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[unheiring]

“Unavailable. Always.”

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username: Aurelius

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around town, sometime between luca's arrival and the snuggle thread

[livlaughlove]

[livio is pretty damn sure he struck a nerve with the wine-haired stranger, before... so he gives it a little time, then goes looking for him. the usual places people need, he checks first. the inn kitchen, the shops... maybe the treeline, again. if that doesn't work, he may end up knocking on doors whose occupants he isn't familiar with.

whatever the manner, surely he'll find the guy eventually. and when he does, he puts a hand up in one-half awkward wave and one-half placating gesture.]

Uh -- hey. Would you hear me out for just a second?

[unheiring]

[Funny, how you find things when you least expect it. See, Luca isn't in any of those places, or at least not when Livio comes around. However, when he returns to working on the school, and when he just so happens to stumble into the library, he'll find one Luca Aurelius at a table (full size, thank you). His head is currently cradled within an arm, hair strewn out everywhere but -

the moment he hears heavy footsteps he's alert. Blinking sleep from his eyes as he brings a handful of fire into existence, maybe, but awake nonetheless. The flame disappears the moment he realizes it's Livio in front of him. Strangely enough, he doesn't seem too irritated to see the man. In fact, his brow just... quirks.]

Yes?

[livlaughlove]

[maybe he should have thought of this sooner, instead of giving up and putting it off for later, but... hey! they're here!

despite his plea, livio doesn't know what to say for a good moment...]

Right... I wanted to say I'm sorry. I think I... came on strong? Or... forceful, or something.

[unheiring]

[He could laugh at the man. Though the words had struck a nerve, it was not Livio's fault for saying them. In fact...]

You were neither. You were nothing. [He shakes his head.] It needed to be said. My own desires do not trump anyone else's.

[When he smiles it's grim. Hollow.]

If anything, I should thank you for the reminder.

[livlaughlove]

[the forced smile isn't lost on him, but it's hardly his place to comment.]

You don't have to thank me. I probably could've handled it a lot better. I should've.

[he should avoid talking in circles, though, so...]

... I'm Livio, by the way. I'd say welcome to the Grove, but actually... I'm sorry you got dumped in the Grove. [it sucks here.]

[unheiring]

You were worried. Wanting to protect others is a virtue.

[Not to mention a virtue Luca once held beloved to himself. How could he ever hold it against Livio?

In any case, he gives a short nod to him.]

Luca Aurelius. [A beat.] There are... worse places to be.

[livlaughlove]

You don't have to make excuses for me, y'know. That isn't why I came to apologize. [as if he knew luca was here, specifically.]

Worse? Well, shit, Mr. Aurelius, I'd hate to see that.

[unheiring]

It's not an excuse. [His tone takes a much sharper turn.] And I'll thank you for not making assumptions about me.

[He forces his shoulders, which had bunched up toward his ears, to relax.]

Perhaps you would. But it's not a competition. Nor do I intend for it to be.

[livlaughlove]

[livio is a dumb bitch, and doesn't understand what exactly he assumed, but he lowers his head in deference anyway.]

Right... sorry.

[unheiring]

[... Why does this man have to look like a kicked puppy. Ugh.]

I was blinded by my own fury. I needed to be grounded and you did that. That is all there is to it.

[livlaughlove]

[well... at least liv is now pretty confident that luca will tell him if he has any further issues with him, so...]

Okay. I... guess I'll let you get back to your nap. Sorry to disturb you.

[unheiring]

I wasn't -

[He trails off. They both know he's been caught. All he can really do is give a wry little smirk.]

Never mind. Go well, Livio. And... [A pause.] Thank you, for checking in.

hey baby it's garg

[purifier]

[Zahliya is absent for a few days.

It means the roof of the Church is vacant, and it means there's one less set of watchful eyes over the Grove, though Moder is easily able to handle that in his stead (now that they're friends and not, y'know, trying to kill each other). This is a normal occurrence; Zahliya often slips into the black fog, immune to it as he is, to deal with the monsters waking in the forest. A guardian's work never ends, after all.

This means a couple things for when he comes back. The first is that both of his blades will be slightly broken from overuse, covered in various colours of blood and sticky. The second is that he'll be tired and scratched up, because that's what happens when you go get lost in the woods for a few days. The third... the third is that those glowing green lines in his skin are giving off a black smoke, as Zahliya's body automatically purges the corruption he took in while he was wandering for two days.

He didn't sleep (he doesn't need to, but sometimes it's nice). He didn't eat, again not a necessity, but food tastes good. It's been nothing but combat and having his body fight back against what's been absorbed into his being. This is a normal process for the gargoyle, but by the Stars does it tire him out.

He isn't sure why, but the first thing he does when he gets back to the Grove is drag himself to the tavern. Luca will probably want to know where he's gone, Zahliya thinks, partly unsure why he shouldn't just yell HEY I'M BACK and drag himself to the roof for a while, or go see Add at the clinic and demand some type of painkiller. No, it's Luca he goes to see.

He'll figure out why another time, probably.]

hey garg it's baby

[unheiring]

[It's... a little strange, how keenly aware Luca is of Zahliya's absence. Whether the gargoyle has realized it or not, whenever Luca deigns to leave the tavern, his gaze first seems to go toward his companion's chosen perch. Every day, there's an assurance that he's still there, and for some reason that makes Luca feel good. He explains it away as being comforted by the presence of a local guardian, currently more powerful than he could be, but...

Something in the back of his mind tells him that isn't the case.

The point is, though, that the moment Zahliya disappears, Luca notices. He expects it to only be temporary, assures himself that the gargoyle has only gone for cheese. But when he hasn't reappeared by the evening, Luca knows that something is up.

So he makes a point of checking more frequently than ever. Morning, noon, and at sunset, he makes sure to watch for Zahliya. And with the gargoyle having not been about during his noon check, Luca had simply assumed that this would be yet another day in which he doesn't appear.

Until the doors open, and Zahliya's form is revealed. It's a good thing that the bar is empty, lest Luca have to explain why he first reaches for his sword, then promptly drops it in favor of crossing the room. His hands go out, but stop short of both skin and smoke. He isn't sure if Zahliya is hurting. He doesn't want to make it worse.]

Where - ["have you been," he wants to ask. But it doesn't feel like the right question.] What do you need?

[His heart jackrabbits within his throat. He knows damn well this isn't just about being startled by a suddenly opening door. It may not be the same intensity, but Luca is deeply acquainted with this feeling, one of being on the verge of losing someone important.

He tries to swallow it down in favor of focusing on Zahliya's needs.]

[purifier]

[Oh, good, Luca's here. Zahliya attempts, keyword attempts, to look less like he's going to fall over. It... probably doesn't go over well, all things considered. There are scrapes on his cheeks that'll heal in time, not to mention various other wounds elsewhere — gashes over his legs and midsection — but all he wants to do is flop over somewhere and let the corruption get burnt out of his system, rather literally. Wounds like this can't kill him. They're an inconvenience at most; it's all the black gunk he absorbed that hurts the most.]

A place to lie down would be lovely. [He shakes his head, though, forcing a smile.] I was killing monsters in the forest, and as my fire cycles through all of it, it causes strain for me. I'll be fine. I'm only tired.

[He used to be able to spend longer in there. Either his stamina has dropped, or the corruption has worsened, or both.]

Sorry about the floors. [You know, with the various blood droplets all over them.]

[unheiring]

[Luca barely passes a glance to the floors, mostly to see what the hell Zahliya is talking about. His hands retract from Zahliya for the time being as he gives a shake of the head. He steps around the gargoyle, making his way to the door. It's locked behind the two of them, before Luca makes his way to the winding stairway off to the side.]

Upstairs, follow me.

[He leads Zahliya up past the second floor loft and then higher still. He doesn't keep the door to the second stairway locked, merely closed. Said door is opened to allow Zahliya through, up to the third floor "bedroom.

It's relatively sparse up here, little more than two beds pilfered from the inn and stacked high with both pillows and blankets. Like. Good god, there is an unreasonable amount of both on his bed. What the hell, Luca.]

Get comfortable. [He gestures with his head toward the bed. For now, he leaves Zahliya to it, making his way into the bathroom in order to prep a few cleaning rags.]

[purifier]

[Funny news, the gargoyle does not know the definition of the word "rest". Luca tells him to get comfortable, and Zahliya doesn't want to get a mess all over the blankets, so he sits his ass down on the floor and starts trying to wipe the variously-coloured blood splatters off of his blades with a rag he normally keeps in his pocket. Said rag catches in the notches in the metal; he's going to need to get new ones forged.

Sigh.

Whenever Luca comes back, that's what Zahliya is doing. You know. Sitting down, which is comfortable enough for him, and working.

Very good job 10/10 following instructions.]

[unheiring]

[Luca comes out with a handful of rags and can... only stare at the gargoyle, now hard at work. His tongue clicks, but there isn't nearly the kind of malice or irritation that one might have expected. He simply sits beside Zahliya and snatches at one of his hands. Blade in hand or no, Luca focuses on dabbing at whatever excess blood, mud, or grime still lingers on his skin.]

This isn't the 'lie down' I expected. [His tone is dry, but each dab is light and wary as he begins to work his way up the span of Zahliya's arm.] I would think a stray mess on your blades could wait, but what do I know.

[He reaches his shoulders and shifts his form to the other side. If left undisturbed, the motions will continue in reverse, back down to the fingers on the opposite side.]

[purifier]

[There's that instinct to jerk back, some momentary amount of panic... but his shoulders slump, and the fight very swiftly leaves his eyes. It's just Luca. This is how Luca worries.

Zahliya's tail thumps over the floorboards. Thumpthumpthump. His swords are down, at least, set aside while he gets cleaned up.]

The metal is already destroyed. I may as well see if I can preserve what I have left.

[Those swords aren't salvageable. He's going to be at the merchant siblings' door in a day or two to see what can be done.]

Besides, I didn't want to get gunk all over your pile of blankets.

[unheiring]

[Luca isn't sure if he imagines that brief moment of tension or not, but he doesn't let it dissuade him either way. He finishes off Zahliya's opposite arm, then shifts forward. He lifts the rag up to the Gargoyle's face, but stops short. This much he'll wait for permission for.]

You're smaller than I am. I can find something for you to wear. [Is his smile on the shy side? Maybe.] And if not, I know how to wash my bedding. And where to steal more from, if it cannot be salvaged.

[He looks to the swords with something akin to pity all the same.]

I would offer to take a look, but it's been years since I have been behind a forge. [Just former almost-knight things.] Nor do I think this village is properly equipped for all of that.

Were they important to you?

[purifier]

[There's a short fifteen seconds of silence while Zahliya considers this, and it almost looks like a "no" for a second... and then he nods.]

I'm sure there are scratches there. Be gentle.

[As if Luca hasn't been this entire time, he reminds himself.]

And very well. I would only borrow your clothes until my own can be fixed, but I do hope that doesn't bother you. They are still functional. It isn't like they're falling off my body. [Haha...] And no, they were just swords. I've gone through many over the centuries. I just hate it every time.

[unheiring]

[Thankfully, Luca doesn't seem bothered by the request. Yes, he's been gentle, but that doesn't mean the reminder puts him on edge. With as many wounds as Zahliya has gathered, he can hardly be faulted for his hesitation.]

I will. I promise.

[The soiled rag is set aside for now, and replaced with something newer and cleaner. With a thumb and forefinger placed feather light against Zahliya's chin, Luca begins to delicately tilt his head this way and that as he dabs at the wounds. His brows are furrowed, concern written into his features even in spite of his best efforts.]

It doesn't bother me. You should be comfortable while you rest. Once we're done here, I'll fetch something.

[purifier]

[Since there's now hands moving in front of his face, his eyes fall shut, and he stays still as best he can.]

You are kind to do so, Luca. I shouldn't have to rely on help, but...

[Were his head not being lovingly cradled, he'd shake it.]

I do these things, normally. I go into the forest and take out threats getting too close to the fog wall. If I come back injured, it's negligible. I simply go onto the roof and rest. ...to be honest, I do not know why I came here. I simply wanted to say "hello" to you after a few days.

[unheiring]

Careful, Zahliya.

[His voice is almost soft. Bordering on the tender, even. Something wells within his chest that he doesn't care to place, and yet that doesn't keep him from speaking it aloud into the air between them.]

One might think you missed me.

[He... doesn't mind that thought. It's a problem, but one he'll find time to deal with later. Thankfully, he manages to swallow down any of the other words that might try to come out. Someone has to save him from making a fool of himself, right?]

In any case, it's good that you came to me. It isn't the first time I have had to clean a few bloodied wounds. Usually they're just on me.

[purifier]

[One might think. Yeah, that's probably it. Missed him, huh... Zahliya can say with confidence he misses a lot of people. There are people that were here once that never came back. People that were here that came back before disappearing again. Stone remembers the hand which carved it as much as it remembers the various faces that passed it by throughout its lifetime.

This, though, feels like a different sort of "missing". Like maybe he's less superglued to the past and that the haze in his brain is starting to clear somehow... ah, he's bad with emotions, so he can't really understand it either way. Maybe all the yelling Irene used to do is getting through to him belatedly.]

I would normally go to Add for medical treatments. [Which begs the question: Why not go there now?] Of course, he is a bit pokey with his needles, and I do not like his sleep-drugs he uses. ...I prefer this.