[And as promised, a good twenty or so minutes later, Lup's knocking at the door to Ephemera and Drake's place, dressed in a sundress, her newly chopped off hair styled with magic to keep it in place.]
[Ephemera isn't drunk when he greets her, the only concession he's made to appearing normal. Today he's been doing a whole lot of painting and little else, trying to clear his head. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. But he's starting to get itchy, his own thoughts too loud, and Drake is out.
It's good to have friends around, sometimes.
He gives her a little smile, wondering at the new haircut.]
[Nothing lately has made her feel like smiling, but it comes a little easier around Ephemera, especially as Lup raises a hand to her hair and messes with the new length.]
Right? Good for the friggin' heat too. I'm into it, I'm not complaining, but sometimes I miss how cool the old cave kept. [She slips inside with him, giving a quick eye around, noticing that Drake's nowhere to be seen.] You look good too. And Drake's kinda beefing up too, huh? I should start working to get yoked with the two of you.
[Ephemera whistles, stepping back to let her inside. In the beginning, Lup's intensity had been a lot to take. It's different now. He knows how to match it, how to move around her. Being around her feels like being back with his squad, the easy banter. The camaraderie.]
Hell yeah. He's coming back with a vengeance. And you know you love these guns.
[If Lup looked back and actually gave it any thought, she'd be surprised to realize just how long she's known Ephemera, the first person she ever really met in Hadriel. It makes sense given how comfortable they've become with each other, how integral a part of Lup's life he's become, but the actual hard numbers would be shocking. When has she ever had long-term friends outside of her little family group? When had anyone else in the rest of the world outside of them gotten in under her skin and taken a place so precious in her heart?
She trusts him more than anyone else she's met in Hadriel, knows that above everything else, he has her back.
So when he flexes? Lup laughs, for the first time in at least two weeks, before she's pulling back her arm and giving the man a playful punch to the shoulder. She's a spellcaster, it's pretty weak, but she's grinning either way.]
Y'know what? I'm in. New year, new me. I can keep up with the boys. No prob.
[Ephemera returns with the bottle and glasses because fuck you, he can totally be classy. He also tosses his sketchbook into Lup's lap.] Sketches. Then the vodka kicks in and my stories will automatically become awesome.
[Lup scoots to make room for the man, but once he's with her on the couch, she's leaning right into his side, balancing the sketchbook between their laps while she flips the cover open.]
[They've got vodka and good company. Whatever else is going on, that much is constant. Ephemera passes her drink over, settling in beside her.]
First place we went was wicked. Never seen anything like it.
[He's done several sketches of the landscape and temple. At first glance, it looks like a regular jungle. Plants, rocks, a long skyline. But then you start to notice that the plants, the dirt, everything natural is made up of sharp angles - no soft lines. Only the temple itself - something created - has curves. Everything else is sharp edges. Triangles. Lines converging in a point.]
[It's gorgeous, so much prettier than a photo could ever portray, the use of his strong line work and attention to the detail stunning in every sense of the word. He's gotten better, hasn't he? His work's always been bomb, but all this time spend in Hadriel sketching and painting away has only honed his talent.
Damn, she's impressed.
Lup's smart enough to not touch any of the lines of his work, but her fingers dance across the edge of each page while she flips, humming out in approval.] Yo never would guess a planet this hot could sustain a jungle like that. Shit. I'll have to get out and see it myself sometime. It looks bomb.
Anythin' cool in the temples? Or was it just, y'know, same-o Hope shit?
I know, right? I thought the stuff I saw back home was weird.
[Ephemera turns the page, showing her the next sketch. The interior of the temple isn't as interesting, but he's mapped it out nonetheless. Got Drake standing in the light, looking at the walls.]
[Even with her heart laid out broken and aching, it warms Lup a little to see Drake and Ephemera are still so happy together. She cares about them so much. For all the shit it took for the pair to finally get together, it means everything to her that they're good.]
Same old temple, but hot new boyfriend, am I right?
[Her weight falls a little heavier at his side, Lup's head resting against him, a hand shifting to curl around the man's arm. Ephemera is her most trusted friend in this place, even if they don't necessarily speak together in the same way that Drake can sometimes drag out of her. But his presence brings a comfort that Lup can't find anywhere but in her twin's arms lately.
Suddenly she just wants to talk, just needs to talk about it.]
Ephemera sighs. He understands Lup. Has since the beginning. She makes sense to him in a way that few people do. No matter how hard the universe tries to knock her down, she'll get right back up and scream in its face. It's not easy. It's never easy. But there she is. Always.]
[He's right, of course. She's heartbroken, but the world goes on. She'll pick herself up in time and figure it out. There's still way too many people relying on her for Lup to just curl up and cry over this forever. Things with Barry will get better. She has too much faith in their love after this long.]
Nah. I just... Just wanted to tell you. Maybe we could talk shit about other people? Or you can tell me more about your trip? I'unno. Anything else.
[He flips to a different page in the sketchbook, further back. There are a few different designs competing for space on the page. Variations on a theme. All of them are some version of a bear paw, or a ring of bear claws. Sometimes clutching a knife, sometimes not. The styles vary, going from stylized and blocky to as realistic as someone who's never seen a bear can manage.]
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lemme get real cute and ill be over
[And as promised, a good twenty or so minutes later, Lup's knocking at the door to Ephemera and Drake's place, dressed in a sundress, her newly chopped off hair styled with magic to keep it in place.]
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It's good to have friends around, sometimes.
He gives her a little smile, wondering at the new haircut.]
New look. Sexy.
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Right? Good for the friggin' heat too. I'm into it, I'm not complaining, but sometimes I miss how cool the old cave kept. [She slips inside with him, giving a quick eye around, noticing that Drake's nowhere to be seen.] You look good too. And Drake's kinda beefing up too, huh? I should start working to get yoked with the two of you.
You're makin' me feel inspired.
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Hell yeah. He's coming back with a vengeance. And you know you love these guns.
[He flexes playfully.]
You wanna train with us, that's cool.
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She trusts him more than anyone else she's met in Hadriel, knows that above everything else, he has her back.
So when he flexes? Lup laughs, for the first time in at least two weeks, before she's pulling back her arm and giving the man a playful punch to the shoulder. She's a spellcaster, it's pretty weak, but she's grinning either way.]
Y'know what? I'm in. New year, new me. I can keep up with the boys. No prob.
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Fuck yeah. I'm gonna teach you all my tricks. You're gonna be a monster. C'mon, this calls for alcohol.
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[While Ephemera gets the booze, Lup flops gracelessly on the couch, waiting for him.] So I get stories and sketches, right? Which first?
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Alright, let's see what you've got.
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First place we went was wicked. Never seen anything like it.
[He's done several sketches of the landscape and temple. At first glance, it looks like a regular jungle. Plants, rocks, a long skyline. But then you start to notice that the plants, the dirt, everything natural is made up of sharp angles - no soft lines. Only the temple itself - something created - has curves. Everything else is sharp edges. Triangles. Lines converging in a point.]
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Damn, she's impressed.
Lup's smart enough to not touch any of the lines of his work, but her fingers dance across the edge of each page while she flips, humming out in approval.] Yo never would guess a planet this hot could sustain a jungle like that. Shit. I'll have to get out and see it myself sometime. It looks bomb.
Anythin' cool in the temples? Or was it just, y'know, same-o Hope shit?
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[Ephemera turns the page, showing her the next sketch. The interior of the temple isn't as interesting, but he's mapped it out nonetheless. Got Drake standing in the light, looking at the walls.]
Same old, really. But, you know.
[It's Drake.]
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Same old temple, but hot new boyfriend, am I right?
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Yeah. He's something. Never get tired of seeing him.
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Suddenly she just wants to talk, just needs to talk about it.]
Barry and I had a bad fight. He left. Moved out.
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Are you okay?
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[Ephemera bumps their heads together gently.]
Anyone says that, I'll kick their ass.
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Mm, don't tempt me. I'd be all up for seeing you kick the whole world's ass right about now.
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[If it would help. If she asked.
Ephemera sighs. He understands Lup. Has since the beginning. She makes sense to him in a way that few people do. No matter how hard the universe tries to knock her down, she'll get right back up and scream in its face. It's not easy. It's never easy. But there she is. Always.]
You wanna talk about it?
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Nah. I just... Just wanted to tell you. Maybe we could talk shit about other people? Or you can tell me more about your trip? I'unno. Anything else.
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I'm thinking about a new tattoo. You wanna help me with designs?
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What, you trust me not to just draw a dick? I appreciate your faith in me.
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[Ephemera nudges her with his elbow.]
C'mon, I'll show you what I've got so far.
[He flips to a different page in the sketchbook, further back. There are a few different designs competing for space on the page. Variations on a theme. All of them are some version of a bear paw, or a ring of bear claws. Sometimes clutching a knife, sometimes not. The styles vary, going from stylized and blocky to as realistic as someone who's never seen a bear can manage.]
Drake has one on his arm. So.
[Ephemera huffs.]
....this ridiculously cheesy?
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Oh.
The grin she shoots him is as shit-eating as they come.] Ho. Ly. Shit. Babe, that's gay.
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