[ Which he’s come up with just while they’ve been talking, and he’s
still going over the options in his head, but don’t let that concern
you. ]
I don’t intend to confront him. After all what would I say, that he should
be more judicious in his application of glitter? I have something else in
mind.
Now, what is it that you plan to do? I’m presuming you don’t plan to let
this lie, no matter how much you preach caution to everyone else.
[ His plan is confront and stab, Sturmhond. ] You think I have double standards?
[ It sounds almost amused. Athos lifts the bottle of wine to his lips and finishes it with a satisfied hum, only getting up to fetch the second. He's running out and it will be a miserable time before he can get more but right now he doesn't care. ] And what is it do you have in mind?
[ Yes, he thinks you have double standards. He thinks you’ll take more risks than you’ll allow anyone else.
Which is good, in a way, it’s protective. It keeps the weak safe, but the problem is that it puts the strong in greater danger. Perhaps more than the strong can handle, in this case. He smiles, and shrugs his shoulders. ]
Read the file, Athos. He has a better nature somewhere in there. He’s just learned some bad habits.
Wildness can often be tamed. And where it can’t, it can be restrained with the right leash. I’ll talk to someone with a leash. See if we can’t solve this without undue stabbing. [ He lifts a brow. ] I doubt the Instructors would appreciate you killing another recruit. Perhaps this way, you won’t have to.
The Instructors don't seem too worried about the behaviour of their recruits. [ Meaning stop being a spoil sport and let him stab the evil vampires.
Uncorking the new bottle, Athos takes a less than healthy glug and retakes his seat. For a moment he simply watches Sturmhond and then he speaks. ] You may do it your way, if you like. But if he turns out to be a threat to anyone else then I will act. I won't allow people to be hurt, regardless of whether or not he has a more pleasing nature.
[ Please don't do this. Please don't put yourself on the firing line, don't get in trouble. That will make all of this so much worse.
Sturmhond puts a hand on his shoulder. ]
I understand wanting to protect them. I believe it's what you'd do no matter the risk to yourself, but please. Think on your companions. What would you counsel them to do, in your position?
There are alternatives to fighting. We are all recruits here. We have to act like it, and I don't want anyone saying you're no better at it than he is.
[ What would he council them to do? To take a different path, surely. He always has. And for a moment he's angry that Sturmhond can know so much of him when Athos would do all that he can to hide it. ]
I'll consider it.
[ He gives him the Musketeer equivalent of a stink eye, fingers clasped around the bottle. ]
[ His irritated expression simply shifts to another shade of displeased. ]
Does it offend you so? [ It's insolent, surely. But Athos' expression is mild and his tone polite. ] It would take hours and the alarms are nearly upon us. I would not want to deprive my companions access to the washroom.
[ He's going to keep drinking, you can't make him. ]
[ Athos makes his way to the bathroom and spends some time trying to scrub his skin clean. His beard is still a little worse for wear and his face is far pinker than it should be but it's the best he can do. After that he changes his clothing and while there's still a sparkle about him, it's a little bit better.
Instead of going to bed like a normal person would, Athos nurses his wine. ]
[ It's some time before Sturmhond finds him again. He'd spoken to Elena first, and then gotten into a strange conversation with Seth that leaves him with a considerably lowered opinion of both of them.
Troubled, he comes to sit on the edge of his bunk, and he looks at the newly clean Athos with a rather grim smile. ]
Well. It's nice to see one of us was successful, at least.
That didn't go as well as I'd hoped. Athos, I need to know if you intend to go after this Stefan. I'd be very grateful to hear an answer in the negative, if it wouldn't give you trouble.
[ Athos pauses, his cup half way to his lips as Sturmhond enters and takes a seat. ]
Go after him? No, I'm sick of vengeance. [ It reeked too much of Anne and her re-emergence, of Milady and her plots. ] I intend to keep an eye on him however. And intervene if he's a threat. Why? What happened?
[ Sturmhond sighs. The intervention part of that is what bothers him. He reaches across, snagging the wine bottle and pouring a glass. ]
I want you to come to me, if it reaches that point. If you believe him a threat, and you intend to intervene. Come to me first, I want your word.
You’ll be glad you did.
[ Because at that point, he would tell Athos how to defend himself. He would tell him the weaknesses of the vampires from Elena’s world, such as he knows them. If it reaches the point where there’s a genuine danger to Athos’ life, or someone else’s, he’ll share what he knows, and if either Elena or Seth want to avoid him doing that, they’ll make sure that time never comes. They both know that’s his position, and so it will remain. ]
[ He holds his gaze for a long moment, as though weighing up whether or not he should decline and do this by himself. But the measure of it is that Athos truly trusts the man in front of him. It's a personal trust, one that blooms somewhere in the ravaged garden of his soul and takes root. Athos has so little people he can afford that of and the fact that there is one more is still surprising to him. ]
All right. [ It's soft and lacking any particular edge. He's not being weak, he's being clever. ] But we keep it between ourselves for now. I won't approach him unless absolutely necessary, but I can't say the same for Aramis or d'Artagnan. They would want to respond to the slight. [ They would want to defend him, protect him. And so he'll keep his silence. ]
[ Sturmhond’s mouth tightens. Of course, Athos’ friends. They’d be as loyal to him as Athos is to them, which Sturmhond happens to know goes beyond what most people have any right to expect.
He shakes his head. ]
Then prevent them, Athos. It will make things worse. Elena told me that she would try to stop him from being a danger, but she won’t suffer him to be threatened. She’d defend him herself, in that case.
[ Then a sigh, an unhappy one. ]
And so would Seth, a man whom I thought a friend. He’s not one. He contacted me after, said Elena reacted poorly to what I said. Confirmed that he would kill me before he’d see me put Stefan at risk. Go against him, and you’d be dealing with all three of them. I never wanted that. I don’t want this to turn into a fight. The Instructors won’t stand for it, and I don’t want to see you or your friends harmed in the effort.
[ He heaves out a sigh that seems ripped from the very centre of him. ]
I won't tell them. They believe I took the same course of action as they did. [ The fallout of Stefan's actions seem to stretch out in front of him as far as the eye can see. He feels so tired. ]
I apologise. I didn't think you would be caught up in this too. I would have dealt with all of it myself if I'd known.
[ Sturmhond shakes his head. That wouldn’t have been fair, either.
Athos is his ally, and his friend to boot. He’d have done the same for
anyone he counted in that way. Until today, he’d have done the same for
Seth.
But he won’t hold on to that. Personal relationships are an
indulgence, and not strictly necessary. ]
It was my own choice, and you can rely on me to keep making it. I believe
they’ll do what they can to keep him from becoming a danger, and that’s
what’s important for now.
A choice you would not have had to make were it not for my involvement. [ Because this is Athos, King of Burdens.
His gaze drifts to a spot in the ceiling of the rover, mouth a furiously tight line for a second, then another. He finds his blood is not so easily soothed no matter how sick he is of confrontation and deception. ] I hope you're right. I hope they can see sense. But love has a way of blinding people.
[ Sturmhond smiles a little, turning that over in his mind. Then, leaning back himself, he rolls his shoulder. ]
It does. People make fools of themselves in the name of love. No decision should ever be made on the back of an emotion, especially not one so compromising as that.
[ he lifts up his arms, popping open the cuffs of his shirt. ]
I don't want trouble here. We're part of the same crew. We aren't supposed to turn on each other.
But my judgement won't be clouded. If the time should come, you can rely on me. Remember that.
On that we are agreed. [ Athos would quite like to believe he is a man now above such trivial emotions. Only most of his actions are driven by it. The love for his friends, for those he considers his family, is the one thing that spurs him on day after day.
And he's touched by Sturmhond's motions to help him. That much is clear even if his expression doesn't change. ] You're a good man. Thank you for that.
I didn't think it would be. [ Things like this rarely are. Athos only wishes he could have kept it further locked down so that even Sturmhond would not be involved. People are often left wounded when they come to Athos' aid. ]
I think I'd like to get some sleep now. It's been a long day. [ It's too late to simply walk off as a means to an end. He must keep his head straight. But he finds there's something vulnerable about his thoughts and retreating into himself might be for the best all round. ]
[ Sturmhond stands, moving towards the bathroom to take a shower of his own. He'll stay in there for as long as he thinks it'll take for Athos to fall asleep.
He knows Athos needs the time alone. And personally, he'd rather wash this day off himself. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Well, you need not be worried. I have a plan.
[ Which he’s come up with just while they’ve been talking, and he’s still going over the options in his head, but don’t let that concern you. ]
I don’t intend to confront him. After all what would I say, that he should be more judicious in his application of glitter? I have something else in mind.
Now, what is it that you plan to do? I’m presuming you don’t plan to let this lie, no matter how much you preach caution to everyone else.
no subject
[ It sounds almost amused. Athos lifts the bottle of wine to his lips and finishes it with a satisfied hum, only getting up to fetch the second. He's running out and it will be a miserable time before he can get more but right now he doesn't care. ] And what is it do you have in mind?
no subject
Which is good, in a way, it’s protective. It keeps the weak safe, but the problem is that it puts the strong in greater danger. Perhaps more than the strong can handle, in this case. He smiles, and shrugs his shoulders. ]
Read the file, Athos. He has a better nature somewhere in there. He’s just learned some bad habits.
Wildness can often be tamed. And where it can’t, it can be restrained with the right leash. I’ll talk to someone with a leash. See if we can’t solve this without undue stabbing. [ He lifts a brow. ] I doubt the Instructors would appreciate you killing another recruit. Perhaps this way, you won’t have to.
no subject
Uncorking the new bottle, Athos takes a less than healthy glug and retakes his seat. For a moment he simply watches Sturmhond and then he speaks. ] You may do it your way, if you like. But if he turns out to be a threat to anyone else then I will act. I won't allow people to be hurt, regardless of whether or not he has a more pleasing nature.
no subject
[ Please don't do this. Please don't put yourself on the firing line, don't get in trouble. That will make all of this so much worse.
Sturmhond puts a hand on his shoulder. ]
I understand wanting to protect them. I believe it's what you'd do no matter the risk to yourself, but please. Think on your companions. What would you counsel them to do, in your position?
There are alternatives to fighting. We are all recruits here. We have to act like it, and I don't want anyone saying you're no better at it than he is.
no subject
I'll consider it.
[ He gives him the Musketeer equivalent of a stink eye, fingers clasped around the bottle. ]
no subject
Good. Thank you.
[ His hand comes away covered in glitter, and with a wince he starts brushing it away. ]
Now. Is there any chance I can convince you to do something about this, before it redecorates our rover?
no subject
Does it offend you so? [ It's insolent, surely. But Athos' expression is mild and his tone polite. ] It would take hours and the alarms are nearly upon us. I would not want to deprive my companions access to the washroom.
[ He's going to keep drinking, you can't make him. ]
no subject
[ He's already sensing that this is a lost cause. ]
Unless of course you wish to retain the sparkle. Perfectly understandable, of course, but I didn't think you were the type.
no subject
I do find it hard to keep up with fashion. But if you allow me a moment I will see what I can do. [ Read: He will cover the bathroom in glitter. ]
do you want to timeskip to after he talks to Elena and Seth?
[ Laughing quietly, he moves to shoo Korol out of Athos' way. ]
I'll go out, while you do. Give you some privacy.
yes pls :>
[ Athos makes his way to the bathroom and spends some time trying to scrub his skin clean. His beard is still a little worse for wear and his face is far pinker than it should be but it's the best he can do. After that he changes his clothing and while there's still a sparkle about him, it's a little bit better.
Instead of going to bed like a normal person would, Athos nurses his wine. ]
(:
Troubled, he comes to sit on the edge of his bunk, and he looks at the newly clean Athos with a rather grim smile. ]
Well. It's nice to see one of us was successful, at least.
That didn't go as well as I'd hoped. Athos, I need to know if you intend to go after this Stefan. I'd be very grateful to hear an answer in the negative, if it wouldn't give you trouble.
no subject
Go after him? No, I'm sick of vengeance. [ It reeked too much of Anne and her re-emergence, of Milady and her plots. ] I intend to keep an eye on him however. And intervene if he's a threat. Why? What happened?
no subject
I want you to come to me, if it reaches that point. If you believe him a threat, and you intend to intervene. Come to me first, I want your word.
You’ll be glad you did.
[ Because at that point, he would tell Athos how to defend himself. He would tell him the weaknesses of the vampires from Elena’s world, such as he knows them. If it reaches the point where there’s a genuine danger to Athos’ life, or someone else’s, he’ll share what he knows, and if either Elena or Seth want to avoid him doing that, they’ll make sure that time never comes. They both know that’s his position, and so it will remain. ]
no subject
All right. [ It's soft and lacking any particular edge. He's not being weak, he's being clever. ] But we keep it between ourselves for now. I won't approach him unless absolutely necessary, but I can't say the same for Aramis or d'Artagnan. They would want to respond to the slight. [ They would want to defend him, protect him. And so he'll keep his silence. ]
no subject
He shakes his head. ]
Then prevent them, Athos. It will make things worse. Elena told me that she would try to stop him from being a danger, but she won’t suffer him to be threatened. She’d defend him herself, in that case.
[ Then a sigh, an unhappy one. ]
And so would Seth, a man whom I thought a friend. He’s not one. He contacted me after, said Elena reacted poorly to what I said. Confirmed that he would kill me before he’d see me put Stefan at risk. Go against him, and you’d be dealing with all three of them. I never wanted that. I don’t want this to turn into a fight. The Instructors won’t stand for it, and I don’t want to see you or your friends harmed in the effort.
no subject
I won't tell them. They believe I took the same course of action as they did. [ The fallout of Stefan's actions seem to stretch out in front of him as far as the eye can see. He feels so tired. ]
I apologise. I didn't think you would be caught up in this too. I would have dealt with all of it myself if I'd known.
no subject
[ Sturmhond shakes his head. That wouldn’t have been fair, either. Athos is his ally, and his friend to boot. He’d have done the same for anyone he counted in that way. Until today, he’d have done the same for Seth.
But he won’t hold on to that. Personal relationships are an indulgence, and not strictly necessary. ]
It was my own choice, and you can rely on me to keep making it. I believe they’ll do what they can to keep him from becoming a danger, and that’s what’s important for now.
no subject
His gaze drifts to a spot in the ceiling of the rover, mouth a furiously tight line for a second, then another. He finds his blood is not so easily soothed no matter how sick he is of confrontation and deception. ] I hope you're right. I hope they can see sense. But love has a way of blinding people.
no subject
It does. People make fools of themselves in the name of love. No decision should ever be made on the back of an emotion, especially not one so compromising as that.
[ he lifts up his arms, popping open the cuffs of his shirt. ]
I don't want trouble here. We're part of the same crew. We aren't supposed to turn on each other.
But my judgement won't be clouded. If the time should come, you can rely on me. Remember that.
no subject
And he's touched by Sturmhond's motions to help him. That much is clear even if his expression doesn't change. ] You're a good man. Thank you for that.
no subject
Still, he wants to protect Athos. Wants to defend him. ]
You're welcome. Ensure your friends stay safe, that's the most important thing. I'm sorry, that this hasn't been resolved any better than this.
no subject
I think I'd like to get some sleep now. It's been a long day. [ It's too late to simply walk off as a means to an end. He must keep his head straight. But he finds there's something vulnerable about his thoughts and retreating into himself might be for the best all round. ]
no subject
[ Sturmhond stands, moving towards the bathroom to take a shower of his own. He'll stay in there for as long as he thinks it'll take for Athos to fall asleep.
He knows Athos needs the time alone. And personally, he'd rather wash this day off himself. ]
I'll leave you to it, I think. Goodnight, Athos.