Interlude: The Next Step
December 7, 2001
a Rome, Italy
When Schuldig Portaled into Farfarello's Roman apartment, Farfarello did indeed look like he wanted to have a chat, just as Schu had felt. Could a telepathic link really cross realities and time zones? He didn't let any of his surprise and disquiet show on his face.
"Good," Farfarello said. "I felt and thought really hard at you."
"As long as you didn't rupture anything. Actually, I just felt like showing up." Liar. Hopefully Red wouldn't catch that. "What's on your mind? And do make sure to stay on the other side of the room." Schu refused to sit on the bed for similar reasons.
Farfarello's gleeful grin looked horribly sharp. "Are you sure you won't let me stroke you? It's been over a month since I last saw you." He sat on the bed, while Schu leaned against the wall facing him, making sure they had distance between them.
"If you're going to say something important, I want all my faculties sharp for it. I refuse to be manipulated." Not again. "Also, I'm not doing a Christmas massacre with you this year. I have prior engagements."
"That's part of what I want to talk about. I'm growing bored of them."
"You're kidding me." Schuldig couldn't imagine Farfarello's bloodlust or hatred of Christians ever dimming.
"No, I'm not kidding. I've been feasting for over two years on the prey your actions against the pope left for me. So much prey."
"I know. I killed some of them with you."
"Good times." Farfarello closed his eye and smiled as he thought about it. Then he opened it and looked more serious. "I hunted Rome out. I've had to go to other countries to keep killing."
"So move. I know this place has some good memories but--"
"The quality of the prey has changed. Between us we've scared a lot of people off that religion of lies. It makes prey scarcer. And the prey left--" Red made a disgusted face. "They throw themselves at my knives, hoping for martyrdom, sick bastards. I've had my fill of the dregs left. I've had more than my fill of the whole thing, actually. Over two years! I never thought I could become overstuffed this way."
Trying to follow the weave of Farfarello's darting, tangled thoughts got Schuldig nowhere, so he asked, "You're done with all killing? I find that hard to believe."
"That's because I'm not. I've been doing some jobs for and with Crawford. They've lost their savour though. I feel that my work here is finished." He turned a sweet, almost flirtatious smile on Schu. "I want to go to your reality and work there, brand new."
Holy shit. "No. No no no no." This was a disaster, and he probably should have seen it coming. "There's no way you can go on a killing spree in my reality. I don't believe in shitting where I live. Where I live." He braced himself for a physical attack.
Red took it better than Schuldig expected. "I told you that I've had my fill. I've slaughtered enough sheep in the past two years to sate me. I want to work with you, even the jobs without wetwork."
So Red had taken it well because he still thought he'd get what he wanted. Damn it.
"I work for Crawford. Do you think the Crawford in my reality is any less hard-assed than yours? Hell no. He'd want you on a tight leash. You haven't been on one in ages. We've also had trouble with Farfarellos."
"They're both dead now. Have been for years from what you told me. I also have more self-control than you realize. Though you must know I can control myself since you've brought me over before and I behaved myself."
"I live with Crawford. And sleep with him."
"You still retain your own apartment and other lovers, as he's well aware. As I'm well aware."
"He's aware that you can overwhelm me at times and lead me into things against my better judgement. Things have been going smoothly with him lately. I also don't want to work with you; I come here to get away from work!"
"I can separate work from pleasure when I need to. I'll give you time to think about it and present it to Crawford. Give me a chance to prove myself. I want to be with you."
"How many languages do I have to say, 'No,' in? You're not good for me in large doses. That's why I don't spend a lot of time here." Why did his taste in men suck so hard?
Red's face twisted up with anger. "Don't you dare dismiss me so quickly. Don't you dare P--"
Not wanting this to end in a brawl or sex or both, Schuldig Portaled away as soon as Farfarello stood up. With how flustered he felt, he'd gone to his bedroom in his own apartment instead of his bedroom in Crawford's, feeling more secure here. He let himself fall backward onto his bed and tried to slow his heart and thoughts and get through the rush of adrenaline.
He should have seen this coming. They'd been working up to this for a while. When he put himself in Red's place, he couldn't even blame Red for wanting more, though he could damned well blame him for being so overbearing about getting it.
Schu didn't want him in Schwarz, and Crawford probably wouldn't either. Red might be a damned good killer, but he chafed at restrictions and was clearheaded enough to be smarter and slier about getting things than the Farfarello of Schu's reality had been. Much more likely to prey on Schuldig's weaknesses by providing sex too. Staying away more often had forced Red to work more openly and make his demands faster.
Schu really wished he could just never go back to Red ever, but that felt too cowardly, which was stupid because who would judge him for it? Only himself, and that was the problem.
Also, he kind of felt Red deserved something from him. They'd had a lot of good times together, and it wasn't like Schu had played with him without knowing he was a scorpion. Getting pissy at him for being a scorpion felt foolish.
Life had been so much easier when he hadn't cared about anybody.
Plus, he felt occasional small telepathic twitches of Red wanting him to come back.
Damn it. He couldn't leave things this way and would have to think of what to do to let him live with himself and stop Red from jabbing him.
a Rome, Italy
When Schuldig Portaled into Farfarello's Roman apartment, Farfarello did indeed look like he wanted to have a chat, just as Schu had felt. Could a telepathic link really cross realities and time zones? He didn't let any of his surprise and disquiet show on his face.
"Good," Farfarello said. "I felt and thought really hard at you."
"As long as you didn't rupture anything. Actually, I just felt like showing up." Liar. Hopefully Red wouldn't catch that. "What's on your mind? And do make sure to stay on the other side of the room." Schu refused to sit on the bed for similar reasons.
Farfarello's gleeful grin looked horribly sharp. "Are you sure you won't let me stroke you? It's been over a month since I last saw you." He sat on the bed, while Schu leaned against the wall facing him, making sure they had distance between them.
"If you're going to say something important, I want all my faculties sharp for it. I refuse to be manipulated." Not again. "Also, I'm not doing a Christmas massacre with you this year. I have prior engagements."
"That's part of what I want to talk about. I'm growing bored of them."
"You're kidding me." Schuldig couldn't imagine Farfarello's bloodlust or hatred of Christians ever dimming.
"No, I'm not kidding. I've been feasting for over two years on the prey your actions against the pope left for me. So much prey."
"I know. I killed some of them with you."
"Good times." Farfarello closed his eye and smiled as he thought about it. Then he opened it and looked more serious. "I hunted Rome out. I've had to go to other countries to keep killing."
"So move. I know this place has some good memories but--"
"The quality of the prey has changed. Between us we've scared a lot of people off that religion of lies. It makes prey scarcer. And the prey left--" Red made a disgusted face. "They throw themselves at my knives, hoping for martyrdom, sick bastards. I've had my fill of the dregs left. I've had more than my fill of the whole thing, actually. Over two years! I never thought I could become overstuffed this way."
Trying to follow the weave of Farfarello's darting, tangled thoughts got Schuldig nowhere, so he asked, "You're done with all killing? I find that hard to believe."
"That's because I'm not. I've been doing some jobs for and with Crawford. They've lost their savour though. I feel that my work here is finished." He turned a sweet, almost flirtatious smile on Schu. "I want to go to your reality and work there, brand new."
Holy shit. "No. No no no no." This was a disaster, and he probably should have seen it coming. "There's no way you can go on a killing spree in my reality. I don't believe in shitting where I live. Where I live." He braced himself for a physical attack.
Red took it better than Schuldig expected. "I told you that I've had my fill. I've slaughtered enough sheep in the past two years to sate me. I want to work with you, even the jobs without wetwork."
So Red had taken it well because he still thought he'd get what he wanted. Damn it.
"I work for Crawford. Do you think the Crawford in my reality is any less hard-assed than yours? Hell no. He'd want you on a tight leash. You haven't been on one in ages. We've also had trouble with Farfarellos."
"They're both dead now. Have been for years from what you told me. I also have more self-control than you realize. Though you must know I can control myself since you've brought me over before and I behaved myself."
"I live with Crawford. And sleep with him."
"You still retain your own apartment and other lovers, as he's well aware. As I'm well aware."
"He's aware that you can overwhelm me at times and lead me into things against my better judgement. Things have been going smoothly with him lately. I also don't want to work with you; I come here to get away from work!"
"I can separate work from pleasure when I need to. I'll give you time to think about it and present it to Crawford. Give me a chance to prove myself. I want to be with you."
"How many languages do I have to say, 'No,' in? You're not good for me in large doses. That's why I don't spend a lot of time here." Why did his taste in men suck so hard?
Red's face twisted up with anger. "Don't you dare dismiss me so quickly. Don't you dare P--"
Not wanting this to end in a brawl or sex or both, Schuldig Portaled away as soon as Farfarello stood up. With how flustered he felt, he'd gone to his bedroom in his own apartment instead of his bedroom in Crawford's, feeling more secure here. He let himself fall backward onto his bed and tried to slow his heart and thoughts and get through the rush of adrenaline.
He should have seen this coming. They'd been working up to this for a while. When he put himself in Red's place, he couldn't even blame Red for wanting more, though he could damned well blame him for being so overbearing about getting it.
Schu didn't want him in Schwarz, and Crawford probably wouldn't either. Red might be a damned good killer, but he chafed at restrictions and was clearheaded enough to be smarter and slier about getting things than the Farfarello of Schu's reality had been. Much more likely to prey on Schuldig's weaknesses by providing sex too. Staying away more often had forced Red to work more openly and make his demands faster.
Schu really wished he could just never go back to Red ever, but that felt too cowardly, which was stupid because who would judge him for it? Only himself, and that was the problem.
Also, he kind of felt Red deserved something from him. They'd had a lot of good times together, and it wasn't like Schu had played with him without knowing he was a scorpion. Getting pissy at him for being a scorpion felt foolish.
Life had been so much easier when he hadn't cared about anybody.
Plus, he felt occasional small telepathic twitches of Red wanting him to come back.
Damn it. He couldn't leave things this way and would have to think of what to do to let him live with himself and stop Red from jabbing him.