[It's World of Darkness, some vampire out there somewhere probably has an apple Bane. Something something fruit of the garden, something something.
But not him.
And when Eli pulls his hand back, he's quick to smudge the tears away, heedless of whether or not they leave actual smudges behind on his cheeks. There are more important things, at the moment.]
Don't apologize for giving perhaps the most sentimental gift I've gotten in... ah. A very long time.
[Ever?? Maybe ever. But wow, that's kind of depressing to think about, so he won't share that particular thought.]
[ Most sentimental gift in...? Eli awkwardly pushes his hair back after wiping the blood off his fingers idly on his sweatpants, gaze flitting away in embarrassment. Even knowing he was giving Celeste something so deeply personal, well, he hadn't considered it'd be that important.
It was a gift!
It wasn't often that he got to give someone else a gift. ]
Really? Well, I'm glad I did it, then. I know you can't enjoy food the way we do but spirit food is different, so I thought... why not get him stuff he misses while we're here, where it's possible?
[He'd love to insist it wasn't all that important, actually! But the chance for that protestation was thrown right out the window the second he felt the prick of tears at the back of his eyes. The fact remained Eli had cared enough to ask things about his human lifetime - even such mundane things as favorite fruits - and he'd cared enough in return to actually answer.
So it's a shame he doesn't get to give gifts often. He's good at it.]
Careful, I could take advantage of that, you know.
[While the words themselves are back to something like normal, his tone is incredibly fond. He won't do something like that to him, not really, but he can pretend to act like there's a chance of it, to gather his pride back up.]
I mean, you could try, but I'm pretty sure we'd only get so many gifts out of the goddess before she catches on.
[ Eli says that with a smirk of his own. Ultimately, how much spirit food they can or cannot get their hands on isn't up to him. All to the whims of Braphine, it would seem... ]
But you're welcome. If you think of something else you want, I can try convincing Mina to pray for it.
I think she'd enable it for a while longer, for the sake of bonding, or something like that.
[Or she'd pop down and give a lecture about taking advantage of her generosity. Or both! his money would be on both, honestly.]
Something I want, hm? [He pauses to think a moment - or at least act like he is, fingers worrying the edge of the cloth that had been covering the basket.] I don't think any prayers from Mina could get what I've thought of.
[What a line.
Before he can be questioned - before he can question himself - he leans in to press a kiss to the corner of that smirk before straightening back up as quickly as he'd leaned in.
And if he's blushing, surely it's just a trick of the light in the Nekiya, nothing more.]
[ Sure, sure, only a trick of the light, but what isn't is the way Eli himself flushes at something as simple as that little kiss. It's always a struggle to decide how to handle this kind of affection for him, someone so deeply unused to it. Familial affection is one thing, but this...
He can't help but lean in after the kiss, even after Celeste has drawn away. ]
Uh, well, if it isn't something she can pray for, then maybe you can tell me what it is and I'll answer your prayers instead.
[Oh, he'll never get tired of how easy it is to make him blush from simple little affections... or what feels like simple, easy little affections to him right now.]
Maybe I will...
[Yeah about that prayer answering a few threads later--
Anyway.]
Or maybe I'll leave you guessing a while.
[Because he sure can't share anything to pray for when he's finally taking a bite of one of those apples, can he?]
[ Eli's only slightly disappointed that Celeste doesn't immediately come up with any other "prayers" to be answered or, more honestly, requests of him since he's hardly divine. It's easy to let his imagination run wild with what those might be...
But until then, he's left to watch curiously as Celeste finally tries one of the spirit apples. ]
[Despite any disappointment... he can't help but find some fun in just letting Eli's imagination run wild.
And he'll be keeping those prayers in his back pocket for the best/worst time to pull them out, surely.]
Is it...?
[Is it good? Aside from the flavor - sweet and crisp and just a bit tart - being better than any he remembered (but that's not a surprise, given how long it's been), and aside from the warm magical spark inherent of it being a product of this place... It's compassion. Affection. Care. It's humanity, something he'd thought he threw away decades ago, right there in his hands in a simple little fruit.
And Eli asks if it's good, as if that simple little word could encompass it.]
[ It may not describe everything it means to Celeste or every little thing he feels, but it's enough for Eli. He grins, immediately pleased that he's done something good for someone else. Especially for Celeste. He has to think... how much more spirit food can he get out of Mina and the goddess? What else could he ask for?
Ah, but now he's fully awake. If he'd been having trouble sleeping before, now there's no way he's going back to sleep. For something as simple as a gift of apples, it's sort of exciting. ]
I guess that's... all I had for you.
[ Ah, now it's time to feel awkward. Hm. What else is there to say? He wonders, idly scratching his chest as he looks around the landscape... dormscape? Of the local Nekyia. ]
I guess I'll go grab a shirt and go for a run or something now. I mean. I won't just stand here and stare at you eating apples, you know?
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linknet2024-07-25 08:00 pm
no subject
[It's World of Darkness, some vampire out there somewhere probably has an apple Bane. Something something fruit of the garden, something something.
But not him.
And when Eli pulls his hand back, he's quick to smudge the tears away, heedless of whether or not they leave actual smudges behind on his cheeks. There are more important things, at the moment.]
Don't apologize for giving perhaps the most sentimental gift I've gotten in... ah. A very long time.
[Ever?? Maybe ever. But wow, that's kind of depressing to think about, so he won't share that particular thought.]
no subject
It was a gift!
It wasn't often that he got to give someone else a gift. ]
Really? Well, I'm glad I did it, then. I know you can't enjoy food the way we do but spirit food is different, so I thought... why not get him stuff he misses while we're here, where it's possible?
no subject
So it's a shame he doesn't get to give gifts often. He's good at it.]
Careful, I could take advantage of that, you know.
[While the words themselves are back to something like normal, his tone is incredibly fond. He won't do something like that to him, not really, but he can pretend to act like there's a chance of it, to gather his pride back up.]
But... thank you.
no subject
[ Eli says that with a smirk of his own. Ultimately, how much spirit food they can or cannot get their hands on isn't up to him. All to the whims of Braphine, it would seem... ]
But you're welcome. If you think of something else you want, I can try convincing Mina to pray for it.
no subject
[Or she'd pop down and give a lecture about taking advantage of her generosity. Or both! his money would be on both, honestly.]
Something I want, hm? [He pauses to think a moment - or at least act like he is, fingers worrying the edge of the cloth that had been covering the basket.] I don't think any prayers from Mina could get what I've thought of.
[What a line.
Before he can be questioned - before he can question himself - he leans in to press a kiss to the corner of that smirk before straightening back up as quickly as he'd leaned in.
And if he's blushing, surely it's just a trick of the light in the Nekiya, nothing more.]
no subject
He can't help but lean in after the kiss, even after Celeste has drawn away. ]
Uh, well, if it isn't something she can pray for, then maybe you can tell me what it is and I'll answer your prayers instead.
no subject
Maybe I will...
[Yeah about that prayer answering a few threads later--
Anyway.]
Or maybe I'll leave you guessing a while.
[Because he sure can't share anything to pray for when he's finally taking a bite of one of those apples, can he?]
no subject
But until then, he's left to watch curiously as Celeste finally tries one of the spirit apples. ]
Well? Is it good?
no subject
And he'll be keeping those prayers in his back pocket for the best/worst time to pull them out, surely.]
Is it...?
[Is it good? Aside from the flavor - sweet and crisp and just a bit tart - being better than any he remembered (but that's not a surprise, given how long it's been), and aside from the warm magical spark inherent of it being a product of this place... It's compassion. Affection. Care. It's humanity, something he'd thought he threw away decades ago, right there in his hands in a simple little fruit.
And Eli asks if it's good, as if that simple little word could encompass it.]
Yeah. Yeah, it's good.
[And he'll pretend it can.]
no subject
[ It may not describe everything it means to Celeste or every little thing he feels, but it's enough for Eli. He grins, immediately pleased that he's done something good for someone else. Especially for Celeste. He has to think... how much more spirit food can he get out of Mina and the goddess? What else could he ask for?
Ah, but now he's fully awake. If he'd been having trouble sleeping before, now there's no way he's going back to sleep. For something as simple as a gift of apples, it's sort of exciting. ]
I guess that's... all I had for you.
[ Ah, now it's time to feel awkward. Hm. What else is there to say? He wonders, idly scratching his chest as he looks around the landscape... dormscape? Of the local Nekyia. ]
I guess I'll go grab a shirt and go for a run or something now. I mean. I won't just stand here and stare at you eating apples, you know?