Hello, everyone! after dealing with real life and the other nonsense of living, panny and i have decided to bring back war of change. give a round of applause. we’ve worked through all of the information and hopefully improved coherency and cohesion; however, tell us if we missed something. eventually, we’ll announce an event to celebrate the re-opening, so look out for information on that. -RAIDNE, THE HEAD ADMIN
From the moonless night, screams of terror and fear resound, spreading across the world and infecting the masses; however, those sleepless nights occurred years ago. A new era began with the fires of war, and with no end in sight, the residents of Selene Isle trudge through life, basking in the momentary peace. Despite their prayers for continued monotony and peace, a storm brews, stirred to life by the continued presence of Rapture and Wraith. And as we set our sights on the seemingly peace laden isle, we must ask: how shall this tale end?
As the years passed, the number of true pairs increased; however, they continued to live in the shadows, catering to the whims of the mundane. Seven Moons kept watch over them all, instructing them and assisting them, but for many, the attitudes and ideals of the organization were smoldering, suffocating. With Seven Moons and the mundanes, they could not grasp the freedom, the power dangling before their eyes. In the beginning, rebellion was a dream, a fantasy, a figment—developed by the repressed and carried forward due to the nature of humanity. No one expected the call to sound, and no one expected the call to be answered. However, it happened.
He'd been out since five in the evening, avoiding the potted windowsill gardens of the richer districts and lurking in dark corners to see if he could find the right kind of lowlife to swap money and stories with. And while he'd assumed himself prepared for most anything the city could throw at him, Aubert found himself huddled under one of the massive trees in Kuu Park. The sky had opened up at sundown, clouds rushing in over Selene from all sides and dragging a fierce seasonal storm with them, and, being both dressed in one of his favorite silk ties and his best dressed pants , Aubert had made a dash for the nearest covering. Not that flocking to large ungrounded landscape was a wise thing to do in a thunderstorm, but Aubert figured the odds of the tree getting struck were lower than the odds that he would soil his expensive attire.
The park was otherwise deserted, presumably because there were people who, unlike Aubert, actually kept up to date with the local weather reports. Not that he'd want anyone, especially those he wanted to impress, to see him cowering under the sweeping branches; standing on the exposed roots so his leather shoes didn't get soaked. Overhead the sharp rattle of the raindrops hitting the leaves kept him focused, thinking about how he'd manage to maneuver home, safely, dryly, through the storm. It was almost completely dark, the city lights reduced to broad halos in the downpour, and he didn't want to walk the streets too late. He hadn't found the proper protection yet, and his wallet had a few too many bills for him to feel comfortable on the streets. The rain wasn't letting up, though, and the scrawny man had begun to shiver in the cold.
To make matters worse, his glasses began to fog up from his own escaping body heat and it was all he could to keep from throwing them on the ground. But the outburst seemed too childish in his opinion and, instead, he slammed his fist into the coarse bark behind him, recoiling at the pain that shot up through his arm. Pitching forward, his arms shot out, trying to regain balance, but it was all in vain: he fell, face first into the muddy grass with a small yelp. So much for his clothes.
"One sixty eight.. one sixty nine.. damnit," Milo let out a frustrated breath and ran a hair through the sopping wet locks dripping down his face "Maybe I took a wrong turn or.. something." His whole body shivered in what he could only describe was a bleak feeling of doom. With rain this heavy it was bound to start thundering very soon and without the ability to see the lightning warnings he was beginning to feel the anxiety tensing under his skin.
Walking home from Nightshade had never been a problem before, people either helped him to a place he recognized near his own apartment or called him a taxi, but tonight he appeared to be having the worst luck. The last beeps signalling the depletion of his phone battery had rung out over half an hour before he had wound up lost in the rain, somewhere possibly near the residences but still unsure just exactly where he was.
Reaching out his arm to extend his cane further in front of him, Milo could hear as the rubber tip rolled through a shallow pool of water and he carefully stepped around it. Then up onto a curb, he soon met the squelch of wet grass and slowed to a halt. The sudden change in terrain didn't help him centre himself and give him some form of direction, he was beginning to feel quite miserable. Lifting his free hand to pull together the collar edges of his trench coat, Milo carefully tried to maneuver himself to a drier area. There had to be some form of shelter around, he had been walking for over an hour now and there was only so much uncovered land he could navigate before something had to give.
Suddenly, the feeling of his own cane hitting something solid but not hard had him barrelling into the handle, the rubber tip slipping in the dirt and flicking mud all over whatever he had knocked into. He found his bearings and lifted his cane, whipping the rubber end up into the air and whacking it back down onto the object in his way, resulting in the thud of cane and rubber hitting what could only be a wet, fabric covered body.
"Oh!" he yelped, realising that whoever he had hit must be in some kind of jeopardy laying on the ground in this weather "Are you all right? I'm terribly sorry, I didn't uh.. see you there."
He held his unfortunate position for what seemed like an eternity; lying face down in the muck and attempting to gauge his reaction when he finally decided to get up and out of the soggy grass. Before he could do any of this, though, something small and firm jabbed into his shoulder and he had only managed to raise his head before a small spray of mud splattered all over his face, glasses, and the still pristine, although damp, back of his collared button up. He swore, the mud in his mouth choking him so that his palms skidded through the swampy grass as he tried to right himself, only fall back into his original position. In these seconds, he'd been able to catch a glimpse of what, or rather who, had prodded him and, spitting out the offending earth, he scrambled into a tilted sitting position with,
"Who the hell do y--"
The words lapsed into a cry of pain as the strange man with the cane brought down that horrid, rubber end down directly onto his crouch. Doubling over into a fetal position, teeth gritted, and voice cracking, Aubert could only manage,
"What the hell? What the fucking hell?"
"Oh!" the stranger said suddenly, "Are you all right? I'm terribly sorry, I didn't uh.. see you there"
Aubert, who had been rocking back and forth on the ground and hissing various profanities through his teeth, looked up at the stranger again, his fleshy ears falling flat against his wet hair.
"Didn't see me? Didn't see me?," his voice was still strained from the blow, its usual whine sharper, "How is the hell could you not-- Oh."
It was then he noticed the specificities of the instrument the man had whacked him with: the pale color with variations in size and length for retractibility, the rounded rubber tip for locating large obstacles, and the angle that he held it at, out in front like an arm feeling through the dark. Aubert swallowed, breathing even now, and scrambled to his feet, using the roots and tree to steady himself.
"Sorry, um... I didn't know-- I... are you...?"
He'd never encountered a blind person before, or, at least, he'd never been old enough that he'd had to interact with them. There had been two clients of his father, two women with skin like smoke and filed teeth, who'd been blind and requested a nondescript order short notice. Aubert had only been six, his fingers imprinted with the edge of the counter as he struggled to peek over it at them, and had asked why they both wore such odd colored glasses indoors. His father had smacked the back of his head and apologized, dragging the inquisitive boy into the back room, but later, as weighing and price was being discussed, the larger, softer woman found him.
"You wanna see, kid, what the glasses is for?"
He'd been terrified but nodded out of politeness. Then the woman knelt down and slowly removed her frames to reveal blanched, empty sockets where her eyes should have been. Aubert had pissed himself and run out of the store with a scream so sharp and terrified the neighbors called later to see if anyone had been murdered.
The memory irritated him even now; made him feel sick and small with the rain coming down with a low hum, like static. He was embarrassed for the blind man, embarrassed that he'd almost chewed out the blind man, and embarrassed that he'd been crotch shotted by a blind man.
"Well, uh..." he swallowed again, his voice twisting into an exasperated anger, "Why are you even out here in the first place? Isn't that incredibly dangerous for some like you?"
Frowning slightly at the expletives shouted in his direction, Milo couldn't help but feel utterly guilty about the whole situation. It didn't mean that a person laying on the muddy ground under a barely there shade wasn't peculiar, but if he had known it was an actual human being and not just a foreign object, he would have at least asked questions before swinging.
Milo could hear the exact moment the other man realised what the problem was and was very still as he heard his tone chance so completely. Of course, this was something he was very used to. It was hard to blame a blind guy for trying, really, even if he did sack-tap you with his cane.
"Well, uh..." Milo tried to hide his curiosity because, well, he should at least try and not make the guy feel any more awkward, "Why are you even out here in the first place? Isn't that incredibly dangerous for some like you?"
The other man had a point, a very good one actually.
"I'm lost, I think," started Milo, his gaze falling around him out of habit, something he was still trying to stop doing "I don't usually walk around alone like this.. I mean this far from the places I know and remember directions from." Lifting his gaze to the area he now heard the other man's voice coming from, Milo attempted a half-smile to make the other feel less uneasy. Though, he could only imagine what good it could do coming from the soaking sightless.
Taking a step backwards, Milo attempted to give the stranger some space so he could get up when he was ready. Figuring he had already gotten himself into enough trouble by giving the man a gentle beating, Milo was determined to try and not anger him further. Though, how much of that wish was in his control was yet to be seen.
"Why are you out here? I get that it's weird seeing a blind guy running around but from what I can figure, you're either in some kind of trouble and unable to get up, or you're perfectly able and rolling in the mud for fun."
Tucking his cane against his side, Milo ducked his head slightly "Ah, sorry, I'm being really rude. I apologise for hitting you with my cane. Are you okay or do I need to voice-dial for an ambulance?"
"I'm lost... I don't usually walk around alone like this.. I mean this far from the places I know and remember directions from."
Aubert had been clearing the mud from his glasses with the semi-damp handkerchief that he'd stuffed in his back pocket for such occasions, but he looked up making eye contact with the dead eyes of the stranger. The jittery sensation hadn't passed from his legs or his shaking hands; he was still uneasy about dealing with this blind person, especially since his introduction had been both painful and humiliating. But now something curious and shadowy sparked in his eyes.
"Lost? Who, exactly, do you keep company with that let's you wander off on your own?" Overhead lightening darted, searing through the dark clouds like a network of tree roots. Aubert looked up through the massive branches with concern, "That seems like negligence on their part."
A faint growl of thunder, tailing the lightening too closely for comfort, caught Aubert off guard, his stunted tail stiffening, but he managed,
"I'm not in any distress, I was simply trying to keep my, uh--"
He blushed slightly, the ridiculousness of his motive becoming apparent. Aubert didn't know who this man was, but he was collected enough to at least be someone of import. What intrigued Aubert, though, was the long, ugly scar running across his nose, like a bridge between his horrendous, blank eyes. It told Aubert that he had enemies and that he blindness was neither hereditary nor an accident.
"I was waiting for someone, but I doubt they'll end up honoring our meeting what with the weather. And, uh, about the, er, incident, don't bother. I'm fine, just taking it all in."
This was no ordinary civilian, Aubert was certain and he was determined to find out his value, which would mean shoving his anger and agitation into the deepest parts of himself. But it would also mean holding open his doors and licking his boots, so to speak.
"You should forgive my rudeness, as well, though. I was a little brusque back there," He smiled, forgetting again that the man was blind, "But, if you have a phone on hand, why don't you just call someone for assistance?"
milo jones (how'd you get all that... IN THME JEANS?)
"Lost? Who, exactly, do you keep company with that let's you wander off on your own?"
Tugging the collar of his trench coat forward a little to keep his hair from dripping down the back of his neck, Milo lifted his shoulders in a half-assed motion. "It's not like I have a keeper or anything," he sighed gently and though over just how to word it without sounding frustrated, "Usually my meetings don't run so late, most of the time people like to offer to walk me back. It's harder to memorize the way when you have someone chatting to you for the entire walk."
Haine was really the only person who was willing to help him out with getting home, everyone else in Rapture seemed preoccupied with making jokes and underestimating his worth to really offer him any help. Due to the meeting running late she had been forced to stick around and do some paper work for the bar - payroll or something. Apologies had followed him out the door but he hadn't been concerned about his own well being, assuming he could easily find his way back home without any trouble like this being caused.
A sudden break in the silence filled with the deep rolling of thunder had Milo flinch and raise his head to the sky, his calm expression faltering slightly and his hands clenching in his sleeves. Happy to be out of the rain, but certainly not content being stuck in the terrible storm, Milo was more than a little tense while facing his current situation. The soft grey ears on his head folded back in distress, he was aware that he wasn't disguising this particular problem well at all. If he had known that it was going to rain so heavily he would have caught a cab and that would have been the end of it. Sadly, no one at Nightshade knew he was frightened by the interrupting thunder so he'd been given no warning.
"I would have eventually," he started, his sightless gaze making contact with the area the stranger's voice had come from, "I was just seeing if I could do it myself, but then it got harder to figure out where I was and taxi drivers don't have a lot of patience for picking people up from undisclosed locations. You're the first person I've, uh, bumped into."
Reaching his hand out to force his tensed body back into motion, Milo gave the stranger a polite smile and introduced himself "The name's Milo by the way." Feeling slightly apprehensive about having to leave the area he was in while still being just as clueless, Milo closed his eyes for a long second and then opened to remain focussed on the stranger. "And uh, could you possibly tell me where the hell I am?"
"Shit, I totally didn't think-- Sorry, I'm apparently not the quickest on the uptake in these sorts of situations. But, uh, yes. I'm Aubert and you're in Kuu Park, under a tree near the central fountain and..."
He squinted through the downpour, trying to locate any other helpful landmarks, but, after a moment's reflection, decided that there was nothing substantial to offer Milo. Besides, he wanted to stall a conversation out of the man; ambiguity would be his greatest ally. With a slight shudder, he shook the extended hand, letting go as soon as he felt he'd honored the custom. Then he wiped his hand on one of the unmuddied patches of his slacks. The blind man stared at him a lot for someone who was blind and it was beginning to get to him. Aubert distracted himself with the rest of Milo's body language and noticed that he'd stiffened considerably.
A sore spot of some kind, maybe in having to ask for his location? Maybe it was the rain? But no, Milo hadn't seemed closed off prior to--
Another roll of thunder, closer still, echoing across the swampy lawns and overflowing water features. Aubert's eyes lit up.
"Anything wrong?" he feigned naivety poorly, "That is, besides the present circumstances we've found ourselves in?"
Across a nearby sidewalk, a large dog was nosing about in the bushes with the quizzical concentration of all large and forgetful animals. Dark fur, dark eyes, and ears like geometry 101 triangle; she was the stray of most children's daydreams. Aubert swallowed, hoping the creature wasn't diseased or looking for someone to slobber on. The tree seemed a less desirable setting for his subtle interrogation-- if it had ever been a desirable setting for it in the first place.
"If you need someone to get you home, I could help out," he blurted, eyes still following the frustrated animal, "Or, if that makes you uncomfortable, I could get you to a street corner or--" his eye fell on Milo's dead ones and Aubert decided he much preferred the potentially savage animal, "Something." The lightning was casting short shadows now, closing the distance between its bursts of burning light and the park; thunder dragging its heavy body behind to shake the tenderest leaves from their branches.
milo jones (YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THAT BIG, FAT BUTT--)
"I'm Aubert and you're in Kuu Park, under a tree near the central fountain and..."
Ah, so he hadn't wondered too far away at least, just probably pulled a loop around the neighbourhood before finally bumping into Aubert. Suddenly his little gallivant was started to make a lot more sense. He wondered how strange this situation must seem to the other man. Milo was sure things like this didn't happen to 'normal' people all that often. There weren't many days since the accident that he could recall where he didn't bump into at least one person accidentally and have to apologise for his sightless indiscretion, but he had never been a particularly clumsy person before it.
"Thank you," he gave the other man a grateful grin and ducked his head, a harmless habit he had when being introduced, "Nice to put a name to the voice."
Though his expression had smoothed to a vacant calm, his ears betrayed the unease that he felt about being surrounded by the drum roll of thunder. It was not something he had been particularly bothered by when he had his sight, but now that he couldn't tell the sounds were coming - even with the helpful smell of rain on the horizon - he had built up a wariness of the oncoming weather. "It's nothing," he began, waving his hand as though he were brushing the question away, "The weather just keeps becoming more and more unpleasant."
Milo was not one to openly admit his problems to just anyone, even of one of the big ones was practically written across his face for the world to see.
At the sudden offer to be helped finding his way home, Milo squinted into the darkness as though searching blindly for some kind of trick. It wasn’t as though Aubert had done anything to make Milo suspicious of his intentions, it was just that Milo didn’t trust very easily these days and he found himself suspecting everyone he met of ulterior motives. Thinking he might be just a little out of his depth at this point, Milo decided to let go of the reigns a little and take the help offered.
“Actually, if you don’t mind too much, I would appreciate some help getting out of the rain,” he lifted his hand out and stepped back out into the uncovered sky, feeling the slosh of his boots in the mud and his hand become drenched again with the large splatters of rain “We should probably get you cleaned up as well. We can go to my home if you aren't too bothered, that way I could at least dry your clothes for you if needed. I have an apartment a couple of blocks from here.”
Assuming Aubert would begin walking in the right direction towards Elatha's Dwelling or somewhere else he felt more comfortable changing his clothes, Milo waited for the other man to make up his mind.
@umber ten, ten, ten, twenties on ya titties bitch.
"The weather just keeps becoming more and more unpleasant."
The animal had noticed the two men by now and had raised its head to survey them with the same wariness Aubert had directed towards it. The young man could feel the tiny hairs on the back of his neck rise, his ears flatten, and his stumpy tail tuck. He tried to keep the fear out of his voice as he spoke,
"Admittedly. The rain's terrible as is but the thunder..."
He glanced back at Milo, trying to read his facial features while avoid his clouded eyes. It had to be the thunder; after all lightning would have little effect on someone who was unable to be stunned by the sharp flashes as it plowed, deadly and pointedly, through the sky. Loud noises, though, were a rational phobia for someone who relied on their five remaining senses. If not for the dog, Aubert would have felt tickled by the discovery; obvious as it was.
“Actually, if you don’t mind too much, I would appreciate some help getting out of the rain."
Nodding, again forgetful of Milo's inability to see him, Aubert scanned the park again. Still empty apart from the dog who'd lost interest in the mostly motionless duo. It would have been an ideal moment to set out but for the growing rage of the storm.
"We should probably get you cleaned up as well. We can go to my home if you aren't too bothered, that way I could at least dry your clothes for you if needed. I have an apartment a couple of blocks from here.”
This time the weight of Milo's words settled on him and he looked down at his ruined outfit. It would be nice to distance himself from the dripping branches and near freezing air. Plus, depending on what washing system Milo used he could salvage his slacks, having long since given up on the tie and shirt. His socks too. Maybe even his undergarments considering--
His eyes widened suddenly as another burst of thunder swept through the park. Was this stranger propositioning him for... sex? Aubert swallowed and fiddled with his tie, the strip of clothe seemed too tight, too urgent. He pulled it from his collar and wrenched open the top button, sucking in air like he'd come up from drowning. It was likely that he was misinterpreting the suggestion but, since his sexual "experiences" were limited to the few pornographic videos he'd forced himself to watch, it didn't seem too implausible. Strangers who offered warmth and nakedness--
Milo still had his ears and was perhaps just as desperate to shed their unfortunate connotations considering his age and gender...
You're reading too much into this, Aubert, he's got to be making suggestions because he's blind and it wouldn't matter whether you were naked or not. Don't be desperate. Who even knows what he's been up to or why he got his face sliced up? Fraternizing with him is, most likely, unwise and--
"I-- would... I," he could feel the flush rise in his cheeks and tried to busy himself with being repulsed by Milo's awful eyes, "That sounds like a suitable plan to me."
Mind tripping over itself, he felt as if he were going to vomit again and tried to push the vile and panic back into himself. Exploiting the man for information had faded into after thought. The dog and the storm and his soiled work wear, all of it had merged into the white hot thrum of his terrified and excited thoughts. He tried to calm himself down and ended up coughing loudly.
"Let's, er, get going," he managed, and bolted from under the tree, only to remember that he was supposed to be guiding the blind man and rushed back, grabbing his hand roughly, "Uh sorry, I--" he let go of the man's hands with the same urgency, "How do you want to proceed, um, logistically how would you prefer to be guided?"
Impeccable, you moron. You sound like a child or like a friend hungry, suspicious little sponge.
It was only moment or so before Milo could hear his company's footsteps drawing away from him, and though he was prepared to follow Aubert like that until the rain made it too hard to hear him, he couldn't help but feel more that a little grateful when the other man came back.
"How do you want to proceed, um, logistically how would you prefer to be guided?"
Milo couldn't help but smile at this, the other man was so clearly out of his depth at this point and although Milo was used to these kinds of awkward interactions, he couldn't help but feel for the guy. Reaching his hand out toward the other man, Milo grasped at the damp fabric on his sleeve and gently tugged on it to make sure it was strong enough to be a guide indicator.
"If you don't mind me holding onto you like this, you can just lead the way to Elatha's Dwelling and I should know my way from there-" Suddenly, Milo was interrupted by the hard, loud patter of hail falling on and around the two of them, too heavy for the tree to protect them from "Well, this is perfect. Uh, do you want to wait this out or...?"
Between the loud clash of thunder and the echoing sound of the icy droplets pouring all over them and their surroundings, Milo felt just about fed up by the whole thing. Hadn't he already suffered enough? Another clash had him physically flinch and shift to pull himself further inside his trench coat, though the fabric was doing nothing to keep his clothes dry now.
Milo released Aubert's sleeve, assuming that the hail would deter them from walking just yet, and figuring that it wouldn't really matter if they got soaked any more than they already had. Milo just really wanted a warm cup of something to make this seem like less of a hassle. "At this point, I don't think we need to be in a real rush, and although my apartment is pretty close, we're soaked nonetheless."
@umber i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i have to rush off but this is all i've written so this will have to do. /is actually poop
Aubert had to close his eyes, counting to six while he held his breath in his mouth, as the blind man closed his hand around the loose fabric of the button up. Every instinct that drove the young heir was demanding he shove the weather-soiled hand away from the expensive shirt and the sensitive skin that lay underneath it. Of course, he knew the garment was ruined, but the lingering weight of the fingers and their impropriety kept throwing him off. He'd gotten too far with Milo to let his pretentiousness muck up his efforts.
The impulse contained to a slight winced, he ducked, blind stranger in tow, back under the tree. The hail was small, nothing that would leave anything more than a few sore spots and tiny welts on their exposed skin, but Aubert couldn't quite force himself out into a veil of rapidly descending chunks of ice. That would be tempting his self control beyond what he could withstand, and he had resolved to not display any more weakness around Milo than he had already let slip.
Glancing back at his new, however shallow, acquaintance, Aubert was surprised to find the man smiling. Ire bubbled into his mouth but he swallowed the stinging string of words.
What do you have to be smiling about?
There was nothing to be glad of. The personal calamities of the day kept stacking up against him and, while the prospect of finally shedding his self instated badges of "childhood" was exciting, Aubert felt the expression grate at him even after it disappeared from the man's face.
"Well, this is perfect. Uh, do you want to wait this out or...?"
Another peel of thunder and Aubert caught Milo's frightening retreat into his thick, but soaking, trench coat. Had there been any tenderness in him, the spoiled young man might have attempted to sooth the blind man with a few broken words, but Aubert merely felt the cogs and gears of his scheming shift and grind in his mind. Taking in the physical signals of the blind man's fear was second nature and, after being presented with a few solid examples, Aubert felt he had Milo's tinges and flinches memorized. He wondered what else the man feared beside thunder. Knives, maybe? After all his hideous eyes and the long, angry scar on his nose...
Milo let go of his sleeve-- Aubert felt his shoulders drop with relief-- and then said,
"At this point, I don't think we need to be in a real rush, and although my apartment is pretty close, we're soaked nonetheless."
"Agreed. Though, I'm not opposed to--" Aubert sneezed suddenly, the force of the unexpected action causing him to stumble a set backwards and pause, as if bewildered as to what had just happened, "Erm, excuse me?"
A slow recovery, still laced with confusion. Was he becoming ill from these few minutes of exposure? How ridiculous he must look, standing under the ancient tree with his hands half way to his face and a string of snot dangling precariously from his left nostril. At least Milo couldn't see him, which, despite the blind man's awful dead eyes, seemed to be Aubert's only grace for the day.
"I think I'm coming down with something or starting to approach susceptibility to, er, something," his eyes wandered to the bushes and found that the dog had fled elsewhere, "I think, if we run fast enough we can maybe avoid getting too torn up by the hail and, well, be done with the whole ordeal."
The thunder interjected, now an overhead roar of the heavens and even Aubert flinched.
"Best to make it quick, like pulling off the metaphorical bandage."
milo jones HOW DARE YOU. HOW DARE YOU BE BUSY. UGH. I. HATE. EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU.
Milo could hear the sharp intake of breath before Aubert sneezed, he took a short step back just in case he'd been in the firing line and then realised how odd the action must have looked to the other man if he wasn't.
"Erm, excuse me?"
Milo almost laughed, the man sounded surprised, like the action had completely unwarranted and his body had betrayed him by letting it slip. This man was quite odd in Milo's decisive opinion, and though he'd greeted the man in a rather ridiculously embarrassing fashion, his reactions since had also seemed quite unusual. Milo could only imagine what else there was to learn about the apparently quite helpful individual.
"Bless you."
Moving his hand inside his trench coat to pull a small packet of tissues from the breast pocket of his shirt, Milo held them out for his companion to take from, only feeling a few drops of water land on the soft packaging in the process. It wasn't so much that he was worried about catching anything, he just wondered why he should have to get sick as well, if that was Aubert's fate. It didn't seem like a completely fair situation, but so far his life didn't feel particularly inclined toward fairness anyway.
"I think, if we run fast enough we can maybe avoid getting too torn up by the hail and, well, be done with the whole ordeal."
Milo raised and lowered his head in an affirmative action before verbally agreeing with Aubert, he honestly couldn't wait to get out of the torrential weather. All in all, he wasn't sure if the situation was better or worse without his sight, of course he couldn't see the clouds coming with warning about the storm, but he had smelled the heavy dampness all day and come to the conclusion that the weather would turn soon enough.
Not being able to see made things quite hard, of course, but visibility was a problem for everyone in weather like this, so he almost felt like everyone was closer to his level when the weather was like this. Did that make the situation easier though? It didn't seem so, no. Especially as Aubert began to talk again but was interrupted by a roar of thunder so loud that Milo snapped his clouded eyes toward the sky, almost convinced he would be able to see the lightening that would surely follow.
"Best to make it quick, like pulling off the metaphorical bandage."
Without a clear indication that Aubert had been made to feel uncomfortable with his last following tactic, Milo grabbed onto the other's arm firmly now and nodded toward what he assumed was the edge of their shelter. "All right, go ahead," he muttered, tapping his thumb against his companion's sleeve in a motion he hoped felt like encouragement "Once we're on even ground, you can just tell me where to step. It's just.. for now I'd prefer not slipping in the mud, you sound pretty miserable."
A short, pitiful attempt at a laugh broke from between his lips suddenly as he took a step toward the harsh rain "When we get to my place, I'll make this all up to you, I swear."
The blind man's hands went into his coat, emerging with a small packet of tissues, which he extended towards Aubert. The latter peered at the gesture of good will for half a beat, attempting to calculate the intentions behind it, before plucking a single, now slightly wet, sheet from the top of the stack. He shot Milo another calculating glancing, as if the man's dead expression would spark back to life once his guard was down, before turning his back to him and blowing his nose as unobtrusively as possible. Crumpling the tissue in his hands he glanced around, yet again for onlookers or signs of life from Milo's eyes, and then tossed the trash over his shoulder.
"Thank you."
The chasm of silence between them was occupied only by the downpour and the occasional screech of tires in the distance. Aubert found that he was fidgeting, scrapping his muddied shoes against his ankles for want of action to take or falsehoods to spin. Milo's agreement to the proposition only agitated him further and he felt his stomach flip as the man grabbed onto his arm fully this time.
This second round of contact proved too intense and sudden for him, though, and this time his arm wrenched itself away from the other man's grip before Aubert could quash the reaction. A hasty apology,
"Sorry, not used to being-- well... Sorry."
Clearing his throat, he reached out for Milo's hand and guided it back towards him, this time setting it on his shoulder. The tension was thick and Aubert patted the top of Milo's fingers; a hazard to break it that ended up spreading another layer of awkwardness.
"All right, go ahead," Milo said, barely audible abobe the storm, "Once we're on even ground, you can just tell me where to step. It's just.. for now I'd prefer not slipping in the mud, you sound pretty miserable."
Aubert steadied his nerves with an inhale and, while the effect was lost after a few seconds, took off from under the make-shift shelter at a brisk walk. Outright running was out of the question; even without the blind man's reliance on Aubert's own shoddy vision, the heir could hardly break a slow jog without panting. He knew that this speed would leave him winded by the time they reached the street running along side the park.
Fuck keeping up appearances, he thought with his usual paranoid bitterness, he's not some pinnacle of health and I don't have to be either. I could leave him right here if I wanted to, let lightning strike him. He doesn't have any right to judge me or--
Just then Milo laughed and Aubert thought of his ghostly eyes turning in on themselves to become vacuous mouths from which the noise came. "When we get to my place, I'll make this all up to you, I swear."
Aubert's rampant imagination took off again, a twinge of blood rushing to his cheeks, and he had to focus on his footing to keep himself from disappearing inside the possibilities of the promise. His naked tail curled and twitched in a mixture of anxiety and sickening anticipation.
"No need. I mean, unless you want to," he kept his eyes ahead, reaching up with his free hand to wiped the rain off his lenses, "I wasn't going to leave you stranded there."
Yes, remember your intentions, you've got to get something out of him. Information'll be worth twice as much as you paid for this outfit.
"What kind of person would I be if I did something like that?"
While Milo's eyes were gruesome, Aubert had become grateful that the man could not see his facial expressions-- his shifting eyes and forced grin. Perhaps it was just another endurable blessing that the man was blind.
His feet struck pavement and he paused, sucking in large mouthfuls of air from the physical strain. It was often astonishing, even to himself, how lacking he was in fields of athleticism.
"N.. Not far from here," he huffed, gesturing in vain towards the the large apartment complex that towered over the surrounding buildings.
tagged: milo jones notes: a tiny, squeaky smelly fart. a fart to nag all farts.
@umber
ball so hard...
