(CW: romance-genre typical dubious consent; nothing stronger than a pg movie)
"… You haven't left yet."
Aslazi stood in the doorway. He was sure Celkal would be gone by now -- he helped cem make some… machine, on directions from those who ci had been speaking to over the internet. Thankfully it wasn't a bomb, but it was a bit complex. He didn't want to watch him go. Not really. It would be… better, maybe, had there not been a chance for a proper goodbye.
Aslazi couldn't help himself. It was a trait he always wished he could curb, but… here he was. Watching as Celkal paced, needing to get just one last look at cem.
Celkal in cir short-lived tracks, turning to look at cir visitor.
"No, um -- I'm just… taking stock of things."
Aslazi smiled. Wasn't he there to do that as well. He walked into the room, and took a seat on the edge of Celkal's slab -- never one for the cocoons.
"Mmm. Taking it all in," he said with a laugh. He rested his elbow on his knee to prop up his head.
Celkal nodded firmly, before continuing cir trek.
Aslazi sighed sympathetically. "What's got you worried, Cel?"
Ci frowned, but ci said nothing.
"You'll be fine." Aslazi continued, "you look nice."
Celkal had cleaned up well. Cir hair looked as if it had been meticulously brushed -- at least, compared to the mess that it had been the last time Aslazi saw cem. It was a little frayed at the ends -- Aslazi figured that ci would have had to rip out some bits -- but it hung effortlessly onto the frames of cir glasses as if this was simply how ci always looked.
There was a small strain in his chest. He wished that he could've helped.
"I --," Celkal paused. "You think? It's not, uh… tacky."
"It's not tacky at all," he said, punctuating his words with a soft laugh. "I told you, it's the nicest thing you have….. The fans even agreed."
Celkal's face pinkened, a thick blush across cheeks, extending out to the tips of cir fins. Aslazi smiled. Ci was easy to fluster when ci was unprepared.
"I don't have fans," ci mumbled.
The outfit -- a button-up, dress pants, and a waistcoat -- had been tailored for some type of convention that saberFantasy had made an appearance at. Celkal had been worried about his safety, and had gone along as well. Aslazi was then worried about Celkal's safety, and tagged along too. It was highly public, so Celkal needed an image. They searched the human internet together for aesthetics until coming up with something that ci liked. It was a hassle to find a proper seamstress, one that wouldn't balk at cir sensibilities or specifications, Aslazi had to say it was very charming.
… The captions of the fanvideos that Aslazi had saved after the fact corroborated his opinion.
"What's really worrying you?" He asked. "They'll like you. I know they will."
Celkal looked to the ground, before meandering over to Aslazi and sitting down beside him. He hung his head. "I don't -- I don't know who they think I am, I'm not going to… I'm not going to save the world. I can't even…," ci paused. Aslazi waited. Ci broke up cir speech in strange ways.
"I can't even talk to anyone else. How am I supposed to… fix… things."
"Celkal… look at how much you've done for Vestri. How you've taken care of him." It was an angle that Aslazi knew ci valued. If ci had any self esteem rattling in there, it was cir job. "You give yourself the jurisdiction, and you can do anything, Cel."
"It's -- it's different! I have to be… real. I'm not -- they're going to know. They're going to know that I'm not…"
Aslazi drew in a breath. "Celkal," he said softly. "No, don't -- look at me, Celkal."
Celkal hesitantly met his eyes.
"Mm," he affirmed. Celkal nodded, and Aslazi continued, just as gentle, "Celkal. You don't have a choice."
"I --," ci tried to protest.
Cir eyes were wide -- big, yellow suns, accented with that rich fuschia colour that cir pupils grew into. Cir fins were stretched out, drooping down. Ci looked like some kind of beast, the kind that you could pick up in your hands. The kind that you could let inside your hive and keep.
Aslazi continued regardless. "You've been given an opportunity, Celkal."
Aslazi said his name like it was the last time that he'd be able to.
"You have a plan for when you die. Time is running out. You're going to offer yourself up the Condesce, and you're going to lose. She's more powerful than any of us can imagine. And you're going to die."
Celkal flinched away.
"You are going to send me to collect Vestri. They're not going to take them in, he's too high-profile -- hell, if they weren't, he's already tainted by society. He's useless to the cause. I'll go with him, of course. We'll try to hide somewhere. Maybe he can use his influence to get us someplace nice off-planet, but they'll be looking for him. We live for two sweeps at most. And then," Aslazi smiles, eyes closed, like the topic was particularly peaceful, "they will kill us."
"… I know."
Aslazi put a hand on Celkal's shoulder -- it brushed up to cir neck. Celkal looked back at him again.
"But if you go. If you go, Celkal -- this has to be what it's all for. This has to be your calling. You can save us, Cel -- I don't know what you're doing, but if it's as important as they're telling you. If the world is really ending. When you save us, you'll be free. They won't -- something has to change. And you'll be at the forefront."
Celkal's expression gradually softened. Ci looked less desolate, a shy, unsure smile managing to creep onto cir face. Aslazi couldn't show cir relief -- of course he knew it would help, Celkal must have thought -- but he felt it regardless.
"Everything will change, Celkal. I'm sure of it."
… He was sure of it.
He was. He meant it.
It had to change. And the change had been overdue for so long -- they'd been biding their time, but not everyone had the time to bide, and Aslazi always believed that if they just kept holding out hope… this day would come soon.
But there was the other side of the coin… despite how desperate Aslazi was for society to change, there were some things that he wished he could hold on to forever.
Aslazi did not know he was operating on bad information -- Celkal sincerely believed ci was recruited to subvert the apocalypse, not cause it. Neither party would learn this until far too late. Even still, Aslazi knew that he would never see his Celkal again.
Celkal would return, sure. He knew this with every fibre of his being. He meant every word that he had said -- this must be Celkal's purpose. This must be the plan that they were holding out for. And if anyone was charged with saving this wretched world, it could only be to reshape it -- it wasn't good for anything else, wasn't worth saving. And then… it would be everything that they dreamed about.
And Aslazi would be here. He would wait. And Celkal would not come back to him.
A bad Penelope he would have made. He supposed he had to settle for his lot as an Orpheus. He would be loyal to his last thread, sure, but Celkal's journey was not a homecoming. To leave was to step into the gates of hell. Maybe it wasn't -- maybe the threshold was the messages that Celkal was receiving.
The silence was calm, for a moment. Celkal did seem to be soothed -- ci looked into Aslazi's eyes, cir own stretched wide as ci took in his words.
"Celkal," Aslazi almost mumbled, his voice low, different. Here it was. He just couldn't help himself. "I -- before you go. I want a favour of you. Um… please?"
"I -- okay?" Celkal blinked. fins outstretching a bit, moving with cir microexpressions as ci pulled back cir cheeks in surprise. Celkal titled cir head slightly, but the hand on cir shoulder held cem there.
The hand glided up to cir cheek, gently cupping it, his thumb positioned to gently stroke cir fin. It felt different now, since it ripped, the scar tissue coming in smoothly -- small ridges overtop of the otherwise smooth tissue.
Aslazi could feel his heart beating faster. He felt -- lightheaded, almost, he fought to keep his breathing even, to not make a sound. A passing thought wondered if he was having some kind of heart attack. A quicker passing thought offered that having a heart attack wouldn't be so bad, if it was a consequence of this.
Aslazi guided Celkal closer.
He titled his head just a little. (Aslazi payed careful attention how they did on stage.)
And he put his mouth onto Celkal's.
An unplaceable moment of time passed.
Their mouths were pressed up against eachother.
… Something was supposed to happen?
Aslazi hadn't done this before. Celkal… hadn't done this before, he was sure. (Maybe Aslazi should've mentioned it to Syx or Teri… sure, he wasn't particularly like that, but at least they could direct him on something, at least it wouldn't have to be--)
Celkal parted first. Aslazi followed suit.
Celkal looked complicated. He didn't meet Aslazi's eyes. Cir mouth looked set into a firmly closed neutral expression, eyes seeming to be held wide with intent -- like ci was trying not to let a true expression show.
A pit formed in Aslazi's chest. In his throat. It was cold. He smiled, bringing his eyes to a close, before standing, and calmly walking to the door. As if it was fine. As if it wasn't over! As if he would see Celkal again. As if kissing him was -- as if it was good. As if this was good. As if Celkal could love him.
"… Az," Celkal almost squeaked out. "I'm sor --"
Ci quieted when Aslazi forced a laugh. He brought his chin to his chest, opening his eyes -- staring into the doorway.
"Don't keep them waiting, Celkal," he said flatly. He forced his voice to raise, mustering a smile. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
Fish interrogation time 🫵🐟 Patient requires fish to live. take your pick of 3, 5, 6, 14, 17, 19, or 30 (yeah i knowwwww its a lot you don't have to answer all of em im just nosy)
Also. perchance. 12, 18, 22 or 29 for My friend the basement ghost. if you please
This took a second because I have been busies :]
For Celkal:
3. Does your character have better mental health or dental health? (Anything that rhymes should be treated as a binary)
I don't know what seatroll teeth are like but anything is better than what ci's got going on up there. It's dire.
5. Your character is supposed to be at an event at 6. What time do they arrive?
This is kind of a cop-out because I control the Celkal but I log on at least an hour before events. Ci probably starts to show up to the venue at least 20-15 minutes before start time.
6. How does your character like to be treated on their birthday? Do they voice that expectation?
Hmm. I don't think Celkal has ever really done anything for cir birthday... on account of totally being kidnapped as a Troll Infant I don't think it's something ci really registers. Ci knows cer general age range because it's on papers but I'm not sure if cer actual hatch day is.
Ci kind of wants one. Cem and Vestri would probably do something together for his... Celkal Does not express wanting one.
14. Would anybody describe your character as dangerous? Would they be right?
Smiles. Smiles. Smiles.
Well It's not up to me. I'm not sure what the rest of the party thinks... however they would be kind of right. Celkal lashes out when ci is particularly angry or upset in ways that are very much a blindness from actually. Um. Thinking. #HeartPlayer.
Also ci is a minmaxxer. And sometimes what ci is minmaxxing is how to remove your head from your shoulders. NOT even cer fault. But ci is like chilling about it and not like... a threat. But it definitely could be construed this way.
17. Is your character more likely to make up an actual lie or just avoid telling the truth?
I was going to say avoid telling the truth but I forgot that cer whole thing is lying really really badly about cer blood colour. Oh my bad liar.
Well. It's easier to avoid telling the truth. But Celkal won't really shy away from lying if ci has to. Ci just doesn't like it. And is really bad at it.
19. Would your character rather have cake or steak? (Anything that rhymes should be treated as a binary)
CI STILL LIKES CAKE DESPITE IT ALL. It also depends if the steak was alchemize or not. My circumstantialVegan.
Aslazi the Basement Ghost:
12. Somebody asks your character which of two loved ones they would save in a hypothetical situation. How do they go about responding? With logic, or perhaps getting upset at the thought? Refusing to play along at all?
Most importantly Aslazi is kind of annoying and would probably try to logic out the situation where he can save both of them, actually. He doesn't reject the question because he has to beat the question. Because he is a well adjusted man.
He does have a list though. Obviously he saves Celkal first. If Celkal was removed from the equation it would be between his two friends he's normal about, but he would save Syxrim if it came down to it.
At current he doesn't have more than two friends he's normal about. He's now... even less normal about Celkal, so. But he wouldn't say he'd kill Fera to bring back either of his other friends, which would be the hypothetical would work.
18. Your character just set off the smoke alarm. What were they doing?
Nobody said he was actually good at cooking. Probably deep frying. I think he's always wanted to get good at it, especially because it's what Celkal would like. Ask for. And he had to drag himself out to the nearest Troll McDonalds or whatever.
22. Your character has just walked through the door of their home after work/school/etc. What's the very first thing they do?
Back when he had a routine, he would be the type of person to shower immediately before changing into house clothes, but then would write a journal/diary/day planner of sorts. However I think that he takes forever to shower because he is meticulously planning what he's going to write. And not moving. Until that's done. (And then he'd check on Celkal).
Now. Hmm. He doesn't go outside enough. Probably also writes a record of what he did. ... Off screen .
29. If your character has keys, what are they like? Do they have a lot of keychains or extra things on the ring? Many keys? Just one?
Again, before he died. But he would've had probably two set of keys, one just for the keys for personal rooms (himself and Celkal, probably had keys from his friends as well in case anything happened — Notably Celkal did not know he had cer key tho. Lol) and then just ones for building access around the complex. I think he'd probably have the keys painted so he could remember which was which... I think.
Funny answer is that he has a pokemon keychain. Not sure which... despite the fact that he's literally fused with an Applin it's not like. His first pick for Pokemon, it was a failed attempt at courting because of lore flavour text. I am tending towards Shinx but I'm not sure.
