![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
For ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sablin27. An annotated segment of Gratitude, from the Carogne original universe.
sablin27. An annotated segment of Gratitude, from the Carogne original universe."Isaac. I've been talking to Isaac." [Ah. Isaac is actually a character from the original RP version of the story, my second sister's. He's ... more of a flitting figure, around the edges of the story (fittingly enough, for a bat), but he becomes more important later on. He's also ... rather amusing, really. Heh.]
And alright, but that was just baffling. What the hell had the courier-bat got to do with any of this? Sebastien came down out of his fury, bewildered. [Sebastien ... for someone who tries to keep himself as ruthlessly under control as possible, Sebastien is actually rather emotionally unstable. Although, to be fair, mostly he does have cause]
"Isaac? Why the hell were you talking to Isaac about me?" The bat never talked about him. From what Sebastien could tell, he did his level best not to think about him. And maybe that was Sebastien's own fault, for overplaying the creepy groping trick the first time they'd met, but it still didn't explain why Isaac would take an interest in him now, of all times.
[This ... There was a scene in the RP, where Sebastien and Isaac interact, and ... Most of the people we see Sebastien interact with in Carogne are people he's either friends with or playing subservient to (up to the right point, anyway). Isaac ... is not a threat to Sebastien. Isaac is, well, a normal guy, or as normal as anyone gets in Carogne. And to a normal guy, Sebastien is creepy. Sebastien plays up being creepy. Partially to build a reputation, partially out a streak of native perversity. But ... Isaac basically thinks Sebastien is the creepiest little nutjob he's ever met, and ... he's not really wrong, all things considered -_-;]
Jan shifted, gently moving Sebastien with him until they were facing each other squarely, his other paw coming up in order to hold both of Sebastien's shoulders. The gesture should have been threatening, quelling, but instead it seemed meant to steady, to reassure. Sebastien twitched his nose in confusion. [Jan, I think, figured out very early on that Sebastien has an easier time reading threats in concrete motions, particularly when he's in contact with the person, than trying to guess at threats he can't see and doesn't know for sure are there. If Sebastien is feeling threatened (which is most of the time), and he can't touch you (which, to him, is seeing you), then he gets jumpy and aggressive and nervous (which is a lot of the reason he's such an utter dick to most people). Better to give him a concrete touch, done carefully, so he can read you and you can reassure him]
"He was listening, the night Miss Sorka came to talk to Grandma," Jan told him, gently, and Sebastien started badly in his paws. "He had a delivery, but heard Sorka's voice and, well ..." Sebastien could hear the rueful tone. "He thought it better not to draw attention to himself." [People tell Jan things. Not just the pertinent details, I mean, but ... He tends to listen, and they tend to find themselves elaborating, and a lot of the time, because he's so impassive and/or dumb-looking, people don't register that he thinks about what they tell him. Jan has opinions, and a sense of humour, and intelligence. It's not just words falling into a void. But a lot of people, even his friends, even his family, sort of fail to remember that -_-;]
"Good idea," Sebastien heard himself comment, faintly. Very good idea indeed. [Not interupting a spat between Docklands Molly and Sorka is always a good idea. *grins*]
Jan shuffled a bit, the humour coming out again. "He thought so." Then serious again. "He listened, and came to tell me. He thought maybe I should know that my life was in danger." And there might have been just a hint of censure, there. Just a hint. [And Jan uses the fact that people think he's a dumb lug, he does, but sometimes, he really wishes more people would remember that he isn't. Just a little bit. It'd be nice if people remembered that he can actually be trusted to look out for himself, and he's not going to faint if someone points out a danger to him. No, really. He's not, guys]
"I would have told you," Sebastien said stiffly. In about a million years or so. "If I thought they were coming for you properly, I would have told you."
[Sebastien, on the other hand, rather like Molly, is fully determined to deal with each and every threat to the kid that he possibly can, in secret, and never let Jan even know they were there. This is ... In part this is because Sebastien doesn't want Jan to have to live in fear, like he did for all those years, like he still does in a lot of ways. In part, it's because Sebastien is a controlling asshole a lot of the time. And in part it's because ... because if Jan knew what Sebastien did for him, then Jan might start thinking he owed Sebastien, and disliking it, and then their friendship ... might start being the trading-favours, professional style of relationship that Sebastien has with most other people, and he doesn't want that. Or, well, he sort of does, because then he'd understand it, it would fit the usual paradigm, but at the same time he really, really doesn't. Because what he has with Jan is special, and different, and nice, and he's never had it before, and he doesn't want to lose it.
Um. You mostly need to understand that Sebastien has no idea what the hell he's supposed to do with Jan. He wants to help him, and protect him, and do nice things for him, and have Jan react to him like he's something worthwhile, and at the same time, that scares the crap out of him. Because it's nothing he's ever experienced, and he doesn't know how it's supposed to work -_-; He's ... a very screwed up little rat, is Seb]
"Of course," Jan smiled. Sebastien could hear it. "Of course you would, Sebastien."
"Believe it, or don't, it's the truth," he snarled, shaking free of Jan's paws. A small part of him was amazed, and more than a little worried, by the depth of hurt he suddenly felt. After all, how many times had he said Jan was an idiot for trusting him? He should be happy the boy seemed to finally have listened. He straightened his spine, turning to move away from the oaf altogether, when a heavy paw caught his wrist, and Jan's soft voice stopped him. [... See above, regarding Sebastien not knowing what the hell to think, around Jan. Also, having the encyclopedic knowledge of his own weaknesses that he does, Sebastien is pretty much of the opinion that no-one should trust him with anything. Especially not something actually important like Jan's life. But he still wants to be trusted]
"I do believe you, Sebastien," he said, nothing but quiet honesty in his voice, nothing but gentle confidence. "I know you wouldn't let me be killed without warning me. I know that." [Jan, on the other hand, has no real doubts about Sebastien at all. And, admittedly, a lot of this may be because Jan doesn't know about a lot of Sebastien's past (he's heard the rumours, of course, and he knows what his grandma - who does know a lot of it - thinks, but he still doesn't know/hasn't seen what Sebastien, in the dark, is capable of), and when he finds out the extent of what Sebastien used to be, and has the potential to be again, that might change, but ... Jan tends to go on what he sees in people here and now. And here and now, Sebastien is someone Jan thinks is worth his trust. Pretty much unconditionally. Which ... is sort of scary, really. Heh]
[I kinda love this universe, you know that? And this pair. Screwed up though they are. *smiles*]
And alright, but that was just baffling. What the hell had the courier-bat got to do with any of this? Sebastien came down out of his fury, bewildered. [Sebastien ... for someone who tries to keep himself as ruthlessly under control as possible, Sebastien is actually rather emotionally unstable. Although, to be fair, mostly he does have cause]
"Isaac? Why the hell were you talking to Isaac about me?" The bat never talked about him. From what Sebastien could tell, he did his level best not to think about him. And maybe that was Sebastien's own fault, for overplaying the creepy groping trick the first time they'd met, but it still didn't explain why Isaac would take an interest in him now, of all times.
[This ... There was a scene in the RP, where Sebastien and Isaac interact, and ... Most of the people we see Sebastien interact with in Carogne are people he's either friends with or playing subservient to (up to the right point, anyway). Isaac ... is not a threat to Sebastien. Isaac is, well, a normal guy, or as normal as anyone gets in Carogne. And to a normal guy, Sebastien is creepy. Sebastien plays up being creepy. Partially to build a reputation, partially out a streak of native perversity. But ... Isaac basically thinks Sebastien is the creepiest little nutjob he's ever met, and ... he's not really wrong, all things considered -_-;]
Jan shifted, gently moving Sebastien with him until they were facing each other squarely, his other paw coming up in order to hold both of Sebastien's shoulders. The gesture should have been threatening, quelling, but instead it seemed meant to steady, to reassure. Sebastien twitched his nose in confusion. [Jan, I think, figured out very early on that Sebastien has an easier time reading threats in concrete motions, particularly when he's in contact with the person, than trying to guess at threats he can't see and doesn't know for sure are there. If Sebastien is feeling threatened (which is most of the time), and he can't touch you (which, to him, is seeing you), then he gets jumpy and aggressive and nervous (which is a lot of the reason he's such an utter dick to most people). Better to give him a concrete touch, done carefully, so he can read you and you can reassure him]
"He was listening, the night Miss Sorka came to talk to Grandma," Jan told him, gently, and Sebastien started badly in his paws. "He had a delivery, but heard Sorka's voice and, well ..." Sebastien could hear the rueful tone. "He thought it better not to draw attention to himself." [People tell Jan things. Not just the pertinent details, I mean, but ... He tends to listen, and they tend to find themselves elaborating, and a lot of the time, because he's so impassive and/or dumb-looking, people don't register that he thinks about what they tell him. Jan has opinions, and a sense of humour, and intelligence. It's not just words falling into a void. But a lot of people, even his friends, even his family, sort of fail to remember that -_-;]
"Good idea," Sebastien heard himself comment, faintly. Very good idea indeed. [Not interupting a spat between Docklands Molly and Sorka is always a good idea. *grins*]
Jan shuffled a bit, the humour coming out again. "He thought so." Then serious again. "He listened, and came to tell me. He thought maybe I should know that my life was in danger." And there might have been just a hint of censure, there. Just a hint. [And Jan uses the fact that people think he's a dumb lug, he does, but sometimes, he really wishes more people would remember that he isn't. Just a little bit. It'd be nice if people remembered that he can actually be trusted to look out for himself, and he's not going to faint if someone points out a danger to him. No, really. He's not, guys]
"I would have told you," Sebastien said stiffly. In about a million years or so. "If I thought they were coming for you properly, I would have told you."
[Sebastien, on the other hand, rather like Molly, is fully determined to deal with each and every threat to the kid that he possibly can, in secret, and never let Jan even know they were there. This is ... In part this is because Sebastien doesn't want Jan to have to live in fear, like he did for all those years, like he still does in a lot of ways. In part, it's because Sebastien is a controlling asshole a lot of the time. And in part it's because ... because if Jan knew what Sebastien did for him, then Jan might start thinking he owed Sebastien, and disliking it, and then their friendship ... might start being the trading-favours, professional style of relationship that Sebastien has with most other people, and he doesn't want that. Or, well, he sort of does, because then he'd understand it, it would fit the usual paradigm, but at the same time he really, really doesn't. Because what he has with Jan is special, and different, and nice, and he's never had it before, and he doesn't want to lose it.
Um. You mostly need to understand that Sebastien has no idea what the hell he's supposed to do with Jan. He wants to help him, and protect him, and do nice things for him, and have Jan react to him like he's something worthwhile, and at the same time, that scares the crap out of him. Because it's nothing he's ever experienced, and he doesn't know how it's supposed to work -_-; He's ... a very screwed up little rat, is Seb]
"Of course," Jan smiled. Sebastien could hear it. "Of course you would, Sebastien."
"Believe it, or don't, it's the truth," he snarled, shaking free of Jan's paws. A small part of him was amazed, and more than a little worried, by the depth of hurt he suddenly felt. After all, how many times had he said Jan was an idiot for trusting him? He should be happy the boy seemed to finally have listened. He straightened his spine, turning to move away from the oaf altogether, when a heavy paw caught his wrist, and Jan's soft voice stopped him. [... See above, regarding Sebastien not knowing what the hell to think, around Jan. Also, having the encyclopedic knowledge of his own weaknesses that he does, Sebastien is pretty much of the opinion that no-one should trust him with anything. Especially not something actually important like Jan's life. But he still wants to be trusted]
"I do believe you, Sebastien," he said, nothing but quiet honesty in his voice, nothing but gentle confidence. "I know you wouldn't let me be killed without warning me. I know that." [Jan, on the other hand, has no real doubts about Sebastien at all. And, admittedly, a lot of this may be because Jan doesn't know about a lot of Sebastien's past (he's heard the rumours, of course, and he knows what his grandma - who does know a lot of it - thinks, but he still doesn't know/hasn't seen what Sebastien, in the dark, is capable of), and when he finds out the extent of what Sebastien used to be, and has the potential to be again, that might change, but ... Jan tends to go on what he sees in people here and now. And here and now, Sebastien is someone Jan thinks is worth his trust. Pretty much unconditionally. Which ... is sort of scary, really. Heh]
[I kinda love this universe, you know that? And this pair. Screwed up though they are. *smiles*]
Tags: