Hadriel IC Inbox

[lovernotafighter]

[Messages for Tucker? This is the place for them.]

Comments

[requiemshark]

[ Yeah, no. This is weird. This is weird and uncomfortably personal and Ephemera is beginning to regret it. He could've just shoved it under the door. Or just forgotten about the sketch entirely and just gone about the day. He doesn't know Tucker.

Ephemera exhales roughly and doesn't bolt. He wants to, badly, but that wouldn't be right. He has to try. ]

I dunno, Kyna and Washington. Drake. Lup a couple times. It's just something I do.

[lovernotafighter]

[Awww, don't worry, Ephemera; you're getting assimilated into the fold, whether you like it or not.

Tucker raised his head from the picture, a curious look in his eyes.] You do commissions? Or requests?

[requiemshark]

[ He eyes Tucker suspiciously, entirely unsure of how to take that. This is - weird. But it hasn't gone wrong yet, so that's....something? Maybe? It's not violent, at least. ]

I'm not drawing you porn.

[lovernotafighter]

Well, fuck, guess I have to go with Option B then.

[Surprisingly, there was no Option A, but he didn't need him to know that. Especially because--]

What about a family picture, then? But with Epsilon, me, and my kid, instead. You know, all smiling and happy and shit. [There was a wistful hint to his eyes, some longing there, as if it was something he wanted to happen, this picturesque ideal.]

I think Church would like it. Or burn it. I'm not exactly sure which.

[requiemshark]

[ And now he feels like an asshole for assuming it was something else. Ephemera runs a hand through his hair, but nods. ]

...yeah. Okay. I can do that. You want me to do it in ink or paint it, or what?

[lovernotafighter]

[See? He wasn't always awful. Just a lot of the time.

Tucker blinked, his face a blank confusion. He didn't Art, didn't understand it, didn't draw other than occasionally a dick on a piece of paper to hide in Wash's room to find later. Paint, ink, fuck, um...]

Is there a difference?

[Welcome to the uncultured swine, Ephemera.]

[requiemshark]

Seriously?

[ Ephemera sighs. ]

Yes. Big difference. One I did of your kid, I used up a bunch of those weird ass pens the gods keep dropping in. I used spray paint for my armor. You want it in color, I'll probably use acrylics. Which take longer to dry. And they don't work on paper.

[lovernotafighter]

The only art supplies I've seen in years are Caboose's crayons and whatever weird stuff Donut breaks out for Craft Night. I don't know this shit.

[But okay, yeah, that put things into perspective a little. Paint or ink. Paint or ink. He made a face.]

Ink, I guess? Unless you have something else you can use the paints on that's not paper?

[requiemshark]

It's not that complicated.

[ Or at least it never seemed that complicated to Ephemera. He learned watching Youtube videos, okay. ]

I can probably rig up a canvas, if you want one, but that'll take longer.

[lovernotafighter]

...

[Tucker looked back up towards their room, their second chance. Color...color was kind of a thing for these color-coated space marines, so--]

Yeah. Do that. And if you need help, let me know. Or you want payment or something? I dunno, money's not exactly important here.

[requiemshark]

[ So, this is where they've come to. He's going to paint something for Tucker and Epsilon. A picture of their hypothetical happy future. Seems funny that they're here after everything that went down on Chorus. Or maybe a little sad.

Ephemera just nods. He can't change what he did in the past, but he can do this one, small thing. And maybe that's enough for right now. ]

Give me like...two weeks. And you find any cigarettes, I want 'em.

[lovernotafighter]

[A future that would only work if Tucker could find a way to get Epsilon home while still breathing. Shit, he'd even give up the flesh and bone as long as some ideal, some version, even a hologram, was able to return alongside him.

Everything was a long shot, but hey, they had faced worse odds before, had accomplished shit that no one thought they could. And look where they were now.

...okay, maybe this wasn't the best example.]

Is Drake going to give me dirty looks for getting you smokes? [Oh, don't mind that smirk. He was half serious, at least.]

[requiemshark]

Why would he - ? No. [ Ephemera huffs. For a moment, he almost smiles. ] Nah. He doesn't care.

[ There are bigger concerns, in the end. Ephemera's expression is soft and fond then. ]

Guess he told you.

[lovernotafighter]

[Oh, shit. Was that how Tucker looked when talking about Church? All soft and fond? God, love was dumb.

But he nodded and shrugged.] Yeah, we hung out when you were gone. Became friends.

[And he smirked, because he was an asshole.] He even gave me a massage once.

[requiemshark]

[ Ephemera gives Tucker a Look, but doesn't comment on the massage thing. ]

He's good people. Makes me wanna be better.

[lovernotafighter]

[That...that was strangely sweet, coming from him. It surprised Tucker a little, but it was understandable. Hell, more than that, really; it was relatable.]

Yeah, Wash made me feel the same way. [And there was a sudden burn in his cheeks as he waved his arms back and forth frantically.] Not--not like Bang-Town-Here-We-Come or anything, but--

It's just nice to have someone believe in you, right? That see the things you can't see yourself.

[requiemshark]

....you have issues, man.

[ But it's true. As weird as it is to hear it coming from Tucker, it's true. ]

Yeah. Thought I was done with all that, after - hnn. Then I ended up here. Met him. Started figuring my shit out.

[lovernotafighter]

[Yes. Yes, he had ton of issues, enough to make his own magazine subscription, but Wash...was a different topic altogether. One he didn't think about, one he didn't really discuss. It was better that way.

But he shrugged it off because Ephemera wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know. Well, on both ends.]

Look, if there's anything I can do to get you to be able to come home with us and not kick it, I'll help. I'm - [He looked back towards the stairs.] - kind of in the same boat right now anyway,

[requiemshark]

[ Ephemera blinks, not sure how he's meant to react to that. He's quiet for a moment, then nods. ]

....with you? Or Epsilon?

[lovernotafighter]

Me--? Oh, fuck no. I'm too awesome to bite it.

[But he almost did. Probably would have if Epsilon hadn't--]

Churches have something in their DNA that makes them die every five minutes, but we've always found a way to come back together. Um, as a group.

[Big distinction there.]

But the last time, when he deconstructed himself on the fucking Staff... I just don't think he's coming back from that.

[requiemshark]

Uh huh. Keep telling yourself that, I'm sure it helps.

[ And of course he doesn't think before the words are out of his goddamn mouth and there's no changing it. Great. Be nice, Ephemera reminds himself. Be nice. ]

....fuck. I don't know shit about tech, but we've got people with magic here. Can't any of them fix that?

[lovernotafighter]

Hey, survived you, didn't I?

[Okay, see? They could both toss it back and forth. And at least he said "survived" and not "outlived"; it was a thought omission at least!

Tucker nodded a little, before rolling his shoulders.] Maybe? I'm willing to try anything, but I'm more worried about going home.

[requiemshark]

Please. You were never on my list.

[ It's said coldly, but without much malice. Ephemera never had strong feelings about the Sim troopers one way or another, but he did them harm regardless. He did a lot of things on Chorus that he can't make up for. ]

You should ask Kyna. She'd know more than me.

[lovernotafighter]

Oh, dude, come on. I was a little.

[Not like he was on Felix's. His picture was number one with a damn knife holding it up; they all knew that. The thought turned his stomach, the flash of anger over a dead man erupting on his face for a second, before he moved on. Guy was dead. Let it go.]

She knows a lot. Makes me wonder what she sees in Wash.

[He smirked at his own joke. He did that a lot.]

[requiemshark]

Were not.

[ It's hard to miss that flash of anger, and Ephemera's pretty sure he can tell who it's directed at.

Yeah, well. It's easy to hate Felix. ]

I asked her that once. She told me. In detail.

[ Ephemera looks fairly disturbed at the memory. There are things he doesn't want to know about Washington. Especially about Washington's sex life. ]