[Elkas Blackbridge]

Elkas wiped his feet off on the threshold of the tavern before he entered. It was a bit of a finicky habit he supposed, but so natural to him that he didn't think about it anymore. It was just plain good manners not to track dirt into a building. The warmth that rushed over him as he stepped in was welcome, and El shivered with the transition. His scarf and hat were pulled off and stuffed into his coat pocket, making it bulge out comically.

He ruffled his hair- though it was already so mussed it hardly made a difference- and expertly wove through occupied tables and ducked around patrons to find a small table at the back of the room. He threw his hat and scarf on the table to claim it, then ordered a coffee before returning to sit down- leaning back with legs sprawled and eyes closed.

He was meeting Brand, again. They did this every so often, coffee and conversation. Well, the talking was down to brand mostly, chatterbox that he was. El agreed or disagreed, added comments and laughed accordingly. It was a comfortable sort of friendship, when his all-but-brother wasn't propagating his Emperor.

It was a little awkward for Elkas. For the past year he'd been lending his forces to the rebels, to Saili, so he had to watch what he said. Well, secrets were not a problem to keep, however, there was a fine art to neither agreeing or disagreeing, but sort of sounding like you agreed while keeping your opinions suitably vague. El was very good at this. He didn't like all this secrecy when it came to what boiled down to one of his only close friends, but when something was necessary, it was.

[Brand Oshea]

Brand was running late. It wasn’t his fault, really it wasn’t, but he had been in his workshop, making a new necklace for some spoiled nobles wife, and he had lost track of time. The work had been finicky, fine work, that meant his eyes were now aching and his finger tips were cramped. However, as soon as he realized how late it was, he had thrown on a warm cloak over the top of his rough workman’s clothes and gone striding out in the autumn weather. he always enjoyed meeting up with El, and today especially they had a lot to talk about.

After all, Saili’s goddamn men had attacked the city again, people were injured, shops destroyed, and everything about this situation grated with Brand. It wasn’t right, it wasn’t fair and it shouldn’t still be happening. A year was a long time, a long time to live in fear and anger and hate, and it was slowly wearing down the society Brand loved. It wasn’t acceptable and he really couldn’t stand for it any longer. He was getting closer and closer to dropping his apprenticeship and joining up with the Emperor Damien’s army. Maybe that way he could make a difference and see some change.

Finally he reached the tavern, pushing the door open hard enough that it hit the wall, announcing his arrival with a dull thud. He quickly caught sight El’s messy hair; he was sitting at a small table in the corner of the tavern. Just like El to be early. He probably even remembered to wipe his feet as he entered, thought Brand cynically, before looking down at his own muddy feet and the clods of earth he was trailing behind him. It was all good though, there was sure to be a cleaner somewhere who was hired to sweep up after the patrons.

Brand quickly ordered a cup of coffee, before moving over to where El sat sprawled out in his seat, head tipped back and eyes closed. Brand pulled out a chair next to El, sat down and promptly flicked his friend in the ear. “Heey,” he drawled, smiling at his friend. “How have you been you old bastard? Not seen you for a while now,” he grinned. “Been kissing any pretty people I should know about?” he teased, his tone light.

[Elkas Blackbridge]

Elkas had a few minutes of rest, shutting down all thought processes and just relaxing, before a familiar flick of the ear jerked him into consciousness. He grinned despite himself, despite the fact that it was annoying as hell. Brand had been doing it since they were kids. What was he supposed to do? Flicking a two-fingered salute in return before pushing himself up in his chair, El made himself comfortable sitting straight up.

"Better for not seeing you of course, how do you think I've been?" he joked, giving Brand a smug look. Their coffee came, and El promptly burnt his tongue on the first sip. Given the amount of times that that had happened, his tongue should either have been immune, or El should have learned to blow on hot liquids before ingesting them. Preferably the latter. He wheezed and vainly tried to blow on his poor tongue.

And realized he looked like an idiot. He flushed, unforgivably. He hated flushing. So much for smug. "Not kissing anyone with this tongue." he muttered, half-inaudibly- he was poking the burn with a finger. "And you? I'm sure you've got plenty to tell me, kissing or not." Brand always had a mouthful on the way, and after the previous nights activity Elkas was sure there was a full blown rant somewhere in there.

He hadn’t been involved in this one, but he was a part of the movement. Yeah, there were casualties, there was damage. But one didn’t shift power, create change, all out of thin air. They were working towards a greater good, Brand just didn’t see that. It was time that everyone got a piece of what the nobles had every day. Time that the labourers, the people that made this city, this country what it was, were rewarded. Elkas believed in this movement, completely.

He just wished it didn’t have to take a toll on the one friendship he didn’t want to cast off. He took another sip, this time blowing first, and crossed one ankle over the other knee. His wrist was killing him, even picking up a cup hurt. The downside of being a scribe was the constant writer’s cramp. At least he could draw. El had the good fortune of being ambidextrous- he wrote with his right hand, and drew with his left. It was most likely the saving of his sanity; sketching was his drug.

[Brand Oshea]

“Whatever,” said Brand, drawing out the syllables, his tone heavy with sarcasm. “You know you missed me and my handsome grin,” he laughed. “And my wit, and humor, and stunning good looks, and smart, intelligent conversation…” Brand was going to carry on but his list of good qualities was cut short as he let out a loud snort of laughter. El had burnt his tongue, like usual, and appeared to be trying…blow on it cool it down maybe? Whatever he was doing, he looked stupid.

Brand was fairly certain he heard some comment about not kissing and tongue, but nothing definite, so he laughed at the appropriate time, picking up his cup of coffee, blowing on it carefully, having learnt from El’s display, before taking a cautious, but appreciative slurp of the hot back liquid. There was nothing better than a mug of strong, sweet coffee, except maybe having a joint of Tafis as well. Still, he could hardly roll one of those in so public a place; someone was sure to be in some sort of official position, and he could hardly afford to get in trouble right now.

“There has been plenty of kissing of course,” grinned Brand. There always was with Brand. He may not have been the most attractive person to walk into a room but he was charismatic. And if charisma didn’t work, he would quite simply pounce and see how things worked out. there may be plenty of kisses but there were usually plenty of slaps as well. “But as for stuff that has been happening. What about that bloody raid that happened yesterday.”

He sighed, looking down into his coffee. “I mean, it’s bloody ridiculous; how the hell can she keep on doing this; I just don’t understand it. She is so power hungry it is sickening. She is killing innocent people and doesn’t give a damn; she is fighting against the rightful ruler of this land; it is enough to make me vomit, it really is. I don’t understand how one person feels they have the right to wreak all of this havoc and horror, simply to achieve an even higher ranking position than what she had before. The people who support that madwoman are so clearly delusional it’s pathetic.

Brand sighed, taking another deep slurp of his coffee. “The blacksmiths next to me was destroyed. They now are missing half their tools, they can’t work, the family is going to go broke and then what are they meant to do? No one thinks of these thing’s y’know. It’s so selfish.”

[Elkas Blackbridge]

((spider for some reason it TRIPLE posted on me, could you delete the second and third post for me please? =) thank youuu love))


“Nice to see you’re full of it as usual” El retorted when he’d regained function of his tongue, kicking lightly at Brands leg. He grinned though, displaying pearly whites. Brands playful arrogance was comforting in a way that Elkas would never think to admit, not out loud anyway. He did have a little pride after all. “You left out your big fat stupid head and your insufferable annoyance. I missed those dearly too.”

When his coffee had cooled sufficiently, Elkas took a gulp, then another. It was strong enough to dissolve a spoon, but it was just the kind of kick that the kid needed. It was daytime after all. He’d spent the entire night sketching a portrait of his brother by candlelight, though Rowan had no clue of course. El was tired; sunlight just did not agree with him. “Whos heart have you been breaking this time then?” he asked good-naturedly, smirking at Brand. Every time they saw each other there was always another handful on the list.

They were polar opposites in most senses. Perhaps that was why they got along so well. No clashing of personalities, just meshing. God, there he went again, getting all sentimental. He really had to stop doing that, all these inner monologues. This was why he never had much to say; he was too busy thinking crap in his own head. Meshing, his arse.

Wrenching himself back into real life, Elkas finished his drink, setting the mug down onto the wooden table, and picked up his scarf. Thick, black, and woollen, it was his favourite piece of clothing. The only person who knew that he slept with it clenched in a fist tucked under his chin was his brother. Sworn to secrecy of course. El was all about secrets. He wound it loosely three times around his neck and let the ends fall down his front. There, protection (yeah right) against the barrage of scorn against Saili he knew was coming.

He nodded and mm’ed at the appropriate times, and busied himself with his hands, spinning the empty mug on the table. He didn’t agree. He felt for the people affected, he did. But there was something better than living under an imperialistic rule. Sometimes he really just wanted to say it out loud. He wanted to be able to move around without skulking and hiding where he was going, to be able to use his own name. He was a rebel supporter.

Well that would be an idiotic move. Not only would his family be at risk, but he’d lose the only social life he had. It was a little pathetic. A+ Elkas, A+. “Definitely..” he muttered, nodding again. This was normal. Brand talked, El muttered. El figured it might be time to make new friends. This was not going to end well.