thepattern | Open Post

[ He started it!

Vivienne sighs, taking a bite of her food and chewing slowly before she speaks. ]

Had to deal with a bad possession. A kid. Took me all night.

[ She can't entirely suppress a shudder as she thinks of it. ]

It's always worse when it's a kid.

[ Corwin's hand stalls halfway between his plate and his mouth, lingering in midair for a long moment before he finally sets the fork down, looking over at Vivienne with an expression of solemn concern.

He's never been good with kids. He has a son of his own, but... Merlin grew into a young man in the Courts of Chaos long before Corwin even knew he existed. He definitely doesn't know how to handle a possessed child. ]

I'm sorry. Was the kid alright, after?

[ She gulps down some more of the monster coffee, knowing full well that Corwin is likely to have a jittery mess on his hands once the caffeine really kicks in. ]

She wasn't possessed anymore, at least. Can't do a fucking thing about the trauma she's probably going to have to deal with for a long time.

[ Hopefully other people will be able to help with that part of the healing process. ]

[ A jittery mess, he can deal with. It would be far down the list of difficult people he's had to manage, after everything he's been through. ]

No. The only trauma a person can do anything about is their own. And even then, it can be difficult.

Yeah.

[ She sure as shit isn't always doing so great with handling what she's seen and done. ]

I hate this job.

[ He tilts his head, shrugging, picking up the fork once more and poking at his meal. ]

Someone has to do it. Better you than some idiot who will fuck it all up.

That's pretty much word for word my thought process, yeah.

[ She gives him a bit of a smile. See, this is why she texted him of all people. He gets her. ]

[ He does get her. And she gets him. People like them have to step up and do the damned things that no one else can do, to keep the world turning on its axis for one more day. They don't need to acknowledge it, they just need to do it. ]

Last night was rough. And there are going to be more nights, probably even rougher than that one. But you're going to keep doing what you're doing.

And occasionally need a hug and some monster coffee.

[ She salutes him with her drink. Sure, she was doing her thing and doing it well before she met Corwin too, but that doesn't mean she isn't glad to have him be a part of her life now. ]

Which I will dutifully provide.

[ Not having a drink of his own to toast her with, he lifts his fork instead, before popping it into his mouth. ]

[ That makes her huff out a tired little chuckle. ]

I promise not to abuse the privilege. How are things with you, anyway?

[ He chews, shrugging, then sets down his fork and moves his arms in a wide stretch, leaning back in his chair. ]

Oh, business as usual. Family is still being family, for whatever definition of that word you choose to use.

[ She points at him with her fork, eyes glittering with amusement. ]

You have the most insane family life of anyone I have ever known or heard of.

That... may be putting it mildly.

[ His family is a royal mess, literally, and he knows it. ]

Thus why I try to spend as much time as possible away from them.

You're always welcome here.

[ Even at her worst and least social, she'd try to make space for Corwin. ]

[ He smiles, and briefly reaches out to lay his hand on hers for a moment, before he goes back to eating. ]

A fact I appreciate, but will try not to take advantage off over much.

I wish all cross-dimensional travellers could be so considerate.

[ She sighs and tucks back into her meal as well. ]

I just... I don't get it, you know? What's in it for them? I assume there has to be something, but what is the point of setting up shop in a little kid's body and just... fuck shit up?

[ The mood is soured by all the talk of demonic possessions, but then, it has every right to be. It's a fucking awful thing to have happen, and an even worse thing to have to fix. ]

I would say they're agents of Chaos, but I know some agents of Chaos, and they're not all that bad.

[ He had cared about Dara, once. And Merlin, for whatever short time they had spent together, seemed like a perfectly reasonable young man. ]

Well, what do I know? There might be perfectly lovely demons just chilling in whatever place they come from and I just have to deal with the shitty ones.

[ In spite of what she does for a living, Vivienne tries not to generalise. There are plenty of monstrous people after all, but that's not a reason to hate all of mankind.

... Granted, she does kind of do that on some particularly bad days. ]

[ It's an interesting thought, that does make a sort of sense. ]

I suppose it's something like those Yelp reviews. You only hear of people's worst experiences. No one writes a review when the food was good and the service was adequate.

[ If a demon wasn't interested in causing trouble for the people of this realm, it would stay where it was and not bother possessing anyone. ]

[ She is suddenly struck by the mental image of angry demons writing scathing yelp reviews about her, and it startles her into laughter right as she takes another sip of her drink.

Predictably, most of that sip ends up coming out of her nose, leaving her stumbling for some paper towels whilst coughing and still laughing. ]

[ Well, at least she's laughing. Corwin moves quickly, standing from the table and moving to grab a roll of towels from the countertop. ]

Well now, I'm funny but I'm not that funny.

[ But he's laughing too, now. It feels good to laugh. He hasn't had all that much opportunity to do so, lately. ]

I'm laughing at the mess.

[ She squeaks out between coughs, wiping at her face and shirt and leaning against the sink.

It really is nice to laugh. ]

And the thought of angry demons writing yelp reviews about me from hell.

[ His laughter tumbles out, fading to a low chuckle as he shakes his head. ]

You're welcome for the mental image.

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