[ and, right on cue, erenās car (and musicā slipknot) pull up in front of elliotās place with a few beeps. honestly, the conversation over helped ease some of the tension on his shoulders, but when he looks out of his window and sees the pitch-black background . . .
[It takes him a minute or two extra to get outside, because turns out it IS hard to pack a bag in less than 3 minutes, but he'll be coming out none the less. He makes a beeline straight for the car, opening the door and getting in. It's unsettling to be in that darkness alone alright]
[ a few minutes more is not a lot when youāre lost in thought, staring into literal blackness and wondering just what time it was, because he couldnāt see the moon or the stars. it probably shouldnāt have even been dark at this hour, normally, but here they were.
it almost feels like heās being whiplashed back into the past. he doesnāt even know who to fight.
elliot clicking the door open and shut again is what gets him to jerk back from his swarming thoughts, waiting for him to get settled in his seat before leaning over to give home a greeting kiss. he canāt seem to edge up a strong enough smile to shine through just yet, and lowers the noisy demon music. might as well be what heās feeling. but, vroom! ]
I wouldnāt leave you. Especially when you make a difference for me.
[ his presence helped more than anything, and erenās glad that elliot felt the same way. the steering wheelās all sweaty. the whole thing is . . . bad. ]
[He doesn't mind the noisy demon music, but he appreciates it being turned down so he doesn't have to yell over it. It's clear on Eren's expression he's unsettled by all this too. At least they were both on the same page on that regard.]
You make a difference for me too. [...] Why do you think they did this?
[ that should have made him feel more at ease, but for some reasonā it tightens his middle. donāt lose it now, he tells himself, trying to shove anything that wasnāt strong and secure in air and appearance. he was worried, and frightened, and angry, but he had to be in control either way. eren had to bring that security to him. ]
āThe final stages of the big projectā.
[ itās the first thing that comes to mind, and yesā eren does read those over and over enough to quote them off by heart. ]
That, or what they said about defenses. [ but his fingers tighten around the wheel, and he speeds just a tiny bit. theyāre going a different way from home. ] But how do we know if they donāt talk to us? How do we even know if this isnāt all just someā damn lie? Do they expect just a stay calm to work, like livestock?
[Honestly, Eren trying to be in control makes him worry more than anything else. He knows Eren too well, he knows the signs. The expression on his face, the fingers tight on the wheel, the harsher language, the speeding. In other word, Eren you're not great at keeping it calm.]
Hey. [He reaches over to touch Eren's arm] We're not livestock. Okay?
[He gives a little sigh] I-If anything, they remind me of my aunt and uncle. I really do think they think they know what's best for us, but ... aren't great at actually listening...
[ erenās sense of calm just be like. but wait, thereās actually no link? exactly. to the touch heās tense all over, a free hand to his mouth as he sits back and lets elliotās hand calm him, or at least attempt to. heās glad someone can agree with him, and after giving elliotās word some thought and time enough to sit in (and for his temper to simmer down), he finally speaks up, voice significantly lower but still holding strain. ]
āThen we have to make noise. [ at a red light and flicking on the blinker to turn, he slumps. ] Iām not going to just sit in line at the slaughterhouse again. [ and through his teeth: ] And I canāt stand seeing people do that.
We will, we just have to figure out what sounds to make first. [He gives him a gentle squeeze of the shoulder] It wouldn't do any good to rush in blindly.
[ heās very, very triggered, okay. when an eren is triggered he falls back to his roots. elliotās right about one thing, though, as much as eren wants to probably. you know, punch the dome.
briefly, he raises his fingers to brush the squeezing hand. a quick gesture as he picks up driving again, because heās helping. a lot. eren probably wouldāve sped a few more kms if he were thinking alone. ]
. . . Yeah. [ āeven if i feel like itā ] The only time they actually talked to people was in Augustā But whatās the use, talking to us when everythingās gone to shit already?
...I don't think talking will do any good anyway. [He pulls back his hand and sets them in his lap. He lets out a sigh.] At least, not right now. They hold all the power, and they're too committed to their ideals to really listen to anything we say.
[If there was one thing Elliot could gleam from all of Retrospec's posts? Was their strong conviction towards their goals. Even after heaps and heaps of protests, there wasn't the least bit of wavering on their end. That's not someone you can persuade.]
Our best option right now is to investigate on our own. If they're so focused on defending the city from something outside, there's a chance maybe they've left something inside the city uncovered.
[ always the voice of reasoning. maybe thatās a lot of the reason why theyāre even together, eren wouldāve done something stupid by now (and will still most likely do something stupid regardless of the fact). elliot has more than a point though, enough that erenās quiet to listen. eren was often times extreme, and many times impulsive to the point that it can break apart teams and destroy plans. give him a point of view though, give him something worth while to listen to and sensible, and heāll listen. ]
If theyāre actually defending it. [ he doesnāt know what to believe, anymore, and what heās been trying to build up over the months, maybe out of defense and keeping sane, heās watching it crumble in front of him. ] . . . Itās all the more reason to believe in myself and the people who really matter, like you, [ he makes it a necessity, to verbally point it out. see, this is why you make a difference in his life. ] than in omissions that donāt go anywhere.
Where would you look?
[ eren has a few places in mind, as he pulls into the apartmentās front and parks on the street instead of inside. carās still on. with a brief glance to the watch, he sets it into neutral and sits back, waiting. ]
[They're together because they make a good team. While Elliot may be a voice of reason, but Eren encourages to use that voice in the first place. It's easier to ignore the anxieties in his head when Eren's always there, always pushing forward. Elliot did best when he was given time to think of an answer, but Eren made sure he didn't stall and think too long.
He does make an "aww" sound at Eren pointing out that he believes in him. THATS SWEET]
...Probably first the places groups were sent to during August. See if anything's off with them now. After that...I have a few places in mind, but I still have to think them over.
[The woods, the abandoned places, the beach, the new places that just appeared. There's a lot of options. He gives a little sigh]
Not tonight though. [Tonight? Today? Who can tell] I think we're both too worked up to see things with clear eyes. These things last a month anyway, so we have time to prepare...
[there was no need to rush things. It was better to take their time to prepare and get things right the first time. He wanted time to gather information from the network anyway. And to calm his nerves...]
...Is there a good burger joint near here? Sorry, I'm not really in the mood to cook...
[ like two sides of a balance . . . eren, to this day, is thankful, that out of all the universes that exist and are possibleā he met elliot. thatās universal jackpot that not everyone has the chance to have in their hands. elliot craig, he will go down with that list as the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
and again, he speaks the truth. eren takes mental note of it, and after a moment of silence to mull it over himself, ends up nodding in agreement. after everything, heāll trust elliot even with that. hah, he trusts elliot with a lot more things than he trusts himself with. ]
Wellā [ about that. thereās a reason heās parked out here and not the garage. ] I donāt even want you to cook today. [ font take it personally, dearā he wants to spend his time with elliot, not elliotās back to him while facing the stove. ] I ordered pizza.
[ four cheeses and pepperoni for eren and elliotās most preffered topping inserted here, because eren should know! and i donāt. ]
Eating it there or here is on you.
[ he came prepared with surprise #1, now elliot gets to choose the cherry on top. ]
[Let's be real he probably eats pineapple pizza because it's the only fruit really allowed on pizza. Also sundried tomatoes. Though he's fine with pepperoni too. He's not picky.
Honestly, Eren saying that just gets a smile out of him. He doesn't take it personally, it's sweet and thoughtful. ]
Aww, you did? Thanks, you're so good to me.
[FEEL THOSE BOYFRIEND POINTS GO UP]
Can we eat it here? Um, I mean the apartment. Not the car.
[Just to be clear!! He rather stick close to Eren, and cozying up in a restaurant might get some looks]
[ eren is one thousand percent okay with pineapple pizza. thatās three, three whole pies heās buying you thought he wouldnāt want some himself. and of course, share his supreme amount of cheese and meat. he can feel those points shoot up. the night got a little better. honestly, it was better the minute he spoke to elliot, regardless of the road rage and bouts of irritation. everything wasnāt fixedā but it was better. they needed clear heads for tomorrow, and they needed this. heād still be thinking about it at the back of his mind, and he might not be able to seem too carefree, because itās not really in his nature toā but, he tries to smile.
theyāll calm down first, then theyāll get to any exploration done, and done with full success.
eren already has the order open up online on his phone, finalizing what he left with a delivery and shifting the car back into gear. ]
You got it. [ okay, so he does dangerously speed into the garage to get some squeals, but heās got this, slowing down once heās at the rampās entrance and descending to his parking space. pausing before he gets out of the car, he leans over to the passenger seat, to face elliot and reaching for his hand. itās a concerned hold, one thatās uncertain of whatās to come and whatās happening, but . . . he wants to believe in one thing, if he could. ] . . . I still wanna have a good night. [ cuddled up and sharing pizza, talking shit, and donāt think he forgot about that siri text. ]
[Elliot knows the worries will be in the back of Eren's mind, because it'll be on his mind too. But he knows that made it even more important for them to take a step back. They won't benefit if Eren goes into his rage mode, or Elliot works himself into a panic. They needed a breather.
And at this point, he's used to Eren speeding into the garage like this, so he just holds onto the dashboard with one hand without remarking on the speed. He trusts Eren not to crash. Eren wouldn't be reckless while he was in the car.]
[ heās just attempting what he always does, with āresponsibleā playfulness. heās ready to leave the car and, whoops, not whoops, he snags elliotās bag from the passenger seat to carry himself while elliot gets out of his own side. thereās an elevator right over there. ]
Then letās get it started. [ he meets elliot half way to hook his arm around his shoulder. ] And you still need to tell me what you said before.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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a pelican
a pelican question mark damn it
iām screwed
[ EREN EYES ON THE ROAD DO YOU WANT TO DIE VIA DOKIS ]
your heart does what harder
what sounds like Chris
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Maybe I'll tell you when you get here ā„
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canāt i get like one hint at least i still have a few minutes hey fuck you too asshole where your dam headlights
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you know where his headlights are yeah theyāre blinking somewhere a pizzazz
[ when youāre not actually hearing him yell it might sound funny ]
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Sounds like a jerk.
I'm gonna go finish packing up a bag, okay?
I mean, I should pack one, right?
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[OFF HE GOES TO PACK]
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it unsettles. it unsettles deeply. ]
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H-Hey Eren. Thanks for getting me...
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it almost feels like heās being whiplashed back into the past. he doesnāt even know who to fight.
elliot clicking the door open and shut again is what gets him to jerk back from his swarming thoughts, waiting for him to get settled in his seat before leaning over to give home a greeting kiss. he canāt seem to edge up a strong enough smile to shine through just yet, and lowers the noisy demon music. might as well be what heās feeling. but, vroom! ]
I wouldnāt leave you. Especially when you make a difference for me.
[ his presence helped more than anything, and erenās glad that elliot felt the same way. the steering wheelās all sweaty. the whole thing is . . . bad. ]
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You make a difference for me too. [...] Why do you think they did this?
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āThe final stages of the big projectā.
[ itās the first thing that comes to mind, and yesā eren does read those over and over enough to quote them off by heart. ]
That, or what they said about defenses. [ but his fingers tighten around the wheel, and he speeds just a tiny bit. theyāre going a different way from home. ] But how do we know if they donāt talk to us? How do we even know if this isnāt all just someā damn lie? Do they expect just a stay calm to work, like livestock?
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Hey. [He reaches over to touch Eren's arm] We're not livestock. Okay?
[He gives a little sigh] I-If anything, they remind me of my aunt and uncle. I really do think they think they know what's best for us, but ... aren't great at actually listening...
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āThen we have to make noise. [ at a red light and flicking on the blinker to turn, he slumps. ] Iām not going to just sit in line at the slaughterhouse again. [ and through his teeth: ] And I canāt stand seeing people do that.
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We will, we just have to figure out what sounds to make first. [He gives him a gentle squeeze of the shoulder] It wouldn't do any good to rush in blindly.
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briefly, he raises his fingers to brush the squeezing hand. a quick gesture as he picks up driving again, because heās helping. a lot. eren probably wouldāve sped a few more kms if he were thinking alone. ]
. . . Yeah. [ āeven if i feel like itā ] The only time they actually talked to people was in Augustā But whatās the use, talking to us when everythingās gone to shit already?
[ maybe they can riot ]
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[If there was one thing Elliot could gleam from all of Retrospec's posts? Was their strong conviction towards their goals. Even after heaps and heaps of protests, there wasn't the least bit of wavering on their end. That's not someone you can persuade.]
Our best option right now is to investigate on our own. If they're so focused on defending the city from something outside, there's a chance maybe they've left something inside the city uncovered.
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If theyāre actually defending it. [ he doesnāt know what to believe, anymore, and what heās been trying to build up over the months, maybe out of defense and keeping sane, heās watching it crumble in front of him. ] . . . Itās all the more reason to believe in myself and the people who really matter, like you, [ he makes it a necessity, to verbally point it out. see, this is why you make a difference in his life. ] than in omissions that donāt go anywhere.
Where would you look?
[ eren has a few places in mind, as he pulls into the apartmentās front and parks on the street instead of inside. carās still on. with a brief glance to the watch, he sets it into neutral and sits back, waiting. ]
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He does make an "aww" sound at Eren pointing out that he believes in him. THATS SWEET]
...Probably first the places groups were sent to during August. See if anything's off with them now. After that...I have a few places in mind, but I still have to think them over.
[The woods, the abandoned places, the beach, the new places that just appeared. There's a lot of options. He gives a little sigh]
Not tonight though. [Tonight? Today? Who can tell] I think we're both too worked up to see things with clear eyes. These things last a month anyway, so we have time to prepare...
[there was no need to rush things. It was better to take their time to prepare and get things right the first time. He wanted time to gather information from the network anyway. And to calm his nerves...]
...Is there a good burger joint near here? Sorry, I'm not really in the mood to cook...
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and again, he speaks the truth. eren takes mental note of it, and after a moment of silence to mull it over himself, ends up nodding in agreement. after everything, heāll trust elliot even with that. hah, he trusts elliot with a lot more things than he trusts himself with. ]
Wellā [ about that. thereās a reason heās parked out here and not the garage. ] I donāt even want you to cook today. [ font take it personally, dearā he wants to spend his time with elliot, not elliotās back to him while facing the stove. ] I ordered pizza.
[ four cheeses and pepperoni for eren and elliotās most preffered topping inserted here, because eren should know! and i donāt. ]
Eating it there or here is on you.
[ he came prepared with surprise #1, now elliot gets to choose the cherry on top. ]
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Honestly, Eren saying that just gets a smile out of him. He doesn't take it personally, it's sweet and thoughtful. ]
Aww, you did? Thanks, you're so good to me.
[FEEL THOSE BOYFRIEND POINTS GO UP]
Can we eat it here? Um, I mean the apartment. Not the car.
[Just to be clear!! He rather stick close to Eren, and cozying up in a restaurant might get some looks]
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theyāll calm down first, then theyāll get to any exploration done, and done with full success.
eren already has the order open up online on his phone, finalizing what he left with a delivery and shifting the car back into gear. ]
You got it. [ okay, so he does dangerously speed into the garage to get some squeals, but heās got this, slowing down once heās at the rampās entrance and descending to his parking space. pausing before he gets out of the car, he leans over to the passenger seat, to face elliot and reaching for his hand. itās a concerned hold, one thatās uncertain of whatās to come and whatās happening, but . . . he wants to believe in one thing, if he could. ] . . . I still wanna have a good night. [ cuddled up and sharing pizza, talking shit, and donāt think he forgot about that siri text. ]
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And at this point, he's used to Eren speeding into the garage like this, so he just holds onto the dashboard with one hand without remarking on the speed. He trusts Eren not to crash. Eren wouldn't be reckless while he was in the car.]
We will. I think we both could use the break.
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Then letās get it started. [ he meets elliot half way to hook his arm around his shoulder. ] And you still need to tell me what you said before.
[ what was āpelicanā . . . ]
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