[ he knew david would offer. not that he would have refused to buy it if otherwise, but that'd tip the scales. david would owe him double. and neither one of them will let that happen.
he finishes off his drink while david's gone and takes the new glass without considering poison again. at this point, it really doesn't seem likely. ]
Might have less enemies if you weren't such an obnoxious prick.
[ david says it smoothly as he sits down, apparently unbothered. truthfully he doesn't think there's much he could do about the people who hate him, but he knows there could easily be a lot more of them. david's personable, charming in his way, most people find him easy enough to get along with. of course that all dances on a fine line with a volatile temper and a sharp tongue, a constant thirst for violence that's always sizzling under his skin, but it is what it is. ]
[ at least he's not a perpetual misery guts on top of it all like some people. ]
I play nice when I need to. In't gonna do more than that.
[ bare minimum. well, it's not like evan does any better. if anything, he's a lot worse. he must have just as many enemies as david, but for less varied reasons.
in the end, though, people just want them dead. very few want anything else. maybe money or influence. they don't have any real friends. the two of them are probably as close at that ever gets for either of them, which is alarming and very, very depressing. ]
Make me a hypocrite to try and make you do it. Just don't be so surprised when someone else tries to take a chunk outta you in desperation someday.
[ was that a compliment? david frowns briefly at his drink, reasoning that the alcohol's just making him looser with the truth, never mind he's really only just starting to feel that buzz. it snuck up on him, that's all. ]
I'm not worried about it. People wanna prove they're hot shit by takin' me on all the time anyway.
[ he assumes evan has the same problem — always someone looking to climb or trying to prove themself or some other shit, starting something that gets them put in the hospital if they're lucky. ]
[ of course they would be, he thinks. they're not him. they don't know david the way evan does.
which makes him grimace into his alcohol to think about, but fortunately david distracts him with another comment. ]
Yeah? They think your dad'll just toss you aside in favor of them if they can kick your ass?
[ something evan himself doesn't have to worry about, really. because no matter how many times people try it, family is more important. the only way he'd lose rank is if he was dead. even a nasty fuckup wouldn't do the trick, although maybe a really bad one would get him killed and put all that back at square one. there's tradeoffs to his life. ]
[ david's position isn't guaranteed, it's a fact he's painfully aware of, even being heir to this whole thing could change. but even so, it'd take a lot more than someone kicking his ass to get him ousted, but if people think that's all he's good for it's no surprise they think that's all it'd take. ]
Everyone's got their reasons. All of 'em are stupid.
[ to be fair, it's not even people within the organization he's concerned about. there's always a few rotten eggs waiting to get tossed, but his father is good at instilling loyalty. at making people feel valued-- wanted. ]
[ well, most people. ]
[ either way it's people on the outside he'd be more worried about, people who think they can prove the kings ain't shit by taking him down. ]
Coulda been bleeding out, no one's dumb enough to try shit when I'm flanked by a bunch of muscle.
[ he's been in his head about it too, but there's no explanation david can think of, not that that's anything new. his father acting with little to no explanation, sending him on work and then acting disappointed with the result. this is the most... egregious example for some time, but if he really thinks about it, it's nothing new. ]
Maybe they expected us to pull some kinda master fuckin' plan outta nowhere. 'Cause we famously get along so well.
[ the irony of the current situation notwithstanding. ]
[ expecting the ultimate turnaround from him, of all people? but that's absolutely something his father would do. it still wouldn't be good enough, ultimately, but he might have gotten a reassurance for it, instead of a cold dismissal. ]
Maybe this was the one chance they had to really ally. Split the city fairly. And we fucked it up.
[ david very nearly laughs at that, shakes his head with a small, amused smile on his face. ]
Oh fuck, yeah. Now you say it, kinda obvious in hindsight.
[ he manages to keep that deadpan surprisingly well. ]
[ ... actually, he can kind of see it, in a way where he'd ask his dad if he was okay if he said it. but part of him thinks archie and his dad like their little games of petty one-upmanship too much for that — never making any really push against eachother, little shiftings of fringe territory to keep eachother on their toes. ]
[ evan knows his father well enough that he'd never actually ally with the kings, except in brief circumstances like they just dealt with. teaming up with a known enemy to take down an unknown one, fine. keeping his distance to avoid an out and out war, also fine. but actually dividing the city up?
maybe ten or twenty years ago. now, he wants it all, eventually. apparently beating the shit out of the heir wasn't good enough, though. ]
Maybe next time they need to flatten someone trying to take over their shit, we can team up and burn their place down. Like we actually get along.
[ 'like we actually get along.' david laughs softly at that, a little twinge of annoyance at the fact that he'd like to see that. to rampage through some place with someone on his level? ]
Be an interesting change of pace.
[ that's all the appeal is, just a change of pace. something new that he's never gotten to do before. why else would he be interested in seeing evan in his element without being on the receiving end of it? ]
[ david says it with a scoff, like he's offended by his dad kicking him out even though it's purely hypothetical. it's just the kind of bullshit he can imagine him pulling; take the benefit of someone doing something for him, then fuck them for doing it without his say so. ]
Let us do the work first, 'course. Then disown us for doin' it.
[ and isn't that hilarious to even consider. at this point, it'd be possible, but raising one son was enough of a problem for both of their fathers - and david's parents are still technically married, aren't they? ]
[ the idea of his parents having another kid makes david wrinkle his nose in disgust-- aside from the fact he's pretty sure his mother is over that particular hill, he's fairly certain his parents haven't been able to stomach touching eachother long enough to potentially conceive a child since he was little. not that it matters so much — his father isn't as particular as evan's, 'family' doesn't have to mean his direct bloodline. there's cousins, nieces and nephews, etc. he'd weather the disappointment and train one of them up. ]
[ david opens his mouth to say as much, pauses when he catches himself, and shakes his head. ]
Could be doin' those two a favour. Might be the only reason they could stand eachother longer than two minutes.
[ evan raises an eyebrow at the comment, not fully following, but writes it off. he doesn't want to consider his father having another kid, either. less out of concern for the potential future punching bag, and more not wanting to see another of his father's type of woman disappearing after she becomes too much of a problem.
funny, how few of those he's seen since that happened the first time he can remember.
he finishes the drink maybe a little too fast and gets up without a word to buy another round. they keep veering onto bad topics. and whose fault is that? ]
[ david sighs through his nose, watching the way evan finishes his drink and gets up wordlessly. normally when they talk david is fairly secure in knowing it's evan who tanked the mood, can't always figure out what it was that made evan's mood turn, but he's certain he can always track the highs and lows, the way something crumbles and he brings the tone veering into a ditch. ]
[ this time, he feels like it's his fault, and that throws david off. he holds his glass by the rim and uses it to nudge his beer mat around while he waits for evan to come back with the next round. ]
Haven't gotten to rampage like that in a long time, now I think about it.
[ maybe he should've changed the subject entirely, but he's opened his mouth now. tips back the last bit of his drink with a grimace. ]
[ evan sets down both drinks, settles in, and stares at david. it's an interesting word choice. rampage. evan supposes he doesn't normally do that, at least not in public, but losing his shit and beating the hell out of someone is more normal for him.
although not normal knowing he can go as far as he wants, because someone will intervene to stop him. so many people won't do it because he'll turn on them, but this time they knew better. this time there were a lot of them. ]
Knowing somebody's gonna stop you makes it easier.
[ there's a buzz in his head from the liquor that beer, even expensive beer, couldn't cause. not enough to be even slightly drunk, but he's starting to get there. ]
Means you don't have to show a fucking ounce of self-control.
[ david leans forward on an elbow, watching evan intently. ]
The self-control.
[ david knows he does. every goddamn day, he's so tired of having to control himself. of having to worry aout going "too far" and how that'd look. it's bullshit. ]
[ but he knows what he's talking about. he can't go full bore all the time, because that'd be bad for business. but his father has fewer complaints about his rage than david's must about him, because it's rare that he hears anything about his own attacks. at least, the ones in private. ]
It's about the only thing we've got if we want to stay in one piece.
[ but yes, he is tired of it. it's clear on his face, if not in his voice. ]
[ david nods, halfway contemplates pushing evan for more of an answer, but why? he already knows-- hell, evan's worse at keeping his shit together than he is. probably because his father encourages it, david's has always seemed more like he's simply putting up with it. making the best of a bad situation. as if he's not the one who caused it to begin with. ]
Suppose so.
[ whatever. this is fucking miserable. david sighs, glances out toward the bar to see if there's anything interesting going on. there isn't. ]
[ whatever mood he was hoping for with this, if he was hoping for anything at all, wasn't this abject fucking misery. thinking about being killed or disowned or thrown aside. the only funny part was when they talked about robbing a bank.
he stares at his drink and shakes his head. going to one of david's places would get both of them in trouble. going to one of his would do the same, and probably get david killed. staying here is only going to make things worse, because the attitude in the air isn't changing. they need to get out. he shouldn't have done this in the first place.
his first instinct is to just leave. but instead: ]
Let's get something at the store. Go back to my place. Fight it out or something.
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hardlydead) wrote2024-05-20 10:36 pm
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[ he knew david would offer. not that he would have refused to buy it if otherwise, but that'd tip the scales. david would owe him double. and neither one of them will let that happen.
he finishes off his drink while david's gone and takes the new glass without considering poison again. at this point, it really doesn't seem likely. ]
Might have less enemies if you weren't such an obnoxious prick.
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[ david says it smoothly as he sits down, apparently unbothered. truthfully he doesn't think there's much he could do about the people who hate him, but he knows there could easily be a lot more of them. david's personable, charming in his way, most people find him easy enough to get along with. of course that all dances on a fine line with a volatile temper and a sharp tongue, a constant thirst for violence that's always sizzling under his skin, but it is what it is. ]
[ at least he's not a perpetual misery guts on top of it all like some people. ]
I play nice when I need to. In't gonna do more than that.
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in the end, though, people just want them dead. very few want anything else. maybe money or influence. they don't have any real friends. the two of them are probably as close at that ever gets for either of them, which is alarming and very, very depressing. ]
Make me a hypocrite to try and make you do it. Just don't be so surprised when someone else tries to take a chunk outta you in desperation someday.
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[ was that a compliment?
david frowns briefly at his drink, reasoning that the alcohol's just making him looser with the truth, never mind he's really only just starting to feel that buzz. it snuck up on him, that's all. ]
I'm not worried about it. People wanna prove they're hot shit by takin' me on all the time anyway.
[ he assumes evan has the same problem — always someone looking to climb or trying to prove themself or some other shit, starting something that gets them put in the hospital if they're lucky. ]
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which makes him grimace into his alcohol to think about, but fortunately david distracts him with another comment. ]
Yeah? They think your dad'll just toss you aside in favor of them if they can kick your ass?
[ something evan himself doesn't have to worry about, really. because no matter how many times people try it, family is more important. the only way he'd lose rank is if he was dead. even a nasty fuckup wouldn't do the trick, although maybe a really bad one would get him killed and put all that back at square one. there's tradeoffs to his life. ]
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Everyone's got their reasons. All of 'em are stupid.
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[ he looks back down into his drink, like he's trying to see a confirmation or rebuttal in the alcohol. it doesn't come. ]
Anyone try anything after the fight?
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[ to be fair, it's not even people within the organization he's concerned about. there's always a few rotten eggs waiting to get tossed, but his father is good at instilling loyalty. at making people feel valued-- wanted. ]
[ well, most people. ]
[ either way it's people on the outside he'd be more worried about, people who think they can prove the kings ain't shit by taking him down. ]
Coulda been bleeding out, no one's dumb enough to try shit when I'm flanked by a bunch of muscle.
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[ evan would be dumb enough. but he was also bleeding out and being dragged away by his men, so it didn't really work out. ]
Still sorta wonder what they wanted us to do.
[ yes, this has been on his mind for weeks. it's better to think about than, say, almost making out with david king. ]
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[ he's been in his head about it too, but there's no explanation david can think of, not that that's anything new. his father acting with little to no explanation, sending him on work and then acting disappointed with the result. this is the most... egregious example for some time, but if he really thinks about it, it's nothing new. ]
Maybe they expected us to pull some kinda master fuckin' plan outta nowhere. 'Cause we famously get along so well.
[ the irony of the current situation notwithstanding. ]
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[ expecting the ultimate turnaround from him, of all people? but that's absolutely something his father would do. it still wouldn't be good enough, ultimately, but he might have gotten a reassurance for it, instead of a cold dismissal. ]
Maybe this was the one chance they had to really ally. Split the city fairly. And we fucked it up.
[ he smirks when he says that. as if. ]
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Oh fuck, yeah. Now you say it, kinda obvious in hindsight.
[ he manages to keep that deadpan surprisingly well. ]
[ ... actually, he can kind of see it, in a way where he'd ask his dad if he was okay if he said it. but part of him thinks archie and his dad like their little games of petty one-upmanship too much for that — never making any really push against eachother, little shiftings of fringe territory to keep eachother on their toes. ]
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maybe ten or twenty years ago. now, he wants it all, eventually. apparently beating the shit out of the heir wasn't good enough, though. ]
Maybe next time they need to flatten someone trying to take over their shit, we can team up and burn their place down. Like we actually get along.
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Be an interesting change of pace.
[ that's all the appeal is, just a change of pace. something new that he's never gotten to do before. why else would he be interested in seeing evan in his element without being on the receiving end of it? ]
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yeah, right. he doesn't need a friend, especially not david king, of all people. even if it's some vague bullshit. ]
How long you think it'll take before they disown us both for trying it?
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[ david says it with a scoff, like he's offended by his dad kicking him out even though it's purely hypothetical. it's just the kind of bullshit he can imagine him pulling; take the benefit of someone doing something for him, then fuck them for doing it without his say so. ]
Let us do the work first, 'course. Then disown us for doin' it.
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[ and isn't that hilarious to even consider. at this point, it'd be possible, but raising one son was enough of a problem for both of their fathers - and david's parents are still technically married, aren't they? ]
Can't hand shit off outside the family.
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[ david opens his mouth to say as much, pauses when he catches himself, and shakes his head. ]
Could be doin' those two a favour. Might be the only reason they could stand eachother longer than two minutes.
[ ha ha ha... anyway, saved it. ]
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funny, how few of those he's seen since that happened the first time he can remember.
he finishes the drink maybe a little too fast and gets up without a word to buy another round. they keep veering onto bad topics. and whose fault is that? ]
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[ this time, he feels like it's his fault, and that throws david off. he holds his glass by the rim and uses it to nudge his beer mat around while he waits for evan to come back with the next round. ]
Haven't gotten to rampage like that in a long time, now I think about it.
[ maybe he should've changed the subject entirely, but he's opened his mouth now. tips back the last bit of his drink with a grimace. ]
Kinda miss it.
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although not normal knowing he can go as far as he wants, because someone will intervene to stop him. so many people won't do it because he'll turn on them, but this time they knew better. this time there were a lot of them. ]
Knowing somebody's gonna stop you makes it easier.
[ there's a buzz in his head from the liquor that beer, even expensive beer, couldn't cause. not enough to be even slightly drunk, but he's starting to get there. ]
Means you don't have to show a fucking ounce of self-control.
[ not that he usually shows that anyway. ]
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[ david leans forward on an elbow, watching evan intently. ]
The self-control.
[ david knows he does. every goddamn day, he's so tired of having to control himself. of having to worry aout going "too far" and how that'd look. it's bullshit. ]
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That supposed to be a joke?
[ but he knows what he's talking about. he can't go full bore all the time, because that'd be bad for business. but his father has fewer complaints about his rage than david's must about him, because it's rare that he hears anything about his own attacks. at least, the ones in private. ]
It's about the only thing we've got if we want to stay in one piece.
[ but yes, he is tired of it. it's clear on his face, if not in his voice. ]
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Suppose so.
[ whatever. this is fucking miserable. david sighs, glances out toward the bar to see if there's anything interesting going on. there isn't. ]
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he stares at his drink and shakes his head. going to one of david's places would get both of them in trouble. going to one of his would do the same, and probably get david killed. staying here is only going to make things worse, because the attitude in the air isn't changing. they need to get out. he shouldn't have done this in the first place.
his first instinct is to just leave. but instead: ]
Let's get something at the store. Go back to my place. Fight it out or something.
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