Worship

"I'll ask Apollo if he can bring some friends of his along too, make sure that place is packed for 'ya. I'm not a fan of his mates, but anything to make tonight go well for you," he nodded, offering her a chaste kiss to the forehead before hurrying out, knowing he couldn't waste anymore time than he already had.

In his absence, Cameron finally allowed himself to relax as he slid his phone over for the other to copy out his number, silently debating when to break the news to her. He didn't want to do it now, nor during their date, and he certainly didn't want to do it before she went on stage to perform. Hopefully, there would be a slim section of time when she got off stage where he could tell her what he knew, before she met up with her brother. It wasn't easy and he really didn't want this to blow up in his face if she didn't believe him and simply went to tell her brother what was being said - he didn't know what went on in the cult just yet, but he knew enough to realise it was all dark and macabre.

"So, uh... shall we get going now then?" He grinned, pocketing his phone eagerly. "We can go bowling and then head to the club so you can prepare for the gig. I... really do need to talk to you about something, but it can wait; I won't ruin this date with it."
 
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“Yeah, okay, sure! I... I mean, I’m not in perfect ‘bowling’ attire but I’ll try my best,” she teased, snatching her purse only to be hit with a yawn despite her caffeine hit. She had been relying on it heavily since leaving home, especially from late nights working and playing at venues, so it was no surprise that she crashed easily. She wanted to have fun instead of going back home to rest, though.

“I’m not very good at sports, by the way. I’m... I dunno, I guess I’m alright at punching things recently but I would rely more on my brother for help when we were younger, so...” she babbled before heading out into the windy weather.
 
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"No offence, but that doesn't surprise me. Your brother's... good at punching. Almost broke my nose once because I spilled Apollo's coffee over. Now, I don't think I'm weak, but...your brother's certainly... I don't know... talented? If he decided to become a boxer, I'd put money on him making it big," he murmured, quickly opting to compliment Elijah, realising that the admissions might eventually get back to him and he really didn't want to get beat up for it. If he dropped a compliment here and there, the likelihood of a severe punishment (if one did come his way) was slim.

"...My car's not as fancy as Elijah's, but it'll do. My parents bought it for me and contrary to what your brother thinks, we're not rich. He picked up on my accent and assumed I was... I dunno, a spoiled brat, I guess? I'm not rich, far from it. My parents saved up and got me a car, and it's hardly a Rolls Royce," he snorted, gesturing to the small, old car, albeit with a fond grin on his face. It meant a lot that his parents surprised him with it, after all, and he was aware that, however old it was, he was lucky to have it, even if Elijah's taunts that he was from some privileged background stung. It was far from the truth and he didn't want lies being spread about him, though asking Eli to stop only spurred him on - he learned that the hard way.

"So, bowling," he grinned, climbing into the seat and having to use all his strength to put it back into the correct position. "I'm not sporty either, don't worry. It's just some fun. I think we could do with it after that discussion in the cafe about... cults and all that."
 
“Why would I want to talk about cults?” She quickly asked, shooting a wary glance back at the other with pursed lips. Slipping into the car, he showed no real disappointment because unsurprisingly, she didn’t really care. The only thing she cared about when it came to quality was makeup, like hell would she buy the generic convenience store lipstick and not Mac.

“I can assure you, I’m not going to let Elijah hurt you. He may not like you for some reason but I know he wouldn’t hurt you if I told him I liked you. He’s a good person, he just has... some anger issues, I don’t blame him though. He grew up with shitty people.”
 
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"He, uh... doesn't trust me. Thinks I'm suspicious, which I... he has a point, I suppose. I...I'm not friends with them because I want to be; I'm... I'm a journalism student; my parents are journalists. I've always had an interest and... and there's something dodgy going on with Apollo and his friends, and I can sense there's a story there. Because it is a cult, Mary. I can say that with confidence; it's a definite cult. I don't know what goes on, they don't trust me enough to let me in on what they do, but they... get up to stuff; it's all shrouded in secrecy, but that makes it suspicious," he mumbled, finding the words falling out of his mouth before he could stop them, the relief that came with opening up to someone about it all being too good an opportunity to waste.

"I asked you out because I like you, independent of all this... stuff. I just-- I want you to... maybe help me? I know Elijah's your brother, but he's not a good person if he's involved in all this, right? Or... Or maybe he's just under Apollo's influence and we can help him? I just know that you have a way in to be close to them and that might help me, which in turn might help your brother, so..."
 
“What if this is all just one big misunderstanding?” She countered quietly, her lips pursing tight. “What if they’re just a bunch of weird... friends and they... they just do guy stuff? Couldn’t you be blowing this out of proportion?” She meekly suggested, moreso for herself.

“I... don’t know. How do I know you aren’t just using me to get close to them?” She added quickly, her anxiety only rising. “That’s real fucked up if that’s the case, you know that? I... I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
 
""So you're telling me you don't think Apollo's weird, then? Haven't you seen those guys that hang around him? They're obsessed with him; people are drawn to him like a moth to a flame. It's weird, Mary. He's got a cult going on and they do stuff. I don't know what, but it can't be right. I... For what it's worth, I don't think your brother's inherently a bad person. Like you said, he's got anger issues and... Apollo's a charmer. He picks up on people's problems and uses it to his advantage - I'm sure he directs your brother around," he mumbled, his hands fixed on the steering wheel. Apollo had such a wide circle of acquaintances that even in his car, Cameron didn't feel safe. Someone could walk past and catch him looking nervous, and that was all it would take to be interrogated by Apollo.

"...I like you, I wouldn't use you to get close to them. I'm asking you for help. If you refuse, that's fine. We can still hang out, Mary. I'll still be investigating them because-- people are going missing around campus. It's not a coincidence. I've seen Apollo talking to every person that went missing; every single one of them. I... want to stop what's going on, I'm trying to do the right thing.""
 
Gripping her purse tight, her smile only fell more. She was told not to lie and she would be lying if she said she didn’t find Apollo weird. His energy was... off, to say the least, and while she wasn’t really religious anymore that didn’t mean she couldn’t sense bad energy. Slowly nodding, she sighed.

“He’s... strange, yeah. He makes my brother happy, though. Isn’t that something?” She suggested weakly, her voice meek. “How are you sure that they’re responsible? It could be completely coincidental, couldn’t it? My brother wouldn’t murder someone, I’m certain of that.”
 
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"...Who said anything about murder? I assumed they were taking these people and keeping them until they were brainwashed or something, I-- do you know something that I don't? Has your brother said something about murder when he was drunk? He told me that he... explained he was in a cult; it was why he brought me along, to back up his story. His bullshit story, might I add, but-- did he say they murdered people, because that's-- I know nothing about that, but it'd make sense," he admitted quietly, before growing silent in a moment of very real fear. He knew that Apollo was dangerous, having gotten that impression, but now he was faced with a potential murderer, and it made the situation far more real and far more terrifying.

"That changes nothing, I still need to get close and... get information. More so than ever. It could be a coincidence, but come on, is that really that likely? You make your own mind up, Mary, but you're smart, right? Just because he's your brother doesn't mean you should ignore this-- hell, he's probably brainwashed by Apollo, he can't take all the blame. I... It's Apollo behind all this, I think."
 
"No! No... I dunno. It's just that I've seen stuff on cults and that usually happens, right? Like the Manson family, o-or Children of Thunder and Aum Shinrikyo. Those are all, like... death cults, right? I'm not saying all of them are like that! My brother would never get involved in something like that. D-Don't misinterpret my words," she quickly defended, her eyes growing misty at the idea.

"You're right, though. I don't... know if Apollo is 'good', I guess. I've seen how people flock to him, he was surrounded by a ton of people at the club last night. I mean, I...I'm not a very social person, so I just assumed it was how normal people interacted when they're, like, socially adequate," she admitted.
 
"...Look, let's not talk about it until later. It's not a very, uh... romantic; not ideal for a start of a date. I'll just say that-- god, please don't tell them I told you about this. I... I know they're coming to the club later to watch you and... and I'm sure Apollo wouldn't be happy if he learned that I wasn't as dedicated to him as he thinks I am. He might kill me, Mary. Even if you don't believe me and think the talk of a cult is bullshit, just don't tell them I told you this. That's all I ask," he nodded firmly, his hands clenching the steering wheel, his knuckles white in anxiousness. He didn't know if he could trust Mary, not when one of the men involved in the cult was her own brother who she clearly adored, but he had to pin his hopes on her doing the right thing by keeping quiet. Hopefully she would do what was right by helping him out too, but he decided that forcing her into an agreement would only push her away.

"Let's go on this date then, yeah? We'll go bowling and... and then I'll watch your band play, that should be awesome."
 
"... I just want to admit now that I never bowled before," she admitted, the guilt of the possibility of lying hurting her too much not to. "My parents wouldn't let us out with friends much, only after a lot of convincing and begging. They let Eli do a lot more than me because I'm a girl and the only reason I met my friends was that they had their parents convince mine to let me hang out with them but only after I spent at least two hours reading my Bible. So, ah... bowling isn't really something I know a lot about outside of some cartoons I've seen," she admitted with a nervous laugh.

"I'm telling you this so you don't get disappointed in me when I'm awful," she explained, her eyes nervously locked on the other. "God that's pathetic, ain't it? I should just stop talking, I-I... I'm sorry, I usually don't talk this much. The last two days have been stressing me out, yeah? All this social interaction - I'm not used to going out to dinner, or going bowling."
 
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"...I've heard Elijah mention his childhood and your parents. Not in depth, obviously -he won't talk to me that much- but I... get an idea what it was like for you. You really don't need to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable, alright? Just know I'm as awful as this as you are so we can both make fools of ourselves and have a laugh about it. God knows I need that," he grinned across at her, deciding not to pester her with compliments about how amazing he thought she was. It would all be genuine and it was exactly how he felt, but he also didn't want her growing more awkward and withdrawing as a result of it. He wanted the date to go as smoothly as possible, and making her uncomfortable wasn't on the agenda; not during the date, anyway. Inevitably, at the club, things would get awkward, assuming Apollo and Elijah even turned up. Admittedly, despite knowing how upsetting it might be for Mary not to have her brother witness her perform, Cameron was hoping he failed to show up. It made things a lot easier if he didn't have to watch Mary interact with her brother and wonder whether she was informing him of everything Cameron had admitted. If she did, it was game over and, for all he knew, he could be killed for it.

He knew, deep down, Eli would turn up, so he had time throughout the date to brace himself; to get himself back into the role he had so far managed to perform pretty well around the couple. After the date, which he thought had gone pretty well, he decided to push himself and order a strong beer, needing the confidence the alcohol gave him to get through the night.

Much to his surprise, Elijah wasn't exactly in the mood to storm over and demand to know what had happened between them. Ordinarily, giving Cameron an interrogation, to make sure he hadn't upset Mary, would have been the first thing on his agenda. Instead, he arrived at the club with Apollo and, after collecting a beer, sat at a table quietly. It would be a long five minutes before he began to speak, forcing himself to stop the anxious tapping his fingers were doing against the wooden table.

"...Agnes is dead. I managed to convince Mary the cult talk was bullshit but... I don't think Agnes could be convinced so I... she's out of the picture, it's dealt with," he murmured to his boyfriend softly, avoiding eye contact. It was a complete lie, after all. He had tracked her down and planned to do what Apollo first suggested, but he couldn't bring himself to, not while knowing that this was his sister's best friend. Instead, he opted to, effectively, kidnap her and keep her tied up at a small apartment he had purchased for himself a while back, just in case things with Apollo did go badly. If he kept her there, Apollo would assume, through her absence around Mary, that she was indeed dead. When he went home, Eli could release her and leave her get on with her life. It was risky, of course. If Apollo realised he was lying and protecting Agnes (which was what he was doing - it was either this or have her be killed) then all hell would break loose. Elijah just hoped it would never come to that.

"I don't wanna talk about it, Apollo. It was fucking horrible. I hate doing that shit. I had to, obviously, for you, but... I don't like it; I'm not a monster. Let's not talk about it, yeah? Everything's alright now. Mary thinks it's all a drunken practical joke, so... I told you I'd sort it out, babe."
 
Of course, Apollo wasn’t particularly excited by the night. He would much rather be home, comfortable and wrapped up neatly in blankets while heavily making out with his boyfriend. Instead he was sitting at a table in a bar he never heard of amongst people that weren’t in his scene. He was willing to give up some of his comfort for Elijah and he would make a big deal of it later on.

He had an inkling in the back of his mind to the fact that, that was fake and Elijah was lying, though he responded to the ‘truth’ with a pleased smile as he stirred his hard iced tea casually, sipping it curiously. He was being introduced to all of this shitty liquor that was nowhere on the same level as what he enjoyed on most days. It was incredibly sweet but pleasant, he knew he could probably do the same thing only better at home. Tapping his painted nails against his glass, he simply locked his eyes in Elijah in a mix of critical analysis and affection.

“Yes, well... I do hope you find out a way to explain it to your sister. If they lived together,, I imagine Mary will notice when she is missing. That is something you have to handle on your own, Elijah. You’re a big boy, hm?” He purred m with raised brows.
 
"Would you have preferred me to keep her alive and for her to convince my sister that there was something odd about you-- you specifically, of course. You're not very subtle, Apollo," he commented with a quiet grin, determined not to look as nervous as he felt. He had no doubt his boyfriend loved him... but he also had no doubt that the other wouldn't take being lied to about something this serious too lightly. Not usually being a nervous person, Elijah had to fight off the nervousness and act as he usually did, which was easier said than done, but the beer did help with that.

"I'm handling it, fucking relax already. Don't you trust me? After everything I've done for you, you don't think I can manage this? Oh, that's disappointing. Kinda makes me mad, actually, though we both know you don't mind me getting angry. You fucking love it," he snorted as he rested his chin in his hand, his eyes absently taking in the dimly lit club. "It's cute in here, hm?-- I know you hate it, I'm not stupid, but she's my sister and you're my boyfriend, so... I appreciate you making the effort."
 
“I don’t understand, what could possibly be considered ‘odd’ about me?” Apollo protested, feigning ignorance for a brief moment only to slowly smile as he took another dainty sip of his drink. Clinking the ice around, he took in the club, unimpressed. He had been to clubs before in Hell, though they were usually jazz lounges. He knew it was a bit of a stereotype but his father absolutely adored jazz, and it definitely had grown on Apollo as well. This was no jazz lounge, rather a hipster looking place filled with a bunch of hipster looking people and cheap hipster beer. He knew not everyone could start at the top without perhaps contacting his father, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t disappointed by the place.

“Yes, I’m making quite a bit of effort,” he agreed in a murmur, his eyes landing on Cameron across the way. His eyesight was impeccable, far superior to any human’s. It was no surprise he picked out the ‘follower’ easily amongst the crowd, though he chose to say nothing. “I’ve been doing quite a bit for you in the past few days, haven’t I? I don’t mean to be like my father but I think you’re piling up quite a bit of debt in favors,” he purred, a brow raised teasingly.
 
"I'm your boyfriend; your soulmate, even if you haven't got a soul. I'm not a follower, don't get it fucking twisted. You do stuff for me because that's how relationships work; give and take. I do things for you all the time and I don't demand you repay me back in some way, do I? What, do you want my soul, Apollo? Because you can take it, I kinda think it's worthless at this point. I'm not getting into Heaven, am I? So fuck it, take my soul for all I care," he grunted as he followed his eyes to Cameron, his relatively happy mood fading the instant he realised he was still hanging around. He knew he was at the club, but the fact he was hanging around with a smile on his face meant the date had, unfortunately, gone well.

"Don't get his attention, I hate him, you know that," he winced, pouting childishly once Cameron made his way over. It was inevitable that he would, of course. He was playing the act of a devoted follower, so if Apollo glanced at him, he had to make an appearance or things would look suspicious.

"I'm happy to see you, I haven't seen you today," he began with a wide smile, his eyes nervously drifting to Eli, though gave him the same smile nonetheless. "I was with Mary; we were on a date. She's lovely, she said lots of good things about you, Apollo. She says you and Eli are a lovely couple..."
 
“Well, I certainly hope she thinks so because I really do want her to come to our wedding,” he replied simply, though his smile did grow at the mention of the proposal. He knew Elijah most likely wasn’t as passionate as him but it didn’t back himself down from his own eagerness.

“I’m glad you had fun. I guess I’d i were to trust Mary to befriend anyone, it would be someone I can personally vouch for. You’re a pleasant person for the most part, Cameron. Now be a doll and fetch me another one of these teas,” he drawled, waving Cameron off before turning his head to grin at Eli.
 
"...You know, I liked Agnes. She was fun; I could have seen myself really being mates with her. But I killed her for you. I wish you'd fucking do the same for me because I hate that guy; he's weird. I don't trust him, Apollo," began Eli as he watched Cameron hurry off into the crowd, frowning deeply because he knew the words would fall on deaf ears. He had repeated his desire time and time again, only to be ignored, so he knew from past experience that nothing would change.

"Whatever, I guess I love you more than you love me," he sighed dramatically, puffing as he sat back against the booth. "...This wedding is going to just be us and Mary and... and a few of your friends, right? I don't want your demon pals arriving, that'd freak me out. I'm not ready to get involved with that shit, Apollo, not yet. I don't think I'll ever be ready, if I'm honest-- do you have to go back? Can't you just... stay here?"
 
“Of course I have to go back, don’t be daft. I’m going to be King some day, Elijah, and I can’t rule from afar. As for my ‘demon friends’, I’m at least bringing my father, yeah? It’s hardly fair to have your family whilst I’m left with no one,” he huffed, rolling his eyes only to press a bit closer, happily pulling the human into a kiss.

“Just relax, okay?” He urged quietly before offering a peck to the other’s forehead. “Let’s enjoy tonight, let Cameron enjoy being with your sister. It’s the least we can do since we killed her best friend, yeah? We can listen to some good music then head back home and take a long bath together.”