chikaidestroyer | ∞ 101: Quiet disappearance [voice/action]

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∞ 101: Quiet disappearance [voice/action]

[voice]

[It's almost midnight and he hasn't received a response from Raine for almost three hours. Raine could be kept busy after school from time to time, but she had not mentioned anything that would keep her out late today -- especially this late.]

Has anyone seen or spoken to Professor Sage today? She is not answering to messages from her journal.

[action]

[Despite the chill in the air so late at night, Albert stands out on the porch outside of his house. There is fortunately no snow tonight, so he was able to send out Rune to scout around the nearby forests.

Part of him has already concluded that it's likely Raine was abducted by the rogue facilities. She had certainly not been sent back to her world, as her belongings were still intact and the journal system still recognized that she was there. But ... there was the faint concern that something else might have happened. Luceti wasn't safe from its own residents, after all.]

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Th-that's not it... [A part of him nervously wonders if he's done something to ruin his trust. But that wasn't it...] That's not it at all. You told me what you were studying because you felt confident in it, didn't you? You know that you'll succeed.

[Please tell him you see where he's going with this.]

Should I not tell you about my failures? About the times when I was at my lowest? [Because that was certainly what had happened in the past.

He finds himself setting down his spoon so he can rub at his forehead, a faint laugh on his lips.] I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you.

[Ugh, he didn't understand. He's not sure how to say it...]

That's not what I mean. I'm glad you tell me those things. The difference is... you expect me to fail. I don't enjoy disappointing people, you know.

[And by "people," he mostly means you.]

[He allows for silence as he lowers his hand, taking a sip of his water.] ...Do you think I care about that, Caesar? Do you think I actually minded cleaning up after when you attempted to build a roof for the stable?

Why wouldn't you? Isn't it a pain to have to clean up after someone else? You knew what you were doing.

[Even if, he knew, there was no way for him to know what he was doing. Caesar was used to unreasonable things being expected of him.]

I knew that it was your first time doing that task. I knew that you would not do it well. I knew that I would have to start over as soon as you were done. [Why else would he have been ready to start right after Caesar had finished?]

I want to know you are doing something productive. I don't care if it ends in failure if you are learning something from it, even if it is that you apparently won't ever be good at hammering in a nail.

Never...? [Well. It's not like it was a skill he was expecting to improve upon anytime soon. Still, he sighs.] ...I wish you would've told me that sooner. I would have told you as soon as I decided on it!

...I would have thought it common sense that not every conversation between us has to be about food, my daily chores, and your dog. [Not that they were, but Albert had been exaggerating quite a bit through this conversation already.]

What does that have to do with anything? [Maybe the point Albert was really trying to prove was that Caesar was an awful conversation partner... He probably shouldn't say that out loud, though, even as a joke.] I didn't think you'd want to hear about something else that I was bound to mess up.

[He scoffs. It's as if he has something else revelatory to add to the conversation.]

Why not? How do you know that I won't be entertained?

[Or maybe not.]

[Ugh, what a jerk. :|]

My apologies, Albert. I'm afraid I simply wasn't thinking about how entertaining you'd find my failures. I just thought that I should try to disappoint you a little less.

Correction: You thought that you should try to not disappoint me at all. Which you will undoubtedly fail at. Do you see how that works?

Certainly. After all, by trying not to disappoint you, I've disappointed you. So I've failed. But how was I supposed to know you didn't care about that?

[There's silence. It's more than a few seconds long, and as Albert takes the time to take another sip of water, it's obvious that it is deliberate.]

You could have asked.

[You always know how to make him anxious, don't you? Caesar doesn't appreciate these pauses...!]

And you would have given me an incredulous look.

Not a disappointed look. [He has to point out.]

You always make things sound so simple! [Caesar shakes his head.] But I think I get it now. It was foolish of me to think you'd only be disappointed by my attempts at... anything, I guess.

Yes. It's only disappointing when I know that you can do better. [...] And I should note that criticism does not always equate to disappointment.

Edited 2012-02-10 11:43 (UTC)

[Caesar listens to this... and he can't help but snort.]

Are you okay? You're being awfully understanding all of a sudden.

Perhaps it has something to do with my grievous blood loss not too long ago. [Straight face. Completely straight face.]

Hmm. Perhaps you're right. [Of course, he's only teasing. Maybe his brother understood better than he thought he did.] But I guess that makes sense. You're not completely unreasonable.

[...sometimes. That second part in particular, about criticism not always meaning disappointment was something that Caesar had never really considered.]

Edited 2012-02-10 11:58 (UTC)

If I was completely unreasonable, I would not make much of a subordinate, would I? [Caesar may be teasing somewhat, but he can still use the joke to help bring his point home.]

You're still pretty demanding no matter what position you're in. [Though he supposes it makes sense. Albert seemed to expect a lot of impossible things from him, but he certainly didn't do that all the time. Maybe it was just because Caesar was so worried about impressing him that it felt much worse to him.] But thanks, Albert. I think I may just be able to forgive you for earlier.

Perhaps you shouldn't, since I'm sure there will be much criticism and disappointment in your future. [A light jab, though he is nice enough to glance at his brother to assess his reaction.

With that said, he starts eating his soup again. He didn't want it going cold on account of him talking too much.]

[Caesar shakes his head, lifting his spoon again.]

Shut up and eat your food, or else I'll become disappointed with you.

[A flimsy threat that probably isn't much of a threat at all. He goes back to eating his soup. An unusual night...

...but he wasn't really disappointed by the outcome.]

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