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Finished chapter two of Copper and Bloodstone. Must find my beta now.
Because I'm happy, have a cookie.
Joseph was, by now, quite annoyed.
"Stop banging your head on the wall!" he shrieked, and then realized that he had shrieked and subsided, glaring.
Zacharias stopped for a moment, looked thoughtful, and then leaned back so that his head hit the wall with one last thump.
"Afraid I'll give myself a concussion, Baker?" he asked coolly.
"No. I'd prefer if you did. But it's loud, and it's very irritating."
Zacharias stared idly at the crack in the ceiling. "I'm sure they can't keep us overnight unless they charge us with something, and they can't get us for murder because the whole idea is completely ridiculous."
"If it was so ridiculous then why'd they arrest us in the first place?"
"Well, you have to admit, we're very suspicious-looking people."
"I'm not suspicious," Joseph wailed, and then clenched his fist. "Anyway, it's your fault. If you hadn't lied to me - "
"I did not lie to you! I omitted!"
"You lied!"
"I lie to everyone! Why should you be so special?"
"Because - " Joseph wisely shut his mouth. Because why? Because he was Joseph and Zacharias was Zacharias and they shouldn't lie to each other? Because he had seen in the blond some reflection of himself? Because why?
"Because lying is wrong."
"Aha." Zacharias hit his head on the wall again: thud. "Because you're a priest." Thud. "Because whatever you profess, you do believe, and you do have morals." Thud. "Because you'll let me steal and you'll let me betray you and you'll let me kill, if I want to, but you won't tolerate me lying to you." Thud. "Because the world should revolve around you." Thud. "Because I should bow to your every whim." Thud. "Because you want a friend, and I'm available, and friends shouldn't lie." Thud.
"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Joseph was nearly in tears. He hated that sound and he hated Zacharias and he hated this cell and he hated this country and he just wanted out, out, out. "Stop it!"
Zacharias raised his head, his eyes dark with pain, and with a satisfied little smirk smacked his head on the wall again. Thud.
"Why do you care?" the blond asked softly. "Why do you care if I hurt myself? Why do you care if I die?"
"Because!" Joseph burst out. "Because you - "
"Because I am me and you are you? How illogical."
"Because I love you!"
There, he'd said it, and Zacharias was going to take it all wrong just like he had when they'd met, and whatever fragile friendship they'd cultivated, it was ruined now, but Joseph was damned if he was going to cry.
"Ah," Zacharias said finally. "I see."
There came a jangle of keys, and the door swung open. "You're being let go," the guard said, "with just a warning not to get involved in crime again. You can pick up your things at the front desk."
Zacharias swept out of the room without a backward glance, and Joseph followed.
There didn't seem to be anything else to do.
Because I'm happy, have a cookie.
Joseph was, by now, quite annoyed.
"Stop banging your head on the wall!" he shrieked, and then realized that he had shrieked and subsided, glaring.
Zacharias stopped for a moment, looked thoughtful, and then leaned back so that his head hit the wall with one last thump.
"Afraid I'll give myself a concussion, Baker?" he asked coolly.
"No. I'd prefer if you did. But it's loud, and it's very irritating."
Zacharias stared idly at the crack in the ceiling. "I'm sure they can't keep us overnight unless they charge us with something, and they can't get us for murder because the whole idea is completely ridiculous."
"If it was so ridiculous then why'd they arrest us in the first place?"
"Well, you have to admit, we're very suspicious-looking people."
"I'm not suspicious," Joseph wailed, and then clenched his fist. "Anyway, it's your fault. If you hadn't lied to me - "
"I did not lie to you! I omitted!"
"You lied!"
"I lie to everyone! Why should you be so special?"
"Because - " Joseph wisely shut his mouth. Because why? Because he was Joseph and Zacharias was Zacharias and they shouldn't lie to each other? Because he had seen in the blond some reflection of himself? Because why?
"Because lying is wrong."
"Aha." Zacharias hit his head on the wall again: thud. "Because you're a priest." Thud. "Because whatever you profess, you do believe, and you do have morals." Thud. "Because you'll let me steal and you'll let me betray you and you'll let me kill, if I want to, but you won't tolerate me lying to you." Thud. "Because the world should revolve around you." Thud. "Because I should bow to your every whim." Thud. "Because you want a friend, and I'm available, and friends shouldn't lie." Thud.
"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Joseph was nearly in tears. He hated that sound and he hated Zacharias and he hated this cell and he hated this country and he just wanted out, out, out. "Stop it!"
Zacharias raised his head, his eyes dark with pain, and with a satisfied little smirk smacked his head on the wall again. Thud.
"Why do you care?" the blond asked softly. "Why do you care if I hurt myself? Why do you care if I die?"
"Because!" Joseph burst out. "Because you - "
"Because I am me and you are you? How illogical."
"Because I love you!"
There, he'd said it, and Zacharias was going to take it all wrong just like he had when they'd met, and whatever fragile friendship they'd cultivated, it was ruined now, but Joseph was damned if he was going to cry.
"Ah," Zacharias said finally. "I see."
There came a jangle of keys, and the door swung open. "You're being let go," the guard said, "with just a warning not to get involved in crime again. You can pick up your things at the front desk."
Zacharias swept out of the room without a backward glance, and Joseph followed.
There didn't seem to be anything else to do.
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From:
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"I lie to everyone! Why should you be so special?"
"Because - " Joseph wisely shut his mouth. Because why? Because he was Joseph and Zacharias was Zacharias and they shouldn't lie to each other? Because he had seen in the blond some reflection of himself? Because why?
"Because lying is wrong."
"Aha." Zacharias hit his head on the wall again: thud. "Because you're a priest." Thud. "Because whatever you profess, you do believe, and you do have morals." Thud. "Because you'll let me steal and you'll let me betray you and you'll let me kill, if I want to, but you won't tolerate me lying to you." Thud. "Because the world should revolve around you." Thud. "Because I should bow to your every whim." Thud. "Because you want a friend, and I'm available, and friends shouldn't lie." Thud.
I swear I had a conversation very much like this last week.
Bet you can guess which side I was.
From:
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Poor Joseph. He needs to be loved.
From:
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He needs love, yes. So does Zac. MUST WRITE THINGIE FOR YOU. AGH.
From:
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...
D'you think people are going to get that Joseph is not talking come-to-bed-with-me-gorgeous-blond love?
From:
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