featherduster | ( limelight ) overflow

[gently runs a fingertip down the side of the glass, turning the contents into a Brandy Alexander]

See how you feel about this one.

[ He takes an experimental sip, going from mildly surprised to pleased. ]

Oh yeah. Gonna need a cigarette and a shower after this one.

I should make you my taste-tester when I do new dessert cocktails.

[laughs a little, but also taps the slip Aloe added to the heap]

What’s this one?

[ Twirls the drink a little ]

Yours.

Though I don't think you put it in there intentionally.

Ah…

No, I thought I’d avoided it myself. Unfortunate, but at least you’re the one who found it.

[ Stares at him for a long moment ]

You're taking the news well.

[gestures at the idk-how-many of Aloe’s]

Well.

[ Well. ]

That's fair.

Mm.

The ones I didn’t already see mostly…had to do with your upbringing.

[ He sets his drink down briefly, mostly just to scrub both hands over his face ]

Well, that's-- unfortunate.

I’m sorry. It’s…

I’m glad you all left, one way or another. You and your brother and our mutual friend.

[ It's a stupid question to ask now, after everything, but something compels him to ask it anyway ]

You don't think less of us, after whatever you saw?

I saw a session of your training and punishment, and much later, when you received the assignment for Eugene.

Why would I think less of you? You didn’t wander eyes wide open into that life. You were molded by the ones who raised you, and they wanted weapons, not sons and daughters.

[ His face does something funny, before sliding into some semblance of neutral ]

... That's generous of you.

[shrugs]

In some ways it's not that different from how that other me grew up, I think. Just--more to the point.

Yes.

I just -- remember your disgust at him.

It wasn't because he was a weapon.

...

What?

I don't love getting that mindset put in my head, but...my business isn't exactly sparkling clean either. I'm not squeamish about that kind of thing.

[hand gestures loosely]

I was disgusted because he failed to use himself to protect what actually mattered to him.

[ He frowns, turning that over in his head ]

What was it that mattered? He was fighting for the fate of the world, wasn't he?

He wrote off his family relationships for the bigger picture, unnecessarily.

And in another world, all that foresight and planning didn't stop him from fucking up enough to kill Minuet and Lethe.

Maybe it's stupid, but it's just...if you're going to kill two hundred people and start a bunch of wars for the bigger picture, at least preserve your own, you know?

[ His expression flickers at the mention of Minuet and Lethe ]

Mmm.

I guess maybe we're both holding ourselves to impossible standards.

Are mine so impossible, if he'd tried...?

Well, it's not like I can do anything about it right now.

[ Gently, but with emphasis ]

He was possessed.

"Not trying" doesn't seem like a factor.

If he had experience with demons, shouldn't he have known how to avoid such a thing?

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