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[vecna]

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[vecna]

[Of course he did.

Henry's quiet for a moment, frowning. It's fortunate that he has less to hide from Alec than literally anyone else here, a fact which finally informs how he wishes to respond.]

Then you know for a fact that he's no friend of mine.

[The sink runs. Henry's filling up a glass of water now.]

[striketwice]

I kind of figured that when I saw you throwing chunks of graveyard at him.

[ Or through him, as the case my be. ]

So, what's the deal? Someone from home?

[vecna]

[Through him. That was exactly the problem.]

Yes. One of a handful of... children always getting in my way. Steve Harrington might be pretending to play dumb, but he knows who I am. There's no way he doesn't.

[striketwice]

I'm sorry, back up. Are you telling me your big bad plan is getting thwarted by a bunch of kids?

[vecna]

[FOR FOUR SEASONS-- Yes, he's a scooby doo villain]

You think this is funny? Don't worry, I never made it easy for any of them.

[striketwice]

It's a little funny. I'd be pissed too, if I was constantly getting undermined by a bunch of teenagers with attitude.

[vecna]

[He turns off the faucet, sneering down at the sink. Even if Alec can't see it, it's easy to hear it in his voice.]

Eleven is one of them. They'd all be dead, otherwise, without her. [Finally turning to face him.] But now that he's here, all alone? I can't even touch him because of his possession.

[striketwice]

[ Ah. He remembers, of course, about them being the only two left. Eleven and One. Interesting that they should stand at odds. Pun not intended. ]

I was wondering what that was about. Must be one hell of a possession.

[ lol ]

[vecna]

[Irritation contrasts with his facetious smile.]

No. I spoke with it. It's as brainless as he is. Do you know what it wanted to talk to me about?

[striketwice]

[ One eyebrow goes up. ]

I couldn't even begin to guess.

[vecna]

[Fingers clenched around his glass.]

Its stamp collection.

[striketwice]

Its... stamp collection?

[ He is clearly trying not to laugh. And clearly fails, because a second later he cracks up. ]

[vecna]

[oh my GOD, LAUGH IT UP]

I'm glad this is so amusing to you.

[striketwice]

[ HE IS THANK YOU ]

Come on, it's hilarious. You were trying to mindfuck this fucking kid and then some dumbass monster starts talking to you about stamps.

[vecna]

I was trying to kill someone who's been a thorn in my side for years, someone who's had a hand in stopping me from returning to my original plane, and you think it's funny that I can't destroy him because of something so insignificant?

[striketwice]

Yeah, I do think it's funny.

[ Henry you should know something about small things causing big problems, right? ]

But even if you could kill him, he'll just keep coming back. And I'm sure you think that sounds great because then you can just keep killing him. Real satisfying, infinite revenge, but let me remind you that kid is Echidna. You think the Warden's gonna look the other way while you scramble the brains of one of her pets?

1/2 cw....eye trauma mention..wheeze

[vecna]

And do you think I care what the Warden thinks?

[There reaches a point where anger makes it difficult for logic to penetrate. Henry's stepped over that threshold since this morning.]

I'll do more than just scramble his brain. I'll break every single bone in his body, I'll gouge his eyes out until they're pushed into the back of his skull, I'll paint his outsides with his insides.

[All the while, his grip remains tight on his glass, pressure applied more and more with each passing moment. Until there's a pop, and it breaks, shattering and cutting red, spilling its contents on the floor.]

[vecna]

[And yet, Henry doesn't even seem to care. He just looks at Alec evenly.]

I just need one moment. That's all. And just one more, if he comes back. And another after that.

[striketwice]

[ He lets that whole scene play out, lets Henry monologue like the evil villain he is and the glass shatter in his grip. Alec just watches.

At last, he heaves a sigh, pushing away from where he's been leaning. He meanders into the kitchen, picking up some of the larger shards of glass on his way to the counter beside the sink. ]

No, I guess you don't give a shit about the Warden right now, huh? Not when this kid is right here and practically taunting you. But you should. You piss her off and there's nothing to say you won't end up at the top of your very own elevator, and no amount of voting will save your fucking life.

And even if she does turn a blind eye because his stupid ghost or whatever is protecting him, you'll scramble your own brain taking shots at fucking nothing. Why give this kid the satisfaction of watching your brain leak out of your own damn nose?

[vecna]

[It’s probably the outburst he needed to get out of his system (what a shame there’s not a room devoted to smashing glassware in Unicorn like there is in Tsuchigumo), or at least the sting across his palm dissipates some of that cloying anger with self-awareness.

He frowns, lets Alec deal with the shards on the ground as if he weren’t the one who made the mess, and turns to run his bleeding cut beneath the water in the sink.]

What am I supposed to do? Ignore him?

[He can’t. Henry fixates too easily, and resentment is such a powerful anchor.]

[striketwice]

[ He piles the bits of glass on the counter, hand dipping into the sink to pick up a sliver that slides out of Henry's palm under the water. ]

I don't think you could ignore him if you tried. You don't seem the type.

[ The low, stormy glow of Alec's magic begins to fill the space as he etches a series of runes over the broken bits. ]

I'm just saying maybe don't go so fucking hard when you're the only one with anything to lose.

[vecna]

[The water stings, stings, stings, but the blood washes away easily enough, drawn down the drain with it. The only one with anything to lose. Today proved that Henry could throw heavy objects at Steve all day, and he would be the only one to suffer from overexertion. A bloody nostril within the first few attempts.

Turning his hand over in the water again, he finally shuts the faucet off with the other, reaching for a dishtowel. It's fine if that gets a little bloody, who cares.]

So what, a middle ground? Hover around him and make him uncomfortable?

[Wry. But also. He could.]

[striketwice]

[ Alec casts the other man a small smirk. ]

I dunno, man. He's your nemesis or whatever the fuck.

[ Your teenaged nemesis.

The spellwork suddenly dissipates, and the broken glass mends itself back together with a soft sound of the pieces clinking. It's like Henry never smashed the thing at all. ]

[vecna]

Nemesis?

[Drying his hands with vigor.]

Don't give him so much credit.

[The soft clink of glass mending itself back together draws his attention back down to... Well, his glass.

Good as new. That's different.]

...He's a pest with a baseball bat.

[striketwice]

Nah. He's more than a pest. That's not a diatribe you give a pest.

[ He just takes the good-as-new glass and shoves it in the dishwasher. ]