Written Wonderland

Evan tossed Trevor a quick, light, sidelong glance at the sound of that 'sir'. He might not've blinked if there hadn't been any hesitation--he certainly didn't mind being called 'sir'--but picking up on Trevor's uncertainty about it made Evan want to just waive the title for now; something he was certainly known for doing among his own troops.

Trevor went on, though, and mentioned Lieutenant Pemberley by name which made Evan nervous again. Had they talked? Surely Pemberley wasn't the kind to blab about those sorts of things, though, even if he had spoken to Trevor about some of it. Evan reddened slightly and his posture grew a bit more tense, but he tried not to let his nervousness too far into his expression. In fact, he managed to smirk in response to Trevor's crooked smile, hoping that the solder was being the right sort of playful there. It'd be completely paranoid to assume the solder had come just to heckle Evan about what had happened. Right?

"Tactically?" Evan said after managing to shake off some of his errant thoughts, "Things are certainly moving along. She's amenable to our goals and honestly it's mostly just a matter of framing things in a way that interests her, which I'm... kind of getting the hang of." Not that he sounded very sure of himself there, though. He moved on quickly.

"Personally? She is one crazy bitch." Evan smiled about it, feeling fairly confident Trevor would know exactly the kind of 'crazy bitch' he meant. Just to drive the point home, though--or hell, maybe to show off--Evan lifted his shirt to bring attention to the bandages on his torso, his expression admitting that some part of him felt proud. Here was hoping Trevor was the right sort of audience for that; but honestly, Evan had already gotten the impression he might be.

"Fuckin burned me last night. Had fire coming from her bare hands."

Trevor listened attentively to Evan as he spoke about the negotiations with the goddess, but when he moved on to his personal feelings about her, Trevor couldn't help a stifled laugh from coming out of his throat. Damn she really was a crazy bitch. Trevor briefly wondered if all the gods were as batshit. Might explain a few things.

The soldier did not expect Evan to lift up his shirt, though, and his expression returned neutral again as he took in Evan's words and a wave of longing swept over him, parts of his body twitching that he was struggling to keep satisfied on his own. Gods damn it! Why did Trevor like the idea of getting burned so fucking badly? Some part of his brain actually wanted to see Evan's burned flesh, see the damage she caused him in the name of desire with her bare hands. Fuck. Something was seriously wrong with him.

Outwardly, Trevor managed to contain himself after one subtle sway of the knees, and his expression looked slightly pained but still mostly neutral. His crooked smile returned as he thought of a response, though, saying, "Has she used her whip on you yet?"

Oh, Evan felt deeply gratified by Trevor's initial response, though he couldn't quite pinpoint why. Not that he much dwelled on it, though. Trevor hit him back quickly enough with an honestly delightful question. Evan let himself visibly shiver as he let down his shirt.

"Fuuck, yeah, nearly blacked the fuck out."

The captain rolled his shoulders back slightly, tensing muscles across his back as he recalled the sensation of that whip. Gods, both nights had been so fucking wild, and he still had three more to go. Maybe more, if she meant it that she'd want to see him again not just for the sake of the contract. Hopefully more.

A sudden streak of... something unpleasant painted itself on the inside of Evan's chest. Here he was looking forward to seeing the goddess again, when Trevor had been taken away from her. Some part of him was protective--he couldn't deny he was just as glad to have the goddess that much more to himself--but some part of him was sympathetic. He couldn't help thinking about how fucking devastated he'd been just that morning, feeling her ripped out of him as he fell through the portal, and wondering what the fuck it must've felt like for Trevor to wake up. His expression sombered, his eyes lingering on the ground just ahead of him as he walked.

"Do you miss her?"

((OOC: Evan has accidentally activated the rock. ))

Trevor's crooked smile burst into a full grin at Evan's comment, and just as he was about to say I did black the fuck out with all the pride that would have come with, Evan's asked a. Stupid. Fucking. Question.

The burning sensation in Trevor's eyes reappeared, and he had to stop walking for a moment. If he was being honest with himself, he wanted to double over in pain or at least put his head and hands closer to his knees. He settled for the pause and a couple short coughs to steady himself before continuing forward.

"I think you know the answer to that." Trevor said it with a monotonous, almost lifeless tone of voice. His gaze fell to the ground in front of them, and there were actual tears in his eyes now. He blinked them away easily like he had since he had woken up the previous day. "Every single inch of my frickin' body. I don't know how I'm supposed to..." Trevor sighed, realizing he really didn't want to be going into all this. "Let's just say I understand the people who worship her a lot better now. Hell, I'd probably volunteer for that shit, too." Lord knows I've got little else going for me. But, he reminded himself, he was in a rebellion army fighting a civil war, and he guessed that counted for something.

Evan stopped walking when Trevor did, but didn't bring his eyes up until after they started walking again and Trevor spoke. It was a fair enough response--honestly, probably more civil than Evan would've managed in Trevor's shoes, come to think of it. Evan averted his eyes from the soldier again when Trevor's own gaze fell, and he let some silence settle in around them, hoping the reverence he intended would overpower however awkward it might feel.

"... At the end of all this, there might be opportunity to." Evan felt hesitant about going that direction with the conversation, but couldn't think of a better direction to go. The problem was that he couldn't make promises to this soldier, and even if he could, he wasn't even sure if it was the right thing to do. Should he be encouraging that? But, honestly, why the fuck shouldn't he? He was the one who told Mizu he felt like he was doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing here; why shouldn't Trevor do the same once he had the opportunity?

"I can't say for sure, but I don't see why a freed Queen of Dreams shouldn't have use for volunteers." He turned his head towards Trevor, and offered the soldier a hopeful, if slightly nervous, smile. He knew it wasn't a great promise--even if it did come to pass, that was a fuckin hell of a long ways off--but it was something, at least, and maybe the idea of getting to experience her again at some point in the future could help.

Or, it might land all wrong and blow up in his face. Wouldn't be the first time, but he'd deal with that if and when it happened. So far it seemed like he and Trevor were getting along okay, so fingers crossed.

Trevor couldn't help a slight scowl from appearing on his face. He couldn't handle how far away that possibility felt when the reality of the matter was, he wanted her now. But Trevor knew that wasn't going to happen, and he caught onto Evan's nervousness. He probably thought Trevor was being ridiculous. Evan certainly wasn't throwing his life away for the goddess. Far from it. He was manipulating her.

Would she even take Trevor back? Would it ever be like it had been for that whole night she spent with him? Before she moved onto the next soldier? He remembered the time he spent waiting for her beck and call after that, the agony of it all, being so aware of her presence that the mere shift of her heartbeat from five feet away elicited a physical response in him. And he knew that, most of the time, she was ignoring him. Oblivious of him. He was nothing to her after everything they...

No, that wasn't what Trevor wanted more of.

"It's not like I'm actually going to," Trevor snapped, but then he leveled off. "I don't want to be one of many to her. That hurts worse than leaving her ever will."

Evan let out a heavy, audible sigh that almost trilled his lips as he turned his gaze towards the sky. He definitely understood where Trevor was coming from there, and he wasn't sure he had anything good to give back to the guy. How could they all not just be one of many to the goddess, at the end of the day? But he didn't imagine Trevor would appreciate hearing that from Evan right now. A smirk recurled on his lips when another thought crossed his mind, though, one that hopefully might lighten the mood again.

"Heh, maybe that's why the king stabbed her in the back. He sure stands out to her now."

Trevor chuckled, and he raised both eyebrows at Evan's comment.

"Careful, you might actually make me feel some sympathy for the guy," Trevor joked, his face quickly returning to neutral, though he did wonder briefly if Evan was being literal. "Although, I'm not sure even I want to see her that pissed off."

"Heh," Evan nearly forced the chuckle, trying to keep up a light demeanor despite the heavy, uncomfortable knot that suddenly coiled up in his gut.

"Yeah," he said, "She's already pretty fucking terrifying." He stubbornly kept on his grin, but he honestly couldn't quite see the sky anymore, his mind now too focused on the look on the goddess' face when she held that blade to his neck. He reached up to touch the skin on right by the cut she'd left, a tiny tremble shaking his fingers along the way.

He tried to focus in on the exhilaration of that terror. He'd gotten that attention from the goddess, if only for a moment--and he survived. That was--something, right?

But just like that, he really wasn't looking forward to going to see her tonight.

Trevor looked over at Evan, and his smile looked a little too plastered on for Trevor's comfort. At least, even he could tell that this still wasn't the tone they had had about the situation at the beginning.

The soldier sighed and looked at the sun dipping lower on the horizon. So many things were going through his head. He was jealous about Evan's position with the goddess, he felt bad for the guy, and he honestly wanted--just a little bit--to beat the guy down for tearing Trevor away from all that.

"You know you... you don't have to do this. You don't have to go back to her." Trevor meant it sincerely, but he couldn't help but adding, "I'm sure there are plenty who would go in your stead."

But, realizing what that sounded like, he quickly said, "...and if not, it wouldn't be the end of the world if we didn't get her help. I still think we could take on the king ourselves." Trevor wasn't sure that he totally believed that himself, but it felt good coming out of his mouth.