synflux | ( closed ) life like the unplumbed sea;

[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.

[oh he did NOT take a picture]

[Sorry, in other circumstances he would be playful about being caught on camera, but here, already with his mask a little awry, he reacts with annoyance, jabbing an index finger into Elysium's chest.]

H- Hey! No pictures! That will be 200 kryptos for that one, pal!

[huff PUFF PUFF. BINCH]

[Now he's letting out an aggravated little noise.]

Sure. Make it blue. Ya didn't even make it clear what you really want out of this thing. Though... [Now he's all smiles and sparkles instead.] I could just stay out of your grasp at all times. You didn't make it clear otherwise. I'm sure you can survive without my handsome face in your life.

[ yeah jab that chest, sampo. it's sooooo effective. so effective, he gets a nice copy of it himself as a souvenir for their first kaiju fight, delivered to him right in front of his face.

the optics are probably even worse given the outfit, buuuuuut that's not elysium's problem. ]

That's because I don't want anything. [ matter-of-factly. ] I only went along with it since you were so insistent.

[ Does this mean he would've given Sampo his flag for absolutely no reason? Yes. Did he ever think for a second Sampo would actually take it? lol. lmao, even. ]

Not to say I'd renege on our promise. What did you want out of it? Surely not just a piece of cloth. [ Is he not the best/worst customer Sampo has ever had? He's asking to be scammed, hello? Two can play at smiling and sparkling. ]

That is to say, if that happens to be what you want to do, [ steer clear of him—his gaze momentarily turns sharp in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it, ] you're free to. I don't think I've ever asked anything of you, have I?

[ aside from maybe one inconsequential thing. but, he'd never asked sampo to drown with him. now, what sampo chooses offer on his own volition——that's a different story. ]

Edited (the phone tagging struggle) 2024-06-22 20:41 (UTC)

[The picture pops up, and he makes a face, waving it out of his vision. Thanks, bro. Really needed that.]

I don't believe that for one second, buddy. Everyone wants something. You aren't some person coasting on whim. No smart guy would enter this kind of agreement just because. What if I take everything from you?

[He grabs the man by the collar to pull forward, smiling, but its not reaching his eyes.]

Tit for tat, birdie. Go ahead. Ask of me what you want.

[ Sampo pulls him in by the collar, and his gaze is like a knife, its serrated edge threatening to cut. Yet, when has intimidation ever worked on Elysium? His pupils dilate and his heart rate quickens—wearing a self-satisfied smile, he simply blinks back, remaining calm and unruffled by comparison. ]

Can you? Would you? [ somewhat breathless, somewhat strained from the sudden pressure to his throat. he manages a quiet scoff anyway, the sound disbelieving. ] I'd really like to see you try. But I'm thinking… you have a little too much to lose for that. Am I wrong?

[ He takes his hand and coils it around the one to his collar—he thinks back to the open field where he'd seen this same expression, then, to the beach and his despondency.

Smart as he is, even Elysium wouldn't claim that he makes the wisest decisions. Exhibit A being: how he intentionally provokes Sampo by boldly intruding on his territory. So what if he were someone coasting by on whim? Someone wanting to get into a one-sided agreement simply because he was fascinated by the other person enough to? Life's a little too short to determine actions based on losses, and that went before and after his affliction, oops. ]

Not everything in the world can be obtained just by asking. Naturally, that includes what I want. That shouldn't be so hard for you to understand, unless you're just that accustomed to having everything handed to you in a single transaction or ten.

And what would I have to lose, wise guy?

[What does he have to lose? He's fleeced people for tons of their cash before without the slightest hint of regret. Maybe Elysium isn't some fat cat in terms of wealth, but people are made up of a lot more than that. That hand cups his, and he sneers - there's something about that expression he sees that reminds him of that man on the beach, resigned to it all.]

["Naturally, that includes what I want". He clicks his tongue, displeased.]

Maybe I am used to it! What's wrong with that, hm? [Nothing. Nothing at all. (Everything.) His grip grows tighter. Elysium is excited, so is he with racing heart, pissed as anything, trying not to be such. He's (supposed to be) a happy guy. Elation is paramount.] And is it wrong to be on the same page...partner? Else, I might get mixed signals. I might think you like me, or something.

You tell me. Just because I can sense how you're acting, it doesn't mean I'm suddenly a mind reader.

[ Still, it's clear he thinks he has a good guess. Sampo's grip tightens; Elysium drops his with an amused exhale. ]

… Would you look at that, you've answered your own question. You'll throw around accusations of obsession and emotional investment without hesitation, but the idea that someone might genuinely like you—that's what gets you all worked up?

[ Word for word, beat for beat, words a near perfect echo of Sampo's own: ] 'Is misunderstanding really that bad?' Guess it is, according to you.

That's not-

[He starts, stops, feels stupider for it. He drops his grip, finally.]

[He technically started all of this. What a strange set of events. He's used to slipping on his own banana peel for the laughter of the audience, its true. Making a mistake and walking into it should be easy enough. He sought out Elysium, one thing led to another, and now he's here. He's slipped on the banana peel. Only Elysium is laughing.]

[He casts his gaze to the side for a moment, thoughts racing behind his eyes - before he closes the metaphorical book, smiles, and moves to put it away.]

You don't know anything about how I feel about you at all. So I won't waste your time or mine. Like you said. Is misunderstanding all that bad? Hehe.

[And he's moving to try to move past the man, shoving his shoulder into him as he does so.]

[ Elysium recognises a tactical retreat when he sees one. He especially knows how to recognise a shitty one, evident in the way Sampo brushes their shoulders and insists, however subconsciously, on having the last word. It's a provocation in of itself, the challenge having lingered in the air for a while now—how far were they going to acknowledge that nightmare? Elysium wasn't planning to, at all; Sampo had planned to, at least to a certain extent until he'd had his fun and flounced.

He has half a mind to let this man go, but his eyes catch onto bright red, softly billowing from Sampo's movements. No longer meant to herald or beckon anything, Sampo had thought. Alas, he was onto something when he'd accused Elysium of not being nearly as philanthropic as he'd presented. however figuratively. Just because Elysium had said he didn't want anything—it didn't mean he wasn't going to take it.

His interest had started with red. It isn't hard to imagine that they'll end one day in red, too. He'd thought he'd lost his mind at the end of the world—but, it's clear to him now that he'd lost it much earlier. How early? Sampo had been wrong to serve him that absinthe, go figure. ]

What do you mean, 'like I said'? That was entirely you. Given what I've told you, you should know better than to try and rewrite history.

[ He matches Sampo's smile, catches Sampo's arm. It's a casual gesture at first, unless he tries to shake it off, in which case Elysium isn't letting him go so easily. ]

What was it that you called me? A bastard? I suppose you couldn't be more right. [ A harsh tug that places them face-to-face. ] I was content in letting things go, but when I said that there were better ways of getting my attention, [ he leans forward, a kiss that's more bite than lip to his mouth. his voice is still breathy, aftereffects from his collar against his throat. ] I meant it.

[ Then, he shoves Sampo away roughly. Go ahead, walk. ]

Don't regret it now.

[ Two concepts, considered to be diametrically opposed, argued to be much closer than that, separated by a thin line. Sampo's a living example of it, Elysium thinks, and it's thrilling—just how far does it go? ]

[A snake picked up out of the blue is liable to bite as self-defense mechanism. Sampo, grabbed as he is, has half a mind to do so, but Elysium gets their first. He gasps into the kiss, tensing, before the other man releases him. His own breath is quick now - stuck between something like agitation and anger and a heat-laden shock moving down his spine.]

[The ribbon buffets from a breeze against his hip, crimson like a wound. Elysium has done so, hasn't he? Sliced him open, expecting him to do something about it. In the man's eyes, he seeks for that unnatural god that had been cooing in his (was it his? Aha's) ear. He isn't sure if he finds them. Maybe Aha hasn't let go of him either. Like that nightmare has bled through, oil staining them with rainbow colors that feel sticky and callous.]

[Oh, he regrets a lot of things. Is this another to add to the list? He thinks for a moment. And he turns - and then twirls back on a heel like a dancer, one hand tugging the man in to place a hiss of a kiss against his jawline, over beating artery.]

[His voice vibrates against the man's skin.]

I'll have the last laugh, friend. Count on that.

[And another hum, lingering for another second, both entertainment and a threat.]

I can't stand you, you know that?

Edited 2024-06-23 16:07 (UTC)

[ Sampo turns, and Elysium feels something akin to disappointment. That would've easily been the end to their story as they knew it, but Sampo pivots the moment Elysium considers taking his leave, rising to his taunt with a tug and metaphorical fangs at his throat.

A lofty scoff, a narrowing of his eyes. The action reeks, a bit, of desperation: to messily suture up his carefully crafted mask, to regain loss control, and to have that last laugh. Elysium won't be giving him the satisfaction of any other reaction. ]

Considering you've tried to high tail it and run multiple times already, I find that rather hard to believe. Just how are you going to go about that? All you've shown me is that you're a coward.

[ Hiding behind contracts and guarantees, the atmospheric shift the moment Elysium expressed disinterest in adding any more of his own clauses. A man who's used to dancing to his tune and his tune only, slipping away the moment things become freeform. But, Elysium would like to think he's gotten glimpses of it, however slight. He'll drag it out from him here and now, or never again. ]

So you've said, so you've said. Yet, you've had so many opportunities to do something about it, Koski.

[He is a coward. In the end of the day, cowards live to survive another day. Cowards are fun. Cowards don't need to deal with any real responsibility. Throw the smoke bomb, disappear, rinse, repeat.]

[A life of underhanded tactics, all to get advantages he never would have by simply being sincere. Its always been this way.]

[Elysium, this asshole, has made him wonder what it would be like to be out on the stage properly. He told Sparkle that he had to take the stage for Belobog, in service for something greater. Here, Elysium is a man. When has he ever put himself directly on the line for someone like him.]

[He presses his face into the crook of the other's neck, to hide his face, to obtain some warmth he can't help but crave.]

I always have tricks up my sleeve. I'm a Fool, through and through.

[A sigh, even as his hand drapes over the other's waist. The grasp lets him rock them both a little, here in place.]

[Why can't he simply pen the end to this tale and leave it be?]

...You don't really know who you're dealing with. You hardly want me getting serious.

[ Elysium expects a number of outcomes here, all ranging from explosive to straight up resignation. What he doesn't expect is this: a display of vulnerability in what can only be called an embrace. Sampo's hair tickles his neckline. Taking a sharp breath, his shoulders stiffen to suppress an instinctive shudder.

There's a cold sensation that creeps down his spine with every second that elapses, accentuated by every additional gesture Sampo adds—the hand at his waist, the gentle rocking. It advances until he reaches an inevitable conclusion:

it's a little something like

guilt. ]

… Haha. Think about who you're saying that to for a sec.

[ Elysium, who can only think of two items of value for a guarantee; Elysium, who's just waiting for that one day he manages to reach the Elysian Fields. There's a beat where he isn't quite sure what to do with his hands—and he certainly doesn't know when he'd stopped breathing, but when he remembers to— he knocks his fist into Sampo's head gently. ]

But you're getting into some pretty deep stuff, aren't you? You know it's not like that. I just didn't want to lose a friend to something so inane. They don't call me persistent for no reason.

If this is how you treat friends, I'd be real worried about how you treat your enemies.

[But no, he knows that he's, well, special even to Elysium. After all, who else would understands the depths of each other that they bared in that nightmare? The fist knocks into his head, and he manages to shift a little, giving the man a little disgruntled sideye from between his bangs.]

...Do you really think its inane? [Any of this. All of it. The grip around Elysium's waist loosens, tightens.] Yeah, you're persistent. It's one of the worst things about you.

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