synflux | ( closed ) life like the unplumbed sea;

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.

I don't make enemies. Maybe that's why?

[ At the end of the day… he just wasn't someone who was capable of holding grudges—an enemy today could be an ally tomorrow, or in their case, heated arguments made minutes ago were really thinly veiled guises that spoke of their own investment. ]

… Hehe. Thanks for the compliment. But, say. Just how long are you planning to hold onto your old friend for?

[ The constant adjustment of Sampo's grip makes it harder to ignore that it's actually there… Hand settling somewhere in the mess of Sampo's hair, idly, he starts twirling blue strands between his fingers to divert some of that energy elsewhere. ]

If you were going to miss me this much, you should've never avoided me in the first place. [ Rambling, as if to soften the blow of: ] Nothing's quite ever inane when you're around.

[ as if that's even an answer… ]

Everyone makes enemies.

[Some more than others. But he won't push it. Maybe Elysium is truthful in that. Maybe some see him as an obstacle, while he only keeps looking forward past everyone, unwilling to step too close to show his vulnerabilities. A bird who wants to fly high.]

[The question, along with the fingers through his hair (its soft, its nice, he doesn't mind it) makes him smirk. Something still feels like its burning in his chest, but it has lost some of its bite.]

I dunno. Do you mind it? Maybe I should just let go, if it bothers you sooooo much.

[A laugh into his shoulder.]

I didn't miss you one bit. And really? It's not? That's a surprise. Most people would say the opposite. Unpredictable could be my middle name.

[ He really does mind, actually… Considering everything leading up to this, the moment is too tender, bordering on something sincere. But, there are more methods of undercutting it than just shoving him away, so to that effort, Elysium wraps a firm arm around Sampo's shoulder to pull him deeper into himself. In turn, he nestles into the other side of Sampo's hair, cheeks warm.

ugh. ]

No way. Not being able to see my handsome face is a real loss. You wouldn't have come to find me otherwise if you didn't; we've already established that the map was an excuse.

[ His face, yeah, which Sampo conveniently can't see at the moment. ]

What if I told you? That I missed you a little? [ Instead of a fist, it's Elysium's head knocking into his lightly. ] Things haven't been nearly as exciting, bro. You can't just lump me in with most people either.

[Ugh, indeed.]

You're not that handsome.

[He murmurs, both too comfortable and uncomfortable with the way he's pulled into the man - its almost suffocating. He has that natural instinct to dislodge himself entirely before he finds his chest too tight to handle.]

[Its too bad that the other's words are doing just that, and he shifts in place, his own hand now becoming a fist over the small of the other's back.]

[Bastard.]

...Did you really? Or are you just saying that?

Getting all embarrassed now? Hehe. Not much you can do about an objective fact, my friend. At least, being second to me is quite the compliment in itself, don't you think?

[ The hand in Sampo's hair offers him a few consolatory pats. pat pat. all topped off with a gentle caress… totally normal homie behaviour.

also, why are they doing this if they're both deeply uncomfortable? Sampo can only blame himself for this, wtf. unfortunate for Elysium, his heartbeat is most likely made even more perceptible by their proximity—but let's not talk about it.

Elysium would've liked it if he didn't have to expound on just that, too, yet here they are! Sampo was supposed to riff off of it! His shame has reunited with him for the worst moment it possibly could have. Still, he kind of feels obligated to pull more of his unrepentant bs until

until they get out of whatever the hell this atmosphere is. ]

Someone like me can't make it too easy for someone. [ ✨… ] But, maybe I would've caved sooner than you'd think.

[ UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

it might not be possible for them to get any closer, per se, but he is leaning more of his weight in, in hopes that maybe, just maybe, it becomes possible to bury himself in another person. ]

Tell yourself that, my fine feathered friend.

[He always has himself to blame for everything. He sought him out, he reengaged him. So many opportunities to leave and dust off his hands and go. Just go. He's left a million times before, he'll leave for another million times.]

[In a way, it feels like he's in the audience, yelling at the protagonist of the movie to get a move on, already!. Elysium's words are chipper and not...meant for him. This whole thing isn't meant for him. They're pantomiming something nice and normal, something meant for lovers in some fairy tale. Which they're not. A Fool and a dying bird. There's no story that should be about that.]

[He lets out a little grunt of a sigh, more exasperated than anything. Elysium sinks in deeper.]

[Sampo, out of sheer and honest spite, kisses him. Once on the shoulder, once on the neck, a string up to his jawline to nibble slightly over the line there.]

Have you caved, my dear Elysium?

[ The marked change in mood comes as a godsend as expected, with an unanticipated side effect in a lingering tension that remains in his chest. It needles at him, but he swallows it down, successfully managing to bury it in the physical sensation of the trail of kisses left on his profile.

Out of the many other reactions he's restrained himself from exhibiting thus far, this is one that Elysium allows himself to express without inhibitions: this one is easily explainable as visceral, nothing quite as earnest being its driving force. He shudders under it with a contented sigh that verges on being a hum—physical attraction, chemistry. They're far simpler to think about and maybe

they'll be able to convince themselves that this is what their intensity is ultimately meant to lead to, nothing more, nothing less——as it appeared to be leading up to, before things had taken such a dive. Elysium presses a kiss against Sampo's temple, as the hand that had been in his hair slides down to his hip, threatening to go lower. ]

You sure you want to see it? I'll be even more annoying and persistent than I usually am.

[ Really, the opposite couldn't be more true. What definition of 'cave' Sampo's using most likely matches up with his own—but they (Elysium) can simply just not go with it when they're both being so purposefully vague, and that suits his purpose fine. ]

[Physical is simple.]

[Physical is easy.]

[No need for tougher things. No need to dwell on the specifics. Have your fun until the sun comes up, and then some. A game will always be a game. When would he ever engage in it for anything more than getting a high or snatching things under people's noses? In any case, Sampo knows its a distraction, and its one he plays well, even if

this feels like running too.]

[Once a coward, always a coward.]

[The hand drifts lower. He welcomes it, but it surprises him a little how much he wants to mold into it for more than just a simple rush up the spine. As if he is one of those things, melding into flesh, twisting until they can't recognize each other and

maybe this is the same thing one feels at the edge of an abyss.]

[His face falls a little.]

Of course I do. I really, really do. But....it's been a long day. [He finally says, a little dully. It doesn't feel fun in the way he wants. He places a kiss against the corner of the man's mouth, but he's obviously starting to withdraw a little, mentally.] I want a drink.

You say that, but the day isn't over. [ The evacuations are done and over with, but there's still the main event looming over at the horizon. Sampo needs to eke out that final hit, and Elysium has another promise he needs to fulfill.

It really isn't the time for this. ] … I get it though.

[ Was it a matter of a night that flipped their dynamic upside its head, or was it a lifetime? Nevermind the time and place, even Elysium finds it difficult to return to how they were. But that's where persistence came into play, and how one could fool themselves told a lie enough times. The real question of whether he wants to make that lie—that's a different story.

Sampo kisses the corner of his mouth, and his resolve shakes just a bit from the hollowness of it—clinical, distinctly missing the charged magnetism of their first encounters, and the … desperation of their last. He feels sick, so with a second attempt to force said feeling into a locked box that's miraculously more successful than his last, he puts on another smile as he re-establishes their distance, hand on Sampo's shoulder to maintain it. ]

That reminds me. I haven't forgotten about the drink I still owe you. I was going to message you about it before this whole thing happened, but I managed to pick up a few things here in Las Vegas, so it might've even worked out for the best. What say you to a celebration once we're finished up here? [ a wink. ] To us. For getting through this long day.

[ …for getting through that long nightmare. For many other things too, that makes throwing away that key so hard specifically. ]

( closed ) life like the unplumbed sea;

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