sirenspull_logs | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: Eric Slingby and Magneto
When: August 18th, evening
Where: HoA
Summary: Eric goes for allergy shots, and there is a... talk
Warnings: Relationship angst, nothing serious

[Eric leaves a little early, telling Alan he wants to get to the field, because they're close to being due for another wave. Instead of going to work, he goes to see the Good Doctor.

He knocks on the door, rubbing the back of his neck.]

Hello?

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[Eric shrugs and finds his way to a chair. He slips out of his suit coat and begins to unbutton his shirt cuff. He humms as he pushes his sleeve up his arm.]

Sure. Is this going to take long?

Shot will go in your bicep, but keep your shirt on for a moment.

[He exhales slowly.]

The shot no. Do you have somewhere you need to be?

N-Noooo... [He draws it out, giving the man a sideways look.]

Uh, what is it? Is something wrong?

Nothing wrong per say - however, I've noticed something it niggling at me a bit.

So indulge an old man who has been around a while?

[Eric smirks. As far as he's concerned, an 'old' human would still be very young by his race's standards. So, the description amuses him a little.]

Sure, whatever you want. What did you notice?

[Wolverine calls him 'Old Man' - and he's younger than Wolverine. It's often his attitude more than his age.]

I understand you and Alan are close. But I am concerned about how...enmeshed you two are.

[Eric raises his eyebrows, looking completely shocked for a moment. He assumed this man KNEW. He certainly made no effort to hide it. Did he really not understand? Well, humans were oblivious sometimes.]

Look, I realize your race has certain... taboos. But it's stupid, really. Yes, everything you worried about is right, and has happened. I'm sorry that it bothers you but...

And look, I'm sorry but we weren't exactly hiding anything. I thought a man as smart as you understood.

My species has far less taboos than Humans - I'm hardly bothered by any relationship which develops between consenting adults.

What concerns me is how little of an identity you seem to have outside Alan.

I see. I ...

Wait...

What? I love him. Is that strange to you?

Loving someone doesn't mean having nothing outside that relationship - or it shouldn't.

[God only knew how he had learned that lesson.]

[Eric knits his brow, looking annoyed.]

Look here, Alan does a lot of things outside of our relationship! [Didi's words come back to him.] He has a job and friends. I'm not controlling him or isolating him!

[Flatly.]

I wasn't talking about Alan, Eric.

Huh?

I'm talking about you. What life outside your relationship do you have?

What life do you expect me to have in a place like this? Or, where I came from too for that matter.

Have you ever been in love?

The same as the rest of us.

[Though his look sharpens.]

I still very much am.

You don't understand.

We're reapers. Our job is to harvest the souls of the dying at the appointed time of death.

And that's all.

We're all cold or mad or... something... Except him.

And by some miracle he'll let me be by his side. And I you know as well as I do that I could loose him at any time.

I have my work. I have friends, other people. What do you want from me?

Here you aren't reapers.

[He shakes his head softly.]

That's the way it is with any of us, more so here. I'm not saying you shouldn't cherish your time together, but if you make someone the centre of everything you are - and I do fear that is happening with you - then...it's a very dangerous road to walk down.

[A dark look crosses Eric's features.]

Dangerous?

And what if everything he is is better than everything I am?

Yes, dangerous.

[He gives Eric a sympathic look.]

That doesn't really matter.

[Eric rubs the back of his neck, thoughtful for a moment.]

I have my job, and friends. I have a life, I really do. I go to parties, I eat and drink... too much some say.

I have my own identity, my own life.

So what if that doesn't matter to me as much as him? Isn't that what love is?

It's a sophomoric idea of what love is. Love is being devoted to someone without losing yourself. Skipping the entire lecture about how psychologically unhealthy it is - the other person who fell in love with you did so for a reason, and it's unfair for to allow the person the fell in love with to fade away.

I'm not fading away. I'm here. I'm here until he...

[He breaks off.]

I haven't faded anywhere. Am I getting this lecture because I want him to be able to keep his cat?

You're getting it because of how you acted when he arrived and was stable while you were injured and in need of medical care. Because you are keeping information from him which if the role was reversed you would be upset over.

His health is fragile, mine isn't. My wound wasn't mortal, the thorns are. And if I want him to be able to have something that makes him happy...

This is nuts. I respect you, but I'm not fading away.