Seamus Roasts Glory

Characters in this scene: Seamus, Glory, Silver

Immediately follows Silver and Glory visit Tecumseh

Alornerk, sitting on top of the van, laughs at the retreating gremlin.

Silver, with some difficulty, got out her wound tape and applied it to her arm. She yanked it off with a hiss.

It didn't do anything about her still-bleeding back. "Welcome to our home, Seamus," Silver manages, standing and pulling the van door open. "Don't mind the mess. Or the goblins. Or the tree. Please." In some strange remnant of her old manners, she gestures for the other two to enter first.

Seamus has not yet entered the van. He eyes it warily, then looks behind him, where the sound of gunfire is still sporadic.

Glory stands at the doorway, and glances over to the direction of the gunfire. "It may be best to get in, and get as far from here as we can. I don't think I can remove the Spammer before they reach us in time."

"I offer hospitality. I'll get out the bread and salt once we're in, if I have the opportunity. I'm still part Fae." Silver watches Seamus steadily. "Hospitality is still very binding upon me."

"I require oaths. Swear the two of you and your Others will do me no harm in your demesne. That I can leave when I choose, and that you'll do nothing to prevent me from choosing to leave."

"I swear that I will do you no deliberate harm while you're in our demesne, nor set another to do you harm, until you leave. I will not physically prevent you from leaving when you choose, and I will not use Practice to change your mind such that you cannot or would not choose to leave, until you have left." Silver paused. "I am likely to take it personally if you leaving the demesne puts us in danger somehow, though."

Seamus looks at Glory.

"And I also swear to all the same things she said too," Glory said. She had a tired look in her eyes. "I don't have any intention of fighting or hurting you at all, Seamus."

Seamus climbs into the van.

Glory whistles to Shatbraggart at the wheel, and soon, they are back on the road. As they drive off, Glory could still hear the gunfire, and a number of gremlin traps left behind trying to pierce into her Demesne with no avail.

Silver, entering last, disappears temporarily upon entrance, just skipping over space to her room. She comes out shortly with a tray, open which is a plate of clean, sliced bread, a bowl of oil, and a bowl of salt. She picks up one of the slices - her gloves are clean, now - and offers it to Seamus solemnly.

If either of them glances at Silver's back... yes, it is still stained with blood, but her front is rather cleaner than it was.

Seamus dips it in the oil, rolls it in the salt, and shoves it in his mouth.

Silver breaks it in half as he takes it, then splits it in half again; she dips her half in oil, then salt, and eats it. The other half is for Glory.

Glory takes the bread, and gives her a weak smile. Still tired from their latest near-death experience, she doesn't take notice of Silver's latest wounds.

She pops the bread into her mouth, and moves over and sits down at her desktop computer, immediately starting to get to work. "It'll take a while for me to remove the Spammer, even with all my equipment here now. Want us to drop you off somewhere in the meantime, or you want to hitch with us for our little road trip for the next while?"

"I'd like you to get rid of the Spammer as fast as possible, and drop me off by Windsor." Seamus pauses. "My ability to pay you has diminished dramatically over the course of the day, but the way I see it, you owe me this much."

Silver disappears into her room, removing the tray of bread.

"Mmm." Glory speaks into a microphone, telling Shatbraggart of their next destination. She then begins quickly typing on the computer.

A few quiet minutes pass by the two of them.

"I can't step down from leadership now," Glory suddenly spoke up, not turning her head away from the computer. "One of Stella's conditions for the truce was that I remain as the leader, and that all members of our group must acknowledge that. She knew what went on between the two of us, and was hoping to further the wedge in that."

"You could have said no. If she truly needed the truce, Glory, she was in no position to make that kind of demand. You should have known this. You let her play her game, and I don't think you had to."

"We needed it more than she did, and she knew it. And she was already willing to break it over something smaller earlier. I only took after everyone else agreed to go along with it."

"Ah. So everyone else agreed to metaphorically throw me to the wolves too, did they? You expect this improves our relationship?"

"No one was looking to throw you to the metaphorical wolves. I think, we all... just had ourselves, and bigger things in mind, at the time. And... I thought that there was a chance you might've returned, even with that condition."

"That isn't much better, Aubrey. This isn't the first time you've screwed me. You didn't think about how it would hurt me then, either. You just thought about your own interests. About what you'd call "bigger things" than me. If you were actively trying to hurt me? It'd be easier to understand."

"I... had to protect Silver. We can't deal with Grey as long as Stella is still a concern. The others wanted a peaceful resolution to this, a break as well. We couldn't keep doing this. It had to be done."

*And isn't that what it means to be a leader? Making hard decisions? Making the tough choices? Even when they hurt? Even when they hurt others?*

*(...no.) (a whisper of a thought from her partner, unnoticed, but the truth.)*

"Stella isn't not a concern. You won a truce, on her terms. Terms that were designed to hurt you as much as she could arrange, while she rebuilds her strength. Terms that let her go after your allies, while stopping you from going after her while she's still weak. She comes out of this better than you. This isn't peace, Aubrey. This is her moving towards the checkmate."

Glory gritted her teeth. "And you think we could've won? As we are now? Do you seriously think we could've won, as we are now? With Grey's 49 Faeries determined to make the rest of Silver and I's lives as miserable as possible, for as long as we live? It's not a victory, but it's not a loss either. It's a compromise."

"Glory..." There's a note of frustration in his voice "I fucking told Silver I had a deal with Grey that would let me chase off the 49 if they interfered with certain business. I also told her that hunting down Stella Myers was part of that business. And as you saw today, it fucking works. Your back wasn't metaphorically against a wall. I gave you an out. At cost and risk to myself, and I tried to share it with you. No strings attached, out of the goodness of my heart, for what it's worth. And if you'd bothered to fucking talk to me before you went and made a botch of things again, the events of today didn't have to happen!"

Something smashes, elsewhere in the van. Glory knows it isn't anything that actually is important. She has a vague impression that it was supposed to be smashed.

"OH, and you think you have the solution for everything?" Glory's typing on the keyboard got harder. "What, you would've left Tecumseh, traveled the country with us to hunt Stella for god knows how long? Scaring off the Fae every time they come near?"

The frustration in her voice grows as well. "We don't have the resources that we did in Greenesville anymore, Seamus. Alornerk tell you about the dozens of practitioners and Others that helped out with us there? They're gone, Seamus. Stella took them out, and it was only a matter of time before she focused all her efforts on just us then."

"Of fucking course I would have! I signed up to kill her! I risked my life, risked everything I have, because I thought you were doing the right thing! It may surprise you, Glory, but some of us actually try to help the people we think are our fucking friends! As opposed to, you know, taking what they give us and stabbing them in the back. Again."

Silver poked her head into the room. “To be clear, I have... absolutely zero claim over you right now, right?” She sounds baffled.

"And we would've lost!" Glory slammed her fingers onto the keyboard. She didn't seem to take notice of Silver's interruption. She slowly stood up, from her seat. "We would've lost, Seamus. We didn't have what it would take to beat her as we are now. This was something that had to be done! For the good of ourselves, and everyone else of the group!"

"You wouldn't have needed to win, moron! You only needed to try! I only needed you to try for me to have permission!" Seamus rests his face in his palm. "If you need me to spoon feed all of this to you, I was willing! I tried! You made no effort to talk to me, even when Silver did!"

"You cut yourself from the group! You chose to leave! You chose to no longer be a part of the team! You don't get to decide what goes in here anymore!" Her fists were clenched in her hands. She glares over at him, anger in her eyes. "You think you can just leave, and pretend that nothing's changed? That everything would stay the same, like it always was before? No."

Just Like Brian, just Like Stella, you chose to leave. You're no longer part of the team anymore. You don't have the right to what I do anymore.

"I signed up to be your ally, Glory, not your fucking servant! I didn't ask for anything in return! And you know how you repayed me? You and your familiar tried to fucking claim me. To take my freedom away. And you know, even after that? I kept trying to help you, Glory. Kept trying to be your ally. And you kept throwing it away, because you seemingly can't see past whatever bullshit's going on in your head.

“You want some context, Glory? Today I lost my home, and almost everything I have, fighting your war. Has that even crossed your mind over the course of this conversation? Has it? You think about what I've given up for you even once, or have you only thought about how much of a dick I am for telling you the truth about how badly you've fucked up?"

"Glory wasn't involved in that claiming, to my knowledge," Silver remarks. Not expecting anyone to listen.

"She tried to declare herself my leader. Leaders are followed."

"I did it to take responsibility for this mess. To keep everyone safe." Glory was breathing heavily. "That was all I wanted to do. I had no intention of taking control of you. I never would've forced you to do anything. I would've asked, but you've always had the choice to say no. Nothing would've changed, but you made it so that they would. You chose to leave."

"See, I don't understand that at all, Glory. I don't understand how you think that putting yourself in charge is taking responsibility, or keeping anyone safe. Because you haven't cleaned up your mess. Your followers aren't safe, now. It's not because you don't have enough authority, Glory, it's because you've consistently gone and made bad decisions based on bad reasoning that people would have talked you out of if you'd let them."

"I know Stella better than anyone. I'm the one who's best suited for making decisions regarding what to do against her. And what bad decisions? Name them, right here, right now, if you're so sure!" Glory growls at him.

"Where to begin? When we first struck at her, when we first won, I tried to get you to press the advantage. You instead decided to faff about flirting with going after Lord Grey, because you were upset that you were betrayed by a fae. So instead of going after Stella, we did nothing to impede her until after she tried to take her revenge. How's that feud with Lord Grey working out for you, by the way?"

"We couldn't just let him off the hook! You know what he did to Piper's town. That was because of us, and who knows what he could've done with free reign in the world!" Glory protested.

"His court does worse every day. But on to the next big one; you took a bunch of willing allies, then told one who'd done you no wrong to piss off to keep him safe from Stella. Only you knew he'd already sworn to watch her die, and in no way was not being your associate going to prevent Stella from going after him anyway, which was obvious. Then, when I called you on this, you declare yourself in charge of your allies, even after I make it very clear to you what that will mean for our relationship going forward, and the title gaining you no further assistance you weren't already given freely."

"Landis already had an Augur to show him how Stella dies, he's safe. And she and her associates can't enter into Indianapolis, or touch his family at all. He's safe, and he agreed with no argument to leave. He needed a break. No one else had a problem with me taking charge, that was just you. And Grey doesn't count."

"Silver had a problem with being your follower.”

Silver winces.

Glory glanced over at Silver, still at the door.

"She quit the group. You remember, right?"

Silver looked back at Glory. She's ducking her head, but she's not looking away, this time; there are flickers of emotion, there, fear and concern, worry. Mostly concern.

She shrugs.

Glory turns back to Seamus, glaring back at him. "That's still altogether only two. You still need a third for it to mean anything."

"Well, I already went into how this truce with Stella is an avoidable mistake. But I'll move on to another one. A fresher one. How did Natalie know about the Worm, Glory? Because I did some thinking, and you know what? Silver implied that she didn't know why, but she wouldn't just say it. And I can imagine a reason why she'd do that."

Glory looks away from him. Her eyes were hidden under her hair. She was trembling a bit, her fists still clenched. "That doesn't count. You weren't part of the team by then," she spoke softly.

"I was trying to help you. I negotiated with Silver to try and settle our grudges in the least destructive way. I negotiated with Grey so I could offer you protection. In other words, Aubrey, I was still trying to help you, after everything. If that wasn't a mistake, Glory, then I'd have to assume you're either crazy or my enemy. And I can tell you right now, it's cost you and yours. Because I wanted to help, Glory. Wanted."

Glory trembled in her spot, her eyes still hidden under her hair as she looked down, still clenching her fists tightly. She tapped her foot, and they could feel the van coming to a sudden stop. "Get the fuck out of my van."

"I need the spammer bound. Gully needs my phone line, and if he can't get rid of the Worm before midnight, he's forsworn. But once you finish that, Glory? Gladly.”

Neither of them know where Silver is, right now.

"Get the fuck out of my room, and stand directly in front of the door outside. The moment I'm done, you leave." Glory slowly moves back over her computer. She taps her foot, and the van starts moving again. "This is the first and last time we will ever purposefully meet each other in-person, Seamus Dougherty."

"If that's how it has to be." Seamus gets up, opens the door way more forcefully than his body language suggests he should, and walks back into the van's main room.

The door to Silver's room slides open a bit. Silver looks out at him. Past her he can see glimpses of metal in winding patterns, and crisp clear water. Her expression is blank, but she's still clearly nervous, and not willing to step out of her room. She doesn't say anything.

Seamus drops to a squat and stares off into the distance. He isn't looking at anything, really.

"It's little enough," Silver says, audibly careful and cautious. "But. I am sorry. For a great many things."

"I'm sorry too. Not sure what for."

"Would giving you a gift make things better or worse?"

He shrugs.

Silver disappears from the door for a moment, and then she steps out. She pads over to him, cautiously, and lays a box with geometrically carved patterns in front of him. "If you take it, it is yours," she said, still slow and careful. "There are three things in there which might hurt you, but each is clearly labelled for what it might do, and the two which are quite dangerous are contained. The third has too little power for that. I would have given you Trust, as the third, but that... seemed unwise." She pauses, and inhales. "The process of opening it may be frustrating. I don't know if that might harm you. I have included no traps in its crafting."

Seamus very carefully slides the box into his backpack. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." Silver regards him solemnly. "You've hurt us greatly, but... I'm half-tempted to thank you for it. I wish you well." She turned and stepped away, heading to the couch.

A few hours pass, and Glory's voice is heard throughout the van like through an announcement speaker. "Spammer's removed. Now get the fuck out."

Seamus opens the door to outside the van. It was still driving, and currently breaking the speeding limit on a dark and busy highway. They were nowhere near Windsor.

Silver buried her face in her hands. "Glory. Glory."

Seamus sighs, tucks and rolls onto the freeway.

The van continues on driving, onto its next destination to Pendleton. Glory stays in her room for a good, long while, before finally exiting out. She quietly makes her way to the fridge.

"Fucking hell, Glory."

"Ca-can we not do this now?" There's a dead look in her eyes as she pulls a bottle of alcohol out of the fridge. "I-I th-think I n-need to be a-alone right now."

Silver looks at her, then sighs, shutting her eyes. There's a moment of hesitation, and then Silver stands, and pads patiently over to Glory. She reaches up and lays her hand on Glory's shoulder.

She flinches away from her touch. "N-no. Not to-tonight. Please, j-just leave me be." She opens the bottle, and begins to pour it all down her throat.

Silver... insists. One glove closes over Glory's shoulder. There's a tug, deep inside Glory; energy, power, it’s a free flow between the two, and Silver reverses it, sapping Glory's strength. Not for long; even like this, Glory's too stubborn for it to stay that way, not to mention the strength of their oaths. With her other hand, Silver just yanks the bottle from her hand and lets it drop.

When Silver shifts space in the demesne so that they skip the intervening steps between this room and Silver's room, Glory's greater claim on the demesne doesn't interfere.

Glory's hand opens and closes, as if trying to grasp on to some kind of phantom bottle. As tears begin to fall down her cheeks, Glory slowly begins to curl down and weep loudly, like a large toddler.

Silver tugs her onto Silver's bed and curls them up on the pillows, cradling Glory against her.

Throughout much of the night, Glory cries in her arms, until finally... silence.