Closing Time [Open]

[Elric Vlarintos]

Waved off like he was expressing a concern over nothing. Recurring health problems on a yearly cycle revealed that something was wrong with you and your lifestyle. Then again, that the condition of slaves here was less than satisfactory was plain to see for anyone with eyes. For just a moment Elric tried to wrap his mind around the idea again, but failed. It just never really sank in what he was dealing with here, and every time he tried to make it register in his mind it didn't work. Somehow, it was still atonement for something he had done in the past.

Then again, atonement eventually ended. At what point did penance stop and it simply became ruthless punishment? Elric wasn't certain, but he still had not reached that point.

For a moment he thought about retracting the statement about eating Kris, but realized that saying such a thing had much worse implications than just leaving it out there. Nothing said friendship like rescinding on your promise to avoid the consumption of your friend's 'delicious meats'. Then again, the way Kris spoke Elric couldn't help but wonder if he just chose to ignore simple facts. "I do see your point... are you a vegetarian?" The question might seem out of place, but it was highly relevant to the topic.

"Regardless, I'm not going to turn out to be a crazy psychotic killer or anything that will decide to wear your skull as a headpiece. Or flay off your skin and wear it as a coat. Or any other such horrific fates that would certainly await. I certainly wouldn't eat you." Elric smiled, hoping that the sheer ridiculousness of his suggestions would work as humor. He never had quite gotten the hang of it.

[Kristopher Roberts]

Once again, the blond looked oddly at the older man and slowly shook his head, "Not really, I'm just sort of a picky eater but I don't really eat that much anyways." he paused for a moment and slowly raised a brow at Elric, "You really need to learn not to mention eating and ripping peoples skulls off, you might say you are not going to do it. But referring to it in that text makes me think you are trying to do the opposite. Rather then assure me you are making me more nervous." He laughed a little then, moving his blond curls behind his ears.

"Anyways, off the business of removing skulls and meet, back to subject here. By subject I don't mean rumors. I mean, I kinda wanna talk about Piper. She has me worried half the time, she doesn't like people getting close to her and I'm lucky enough that she lets me at least hug her...but I really think she needs someone to open up too. But, I don't think its me, she might see me as another one of the girls but...." He glanced at Elric for a moment.

"I think you could help her, or at least do a better job at it then me. I'm pretty---blunt with somethings and have a habit of making stuff worse. Maybe you could help me, figure out whats wrong with her...and maybe fix it? I don't mean to say you should date her or anything. I just want her to be happy. She deserves that much. I know she hates dealing with relationship issues, especially with me and Augusta."

The blond then slid his hands into the pockets of his old jean jacket, he fidgeted for a moment as he lowered his two color eyes. "Actually, I haven't went to see her in a long time. I'm kinda afraid to go see her, I know I just cause trouble...and now that my eyes aren't the same...she might reject me....for reasons I could understand. She frightens rather easily, even if she won't admit it."

Kristopher had been having a rather hard time dealing with his own changes and after the reaction he got from his lover, well, he was afraid to visit any of his friends now. Plus, he really didn't want to bother Piper anymore with his issues, he figured it wouldn't help her at all anymore.

"Blah, I'm just rambling now, sorry about that and if I made you uncomfortable in some way. I happen to excel in that lately."

[Elric Vlarintos]

Once again, Elric's social ineptness seemed to just make things a little more awkward rather than dispelling the tension in the air. He'd really have to work on that if he didn't want to frighten other people he might meet and talk to in the future. He made a personal note to not base any further humor around the absurd. This was a place where such things were all too often the reality and it probably made people terribly uncomfortable.

"Not a vegetarian, huh?" Elric said, feeling rather uncomfortable about that fact. But how would he word his concerns to Kristopher about that subject. He ran his tongue across his lips as he considered it before it came to him. "If that's the case, then I just would keep away from any meat that the Boogies offer you." Okay, so maybe they just said such things to make him nervous, but it was better safe than sorry if you were squeamish.

Moving back to the subject of Piper made Elric feel uncomfortable. Kristopher seemed to have this strange idea that Elric could crack open her shell where other people, more socially gifted people, could not. The whole idea seemed preposterous to him, especially since he barely could hold what felt like a normal conversation with anyone. Piper had problems of her own, and Elric pushed to get her to open up a little bit once. The hope was that she'd volunteer more information as she became comfortable with the idea.

"Fixing." Elric repeated the word aloud, as though he were trying to make sense of it. It carried the connotation that a person was, in fact, broken. Asking someone to fix someone else implied that the person would not be able to do it on their own. Was Piper really in such a condition that she needed help? Elric supposed that she never would have opened up if he hadn't pushed that first time. There was a value judgment involved in this consideration that he did not feel comfortable making. What was best for everyone involved?

"Kid," Elric started up again, and then shook his head in apology. "Kristopher, the eye is a little unusual, but friends are supposed to be accepting of such a condition." Elric turned his head and forced himself to look at Kristopher and look at the eye he had been avoiding. It had made him feel uneasy, but it was just an eye, right? "You really care about people, and it's easy to see that. I make no promises about actively working on whatever issues she isn't sharing, but I will be supporting of her improvement all the same."

Elric was silent for a moment before adding something on as an afterthought. "The same offer goes to you, if you'd like."