LOCKED TO viliorate

[sadisticwarfare]

[It's been a little over ten years since the two of them arrived here. Ten years is an awfully long time to be stuck here, but returning home isn't an option anymore. It hasn't been an option since they first started changing, and that wasn't all that long after they arrived. Kimbley had grown a tail and ears and Archer's eyes had turned red. It's amazing to think they had been so scared by those changes back then.

Things are different now. They aren't human, but there's no reason for that to bother them. Archer is a vampire (something that he found painfully ironic in the beginning, but he's adapted quite well to it, if he does say so himself). Not much has changed about him, appearance-wise. His nails are much longer and sharper, his eyes are red, and he has the stereotypical vampire fangs, but aside from that the only difference is the slight point to his ears. It's not like he could get any paler anyway.

Archer enters their shared apartment after work, shrugging off his coat and hanging it up before proceeding into the living room.]

Kimbley, are you home yet?

Comments

[viliorate]

[Kimbley, meanwhile, is barely recognizable as the man he used to be. Things hadn't started out that badly for him; the ears and the tail had been awful, but he'd have taken them if they were the only transformations. The others had been much, much worse. The antlers, the sharp teeth that resemble Greed's more than he's comfortable to admit, and the fur.

It had bothered him at first. But what bothered him the most had been the soft, fleshy pads on his hands that had completely destroyed the arrays on his palms.

It's not like he could have ever returned to Amestris, or to the military, but...

Well. All of that is long in the past.

Kimbley looks up at the sound of Archer's voice, his ears twitching.]

I'm always home before you.

[...that's not a very good "yes" but it'll do.]

[sadisticwarfare]

A simple "yes" would have sufficed...

[Archer takes a seat on the couch, resting his hands on his knees and glancing at Kimbley. The changes happened little by little so he didn't realize just how different Kimbley was, but when he tries to compare the man sitting beside him to the alchemist he recruited, the changes are almost impossible to believe. As sappy as it sounds, he doesn't care what Kimbley looks like; he'll always be Kimbley.]

How was your day?

[The changes don't bother him and he sees no reason to bring up the fact that Kimbley looks so different now. He's certain Kimbley's had difficulty dealing with the changes. Archer did, and he scarcely changed at all appearance-wise.]

[viliorate]

It was alright, I guess.

[At least he has a job, even looking like this. He's not an outcast here, though he is a fascinating oddity. It bothers him on most days, but there's nothing he can do about it.]

It's dull, you know. It's been years since I had anything exciting to do.

[sadisticwarfare]

You don't call hunting "exciting"?

[He knows what Kimbley means, of course. He's growing bored of hunting humans too.]

Unfortunately there's nothing we can do about that. I could lose my job if I'm involved with anything "exciting".

[viliorate]

[They both hunt too much, but Kimbley is never satisfied no matter how often they do it. It's not something he mentions, anyway, because complaining about being hungry after he's just eaten only worked the first few times before it got annoying, even to Kimbley.]

We can take this place. This city. We've been here long enough.

[sadisticwarfare]

Are you crazy? I'm not about to risk my position for something like that. We have no guarantee that we'd even be able to take the city in the first place, much less hold onto it.

[viliorate]

Why not? We're stronger than any human we'd come across.

[Let's just. Ignore that they're both susceptible to fire and silver.]

I'm not content being a pet for these assholes, Archer.

[sadisticwarfare]

We're not pets. I hold a position of power; if we were just pets I never could have reached this ranking.

[...He's basically just a glorified secretary, let's be honest here.]

Besides, what if we fail? We'll be thrown in jail, exiled, or killed. Do any of those sound appealing to you?

[viliorate]

[His fall flat against his head and he scowls, folding his arms across his chest. Being "discovered" because he looks "unusual" is something of a sore point for him, even now.]

Maybe I don't enjoy being gawked at.

[Though Kimbley has also never attempted to kill his employers even if he has been tempted to every single day for years.]

[sadisticwarfare]

So your solution is to take over the city?

[Archer sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.]

This sort of talk isn't going to get us anywhere, Kimbley.

[viliorate]

[He snorts, ears twitching in annoyance.]

You didn't use to be like this.

[Though that... could be taken wrong way.]

What happened to us? I used to be feared. I used to be fearless. Now I can't see a lighter without panicking. People grab my tail just to see if it's real. I can't stand it!

[sadisticwarfare]

[Archer's eyes narrow and he goes rigid, but Kimbley moves on before he has a chance to say anything about that particular statement.]

Things are different now. They may not be ideal - yet - but you have to be patient. We will change things to suit us.

[viliorate]

I don't want to wait another ten years.

[He doesn't notice Archer's reaction, or if he does, he's pretending he hasn't.]

[sadisticwarfare]

This is our only option. If we attempt to attack the city we'll be apprehended easily. Even if humans don't stand a chance against us, they have power in numbers.

[...Now if they had an army of monsters, that would be a different story.]

[viliorate]

[...maybe they should have made more of an attempt to make allies.]

We'll make them regret what they've done. I'm not going to let these assholes treat me like some kind of pet. I'm not a chimera.

[sadisticwarfare]

I know you're not. They're idiots if they think you are. We will control this city eventually, Kimbley, but we need to do it my way.

[viliorate]

"Do it your way"....

[He shrugs.

Is it obvious he's not happy?]

I'll do as you say.

[His ears are still flat, but he doesn't look as annoyed. He's not smiling, but Kimbley has calmed down a little.]

[sadisticwarfare]

[It's good that he's calmed down, though Archer can see that Kimbley doesn't want to do things this way.]

Good. I'll make it worth your while.

[He'll let you kill anyone you like once they've taken over!]

[viliorate]

You'd better.

[But he's smirking now.]

Come here.

[sadisticwarfare]

What is it?

[He moves closer though, obviously curious.]

[viliorate]

[He puts his hands on Archer's shoulders, but doesn't do anything else.]

I couldn't do this without you.

[He's not talking about taking over the city.]

[sadisticwarfare]

Well, you'd probably be in a world of trouble if you attempted anything on your own.

[...Wait, this isn't about taking over the city, is it?]

Ah, you meant...

[He suddenly looks very awkward, glancing away. He doesn't properly blush anymore, but the way he hesitates and his shoulders rise a bit and he seems to pull inwards should be enough of an indication of it after all these years.]

Yes, well, I certainly couldn't handle this without you.

[viliorate]

[He can't help it. There's a split second of awkward staring before he clings to Archer. His skin is cold, it's always cold no matter what he does, but sometimes Kimbley has to shove aside how much he hates touching people because of it.]

We'll make it a safe place for us. For people like us.

[sadisticwarfare]

[You're not the only one, Kimbley. Archer hesitates for a moment before he awkwardly wraps his arms around Kimbley's back. He doesn't touch the fur, but he's tempted to.]

I know. Of course we will. We'll become the normal ones and they'll be the pets.

[viliorate]

[...you know, after all these years, if Archer were to pet the mane, Kimbley wouldn't complain.

At least the spikes on his shoulders and back aren't sharp enough to cause any damage?]

That's right. They'll pay for this.