(Untitled)

[notsoyoung]

[OOM: Five Days Away and A Favour]

David enters the bar through the front door, and brushes a little snow from his shoulders.

He looks around and thinks: it's just the same.

He takes a backpack from his back and sets it down in a booth, looking for friends or lovers.

Comments

[spectral_skin]

Angelo walks in from the staff quarters and pauses for a second on seeing David, then continues towards the bar.

[notsoyoung]

David, not being one to shy away from confrontation with the one single person he's really here to see, follows him.

"Sorry."

The word he meant was, "Hi," but apparently his brain felt "sorry" was more appropriate.

[spectral_skin]

Angelo glances round at him and may slow down slightly, but doesn't stop.

"Okay."

[notsoyoung]

He catches Angelo's hand gently.

"Don't be like that, please."

[spectral_skin]

Angelo freezes momentarily, but doesn't pull away. He stops and turns to David.

"Okay."

[notsoyoung]

"Angelo, I... it's..." he sigh. "Fuck, it wasn't meant to happen like that. Wasn't meant to happen at all. I'm sorry you got caught in the middle of it all, I'm sorry you got hurt."

[spectral_skin]

Angelo nods tensely. "Got that part. It's okay."

[notsoyoung]

He shakes his head sadly. "It's really not. I fucked. Again.."

He sighs and looks away. "You don't need to forgive me. I don't ask it of you because I don't deserve it."

He slides his hand from Angelo's carefully.

"I brought you some things, for LaCroix, like you asked. I'm sorry it's taken so long to get them."

He goes to the backpack and picks it up, bringing it back to Angelo. "You can take what you need; it's not ours. Or, well, it was Marius and Armand's. But the Talamasca had it and Armand got it back and I'm babbling, so I'm going to shut up now."

[spectral_skin]

Angelo takes the backpack, surprised by the weight. His face softens slightly.

"Thanks. What's in here?"

[notsoyoung]

"Armand says he picked up a load of things. Tea sets he didn't know had survived them burning down Marius' home. A hip-sword that's older than Armand. You know. Pretty, Roman, practical, useful things."

He'd smile, but his face doesn't feel like it could handle it right now.

[spectral_skin]

Angelo nods.

"Just what Nick said Lacroix would want." He lifts the bag and starts emptying it, carefully setting the things out on the bar.

[notsoyoung]

And there it is - a solid silver serving set, a very old hip-sword, not jewelled or extravagant in any sense except that it was still perfectly sharp and beautiful, a ink-and-quill set, a plain goblet that look positively ancient, nevermind antique, and a set of wrought-iron handcuffs.

David doesn't even blush.

"So, take your pick."

[spectral_skin]

Angelo pokes at the handcuffs. "I didn't think they had those in Roman times..." He leaves them alone, though, moving on to the ink and quill set. "I think this, maybe."

[notsoyoung]

He smiles. "They had sex toys in ancient times, why not handcuffs?"

He looks at the ink-and-quill set.

"Armand said something about that being what Marius used to write his journals with. I don't know if he's just being impertinent, but if he's being truthful, it's about 500 years old."

[spectral_skin]

Angelo nods. "Sounds like the kind of thing Nick was talking about. Old, but useful."

[notsoyoung]

"I'm sure it will be," he says, fingering the peacock-feather. "Marius asked that he take care of whatever he chooses. He hadn't even known it had survived. But he says he has no use of them anymore. He prefers Bic over quill."