"...He told me that he'd killed you, and that you didn't see it coming. At
first. As we talked, it...became clearer that it was a decision you'd made
together."
"That was the plan." Rhys confirms, "I asked him to help me do it about a month ago-- He's always been pretty vocally positive about killing people and-- my warden this month seemed pretty attentive. He met up with me, I was pretty sure he'd bring me back..."
"...I understand why you did it. And I understand why you asked him to
help. After he recovered from the cold water I threw at him, we actually
had a...somewhat productive conversation."
Sorry Elijah, Rhys's whole face is crumpling in sympathy at that. Elijah might not have known how Betelgeuse reacts to water, but Rhys definitely does.
"And you managed to have a conversation with him afterwards?"
This is emphatic, even though this knows Elijah will have done it because it was the right thing to do, and not specifically for him,
"Yeah, he is-- pretty much the most emotionally volatile person I've ever met. He's just-- no one could see him or hear him for thousands of years, and I'm pretty sure he's just been getting sadder and angrier and more lonely, with no like-- touchstone for what a normal way to express that is, or how to deal with it, or where to direct it."
"So... does this mean you two are getting along now?" Rhys asks, smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "Sorry, I know that's the most selfish possible takeaway from this, but I think-- sometimes he's kind of jealous of you. It'd be really nice if you two felt okay with each other."
This is an absent sort of thought. Something he wouldn't bring up if he wasn't death tolling and they weren't talking about it, because it feels so crass to talk about how nice it would be for you if your boyfriends got along.
"Jealous?" This isn't a surprise in the larger sense - he knows he's an
extremely impressive human, thank you - but from Betelgeuse? Yes, a
little. "Why?"
"Pretty sure he thinks of you as my real boyfriend." Rhys answers, "Which, just to be clear - you definitely are. But not as a binary opposite to him. He's not an asshole about it, it's just-- a vibe I get."
Elijah has entertained some momentary insecurities along the same basic
lines - that Betelgeuse is the real boyfriend and he's the leftovers that
Rhys can't bring himself to break up with - but that's not something to say
right now. Or ever.
"He's a very different person when he's away from an audience. I think
we're...getting along."
The kind of person Betelgeuse is. Rhys was prepared for low stakes comedy sex with his horny murderer, not for forging a deep emotional bond with someone who hasn't had one of those in thousands of years.
"I'm glad. All his other friends are... " He doesn't want to say idiots, because Hange and Bill aren't idiots, but they are all sort of on the same terrible impulsive spectrum that Rhys is on, "...He'd just be lucky to know you. And-- I like that you get to know this guy who's in my life so much."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 08:31 pm (UTC)"...He told me that he'd killed you, and that you didn't see it coming. At first. As we talked, it...became clearer that it was a decision you'd made together."
He clears his throat.
"To deal with your shoulder, I'm assuming."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 08:51 pm (UTC)But obviously that's now how it worked out.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 09:00 pm (UTC)"Given that he hasn't yet responded to the alert that would have gone to his item, I assume he's in a coma or - otherwise unavailable."
You know. Vanished.
"I came in this morning, saw you in the coffin and found Betelgeuse unconscious under a table."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 09:11 pm (UTC)"Sorry you had to see me like that. The coffin was probably a bit-- like, morbid theatrical."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 09:16 pm (UTC)"You've seen me with worse."
Elijah strokes his hair back carefully.
"How are you feeling?"
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 09:29 pm (UTC)He lifts his hand to touch Elijah's wrist lightly, stroking his thumb over the back of his hand.
"I just feel like I could sleep for a week."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 09:38 pm (UTC)"That's for the best. You know you're welcome to stay with me while you're recovering."
Even that kind of exhaustion is hard to weather alone.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 09:57 pm (UTC)But he'd be more than happy to spend any intervening days half asleep in the other man's presence.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 10:00 pm (UTC)"That, you can take as read. And..."
He hesitates, but only for a moment.
"I'm glad I found out about this now, instead of in a few days."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 10:28 pm (UTC)"Yeah. If you did this and didn't tell me-- I guess I wouldn't exactly be delighted."
Worried if he was feeling generous, potentially-- kind of hurt, if Elijah was trying to hide something like this from him.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 10:30 pm (UTC)"...I understand why you did it. And I understand why you asked him to help. After he recovered from the cold water I threw at him, we actually had a...somewhat productive conversation."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 10:37 pm (UTC)Sorry Elijah, Rhys's whole face is crumpling in sympathy at that. Elijah might not have known how Betelgeuse reacts to water, but Rhys definitely does.
"And you managed to have a conversation with him afterwards?"
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 10:39 pm (UTC)"He had a panic attack. I talked him through it."
Because he definitely knows how that looks and feels, these days.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 11:15 pm (UTC)This is emphatic, even though this knows Elijah will have done it because it was the right thing to do, and not specifically for him,
"Yeah, he is-- pretty much the most emotionally volatile person I've ever met. He's just-- no one could see him or hear him for thousands of years, and I'm pretty sure he's just been getting sadder and angrier and more lonely, with no like-- touchstone for what a normal way to express that is, or how to deal with it, or where to direct it."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 11:24 pm (UTC)"Our talk...touched on that, actually," he says. "He was more forthcoming than expected. I won't say anything more about the exact details."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 11:59 pm (UTC)This is an absent sort of thought. Something he wouldn't bring up if he wasn't death tolling and they weren't talking about it, because it feels so crass to talk about how nice it would be for you if your boyfriends got along.
But it's still true. It would be nice.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 10:36 am (UTC)"Jealous?" This isn't a surprise in the larger sense - he knows he's an extremely impressive human, thank you - but from Betelgeuse? Yes, a little. "Why?"
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 11:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 11:48 am (UTC)"Ah."
Elijah has entertained some momentary insecurities along the same basic lines - that Betelgeuse is the real boyfriend and he's the leftovers that Rhys can't bring himself to break up with - but that's not something to say right now. Or ever.
"He's a very different person when he's away from an audience. I think we're...getting along."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 12:06 pm (UTC)The kind of person Betelgeuse is. Rhys was prepared for low stakes comedy sex with his horny murderer, not for forging a deep emotional bond with someone who hasn't had one of those in thousands of years.
"I'm glad. All his other friends are... " He doesn't want to say idiots, because Hange and Bill aren't idiots, but they are all sort of on the same terrible impulsive spectrum that Rhys is on, "...He'd just be lucky to know you. And-- I like that you get to know this guy who's in my life so much."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 12:09 pm (UTC)"I feel the same," he agrees. "Maybe the three of us should have dinner sometime? So we can....form a more mutual understanding."
That isn't a euphemism for anything, though he realises that Betelgeuse might take it as one if that's how he's told.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 12:15 pm (UTC)Pause. Then, because hope springs eternal:
"Unless you really got along with him."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 12:20 pm (UTC)Elijah just coughs out a laugh and indulges him because he's death tolling.
"It wasn't that long a conversation."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 12:29 pm (UTC)About wanting to sleep with Robots. Rhys has preferences.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 12:37 pm (UTC)"About fucking robots, on my first day here, only to be verbally attacked by Bill Cipher by having not been here long enough to earn the opportunity."
Yes, he remembers.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:TELL ME TO EDIT THE EMBARRASSING IMPLICATION OUT OF THIS TAG AND I WILL
From:NEVER
From:Re: NEVER
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: