❛ ---WISE MEN WONDER, WHILE STRONG MEN DIE. ❜

“ I’m sorry---? ” 

His brow had creased with a pleasant, bemused sort of furrow, and he cocked his head to one side, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards to form a smile---squinting a bit, appearing rather genuinely confused for a moment. 

Then---seeming to grasp the situation, his eyebrows lifted visibly higher. 

“ Oh, yes---yes, now I see---making fun of me, are you? So that’s how the land lies. ”

His smile twisted, deepening---becoming altogether more wry, more humorous---and somewhat chiding of the other man.  

He blew out an audible breath---narrowing his eyes---pausing to fix Valentine with an amused, crinkled sort of look. 

Feigning some moderate affront. 

“ God’s my life---can a man not live down the unhappy tendencies of his youth? Surely I’ve done more than enough to repent! ”

“ No---no, no---oh, good heavens. ”

A rather indignant sort of frown crossed his features.

“ Damn it, boy. ”

He had endeavored to make himself look a less appealing place for one to deposit themselves, but---alas, he rather doubted if his younger brother was in a fit state to notice much of anything. 

So---presently, he’d become the chosen seat. A great honor, he expected. 

“ Yes, all right---steady on, my dear fellow. There, there. ”

His eyebrows had shot upwards, disappearing beneath the curls on his forehead, and he very much prioritized keeping his drink out of harms way---whilst using his free hand to prop up the other man, and giving him several pats in the process. 

He spoke without malice, but no shortage of irony.

“ By all means---by all means, make yourself comfortable. Seems that I’ve no say in the matter. Though, I shall warn you---when this glass of mine is empty, you may very well find yourself deposited on the rug, and there will be nothing ceremonious about it. ”

He took a hefty swig, quirking an eyebrow. 

He’d been in the midst of saying something when the interruption came upon him---of course, this did little---if anything---to deter the culprit. 

“ Yes---indeed, hello---a jolly good evening to you as well---dear, dear brother. ” 

The furrow of his brow had crinkled, and he put up with the other man for a moment, before rather tactfully freeing himself---grimacing a tolerant, vaguely humorous sort of smile. 

One lifted eyebrow gave another quirk. 

“ As always, your undying affection warms the heart and soul. ”

With one hand, he patted his brother somewhat firmly on the chest---with the other, he squeezed him by the shoulder. 

Between these two quite literal holds, Geoffrey Charles endeavored to straighten him out, but---well, from the look of him---that may have been a poor battle to fight. 

He took a sip from his glass.

“ That I do---that I do. ”

His eyebrows were visibly risen, and he spoke in a slow, musing fashion---as if taking a moment to ponder the notion, and then he sniffed---giving a moderate shrug. 

“ Of course, God only knows how I ever persuaded her to accept such a tedious role, but, alas---whatever her regrets may be, she bears the consequences with dignity. ”

He glanced over, narrowing his eyes a fraction---appearing to assess the other man with some feeling of skepticism, though---it was not especially outward.

Morwenna: Language.

Geoffrey Charles: Whom the fuck -

“ Shush. ”

He addressed his younger brother in a pragmatic, somewhat absent manner---glancing across the room’s interior, narrowing his eyes a fraction---before finally looking back. 

Then, his eyebrows shot upwards---nonchalant, but coolly dubious. 

“ Predominantly---? For making an ass of yourself. ”

His tone was matter-of-fact---a dash ironic, and he shrugged his shoulders, giving a brief sniff---swiping a hand over his jawline. 

“ Also, in hopes of at least temporarily dissuading you from continuing to do so. ”

Something between a grimace and a smile cracked the lines of his expression. 

“ I appreciate that my chances are poor, but---perhaps you’ll indulge me a little, if only for the sake of protecting your person. ”

He tilted an eyebrow.

“ Oh---may I indeed---? Well, I suppose I should thank you kindly for the opportunity, but---common sense does compel me to decline conveying such a message. ” 

The furrow of his brow remained lifted, and he blew out a short whistle---averting his gaze from the other man---as if to further exemplify his shirking of the proposition. 

He gave a brief, noncommittal shrug. 

“ Seeing as how---in the absence of your own, or---perhaps I should say Mama’s hospitality---he would very likely see fit to impose upon my own as a first recourse. ”

There was a humorous sort of irony to his expression, twitching at either corner of his mouth, and he puffed out a slight exhale---absently flexing the fingers of his right hand. 

He shot a glance back towards George---and, did not appear altogether unsympathetic. 

“ No---no, no, Valentine--- ” 

This particular absurdity, however, appeared rather beyond salvation---and thus, he refrained from wasting his breath---watching instead as his brother slipped, floundered---and then temporarily disappeared from view. 

“ ---God in heaven. Well---never mind. ”

The furrow of his brow had shot upwards---giving a highly dubious quirk, and he strode around to the other side of the building---letting out an audible sigh upon reaching the other man’s disheveled form. 

“ ---bravo. You’re behaving like a damn imbecile. ”

He stood there for a suspended beat---looking down, tilting an unimpressed eyebrow, and then he bent---hauling Valentine back to his feet---shaking his head upon doing so---giving him a rough dusting-off afterwards.