ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ/ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ | time to get REALLY smashed

[sylphystia]

Who: Dezel and you
Broadcast: Yes
Action: Malum only.
When: Evening.

[audio;]

[The voice that graces the communicators isn't a frequent one. It's low and rough, belonging to a man who has lost something dear to him yet again. Even so, the consonants are clinical. He doesn't sound like the sort of guy who wastes time.]

For those who knew him, Sora's gone.

[He's checked every asteroid, the party, god, even some other ships. He came up empty. He runs his thumb invisibly over the wayfinder Sora made for him way back when-- a good luck charm for the seraph with incredibly bad luck.

There's never enough time.]

Maybe he'll be happy at home. Who knows.

[He doesn't know what else to add, so he just shuts off the feed and goes to work.]

[action; Malum]

[Even on his worst days, Dezel doesn't burn food. He works his shift but he lingers afterward with a few bottles of bootlegged wine. A lot of people can't see him so he sits out of the way, hoarding a whole table to himself. Sometimes the little glass moves by itself, if someone's looking. But most people just pretend they didn't see anything.

He drinks instead of serving for the first time in a while, and he doesn't taste a damn thing. It's adult time now. He can't afford to think of children.]

Comments

audio >> action

[monolike]

[Yeah...not like he was for Dezel, though. They acted almost like family.] I'm on my way.

[Once on the Iskaulit Sorey follows their connection over to Dezel.] Dezel?

[sylphystia]

[They basically were for a little while, and Dezel hates himself for it, because it left him open to this. But Sorey comes and he's a little bit like a balm for a seraph's broken heart. It's hard to be unhappy or angry when he's here at a moment's notice, freely offering whatever he can.

A part of Dezel always kinda hated that, too.

He meets Sorey outside of Málum and quietly leads him out of the main causeway so they won't be interrupted. When he's satisfied, he takes Sorey's hand-- something he doesn't do very much-- and presses something into his palm.

Five seashells tied into the shape of a star.]

He gave this to me on that ocean planet. Before it all started.

[It all started there, didn't it?]

I told him I was cursed and... he said a little extra luck couldn't hurt.

[monolike]

[Sorey turns the charm over in his hands; the pieces are lashed together with some kind of rough material, sturdy but pretty, the holes painstakingly drilled to make sure the shells wouldn't crack.]

Yeah...that sure sounds like him. [Sora didn't know how to be anything than bald-faced and sincere. Even more than Sorey, he's sure Sora could never tell someone something that wasn't the complete truth.

He holds the charm back out for Dezel to take.] It probably really is lucky, then, if he poured his prayers into it.

[sylphystia]

[Dezel takes the charm gently, like it isn't a thing but a baby bird. He tucks it back somewhere in his coat.]

Maybe. Maybe not. People don't make offerings to seraphim like me... but he did anyway, without even really knowing he was doing it.

[He takes in a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. It's hard to go back to the Huntress and miss the little whirring of maintenance bots. And his room still smells a little bit like teenage boy and all the snacks Dezel would sneak in for him after dinner.]

That's the kind of kid he was. He... reminded me of you, a little, sometimes. [He clears his throat.] A-anyway, that's all I have to show you.

[monolike]

Dezel... [Sorey reaches out to rest a hand on Dezel's arm, staying his hand after he shoves the charm back into his coat. He knows it doesn't come easily to Dezel to talk about things like this, to open up his heart about the things that make him vulnerable.

It's probably just as likely that Dezel saw some of Rose in Sora too, a child who, when he looked at them, they looked right back.]

Thank you for sharing that with me. I'm grateful.

[sylphystia]

[It isn't easy, but he's trying anyway. Sora's loss is still felt keenly on their ship and in Dezel's own heart. From now on, he can't depend on Sora to drag him outside. He has to make the attempt himself. If he doesn't reach out of his own accord, then he'll do it for the sweet kid who offered him prayers so selflessly-- who yelled at him to get over himself when otherwise the guilt would've swallowed him whole.

Yeah, Sora was a bit like Rose, too.

He doesn't flinch at the hand on his arm, though he uncurls his fist.] ... Thanks for listening.

[He doesn't really have any business asking favors of Sorey, but he knows it helps the Shepherd feel needed. Sorey likes helping his people. So Dezel finally swallows his trepidation and asks:]

Could you... help me find more shells like this?

[monolike]

[The number of times Dezel's asked Sorey for anything can be counted on one hand, so the shock on his face at Dezel's question is genuine. He's trying hard too, Sorey realizes, heart warming with the realization, and he can't hold back a beaming grin despite the circumstances of the request.]

Yeah- definitely, of course. Mikleo can help too, we always try to go diving now whenever there's an ocean.

[sylphystia]

[Sorey's face splits with a smile like a sunbeam, and it distracts Dezel so much (the wind, the wind) that he almost misses what the younger man says.]

It's hard for me to spot them. [For obvious reasons, he thinks. He's definitely feeling that smile though, kind of like he'd stepped outside without a jacket on, except the heat is on his face and not his arms.]

... What's with that look? It's not a big deal.

[monolike]

I know, [Sorey says, still grinning, because honestly he really can't stop. It's not just because it's Dezel (though that's a huge part of it), it's just that opportunities to help out his friends come by so seldomly that for Dezel to just up and ask is nearly a godsend.] I'm just really happy. I'm glad I can help you keep a piece of Sora here.

Maybe we could make a bunch of those, put them around the ship. Just in case.

[sylphystia]

[Aw, hell, Sorey just totally figured out what he wanted to do. He tucks his hat down more.]

... He would've liked that. They're for sailors, and that's... basically what we're doing.

[He clears his throat.]

Want to head back? [His shift was over hours ago.]

[monolike]

[To the Huntress, huh? Dezel had wanted some space, but...] Sure, Dezel. [Sorey taps his chest in invitation. Dezel can come out whenever he wants, but maybe...maybe it'll be easier this way.]