It's Been a While

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"Awesome," Dare said, taking the picture eagerly. He let his eyes skim over Emilian first, more to get a sense of him to mesh with the guy he'd met, then turned his attention more thoroughly on Michael. It was strange how much he could see in that one image; the natural aristocracy was highly apparent, but the Michael he knew hid just below the surface. It seemed a strange juxtaposition of the Michael that Dare knew now.

He absorbed, then he expanded his attention to include Emilian again, to note the similarities, more obvious here on the surface. They looked incredibly close; everything about their stance showed it. Dare took in the robes last, and his lips curved again. "You're right," he said, "those aren't dress robes, they're costumes."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael laughed, "Yeah, they were horrible. Of course, they were nothing compared to some that dad wore, they'd have these frills on the cuffs." He wrinkled his nose as he looked over the picture. Sometimes he forgot how close he and Emilian had been, but the picture practically forced him to remember. "And Emilian loved them, he loved to dress up. I thought they were ridiculous."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"He liked that, huh?" Dare mused. He looked at the picture a moment longer, trying to get a feel for everything and imprint it, then handed the picture back. "He seems...like an observer. Not like us, but, well, I guess like us in a way. He'd rather just have a secret smirk at everyone's expense rather than try to figure them out, wouldn't he?" Except Michael. He'd obviously spent a great deal of time trying to figure Michael out.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael thought for a second, looking down at the picture in his hands, then nodded, "Yeah. But he didn't stay on the outskirts, he was out in the middle of the floor charming whoever he could get his hands on." He gave the picture one last look and slid it back into his book. "The only person I've ever seen him get close to is Adara," he said. Other than Michael himself, anyway, he didn't think it necessary to add that detail.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare picked up on the unspoken and didn't comment. He knew Emilian was a tender subject, but he'd wanted to introduce being able to talk about him, even if it was only in generalities, and even if it was only very briefly. Dare intended to do those drawings, and Michael knew; if there were any hard feelings, he wanted them to be able to talk about it. Or, rather, for Michael to talk about it. Dare had told himself he wouldn't bring it up.

"I haven't met Adara," Dare said. "I think Silver might've mentioned her name or something, but the girls like, attacked him when we first got here..." Dare trailed off as the story behind the name filtered into his mind. His eyes widened slightly, and he looked curiously aside at Michael, wondering if he ought to say anything.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"The girls have a habit of doing that kind of thing," Michael said, grinning. After the meeting he had forcefully pushed the knowledge of the drawing sessions to the back of his mind. He had told Dare that he wouldn't tell him to stop, and so he had convinced himself to not think about it. Michael met Dare's eyes and tilted his head slightly, silently questioning his thoughts.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare debated for a moment before speaking. "Silver would freak if he knew I was telling anyone this, but one of the girls he met was Adara. Apparently he did what he always does and froze up--she must have touched him or something--but she was real close when, and I'm quoting Silver here, her boyfriend showed up and threatened to kill him. So now he's got this deathly fear of girls' boyfriends to add to the rest of his worries."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"Well I've never seen Emilian with a girlfriend before, but from what I've seen when he talks about her or is with her, it wouldn't surprise me. He'll fight," Michael said, the scar was proof. "I don't think he would have killed him, though. I wouldn't tell Emilian you two were related, though," he warned, for the first time acknowledging that Dare and Emilian would be in close proximity. Emilian might not take very well to knowing that the brother of someone that had wronged him was in his shop.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare would have laughed, but there wasn't any humor in Michael's words; he was serious. "Is he really that uptight?" Dare asked. He'd picked up that Emilian could be intense, but that sounded a little overboard. Still, he'd take that advice without argument. It had been bad enough working away from the mixed blood bit.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"He can be pretty bad, and, like I said, he's never been close to someone....never had the same feelings returned," Michael amended. "So who knows? He can have a temper." They both had tempers, but Michael thought that, even with his own short temper, he was calmer than Emilian. "But then, he could surprise us and be perfectly fine with it." There was also the fact that Michael had overreacted to Emilian coming, he had exaggerated in his own mind what he would do, but in his mind anything seemed possible.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"Hm. Well, I think I'll opt for caution and neglect to mention anything," Dare said. And if Adara was the person Emilian wanted him to draw, he'd keep his distance. Not that he had any specific fears of getting his ass kicked, but he had a healthy enough sense of self-preservation not to tempt fate.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael nodded, "Good." He couldn't help being worried when people he cared about were around Emilian. He wasn't as worried as he had been in the past, though, not now that Emilian was apparently happy with Adara. Emilian seemed to be in an all around better mood than Michael was used to seeing him in. "I guess I should stop being so paranoid," he said, shrugging.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"Hey, paranoia is healthy in small doses," Dare said, trying to lighten the subject a little. "It's nice to know you care enough about my ass not to want it beat to the ground," he teased, lips lifting in his crooked smile. He leaned, nudging Michael playfully with his shoulder. It was nice, actually. Michael could have let him go with no warnings and hoped it all blew up.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael grinned at him and nudged him back. "Yeah well what good are you if you become one with the ground?" It wouldn't be very fun to be dating someone that couldn't do anything. He was amazed at the ease with which Dare lightened the air. Michael had the feeling he wouldn't have to worry about very many bad days with Dare at his side.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare chuckled. "Just think, you could walk all over me, and I'd never say a word," he teased, and nudged Michael again, just for the fun of it. Any double meaning was subtle enough to be looked over, but Dare's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Or maybe you're not the controlling type," he suggested, a grin threatening at the corners of his lips.