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[frenchkissed]

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[frenchkissed]

cont. from here.

( plan's simple.
eat this guy and dip.

though it's not like this was eddie's original plan. as if eddie is calculating enough for that. chatting up an eccentric, possibly delusional brit only became a murder plot when venom decided that he didn't like said brit. period. something about his attitude, or the way he absolutely began the flirting with eddie and not the other way around. venom doesn't like him. so they'll have to eat him.

plus lockhart, unfortunately, smells delicious. they've eaten so, so many people since their time together, and none of them have smelled so different. is it a european thing?? they've never been to europe. maybe they should.

EDDIE. FOCUS.

right, right. drinks at the bar. his bar. bartender knows him by name and doesn't pay much attention when patrons go missing.

it's a great place. )

Now, you're sure you want whiskey? I can get you something... more your speed. Like an appletini? Some fruity mixed drink with, like, sugar on the rim?

[acharmingsmile]

[ Gilderoy most certainly didn't begin flirting with Eddie! Unless he kickstarted it by being handsome but... but that isn't his fault, is it?

He does smell very good, it's a perfume called Vanilla Dazzle for Wizards and it's terrific and rather fills any room up so everything smells the way Professor Lockhart looks. He smiles. ] An appletini sounds terrific! I'll have that.

[ He sat down on the bar stool, more or less gracefully, and flashes him a bright smile. ] It's been such a long time since I had drinks with another man. What fun! [ He's usually surrounded by ladies who fight eachother, sometimes physically, to buy him drinks. If only all those witches had been here now! But he's all alone. Cute and defenseless, though... calling the wizard innocent is pushing it. He does take credit for other wizard's heroic deeds! ]

[frenchkissed]

What, they don't have dudes out in T'Lululand?

( london* )

You've been talking about chicks all this time... and that headmaster dude. The two of you don't go 'round the pub fer some fish 'n' chips?

( god, someone should apologize for that terrible accent, but it's not going to be him.

the bartender hears enough about the appletinis to get one sent over, along with eddie's usual drink of beer. like, so much beer. )

[acharmingsmile]

Hah, Professor Dumbledore rarely leaves the school, neither do any of the other ones really. But I like to go here to stock up on makeup! You know that we have some terrible makeup where I'm from and I do like to wear some blush and some bronzer. [ Gilderoy explaining to this man that he escapes to empty out Sephora. ]

Oh dear, your accent is atrocious! [ He sips the appletini. Mmm. ] Delicious!

Now, what is YOUR name? Mine is Gilderoy Lockhart. [ Gilderoy. His mother knew. ]

[frenchkissed]

( should eddie have noticed that this guy is wearing makeup? he's not particularly observant with that sort of thing. like he's supposed to tell the difference between deep coral and soft valentine — he's not sorry, anne.

even now, it takes him physically reaching out and trying to smudge a thumb against lockhart's cheek — rough, like he's trying to get out a spot of dirt — for him to tell whether or not he's wearing something. )

Muh nayme? ( for the love of god, no more accents. ) Your name I gathered. Pretty sure you start every sentence by introducing yourself.

( at least he stops his assault on lockhart's cheek long enough to offer his hand. )

I'm Eddie.

bedtime, reply tomorrow <3

[acharmingsmile]

Oh... stop it, you'll mess it up! [ Gilderoy is just wearing some very light makeup, mostly to give him that tan. It's not easy to tan in England! ]

Eddie, how nice to meet you! I do wish you'd stop trying to sound like me, I daresay you're doing entirely the wrong kind of British! [ A wink. ]

How old are you, Eddie? [ He'll tell him his 'age' according to what he says. Tee hee. ]

[fightugly]

Continued from here...

[Anne arrives at the diner roughly 20 minutes later, quickly parking and checking her hair in the rearview mirror. Once that's done she walks to the restaurant and enters, looking for where he is.

When she sees him, she lets out a sigh of relief. Half of her was thinking he was only joking with her and that he wouldn't be here. But he is. Making her way over to him, she smiles and takes a seat opposite him.]

Eddie. Hi.

[frenchkissed]

( if anyone here is surprised, it's eddie. like talking to anne at all was some sort of strange, distant fever dream. it happened only a few minutes ago, but everything about anne these days feels pretty ethereal. )

Anne. Hey. Hey.

( yep, he's about as nervous as he was during their last dinner date. you know, that time she told him that she was getting married and eddie immediately tried to drive his bike into oncoming traffic.

not that he could, as he's proven.

venom wouldn't let him. )

Yeah, uh... ( hugs? they can do a quick hug, right? that's not too weird. ) ...It's been a while. You look... good. Really good. ( it's understatement because anne always looks put-together in a way that eddie could never be. but she already knows that, doesn't she? )

Does Dan know you're here? With me?

[fightugly]

[A quick hug is good. They can do that. She sits again, tucking her hair behind her ear and offering another smile.]

It has been a while. [Too long? She frowns. Has she been avoiding him for some reason, or vise versa? They'd both have their reasons.] You look... like you've been living in seedy motels. But it's so good to see you. [She means that.]

Yes, I told Dan I was meeting you. He wanted to know if he should tag along but I persuaded him not to.

[frenchkissed]

Thanks. Motel chic is what we aim for.

( at least eddie hasn't lost his good spirits despite everything.

he sits too.)

And Dan? He's still ...good?

You know we don't actually hate him, right? He's been cool.

[fightugly]

He's good. [Which makes her frown again. He won't be soon.

She shakes her head slightly to try and get that thought out of her mind for now.]

V's pretty persuasive. I know you don't hate him. But we're not here to talk about Dan, are we?

[spectorspectator]

Hey, so- about the other night.

... Did I get super drunk? Like, blackout drunk?

[Please let it be a blackout, please let it be a blackout...]

[ 1 / 2 ]

[frenchkissed]

SERVICE ERROR 409: THE PERSON YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH HAS BLOCKED INCOMING MESSAGES FROM THIS NUMBER. FOREVER. WE UNDERSTAND IS IT INCONVENIENCE. BE GONE WITH YOU.

[ 2 / 2 ]

[frenchkissed]

( what a good bro. venom's doing great. people should thank him for his efforts.

unfortunately, eddie wrestles the phone away, anyway. so it's all for naught. he hates it here. )

Hey, man. Yeah, uh

You were pretty out of it, yeah.

What, you don't remember anything? Like at all?

[spectorspectator]

[............... Okay that was fucking weird. Still, this is promising. 'Out of it' doesn't mean 'you were another person,' after all. Maybe he just puked on Eddie's carpet or something.]

I remember us having a great time? Seemed like it was going pretty well? You were

fucking incredible. Like holy shit.

Then, zilch, nada.

[He remembers being into it- like really into it, the compliment wasn't just an attempt at flattery. Then he remembers starting to panic about being so into it. Then it was the next morning, he was alone in his hotel room, and there was the worst taste he could ever have possibly imagined in his mouth. Like, that was not just morning-after whiskey breath.]

If I did anything shitty, I'm really sorry.

[frenchkissed]

( right, so... if he remembered the murder attempt(s), he probably wouldn't be texting eddie right now. chances are those memories are locked up with his others, if eddie's freshman year intro to psychology class has anything to say. )

WE ARE IN THE CLEAR, EDDIE!
FREE TO FORNICATE WITH HIM ONCE AGAIN.
HE IS AN IDIOT WITH NO RECOLLECTION OF OUR CRIMES.

Yeah, but... We can't gaslight the dude. That's really, really fucked up. Like, as a general rule, we don't w— I mean, it's just really not cool to fuck with people's memories. Even if they don't remember... Especially if they don't remember. We gotta do the right thing, here.

( and that sucks, but omitting the part where marc was choked out on the floor for a non-zero amount of time also sucks. )

You didn't do anything.
We met Stephen. He was really cool.

[spectorspectator]

Shit.

[It's said, out loud, also in his hotel room. Marc's glaring at his reflection in the mirror opposite the bed, which is stubbornly not Steven, and hasn't been all day.

There's a long pause before his next text.]

Right.

[Now what? Toss his phone in the toilet, get on the next plane out of San Francisco, and never come back?]

Sorry about that.

I mean I know you said I didn't do anything but

You didn't sign up for that shit. Not fair to spring it on you.

[theotherobin]

hey.
you alive?

[frenchkissed]

Mostly.

Are you?

[theotherobin]

yup.

mostly?

[frenchkissed]

Good. That’s good.

Still working it out.

( … )

I can’t talk to you right now, though.

[theotherobin]

what?? why not?

[theotherobin]

i miss you.

[frenchkissed]

NEW PHONE WHO DIS??

( well, at least venom's doing fine. )

[theotherobin]

[ hah. luckily that makes him smile. ]

hey V. you doing ok?