[ his eyes follow the sound, expression blank. then, he just inches closer until they're next to each other again, clasping his one hand between two of his. ]
If I tell you something, you have to promise not to overreact.
[ starts a new thread so we don't suffer like we did in the previous post
they've been here for weeks. thorns finds work helping in a general store. there are better jobs out that are better suited for his skill set, but the majority of them venture into more dangerous territory. he considers trying to work at a few medical facilities, but since this isn't a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, they of course don't want to just hire anyone off the street. so he purposely picks something fairly harmless to make sure elysium keeps whatever is left of his sanity.
is it the most fulfilling existence? not really, but it's also not permanent.
the sense of fear around the town does ease. the disappearances continue, and thorns becomes more and more convinced that it's connected to all of the weird events they have encountered throughout their cycles. but he tries to not get involved. every time they have gotten involved it has ended poorly for them. but he can't help but regret not looking more into it when they were initially attacked before coming here. maybe they could have solved it by now...
although he does get more concerned when one of his coworkers says that his sister vanished recently. ]
[ this goddamn crime ring is as worldwide as childe
it's hard, at first. he wonders if he's losing more of himself ignoring blatant leads he could be doing more with, but ultimately leaves in the hands of the officials here. he loses coworkers, his coworkers lose friends and family. it is targeted, as they are on the forefront of the issue and the closest to uncovering what is going on. it almost feels as if the town is careening towards some kind of end with the coverups the governing agent decides to implement, but elysium continues to do nothing. he clocks in, he clocks out. he updates all their communications equipment as per contract, and there is a day where he manages to inadvertently pick up a channel coming from the other side. he deliberates decrypting it and pushing further. weird, considering how careful they've been up to this. impatience?
but… he doesn't. he forwards it like every other unusual thing he's found, playing like this hadn't been his wheelhouse for years. it feels like a part of him snaps.
…
it's another typical day.
thorns' transciever beeps. there likely hasn't been any emergencies that have warranted contacting him this way in the last few weeks, but he probably has abused the line a couple of times for his lovemail… what do? ]
[ the real reason they should never tell anyone they're together is because if someone asked how the relationship was going, all they'd have to offer are answers bordering on e-dating, despite that stretch of time they actually lived together.
still, he likes to think they're fulfilled. as fulfilled as they can be. the bar is subterranean. elysium isn't foolish enough to fall asleep with his phone unplugged, so before checking his messages, he glances at the screen to see if thorns is still on the line. is he? ]
the other downside is that it means he has no alarm to wake up... he doesn't necessarily need one while on break, but he has tried to get up earlier to readjust his sleep schedule. it's past 10 when he finally lifts his head from his pillow and plugs in his phone. ]
We'll have to go somewhere they'll be appreciated.
[ all the times we'd joked about public indecency pales compared to what they're willing to risk now. people will have questions they won't even want answers to—and the truly dangerous part here is that elysium believes it, wholly, to be proof of their devotion to each other.
his hands return to thorns' back, nails sinking in as he braces and presses into the intrusion, hissing through clenched teeth. ]
It's your responsibility not to let them fade, then.
[ they were always into the thrill of getting caught but they were at least normal about it at one point. there really is no point in being normal now though, or just pretending to be.
thorns continues to add fingers in as he watches elysium's expression. he thinks elysium is always beautiful, but there is just something about a moment like this, when he's making expressions that only thorns will ever get to see. what's better than that?
[ he will remove his fingers and, since elysium is rushing him so much, he will reposition them so that he can slide himself in instead. normally he'd try to ease in slowly, but he instead opts for an actual thrust instead to gauge elysium's reaction. ]
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previous post
college au
but thorns nod, and then pauses so he can direct elysium's sandwich towards his mouth. eat... ]
Obviously. I need to be as unbiased as possible.
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You're going to give me a low score just to sabotage me. I'm onto you.
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I'm a fair judge.
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it does the thing where its filling slowly falls out from the other side but elysium does not notice. ]
What are you even comparing them to? Do you have a rubric that you got off Google or something?
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thorns does not say anything about the sandwich falling apart. die. ]
You think I can't judge a date?
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need therapy au
he pats elysium on the back soothingly. he warned him that it was not going to be good. ]
You don't have to lie.
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elysium cuts thorns a look as if this is his fault. ]
That's only because you didn't chase it away hard enough.
[ he steals another kiss since thorns didn't get the memo. ]
… Was it for my cough, or the other thing?
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[ he shakes a bottle. pills. ]
I can at least keep tabs on your condition, but it is preferable to get you somewhere more professional as soon as we can.
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If I tell you something, you have to promise not to overreact.
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[ says the guy who is definitely going to overreact depending on what elysium is about to say. ]
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timeskip for og psl
they've been here for weeks. thorns finds work helping in a general store. there are better jobs out that are better suited for his skill set, but the majority of them venture into more dangerous territory. he considers trying to work at a few medical facilities, but since this isn't a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, they of course don't want to just hire anyone off the street. so he purposely picks something fairly harmless to make sure elysium keeps whatever is left of his sanity.
is it the most fulfilling existence? not really, but it's also not permanent.
the sense of fear around the town does ease. the disappearances continue, and thorns becomes more and more convinced that it's connected to all of the weird events they have encountered throughout their cycles. but he tries to not get involved. every time they have gotten involved it has ended poorly for them. but he can't help but regret not looking more into it when they were initially attacked before coming here. maybe they could have solved it by now...
although he does get more concerned when one of his coworkers says that his sister vanished recently. ]
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it's hard, at first. he wonders if he's losing more of himself ignoring blatant leads he could be doing more with, but ultimately leaves in the hands of the officials here. he loses coworkers, his coworkers lose friends and family. it is targeted, as they are on the forefront of the issue and the closest to uncovering what is going on. it almost feels as if the town is careening towards some kind of end with the coverups the governing agent decides to implement, but elysium continues to do nothing. he clocks in, he clocks out. he updates all their communications equipment as per contract, and there is a day where he manages to inadvertently pick up a channel coming from the other side. he deliberates decrypting it and pushing further. weird, considering how careful they've been up to this. impatience?
but… he doesn't. he forwards it like every other unusual thing he's found, playing like this hadn't been his wheelhouse for years. it feels like a part of him snaps.
…
it's another typical day.
thorns' transciever beeps. there likely hasn't been any emergencies that have warranted contacting him this way in the last few weeks, but he probably has abused the line a couple of times for his lovemail… what do? ]
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I'm okay. I love you.
[ he has done his duty. ]
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Mm. [ an uncharacteristic pause. ] I love you, too.
[ … ]
We need to leave.
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the way that thorns is hiding in the storage room to have this discussion. ]
Right now? Or later?
[ he needs to know if this is a thing that can wait until the end of their shifts, can wait a few days, or if they need to go right this second. ]
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the more chaste than an hs au college au
still, he likes to think they're fulfilled. as fulfilled as they can be. the bar is subterranean. elysium isn't foolish enough to fall asleep with his phone unplugged, so before checking his messages, he glances at the screen to see if thorns is still on the line. is he? ]
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thorns was foolish. ]
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he will just type good morning back but in that totally nonchalant way… you know… ]
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the other downside is that it means he has no alarm to wake up... he doesn't necessarily need one while on break, but he has tried to get up earlier to readjust his sleep schedule. it's past 10 when he finally lifts his head from his pillow and plugs in his phone. ]
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therapy will not help them au
[ all the times we'd joked about public indecency pales compared to what they're willing to risk now. people will have questions they won't even want answers to—and the truly dangerous part here is that elysium believes it, wholly, to be proof of their devotion to each other.
his hands return to thorns' back, nails sinking in as he braces and presses into the intrusion, hissing through clenched teeth. ]
It's your responsibility not to let them fade, then.
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thorns continues to add fingers in as he watches elysium's expression. he thinks elysium is always beautiful, but there is just something about a moment like this, when he's making expressions that only thorns will ever get to see. what's better than that?
he snorts at the comment though. ]
What a hard job.
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[ he rakes his hand down thorns' back, far more roughly than he ever would've before. ]
Keep me waiting any longer and I might actually forget who you are.
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[ he will remove his fingers and, since elysium is rushing him so much, he will reposition them so that he can slide himself in instead. normally he'd try to ease in slowly, but he instead opts for an actual thrust instead to gauge elysium's reaction. ]
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