leviathaned | In which Questions are Asked

[He's gifted to the wonderful expression of Will behind thin-rimmed glasses and going over some stack of papers. And dropping them the moment the door's kicked in.

The look he gets once his dramatic entrance breaks means he's an idiot, and it's lucky he knows the secretaries because they probably would've killed 'em for that otherwise. Or at least will would have.

Giving you the most withering look ever from the door to his cave.] Was that really necessary?

...I didn't think you were open today? [Look, there was a thought that went through his head and it made sense then.]

S...orry.

[That first part gets him the same look of 'wow you are brain damaged so badly'.]

I'm here every day except Sunday, where I'll be found plotting my own suicide at board meetings. The times are office hours. My home address is written on the business cards on my assistants' desks. Now that you know my location at most hours of any given day, please don't kick in my door ever again.

Yessir. [The immediate obedient response honestly feels creepy to sei but we'll get to the 'why' that is in a second.]

...There's a question I really need answered. [Even though he has a horrible, sinking suspicion he knows the answer already. He needs to hear it from someone with the required knowledge-base, not his own yahoo suspicions.]

[One hand gestures dismissively at a chair in his office, already back to reading over his papers. It is oddly domestic in the sense of looking like a business man, until glances at the papers are all about taxes and bishops complaining and assassination requests.]

Do you need coffee? [Caffeine always helps focus, it's a natural fact.]

No.

...Will, who is the End of Days?

[The freeze he gets here is much different by any other he's gotten. It's a far cry from Sei's perceived threat from throwing snowballs, and the eyes staring at him across the room are a bright and glowing, unclouded yellow.

It is worrying as hell with the measured voice and even the two adorable secretaries go supernaturally still. It is not because of him.]

Your reason for asking. Now.

...[That's almost enough of a comfirmation right there, and Sei smiles, bitter and brittle.]

...A Lunarian called me that. I had to assure her I have no intention of ending anything.

[He laughs, sad and small and alone-sounding, and waits for the reaction. This...might hurt.]

[There's a very long worrying moment here where Will buries his face in his hands. It's the antichrist. It's the antichrist. The fact there's Lunarians out of his radar or the fact Sei wants nothing to do with it. Because for that very long moment, there is nothing in his head but klaxons saying he's an abomination, the worst of them, kill him kill him wipe him from existence. And maybe that's what needs to happen. Killing the Morning Star's kid ruins his plan, maybe He would even come back to this Fragment, and even if not - it would be right. It's just one body and no one would blame him for it.

But, for all that is subconsciously known, it was never mentioned the antichrist had free will. That he wouldn't want to and actually sounded miserable and lost an - it's just an abomination, the one who brings the end of days, and you are a failure if you don't kill it right this instant.

No.

When he looks up at Sei again, the eyes haven't changed from their unnerving-as-hell state, and he is visibly restraining himself from ripping said antichrist's head off, but he's trying not to. That is worth more than actually accepting and throwing it off.] They--... We were told you'd be blonde. That you'd appear in the early twenty-first century. What's--

[wrong this is wrong this is wrong this is wrong this is wrong this i- no no no deep breaths don't do it-] I believe you.

[And Sei can feel it, feel that pure murderous intent because it sings through his veins, all fight-or-flight, and for a moment his eyes light up, brilliant unearthly blue to match Will's gold--

and then it's gone. No, no, no.]

...I never wanted...I never wanted anything. Not this. Not to inherit an eons old grudgematch or end anything or--[His voices rises and cracks with panic and the voices in his head are suddenly quiet but it's like he can fucking hear Will's and he's terrified that control will snap, he's had nothing to live for and nothing good has ever happened to him but he doesn't want to die, he wants to live and keep living and--]

It's--it's all stupid and fucked up and disgusting and it's beautiful I can't break it I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here, I shouldn't have said anything, I had to know, I didn't...

[It all makes sense now, and Sei's knees buckle some under him as he sags against the door frame. He was dealing alright with the Nephilim idea but this? This is too much for him to handle after the day he's had.]

[If his voices are still in sync, then Will's reached the direct line of 'it is programming' with no context. It's a constant repeat of execute running like a broken computer in the background. It continues unstopped when Will rises, crosses the space like it's nothing even when the secretaries jerk to standing in Sei's peripherals, stands in front of him.

And the undercurrent skips and lapses into the same word but in glitching errors the moment Sei gets a hand rested on his head. And Will sounds completely deaf to the words.]

It's all right.

[He is terrible with feels and he is a horrible blunt douchebag but those three words speak volumes.]

[Sei feels the subtle shift in what is real here almost before he registers the touch, and flinches, before managing to look back up.

Why didn't he have a choice? it shouldn't be that way?

Somehow, that's a thought that seems much more deadly than it has any right to be.]

...Will, you...

Shut it.

[The speed of how the snap is delivered means he knows what he might say, and does not want to hear it. Okay, yes, good, moving on, thank you.]

This is the only time I'm saying this. You're not a human, but you have the free will all of us lack. I believe it when you say that fate isn't what you want. So I think it's only fair you should know can keep be ignored. Who your father is doesn't change who you've been until now. And it shouldn't change anything now.

[Sei's not even a proper angel and it sounds like the worst blasphemy on the planet. But for once he's okay with it.] Your father did have a habit of not obeying other people's expectations. I think it's fair if you do the same.

[It's there still, that little voice going "Why were we the only ones with a choice?"

If breaking the rules hurts them this badly, can't the rules be changed?]

...I never met him, I can't say I feel like I owe him or anyone any apocalypses. I said I'd live in spite of everything, ending the world means dying too.

[Ir's a roundabout way of saying he's not only refusing to end the world but might stop it from ending out of pure spite for what he's supposed to be doing, even if down that path only madness and constant migraines lie.]

...I'm sorry. And thank you.

[He's not going to specify for what in either case and they're both going to be okay with that, right? Right.]

I...will still pass on that coffee but I don't suppose you have any absinthe?

[Considering he doesn't say anything to the first part, it means it got translated just fine. Even if it's the absolute worst choice he's ever made, and everything is content to say exactly that, he knows Sei means it.

He also doesn't ask for any more explanations on his apology, because anything it applies to works just as well as anything. Same with the gratitude. Too awkward. Only at the absinthe does he sigh and step back.

Yeah, he's fine. Leave it at that.] No. It's a health risk and Lion disapproves of my coping methods.

[Said like he's repeating someone else entirely. Which means it's read as: fiance took his booze. Rude much amirite.]

...In that case, I know rum brewers who still owe me a favor. Unhealthy or not, I think some things call for it.

[He's made almost a career of surviving bad decisions, what's one more?]

[Deep breath and a sigh, then turning back to the girls who look two seconds away from interrupting World War 1.]

Close up. Take the night off. You know nothing.

[It's not an answer to Sei, really, but the two girls immediately salute in the unison that only comes to the really-well-trained military, and that's an answer enough.]

[Picking himself up off the floor and straightening out and--

ow fuck doorframe jesus fuck. Give him a second he needs to mutter about stupid short architects.]

...Right. Try to look less...intimidating and Inquisitor-y, I don't think you want this in rumors tomorrow morning.

[Sei gets the sympathetic wince of someone who has walked into that same doorway an infinite amount of times and usually with more momentum.]

I'm not sure I can be less... [Shrug. Him. Go figure how someone so lazy can be scary as hell.] But I don't care. Whatever I do won't be any worse than their assumption on my married life.

[There is the faintest of undercurrents in that statement that could be defined as amusement. Of which the only explanation is he is actively trolling the tabloids. He is the worst role model.]

...Just try not to make anyone wither into dust from glaring and I think we'll manage.

[For some reason, he's pulling that bright blue scarf out of his pocket and where did he get a hat and why does Sei suddenly look like an extraordinarily dapper street rat.]

C'mon. This hour they won't be too crowded.

I don't make promises I can't keep.

[And he gets the most blank stare ever for his antics. The one he's used to when he's being stupid. Turning and walking from the room. Only long enough to come back with a coat.

Also smacking Sei's hat clear off his head.] Stop being stupid. I should bring you on an intelligence assignment so you know how to look less ridiculous.

[The coat fits just fine and Will leaves without anything more than the most drab overcoat ever. Seriously, Sei, don't be an idiot.]

[Snorting.] I told you, these people know me. I grew up in this part of town.

[Turns out it's a collapsible hat that he just...palmed out of the air? And turning on his heel to head on out, Will will either keep up or he won't.

...He's a lot like a shark when he's actually confident, it's not helping anything is it.]

And I have spies that kill people just for looking like you.

[It is said entirely conversationally and it's probably the only proof the antichrist thing messed him up more than he'd assume. That kind of shit is never said publicly.

He also doesn't notice it, since he lapses into silence walking aside Sei with his eyes shut. Ignoring the feeling, ignore it ignore it ignore it -

but at least there's someone who keeps up with Sei's walking speed without falling into that weird power-walk-skipping combo to keep up.]

That explains the knife to my kidney the other week. I think they need more vacation time, that cough sounded icky.

[The farther they get into lowtown, the more Sei starts to exude a kind of confidence Will's never seen on him. Turns out those stupid impulses and bad decisions come from being so far out of his element he doesn't know which way is up-appropriately, among lowlifes Sei is as a king; unhassled, unharrassed, and friendly. Charismatic. Comfortable.

The brewery is closer to the docks, near the river, and smells overpoweringly of rum and fish, but he leads Will in through the backdoor like he owns the damn place.]

So, strong stuff, knock-you-out stuff, or 'won't remember tonight at all' stuff?

That wasn't mine.

[Maybe he'll be less of an idiot once he's in element. It already seems that way. Though while Sei passes as a king, Will changes for no better or worse. Just a thing that passes through without a glance or notice.

He sits in the closest free seat next to some loser, shares a nod with him, and turns back to Sei. Considering warning bells should be firing off because inquisitor - it never happens.

All observers may now take a moment to be surprised that Will is capable of subtle.] As close to ninety-eight percent as you can.

Right. [Sei rummages through the stores for a moment, although giving nothing's labeled it's a mystery how he picks stuff out, before setting a bottle down in front of Will before flopping into a seat himself, all young gangly limbs and completely incorrect angles to sit in a chair in, with his own bottle.]

I don't think you want to know where the glasses have been, so we'll skip that part.

[He's waving off calls for him to join card games at the time...he's been here more than somewhat frequently, turns out.]

[He doesn't even bother questioning for a glass. Simply knocking it back without a wince with the kind of grace only someone well-versed in alcohol outings could attain.

He remains silent until the third call Sei gets. Which earns a-] The blonde's hiding aces in his sleeve.

[Whether a bar fight starts out from that or not, his observation skills are something frightening.]

You'd think he'd learn, he got caught uptown last week, too. Sharp eyes, though.

Not hard to imagine. His movements are too shaken. He's too busy worrying over people catching him than to actually go through with it right.

[It's not even that hard to do either. Cheaters these days are pathetic.]

This is what happens when I don't have the money to keep them sharp for a couple months, alas.

[Shruuuugging. Yes, he's outright admitting he not only gambles but cheats like a motherfucker, he sees no shame in this.] It's kind of adorable how hard they try, though.

If you try cheating around me, I'll call you out.

[But he isn't telling him not to cheat. Just don't let him catch it and you're good.] And it's not adorable, it's pathetic.

Same difference, really.

I would never, around you. [Or at least never let you catch him.] Besides,I'm here to drink, not bilk drunken idiots out of their wages.

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