[It's... four, maybe five days after the curses broke? Enough number of days for Sebastian to have seen Jedao back around, back on the network, that he sends this audio message:]
Good day, Instructor Jedao. Your pardon, but may I speak with you when you have a moment?
I am going to be dreadfully, tediously predictable, I fear.
[...But, all right: Jedao's gone out of his way to stress that inmates don't owe wardens anything that he's maybe earned some non-deference and a little honesty:]
But I do not know if it is necessary, truly. [Translation: no, he doesn't really want to do this in person.]
["Objectively", sure. Sebastian's reluctance to meet in person has, of course, nothing to do with how much he hates having to once again acknowledge that this debacle happened in the first place. He'd been tempted to do this over text, initially, but caught himself and realised that would be far too impersonal. Audio is a compromise.
"What's the situation?" Jedao asks... as if it isn't obvious? Uncharitable, Sebastian wonders if Jedao's just playing dumb.]
Well. Regarding the nonsense that happened a few days ago... I realise that I caused quite a lot of trouble both for Mr Cho and yourself. I deeply apologise.
[Jedao feels dumb. Hakkai has warned him Sebastian was bridling a bit under the supposed indignity of being 'saved,' but Jedao hadn't imagined it would go this far.]
You... did intervene in mine and Mr Gaius' encounter... no? [Sebastian has no memory of that, but it's what Hakkai told him. If Hakkai was just messing with him, Sebastian swears he'll have his hide.]
Mm. Yes. He wasn't the first so-called god I've had to wrangle here, and he probably won't be the last. I was already looking for him when I found the pair of you; it was only my duty to the ship as a whole to handle it.
You didn't cause me trouble. The warden who gave him back that level of power even though he's unreliable and vindictive caused me trouble.
[Jedao's voice does get a little aggravated, at the last; he pauses and takes a breath.]
I would save you any day of the week no matter how annoyed you were about it, Sebastian, because I don't think it's good for you to be in pain. But in this case, I was rather emphatically too late to do so. That wasn't a rescue, that was pest control.
Said I that I am annoyed? [he asks, a very light note of annoyance creeping into his tone. Sebastian, honey, your warden talks to his husband...]
And, well. I would argue being in pain is hardly detrimental to me... [a little debilitating pain never killed anyone!] but regardless of your timing, you did supposedly save me from a week's death-toll. ["Supposedly", because Sebastian isn't entirely convinced he wouldn't have survived the hole in his chest. This is because Sebastian has no idea how badly off he was when brought to Hakkai and Jedao's cabin.]
And your intervention had not been needed had I but handled the situation on my own. So, I apologise. Although I do agree with the assessment of Mr Gaius' irresponsible Warden...
[But anyway, what is it with people on the Barge and not understanding the very simple concept of "if you're too weak to defend yourself, it's your own fault if you get hurt"?]
It doesn't matter if it's detrimental. Pain is bad, in itself. Consider it an issue of aesthetic balance: there's so much pain in the world already. Adding more to no purpose is just overdoing it.
Perhaps you might have been able to handle the situation if I hadn't appeared when I did. But as a warden, it is my duty to corral wayward inmates who are not respecting others' workspaces and ribspaces. It would be grossly negligent of me to expect an inmate - already busy with your own kitchen duties - to pick up the slack for me.
[Perhaps you might have been able to handle the situation-- Well, no; Sebastian wouldn't have, not in the state he was in; he knows that. Jedao knows that.
His first instinct is to assume Jedao's making fun of him with that comment... but, no, he realises: he's trying to minimise the indignity of the whole thing.
As if Sebastian needs to have his feelings spared.
There's a few moments of silence on Sebastian's end as he fights down the irritation - snapping at Jedao isn't what he's supposed to be doing right now.]
...Far be it from me to suggest you should not fulfil your duties or compromise your sense of aesthetics, of course.
[Jedao strongly suspects he couldn't have - but he doesn't know for sure. He didn't know Sebastian could survive that long at all, so there could have been other powers he didn't know about. Jedao himself only managed by being smart, not strong, and Sebastian has a sharp tactical mind.
But he had been in a rather awful position.]
I don't believe you've done me any injury, nor failed in anything I might have reasonably demanded of you. However, if you feel that rendering an apology is required by your own honor, then of course I accept.
That is all I wished to convey. [Had this been a few months ago, when Sebastian was still pretending very hard to keep up the "just a normal butler n_n" thing, he might have added something about being glad that Jedao's doing better. But well.]
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After the scary sword plot
Good day, Instructor Jedao. Your pardon, but may I speak with you when you have a moment?
I am going to be dreadfully, tediously predictable, I fear.
Re: After the scary sword plot
Would you prefer to meet in person?
Re: After the scary sword plot
[...But, all right: Jedao's gone out of his way to stress that inmates don't owe wardens anything that he's maybe earned some non-deference and a little honesty:]
But I do not know if it is necessary, truly. [Translation: no, he doesn't really want to do this in person.]
Re: After the scary sword plot
[It doesn't have to be about Jedao being nice! It can just be about him trusting that Sebastian's choice is objectively the most appropriate!]
What's the situation?
Re: After the scary sword plot
"What's the situation?" Jedao asks... as if it isn't obvious? Uncharitable, Sebastian wonders if Jedao's just playing dumb.]
Well. Regarding the nonsense that happened a few days ago... I realise that I caused quite a lot of trouble both for Mr Cho and yourself. I deeply apologise.
Re: After the scary sword plot
[Jedao feels dumb. Hakkai has warned him Sebastian was bridling a bit under the supposed indignity of being 'saved,' but Jedao hadn't imagined it would go this far.]
Re: After the scary sword plot
There's a moment's very confused pause.]
You... did intervene in mine and Mr Gaius' encounter... no? [Sebastian has no memory of that, but it's what Hakkai told him. If Hakkai was just messing with him, Sebastian swears he'll have his hide.]
Re: After the scary sword plot
You didn't cause me trouble. The warden who gave him back that level of power even though he's unreliable and vindictive caused me trouble.
[Jedao's voice does get a little aggravated, at the last; he pauses and takes a breath.]
I would save you any day of the week no matter how annoyed you were about it, Sebastian, because I don't think it's good for you to be in pain. But in this case, I was rather emphatically too late to do so. That wasn't a rescue, that was pest control.
Re: After the scary sword plot
And, well. I would argue being in pain is hardly detrimental to me... [a little debilitating pain never killed anyone!] but regardless of your timing, you did supposedly save me from a week's death-toll. ["Supposedly", because Sebastian isn't entirely convinced he wouldn't have survived the hole in his chest. This is because Sebastian has no idea how badly off he was when brought to Hakkai and Jedao's cabin.]
And your intervention had not been needed had I but handled the situation on my own. So, I apologise. Although I do agree with the assessment of Mr Gaius' irresponsible Warden...
[But anyway, what is it with people on the Barge and not understanding the very simple concept of "if you're too weak to defend yourself, it's your own fault if you get hurt"?]
Re: After the scary sword plot
Perhaps you might have been able to handle the situation if I hadn't appeared when I did. But as a warden, it is my duty to corral wayward inmates who are not respecting others' workspaces and ribspaces. It would be grossly negligent of me to expect an inmate - already busy with your own kitchen duties - to pick up the slack for me.
Re: After the scary sword plot
His first instinct is to assume Jedao's making fun of him with that comment... but, no, he realises: he's trying to minimise the indignity of the whole thing.
As if Sebastian needs to have his feelings spared.
There's a few moments of silence on Sebastian's end as he fights down the irritation - snapping at Jedao isn't what he's supposed to be doing right now.]
...Far be it from me to suggest you should not fulfil your duties or compromise your sense of aesthetics, of course.
Re: After the scary sword plot
But he had been in a rather awful position.]
I don't believe you've done me any injury, nor failed in anything I might have reasonably demanded of you. However, if you feel that rendering an apology is required by your own honor, then of course I accept.
Re: After the scary sword plot
That is all I wished to convey. [Had this been a few months ago, when Sebastian was still pretending very hard to keep up the "just a normal butler n_n" thing, he might have added something about being glad that Jedao's doing better. But well.]
Re: After the scary sword plot
You're welcome, Mr. Michaelis.
[Jedao considers saying I hope you're feeling better himself, but that feels like laying it on a bit thick.]
Good day.
Re: After the scary sword plot
Good day. Until later.