synflux | ( closed ) life like the unplumbed sea;

( from here. )

[ They "wonder".

What a magic word to remove them of any culpability. Elysium doesn't look annoyed because he ultimately isn't, nor is he actively trying to appear otherwise, expecting Sampo to call him out on just that. A span of what had been a half hour at most had lightened a weight on his shoulders until it flipped it into something else entirely; all this time, he'd been telling Sampo not to complicate things and here he'd gone and done it himself—how funny.

What did it matter what they'd seen and gone through in a dream together? Everything. Nothing. Elysium had intended to bury it where it was conceived as a dream. Yet, if Sampo wanted to dredge it up so badly while simultaneously trying to take it back the moment he couldn't handle it, well. Elysium couldn't just let him throw him for loops whenever he wanted, could he?

A man who says he isn't scared of the sun; Elysium will call him out on that bluff.

Where the kiss to his knuckles burn, it isn't unpleasant—much like the feeling of constantly being upended, he reflects on when the last time he'd experienced this much excitement had been. Never, really. Ha.

Two hours and some change later: ]

So are we making this easy for ourselves, or hard?

Edited 2024-06-21 20:07 (UTC)

[Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous.]

[He thought such complicated pasttimes were behind him. This seems more like the material of the plays of younger Masked Fools who were eager to show themselves on stage, rather than stick entirely to the shadows. Such strange excitement was something distant, like the mist of nostalgia. Then again, it isn't nostalgia, right? He can't even explain it - that churning, awful pull of something he can't help but taste.]

[He really should know better.]

[Maybe he doesn't know anything at all.]

[He keeps busy, lolita dress and all, and ferries the people down the streets, through winding passageways, all to freedom and safety. All in the day's work of Sampo Koski, though he wishes he was compensated more for it. Tch.]

[The question comes as he turns a corner, looking for stragglers. A pause. A hum. That's a good question.]

That all depends

I don't think you're the type who likes when things are easy though

[ No later than a minute after Sampo sends the message, Elysium makes his presence known through dropping down from a rooftop—because neither of them are normal people and neither of them can make normal appearances, apparently. ]

Bzzzzt. Surprise! The answer was a third, hidden option——you'd already lost.

[ Elysium is more or less back to form, smiling bright. For the constant updates he'd pushed through the map in the past while, he looks remarkably unwinded; there are various stains on his sword suggesting he's gotten into a scuffle or two and hadn't just stuck to evacuation, but for the most part, he's in nearly the same condition as they'd parted in.

More importantly: ]

Haha, c'mon. Be real. Do you ever make it easy for anyone? Or should I say, you might make it seem easy, but we both know the truth. Let's not kid ourselves here.

[ back to form, but different at the same time. sampo isn't getting away with nearly as many things anymore. one would think after drowning in the sea once one might be more wary, but no. doesn't it just mean he's all the more equipped to handle it a second time? ]

Someone's a little dramatic, doncha think?

[Don't go pulling off moves he would do! Sampo doesn't seem all that annoyed, only folding his arms, definitely amused. Elysium. Elysium, Elysium, Elysium. What is he going to do with you?]

[Bastard.]

I can make it easy! I mean, look at me! [He says, dramatic, offended.] You just pay ol' Sampo the right stuff, and he'll make it easy peasy for you! That's the power of a good offer. Though, not saying you need to offer anything. I'm just saying. Hehe.

[ calling him dramatic only to be dramatic in the next breath

alright, then. not that they haven't both been pot and kettle for a while. ]

Haha. Transactions are a little too clean for me, anyway. [ He leans forward, links his hands behind his back. Elysium bears his fangs without even showing teeth. ] You pay for one thing, and you get that single thing in return. Want another? You have to pay again. Not to mention, the many ways a clever guy could manipulate the variables in his favour and leave the other party wanting—not saying that you'd do something like that, of course. I'm just saying in general.

[ Greedy, greedy. As Sampo had been so inclined to chide him over so many times already, hehe. ]

It's a bit late, but you really did make a poor decision to choose me as a venture partner.

[ #debtarc

and to continue on with their trend of theatrics: this over-the-top declaration of war…… ]

That's just how the market works. If you don't like it, take it up with the system. Guys have to be clever to take advantage of it. Not that I'm a clever guy who would, as you said. I don't like taking advantage of anybody.

[He's innocent and nice and everything sugar and spice. Not a snake, not a scoundrel, not someone who would pin his heel down on an unruly bird just to show him what's what.]

[He steps forward, with a song in his voice.]

Hold on, hold on! Venture partner? Now...my friend. When did I ever agree to that, hm?

[ Sampo steps forward, and Elysium remains standing where he is, gaze watchful yet casual all at once.

Not a clever guy who'd take advantage of people, right. It wasn't too long ago that he was shutting Sampo down for similar such topics, huh? It both feels and doesn't feel like a distant memory. ]

'To our new venture!' What, you don't remember? I didn't believe you before, but maybe you are getting senile, hm?

....

[A funny look passes over his face, almost a little surprised, but he settles it down. It's not a bad look. Almost touched, in a sense.]

....Didn't think you'd remember that. [But! Anyways!] You must know, things said in such circumstances are only words. If you really want a contract, better set it down into something in the physical world. Words only go so far.

[ It's a little surprising to Elysium that Sampo thinks he wouldn't. A quiet laugh, and he's looking to the side. ]

Do you think I'm just saying it when I say I'm a man of many talents? Why do you think I'm so good at navigation, Koski? I see something, hear something, feel something just once—and I never forget it.

[ Unspoken? That, unfortunately, includes their shared dream. Setting that aside: ]

If words only go so far, I don't mind. I'm content in seeing just how far. Here you were saying I don't need to offer anything, but are you saying I should?

...Kinda sounds like a curse.

[And yes, he immediately thinks of what is unspoken, but he's in the same boat. He won't be forgetting it anytime soon, as much as he knows doing so would be best for the long run.]

[...He really hates everything about this. Could he get any more pathetic? He speaks, mimicking Elysium's voice.]

"I do make a habit of returning what I'm given. Several fold, when I'm feeling generous. It leaves the potential for a rather nice feedback loop." You said that, once. [A little twirl of the hand.] I'm a bit of the same way. I'll match what you offer. This is for you. No more, no less. And maybe I'll be generous down the line, if I'm nice? Gee. [And now he's shaking his head, rubbing at his forehead a little.] How far would you even go?

[ Sampo isn't wrong. If it weren't for his memory, perhaps he wouldn't feel so beholden to his home country, still, despite having never truly seen it as a home. Nevertheless, it doesn't change that it's brought him plenty of opportunities—he wouldn't have gotten to see that expression of Sampo's earlier were it not for it, either.

From the little things to the big things, Elysium has learned to appreciate all of them through the course of his journey. ]

You ask some pretty funny questions sometimes, you know? [ He tips his head, eyes on the motion of Sampo's hand. As if there's something to read there—there's not. The imitation has him grinning, eyes shining with unfettered amusement. ] Whenever someone asks me how far, the only answer should be: as far as I can go. But, can you even handle something like that?

[ where "as far as I can go" translates anywhere from a walk down the street to the far side of the world. speaking of curses, it's practically one. ]

"As far as I can go". See, that's a bit of a joke.

[In that dream, that shared nightmare, Elysium decided to end it on his own terms. Is that "as far as I can go"?]

[He can't help it - he lets a little venom into it, borne from some resentment he has sought to bury but can't quite do so just yet.]

You'd best not be making promises you can't keep. Especially in business. I would hate to declare an agreement null and void. [His hands fall to his sides.] Ha. "Could I handle something like that", you say. Planning to drown me with you?

[Like that you once did?]

[ Here, Elysium's smile blooms as if he'd anticipated the conversation to go in this exact direction. Unadulterated laughter bubbles up from the back of his throat, practically a giggle.

He can't help it, either—practically overlaying the same Sampo who'd called him a bastard to his face with the Sampo now, eyes closing in the memory of it. ]

You make me sound so nefarious, my friend. I told you, didn't I? That I'm content to see how far our words can go. Nothing more, nothing less. No one said anything about anyone drowning with anyone, that's all you.

[ It's worse, isn't it? Not knowing what the stakes are until it's the precise time to reap the rewards or until it's too late, where suddenly, you've lost everything. That's the fun in it, the unexpected. He'd never planned to take it this far, nor can he attribute which feeling exactly the desire to see this through stems from, only that he brims with curosity, and that it's a little as if he's come alive anew.

There's a beat as he reopens his eyes to take another step closer, gaze sharp. A second, and they may as well be touching. ]

So what does that say about you? You made it sound as if I was the one who'd wanted a contract, but isn't that you projecting? Terms and conditions, guarantees, collateral… just what kind of binding agreement might you be looking for?

[He is a bastard. He has told Elysium that he likes his laugh. The laugh he hears now is grating, nails om a chalkboard, and he can't even fully understand why.]

[This man.....really does piss him off.]

[When did it change? He would've been so eager to go with the flow like before, fellow actors riffing off each other with winking and elbow nudges. Now, he just feels a little exhausted, a dog with a chain being yanked. In that memory, with Elysium pressing against him on the table, with that asinine grin...]

[What kind of binding agreement is he looking for?]

[He tilts his head, eyes meeting the other's, bright but steely.]

I'm hardly projecting. I'm simply a businessman, Mister Elysium. I provide what the customer wants, and the customer is king. What do I have to do with it? But as far as it goes...I do like a good solid guarantee of sorts. Consequences to keep an agreement riiiight where its supposed to be.

Edited 2024-06-22 10:44 (UTC)

[ Oh, now it looks like Sampo wants to punch him again. He stills his laughter, and this close, all he has to do is raise his hand to brush his knuckles gently against Sampo's features, as though he could smooth all the lines away from his face that way.

Eventually, he settles for cupping Sampo's cheek with his palm. He can call it a bit of revenge for the earlier kiss, using the exact hand Sampo had planted them on. If Sampo remembers the time he held Elysium's face in his hand, appraising him as if he were merchandise he was contemplating the value of—it's a little reflective of that, Elysium's gaze as assessing. ]

And I keep telling you, I don't do a lick of work in business. [ ⚠️ ] So, tell me. Since you're so experienced. What is it that you have in mind? As solid guarantees and consequences that'd have you fulfilled?

[He opens his mouth, ready to prattle on, deliver an answer, but

that hand grasps at his face and it makes him still. It's a soft gesture. He feels a little like he's under a microscope.]

Get into business. It'd be good for you. [A snappy remark that falls flat, he knows. He's distracted.] And as far as things go...

[How does one put in consequences for.....this? Hm. Wait. He has an idea.]

....Mm. A question, actually. What's the most valuable thing you own? And! It doesn't have to be valuable in a market sorta way. Valuable to you.

[ … … … … … …

What does Elysium find valuable? That's a good question, with equally enlightening answers in parts: in how it takes him a beat longer than usual to respond, in how he goes about it, and in the answer itself. He doesn't doubt that Sampo catches onto the fact either, releasing him from his grip to take a step back, spinning on his heel and pacing as if he were just asked a deep, thought-provoking question necessitating it.

(Isn't he technically getting into business, now? He's not so sure about this being good for him, but it's certainly fun.) ]

Oh, man. If we were back on Terra, it would've easily been the autograph of Aya's my good friend got me. Heheh, she's the vocalist of my favourite band. But since we gotta keep it to things here… I guess it'd be my flag.

[ Which, conveniently, he has leaning on the side. He tugs it from its perch, and with a practiced movement and flick of his wrist, he spins it in a full loop to expand its banner full mast. ]

It's made of some pretty complex engineering and valuable parts, so I imagine that the sum of it would fetch a nice penny even if no one else would be able to use it. And, I'd be in real trouble if you took it away from me. [ He winks, tone kept light. ] That's kinda what you want though, right?

[ yappin: all a guise to say, uh, he really doesn't value much. ]

[Elysium sure is an interesting man.]

[Then again...this makes perfect sense, doesn't it? A man actively dying wouldn't hold onto many material things at the end. The way Elysium spins on his foot is amusing, but he's now caught by the appearance of something he hasn't seen for a while...since their dream, he supposes.]

[He looks the flag up and down with an interested air, before holding out a hand.]

....May I? Sampo knows his way around a gadget or two.

[ He shrugs, nonchalant, tipping it towards Sampo as a gesture for him to take it. The flag itself has a fair bit of heft to it, being well over six feet tall. ]

Haha, do you now? More specifically, it's called an Originium device.

[ There's no point in purposefully withholding information anymore, and if Sampo wants it as part of Elysium's Synflux will so badly, he can have a fact or two along with it. ]

I know I told you all that stuff about flags, but the truth is, it's more that I rely on it to use my abilities. It's not that I can't use them without, but… you know how that goes, too. Rather not!

[He does take it - not entirely surprised by the wait, hefting it in one hand, then another. A closer look, hemming and hawing over the details and what he can see.]

[His eyes flit upwards to catch Elysium's. Originum. Now he knows. He sees crystals embedded in skin, the potential to explode.]

...I suppose it serves as...something like a booster for transmission? Like an antenna, perhaps. Its a fine piece of work. Reminds me a bit of the scythe I gave to Miss Seele at home, hehe.

[ He doesn't avoid Sampo's gaze; he even tilts his head forward by way of an acknowledgement with a little of a knowing smile, wriggling his fingers as a greeting back. Hi. Perfectly healthy as can be, see? ]

That's one of the things it can do. But, it is a bit more general than that. Think of it as a power source, though I'd advise against trying to harness it unless you want to bring yourself more trouble than it's worth.

[ Now that's something Sampo didn't get to experience all that much in their dream world, huh? The infinite potential of Originium. He can't help but think that it's a good thing. ]

… I take it that you deal in arms. That aside, what do you think? Will it do as a guarantee for whatever it is that your clever mind has decided to draft up?

[ He's mildly curious: what would Sampo do with it? Sell it? Keep it as a memento? The last has him nearly laughing, no way. And could you even draft up an agreement for something as mercurial as what they were talking about? What an interesting guy. ]

I've dabbled in them. Mostly, I'm one who deals in relics of all kinds.

[His voice is light, almost bordering on a laugh at that little waggle of fingers, but his mind is really racing here.]

[You can make a contract with expected results. But he realizes he doesn't even have a definite idea of what those results would be, here. What is doing? Are they providing each other a service? Is that really it?]

[It feels like new territory. A Trailblazer would best suited for this. Not someone who sits in the shadows.]

[He sighs, before he leans the flag back for Elysium.]

...I'm not heartless. I won't take this whole thing from you. But...here. [And a little gesture.] Tear a large piece from the cloth. Give it to me as payment. It's something of yours, right?

Aren't you generous? [ From requesting someone's greatest asset to accepting something nearly inconsequential instead, that's a huge leap. And, he's guessing Sampo's thinking about it too, from the way his sentences drift off in what sounds like uncertainty. ] But that gives me a better idea. Let's throw in an additional service, just for you.

[ Like a light bulb that's gone off, his face brightens. Evidently, he doesn't intend to illuminate Sampo on what it is exactly, moving to take his flag back before he detaches the piece of cloth entirely. This is where he scoots back over to Sampo to drop down to a crouch—don't mind as he yoinks your weapon bro, because the result will be that same banner crisscrossing along its handle like some intricate braid, its end tied into a neat bow that flutters in the breeze.

By the end of it, he'll tug on both ends as if to test whether or not it'll come undone. One of the benefits to being an expert survivalist: he's good with knots. :) ]

Cute, isn't it? [ He holds it back up from below, another laugh as he rests his own cheek in his palm. His red's a little brighter than Sampo's red, but who's going to notice, really? ] It'll match your usual outfit.

[ It's not as if he expects Sampo to keep it on or anything, but man looks like he needs the levity. ]

Edited (i keep forgetting about lolita,) 2024-06-22 16:54 (UTC)

[Elysium bends down - before Sampo can react, he's already yanked him forward, grabbed one of his daggers. A few deft movements later, and its well and decorated, with a fluttering flag - or ribbon, in this case. This one won't be here to herald anything for anyone else. It's a private exchange.]

[Intimate, really.]

[Sampo's red on his face is more visible now, glancing between the weapon and this smug little bird with a mildly consternated expression. A very you piece of shit expression.]

[His voice is a little quiet.]

I would've...worn it tied around an arm. But fine.

[SURE. WHY NOT. Please ignore that is also another location that's more than meaningful just. Ignore it.]

Edited 2024-06-22 17:56 (UTC)

[ As if things weren't bad enough, there's a long,

long,

long,

drawn out pause that hangs off of Sampo's last words, as the moment sinks in, before Elysium takes his fingers to frame one eye like he's placing it through the lens of a makeshift camera. Give him an inch, and Elysium takes a mile, eyes lighting up with use of his ocular. If it isn't obvious enough, he's taking a picture. Awful. ]

Aaaand that'll do it for my guarantee. [ SMUG!!! ] Nice doing work with you, Koski.

[ He says, like… they're done? Without even discussing the contract itself? Sampo is free to protest as he wills, but Elysium makes no further mention of it himself, hands pushing off from his knees to come to a stand. He has a feeling Sampo wouldn't want that one getting out——right? ]

Also? That sounds like it would've been way more inconvenient for you. [ assuming he. ties it every morning. (?????) ] Mm. I'm thiiiiiiinking… my next banner should be blue.

→ don't worry about it, mid-june.

really don't worry about it

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