CROW

As of this moment, this blog is on INDEFINITE HIATUS.

That means that I might come back in some time, or I might not.

             “Hypocrisy would be only the slightest of our crimes, Agent. The squabbles of higher powers never end prettily–now, you know what kind of hand a strong influence can deal. They’re never pleasant business. Any man’s game can be folded at the blink of an eye. No, we wouldn’t want that getting out of hand. But now don’t trouble yourself, I told you–there’s nothing to fear, so long as we all pay our dues and stay in line like decent gentleman.” Though there’s hardly anything decent to the cloying suggestion of the chief’s honeyed spiel, full of implication, like his eyes that spark with a smug breed of contempt. The warning in his voice is pointed and keen as he leans near to make sure it sinks home. He smells retreat, and knows it when he sees it. Lilium chases after him with his words and with that same hand teasing boldly now at the collar of the agent’s shirt.

             “Good man. It’s really for the best that a clever soul like you should understand your position in ACCA’s world order. You’re an asset I feel that would be rather sorely missed if you made a fool of yourself, after all–and we wouldn’t want that, either. It’d be such a waste. But who knows…I feel your usefulness will outlive you, rather than the other way around.” His laughter curls like smoke against Crow’s ear, a final note of mocking as Lilium takes one poised step back. “Yes, I’m sure I would be. Rats on a sinking ship, and all, though–you can never be too certain which ones will bite the hand that feeds in their desperation. But that’s what you’re here for, my friend. Sniffing out other people’s business is all you’re good for. I trust you will make an example of yourself, now we’ve had this conversation, lest I must do that for you.”

A talk about hypocrisy with the greatest hypocrite in the Dowa kingdom. The irony tasted very bitter on the agent’s tongue, almost enough to make him feel nauseous. Or perhaps that was just the discomfort and the unpleasantness that came unavoidably with any talk with his superior, but this one in particular had probably been the most distasteful of all. The worst part of it all was knowing that there really wasn’t a lot he could do about it - not without putting his well-being and even his life at risk. All that was left to do was wait. Wait until everything that had been planned came to fulfillment and all his lies were exposed. 

                “Ah, quite right, dear Agent Crow. There is no breed of safety quite as sterling as a unanimous trust, especially for a company like our precious ACCA. We are an advocate for peace, after all; I would so hate for it be threatened by untoward behaviour.” Their eyes meet, a fiery approximation of a stare no matter the deceiving tenderness of the officer’s eyes that lie with their conceited, sleepy softness, no matter the smile that warps his mouth very nearly to a grin. He inches forward in long, easy strides that click across the polished floors with deliberating intent.

               “Do you, now?“ His voice hardens, a split, hissing second of a poisonous heat creeping into the officers voice, his eyes cutting the distance between them with a blink, a deep and dark and for a spell–almost dangerous glance. Though, the moment melts and fades again no sooner than it appears, that mocking sweetness creeping back into Lilium’s poised demeanour all over again as he reaches out a hand to clap the man upon the shoulder. “Well, I would really be expecting no less than an astonishingly eclectic resume from a fly on the wall like yourself. No doubt you must shake hands with every kind of person within your call of duty.” He laughs, and the sound is too silvery, too dulcet to be true. That hand squeezes hard before it flutters higher, twirling a short, single lock of the other man’s hair between finger and thumb. “I hope thereby that you would know by now what hands, belonging to heroes, villains or otherwise, that you should shake and which ones to break, Crow. You really can’t afford any more enemies at this moment in time, in your delicate state.”