(no subject)

[lastgunslinger]

Roland's standing under the stairs in the cargo bay, by the weight bench. His back is to the door. He's looking into the infirmary...or looking inward, maybe.

Comments

[lastgunslinger]

"How'd you get it?"

It's almost abrupt.

[aj_crawley]

His fingers drift up to it again.

"Tet. Anonymous donations, you know? Had to go myself once. Jumpy new recruit caught me polishing my sunglasses," a vague gesture indicating Crowley's slitted eyes, "thought I was a can-toi."

He snorts at the memory, shaking his head.

"Wouldn't've scarred, only they caught on a while back that sometimes my lot and Blue Sun work together - short-term goals're the same, sometimes. Started soaking their bullets in holy water."

Good thing I'm fast, he doesn't say.

[lastgunslinger]

He doesn't have to say it.

Quietly: "Say sorry. Ought to have known better than to turn out someone as green as that, though I gather Tet's not as established in this 'verse as in the other."

[aj_crawley]

"Well, was a routine drop and collection, not a raid or anything."

Pause.

"Almost wet himself when he figured it out."

[lastgunslinger]

Roland snorts. "Don't suppose he'll be making that mistake again."

[aj_crawley]

"Good old Karl. Still, we were all young once. Er, in a manner of speaking."

[lastgunslinger]

"Karl."

Flat disbelief.

And a pause.

"...makes sense. He was the one who greeted us on Taschen. And he was there on Praxed. Said he'd gotten a promotion. Still young. Don't think he understands what it's all about, really."

[aj_crawley]

He hmphs quietly.

"'Spose it's just hard to wrap your head around the concept of, you know, all the universes ending. I mean... you can understand it on a... theoretical level. But it'd be hard to really comprehend, you know? Was difficult for me to believe the Apocalypse was coming until it was almost on top of us."

[lastgunslinger]

Roland nods. "Aye. Had to convince a few folken of it in the bar." Pause. "Karl told us he joined up to get his brother out of the Academy. To do what he could."

[aj_crawley]

A short silence.

"I didn't know."

[lastgunslinger]

Without any humor at all:

"One does what one can."