[Elisha/Eileen] Open the Kraken

[cipherspeak]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man, regardless of how many buildings he might own or how many staff he might have, will on a biweekly basis find himself slumped in the shoe department at Nordstrom, surrounded by more bags than should be counted.

At least that was Elisha's experience.

Luckily, the number of buildings he owned and the amount of staff he had on payroll meant that the very sympathetic sales associate (who was also very grateful for the extra commission that an Eicheln-Kagan visit meant) had brought him coffee. Which he was sipping as he eyed his younger sister, and her shoes.

"How do you even find stilettos with fish on them?"

Did squid count as a fish? He wasn't sure.

Comments

While I recover from Hell Day, tags.

[cipherspeak]

"Oh come on. Forty, at least." He's a thirtysomething man. He's pretty sure no one under about forty-five is really equipped to deal with him.

"It's terribly negligent of me to let you date, but I figure the experience will come in handy later on."

As you do. /offers tea

[lowtohigh]

"Entirely terrible of you, true. Like everything you do."

Or, well. Like nothing. There had been rough times, after all, but never moments of Elisha being less than a wonderful big brother. But who says that? No one.

"In the spirit of transparent fairness, though, the nearest threat to my singledom is all the way in Connecticut. Locked and loaded to stay a spinster until you have kids to terrorize."

/sips and is harassed by emperor

[cipherspeak]

"Connecticut? Who the hell wants to be there?" It has to be said that Elisha is not tremendously a fan of non-city parts of the world. Possibly too much time in the middle of nowhere when he was in the army.

"You can probably do better."

HAIL

[lowtohigh]

If only there were cities in Connecticut.

Or, well, if only cities in Connecticut weren't the size and style of Hartford.

"Relax. The entire state is a suburb of New York." Which, well. Is actually slightly true. "And he's an artist. Isn't that better than an i-banker?"

He's sleeping now. It's hard leaning precariously over the tub so we can drink bathwater.

[cipherspeak]

His father had gone to Yale. Aunt Debbie had pointed that out to Elisha when he'd come back from the army and decided it was time for college. There'd been something about it having a good art school, too.

He'd just looked at her and enrolled in SAIC.

"Acceptable," he pronounces. "Does he have a name, or is he the Artist Formerly Known as Brian?"

Such good emperor. Very cat.

[lowtohigh]

"His name is Charlie." And Elisha's shoulder is still just about the perfect height for resting against when she's in low-slung heels. "And he's probably not coming out here any time soon, so you can save up your protective mojo for a later date."

Or for his own children, not his siblings young enough to have felt half like children when they were younger.

Much feline.

[cipherspeak]

"Charlie's a much better name than Brian." And really, as much as he teases, he doesn't mind the idea of Eileen dating. As long as it's not an asshole. "If he wants to come out here, I promise to behave. Cross my heart and all that jazz."

[lowtohigh]

"See, this is where trust breaks down between us. You're terrible with boys I bring home."

Although, to be fair, her track record had contained quite a few more assholes than decent young men. Also to be fair, there hadn't been all that many brought home since she started getting happily lost in her studies.

"Just going to give up and marry a shark someday, you know."

[cipherspeak]

He just raises a brow. He doesn't have to remind her about Todd. He knows he doesn't. Hot Topic Goth Boy is ingrained in both of their memories. He'd put on his army uniform strictly to scare the shit out of him.

"I don't know if a shark's the best choice," he says, though. "An octopus'd probably be more fun.

[lowtohigh]

It's a chapter of life which can remain solidly closed. Solidly.

"Maybe." Her head shifts on his shoulder. "Are you really supposed to marry someone who's smarter than you are?"

[cipherspeak]

"That's the word on the street. But it doesn't have to the same kind of smart, you know," he says as he slings an arm around her shoulders.

"Just like I'm not going to marry another brilliant artist, maybe you shouldn't be looking for another complete nerd, princess."

[lowtohigh]

"For the sake of our love, I'm going to pretend you said 'another nerdy scientist,' mm?"

Which is, she's fairly certain he knows, the technical term for marine biologists.

[cipherspeak]

"Obviously," Elisha says with a half-grin, "it was a slip of the tongue. Come on. There's still more money for you to spend."