Eoin felt like there was just so much of this that made sense to him. He wasn't sure why or how it had happened, but he wasn't complaining. Atlas was actually being nice to him so he figured he would offer the druid the same luxury. It very well could be the only time the other was going to give him this sort of temperament. Considering how they had met and how every conversation went after that, or most of them anyway, he was convinced that all they ever did was butt heads. However, here in the quiet of his penthouse, they were both just...vulnerable. And Eoin knew that, just like him, Atlas didn't like that one bit. They'd get used to it thought. They were both adaptable because they had been forced to be. In very different ways, but somehow still the same.

Jogging with someone didn't exactly sound appealing to him, the whole point was to be alone with his thoughts and it was hard to think when someone was wheezing next to you. "You're going to end up getting sick of me." It's not a no, more of a yes, but this is a trial run. "The chef? Next you'll tell me you chop cucumbers like a Kardashian." At least Eoin didn't make it plural, that would have had Atlas rethinking this whole thing. The places Atlas owned were each styled very differently, more or less shrines to different phases of his life, but Eoin's was entirely different. Quiet in all its comforts, the only hiccup was it sounded like Atlas would have to introduce Eoin to the joys of making his own meals. "So," for the first time since this conversation began, Atlas moved out of the witch's orbit and gravitated towards the couch instead before he gestured towards the TV. "does this thing get HBO?"

"Well, I was going to ask if you're ready to dance but I think you need to finish that drink first, besides, I suddenly have a different question." When Atlas thought of Eoin 'hanging out' he pictured him sitting alone in a room polishing his rifle, or one of the many, many guns he seemed to just have. That wasn't offputting considering where Atlas had grown up, but it was kind of a funny picture. Somehow conjuring an image of the sort of people that Eoin hung out with was difficult, the witch was so argumentative if he was saying anything at all - though Atlas supposed the same thing could be said about him. The only real difference was the druid talked significantly more and was big on offering unsolicited advice when someone got on his nerves. "Who's your best friend?"

This drink was horrible. There was no circling around that fact, but Atlas was definitely acting like it was the most normal drink in the world. The druid must have been a really good friend because Eoin would've absolutely told this Akara how absolutely atrocious it was if their roles were switched. He definitely wouldn't have said it to the poor guy with Atlas standing there either. It didn't matter though. He was still drinking this damn drink because the druid told him that he should. That alone was far too much for Eoin to unpack and he could almost hear his brother's voice in his head along with the other witch pointing at his palm. He actually didn't even want to think about that. Instead, he tried to think of an answer to Atlas' question. Who was his best friend? Was it going to be embarrassing to say his siblings? He talked to Virgil and Aurea the most and he honestly couldn't think of anyone else he talked to about serious shit more than them. "Uh...I don't really have one."

So much of this still felt like it bordered on something that felt more like a dream than anything else. Atlas' mind was still catching up with a number of things, one of them being that very soon he'd be headed to the states to torture some people, but at the top of it all was that him and Eoin had landed in this orbit. Whatever this was and whatever this entailed he was suddenly very grateful for it; naturally Atlas had his friends, he had Octavian, and he had his fellow acolytes but there were times when he felt like he only got to share a piece of himself with each. This was another part, one that didn't come embedded with any secrets because Eoin had taken his hand despite knowing some of how much blood had already soaked into the druid's skin.

Eoin felt like there was just so much of this that made sense to him. He wasn't sure why or how it had happened, but he wasn't complaining. Atlas was actually being nice to him so he figured he would offer the druid the same luxury. It very well could be the only time the other was going to give him this sort of temperament. Considering how they had met and how every conversation went after that, or most of them anyway, he was convinced that all they ever did was butt heads. However, here in the quiet of his penthouse, they were both just...vulnerable. And Eoin knew that, just like him, Atlas didn't like that one bit. They'd get used to it thought. They were both adaptable because they had been forced to be. In very different ways, but somehow still the same.

"I keep a folder full of memes solely for him." She admits, head nodding as she goes back to measuring out chocolate chips. The recipe calls for only a cup but she pours two into the bowl, it was all about balance. "I'm worried about him. Sovereigns around here don't really have a good track record." Those in power in general in Rome seemed to be under fire from what she was seeing, hearing. It was constantly changing hands every few months. The witches in particular seemed to be playing trauma roulette, passing around a baton to see whose coven got heat next.

"Well, we both know how much he loves his memes." If anything, Virgil liked them far too much. Eoin was starting to get tired of the massive amount of exclamation points that came with said memes, too. He wondered if his brother did anything else with his time, but he knew that the other did. After all, he was the sovereign of an entire coven. "We shouldn't worry about him. Virgil isn't those other sovereigns. He's better than them by miles." Not that the rest of them were bad by any means. They just weren't Virgil.

Certainty was something that Atlas could've waxed on about forever; was he sure, well, had anyone ever even asked him that before? That sounded darker than he intended it to be, but Eoin meant a great deal to him and while Atlas' unfortunately long standing newfound abstinence remained intact, if they suddenly jumped into it now then whatever spell had been cast over them might break. Sex was Atlas' first currency, putting out was how he told guys that he liked them and it had never worked out in his favour. While Atlas didn't really think Eoin was anything like the men that the druid had seen in the past, he was trying to be careful not to jinx anything.

Cute. Eoin could tell what usually happened after people started kissing. Especially if those people were Atlas and him. The two of them were not together and this was the first time they were kissing at all, but it felt like they had been waiting a long time for this. It wasn't really that difficult for him to think that something more was going to happen than kissing. However, it wasn't like he was going to tell Atlas to do something he didn't want to do. Still, it was cute that the druid tried to pretend that the same thing hadn't been on both of their minds. It had been a long time for them both, but Eoin was never the type to have sex just to have sex. It had to mean something to him. Atlas meant something to him, but...he wasn't sure if this was going to be the right time. For now.

"My best friend," Atlas added, "if he was here he'd want me to point that out." Eoin's lips tasted immediately like the alcohol that Atlas had pressured him into drinking. He took another draw from his own and in natural Akara fashion it got a little bit more tolerable the more that the druid drank from it. "Keep going, it gets... Well, not better, but easier anyways." Atlas had yet to see what Eoin was like when he was drunk and he remained determined to see that firsthand. While the druid was normally more mindful about personal space, he did enjoy the proximity between them, the slight orbit and honeymoon phase of something that was still very, very new. "I have a question."

"Best friend, right. Well, I'm sure most best friends would want to be acknowledged as the best friend." Eoin didn't really think he had a best friend of his own. The witch hadn't gone out of his way to make friends all that often until recently. After everything that had happened, it felt like there really wasn't a reason not to. He was still working on it though. Friendships really kept people from falling apart sometimes. He guessed family could be friends, too. However, he was absolutely not about to say that Aurea was his best friend. That just sounded sad. "I don't think it gets easier at all, but..." He took another gulp, a shiver running through him as he did. Ugh, it was awful. "What's the question?"

Another downside of certain drugs was the fact she got so engrained in what she was doing she forgot all else. Mazikeen paused, blinking and tilting her head at Eoin. After a three second count of buffering, the demon let out a dramatic gasp, hand coming up to her heart. "Unholy shit, no, tell me it isn't tonight. I mean, fuck, I already have my outfit and all but I totally forgot." She clapped a hands loudly and quickly before one of the younger Ivy witches came running in. "Ulyssus, baby boy, put down your little experiment! Finish up the healing potions with your witchy magic. I'm going partying! Kiss kiss." She hurriedly walked past the pre-teen witch and hooked her arm with Eoin's, leading them out. "You're not going without me unless you already got a date. So is your new little crush bringing you?"

Eoin watched as the demon seemed to short circuit somehow. He wasn't sure what was going through her head until she actually started speaking. Damn, he'd been a second away from calling some other witches in here to help get her back to normal. Not that he really needed much help, but he wasn't known for his healing capabilities. Other Ivy witches were much better at that than he could ever be. "I would prefer if you never did that again. You scared the shit out of me." There was no Inferno for her to go back to so it was more concerning now than it could ever be. Eoin waited for her to handle her business with Ulysses before she grabbed him and directed them elsewhere. "Oh. Um...yes, I do have a date. I have to go pick him up. I can wait for you if you want though?"

Virgil had come here out of support for - whatever, he wanted to run into Octavian or Sonny. Maybe both, he didn't care and it was Christmas. He'd done the morning thing already with the family, now it was party time. Virgil flapped his jacket and flashed his chest a few times, he was young at heart, he could have fun when he wanted to. Eoin was the thirty year old senior citizen here. "Kid, I told you to eat your wheaties." He shook his head at old flatsy patsy, "Now my eyes are up here."

Eoin wasn't that small compared to Virgil. Well, he was shorter, but that felt like the only reason any comment was being made at all. That was barely something they needed to talk about though. The witch had really been hoping he didn't run into his brother here. He'd been sure there would be a comment about his choice of date to this thing so avoiding was always the best case scenario. For now, at least. Maybe later on there would be introductions. Until then? Well, he'd just be spending time with Atlas. "I do eat my wheaties." It was a nutritional breakfast. "I'm not even looking, but you really should put on a shirt. Is this how you go to all of your parties?"

The last time they'd been in this situation Atlas had found out the other had a girlfriend, though even then they hadn't been standing as close as they were now. There was no shame, no guilt, nothing weighing over their heads... At least not at the moment, not tonight. The title of druid or witch could just be left at the door; it was only in the quiet absence of the self-imposed duty that Atlas felt how heavy he'd felt this year. "Not sure, my friend Akara ordered it for us." Something about wanting to give them a special little treat, which meant this was probably pure gasoline - smelled like it. Atlas and Eoin needed the liquidity if they were going to make something of the witch out on the dance floor. He took a mouthful and winced as he exhaled and shook a bit, "It helps if you don't breathe."

"Your friend Akara, huh?" Eoin looked at the drink and then back at Atlas. He could smell how strong it was and, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he was probably a lightweight when it came to alcohol. It was ninety percent of the reason why he didn't bother to drink at all. The other ten percent was just because he didn't find it to be as entertaining as he would have liked it to be. He guessed he was more of a social drinker. If someone gave him a glass of wine at a function, he was going to slowly sip that one glass of wine for the entire night. Now here Atlas was offering him gasoline. He should've said no, but of course he didn't. Even as the druid took a gulp and had a visceral reaction to it. "I don't even know if that would help, but..." He grabbed the drink and took a mouthful before letting his lips land on Atlas' own for a second. "That was horrible. I might as well have taken a shot."