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last online Jan 2, 2024 8:02:44 GMT
The Aegis
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Jul 25, 2020 20:28:50 GMT
Post by Abraham Bishop on Jul 25, 2020 20:28:50 GMT
Things were awkward at best, downright uncomfortable at worst. He'd had a nice discussion with Liling - he may have yelled, he may have tried really hard not to cry and yes, he may have been drunk - and their friendship seemed intact. He was certain she'd apologized both for the sake of apologizing and because she knew how this whole thing was making him feel. She'd known Dimitri was engaged but they both knew it wasn't her place to say to who. She'd also been aware that Abraham hadn't wanted to hear a thing about Dimitri during the past years.
Now it seemed that was coming to bite him in the ass.
He needed to work with Dimitri; he needed to get along well enough so the other man could do his job and then leave - and yes, he was trying very hard to ignore how much the thought of Dimitri leaving again felt akin to dying. But being around Dimitri hurt too.
Abraham really wished he didn't have to be a productive adult.
They'd arranged for Dimitri to stay at a room in the headquarters, allowing him to have access to the building and assess whatever he needed whenever he needed. Liling had apparently also offered up her place in case he ever wanted a change of scenery.
Abraham would have been more than happy to leave all of thise to Liling to handle. She was a Pillar just like him and capable of handling it and got along with Dimitri far better than he did - that and a new security system had been both of their idea and Dimitri's assessment helped with that. But Liling - God damn it, Liling - had been sent overseas to help one of the team's there protect a village from a volcano due to erupt any minute.
It was so selfless he couldn't have been mad at her.
He knocked on the door to Dimitri's room, knowing he needed to see what progress the other man had made. He had more personal questions as well but he'd decided the answers would hurt more than wondering.
But there was no answer. He frowned. Because he was meticulous and wanted to be very aware of where Dimitri was - it made avoiding him easy - he knew he wasn't anywhere else in the headquarters. Shit.
- - - - -
Finding Dimitri had admittedly been harder than he remembered it. He thought that meant either the other man had gotten better or he, himself, was rusty - possibly both. It took checking messages they've gotten from Italy - that's where Liling had mentioned Dimitri had most likely been - about a criminal ring that they suspected had connections in Astaria. Dimitri's codename had been mentioned once in the report and that was all he needed.
Neither Abel or Zane had appreciated being suddenly assigned to find any and all leads on these criminals. He'd caught them grumbling and wondering what had put him in an even worse mood than before. A couple of well placed glares and they'd hurried off to work quietly and without complaint.
Once they'd gotten a lead, he'd dawned his costume, pointedly told them to stay put - God, he felt like such a dad - and was off.
He phased through the roof of the abandoned building, coming to stand in a darkened corner. His eyes searched for any signs of Dimitri and then realized just how hard those would be to find. He settled instead for searching for the criminals, certain they'd be more likely to mess up or make noise and thus much easier to find. | ... the joy and the chaos, the demons we're made of. i'd be so lost if you left me alone ... the phantom @dimitri costume594 words Lemme know if you need more. ❤ |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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played by Aaron
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last online May 17, 2024 10:01:47 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2020 0:09:33 GMT
The room he'd been given at Aegis HQ had gorgeous, panoramic views of Astaria's skyline. Standing there, arms crossed over his torso, Dimitri watched the sun fade, the colors of the quickly-shifting sunset make the city look like an animal rolling in its sleep. Stars started to peek through the edges of the city's smog and an internal clock kept ticking in the man's chest.
It had to be tonight. Dimitri wished that wasn't the case. So soon to his arrival, if he was caught moonlighting, the flimsy veneer of trust building around him would be wiped clean away. Not that Dimitri would get caught. There was no one in Aegis HQ who would even begin to suspect he might not be quietly tucked in his quarters for the night.
Well... There was one person but... Dimitri paused and looked down at his left hand, gripping his right bicep. At the ring wound around the third finger there. Dimitri didn't think that one person was likely to seek him out needlessly.
The moon had just begun to rise when Dimitri judged the time was right. He turned his back on the window/walls of his bedroom and moved to one of the several cases he'd brought with him to the US. Opening it, Dimitri pulled out a folded catsuit. It was time to get to work...
- - - - -
This is a much more advanced setup than he expected, Foxglove thought to himself absently. He walked into what had become the portable command deck for the lair that this branch of criminals had established in Astaria. One man and one woman manned the consoles and interfaces. Screens haphazardly stacked along one wall showed a live feed of the security camera network.
He hadn't been seen - because of course he hadn't. He was just about to neatly introduce himself to the nearest hostile when... Dimitri tilted his head. Movement on one of the cameras caught his eye. He leaned forward, recognizing that white-and-black-clad figure easier than he would his own reflection. Amusement danced in him, alongside dry resignation: of course, he thought with a silent exhale through his nose.
Foxglove wasn't the only one to notice the Phantom, either.
For a split-second he debated striking then. It would've been easy, dispatching the two in that room before they could sound the alarm. However... Abraham always did make a good distraction. Dimitri stepped back into the shadows - alerts were given, orders hissed over comm. links, forces were being scrambled, and Foxglove paused for a moment.
Finally, he sighed. The two in that room with him froze and started to leap into action. They were both dealt with in a whirlwind of deft blows from Dimitri, unconscious bodies hitting the floor in seconds. Reaching up, he patched into the Phantom's communications line. "You're about to have company," his dry, silky voice whispered in Abraham's ear.
Then Foxglove got to work, himself. Just in a much less blunt way. | ... And now your song is on repeat and I'm dancin' on to your heartbeat. and when you're gone, I feel incomplete ... foxglove |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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last online Jan 2, 2024 8:02:44 GMT
The Aegis
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Post by Abraham Bishop on Jul 26, 2020 1:57:27 GMT
Out of the many things he didn't need right now, Dimitri's voice directly into his ear was on that list. It brought back memories of the younger man successfully sneaking up on him, arms wrapping around him from behind as he cursed in surprise, that same voice whispered in his ears. He inhaled, closing his eyes behind his mask. He exhaled, eyes opening.
"Bring it," he hissed more to himself than to Dimitri or the enemies apparently rushing his way. He could hear faint footsteps. They were getting closer. He blamed Dimitri for this. He traced where the footsteps were coming from - two doors lead to where he'd ended up and it sounded like both would soon be swinging out.
He phased through the wall the second the doors swung open, leaving the criminals to pause and look around in confuse. He took stock of their weaponry as he phased back in, quickly going on the offensive. He'd never liked being defensive, after all. He'd always preferred attacking.
He moved quickly, expertly, deadly. He phased through bullets, not caring if they then hit and killed any criminals. This wasn't an official Aegis mission, he didn't care about damage to these criminals. There was a time when he would've cared but life and the job had hardened him. He usually kept this more deadly side of him reserved for covert missions where he could leave what he needed out of mission reports to help maintain Aegis' reputation. He'd made a lot of sacrifices for that team.
Fists connected with faces; well placed kicks added with his enhanced strength knocked guns out of hands. One managed to get behind him only to get his elbow hard between their eyes.
It wasn't long until he stood there, surrounded by bodies either groaning, unconscious, or shot dead by their own allies' missed bullets.
"You owe me a drink," he said without thinking into the comms, voice low, almost tired. "Now where the hell are you?" He would search the entire building if need be but he really didn't want to, and he didn't think it would be too much to ask for Dimitri to make his life a little easier, all things considered. | ... the joy and the chaos, the demons we're made of. i'd be so lost if you left me alone ... the phantom |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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played by Aaron
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last online May 17, 2024 10:01:47 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2020 3:23:14 GMT
"Bring it."
Dimitri's fingers, dancing over keys a second ago, paused for a moment. His lips flicked in a vague half-smile, and he started back up. Multitasking was a must in his life - just as important as vanishing from sight or so many other things. That was how, while Foxglove kept cracking the computers like eggs under his fingertips, he kept careful stock of how things were going on Abraham's end.
Watching the Phantom fight was just like studying his face, or hearing his voice, or holding his hand. So similar, but still different, years removed. Dimitri darted between terminals, hands a twitching blur, flashing over keys, but his eyes kept darting back to the camera feeds. Even in the grainy, scrawling quality and from the odd angles, he could follow Abraham's progress.
He could see all the ways that Abraham's fighting was the same as before... and all the ways it was different. Certain blows earned Foxglove's quiet admiration or approval - others twisted a thread of thoughtful concern in him. The Phantom moved with brutal efficiency, and sooner than Dimitri would've guessed, the attack party lay groaning or unconscious around him.
"You owe me a drink. Now where the hell are you?"
Foxglove looked at the progress bar on the main computer screen: 88%. His eyes flitted to the camera feed of the hallway outside the room he was in, and the two men rushing down it. "Second floor, two lefts, end of the hall." Dimitri had just finished the answer when that same door opened. He kicked one of the chairs at the armed man rushing through, staggering him, making him stumble to reveal the one behind him.
A weight, tethered by a durable wire, spun around that second hostile's neck. They gasped, clutched at it, but were yanked forcibly over their staggered ally, into Dimitri's waiting kick. Body armor slowed his progress down, so that by the time Abraham appeared in the open door - wedged that way by the kicked chair from before - Foxglove paused, thighs clapped around one enemy's neck, balanced on his shoulder while he stumbled around.
"Perfect timing," Dimitri grunted, because the Phantom popping up distracted both his playmates. Reaching over, he grabbed the other enemy and, twisting in a corkscrew, flipped both men to collide hard with the floor. Foxglove sprang away from them, whirling into a feline crouch and smirked through a stray lock of hair that'd fallen into his face. "Take care of them for me?" he asked.
He didn't wait for confirmation, trusting Abraham to oblige. Dimitri jumped back onto his feet and returned to the terminal from before, which read: 100%. With a few last taps, the screens all started to go black; circuits fried, smoke drifted up from consoles and keyboards. Foxglove checked a small screen set into his gauntlet, then tapped it dark.
"More are on their way," he said conversationally, retracting the garrote from before and returning it, in its compact state, back to his utility belt. Foxglove glanced sidelong at the Phantom and tilted his head slyly. "Up to you if we slip out quietly or make some noise." | ... And now your song is on repeat and I'm dancin' on to your heartbeat. and when you're gone, I feel incomplete ... foxglove |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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last online Jan 2, 2024 8:02:44 GMT
The Aegis
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Post by Abraham Bishop on Jul 26, 2020 4:40:02 GMT
Abraham huffed irritably. Of course Dimitri couldn't have just been around the corner. Though he shouldn't have been complaining - he had flight and phasing, after all. Getting to the second floor was easy. There was a man there who most definitely wasn't Dimitri and he grabbed him as he phased through the floor, phasing that men the opposite way, causing him to fall from the second floor to the first.
Once he got to the open doorway, he glanced briefly at the chair propping the door open before his attention found Dimitri. He didn't want to name the feelings or think about the emotions seeing Dimitri with someone's head between his legs and seeing Dimitri clearly in his element brought up. He was very thankful for his mask.
He also wasn't sure whether he wanted to smack or kiss that god damn smirk off of the younger man's face. He hated how much he still loved Dimitri's cockiness, how he didn't find nearly as much issue with him asking him to handle those criminals as much as he thought he should have. He did as he was asked - felt more like he was being told - though, dispatching them quickly with some hard blows before dragging them to a corner of the room.
Abraham was highly aware of the fact that Dimitri was doing something with the computers, even if he didn't know what. It was hard to not be aware of the other man in the room. He had a knack for drawing Abraham's attention. That attention snapped easily to him at his next comments. More enemies were on the way, that was to be expected. It was what he said after that that had Abraham storming over to him, his body language seething with anger.
"Up to me?" he echoed, eyes a glare behind his mask as he came to a halt right by Dimitri. "This is your op, Fox. The op you brought to my city." A thought occurred and it had him invading Dimitri's personal space, standing barely an inch from him. "I swear to God, if I find out you're only here for your own agenda and don't plan to help us, I'll--"
His words were cut off as he realized too late he'd heard footsteps all too close and the sound of a gun firing followed by pain on his right side. Out of instinct from years of experience and training, he grabbed Dimitri, shoving him back and phasing the both of them. They fell through the wall to the street outside. He wrapped his arms around the younger man and twisted so Dimitri was on top, allowing Abraham to take the brunt of the collision.
His back collided with cement and it was only then that his grip on Dimitri loosened. He let out a gasp at the pain but experience had also taught him that while the bruising would be bad and possibly some ribs cracked, his enhanced durability kept his back from breaking and honestly that was enough for him.
He groaned, sitting up the second Dimitri was off him then finding hands helping him up before he could even ask. The right side of his shirt was starting to turn red under his jacket. | ... the joy and the chaos, the demons we're made of. i'd be so lost if you left me alone ... the phantom |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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played by Aaron
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last online May 17, 2024 10:01:47 GMT
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Jul 27, 2020 16:50:26 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2020 16:50:26 GMT
"Up to me? This is your op, Fox. The op you brought to my city."
Dimitri really oughtn't have... But seeing Abraham so riled, and knowing he was the one to do the riling made a strange kind of satisfied exhilaration rush through his veins. Combined, admittedly, with a cool edge of his own frustration. "Which you crashed," Foxglove pointed out dryly.
Abraham's temper kept burning, though, and it crawled under Dimitri's skin, licking at his own, much colder one. He was so busy staring evenly at the Phantom that he didn't notice their company was arriving until it was too late. The two seasoned heroes realized in the same instant, and from there it was a blur.
The gunshot, Abraham shoving him aside, taking a bullet and carrying them both through the nearest exterior wall. Suddenly they were outdoors, in the open air thirty or more feet up. The Phantom twisted, putting himself under Foxglove like a human shield and cushion. Dimitri's hand flicked out, a grapple line of wiring embedding in the brick wall they'd just phased through.
The unreeling wire barely had time to slow their descent, but anything was something. With a thud, they hit the ground. Foxglove nimbly leaped to his feet, and while he helped Abraham up, his eyes zoned in on the stain spreading on his side. "Spooks," he said, grabbing him by the chin to make him focus through the disorientation on him, "phase it out." | ... And now your song is on repeat and I'm dancin' on to your heartbeat. and when you're gone, I feel incomplete ... foxglove |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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last online Jan 2, 2024 8:02:44 GMT
The Aegis
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Post by Abraham Bishop on Jul 28, 2020 4:29:22 GMT
He was mentally trying to assess the wound - without looking at it yet because he didn't think they were out of danger - and trying to figure out how much blood he'd already lost, how fast he was losing it and anything vital the bullet might be near when his chin was grabbed and his attention turned elsewhere. His heart fluttered at the petname, having not heard it in far too long.
He blinked behind his mask, confused for a second, disoriented from the fall. But having Dimitri there, having his eyes on him made it easier to focus. He realized what he'd mean by his - well it almost felt like a demand or order. He pulled his chin out of his grasp, not unkindly. His body became translucent as he focused on phasing himself and just himself. There was a small clank as the bullet clattered to the ground.
He swayed briefly on his feet once he was solid again, his powers taking more out of him because he was injured. "Pick that up," he ordered, his tone not leaving much room for debate. The bullet was evidence though and evidence was needed - at least on Aegis' end. He also needed to assess the bullet wound but he'd been shot from behind so that made it difficult to say the least.
Abraham was trying his best to stay aware of when they'd be swarmed with criminals. He could hear some shouts, the sound of doors being thrown open. Once Dimitri had picked up the bullet, he - well he picked up Dimitri. He didn't ask for permission, didn't wait for protests, just used his strength to throw Dimitri over his left shoulder, grunting at the pain in his side.
Flying wasn't easy when one was shot. He didn't think anything was easy when you were shot but that was beside the point. Having Dimitri flung over his shoulder wasn't helping either but he knew there wasn't any way the man would come with him willingly either - at least he didn't think so.
- - - - -
By the time he arrived at the house, he was flying far too low in his opinion, though he still went unnoticed. He landed in the backyard on the patio, stumbling and letting Dimitri back onto his own feet. His hand quickly reached out, though, grabbing the back of his catsuit at his neck so he couldn't leave - also so he could partially lean against him as he fished the key from a hidden pocket in the inside of his jacket.
He could've phased through the door. The bloodstain was larger though. He unlocked the door, leaning against Dimitri more than he would've liked in order to get inside the house. It was an elegant and modern home, though it was clear once he flicked on the lights that there wasn't much there, nothing that showed his personality - or perhaps the lack of decor showed it quite well. He spent most of his time at work after all.
And no, he pointedly ignored how that meant he had a lot in common with Tim.
He let go of Dimitri enough to stumble to the couch, taking a seat and grimacing as he worked on getting his jacket off. "There's a first aid kit in the bedroom and bathroom," he explained without looking over at him, "You'll hit the bedroom first. It's in the dresser, a - nn - bottom drawer." He grimaced again as he threw his jacket onto the ground. With how uncomfortable that was, he wasn't looking forward to removing his shirt.
"I need to attend this wound," he continued, "Get the kit and be God damn useful." He shot a glare over his shoulder at the same time that he pulled his mask off and threw that to the floor as well. "We need to talk afterwards."
He was too caught up in making sure he didn't bleed out to remember two things - One: there were two bottom drawers in his dresser and while one housed the first aid kit, the other housed all the photographs he'd been left of the two of them, still in their frames. Second: He'd been looking at that very ring he'd gotten all those years ago for the first time since Dimitri had left and he hadn't put it away, rather forgetting it on top of that very dresser. | ... the joy and the chaos, the demons we're made of. i'd be so lost if you left me alone ... the phantom @dimitri costume727 words Hope this works! |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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played by Aaron
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last online May 17, 2024 10:01:47 GMT
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Jul 28, 2020 18:21:40 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2020 18:21:40 GMT
Abraham centered when their eyes locked - Dimitri had always been able to tell, even though the Phantom's mask hid pupil, iris and sclera. The older man stepped back and turned semi-translucent. The bullet bounced off the ground and Foxglove was already snatching it up when Abraham - always having to be in charge - was telling him to.
The sound of more hostiles flooding out of the building hit both seasoned heroes at the same time. "I'll cover you-" Dimitri was saying, stowing the bullet in one of his gauntlets. He was interrupted when the Phantom grabbed him, superhuman strength making Dimitri the equivalent of a bag of flour, and hoisted him over one shoulder.
Foxglove began to protest - was even considering all the ways, super strength or not, to slip out of the hold - when Abraham stumbled, then left the ground behind. Any arguing was made obsolete at that point. Yes, Dimitri still could've gotten free in midair. He'd even manage, on his way to the ground, and land without so much as a broken bone thanks to his skill set, experience and arsenal.
But his eyes kept snagging on the spreading bloodstain, on how Abraham was flying much more lethargically and erratically than usual. How he could need help. So Dimitri stayed on for the ride until they touched down on a small backyard patio and he was finally set on his own two feet. Foxglove wanted to take the keys Abraham fumbled with and do the job himself, but ended up too busy supporting the other man's weight.
They made it through the door and the Phantom pushed off of Dimitri, en route to the couch. The spy rushed off to find the first aid kit without a word. Years had changed them in many ways but not all. Abraham still got even more grouchy and whiny when he was shot, and Dimitri wasn't going to argue or fight with him. Like a toddler who needed to get out their frustration, Foxglove let him grumble and snap without taking it personally. If anything he just rolled his eyes as he slipped into the bedroom.
Dimitri was already pulling open the bottom drawer of the dresser when Abraham, from the living room, was yelling about it. That's where he'd always kept it. Foxglove snatched the kit and stood up, simultaneously shutting the drawer with a foot. That's when his eyes, trained to be keen, perceptive and observant in any situation, fell on the box. He'd have liked to think that, under the circumstances, he would have respected Abraham's privacy if the thing had been closed.
But it wasn't. It was open, and glaring up at him, and Dimitri, who stared down hostile gun barrels without so much as a blink, felt like he'd been sucker punched. The band was rose gold - Dimitri's favorite - and the stone set in it was unmistakably his favorite shade of Foxglove blossoms. The spy swallowed all of that in two seconds, and he swallowed past the lump in his throat in the third.
By the fourth, he was sweeping back into the living room just in time for Abraham to growl that he needed to see to the bullet wound. The ring burned in his mind, and all the perfect acting skills in the world couldn't stop an edge having crept into Dimitri. "Stop being a baby," his snapped in a soft hiss.
He popped the kit open and, pulling scissors from inside, snipped a line in the collar of Abraham's shirt. With the process started, Foxglove grasped both sides and, in a decisive motion, ripped it down to the bottom seam. The Phantom's chiseled back, etched and tattooed with faint, silver scar tissue from a lifetime of heroism, stirred a hundred memories in Dimitri. The weeping wound helped distract him - from that, and the ring still glowing in his mind.
"It's not that bad. Nothing major," Foxglove assessed smoothly. He tried to ignore the way Abraham's muscles flexed in pain beneath the skin when he cleaned the wound. Dimitri went on auto-pilot, sewing the small entry point closed, not hearing Abraham's winces or muttered curses. When he finished and used medical tape to plaster gauze on the stitches to protect them, Foxglove faltered. He'd been about to, on instinct, do what he'd done in these situations when they were together: kiss the area to signify he was finished.
"Done," he said, busying himself with returning everything to where it went in the med kit. The ring blazed without stopping in his thoughts. | ... And now your song is on repeat and I'm dancin' on to your heartbeat. and when you're gone, I feel incomplete ... foxglove |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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last online Jan 2, 2024 8:02:44 GMT
The Aegis
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Jul 28, 2020 20:32:11 GMT
Post by Abraham Bishop on Jul 28, 2020 20:32:11 GMT
Abraham froze slightly at the hiss in Dimitri's tone, catching it quickly and easily. It reminded him of the last time the other man had been upset, the last time they'd argued. Dimitri had left after that. The thought of Dimitri leaving suddenly again made it hard to breathe. He pulled his eyes away and clamped his mouth shut.
If it wasn't for the bullet wound, he thought, and the pain, he certainly would have become more flustered when his shirt was ripped off - He was glad he had backup costumes. He grimaced with a hiss of breath as the wound was cleaned. He didn't think any amount of experience or training could make someone numb to pain. It wasn't the first time he'd needed a bullet wound tended to yet the sudden sharp pain was enough to make him wince.
His hands were fists against his thighs, his lips pressed shut as he did all in his power to not jerk away as Dimitri started stitching the wound close. It was even harder trying to resist using his powers. His body instinctively wanted to phase away from the pain but that certainly wasn't going to help.
His muscles relaxed, shoulders falling and an exhausted sigh slipped out when Dimitri announced he was done. He glanced enough to see that the younger man was taking care of the med kit. He then got up without a word, moving into the kitchen then quietly returning with a short crystal glass and a bottle of scotch. He sat back down on the couch, setting the glass down on the coffee table in front of them, filling it with scotch then pushing it where it was in front of Dimitri as a quiet offering.
He drank out of the bottle himself. He moved to lean back but grimaced when the bandaged wound connected with the couch and quickly sat up again, taking another swig from the bottle.
"What the hell were you doing?" he asked after a moment, eyes falling onto the other man again. He had more... personal questions he'd been wanting to ask for a while but this felt more pressing. Even if he was in his own home, he was still a Pillar after all. "Please tell me Liling knows." He wanted to glare. He didn't have the energy. "Tell me you didn't bring a foreign op to this city without at least letting her know."
He leveled what would usually have been a cold gaze but this time just came off as tired at Dimitri. "I don't care if you don't trust Aegis or me. Tell me you at least respect her enough to not do that to her." | ... the joy and the chaos, the demons we're made of. i'd be so lost if you left me alone ... the phantom |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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played by Aaron
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last online May 17, 2024 10:01:47 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2020 17:58:10 GMT
Abraham moved wordlessly to the kitchen. The sound of opening cabinets, tinkling glass, pricked his ears. Meanwhile, Foxglove began absently disarming himself. Unlatching buckles, he dropped his holsters in a chair, followed by his utility belt with a clatter; he was just unfastening his gauntlets from their place when Abraham returned with something of an offering.
Dimitri looked at the glass set for him, then the bottle in Abraham's hand as the other man dropped back onto the sofa. Fox sat down himself, on the edge of the seat that held his gear, and unbound his boots from his feet, pulling one off at a time and placing them beside him.
Abraham's eyes fell on him - as ever he could feel them without a doubt - and then came the growled accusations and questions. Foxglove had expected them, was surprised they'd taken so long to come, in fact. But still they wearied him. He reached forward and retrieved the glass, then stood, clad only in the base of his catsuit. He rolled the crystal, causing the scotch swirl in it, and drifted to the glass doors that looked onto the meager back yard, letting Abraham's biting words strike him in the back.
He waited, letting his eyes, now that the Phantom couldn't see them, well and steep in an exhausted sorrow. When it was his turn to speak, Dimitri's voice was as composed as ever, at glaring odds with the blue pain in his irises. "There was nothing to know, Abraham. Not when I left headquarters. Just a hunch and speculation. Liling will get my personal debriefing first thing in the morning."
Options rose in his mind and heart, where to go next with the conversation. He could stoke his temper, point out that Abraham wouldn't even had to worry about any of it if he'd not sought him out. Barged in. Like he always did. Foxglove could've lied - then, or even before then, and he'd have done it so perfectly Abraham wouldn't have been able to tell.
Of course, that trait meant that, now, when Dimitri spouted the truth, he was sure Abraham had doubt it was that. Or, at least, the whole truth. Just one of many burdens he head fashioned for himself to bear with his skillset, history and reputation. All of those options, though, and Dimitri landed on an unexpected one.
He leaned against the edge of the back door frame, staring at the bits of glittering skyline peeking over the back yard's wall. Foxglove cradled the glass he held between both hands, and when he spoke there was a weary vulnerability to it that even the Phantom had very rarely heard. "Don't you get tired, Abraham? Tired of always being so angry?"
Fox knocked back the scotch in one go, to throw fire on his gentle show of sincerity. | ... And now your song is on repeat and I'm dancin' on to your heartbeat. and when you're gone, I feel incomplete ... foxglove |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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