A Royal Pain (Gear)

Hitura Rael

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#21
No problem. Thanks for understanding. I don't think she really listens much anymore. Lunch sounds good. See you there.
He picked up the pictures on the way out of the room. His first stop was the bathroom to wash his face and remove the rest of the makeup. It took a bit to get it off and out of the cuff of his uniform. That was the LAST thing Enfield needed to see. One day in uniform and he already got smutz on it. He regretted wearing the uniform now. He had expected to need to look presentable for Selene and the court and having a meal with her. Now he was stuck in the damn thing.

He sighed and made his way to the car, taking the uniform jacket off and wrapping the pictures in it. It would protect them from damage and protect his ass from Enfield. The perfect plan! He was a tad late though, taking a bit too long trying to smooth down his hair in the mirror. The ONE DAY that he brushed it...

When he made it to the diner, he looked it over curiously. It was... cozy. Not very upscale. Perfect. He hated those upscale places. He smiled when he spotted Enfield and approached him. "Nice choice. Thanks for bailing me out back there. And... sorry about constantly joking about you two."
 

GEAR

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#22
At the sound of James voice, Enfield seemed to wake up and stepped forward, narrowly avoiding being clocked by the diner door as he did so. He waved to the young man as he came close, giving a sigh.

"Needed to get out of there myself." He said, reaching up to scratch the back of his head absentmindedly "Palace hasn't been feeling the same lately."

He listened as James made his apology... and he leaned over, lowering himself to the young man's height, hand scratching his chin thoughtfully as he gave him a skeptical look, as if he suspected that this was merely the setup for yet another sting of mockery. Finding nothing but honesty in James features, he instead raised himself back up, and reached out to pat him affectionately on the back.

"Hmm, what's this?" He said, teasingly; "You don't think I can take it, or something?"

Enfield gave him a reassuring smile, as if to say "Don't worry about me.". It was a sharp contrast to the man he had heard speak earlier to Selene, so full of emotion. So it was that, behind closed doors, it seemed Gerart Enfield appeared to be a very different man.
 

Hitura Rael

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#23
"You both seem... on edge. Normally at least one of you would want me to actually explain my actions and thoughts then explain why I'm wrong rather than just telling me I'm wrong." He winced. Yeah, he wasn't exactly letting that go in an hour.

James tilted his head curiously at Enfield as he examined him. Then he frowned. "Hey... what's with that look? That's the look you gave me when I told you I didn't stick mud in your shoes when I was nine and you didn't believe me." He grunted at the pat. "I know you can handle it. But I think she's been barking up your tree and you've been declining her." He wasn't about to OUTRIGHT admit he was listening. But if Enfield asked... he'd admit it.

"And I don't think I tell you how much I appreciate you and love you enough. You're a good big brother." He smiled. "So is it me or is she acting... off? Tossing me in the Genion then fretting over what would have happened if you hadn't survived, telling me to go through fathers old stuff? That's not normal."
 

GEAR

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#24
"That's because there was." Enfield said thickly in response to the anecdote about his shoes, grimacing as he remembered having to trudge about in what would otherwise have been a fancy new pair of shiny loafers.

He wasn't about to invite James to whine about how his opinion wasn't being heard once again, and instead opted to lead the way into the diner. A waiter that looked like he'd seen better days led them to a comfortable looking corner booth, and Enfield browsed a holographic menu as he nodded along with James as he spoke. If he suspected that the young man knew more than he let on... It didn't show on his features. As James voiced his appreciation, he gave a grateful smile, perhaps the most genuine one he'd shown all day, and a slightly sheepish thumbs up.

With the subject now turned to Selenes behavior, however, his expression darkened, as he clearly had his own thoughts on the matter. Yet, at length he simply sighed.

"Don't even try to understand women." He said, raising a finger as he spoke, in the air of a man attempting to impart some brotherly, if misogynistic wisdom;

"Women understand women... and they all hate each other."

With a dry chuckle, he settled a little deeper into his seat... but it seemed clear, at least, that he had more to say on the matter. Was he concealing it to protect James' feelings?
 

Hitura Rael

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#25
He admitted internally that he REALLY deserved that suspicion. Playing little jokes on him like that was the staple of amusement growing up. Mostly because Selene had diplomatic immunity. As in, he didn't want to risk being locked in a jail cell to teach him a lesson for sticking a frog in her dresser as much as he was tempted to do it.

He followed Enfield into the diner and sat down, getting comfy in the booth before browsing the menu. That look wasn't a good one. But, he had a point. Understanding women was a pain in the ass. "Good thing they're my second choice of dating material then." He shrugged and input his order. "You know I wont go running to any girls about what you say. Be as candid as you want. You don't have to hold back with me. Guy talk is between us." He smiled, encouraging Enfield along.

He didn't think holding things in was good for a person. At least some things. And if you couldn't act normal with your friends, who could you act normal with? He decided it was probably a good idea to encourage Enfield to open up. "Unless you want to hold it in and risk me getting annoying or asking why you're not dating anyone. Or returning the favor of attempting to hook you up with one of the girls in my circle."
 

GEAR

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#26
"Good thing they're my second choice of dating material then."
Enfield, who had just started to take a drink, suddenly choked, giving a squawk as he lowered the glass, thumping his chest to clear his throat. Face red, he turned questioningly to the young man... only to find an innocent stare. Such things weren't unheard of... and of course, even in Luna, there were darkened corners where those with such tastes would convene... but he seemed to find it hard to place a youth like James, who he had watched grow since he had been born, among them.

"I, uh... Hm." He mumbled inarticulately in response... but eventually went quiet, focusing instead on the menu.

Seemingly desperate for any way to move the conversation forward, he selected his choice from the holographic menu, causing it to drop back into the table, and steepled his fingers as he listened to the offer of setting him up with another.

"Thanks, but no thanks." He said, waving his hands airily as he did so.

"Some of us... are better off alone. As for Selene..."

His tone hardened as he stared out straight ahead, as if trying to make out something in the distance. It was the expression of Enfield the Knight, not the slightly awkward uncle with mud in his shoes.

"...There's something I've been meaning to look into for a while."
 

Hitura Rael

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#27
James' brow drew down with worry as Enfield choked on his drink. Once he was okay though, he relaxed back into the seat. "You never noticed?" He smirked in amusement. "Never was something important enough to mention. Sorry, about the uh... very bad timing? You're okay right? Nothing down the wrong pipe?"

He let the silence drop between them for a few minutes, using the time to glance around the diner at the various pictures and decorations. That was something Enfield really would need time to digest, given the man had apparently been oblivious. Really, not dating your room mate that walked around in her underwear should have been the biggest waving flag in existence! She'd answered the door more than once in that state too.

He turned his head back to Enfield when he started talking again. "Hey, as long as you don't try to do that stupid 'push away everyone who cares about you' bullshit, I won't try to hook you up with anyone. Mutual agreement there? I'm pretty sure Selene's going to drop a bride in my lap within the next few years." He sighed. He hated having his life being manipulated like that. He was supposed to be in the shadows and unknown for his safety, not blatantly walking around like a damn prince.

"What are you going to look into?" His curiosity and worry was piqued. He leaned in to talk quieter. Though it was something that probably shouldn't be discussed in public. "If you wanna talk bout that later we can go back to one of our appartments."
 

GEAR

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#28
At the mention of Selene finding James a bride, Enfield only gave a dry chuckle as he settled back into his seat. At length, a waitress arrived to deliver their food, and the Knight of Knights dug into his burger with relish.

"...I can't really say much yet, but it has to do with that structure that's being built down south... the Zodiac Of New Energy."

He thumbed a command on his personal terminal, which brought up a pre-recorded news report, as well as a holographic overlay of a massive, dome-like structure with a glassy top, like an eyeball. Coverage of the so-called ZONE had dominated Lunar media for weeks, discussing eagerly how it would lead to a new era of Lunarian independence, and extolling the virtues of clean, efficient Dimensional Energy as a power source. With a dry click, Enfield closed it once more, returning to his meal.

"I'll be gone for a few days after this... No contact, or anything." He said, taking a moment to wipe his mouth and give James a reassuring smile:

"Look after Selene for me, will you? Wouldn't want her to worry."
 

Hitura Rael

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#29
James looked at him, puzzled. "You think something's fishy with it?" James leaned in to watch the news report. "Dimensional Energy... ... Isn't that what Genion runs on?" He frowned hard. "Waaait... Did she just use me as an experiment to see if something run by that would blow up?" It did not sound like a joke. James leaned away to poke around his food, waiting for it to cool before shoving a head of steamed broccoli into his mouth.

"Sure. No problem. Do what you gotta do." He swallowed and picked around again, hunting for the most cooled bit. "Just be careful. I don't imagine she or the people managing the project would be happy to have you snooping around. I'll try to do my best to distract her but it's not gonna be easy like when we were little. Sleepovers aren't a thing anymore, unfortunately. Which sucks, cuz I'm getting pretty good at managing hair that isn't attached to my head."
 

GEAR

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#30
"It's a new kind of energy, one that uses power from between worlds... Whatever that means."

Having wolfed down his burger in record time, Enfield leaned forward. He was thinking about the ZONE even more now, it seemed, going over the facts in his head. Though it seemed clear he couldn't bring James with him... At the very least, he didn't want the young man to worry.

"Clean, efficient, environmentally friendly... Almost sounds too good to be true."

He shrugged, and glanced at the young man again, starting to wonder whether he even watched the news, or if his roommates antics were entertainment enough.

"I just hope we're not opening Pandora's Box here."
 

Hitura Rael

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#31
"That alone sounds fishy." James frowned at the description and focused on his food. He occasionally glanced up at Enfield with a mix of horror and fascination. He wouldn't doubt if Enfield had skipped a few meals out of forgetfulness or just plain not taking care of himself. Opportunity knocked.

"Don't eat too fast, you'll get a stomach ache." He grinned at Enfield. It was not often he could turn the tables around to chide the man for things James had once been scolded for. He finished his vegetables and worked on the fish, eating a little faster. Monkey see, monkey do. He wasn't racing the older man, just eating at a more normal pace. Like a soldier in the mess hall.

He frowned at the claims this energy held. "Isn't that what they said about a LOT of power sources over the centuries? And they all turned out to miss the mark?" He pushed the empty plate aside and leaned back in his seat to nurse his water. "Honestly, I've got a bad feeling about this..."
 

GEAR

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#32
"Tell me about it." Said Enfield, giving a low whistle as he sat back - now, understandably, afflicted with indigestion as he scowled. James knew him a bit too well, and his general vulnerability to indigestion was something he would rather have not made public knowledge.

"I'll keep you in the know on what I find out."

Enfield's curious silence on the matter was only further compounded as he furrowed his brow in thought. Given the events of the day, it would be a surprise if he didn't have more on his mind - but the earlier exchanges only seemed to have hardened his resolve.

"In the meantime... Keep it a secret, yeah? Even from Selene."

He gave a smile, and raised a fist in the young man's direction.

"Can I count on you?"
 

Hitura Rael

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#33
James shook his head at Enfield and dug about in his pants pocket. He listened while he searched through the contents. The silence was telling.

"Yeah, of course I won't tell her. Too bad for her that I'm closer to you." He chuckled and finally untangled a blister packet from his handkerchief. He blinked at the fist in front of him, then dragged his own out of his pocket.

"Of course, you can always count on me. No matter what." He bumped his fist against Enfield's, then moved it over his hand. "Even if you do drive me nuts sometimes. That's what siblings do, right?" He smiled and handed Enfield the packet of antacids. "Cover each other's asses and take care of each other."