#h:ekentros

[rpvlix]

"So here's the deal-" he points over his shoulder to a surly-looking brunette. She keeps glancing at them, trying and failing to look disinterested in whatever conversation is happening here, out of her earshot.

"My sister's too stubborn to admit she thinks you're hot. I like pissing her off, though, so I told her I was coming over here to 'make a move'." He laughs, probably. It's very hoarse and sounds more like a quick cough, but it's probably a chuckle. "Anyway, she gets real jealous. If you pretend I said somethin' funny she'll probably stomp over here to 'interrupt'."

It isn't exactly the classic wingman maneuver, but he can kill two birds with one stone; having a laugh and potentially getting his sister some action. Regardless of the results, who could say no to that kind of efficiency?

[rpvlix]

Laying there, in the afterglow, Ken stared up at the stars as he caught his breath. His loose hair clung to the sweat and blood in thick clumps. Deliriously, his face tracks the source of the voice, offering it a crooked smile. He looks like shit, huh?

"Y'know, I actually get that a lot."

He sounds like shit, too, his voice a hoarse crackle.

Of the events of the night, only two things came as a surprise, the first of which being a stranger offering him a hand and a drink. The other, of course, was the fact that he was seeing any stars at all; there's a ceiling directly overhead.

He raises a hand in a wordless request for some help getting to his feet. "Could go for a drink." How he manages to speak without choking on all that blood is a mystery.

Open Starter (☆)

“You look like shit, buddy.” 

Etienne leaned over to look at the person on the ground. He’d witnessed the fistfight that had broken out earlier, and now observed the individual who’d lost as they remained on the floor with blood gushing from their nose. 

“Need a hand? Or a drink? Both?” Now Etienne wasn’t exactly a saint, but the other had put up a pretty decent fight and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t at least impressed with their courage. Offering the poor sod a drink was the least he could do. 

[rpvlix]

"'What are you doing with all of those' Well first of all, it's a sex thing. Second of all, I'm attempting to reverse-engineer the tape reading mechanism. I know I could just look up how it works, but then I wouldn't get to experience the eroticism of prodding the VCR's internal organs while it's still conscious, now would I?"

[rpvlix]

When he finally answers the door, it is glaringly obvious that he just woke up (despite it being well past morning), all he's wearing are some ratty old pyjama pants (that seem to be on sideways, somehow) and a few familiar marks scattered across his torso. He squints at the unexpected guest from behind a mess of bed head while the gears in his head turn.

"...Etienne?" Ah, shit. He's not even remotely presentable, not that that's something he tends to care much about but... He fixes his hair a little, at least. "Hey... Uh... I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon." Of course, it's not an unwelcome surprise. A little spontaneity is exciting.

More gears turn, he notices the outfit first, which turns his pleasant smile into more of a smirk, and then the gift. "You got me ch- It's Valentine's Day? Oh man... I lost a couple days."

He reaches for the box, ensuring that their fingers at least brush during the hand off, lingering as long as he can.

"...You should come in." The door is held open and Ken steps out of the way, leaving a clear view of the textbook example home of a single man with too many hobbies. Every surface holds a pile of something or another.

Valentine’s for Rpvlix/550110

Valentine’s with Etienne

It had taken some effort to track Ken down, and frankly Etienne had been wondering if it was even worth the effort. Still, Valentine’s was a delightful holiday as far as he was concerned, and he’d drag Ken into it, kicking and screaming if necessary.

The other had clearly needed some affection last time they met, and unless things had drastically changed in the meantime, he probably did not yet have a Valentine. Which was great news, because neither did Etienne. 

He’d considered flowers and chocolates, but his eyes soon wandered to some more risqué options instead. Now of course he wasn’t going to be too suggestive, after all, Ken had disappeared after their one night stand, but a hint of it should be fine, right?

Okay so maybe a little risqué had turned into a lot of risqué, but if he wanted to show Ken what exactly he was missing, it only seemed appropriate to take things this far. And so he was now dressed in the skimpiest, hot pink bunny outfit he could get his hands on, a pair of pink fluffy handcuffs dangling from one wrist. 

“Honestly, I was a little sad you left so soon. But surely you won’t leave me hanging for Valentine’s day?” He purred, thrusting a small box of fancy chocolates at Ken. Okay, so het got chocolates after all. He had to be at least a little romantic on a day like this.

@550110

[rpvlix]

Disbelief has his grip rather loose at first, but, as if to confirm this is all really happening, it firms up considerably. Starved enough for contact that he needs it to be real.

If he notices Sylvester's wariness, he does not comment on it. Perhaps this, too, is something he has familiarity with. Not like anything he could say would help, anyway.

"Right, left. No," he shakes his head. Damned English language. "Left. 'Right' as in 'okay', 'left' as in, 'my house is this way'." Doesn't matter how confusing it is, he takes a left. That's obvious enough that language is irrelevant.

The question get him thinking though, mapping out the streets in his head, optimizing the route as much as he can with his memory of the place. He may not get out much but he has lived there for a good number of years now, even with a memory as iffy as his he should have enough to go on.

"...Six blocks. Seven, if you count this one. Never knew there was a café here..." He peers back at it over his shoulder, only briefly, trying to sort it out in his brain. Was this previously a blank spot on his mental map, or was this a different building last time he saw it? He may need to look into that when he gets home. Oh yes, home.

"About ten minutes." Could be faster, maybe, but Kenny isn't the quickest, as one might imagine. His height helps there at least, his stride length adds back some of the speed he loses from the joint pain. Being freakishly tall will do that, both the speed and the joint pain.

"...Unless your question was more philosophical." He hadn't considered that until now, apparently he's too excited to solve logic puzzles in his head that he didn't think to consider the alternatives. "I'd like to think we're headed in the right direction. On an individual level, I mean, you and me. As a society...?" His face finishes the sentence for him. He doesn't look hopeful.

A date with the Macabre Parasite (open starter)

[rpvlix]

Sure enough, he must know his sister well, as no more than a few seconds pass before she agitatedly walks over to insert herself into the discussion.

"Is he bothering you." Wow, she is not good at hiding how annoyed she is, glaring at her brother who responds with a mischievous grin. If looks could kill, he'd be dead then and there, and he knows it. It's almost a little funny how cheesy and cliche her line is paired with the absolute death stare.

"I'm not bothering anybody." He says, still grinning. Obviously that's a lie, he's bothering her. Deliberately. "Just making friends. You should try it sometime." He gives her a little push, gesturing for her to try it now.

Immediately her scowl burns bright red, the blush unfortunately giving her well-hidden thoughts away. She struggles to regain her composure, clearing her throat before attempting to speak. "I-"

"Her name is Kym, she's pushing forty, and she's a criminal defense lawyer." Her brother cuts her off, finishing off his job as a wingman with a conversational foot in the door, so to speak. He turns to leave, hitting the two of them with a wink as he goes. "You kids have fun!"

Leaving them there. Alone. To figure out how to have a conversation. Well, maybe that'll only be a struggle for Kym. Who knows. And a struggle it is. She's speechless for a moment, the realization washing over her that she just got played like a fiddle. "I- He- ...We're the same age."

Going out was something that Atieno hadn't been in the habit of doing too much lately. Between this latest research job and their hobbies - they had been busy enough on a day to day basis. But.. maybe they could use the chance to be out and about for the evening.

It was during such an outing, that they found themself encountered someone who is one.. staring at them and two, the guy who seemed to go out of his way to 'wingman'.

Talk about a funny situation all around. "Heh, well.. I'm sure that's one way to get a reaction out of her." They observed with a bit of an amused tone. Still glanced back at her and back at him.. figuring that they should go along with the bit.

"Sure.. I'll.. see what this whole thing is about. " With that Atieno makes it seem like they are deeply amused by his statements - as if the whole situation wasn't silly enough for a genuine low laughter from them.

[rpvlix]

There's almost a laugh. It manifests as more of an exaggerated exhale, but it's clear enough he's amused by Sylvester's response. It's cute that he sort of entertained the idea, misery loves company as much as comedic mischief does.

But his smile gets a little more complicated as Sylvester explains the locomotion situation. It's not too bad, not a huge issue, really. A little bit of an unpleasant clash of needs and interests, but some calculations churn in his head. Surely they can make this work.

"I caught a cab... But I-" He double checks his mental math mid-sentence, not to keen on telling lies, accidentally or not. "I'm not too far to walk. I could walk. We could walk." Gotta correct himself, the very concept of 'we' is too exciting for him to pass up the chance to say it.

"Definitely not the best setup for a dine and dash, though. Good thing we paid." There's that 'we' again, the corners of his mouth turning up again ever so slightly as he says it. Speaking of paying, hey, what do you know, his card is returned to him, freeing them from the capitalistic contract of the restaurant situation. It is shoved, quite carelessly, back into his wallet which is, in turn, shoved back into his pocket.

He hauls himself to his feet with mildly exaggerated grunt of effort, really selling how 'out of shape' he is. Got to embrace these things with a certain sense of whimsy, otherwise they'll drive you insane. That's his philosophy, anyway.

"Let's hit the bricks, then?" He offers his hand without really thinking about it, very clearly realizes that's maybe a weird thing to do, staring at his own hand with furrowed brows, and yet he does not betray his instincts. The offer remains. But it is obvious he's not expecting that to go anywhere.

A date with the Macabre Parasite (open starter)

[rpvlix]

His eyebrow quirks, a little spark of mischief alight in his eyes.

"You don't think a dine and dash could be kind of fun? Sounds exciting~" Sure, he had already offered to pay, but it doesn't take much suggesting for his life of petty crime to come rushing back to him. If there was any doubt about the authenticity of his 'decorative' handcuffs, his enthusiastic smirk ought to answer that.

The question hangs for just a moment or two, his smirk unwavering, as his eyes explore Sylvester's face, gauging his reaction. He's fucking with him, of course. Just a lighthearted tease.

"Nah," He breaks the facade, and the eye contact, with a shrug. How his wallet managed to get so deep in his pockets again is a mystery, but nonetheless he has to excavate it once more. "I'm not in dashing shape. Maybe fifteen years ago, but not today." He says that like he's a grizzled old man, and not someone gently approaching his mid thirties. Well, not too gently, with the wrinkles and all, but he would insist he wears them well. Something satisfying about aging.

He flags down the waiter again, he's getting good at that now, again looking impressed by his ability, and sends them off with his card. Shit. A tip. You gotta tip at places like this, right? With cash? He opens his wallet again, fishing around in the bill pocket that's mostly housing old receipts. Receipts, and an absolutely ancient fifty dollar bill. Score.

"Ha ha! That'll do it." He takes one last sip of his water, then weighs the bill down with the glass. "Little extra compensation for dumping all this, I guess." No need to justify the large tip, really, he isn't trying to show off or anything though.

Just gotta wait for his card back, now. In the meantime... "You walk here? Catch a ride?"

A date with the Macabre Parasite (open starter)

[rpvlix]

Better to hedge his bets now, a good start doesn't mean a good end. They might not even make it back to Ken's place to take the tour of trinkets, as much as he'd like that. He's always been very fickle, and he's smart enough to know what to expect from himself by now.

"Right. Get this over with so we can get out of here." 'Get this over with' might not have been the best choice of words, it always sounds a little unenthusiastic no matter how you say it. Lack of enthusiasm wouldn't exactly be a lie, though. He couldn't care less about a meal when there's better things to do.

It's almost immediately clear that he has zero reservations about eating in the presence of strangers. He's not on 'feral animal' levels, but he definitely eats with little regard for how he looks while doing so.

There's a moment of pause when he notices Sylvester just sort of poking at his food rather than eating it, but for whatever reason, likely more of that sympathy he didn't know he had, he chooses not to comment on it. He just takes another sip of his drink, as if that's what he'd been thinking about.

"...Not that hungry?" Oh, never mind then. There goes him 'holding his tongue'. At the very least, he sounds neither judgemental nor upset; he's no stranger to a lack of appetite, and the money couldn't be less of a problem. "This was really more of a formality." He gestures to the table in its entirety. He figured, with the venue, this is just what you do.

"I'd rather head to my place. It's more fun there. Not this crowded, either." He was ready to blow this joint before the food had even arrived, he's more than ready to head out now, with a sign Sylvester isn't really feeling it and his own social battery draining rapidly. It's about as low-pressure of an invite as he can come up with, even if it does sound shady. He didn't mean it like that. There's only one kind of 'boning' on his mind: showing off his skulls.

A date with the Macabre Parasite (open starter)

[rpvlix]

God. How is it possible that he's relating again. For just a second he entertains the thought that maybe, just maybe, this isn't real. Any one of his siblings could have set this up, and probably would have, just to fuck with him. His fingers twitch a little, not sure if he should take that hand. Nothing he's said so far has been him asking for pity, and yet the offer's still, somehow, so tempting.

The fidgeting stops. It takes him another moment of thought before he decides to move, his hand ever so slowly sliding its way over. He hesitates again the second he makes contact. It's fine, isn't it? It's not like he's got any pride to protect, it's not like he's out here begging for this, either. Might as well just bite the bullet and commit; he's already gone this far.

Usually he's nosier than this, asking all kinds of inappropriate questions to satisfy his own curiosity. But with everything Sylvester mentions hitting so close to home, it's drawing out some sympathy he didn't even know he had. He keeps his mouth shut. Not gonna ask who this 'Benjamin' might be. Definitely not going to ask why he was arrested. Might be better to ignore that whole topic altogether, as much as possible, because he sure as hell doesn't want to start talking about his dad. He will if it comes up, but he's not eager to start that conversation in the slightest.

"...It is a little weird." He finally says something, realizing he was silent for a while. "I like weird. You're really not what I was expecting. In a good way. Can't say I've ever felt like I had so much in common with someone this far into a conversation though." By the time Ken's said this many words, his dates have usually already given up on him, so even getting this far is a nice change of pace. "Glad I showed up today." The sentiment bears repeating.

A rogue drop of condensation running down his glass steals his attention, suddenly reminding him he is, indeed, quite parched. He downs nearly half his water before coming back up for air.

"It is nice to meet you, by the way. Even if this all fizzles out later." It's a meeting he won't soon forget, no matter what results from it. Although he's sort of hoping it'll be a friendship, at the very least.

A date with the Macabre Parasite (open starter)

[rpvlix]

He nods along to the whole story without interruption. That grin he's been wearing since he sat down fades into a more thoughtful expression, one almost too soft for his features, though he smiles again when Sylvester does. It's... endearing, how honest this guy's being.

"Wow..." He's quieter than he meant to be, still processing all the details of Sylvester's words. "That is something special. Almost sounds like you were meant to find each other." Almost. It's not like him to believe in things like fate, but that almost could've convinced him. It's a beautiful story, either way.

"Thank you. That's a lot to share with a guy you just met. But I appreciate it, it's raw, it's... well, you don't really see that everyday." He's at least got enough tact to not say he finds it attractive, distasteful as it'd be with the man's brother being dead and all. Doesn't say it with words, but it's kind of written all over his face. He's always been a little too honest himself. "Definitely answered my question, yes. And then some."

And in the vein of being too honest with a man you just met, perhaps it's his turn. It's only fair. "I must have been, I don't remember, maybe thirteen when I started collecting. Wanted to be a doctor back then-" He seems to find that concept humorous now, stifling a snicker. "-so it was, they were really more for studying than anything else. Not much of a difference between science and art though, the more you study anything the more beauty you find. But I guess all that's to say I had a long time to get fascinated with the philosophy of it all, getting more comfortable with death..." There's something he's trying to avoid saying, now that he's running out of ways to stall he's squirming slightly in his seat. He's certain he wants to overshare, it's just been a while since he brought this up.

"I just do these little dates to kill some time, usually, I don't really get out of the house anymore unless I have to. Which isn't to say- I'm- Glad I showed up today, I'm just a little rusty. I lost my partner about ten years ago. We both knew it was coming. Still, I would've taken it a lot worse if I hadn't spent most of my life admiring death." He probably shouldn't continue, bringing up your dead ex unprompted on a first date is one thing, talking about him at length would be in poor taste. Poor enough that even Ken knows better.

He shrugs, taking a second to think of a way to change the topic some. Luckily he doesn't really have to, as their collective oversharing has passed enough time for their food to arrive. What convenient timing.

A date with the Macabre Parasite (open starter)

[rpvlix]

Not satisfied with the finger tapping, he shifts to rest on only one hand, the other playing absentmindedly with the chain on his cuff, an overall more natural looking posture as he relaxes into the conversation.

"Of course~ I'll show you mine if you show me yours." A smirk. "Hell, I'd invite you over now, if we weren't in the middle of something. But hey, we both play our cards right and we can enjoy a refreshing dessert of bleached skulls and brain scans later." Although it sounds like he'd be more than willing to get out of here early, if they decide to ditch the meal. Who enjoys being out in public for this long, anyway?

Can he even remember his own first piece? He can't be sure, so much of his youth is a blur. Honestly, he's gotta do the math on that. It was what, ten years ago? No, closer to twenty... One thing's for certain, he doesn't have it anymore, whatever it was. He'd definitely remember it if he did... wouldn't he? It's kind of bumming him out to think about. Time to return his attention to the modern day, perhaps.

"I can only imagine what a bond that must be." And he hopes it doesn't show on his face, he's ever so slightly jealous. "Can I ask, what is she? Must be something special to have sparked the whole interest. Special to you, I mean. Every piece is special, obviously, would hate to imply otherwise. It-" He can feel himself about to ramble again, cutting himself off before it snowballs, instead waving his hand slightly to shoo off the end of his sentence. It's all redundant anyway, this is not a speech someone like Sylvester would even need to hear. He already gets it. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you."

A date with the Macabre Parasite (open starter)

[rpvlix]

"Ah," he nods, always a fan of two headed beasts. "It's all exciting, wouldn't collect it if it wasn't. I have a two headed snake in my collection, but they're pretty common... Didn't have the pleasure of preparing most of the oddities in my possession. I've cleaned a couple strange skulls, though. Teeth in places they shouldn't be." His smile flashes his own teeth for just a second, he's got a few out of place himself, not that they're particularly noticeable without a closer inspection. But the similarity delights him all the same, even if it's only him that sees it.

"Most of my favorites are just organs. A lot of my organs are hearts. I've only got one that's strange. Deer heart with an extra chamber. Had to cut it open to even find out. I keep both halves separate. I like to think they miss each other, being whole, hiding their secrets." If they were capable of missing anything, the top of their list would likely be being alive rather than 'keeping secrets'.

His fingers tap against his cheek, another rhythm-less idle beat. He's thought about it a little more, sort of circling back to a part of the question he'd nearly ignored. "First thing I'd show anyone is the brain wall. It's a good first stop. Sets the mood, I think." He fails to elaborate.

"I wouldn't be able to pick a favorite, though. God that'd be a hard choice... They're all good friends." All the friends he has, and if his tone hadn't already suggested that, the fact that he's referring to plastinated and preserved animal parts as friends would probably be a good indication.

A date with the Macabre Parasite (open starter)

[rpvlix]

Ken's eyes are enormous by the end of that. He almost can't believe what he's hearing, but he hasn't really got a reason not to. He could've listened to someone talk about anything they were passionate about for hours, but, of all things, it just so happened to be this.

"There really aren't many people out there that get it, are there? I do." His emphasis carries some deeper catharsis with it, not just declaring that he sees Sylvester, but that he hopes he sees him too, relieved by the thought. "It's beautiful. Poetic, even. How could it be anything but art?"

Art, death, medical sciences, three of his favorite topics, all rolled into one, perhaps he won't scare this guy off as quickly as he'd expected. "I collect wet specimens, myself. Always been fascinated with death, anatomy, dissection, decay, preservation. Something about life being frozen in time that just..." He doesn't finish the sentence, but his face says enough; it's awe, pure admiration. He wouldn't know a good enough word to summarize the feeling anyway.

"Ever work on anything odd? I've got a medical anomaly or two, my absolute favorite specimens. I would love to hear more about your art. Everything, really, I'd love to hear everything." Maybe a big ask, but he's very transparently excited to meet another person with more morbid tastes.

A date with the Macabre Parasite (open starter)

[rpvlix]

Ordering food is incredibly boring. There's only so much you can tell about someone based on their tastes anyway, and Kenny is far, far from a gastronomer. He does seem pleasantly surprised by his ability to also call a waiter over, now that he's seen it done, like some sort of spell he didn't know he was able to cast, but the magic was in him all along.

With as boring as it is, he gets the actual ordering process out of the way as quickly as he can. There's nothing to his order really, nothing to read into, no interesting assumptions to be made about him. To drink, he settles for water; he probably wasn't joking about having some pills in his system.

But if he were to say too much more about himself, he'd surely scare off his new friend. And that'd be a shame, as Sylvester does seem interesting, however it is that Ken judges that. Don't want things to end before they even begin, do we?

"Now," now that that's over with, or so his tone implies. His chin rests in his hands, elbows resting on the table, settling in to listen, to observe. "Who is Sylvester? Well, we've established that that's you, but who are you? 'Tell me about yourself', that sort of thing. You strike me as an artist." He says that about everyone. It's true, though, in his eyes. Lots more things are art than people like to believe, ergo many more people are artists than they might think. "Question is, what kind..." It's a question muttered mostly to himself, a challenge to see if he can guess before he finds out for sure.

A date with the Macabre Parasite (open starter)

[rpvlix]

"Ah, hate when that happens." Of all the things he's said thus far, these are the first words spoken with such sincerity. He's genuinely empathizing, here. And with those bags under his eyes, it doesn't take a genius to guess he's no stranger to sleep deprivation himself.

"Well, there goes asking for recommendations, then." If he's at all disappointed, his voice hides it well, back to his nonchalant, jokey tone and back to browsing the menu. "They serve a lot more alcohol here than I expected... Is it too early in the day for tequila?" He really shouldn't, but it doesn't hurt to entertain the thought. And threatening to get drunk is a great way to make an impression, surely, as if he hadn't already done enough of that. "Sure that'd mix great with the painkillers."

There's no way he's serious, though, giggling to himself as soon as the thought has left his mouth. He'll probably just get a water, he mumbles to himself, or something to that effect.

It takes him a second or two more of consideration before he sets the menu down again, deciding to stare again instead of making it clear he's decided what he's going to order and is just waiting on Sylvester now. Not that he minds waiting, he looks quite content to just stare, though it might seem a bit creepy...

A date with the Macabre Parasite (open starter)