[ Mm... yep, there it is. Not that there'd ever really been much doubt about that outcome since he'd first heard that "soul bridge" rumor fifteen years ago, but somehow it still hits unexpectedly hard to have confirmation that everything he'd ever done had been for fucking nothing.
And that's what this is — as much as he hates Julius, he knows him better than anyone, and he knows he's too boring to bother making something like this up just to mess with someone. And as nice as it would be to be able to pretend he could somehow change that outcome himself if he went back, they're both from the prime dimension. If Julius is from a later point in time than he is, then it's already set in stone. He's stubborn enough to spend more than a decade fighting a near-certain losing battle, but he's not an idiot.
Maybe the most offensive part of this is that even his last ditch backup plan — if one could even call it that — had apparently been a failure. If a loss had been inevitable, he would have at least tried to make sure Ludger killed him so that Bisley couldn't. Had Ludger seen through that, or had he just pitied him and thought that he was doing him some kind of favor by letting him live?
Classic Kresnik, honestly. Can't even let him have his one last fuck-you to the world.
He stares straight ahead, over the hospital bed in the center of the room, at some unremarkable spot on the wall opposite him.
[ Maybe if this was fifteen years ago, this would've been way more of a relief than it is. But it's hard to take anything about this as a victory, even a pyrrhic one. ]
I don't know what happened. Ludger didn't say what went on between you two. It seemed like they didn't know how it got to that point.
[ Even if he knew about the soul bridge then, it felt out of character for Ludger to be willing to let that happen, even to someone he was at odds with. He was still soft, even after everything. ]
[ There's a soft scoff at that. He doubts they'd given it much thought at all. ]
Of course not. Just like a Kresnik, if you ask me.
[ Which nobody did, but isn't that exactly the point?
With his back against the wall, he briefly looks up at the ceiling, then closes his eyes and exhales.
Well. He got what he came for, and while there are other things they should probably discuss, he's not really in the mood for it. He's also not in the mood for whatever half-assed sympathy the New, Softer Julius might pretend to have for him, so... after a few moments, he steps away from the wall, smoothing his hair and doing his damnedest to look unaffected. ]
Figures I'd get this news in a place without a single proper bar around.
[ He frowns at the Kresnik comment, squinting at him, but doesn't say anything. He probably isn't wrong to a point, though that's probably more of his fault than anything else.
Not that it particularly matters, right now.
It takes a few moments after Rideaux complains about the lack of an actual bar around before Julius also pushes off the wall, rubbing his left arm. ]
True, but I did see some at the mart that's relatively cheap, if you can stomach lowering your standards for a few hours.
[ He is absolutely not offering to pay, though. He might feel bad, but he's not being that friendly. ]
[ Rideaux doesn't exactly look thrilled by that suggestion — even at his lowest point he'd usually been able to cajole some loose-moraled adult into getting him something a little nicer than convenience store beer or whatever they're selling here — but apparently this is just his existence now, so why the fuck not. ]
I suppose that's better than nothing.
[ When he notices he's not the only one taking a step toward the door, though, he pauses and turns back, raising his eyebrows. ]
I'm sorry, were you planning on coming with me, or are you just that eager to lock me out?
[ The door closes on Julius because he takes a second too long with his jacket, but he's out right after. He shoots a sharp glare at the mention of Ludger. ]
I was actually thinking of starting up again, now that you mention it.
[ Before Rideaux can fire off another retort, Julius pushes past him and turns the corner and heads for the way out. ]
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no subject
And that's what this is — as much as he hates Julius, he knows him better than anyone, and he knows he's too boring to bother making something like this up just to mess with someone. And as nice as it would be to be able to pretend he could somehow change that outcome himself if he went back, they're both from the prime dimension. If Julius is from a later point in time than he is, then it's already set in stone. He's stubborn enough to spend more than a decade fighting a near-certain losing battle, but he's not an idiot.
Maybe the most offensive part of this is that even his last ditch backup plan — if one could even call it that — had apparently been a failure. If a loss had been inevitable, he would have at least tried to make sure Ludger killed him so that Bisley couldn't. Had Ludger seen through that, or had he just pitied him and thought that he was doing him some kind of favor by letting him live?
Classic Kresnik, honestly. Can't even let him have his one last fuck-you to the world.
He stares straight ahead, over the hospital bed in the center of the room, at some unremarkable spot on the wall opposite him.
God. ]
Well. Congratulations, then.
no subject
I don't know what happened. Ludger didn't say what went on between you two. It seemed like they didn't know how it got to that point.
[ Even if he knew about the soul bridge then, it felt out of character for Ludger to be willing to let that happen, even to someone he was at odds with. He was still soft, even after everything. ]
no subject
Of course not. Just like a Kresnik, if you ask me.
[ Which nobody did, but isn't that exactly the point?
With his back against the wall, he briefly looks up at the ceiling, then closes his eyes and exhales.
Well. He got what he came for, and while there are other things they should probably discuss, he's not really in the mood for it. He's also not in the mood for whatever half-assed sympathy the New, Softer Julius might pretend to have for him, so... after a few moments, he steps away from the wall, smoothing his hair and doing his damnedest to look unaffected. ]
Figures I'd get this news in a place without a single proper bar around.
no subject
Not that it particularly matters, right now.
It takes a few moments after Rideaux complains about the lack of an actual bar around before Julius also pushes off the wall, rubbing his left arm. ]
True, but I did see some at the mart that's relatively cheap, if you can stomach lowering your standards for a few hours.
[ He is absolutely not offering to pay, though. He might feel bad, but he's not being that friendly. ]
no subject
I suppose that's better than nothing.
[ When he notices he's not the only one taking a step toward the door, though, he pauses and turns back, raising his eyebrows. ]
I'm sorry, were you planning on coming with me, or are you just that eager to lock me out?
no subject
[ He sighs, moving to grab his jacket off the rack and slip it on. ]
no subject
[ He continues to the door, then, though he doesn't bother holding it open behind him for more than a few seconds. ]
I'm sure you must be pretty hard up for a night out after all those years of babysitting.
no subject
I was actually thinking of starting up again, now that you mention it.
[ Before Rideaux can fire off another retort, Julius pushes past him and turns the corner and heads for the way out. ]