"You'll accept the destruction of entire cities by gods, but draw the line at one bringing home an orphaned child and raising them as their own? What an interesting stance."
Bruce isn't sure if he's intrigued, amused, seriously annoyed or all three. It's all three. The last at the lack of logic as much as... a very real, if somewhat twisted loyalty to Asmodeus. His father saved him and raised him. That he can also be terrifying and brutal simply is.
He's taking this very personally. Which of course makes sense given his son, but also: Very mortal of him, in the the basis of all that self-righteous... indignation.
He's not as above it all as he thinks he is. An old song, but always a fun one.
"I don't like it, but there's a difference between collateral damage and - " He's waving the fork around as if that illustrates...anything, before grimacing and lowering his hand. A moment's pause is enough, at least, to dam the stream of - well, righteous indignation.
"And you don't need me to sit here telling you about how awful your life has been."
"Yes," he agrees. "One's the result of not caring at all, the other is the result of caring." Since when is not caring who you kill morally superior than - much of anything actually, including decisions to murder and torture?
What am I missing about him? It's a bit more direct in the admission that he isn't quite following than he'd normally be, but... asking feels safer at the moment than assuming or guessing, and he truly wants to know.
He frowns and takes another drink of his coffee, though, even once that statement is out, head back to that slight incline. "I do actually. By all means explain to me how awful my life has been. Enlighten me."
Direct questions don't always work out, but this time, He thinks himself so humble and wise, when he's as arrogant and blind as any knight on a grand vocation. As if giving it to himself makes him better than accepting it from one of us.
A direct line to divinity, not channeled through any god, is - definitely novel.
Zerxus, meanwhile, is chewing contemplatively before he blurts out anything insensitive again.
Thank you. It isn't warm, of course, or effusive but it is sincere. Questions at all are a gamble, but he has an answer and he now has something he can use against this idiot when he chooses to, without having to pry out the specifics on his own. If there's a price later - or had been in the moment - the answer alone was worth it. If it hadn't worked out... well, risk and benefit ratios.
Meanwhile he snorts, which doubles as a response to that insight and now much clearer understanding of Zerxus, as well as the soft response.
"And you agreed to obey me for a year. I'm not certain you're a good judge on the line between trust and stupidity, even if I understood what how much I trust anyone has to do with you thinking my life was 'awful'."
Of course. He says it so pleasantly, so naturally, that it's like those potential consequences didn't even exist. It may be the most dangerous thing about him.
Zerxus is staring at him again, though it's more dumbfounded than terrified this time.
"...That makes sense for a devil to say, but you - " He swallows words like you weren't supposed to be or you were stolen from your life. It won't be taken well, and it's...
"If that was the only way to save you, then I'm not about to say it was wrong." There's a note of apology in his voice that really does sound sincere. Maybe he was right and maybe he wasn't, but clearly that line of conversation isn't productive.
"But I will say it means you've missed out on a lot, and that it's a shame."
It is most assuredly dangerous, both in that it is absolutely unpredictable and because even pleasant and neutral feel, on a very base level, very, very emotionally good to Bruce - satisfying even.
He doesn't trust it, knows the unpredictability is there, but that doesn't change that anything that's not effectively punishment feels like reward.
"I'm sure I did. I wonder what your son is going to miss out on this year that you're here."
Edited (fixing my word salad.) 2024-11-27 06:19 (UTC)
He was braced for it this time, so he doesn't blanch or retort out of hand. This doesn't need to be attack and defence, it can be an opportunity.
Instead, his expression goes distant and tender.
"We train in the mornings. That used to mean I trained and he curled up in the sun or hung off my arm, but now that he's older he has his own routine. I asked our captain to take care of that, until I'm back."
"About six years." His voice is warm, open, but with a cautious edge; he's clearly more careful with his friends than himself. "We were still wandering, then. It...wasn't easy to build something secure, or find a place that would take us."
They weren't aligned with any existing city, or to any Prime Deity. Their only cleric was an oracle and their only paladin was, well, him.
"She led us to one of the sanctuaries she knew." One of the Everlight's, but he's certainly not mentioning that. "The trip was - harder than expected, she ended up spending more time with us, and in the end she stayed. Elias adores her."
The cautious edge about someone else is interesting, but it isn't surprising. "After that amount of time with her, particularly at those ages, I'd imagine the options were either to adore her or to despise her," he says, somewhat dryly.
Kids - or something.
"And now you're roaming around again and landed in Gotham. Why did you leave again at all?"
"We all take turns." Everyone knows basic self defence at the very least, but they have their share of dedicated warriors now. A few more paladins - mostly younger Sarenites who Amara took under her wing, but one sentinel of the Raven Queen and, most recently, an Oathbreaker who once served Lolth. The rest are mostly rogues, druids and mages. Only the strongest of them would go on a solo mission like this; usually it's groups of at least three.
"Isolating ourselves from the rest of the world might feel safer, but it's both selfish and short-sighted."
That gets a hearty chuckle from Asmodeus and it's almost fond. Well. We know his feelings about Vasselheim, then.
Oh, that makes more sense; shared disdain over his siblings' favourite city.
"I hope no one was eagerly waiting for their turn while you do your own good deed, then." It's dry and not quite dismissive. It isn't actually all that long, all told. He is impressed, but he is also impressed by the sheer arrogance of both the intention and the act itself.
Gotham will benefit, though, he thinks and-
Ah, yes, there's Asmodeus. Not shocking. At this rate he's going to be at least as much fun for you as me. He is very intentionally very neutral in mental tone.
He's like this; Yes, he is. He also wants to bite Zerxus -- for a very, very mild start. That is potentially problematic -- for Bruce. He's interested, and possessive, and attracted, and annoyed.
He also has the faintest thread of wanting to protect the man from his own stupidity that directly conflicts with the rest.
"All because Gotham needs a healer." He 'tsks' faintly, but it's not truly mean. "Are you finished eating?"
Zerxus inclines his head with an almost playful smile. "And you're a very considerate devil."
Usually he'd sweep his cape as he turned to the sink, but he doesn't have it so he just....kind of looks like he's swaying his hips. (And then grimacing a little because, well, he's not getting any younger and riding on a griffon for hours doesn't make your thighs feel great.)
"I wouldn't advise giving me too much credit. I may take it as a challenge - or admit that I fully intend to sit here, watch you clean up after yourself and stare at you very nice ass."
What? It's very honest, but it's also designed with intent to get a reaction as well as providing some potentially useful information.
He is letting the man keep his own dishes and take care of them, though.
It's certainly effective; Zerxus almost stumbles over his own feet, and he is very resolutely not looking back at Bruce before he starts washing that plate.
It's not like he hasn't been flirted with at all in the last decade and change, but it's usually just - the standard bard affection or distraction, easily deflected. Once anyone really knew him, especially if he was about to live beside them, it always tapered off.
The thing about being seduced by a devil is he very well might be feeling that gaze burning right into him.
Or it could be in his head. Either way it's very distracting.
He almost drops the dish twice, though that's in part because he's - extremely tired, actually, now that he's eaten the biggest meal he's had in ages and the adrenaline has fully crashed. It's both whole and spotless when he's done, though.
Does it even count as seduction, when it is that overt?
Bruce can all but see the exhaustion, and he isn't entirely surprised though the concept of being that specific sort of physically and emotionally tired seems foreign. Like it is so human that it feels entirely alien.
...actually tired, in that specific way, might be the most human thing Bruce can imagine.
He's a bit lost in his own head, though not allowing himself much in the way of concrete thoughts, while he leads Zerxus out of the kitchen and up the stairs, taking the most direct route. The place is somehow both gloomy and ostentatious, even the hallways and stairwells.
He also does the 'leading' walking beside Zerxus with a hand between his shoulders. "I'll check your closet before I go, then leave you to do whatever cleaning up you feel the need to do and sleep." Look. He's nice. (Is it an act, or is it sincere and the act is... acting like it's an act? Even he can't find those lines anymore. )
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Bruce isn't sure if he's intrigued, amused, seriously annoyed or all three. It's all three. The last at the lack of logic as much as... a very real, if somewhat twisted loyalty to Asmodeus. His father saved him and raised him. That he can also be terrifying and brutal simply is.
He's taking this very personally. Which of course makes sense given his son, but also: Very mortal of him, in the the basis of all that self-righteous... indignation.
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"I don't like it, but there's a difference between collateral damage and - " He's waving the fork around as if that illustrates...anything, before grimacing and lowering his hand. A moment's pause is enough, at least, to dam the stream of - well, righteous indignation.
"And you don't need me to sit here telling you about how awful your life has been."
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What am I missing about him? It's a bit more direct in the admission that he isn't quite following than he'd normally be, but... asking feels safer at the moment than assuming or guessing, and he truly wants to know.
He frowns and takes another drink of his coffee, though, even once that statement is out, head back to that slight incline. "I do actually. By all means explain to me how awful my life has been. Enlighten me."
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A direct line to divinity, not channeled through any god, is - definitely novel.
Zerxus, meanwhile, is chewing contemplatively before he blurts out anything insensitive again.
Finally, low and soft, "You don't trust anyone."
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Meanwhile he snorts, which doubles as a response to that insight and now much clearer understanding of Zerxus, as well as the soft response.
"And you agreed to obey me for a year. I'm not certain you're a good judge on the line between trust and stupidity, even if I understood what how much I trust anyone has to do with you thinking my life was 'awful'."
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Zerxus is staring at him again, though it's more dumbfounded than terrified this time.
"...That makes sense for a devil to say, but you - " He swallows words like you weren't supposed to be or you were stolen from your life. It won't be taken well, and it's...
"If that was the only way to save you, then I'm not about to say it was wrong." There's a note of apology in his voice that really does sound sincere. Maybe he was right and maybe he wasn't, but clearly that line of conversation isn't productive.
"But I will say it means you've missed out on a lot, and that it's a shame."
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He doesn't trust it, knows the unpredictability is there, but that doesn't change that anything that's not effectively punishment feels like reward.
"I'm sure I did. I wonder what your son is going to miss out on this year that you're here."
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Instead, his expression goes distant and tender.
"We train in the mornings. That used to mean I trained and he curled up in the sun or hung off my arm, but now that he's older he has his own routine. I asked our captain to take care of that, until I'm back."
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And not deliberately the most vicious thing he could think to say in the moment.
"How long have you known the captain?"
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They weren't aligned with any existing city, or to any Prime Deity. Their only cleric was an oracle and their only paladin was, well, him.
"She led us to one of the sanctuaries she knew." One of the Everlight's, but he's certainly not mentioning that. "The trip was - harder than expected, she ended up spending more time with us, and in the end she stayed. Elias adores her."
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Kids - or something.
"And now you're roaming around again and landed in Gotham. Why did you leave again at all?"
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"Isolating ourselves from the rest of the world might feel safer, but it's both selfish and short-sighted."
That gets a hearty chuckle from Asmodeus and it's almost fond. Well. We know his feelings about Vasselheim, then.
Oh, that makes more sense; shared disdain over his siblings' favourite city.
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Gotham will benefit, though, he thinks and-
Ah, yes, there's Asmodeus. Not shocking. At this rate he's going to be at least as much fun for you as me. He is very intentionally very neutral in mental tone.
But it's fucking alarming is what it is.
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Zerxus, meanwhile, eats his food in blissful ignorance before he replies. "I addressed that in my letter. We've got a lot of contingency plans."
Sometimes people are delayed. Sometimes people never come back.
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He's like this; Yes, he is. He also wants to bite Zerxus -- for a very, very mild start. That is potentially problematic -- for Bruce. He's interested, and possessive, and attracted, and annoyed.
He also has the faintest thread of wanting to protect the man from his own stupidity that directly conflicts with the rest.
"All because Gotham needs a healer." He 'tsks' faintly, but it's not truly mean. "Are you finished eating?"
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Oh, I'm not. He does sound extremely satisfied, which is...one of the better possibilities, if perhaps unsettling.
After one last spoonful he nods, before rising with his plate. It's instinct; everyone cleans up after themselves if they can.
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Why are you like this.
It's food that was conjured in a kitchen owned not just by a devil but The son of The Devil. Even adopted...
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"Honestly, it would make me feel better."
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But he waves his hand which has the effect of the water turning on in the sink, and... most of the rest of the meal (and dishes) just vanishing.
Most of. Zerxus' plate, silverware, and crystal goblet remain.
Those are his problem now.
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Usually he'd sweep his cape as he turned to the sink, but he doesn't have it so he just....kind of looks like he's swaying his hips. (And then grimacing a little because, well, he's not getting any younger and riding on a griffon for hours doesn't make your thighs feel great.)
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What? It's very honest, but it's also designed with intent to get a reaction as well as providing some potentially useful information.
He is letting the man keep his own dishes and take care of them, though.
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It's not like he hasn't been flirted with at all in the last decade and change, but it's usually just - the standard bard affection or distraction, easily deflected. Once anyone really knew him, especially if he was about to live beside them, it always tapered off.
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Because he said he was going to, and because it's a very nice one.
Once the dishes (dish) are done, though he stands up (and disappears his cup to ... somewhere).
"Ready to finish your abbreviated tour?" In a bedroom.
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Or it could be in his head. Either way it's very distracting.
He almost drops the dish twice, though that's in part because he's - extremely tired, actually, now that he's eaten the biggest meal he's had in ages and the adrenaline has fully crashed. It's both whole and spotless when he's done, though.
"Ready."
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Bruce can all but see the exhaustion, and he isn't entirely surprised though the concept of being that specific sort of physically and emotionally tired seems foreign. Like it is so human that it feels entirely alien.
...actually tired, in that specific way, might be the most human thing Bruce can imagine.
He's a bit lost in his own head, though not allowing himself much in the way of concrete thoughts, while he leads Zerxus out of the kitchen and up the stairs, taking the most direct route. The place is somehow both gloomy and ostentatious, even the hallways and stairwells.
He also does the 'leading' walking beside Zerxus with a hand between his shoulders. "I'll check your closet before I go, then leave you to do whatever cleaning up you feel the need to do and sleep." Look. He's nice. (Is it an act, or is it sincere and the act is... acting like it's an act? Even he can't find those lines anymore. )
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