capeandcowl | twenty-three. voice.

[Katurian sounds tired and frail. His voice carries its usual tremor.]

As a human being-- like all human beings, I make a tremendous amount of mistakes. A tremendous amount. I'm not a role model. That isn't-- That isn't something I could say.

[Vocalizing those words nearly kicks his breath away. Pause. Then, feverishly:]

I wanted to apologize for the state I found myself in this last week, a state in which-- in which many of you saw me, and I wanted to let everyone know that it was my fault. I thank you for your concern, I really do, but the most important thing for any of you to know is that it was my fault. And I don't want pity, that's never something I want, even if it seems like a very easy thing to give, even if it seems like I deserve it, because I don't deserve pity and I don't want it either. That doesn't mean I deserve to be treated like shit, g-granted, I don't want to see anyone using that as a fucking excuse, but I-- I'm--

[He catches himself. Breathes.]

But I'm all right.

[Click.]

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I see. [A pause, before:] I wonder if that was around a similar time when I last spoke to it.

[there's a pause.]

Approximately ten days. But absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. I'm not expecting to hear from it yet. Not until the first.

No, it isn't gone from this universe. I've already checked that possibility. I'm more worried about its --

The first. Not until the first, oh my. You have something scheduled with it. A deadline?

[And because he knows there's no point in lying:]

One could call it that. More worried about its...?

You made a deal. It only sets deadlines for agreements, and it only makes agreements it knows it will benefit from.

About its wrath. [He says, dismissively.] What deal did you make?

Not a deal. [At least, it wasn't. At first.] A game.

That's just a lure. I've played that with it before.

[He twitches slightly. He knows that now.]

A lure well baited. And your outcome?

[Bitterly spoken, very bitterly.]

I lost.

Warning well noted. But I won't. [He can't.]

We'll see.

[His tone perks, redirecting the topic. A misdirection, perhaps.]

Well done, with the recommendation. Xavier was quite effective, as you can tell.

Edited 2011-12-28 22:52 (UTC)

[And he'll take the re/misdirection when it's offered.]

Glad he was effective. He did ask to be put to use, if the need arose.

You like to keep your network wide and varied, it seems.

[He doubted very much that Charles would allow him to cut him out of his network no matter how hard he tried. But.]

It's imperative to know what's available. Import or no. One man can't specialize in everything.

I'm not about to disagree, I assure you. But telepaths, well, there's an interesting invasion of privacy argument there, wouldn't you say?

Or perhaps you wouldn't. After all, not everyone has earned the right to privacy.

It has its uses. But I don't advocate it. You asked, I merely answered. Projecting my thoughts unwittingly is more than enough.

You're learning to control it, I'm sure?

[And if this was voice, he would sound bitter.]

Slowly. I imagine attempting not to think would be just as difficult for you.

I code my thoughts. Riddle them, you could say. It's a useful trick, when one lives in a world of casual telepaths and magicians.

I could, perhaps, help you in such a regard?

[There's a long, long pause.]

I could see the potential.

[And another.]

Why the generosity?

A favor for a favor, Mr. Holmes. You helped Katurian, after all.

[A favour that he had been planning to keep in the bank, just in case, but...]

I see. I'll admit your offer has its advantages.

[As Eddie assumed. It's much more pleasing, to him, to have the favor on his own unique terms.]

You could work without the trouble of having people know your mind. Having criminals see what you see.

[It's a couple of minutes before he answers. It's something he could learn himself, eventually, he assumes, but not without a large amount of trial and error... and annoyance. And letting Edward teach him would also mean Edward would be equipped to unravel them...

...But the chance to see into how Edward constructed his puzzles was a little too much to pass up.]

No need to sell it to me further. I accept.