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If he says a word to Sebastian about it I will kick his ass.
[There's a low growl of fury in his tone; the scorpion peppers aren't entirely necessary as commentary, but they're appearing nonetheless.]
I want Sebastian to not feel as if he is on his own dealing with this situation. I want Sebastian to be able to follow my advice to not engage and let her warden handle it when she tries to provoke him, without being condescended to and blamed for the confrontation.
[He's letting Jedao hold him, curling into the embrace, until the moment those intense, earnest, tightly-packed-down intentions turn into a half-cup of fish sauce that splashes across both of their shirts. Hakkai jolts back with a startled yelp.]
[There's a low growl of fury in his tone; the scorpion peppers aren't entirely necessary as commentary, but they're appearing nonetheless.]
I want Sebastian to not feel as if he is on his own dealing with this situation. I want Sebastian to be able to follow my advice to not engage and let her warden handle it when she tries to provoke him, without being condescended to and blamed for the confrontation.
[He's letting Jedao hold him, curling into the embrace, until the moment those intense, earnest, tightly-packed-down intentions turn into a half-cup of fish sauce that splashes across both of their shirts. Hakkai jolts back with a startled yelp.]
Okay.
Can you...make us a place in the Enclosure? Somewhere outside, maybe?
[Neutral ground, but - he likes planetary skies.]
Can you...make us a place in the Enclosure? Somewhere outside, maybe?
[Neutral ground, but - he likes planetary skies.]
Oh, dear.
It's just clothes though, love. Would you like some water?
[Jedao reaches for him again, gently, shooing away the carved rosewood combs.]
It's just clothes though, love. Would you like some water?
[Jedao reaches for him again, gently, shooing away the carved rosewood combs.]
[Hakkai closes his mouth firmly on anything else that might escape, offering Jedao a tight little bid through his obvious distress: yes. He would like water. And also -- he turns to pull open one of the cabinets, getting a proper large mixing bowl.
He's giving up on saving anything he makes from his words tonight. Muttered, once he has the bowl:]
It's not the worst flood, but--
[It's so inconvenient. And messy. He lets the cumin seed fall into the bottom of the mixing bowl as he sinks down to sit at the kitchen table, slumping with an air of defeat.]
He's giving up on saving anything he makes from his words tonight. Muttered, once he has the bowl:]
It's not the worst flood, but--
[It's so inconvenient. And messy. He lets the cumin seed fall into the bottom of the mixing bowl as he sinks down to sit at the kitchen table, slumping with an air of defeat.]
Jedao brings him the glass of water, and a warm damp washcloth for his chin.
"We could sit on the couch together and use text on our communicators," Jedao suggests, creating a little carved wax candle.
"We could sit on the couch together and use text on our communicators," Jedao suggests, creating a little carved wax candle.
I can do that. [There's relief in his tone, and possibly a little bit of hope. It's a chance to make a gesture of conciliation.]
----
When Jedao comes to the Enclosure, he'll step out onto the balcony overlooking the pool behind the former Palazzo Sasso, now the Palazzo Avino, on the Amalfi Coast. Neal himself is down below with his back to the pool, hands on the railing, breathing in the smell of the sea.
----
When Jedao comes to the Enclosure, he'll step out onto the balcony overlooking the pool behind the former Palazzo Sasso, now the Palazzo Avino, on the Amalfi Coast. Neal himself is down below with his back to the pool, hands on the railing, breathing in the smell of the sea.
Jedao arrives looking - okay? He's brushed the worst of the bedhead, although there's a quality of lumpiness that comes from wearing two sweaters, one on top of the other. No bags under his eyes. More than anything, he just looks...subdued. But he does love seas; he takes a deep breath when he arrives, eyes closed, tasting the salt on the air, then slowly breathes out.
"Hi. Uh, thanks. For this."
"Hi. Uh, thanks. For this."
"That might be easier," Hakkai admits with a slump of his shoulders; salt crystals melt against the washcloth as he wipes his face neatly and presses the washcloth against the stain on his own shirt.
That done, he reaches up to dab at the stain on Jedao's, smiling at him with tired affection.
He takes the bowl with him as he gets up to go to the couch, though. He's probably going to find himself getting annoyed enough to say something out loud.
That done, he reaches up to dab at the stain on Jedao's, smiling at him with tired affection.
He takes the bowl with him as he gets up to go to the couch, though. He's probably going to find himself getting annoyed enough to say something out loud.
Jedao takes the excuse to peal his shirt off, then cuddles up with Hakkai on the couch, giving him a little kiss on the cheek.
Hakkai curls in against him, fishing his communicator out of his pocket and settling it on his uppermost knee, turning it so Jedao can easily see the screen as he types.
I made Malcolm promise that he'd keep Kikimora away from Sebastian and respond immediately if Sebastian contacted him about her behavior.
But he outright told me that he thinks this is the only time Kikimora has tried to provoke Sebastian, and their last altercation was Sebastian's fault, to which this was a response.
I tried to explain why I thought Kikimora was repeatedly provoking him, but he told me I was arguing in bad faith and acting like Sebastian was an angel.
So I don't trust that he won't answer Sebastian's call for help and then berate Sebastian for it if Sebastian hasn't already been hurt. Am I supposed to tell Sebastian to trust someone who I don't?
I made Malcolm promise that he'd keep Kikimora away from Sebastian and respond immediately if Sebastian contacted him about her behavior.
But he outright told me that he thinks this is the only time Kikimora has tried to provoke Sebastian, and their last altercation was Sebastian's fault, to which this was a response.
I tried to explain why I thought Kikimora was repeatedly provoking him, but he told me I was arguing in bad faith and acting like Sebastian was an angel.
So I don't trust that he won't answer Sebastian's call for help and then berate Sebastian for it if Sebastian hasn't already been hurt. Am I supposed to tell Sebastian to trust someone who I don't?
Jedao takes it from Hakkai's hands and continues the message, unsent, since Hakkai made sure he can read it regardless; Hakkai can decide later if he wants to have a record of his thoughts or wipe it clean.
If you don't trust him, and you're already graduated, then obviously learning to do that isn't something Sebastian needs to be free.
If you don't trust him, and you're already graduated, then obviously learning to do that isn't something Sebastian needs to be free.
No. But encouraging Sebastian to put a table knife through one of Kikimora's eyes if she bothers him again isn't going to help him graduate either.
I think it matters that he feels valued. That he feels that people believe him -- not just me.
He shakes his head, the corner of his mouth compressing with genuine unhappiness. Malcolm may not know that his cruel dismissals of Sebastian matter. Malcolm may think that the two of them are fine because Sebastian has the self-control to speak to him calmly. But without exposing Sebastian's vulnerabilities to someone who's already used those vulnerabilities against him as cruelly as possible, Hakkai doesn't know how to make it clear to Malcolm that he's done harm.
I think it matters that he feels valued. That he feels that people believe him -- not just me.
He shakes his head, the corner of his mouth compressing with genuine unhappiness. Malcolm may not know that his cruel dismissals of Sebastian matter. Malcolm may think that the two of them are fine because Sebastian has the self-control to speak to him calmly. But without exposing Sebastian's vulnerabilities to someone who's already used those vulnerabilities against him as cruelly as possible, Hakkai doesn't know how to make it clear to Malcolm that he's done harm.
I value him, too. But outside the barge there are provocations and idiots with authority too, and you still generally should be selective about eye-stabbing.
Does he have any kind of powers that could
harmlessly, humiliatingly, pick her up and roll her out of his vicinity like an unruly armadillo
because if Malcolm doesn't want that to happen he can just get her to stop
Does he have any kind of powers that could
harmlessly, humiliatingly, pick her up and roll her out of his vicinity like an unruly armadillo
because if Malcolm doesn't want that to happen he can just get her to stop
I know you do.
No, his powers are much more like mine. He's strong, fast, physically very dangerous and resistant to harm....
He'd have to lay hands on her to roll her around. She'd use that as an excuse for violence and Malcolm would use it as an excuse to blame him for provoking her.
He slumps. It's possible that it's unfair to Malcolm to believe that; he hadn't tried to argue that Sebastian had provoked today's incident by asking Kikimora not to steal meat from the kitchens while taunting the employees who ask her to stop. But he'd been so focused on the idea that Sebastian must have been guilty last time.
The thing is, you see, he hasn't stabbed anyone. He has grabbed Kikimora by the wrist a few times and physically thrown her out of the dining hall once. He's been restraining himself.
He's trying, and if his trying gets him humiliated and condescended to by the Warden whose inmate is harassing him, I'm afraid he's going to change tactics.
No, his powers are much more like mine. He's strong, fast, physically very dangerous and resistant to harm....
He'd have to lay hands on her to roll her around. She'd use that as an excuse for violence and Malcolm would use it as an excuse to blame him for provoking her.
He slumps. It's possible that it's unfair to Malcolm to believe that; he hadn't tried to argue that Sebastian had provoked today's incident by asking Kikimora not to steal meat from the kitchens while taunting the employees who ask her to stop. But he'd been so focused on the idea that Sebastian must have been guilty last time.
The thing is, you see, he hasn't stabbed anyone. He has grabbed Kikimora by the wrist a few times and physically thrown her out of the dining hall once. He's been restraining himself.
He's trying, and if his trying gets him humiliated and condescended to by the Warden whose inmate is harassing him, I'm afraid he's going to change tactics.
Despite the warmth, he does not take off any of the sweaters, but he finds a chair. A little ways away from the staircase, so it doesn't look like he's lingering by the door ready to sprint away, but like - not that far.
"Most planets don't get tides, you know. Moons that big are rare. It's one of the things that's really special about Earth."
He can feel the pull of it, in his moth sense; it feels like a gentle hum like a dance in the next room to quiet, steady music.
"Most planets don't get tides, you know. Moons that big are rare. It's one of the things that's really special about Earth."
He can feel the pull of it, in his moth sense; it feels like a gentle hum like a dance in the next room to quiet, steady music.
Well, if it's not working, then he should change tactics. We just have to give him better new tactics to try.
When your own skills aren't suited to resolving a situation, you find someone else who does have the right skills. If neither of you trusts Malcolm to respond to the situation productively when notified, then Sebastian should notify me instead, and I'll float her away.
If you think 'asking for help' is still too advanced for him, you could suggest he make a bargain with me about it. Exercises in taking the initiative in strictly tactical cooperation. And cooperation is just getting people to do what you want. If you think about it, it's just manipulation with fewer steps.
When your own skills aren't suited to resolving a situation, you find someone else who does have the right skills. If neither of you trusts Malcolm to respond to the situation productively when notified, then Sebastian should notify me instead, and I'll float her away.
If you think 'asking for help' is still too advanced for him, you could suggest he make a bargain with me about it. Exercises in taking the initiative in strictly tactical cooperation. And cooperation is just getting people to do what you want. If you think about it, it's just manipulation with fewer steps.
sure who do I get to annoy
no for real though I totally will what's the deal
no for real though I totally will what's the deal
if it's just malcolm himself no
if it's malcolm & kikimora, maybe
if it's malcolm & kikimora, maybe
Asking for help is hard for him. But I think he'd be very open to it in this situation. I told him to call Malcolm and not let Kikimora goad him, and he did that this time.
I'm considering speaking with Kikimora directly to help resolve the situation, to be honest.
He stares at the communicator for a long moment, tucking himself down against Jedao's shoulder, and then adds, long fingers flying over the keyboard:
I'm angry that Malcolm won't do his job and doesn't care. He can be worked around, but I'm still angry.
I'm considering speaking with Kikimora directly to help resolve the situation, to be honest.
He stares at the communicator for a long moment, tucking himself down against Jedao's shoulder, and then adds, long fingers flying over the keyboard:
I'm angry that Malcolm won't do his job and doesn't care. He can be worked around, but I'm still angry.
I don't think my energy is the same as Kiryu's, but I do think I've got the rhythm of when I need to back up and clarify misapprehensions with Malcolm
[And he did tell Neal he'd be willing.]
if you guys want me to work on it with you, I will
[And he did tell Neal he'd be willing.]
if you guys want me to work on it with you, I will
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