have_your_lives | (no subject)

I don't know. The last thing I remember clearly is...a tea party. I wanted to see what I could learn there.

Don't laugh at me for it. You've done enough mocking me for the next month

[He nods at Ken and squirms to try and get free. There's no reason for him to attack Ken right now.

Calm down, you'll be untied once I get all the knots undone. And seriously? A tea party? [Ken is very much trying not to sigh. He remembered his conversation with Hughes, the one about Rue. This was bad.]

[Schuldig doesn't even try to stifle his grin. It was almost worth working with Ken to have Ken say what he wanted to.] I suppose Crawford would be pleased to see you doing reconnaissance.

And considering what you did to me, I think some verbal brutality was hardly out of line. Especially since it served a practical purpose.

What else am I supposed to do here?

[Once he's free, he rubs his wrists and eyes Schuldig's bandaged arm sheepishly.]

It wasn't me that hurt you. It was whatever had control of me.

[He wipes his face off with his shirt. Realizing that he'd cried makes him feel pathetic.]

Don't use your shirt, you know Miakis spends a lot of time figuring out the laundry. [Ken of course grabbed a cloth and handed it to Nagi.

Man this was so surreal.]

I can't really complain to it, though, can I?

[Ugh, and there Ken goes being domestic again. Schuldig rolls his eyes.] When Siberian is done fussing over you, Nagi, you could make me some coffee. It's the least you owe me. [This is, in a weird way, Schuldig's way of smoothing over the awkwardness - by acting as though nothing had happened at all.]

Complain to whoever made it happen in the first place.

[He grumbles at Ken and pulls away. Miakis worrying about laundry isn't something he cares about.]

And how am I supposed to know how to make coffee when the drip pots we're used to don't exist for another 25 years?

[Right. Crisis over. Why in fuck was he still here.]

I'm gonna head home. Nagi you can come when you're ready. Schuldig, don't warp him too much.

Coming from the man who set the bar for that? I think he's safe with me.

I'll be back eventually.

[For now, though, Nagi's going to be relatively comfortable around Schuldig.]

Fuck off Schuldig. I don't need that from you right now. [Have a brief flash of memory of his claws going through sisters stomach, how pleasing and utterly disturbing it felt.]

Yeah yeah, just don't get droned. [with that he slams the door behind himself]

[Schuldig smirks as Ken leaves before glancing at Nagi.] You know, I may go out of my way to make people's lives difficult and painful, but you've got a hell of a natural talent for it.

I don't intend to make your life difficult.

And thanks for the help.

I know; you just seem to pull it off with perfect, accidental grace. Like an idiot savant.

You are Schwarz.

And you didn't even have to kill me to get me back to normal this time.

I know. I always will be.

Don't think I didn't entertain the idea. Especially after all this. But that would've been like admitting I couldn't beat whatever games they'd played with your head. I don't know who did it to you, but it wasn't this town, and there's nothing else that can fuck up a mind better than I can.

So long as you don't ever try to maim me again. You practically undid whatever bonus points you won for getting me to the hospital with all this.

We'll find out and I'll let you deal with them since I'm still powerless.

I don't want to maim you again. I don't know why it happened the first time.

Not to mention that I suffered more indirectly from their little stunt than you did.

You declared me 'useless', as I recall. I'd be willing to write it off if it didn't sound a lot like the natural extension of your 'you haven't done anything for me to thank you for' remarks...

I know that.

I don't think you're useless. And I thanked you this time, didn't I?

It'd be hard to miss.

Damn straight. Of course, when it comes to getting injured as a direct result of dealing with you and going out of my way to look after you, this isn't the first time, so I don't know why I only got the one.

If you're talking about what Siberian did to you, I hardly see how that's worth my thanks. I already said I didn't mind you killing me when I got droned the first time.

Saying you don't mind and thanking me aren't the same. Between bringing you back from droning and what I was able to accomplish on your behalf with your corpse, I don't think there's any part of that you shouldn't thank me for.

I'll thank you when I feel thankful and not when you think I should be.

[He stretchs and rubs his formerly-bound wrists. Luckily for everyone involved, it doesn't look like the cord will leave marks.]