(Untitled)
Who: Herz, Keats and Oleg
When: Just before the end of the age event
where: by the railing on deck 5
Warning: vague violence
( God, he was such of a sentimental fool. )
When: Just before the end of the age event
where: by the railing on deck 5
Warning: vague violence
( God, he was such of a sentimental fool. )
Not befriending them. Even getting casually close to any of them could mean their death or pain-- either by his own hands, or by those who owned them. Possibly both. Even if he couldn't feel the link... he still didn't believe his conversation with Herz earlier. It hit a false note... it hit a true one.
He'd rather believe that this man was a liar... than that his 'older self,' was foolish enough to let down his guard, and forget how dangerous he truly was. To push it aside like it didn't matter. To live trivially. If he'd made that mistake... well...
It would be just that. Decided, he slid out of the shadows and approached the railing slowly. Audible footfalls, though. He didn't want to surprise him--yet.
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Seeing Keats is what made him relax.
The black eyes behind the reading glasses sweep over him, taking him in the best he could in what, to Herz, was very bright light. He certainly looked younger--shorter hair, shorter build.
Still...definitely his Keats.
Herz realized he hadn't said anything, only stared. "Hey."
Poetry, Hessian. God Damn Poetry.
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Foolishly didn't consider him a threat.
"Like I said before, we need to talk." Another step closer. His face was blank of his thoughts, neutral as possible. His eyes cold, focused.
"There's more you're not telling me about... that conversation we had before."
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WE'RE DATING.
WE'VE HAD SEX.
IT WAS REALLY GREAT AND HE MISSES YOU.
He's not telling you because he's currently really old and you're sixteen and that's really weiiiird.
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One more step. Now he was in range-- in fact, he could drop into rapport with him without touching him. Just not to as deep effect. If Herz struggled too hard against this, he'd have to subdue him physically first. For all he knew this guy could hold his own in a fight. He doubted it, but he wouldn't rule it out.
He reached out and grabbed both of Herz's arms--almost casually, and stared up him with unblinking eyes. "There's a lot he should've told you, if that's the kind of risk he wanted to take."
Despite the touch, he was holding off using his power. Just for a moment longer... to see how Herz reacted, or if he revealed something at the least threat like this. It might not be necessary.
On some level he still thought it was, no matter if Herz said anything, or not.
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Really, he tried to not think about the whys...but Keats was right. He was, right now. The touch wasn't helping.
Not that Herz pulled away...
"Most people don't, uh, don't tall a--about their pasts here. It's just common courtesy. I haven't asked; he doesn--didn't like to, uh, to talk about it."
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Though, interestingly enough, this other man didn't even try to pull out of his grasp. What did that mean?
"You keep bringing up the past. I never said it was about that."
He gripped Herz's arms harder, hard enough to hurt him a little, and then reached out with his power. It was so simple and he hated it every time. Even if it felt natural, that power. It belonged to him more than he belonged to himself.
His eyes narrowed a moment-- it took greater concentration than usual-- and then he was in. It would only feel like a ghostly kind of discomfort, touch without touch--until he started in on him. Which he didn't right away.
"There's a couple things he should've told you. Your 'friend,' is dangerous. Too dangerous to risk something like a friend."
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"He's always been kind to me, but there's also--there's also plenty of people here who are dangerous. They live relatively normal lives."
Jak. A friend, and a currently a conflict. Herz wasn't sure anymore what he should think of him, but he was compassionate. A bleeding heart. He'd let Jak's faults slide. He'd let any of Keats' slide, too.
Kage. A pang of hurt, because he'd been so blatantly dangerous, and Herz had danced with him anyways. Because it was good. He'd been so stupid. The danger had come around to bite him in the ass.
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Keats had to focus pretty hard to pick up the fleeting emotions. A kind of wanting and then conflict... and pain. Distant and maybe not linked together? By long practice, he had a guard up against putting his own emotions through the link-- unless it was something he wanted to inflict. His brow furrowed with effort. He was getting the hang of this though. Enough to start off for real.
"So why don't you just tell me what you wouldn't before." His grip tightened even more, and he sent a blast of unfocused pain through the link. He could've shaped it, made it seem more natural... and worse by routing it through specific parts of his body. He just decided not to for now.
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"Wha--did--did you do that?" he stammered, black eyes wide.
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Beneath the cold facade, he was hating this. He always hated this. It had nothing to do with the supposed friendship... at least, he could convince himself it didn't. He met those widened eyes with his own utterly unmoved ones. A lie in itself.
"So...going to tell me something, or not?" He was already gathering himself to send more pain--his eyes went vague with concentration.
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He hadn't known Keats could do this; the surprise was there, as was the hurt. The betrayal. Herz knew his lover wasn't in his right mind; was probably acting on fear and confusion the only way he knew how at this age, with this power of his.
He was frightened of what would happen if Keats didn't listen to him...but he tried anyways. He wanted so badly for talking to work.
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He wanted to run away--but no, of course, he couldn't. The next thoughts, 'I never can', came, but for once, Herz pushed them away. He was older, wiser. Before he would've crumbled into a panic with no idea how to drag himself out. Now...
"Please," he pleaded, "stop. Let--ll-let me go. I'll tell you."
He was an idiot, expecting Keats to listen. Expecting him to do the right thing and stop resorting to violence.
Old fool really believed he could convince him.
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