build my throne ;

          “ oh, uh — ” he looks up then, pen POISED over a worn-out sketchpad, black ink standing in STARK contrast against the white paper. “ — it’s a sparrow. i’m designing a tattoo for one of my clients. ” he lets the pen fall back against the desk, the better to give the other his UNDIVIDED attention. “ did you — need anyting? ”

             there’s a small smile PLAYING across his lips, hoping it looked assuring enough to ease some of the other’s worries. “ i promise. ” he affirms, pressing a kiss onto the top of her head — just the SMALLEST brush of his lips. “ d’you want me to get your things? we can move it up to the flat. ”

          “ well, that makes sense. ” he states, brows creasing into a FROWN once he sees that his joint has all but burned out. he lets it fall to the ground, expelling the last of the smoke before CARDING his fingers through his hair. “ not exactly, no. i do my best to make sure that each vessel is different, keep things interesting. ” he shrugs then, finally letting his gaze fall onto the other. “ i’m SURPRISED the three of you have stuck together this long, though. ever thought of going separate paths? ”

  “ that wouldn’t be RIGHT, no. ” he agrees with a small smile. he gestures to the chair situated at the center of the room, a silent command for the blonde to sit down. he sets the sketch down on the table set beside it, grabbing his supplies and placing those beside it as well. “ adam. ” he says simply, holding out his hand, a marker POISED in the other. “ wrist, please? ”

           he’s nodding at the other’s response, leaning back to focus on some spot ABOVE him. he brings the joint to his lips, taking another DRAG before speaking. “ at least you’ve got the others. ” he MUSED, watching the smoke rise up into the air. the words fall flat, like they usually do, dashing any theories that he must be lonely too ( he WASN’T ) . “ small comfort, don’t you think? ”

    “ don’t give up on him, all right? if your roles were REVERSED, i’m pretty sure he won’t give up on you either. and it’s not. i’m SURE it’s not. ” he stands up then, sketch clutched in one hand and motioning to the back room with the other, offering the male a KIND smile. “ this way, then. ” he says, making his way out of the room and into the next.

                          single muse rp blog for death. selective as fuck. written by nat.

       “ i just know. ” he says, and he wished he could LEAVE it at that, but he knows he can’t. and so he supplies, “ i remember meeting a nice couple a few years back. she could tell when he was hurt. she couldn’t really explain it, but she always KNEW. the day he died, she found out before anyone had even told her. ” he finishes the sketch then, placing the cap back on top of the pen before looking back up. “ when people have a deep enough connection, they just KNOW. if you believe he’s still out there, then he probably is. ” and the story wasn’t a lie, per se, but he couldn’t very well let the blonde know that alex wasn’t dead because his soul hasn’t been CLAIMED yet. his face falls as the other confirms his suspicions, sadness washing over him. “ not the last. ” is all he says, voice barely above a whisper. “ things WILL get better. ”

           now he wraps both arms around her frame, as if he could stop her from falling APART ( he doubts that it would work, but he sincerely hoped it WOULD ) . “ they’re not gonna hurt you, okay? not while i’m around. ” and goodness knows that transcended her existence by CENTURIES. “ i won’t let them. ” one hand cards through her hair, attempting to SOOTHE the other. “ what if you stayed with me for a while? would that make you feel SAFER?”

       he lets the name permeate his thoughts, turning it over in his brain — and he heaves a sigh of RELIEF, glad that his next words would hold nothing but truth. “ he’s still out there, i’m sure of it. ” he leaves it at that, knowing full well that he couldn’t reveal too much even if he wanted to — but then UNEASE settles at the pit of his stomach, coating it with dread. “ what happened that day? ” he asks, though he’s fairly certain that he already knows the answer.

       the response PEAKS his curiosity, lifting his head and hoping he looked nothing short of reassuring. “ it’s all right, ” he says, and there’s that small smile again — adam never really did grin as much as he should. “ i didn’t mean to strike a nerve. forgive me for INTRUDING. ” he turns back to his work then, his next words being delivered as casually as he could manage. “ but if you don’t mind me asking — what’s his name? your boyfriend’s, i mean. ”

       he runs a finger down the VEIN inside his client’s wrist, letting it go soon after in favour of grabbing a piece of paper from the stack sitting on his table.“ i’ll DRAW one for you, then. ” he says, shooting the other a small SMILE before doing just that. “ so why a lip print? ” he asks, over the sound of his pen SCRATCHING against the paper.

      “ a lip print. ” he repeats, nodding. he pushes the binder to the side, clearing a bit of room on his CLUTTERED work desk. “ which one? ” he asks, holding out a hand for the blonde to place one of his wrists in. “ and do you have a template or would you rather i sketched one? ”

         one hand comes up to WRAP around her waist, pulling her in — the other stroking her cheek in an attempt to put her at ease. “ you’re not going going INSANE, b. ” the words are soft, like butterfly wings — WHISPERS in the wind. “ and you’re not gonna die, all right? you’re gonna be just FINE. ” and he doesn’t know how to tell her that his statements rang TRUE, that it wouldn’t be her time for at least another decade or two.

          “ do you ever find it TIRING? ” he asks, bringing the cigarette to his lips and taking a drag — EASING the smoke out of his lungs slowly. “ being immortal, i mean. ” it’s not something he would usually ask, preferring to keep matters LIGHT at nights like these, but he allows himself the simple excuse of having cannabis CLOUDING his brain.

          “ a tattoo? ” he echoes, though that much must have been OBVIOUS — the other male had walked into his shop, after all. “ do you — have anything in mind? ” he takes out one of his portfolios all the same, the way he usually does in order to give his clients IDEAS in case they had none. “ i’ve got a couple of designs right here. ”