IC INBOX | McGillis Fareed

[vogelfrei]

@McGillis Fareed

monday

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ABOUT ME

Brigadier General, pilot, bird lover.

NOTE

I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Message @monday

Comments

[vogelfrei]

[ ... hey, what.

McGillis actually looks genuinely perplexed by this assessment, and he's drunk enough to not mask it. ]

...and how do you think you can tell?

[goei]

Obviously. Cause of Ryouma. I've known that idiot since we were kids, and he's done the same shit blending in with the rich and powerful folks. I can tell when he's actually smiling and when he's just puttin' one on fer appearances. Yer doing the same shit.

[This is a flawed theory but hey. If it works?]

[vogelfrei]

[ It worked well enough to throw McGillis off his game, at least. ]

Ah... Gaelio called it a mask. Said it frustrated him.

[ And here we are again, with a lot of other men existing in the room as specters. ]

... not that he could tell that I was still hiding the truth about myself and my father from him, even in private. He was satisfied scratching off the first layer and leaving it at that.

[goei]

[Ah. Speaking of that freak.]

Y'mean the creepy dolls and the fact that he bought you?

[IZOU YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT.]

cw csa

[vogelfrei]

[ ... he'd almost felt safe and now, there it is. He brought it up himself because he relaxed too much.

No way to retreat now. ]

It's not dolls in the real world. It's other blonde boys, because he has a fetish.

1/???

[goei]

[Ah. Then that means.

And what the little McGillis said....]

2/???

[goei]

[THEN.... EVEN AFTER HE STOPPED BEING "FOR SALE" HE WAS...]

3/???

[goei]

[HE GOT "SAVED" FROM THE STREETS.....

BUT THEN WASN'T EVEN ACTUALLY SAFE IN HIS OWN HOME??????]

4/???

[goei]

[Izou stands up, only to grab McGillis's cup and refill it even if it's not empty.]

5/5

[goei]

[He then sits back down and jabs a finger at McGillis again, though the direction of his anger has changed.]

Tell me you killed that fucking guy.
[There's a hoarse rasp in his voice that doesn't come out often because it's the sound of of Izou holding back from yelling.]

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis watches Izou's expressions shift and twist in mild interest, detached as though none of this had anything to do with him. It's amusing how expressive the other man is, how every feeling shows so clearly on his face the moment it appears.

Isn't it inconvenient to wear your heart on your sleeve like that?, he wonders.

And then he's not really looking at Izou anymore, or at anything much. Iznario Fareed is alive - exiled but alive, and all too gleeful about ruining McGillis' standing further when it suits him. A tell-all on TV, de-legitimizing him. It's all a massive joke.

McGillis is quiet for a long moment, and then just settles on the simple truth: ]

Father is alive.

[ And McGillis is dead, and here. ]

[goei]

Do you want me to kill him? Just say the word.

[Izou in the palace: Don't tell me what to do
Izou now: I changed my mind tell me what to do.

The fact that McGillis's dad isn't here to kill is irrelevant as far as Izou is concerned. He'll find a way.]

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis pulls his legs up onto the bed and let's himself fall back against the wall with a heavy thump. Some of the drink winds up spilling because Izou did just fill his cup to the brim, but he doesn't pay it any mind right now. It just feels better to sit with something to lean on. ]

I don't need saving.

[ Even beyond all the impossible logistics here, that's the more important objection. ]

Don't get it into your head to pity me.

[goei]

I'm not pitying you. Yer a grown ass man who knows full well how ta kill people.

[But he knows sometimes... Certain people are hard to kill because of emotional reasons or whatever.]

But it's my job ta kill people who deserve it and I ain't never heard of someone who deserves it more.

[A child shouldn't have to have a grim face like that. A child shouldn't have to be in a situation where he was so desperate to chase after power.]

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis always told himself killing Iznario is inconvenient, because it'd immediately cast suspicion on him as the adopted heir. He'd be weakening his own position by lashing out against Iznario this way - exposing his corruption and getting him exiled was the best way to get back at him. The most convenient.

He doesn't dare think that there were other reasons he couldn't lay a hand on the man. ]

So which of us would you be killing first in this scenario? Father or son?

[ When confronted with something too painful to think about for longer than a second, McGillis falls back into provocation instead. He needs to put a wall up, and fast. ]

[goei]

[If Izou was more observant and analytical he'd notice McGillis keeps doing this. But alas, he is only a drunk little dog (and I rolled a fucking. One.)]

Obviously the other guy. [He will NOT call that man your father you weirdo.] If I killed you first you wouldn't be able ta pay me fer the job.

[vogelfrei]

You'd be making me pay before killing me? You could just take all my belongings after you gut me either way.

[ Is this where you develop an honor codex, Izou? ]

[goei]

[Yes??? Obviously.]

Yeah? I'm a professional asssassin, not just some aimless bandit. There's nothing honorable about stealin' from a dead man.

[vogelfrei]

[ Huh! Who knew! Izou really has the same mafia honor vibe to him that also surrounded Mikazuki and his friends. ]

Too bad I won't hire you then, and nobody would pay you for my death either. A second one is probably a lot cheaper than a first anyhow.

[goei]

[Ah, right. He did say something about that before, didn't he. Kinda makes killing the shitty "dad" pointless when it's not like McGillis is going home... Wait, actually.]

... Why're you even bothering to do shit here? Th'promise the goddess made ta send us back doesn't mean shit t'you if yer already dead. Yer not a heroic spirit like me, 'cause I had ta explain it to you.

cw suicide mention

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis takes a large long sip from his glass and then finally puts it aside, even if it's not yet fully empty. This is as drunk as he can afford to get before it gets messy, he figures, even as he is dimly aware that it's already messy and he's already very drunk. ]

What now? You think I should've just killed myself again since the first death failed to stick?

cw suicide mention technically

[goei]

[Skill issue, Izou is going to get as drunk as he can without becoming incoherent, at this rate. He's already on his way there.]

I'm sayin' that if I was summoned and told I'd get sent back to th'throne in three months no matter what, I would jus' do whatever th'hell I wanted. Braphine don't got command seals or anything, she can't punish me'r make me kill myself 'f I don't do what she says.

[Izou you haven't even explained the throne or command seals to McGillis.]

You aughta just enjoy yerself before ya go back t'bein' dead if ya ask me.

cont suicide mentions???.

[vogelfrei]

[ That logic is sound enough but it's missing an important detail, so it's time for the Explainer Voice. Slightly slurred, but shhhh. ]

I'm not going back to being dead, if Braphine is suppose to be believed. I can go anywhere as long as it's not my world.

[ ... and then the rest of what Izou said catches up with him. Wait a fucking second. ]

... make you kill yourself?

yeah anyone reading just assume that cw until we say otherwise

[goei]

[We'll return to McGillis's cool escape plan in a second and the flaws Izou sees in it, but first;]

M'Yeah. When a heroic spirit gets summoned as a servant, th'mage that summons'em has three command seals as proof've th'contract. If they use one of 'em to issue a command, y'gotta do it no matter what. Like, yer body will just do it.

A servant who refuses t'comply ain't worth shit, so a lotta mages will threaten you with that.

[vogelfrei]

[ It's nice to be distracted from his own deeply miserable situation, but McGillis can't exactly find joy in it. He's staring at Izou with a creased brow and obvious consternation. ]

And if you did kill yourself? What then? Would it be impossible to summon you again?