hate_gettin_older | [PHverse PSL]

[PHverse PSL]

Calloway's Curios has moved, and expanded considerably. Fortunately for those few who rely on them, his regular products are still in stock -- such as the reliable bloodfruit.

On this particular day, though, the shop is mostly crowded with people checking out the new products on his shelves. And at one particular point in the afternoon, a loud and irate exclamation of "What the hell?" can be heard rising from somewhere in the aisles.

And repeated, a few moments later, rather louder, by a young man leaning across the customer service counter to yell at the proprietor. "What the hell, man? D'you have any fuckin idea what this is?"

He's brandishing a shapeless wad of blueish stuff in Calloway's face, accusingly.

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Erik rolls his eyes as he approaches the counter with a full basket of blood fruit. Honestly, has Edgar tried being polite even once in his life? What could he possibly be on about now?

"Since you're so worked up about it, why don't you enlighten us both?"

"It's fuckin kronole," he snaps, barely even registering Erik's presence, "dangerous flammable shite that makes hallucinations and fucks up people's brains, what the fuck are you selling that for?"

"Well, since you ask," says Calloway placidly, "for four hundred Brass."

Kronole is a new name, but the rest sounds terribly familiar. He can't believe it, but he's actually agreeing with Edgar now. They can't have that out on the streets here! God help him if he takes a client who's intoxicated with it.

"Four hundred?" Erik balks. "That's hardly going to cover your damages if you do not give that over right now. As a member of the town council, I'm tempted to open a formal investigation."

"Four hundred --" Edgar starts to shout, and falls abruptly silent as Erik joins in with him. Whatever startlement he's experiencing, though, he recovers quickly. "Right," he rallies, and snatches up the lump of kronole. "Doing you a favor, really, getting this out of your shop."

Calloway protests, claiming to have broken no law, citing his operating expenses -- he can't afford to just give away merchandise or he'll be ruined, and then where would his honor the Town Councilman get his own supplies?

"Fine," Edgar finally snaps, "fifty brass to cover your expenses, how's that?"

Erik is chagrined to find that he and Edgar make a good team when it comes to pressuring this crooked shopkeeper. The lad isn't a half bad haggler. Down to fifty is no small feat. If that will keep the peace, then it's not Erik's brass to worry about.

"And here is the usual fee for the blood fruits, as you so kindly reminded me, I do need to stock up." He tosses that brass down on the counter.

Calloway looks between the two, and Erik can nearly see the mental tallies behind his eyes. Calloway smartly relents, bidding the both of them to take their goods and get out of his sight.

"Well," Erik says with dark amusement, motioning to Edgar to follow him, "I suppose we have overstayed our welcome."

Edgar drops his own fifty brass down on the counter, glowers silently at Calloway, and turns on his heel to stalk out behind Erik.

"Can't fuckin believe he was selling it," he mutters, and fishes out a shabby handkerchief to wrap the lump of kronole.

"I can believe it. That man would sell his own mother's soul for a high enough profit. Just how potent is that drug?" Erik asks as he eyes the lump warily. "I may actually owe you for taking it out of circulation before it had a chance to infect anyone I might have encountered."

"I dunno about how potent," he says as he stuffs the wrapped lump away in a pocket, "but people fry their fuckin brains on it. Stare off at the pretty pictures in their heads and lose all fuckin sense of time. And it explodes if it gets too hot, just in case that wasn't bad enough."

"I see. So, it isn't quite the same as what I'm familiar with."

Wait. It's explosive? "I don't mean to be indelicate, but if heat is an issue, are you sure you're the best one to handle that?"

Well, now it's Erik's turn to get a glower, if a slightly less venomous one. Apparently Calloway's offense was bad enough to at least temporarily downgrade anyone else's.

"I'm not gonna fuckin carry it on me, man. Just take it home and ... I dunno, shove it in the back of the freezer or something."

Isn't Erik so lucky...

"Really? That's your solution?" Erik scoffs. "If it's so volatile, it should be destroyed. Less risk of you or anyone else thinking of turning to it in a moment of weakness."

He scowls. "Right, because obviously I had time to come up with a perfect solution when I first saw the shite two minutes ago."

A beat. "And you can fuck right off with your 'moment of weakness' bullshit."

Fine. He supposes that's somewhat fair. Edgar did just have it sprung on him. Oh, but that last part, he has a lot to say about that.

"I will, if you can promise me that in the middle of the night, when you think of how much you miss Max, the thought of it won't cross your mind even once."

That gets a snort of furious contempt. "If I want to do something fuckin stupid because of missing Max, I can always call you."

-- wait, that sounded wrong.

The corner of his lip and his eyebrow both lift in unison. "I hope you will."

Despite the tease in his voice and the glimmer in his eyes, there's actual sincerity behind that sentiment. He is very sure that Max would much rather Edgar call him than turn to more destructive outlets.

Hell, which way does he even mean that --

"Just bet you do," Edgar says, which works either way but doesn't have much satisfying edge to it, and leaves him trying to think of something else to say.

"Whatever, I don't fuckin want it. Rather throw myself in the back of the fuckin freezer than put that flammable shite in my face, does that answer your question?"

Edited 2026-02-05 21:51 (UTC)

"I truly do, Edgar. I'd like to think Max would trust me to care for you in his stead, if it were needed or desired." Max being gone from their sides doesn't change the equation by much in Erik's eyes. An oath is an oath.

"That still isn't a promise, Edgar. So it isn't enough. Max would want you safe above all else. I'll take it and dispose of it." He holds out his hand expectantly.

"Sure Max would trust you," Edgar mutters, but Erik's already saying more, and fury heats his face. (Not his hands, though. That he's still got under control.)

"You don't get to say that to me." Low and dangerous. "I don't have to promise you a fuckin thing, and I for damn sure don't have to trust you with something that fucks up people's minds."

"Max would trust me," Erik spits in exasperation, throwing up his hands. "So I'm asking you to trust his instincts in this. I cannot ingest that drug myself, that's the entire point!"

He takes in a big breath, forcing it all the way into his belly. Calm. Be calm. I'm the eldest, I'm supposed to set the example.

"Please," he tries again, softer. "After all we've been through, can you still not extend me any faith at all?"

"Max would trust you cause you fuckin made him trust you," Edgar snarls. "Even if you're sorry, that's still --"

He visibly bites off the sentence unfinished, looking away, taking a deep breath in unconscious echo.

"We can burn it. Find somewhere safe and set it off. That good enough for you?"

"Not here, I didn't." Erik hisses.

Max had all the support he needed to tell Erik to leave and never come back, but he didn't. They built something better. Something real. They did it together. They were supposed to have longer...

"Yes. Fine. All I want is for it to be safely disposed. More the better if you help so we can both be sure it's done properly."

"Fine." He does not sound fine about it.

"Where's good? Someplace something could explode and not do any harm."

"Let's take it to the cliffs. I can throw it far up over the water, if you can shoot it with your fire. Any debris will be quenched in the water below. How does that sound?"

A moment, as Edgar chews on that suggestion as though trying to find something wrong with it.

"Should work," he says finally. "And if I miss and it falls in, we can dive for it?"

"I'll transform into a hawk and fly down and retrieve it in that case, yes."

:3

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