indelible [closed]

[lord_wizard]

Who: Felix, Crowley, and Allen
Broadcast: private, if any
Action: Hotel Corona, Red Shift district
When: late December


It occurs to Felix that he should probably feel badly for luring Allen into what amounts to an ambush, but honestly neither he nor Crowley tended to consult the comfort of others. His own emotions were a quiet tangle of nervous anticipation instead, though it hardly shows on his face as he watches for signs of the young man's approach. To be honest, he does not know Allen enough to be certain of how he'll react. It's certainly possible he'll refuse, but that wouldn't mean the end to the project - only that they'd have to reach out the fleet for someone with the right kind of power to make this step possible. It was infinitely preferable, however, that word of the binding spell...or Crowley's susceptibility to divine energy...not get spread around. Besides, Felix was sure it would mean something to the demon to have someone he cared about be a part of this.

It's not unusual to see the two of them ensconced at a bar together, which is exactly the point, in case they run into any other familiar places. But it isn't the wine that brings them here, but the tattoo parlor next door. He's prepared everything up to this point. The artist has been tipped handsomely to keep the time slot open for them, and not to ask questions. His own tattoo is a slightly uncomfortable but vaguely familiar burn under his clothes, finished a few days ago.

He'd left the summoning part of the plan to Crowley, though.

Comments

[save_the_souls]

"You too, Felix." If anything, he was more interested in Felix's answer than anything. Sure, he wanted to know why Crowley would agree to such a thing- and his reasoning did make sense. Crowley was always protective of who he considered his. And they had been together a long time.

Did he necessarily agree this was the route to go? No, but he understood it. Which alone said a lot towards this not being some sort of strange glitch desire.

[lord_wizard]

Felix tenses slightly at the mention of his past. Even the merest hint of why being kidnapped by slavers was especially unpleasant for him was uncomfortably close to a myriad of things he didn't like to give voice to without great effort. The fact that Allen chooses not to acknowledge it, for the moment, is only a minor matter of relief.

Which isn't to say that he would lie to Allen, if details were what he needed to do this for them. He would strip his secrets to the bone. Why, indeed, did it matter so much?

There is a thoughtful pause, broken only by the distant sounds of chatter from the bar behind them, and then he draws in a breath. "He's right, but there's more to it. It's not merely for my benefit, though admittedly thus far I've been rather unfortunate in that area. But...the three of us assembled here know better than nearly anyone on his fleet that safety is never a guarantee. Simply because the Atroma have not directly meddled with us doesn't mean that they cannot. Crowley being here at all makes that a certainty. I - no, we - have lost more than enough over the last few years."

Felix leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "Let me be clear. This spell is merely a safety net - not a leash. It cannot take more than you choose to give to it and I would never give either of us that kind of power." The sentence cuts off sharply, before he nearly says the word 'again', his words beginning to come out more quickly as the agitation creeps into his voice. He steadies himself with another breath. "I hope you can trust when I say I would prefer death over the alternatives."

He leaned back again, before continuing. "Logistically, it made the most most sense to do it this way. It's not a trinket that can be lost, broken, or stolen. It's easily hidden and undetectable to anyone not looking for it. Far more reliable that the chance that our communicators might be at hand and working if the worst should happen."

The worst, of course, was relative. A kidnapping was terrible but possible to deal with. It could not stand up to the potential hole it would rip in either one of them if, say, one were to leave before the other. Or, if one left and came back with no memory of the other. "And," he adds softly, eyes cast down towards the table, "I suppose it matters as a symbol. A reminder of all our history that I would not wash away for anything."

[onlyanapple]

Crowley listens to Felix, but his eyes remain on Allen, watching his reaction, trying to gauge it. He knows most of Felix's reasons already, after all. They've hashed it out before. He wants to see what Allen thinks, because if there's anyone's opinion that Crowley can always rely on- that he will always seek out, it's Allen's. Faith isn't something the demon practises, but he has the closest thing to that in Allen. Allen won't sugar coat it, he won't tell Crowley what he wants to hear. His opinion will be honest and from the heart.

His opinion matters.

Crowley wasn't expecting the last part. It's an honesty he rarely hears from Felix. Their relationship is something of an open secret. Neither of them hide it, but neither really speak much about it unprompted, either. Crowley, out of the two of them, is more inclined towards talking about it to anyone outside of the two of them. To hear Felix talk about it so openly to someone he doesn't know that well. It's...something. The smallest of smiles crosses the demon's face. More gentle than his usual smirk.

"...Yeah. That too."

[save_the_souls]

Allen keeps his poker face up as he listens to Felix's reasons, assessing them carefully. Allen acted friendly and kind towards most people he met, but truth be told? He wasn't trusting fellow. It takes awhile for people to work past the mask and walls he built up over the years. This statement rung even more true when it came to matters that'd affect those he considered family.

When Felix and Crowley are done speaking, there's a pause as he finishes sorting out his thoughts. As if he was going through each thing Felix said, line by line, and assessing their validity. How much he could believe them.

The last part was a nice touch though, but it's probably the rest that convinces him. Finally, he opens his mouth to speak.

"...All right." He gives a little nod. "It's not a path I would choose to take for myself, but I can help you two follow yours."

[lord_wizard]

Felix found it difficult to lie. He avoided, obfuscated, and stretched the truth sometimes, sure, but when it came to lying for his own benefit it was never something he could do with a straight face. Malkar had seen to it that he always answered the question asked, but it was also true that he was tired of lies, and to respond to a genuine request for his reasons was impossible to meet with anything but honesty. Still not entirely unvarnished, true, but as complete as he could muster in the face of his own fear.

Allen was an unknown, but Crowley trusted him - probably far more than any other person, and even if he had never gotten to understand exactly where that trust stemmed from, he'd been on the same side as Allen in many of the same battles that had left marks on them as a whole.

When he speaks, Felix relaxes, the rigid tension in his arms and shoulders dropping a few degrees, and he lets out the breath he'd unconsciously been holding.

"Thank you." And there was the most honest words he could offer, simple though they were.

[onlyanapple]

If pressed, not even Crowley would really be able to pinpoint the exact point in which Allen had earned his trust. It wasn't something he gave willingly - not out of any personality flaw, but simply by his nature of being a demon. A demon who trusted anyone was a demon that found themselves fucked over very quickly. Hell is Hell, after all.

He manages to play out casual gratitude well. Like he had utter faith that Allen would always say yes, because of course he would. That tiny niggling feeling of doubt does filter away though, and as casual as he looks, the relief is still there, if someone knew where to look. Which both Allen and Felix did.

"Cheers, Allen."

That's about as heartfelt as a thank you as he's getting, really.

[save_the_souls]

Allen smiles now at both of their reactions, feeling good to see them. Even if it's not direct, Allen knows that Crowley is thankful. Felix too, seems pretty sincere. It's a good thing, right?

"It's no trouble," and then, said a bit wistfully. "I just wish Ino was here for this. She would find this whole thing very romantic."

[lord_wizard]

"Ah...I'm not certain about that. This is mostly a matter of practicality," Felix said, though naturally he's betrayed by slightly widened eyes and the faint blush on his cheeks. It isn't quite a lie, because the utility of the spell was the reason he'd thought of doing this in the first place, but the practically was undermined by the reasons he'd already outlined. It seemed that every time he tried to resist acknowledging their bond, the more tightly he ended up clinging to it in another way.

[onlyanapple]

"Please don't say that. You might summon her here."

Crowley would have left it at that, really. The horrible dawning terror of a possible Ino. But then Felix reacted like that, and he really wouldn't be a demon worth his salt if he didn't troll a little. So, he leans forward, a wide grin across his face.

"Could you imagine how angry she'd be? Knowing after all this time of trying to get me to settle down, she actually missed it? There'd be no living with her."

Okay, so it's like 70% trolling and 30% being perfectly fine with what it seems to represent. He's been with Felix for a while, after all- no sense in pretending that wasn't the case. He's happy, and even if he and Felix don't exactly go around announcing their relationship to the universe all the live-long day, he isn't afraid to acknowledge it, either.

But he really does enjoy the trolling.

[save_the_souls]

Well well, it was interesting to see Felix get all embarrassed while Crowley simply trolled. He had expected Crowley to do the same as Felix. But perhaps he was much more comfortable than was worth getting embarrassed about for his own demonic dignity.

Good for him.

"I know. She'd throw a tantrum and make you repeat the ceremony, I'm sure."

He could see her doing it too. Quite easily. Oh he did miss her, quite a lot. He clears his throat and smiles.

"So what do you need me to do?"

[lord_wizard]

It doesn't escape him that this is a particular piece of nostalgia that he isn't quite privy to. He'd known Ino perhaps a fraction better than he does Allen, but even then it was fleeting, as things in the castle tended to be. It seems inappropriate to comment on something he was never a part of. Sacred ground, in a way, he has to business treading on.

Felix latches happily onto the segue, breathing another discrete sigh of relief.

"We've already booked time with the adjacent tattoo parlor and informed the artist of what we'd like to do. He's agreed to allow you to interact with the inks. The rest is up to you. I'm not quite sure what your, ah...process is?"

[onlyanapple]

Ino would be a nightmare for all of them. Felix should consider himself blessed to be on the periphery of it all, honestly. He could have a chance to escape from any Ino-related tornadoes.

"See? You hardly have to exert any effort at all."

Not as less as Crowley does but you know, expecting effort from Crowley is asking a bit much. They're lucky Felix is pro-active or literally nothing would be done ever.