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[thirtybits]

"This is Judah's voicemail, no need to leave your number, I'll reply as soon as I can."



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[thirtybits]

[A little over halfway up, Judas stops to rub at a scrape on his hand from the branch below. After shaking it out he continues, calling up to Dorian.] Here I was expecting you wouldn't be able to.

[depicted]

[Dorian grins, perching there with a hand on a higher branch to keep him stable.] I spent about a decade travelling anywhere I could, from the depths of the Amazon to the heights of Everest. This isn't even effort.

[thirtybits]

--Really? When did you do that? [With that pause Judas is able to make back some ground, stopping when he gets to about the same level as Dorian.]

[depicted]

I travelled a great deal after the Second World War. [He yanks on the branch above him, getting it to drop leaves on Judas's head.] Reconstruction was boring, and I was getting bored. So I followed the paths of doomed and missing explorers, trying to solve the unsolved mysteries of the world.

[thirtybits]

[Judas makes a face and huffs, batting the leaves off himself with one hand, the other holding him in place. He throws a twig at Dorian in retalliation.]

Did you solve any?

[depicted]

[Laughing, Dorian tilts his head to the side. This, of course, means he has to rely on the branch for balance, which means even more leaves in Judas's face.] One or two.

[thirtybits]

Hey, watch it! [So much grumbling.]

Which ones? I guess you're not creditted for these discoveries, huh.

[depicted]

[At least when Dorian rights himself, the offending branch stops its assault.] Oh, I didn't tell anyone about the things I found out. I just wanted to solve them for my own satisfaction.

[thirtybits]

Well, that makes sense. And goes along with your personality. [He grins, shaking his head fondly.] How selfish of you.

[depicted]

Always. [He nods his head towards those final branches.] Care to try getting to another tree?

[thirtybits]

What, jumping over? That sounds precarious. [But he's not opposed to it. Who cares if he falls and dies haha.]

[depicted]

All the better. [Dorian eyes the distance, taking measure, preparing himself, and jumps.

And falls. Ow! He probably twisted something on that branch. Several branches crack and fall under him, but he is caught before he totally hits the ground.]

Ah.

[Dorian looks up a little dizzily towards Judas and the mess he has made.] But the branch you need to jump to is still there.

[And that's what matters.]

[thirtybits]

[Judas nearly goes after him when he sees Dorian crash, but reality hits just in time. What good is falling on top of him going to do, after all.] ...Are you sure you want me to? I'll probably end up hitting you.

[depicted]

[Dorian only grins.] So you don't believe you have more skills than your lord? What kind of peasant are you?

[He tries to pull himself up, realizes this is going to screw up his balance big time, and decides not to after all. Let gravity fight for its victories.]

[thirtybits]

One with low self-esteem? [He grins right on back.

But after a moment of guaging the distance, he goes for it, extending his body to more reach for it than jump. But his hands don't quite make it to the brand they reach for, although his feet do. Rather than fall, he manages to catch himself by hooking his knees around the branch. He dangles there, upside down, looking at Dorian with some embarrassment.]

Well...better than you.

[depicted]

[Dorian laughs, which unsettles the branches. He has to move fast, scrambling under fallen ground so that he can grab a branch with his one arm.]

Congratulations, Judah. You have won yourself the right to continue doing all the manual labour between us. [And then, with hard effort, Dorian swings his feet up to a branch. He nearly slips off but is able to gracelessly get hold of the trunk. Carefully, he pulls himself to his feet.]

But how I regret falling now. Robes being what they are, I'd love to be above you.

[thirtybits]

[Judas turns red in an instant, pushing at the skirt of his robes to make sure he's covered.] Sh-shut up! Of course that's what you'd jump to right away...

[He grabs hold of the branch to pull himself up into a sitting position.] But I've already been nude in front of you, so, there's nothing to see anyway.

[depicted]

[Dorian seems pretty amused by that last comment.] You still have so much to learn. Context matters far more than actual questions of visibility.

[Dorian gauges a branch above him, steadies himself, crouches, and launches forward. With the best effort he can, he grabs hold and scrabbles up, one level closer to Judas now.]

[thirtybits]

No, I know that very well. Too well. That's why this time you'll have no such luck.

[He looks down, watching Dorian climb.]

[depicted]

'Too well'? What is that meant to mean?

[For his next daring trick, Dorian realizes that the collapse of branches barred the ones he'd need to get to it directly. So instead, he edges along to the end of this branch and makes his way into the tree one over.]

[thirtybits]

Being an awkward and easily embarrassed virgin, it should be obvious. I'm used to casual nudity, but...others not so much.

[Judas can't help laughing a little, watching Dorian make his way over.]

[depicted]

These strange modern times, hm? [Dorian makes his way up from branch to branch, then crouches low to make it under clustered branches and slip back over to Judas's tree.] From my perspective, it isn't so bad. You've seen what I had to wear back when I was truly young. It was all button-up dresses, button-up waistcoats, and button-up emotions. In the modern world, we're free.

[thirtybits]

You must already know I'm a fan of the modern age! It's better in every way. Plenty of the same flaws, but plenty are also fixed, or otherwise made better. I definitely prefer it!

[depicted]

I do know. [With one final effort to scramble up onto a branch, Dorian makes it up beside Judas. He settles down beside Judas.] And yet. [He slips his fingers between the folds of Judas's robes. Gently, he tugs on the fabric.]

[thirtybits]

What, my clothes? We always wear these in the house and in Heaven. And they're better for doing things outside. I like suits, though. And obviously I wouldn't walk around like this in the city.