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"I would believe it, yes. Although, to be fair, I have told him before to simply leave conversations rather than let his temper get the better of him, given his track record with it. So perhaps that one is my fault," Jedao suggests.

"Hm. That does speak to his ability to listen to others, I suppose."

He pauses to take a sip of his soda.

"Less so of his self-control, of course."

"Sometimes you have to know your limits," Jedao says dryly - referring to himself, as much as Malcolm.

"Speaking of which - Hakkai and I also talked about his response to Kikimora's most recent attack. If she ever does anything of the kind again, I want you to know you can also call me."

Delicately, without spilling a single thing - or letting slip how much it hurts to do, as little rills of fire start curling through his bones - Jedao uses a mothpull to lift the coffee table and everything on it smoothly into the air. Then sets it gently back down.

"I will come immediately, provided I'm physically capable of it. I'm happy to float her out of there - or wherever - like a little screaming balloon. To deny her either the capacity or the dignity of violence, and without any recourse to claim she's the victim."

It's completely harmless. But it's also completely helpless, and just a little bit funny. Jedao is certain she would hate it. But if she doesn't want to be gently removed, she shouldn't go bothering people at work after multiple warnings.

Sebastian is oblivious to the pain, of course - especially since he's given up his ability to taste people's misery - and regards the show with interest. Honestly, the offer does sound amusing.

"Thank you, Instructor; I appreciate the offer. But surely you see how my getting another Warden involved would put me in the wrong, quite regardless of Miss Kikimora's actions."

Yes, apparently we're still petulantly doing this.

"No, I don't see that. Explain it to me."

So earnest.

A small shrug as he picks up his glass again.

"You might ask Mr Bright? I am sure he would be happy to explain."

Jedao shakes his head.

"If you agree with him, you explain it. I'm sure you'd explain it better. If you don't agree, then it doesn't matter."

Oh my god Jedao, it's as if you don't speak passive-aggressive suddenly. He gives Jedao something of a withering look over his glass.

"'It does not matter', you say?"

That sounds like something that's very easy to say when you're a warden and not an inmate.

Jedao raises eyebrow. Yes, alright, he was playing dumb for a moment, but still.

"Obviously it doesn't. Because Malcolm isn't your warden. He doesn't know what's best for you, and he can't do shit to you if Hakkai doesn't agree, which he won't. He can't fuck with your place in the kitchens. If he's being useful in controlling Kikimora when she's out of line, then it's worth not antagonizing him to preserve that. But if he's not being useful, then incurring his anger means absolutely nothing you value is being lost. Furthermore, in this instance, if Malcolm does object to other wardens interfering with his inmate, that falls on me, not on you. And if he tries to make my actions your problem, you have my word that I will insist he hold me accountable. He can be as wildly unreasonable about you as his heart desires, but just because he's a warden does not mean the power structures here are actually on his side when it comes to doing a damn thing about it."

Then Jedao smiles, a little thin and mean.

"Besides. How can he complain? I'll have helped Kikimora. I can honestly say I've kept her safe and taught her a peaceful, painless lesson about respecting boundaries. We've modeled asking for help and unorthodox problem solving for her, and I've protected her from further damaging her own graduation chances with another one of her petty tantrums. I can be such a bitch about it, Sebastian. Don't take that opportunity away from me."

Sebastian takes another sip of his soda, mostly to give himself a moment to stop himself from giving another snarky comment. Jedao isn't who he's angry with, after all.

"I am certain he could come up with a reason to complain. But... as you say. I will keep your offer in mind."

With doesn't necessarily mean he'll take him up on it: he's still rather married to his no-fighting-back tactic, but he can manage not to be a complete bitch about it. To Jedao, at least.

"Very possibly. But you get to not care about his complaints, is the beautiful part," Jedao points out. He regards Malcolm with an odd, soft smile.

"How about this, you passive-aggressively let her maul you as much as she can in the time it takes me to get up five flights of stairs, and then you let me bounce her out like a basketball away from you. I just...I hate the idea of you getting hurt because he can't or won't control her. I would consider it...a favor and an honor, if you would let me protect you."

He really, really wants to. He hasn't spoken to Malcolm yet about Edwin, but Malcolm's got him dead to rights when he calls Jedao a protector. That's what he wants, at least.

"Well, obviously I won't make you promise. Thank you for your consideration."

Moving on.

"Provided no one is in comas or other extenuating barge circumstances, I propose a time period of three days within which to alert one another to any chatter on the respective filters. Is that agreeable?"

Edited 2024-04-28 18:47 (UTC)

"I am usually not very easy to hurt, you realise", Sebastian counters, in spite of how Jedao has seen him very hurt. He hates being thought of as needing protection, but it's... simultaneously such a novel experience to have people stand up for him that he doesn't quite know what to make of it. There's no bite in his tone.

"Extends the offer only to dealing with Miss Kikimora?" It's not a terrible compromise, either way.

"As for the filters... that seeems acceptable to me. To clarify, neither one of us is expected to share private conversations meant only for ourselves?"

"If someone else were offering similar behavior, the same solution would still serve, so no, the offer could apply to anyone, I suppose," Jedao agrees.

Jedao is willing to float anybody, if it reduces the amount of stabbing everyone has to deal with.

"And that's correct - only the general all-wardens and all-inmates filters will be shared."

Sebastian nods, accepting both terms.

"I can provide a transcript of Mr Bright's ledger page by tomorrow."

Is it stupid of him not to insist on a favour in return for it? Possibly, but then, having Jedao jump through hoops to get Sebastian information he's not very interested in seems like a waste of everyone's time.

"You are, as always, a gentleman and a scholar," Jedao murmurs warmly.

He doesn't quite commit himself to I owe you one - Sebastian could make a lot of hay out of that and would lose all respect for Jedao if he were stupid enough to let it happen. But perhaps if there is something Sebastian wants later, he might call upon the fact that he did do something for Jedao for free, once.

Even if Jedao thinks Sebastian quite enjoys being able to tell on Malcolm.

"Would you like to stay for a game or do you have other pressing business?"

Most people would have thoughtlessly blurted out an I owe you one, as a politeness if nothing else, and the fact that Jedao doesn't is certainly something Sebastian notices. It does indeed speak well of Jedao's intelligence. Goodness knows it's important to be careful with your words around demons.

"I am not currently busy, no."

Sebastian doesn't necessarily enjoy playing games, but he does enjoy the challenge of getting better at them.

"I certainly wouldn't want to impose," Jedao insists, eyes twinkling.

Sebastian gives a little half-sigh, half-chuckle.

"I would not mind playing a game with you."

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