evebeforeadam-blog

[evebeforeadam-blog]

[evebeforeadam-blog]

Emmy Rossum photographed by Ralf Nau - 2003 

[evebeforeadam-blog]

He sat there in silence for a moment, his cousin's concern sending an unfamiliar emotion through him. It was just... affection. Fondness. Almost embarrassment. His development had been undoubtedly stunted since his childhood, but he knew that much.

He'd have to trust his friends. And he had made legitimate friends. At least he thought so. It was a harmless enough question. Even if they knew about the recent problems that had gone down, would they have reason to tell the boss he was asking such things? He'd been left alone most of the time and couldn't be bothered with anything going on with his underlings. There were cogs just as small as himself, and he could ask them. I was asked to help with something. That's all he had to say.

"I can trust them," he assured Connor, "I just need you to trust me. I can help make this right. I promise."

“Adam…”

Keep yourself under control Connor, it wouldn’t do to start crying right then and there on the phone with Adam. With a stubborn rub of his hand against his eyes, Connor took in a deep breath, sitting up straight.

“Adam, he knows who you are. How much can y’trust these friends? If something happens t’you I don’t… Adam, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Leaning back against the couch, Connor closed his eyes, his head leaning against the cushions. As dangerous as it was, having that information would be invaluable. It’d cut down on the time it would take to search for Dallas, perhaps keep them safe as they extracted him from where he was being held. However, was Connor willing to gamble his cousin’s safety for his best friend’s safe return?

“… I don’t want you hurt, Adam.”

[evebeforeadam-blog]

It wasn't hard to notice the panic rising in Connor's voice. He was scared, and reasonably so, though Adam was ignorant as to the core reason why. Despite how his cousin sounded, a little bit of relief washed through him. He could help now. He already helped, he supposed, but he could help more now. He could do something about this fire that he'd essentially ignited.

"I never went, Con." he spoke softly, pressing the phone closer to his ear as if that would bring him closer. "But I can ask. I have friends on the inside. I can just contact them, I don't have to go see them."

He could imagine Connor not wanting him to do it, but really, he'd do it anyway. "I could probably find out where they operate there. I could call 'em up right now."

Pushing himself up and off of the couch, Connor started to pace around the coffee table in a circle. Now that he was more awake, he could take in the details a little easier, making mental notes. So he had operations in the typical areas of Gotham. There was no surprise really, especially Crime Alley and the harbor. Surely shipments were taken and received easier with a foothold in the latter.

Connor opened his mouth for a moment, about to ask another question before the words died on his lips. The phonecall he’d been allowed with Dallas had given him the important clue that would tie it all together. Sitting back down onto the couch heavily, he leaned his elbows onto his knees, rubbing his forehead with his free hand.

“I… I think I know where he is.”

The cry of a gull and the light murmur of water. The sound of crates being moved and machinery. Workers shouting, the distant blare of a foghorn.

“He took Dal to th’harbor.”

Connor felt sick, the hand that pressed against his face soon moving up to curl in his hair. He wasn’t sure if he could go to the harbor again already, the thought of it making his heart face and his breathing to hitch. The memories of torture and pain that came hand-in-hand with the harbor for him bringing back a now familiar sort of panic.

“Oh god, th’harbor.”

[evebeforeadam-blog]

He took Dallas. 

Adam knew that was Connor's closest friend. It was somebody he felt painfully jealous of on a regular basis, but hearing this made his stomach drop. He did this to his cousin. He screwed everything up by being an idiot. He never wanted to hurt him. Maybe make him worry, garner up some attention, but not like this. 

He took in a slow, shuddering breath. He wasn't going to let himself get emotional. It was uncharacteristic of him, but the guilt was staggering. He had to help now. There was no more being ashamed or hiding, he just had to help to the best of his ability.

"I sort of got an idea." He swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair. "He has an operation here, yeah. I can't imagine he'd bother takin' somebody somewhere else... I mean, when I was workin' for him, there were a lot of debts that had to be settled, and the sketchier shit..." He didn't know for sure. He wasn't close enough to the top to have done any violent crimes. He was glad for that now.

"It was all in the city, where shit was overlooked easier. He sort of has an office, I think. Looked pretty nice, but who the fuck knows. Nowhere else we operated was nice. It was all Crime Alley and East End and the docks."

No worries Adam, Connor was still a little too out of it to notice. However, he did note the tone of his cousin’s voice, making him sigh. He hated bringing up something that obviously bothered Adam, but there was no way around it. If this led to finding Dallas, then he had to push through, at just about any cost.

“Yeah. It, uh… it’s about your—it’s about him.”

There was no reason to explain further. He was sure Adam knew exactly who he was talking about.

“Adam, he took Dallas. I don’t know where—but I’ve got some guesses. I, um…”

He had to pause for a moment, willing away the lump in his throat. Every time he thought about Dallas, the images that Taliesin had sent him came to mind. The blood, the beaten form of his best friend, the taunts. Each new text made Connor bleed in ways that no one else had ever managed, not even Two-Face.

“Ah. D’you remember where he took you? Was it still in Gotham?”

[evebeforeadam-blog]

"Yes, Adam." His reply was a little curt, but it was unintentional. 

He took in a deep breath and used his free hand to rub at his eyes. It always felt like he had slept when Eve was done being active. He'd never know precisely how that worked or how their bodies even managed to function. But that was entirely irrelevant.

He brought his knees up to his chest, feeling a little anxious in anticipation. He knew what this conversation would be about, and he was always a little scared that Connor would be angry at him. He was like a child, tip-toeing around something he knew he'd done wrong.

"I'm fine. I... just... no complaints, I guess." He paused, steeling his nerves a little bit. "Eve told me to call you."

By the time his phone rang, Connor taking a nap on the couch—which had been his lot to do lately—once again surrounded by written notes and Dallas’ open laptop on the coffee table. Lifting his head with a bleary look and a snort, he glanced around, finally noting his cell skittering along the top of the coffee table over some papers, a familiar, bright and happy sounding ringtone emanating from it.

With a soft groan, he leaned over, plucking the phone from the table and sitting up on the couch as he swiped his thumb over the screen to answer.

“Adam?”

Connor rubbed his free hand over his face, trying to push away the fogginess of sleep. Concentrate Con, you’ve got information you need.

“I, uh, how’re you doing?”

[evebeforeadam-blog]

When Adam woke up, the sun was out.

That wasn't completely abnormal, but the strange part was that he could tell the difference between evening sun and morning sun. This was definitely an evening sun, something he didn't often get to see. He could hear some stupid kids outside shouting. How had Eve fallen asleep with all of that? He sat up in bed, and the first thing he caught sight of was a little note beside him. He didn't read it immediately. He knew it was from Eve, and he never particularly cared about what she had to say.

Though it'd probably have some insight as to why she chose to go to sleep so early. Might have been urgent. 

Still, he stretched himself out, noting that Eve must have gone to sleep in nothing but an oversized shirt and sleeping pants. She was considerate, which was more he could say about himself. After a short while, he finally decided to pick up the note.

Call Connor. Please.

Adam looked to the bedside table. Eve's phone was there.

Truth be told, he didn't want to call him. Things had been a little strange since the bad encounter with his boss. His former boss. He'd been staying low as much as possible.

But Connor needed something. He needed him for some reason. Carefully, he picked up her phone, lazily fiddling with it until he'd found her contacts list. He found his older cousin's name and pressed call.

[evebeforeadam-blog]

[Voicemail] Hey Eve? How're you doing sweetheart? [There was a soft scuffling, movement of some sort] Wanted t'check up on you and I kinda need t'talk t'Adam. It's about those injuries and th'guy that did it. Things are getting a little hairy, and I just--[Scuffling again, and this time the distinct click of a gun clip being snapped into place]--I need t'find that guy. Sooner th'better. Gimme a call back when y'get this. Love you.

[evebeforeadam-blog]

2/one hundred pics of Emmy Rossum

[evebeforeadam-blog]

[Attention. If he was a dog, he imagined his tail would be wagging. It was easy to relax now, if only a little bit. Shifting from foot to foot, he tried to let himself forget the entire situation until tomorrow. But he'd be more than glad to help then. As intimidating as that guy was, he wasn't scared enough to let the whole thing go. Especially if he wasn't going to let up on this.]

Mmn. Loveyoutoo.

[It was just a rushed mutter, rarely would he bare his feelings but it seemed appropriate.]

[Before Con could answer, Adam was cuddled a little closer, his head of dark hair resting against the taller man’s shoulder. It made the anger and worry slowly bleed out of him, lanky frame relax bit by bit before he wrapped long arms around Adam’s shoulders. God, he loved his cousin, to the point that it was almost ridiculous]

Alright. Not tonight though, you’ve had more than enough for one night. Tomorrow maybe, after I’ve had time t’think about all this and gather my thoughts too.

[He paused, pressing his cheek against Adam’s hair before whispering softly]

I love you, Adam. You’re still my baby cousin, even if you keep saying no.

[evebeforeadam-blog]

You're right about that. [Smart for a kid, really. He wouldn't be surprised at all if the kid was much smarter than himself.]

Gods. ...What's your name again?

Klarion has a cat as a familiar. I recalled it being quite sassy in its eye ball movements.

Oops! Apologies. I am actually not suppose to say it as often as I do anymore. Er—I am of a different place but not necessarily one that is of Earth. 

[evebeforeadam-blog]

[It still worried him. It worried him far too much. He wanted to change his poor choices so this never would have happened, but there was no use in dwelling on that kind of thing. He would be going himself (without asking Con, of course) if the matter of Eve wasn't there. She held him back far too much. In everything. If he was his own person, none of this would have happened at all. An obvious twinge of anger sparked in him and he ground his teeth. That was a bitterness that would not leave him as long as he lived.]

M'not your baby anything. [He was muttering as he stepped closer and laid his head on his cousin's shoulder. He didn't move to come any closer and his arms were stubbornly crossed over his chest, but he didn't want to look at him. He was angry. Scared.]

If you need to know anything else, you can ask. I was hangin' around them for a while, after all. 

I’m not gonna take this lying down, Adam. I’m not gonna bring th’fight t’him directly, but you can damn well be sure I’m gonna figure out who he is and what he wants.

[Do what you would with Connor. Hurt him, torture him, kill him. Do what you pleased. But fuck you if you thought you could touch anyone he loved and think you could get away with it.]

I’m just gonna do a little investigating, behind th’scenes sorta stuff. I’m not gonna barge through his front door and make him eat lead… as much as I want to.

Besides… it’s my job t’protect you. You’re my baby cousin and no one gets t’hurt you and get away with it.

[evebeforeadam-blog]

...Ah. Why am I not surprised?

Keep that under wraps, kid. We're sort of a fucked up bunch around here. Most people don't like that kinda' shit.

Midgardians call demons which serve as servants and companions to witches and what not familiars. Alas, while I do magic, I cannot be considered a witch. At least I do not think so. 

[Hums.] But I do like the idea of a companion, one to call my own. Rodney is Connor’s familiar.

[evebeforeadam-blog]

[He pouted childishly a bit, but there were no verbal complaints. He liked being with Connor, and it wasn't like he had anything to do anymore. Going back was out of the question. As defiant as he loved to be, he didn't want to do be this time. Not after what happened with that guy. It wasn't something he wanted to think about too much. The pain was more intense than anything he'd felt before, and the way his stomach lurched around his boss was unbearable. He felt like he couldn't even move when the guy looked at him.]

...That's fine. 

[What Connor was saying alarmed him, though. He didn't want his cousin going after this guy. If he got hurt too, that would be the only way he could feel any fucking worse about this.]

Don't put yourself out there for him to see. He already knows who you are, you don't need to make it worse.

[Adam always pulled away from him, and no matter how often it happened, it always hurt. Connor wanted nothing more than to smother his cousin with affection, to give him the love and attention that Eve’s parents never had. Growing up, before Dallas had come into his life, Eve and Adam were the only ones that he could be close to, that he could pour all of his love to and receive it right back—except Adam always put a barrier between them. No matter how hard Connor tried to scale it, that barricade was always there, and seemed like it always would be]

You’re staying here. [It wasn’t a question nor a request. Connor’s voice was firm, gaze steady] You and Evie are staying here until I know he’s not coming back. I… Adam, he’s not gonna go through th’effort of asking all those questions and taking Evie to th’hospital if he doesn’t mean to get something out of all this. I dunno what it is yet, but I’m gonna find out.

[evebeforeadam-blog]

[Attention. He couldn't help but revel in it, despite the seriousness of the situation. Connor's words were reassuring. He believed in the older man wholeheartedly, and not just because he was the only person he ever had the opportunity to believe in while growing up. He placed a hand over his cousin's, pulling it away and playing distant like he always did. He would never understand why he did it. It was just second nature.] 

Look, Con, calm down. I'm not goin' back there. Don't care if I'm out of a job, but that guy is fuckin' nuts.

[He pulled away completely and patted his cousin firmly on the shoulder.]

He just seemed curious. Maybe he won't come lookin'. ...We can hope he doesn't come lookin'. 

God, he knows my name. I’m in the fucking phone book. If he finds me, he—oh god… [Through him Martyn could find a plethora of other people that would pique his interest. Vincent, Dallas, Charles, maybe even Harry.]

He knows we’re cousins. What if… what if he thinks our family are all metas, I don’t… [Connor rubbed a hand over his face again, stifling a groan. It took him a moment to even hear Adam, as worked up as he was. However, Connor soon dropped his hand, his head jerking in a little shake before he walked over and pulled Adam against him in a tight hug] No Adam, it’s not your fault. He… I dunno what that asshole wants, but he’s got getting it. He’s not getting you, or Evie, or me. He’s not getting anyone. [Pulling back, he grasped his cousin’s cheeks in his hands, making sure Adam was looking him in the eye when he spoke]

He’s not getting past me to you. I’ll kill ‘im first.

[evebeforeadam-blog]

...Fancy word for a pet, then.

I also don't know what th' hell a "midgardian" is. Where are you from, kiddo? Ireland, or somethin'?

They are in my bedroom! We decided it would be best to place their tank near my bed since they are my familiars.

Connor thinks they are cute. He secretly speaks baby talk to them.

[evebeforeadam-blog]

[He was quiet for a bit. It was fairly well known that his vocabulary was average at best.]

...What's a familiar?

I like your accent. It is similar to Connor’s but also different at the same time. [Perks up.]

Would you like to see mine? Connor allowed me to get two and they are both green snakes!