Isegrim/Lee; Sorry.
Isegrim
Lee
Lee apologizes to Ise, and Ise sighs over the streaking.
Lying on his bed, hands behind his head, Isegrim took a deep breath and tried to think of something to do. He hadn't been in the best of moods lately (he tried not to wonder why), and had become rather apathetic. The earth guardian was especially weary of leaving his room after the disaster that had been yesterday. It was always the mark of a bad day when being forced to run through a public area naked wasn't the worst part of it. From now on, he told himself, there should be a rule against playing truth or dare.
Another one of these... Saying something to Ise slouched-shouldered, tail-between-his-legs... the whole nine yards. Apologizing, this time, though he didn't want to. Not 'cause he didn't mean it, per se, just that he was embarrassed about having to. Yeah, yeah, he'd been an ass - even admitting it silently made him frown as he shuffled down the hallway - and he'd yelled and pitched a fit, etc. etc. Not that Sei hadn't too, but no one was telling HIM to apologize. He sighed loudly, stopping in front of Ise's door and scowling warily at it. He really didn't want to do this.
He reluctantly knocked twice and waited. "Ise?"
Speak of the devil... Isegrim's brow furrowed as he raised his voice, "Come in, Lee!" He pointedly ignored the shrill note he hit the boy's name on. He wasn't annoyed, no, his patience was infinite... wasn't it?
He came in with his hands in his pockets, lightly kicking the door shut with his foot as he usually did. "Hi." He fidgeted for a moment, standing there and staring awkwardly at Isegrim. "Uh. About yesterday..."
Oh, tell me about it... His mouth in a thin line, the blond kept his eyes locked on the ceiling. He had gladly taken his leave of Lee last night; sometimes he was just ridiculous, that boy. He and Sei had been butting horns for the hell of it and had practically woken the entire cathedral up. They had carried on like children and Isegrim had thanked Freya that there hadn't been anyone around to see how guardians behaved when not in public. They streak through dining halls. He could've kicked himself, but instead decided to just kick Lee if it came down to it. Maybe it would do him some good.
...he didn't say anything. Bad sign. He shifted from foot to foot, staring nervously at his silent friend. "Uh. I just wanted to. Um. Y'know, say I'm..." Pause. "I'm sorry. For bein' a dick." That'd help, wouldn't it? Insulting himself? Maybe... Ise seemed pretty pissed.
"Apology accepted," he sighed, though his expression didn't change. Isegrim was glad that Lee had apologized, he just wasn't ready to not be angry anymore. "Have you apologized to everyone else yet?" He didn't expect him to apologize to Sei until someone forced him too, but Sienna and Ciera deserved apologies more than he did. 'STAY THE FUCK OUT OF IT SIENNA!' They had just been trying to help and Lee had tried to pick fights with them, too.
Lee looked bewildered. "No..." Who else would he apologize to? Not Sei, that was for fucking sure... He frowned. Ise was still mad. Shit. "Not... not yet." Smooth cover, Lee.
"Why'd you come to me first, then? I'm used to putting up with you, after all," Isegrim tried to force a small smile as he spoke, but it came out crooked. "Ciera is, too, I've a feeling, but Sienna didn't deserve that. Neither did Sei. You dared him just to push his buttons. You said you'd forgiven him, Lee."
"Sienna's on Sei's side," Lee argued, immediately scowling. Sure, he'd said he'd forgive Sei, but only 'cause he felt bad for him at the time. He couldn't be pissed right after the guy got brainwashed, but they hadn't scrubbed the Asshole out of him, and so Lee's forgiveness had evaporated quickly. "And fuck yes Sei deserved it." He crossed his arms. Why was Ise being all nice to Sei all of a sudden? Fuckin' all of them were turning against him.
"Sienna isn't on anyone's side, she was just trying to sort things out. I'm not saying that you were wrong and Sei was right but... How would you have felt if he had dared you to kiss another man?" He really didn't feel like being Lee's therapist at the moment, but he figured that he might as well try to talk some sense into him. Besides, wasn't that all he was good for? Supporting everyone else? Might as well be helpful...
"That he was bein' an ass," Lee mumbled. "But-" His voice grew louder again. "I was just gettin' back at him for what he did to me n' Altair before! He deserved it. No one else did anything..." He glared down at the carpeting. That wasn't even a fair comparison. Sei was ALWAYS a jerk. Lee only was sometimes.
That wasn't a good way of looking at the situation. Lee needed to start growing up, he thought with a frown. "So are you going to get back at all of us for teasing you? Sei might have done the worst of it, but a lot of people were involved, including me. And should Seth get back at you for teasing him? What about Sienna? Or Marcine? You need to learn to deal with things in a healthier way, Lee. Everyone has to take some shit now and again. If everything is alright with you and Altair now, you should have let it go."
Lee's mouth moved to protest, but he couldn't think of an argument. But... "W-..." What Ise said made sense, he admitted grudgingly, and he resented it. He still wanted to say that it was different, that Sei's teasing was worse than all the others - and he felt this at least was truthful - but he knew Isegrim's argument still held sway. Goddammit. He said nothing, scowling at the floor.
"I get that it's sometimes hard to do, but... presumably, you'll spend most your life in the cathedral. So will Sei. So will the rest of us. At least try to be civil." That seemed like a good spot to end the lecture. To think Lee was only three years younger than him and he felt like his father. "Are you alright, though? I can see you're angry." Who couldn't? "But is anything else wrong?"
He plopped down onto the floor, sighing. "No. Just that." He thought, anyway. He couldn't remember anything else he'd fucked up on recently.
Well, that was a relief, at least. Drawing another deep breath, Isegrim smiled. "It's like I'm the one you come to confess to."
He looked up, managing a tiny grin. "Yeah, well, you're the nicest one."
He was? The blond's eyes widened in thought and he brought a hand down to scratch at his chin absently. "Mm? I am?" This was news to him.
Lee laughed. "Yeah! You didn't think so? You're like... like a grandma." With a giant pen- Ugh.
...a grandma. His expression immediately fell into a frown. He wasn't even a grandpa... Well, if one was so inclined, it could be a compliment. "Thanks, Lee. I do mt best. I'll be sure to start baking you pies and knitting socks for you."
Lee blinked. "Whoa, you can knit?" Awesome! He wanted more hats!
"No, Lee. It was a joke." Isegrim blinked slowly at the boy. For a moment he almost pitied Branwen.
His face fell. "Oh..." Damn. He'd have to buy them after all. Speaking of buying, he wondered if Ise remembered the money he still owed him for his shoes from like, a year ago... Better not bring it up! "Well you uh... wanna go hang out and get dinner?" he offered, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.
Biting his lower lip, the guardian tried to look as thoughtful as he could. "Hmmm..." Lee deserved to squirm a bit for all the grief he'd caused.
He stared hopefully. "W-well?" C'monnnn, Ise...
"'M not sure I can eat with you right now, Lee." His tone was very grave as he finally turned his eyes to the boy.
"O...oh. Okay," Lee mumbled, getting to his feet slowly and hanging his head. Geez, he'd apologized... And Ise had seemed happy a minute ago...
"I'm kidding!" he said with a grin, though he would've appreciated a bit more of a reaction from Lee. He'd never been very good at teasing people. Sigh. "I just hope no one brings up... yesterday in the cafeteria."
"Wh- Your yesterday or my yesterday?" he asked, recovering from his initial dismay almost immediately. His yesterday was loud, but Ise's was... well, naked.
"My yesterday," Isegrim sighed while climbing to his feet. Lee wasn't done living his yesterday down. Neither really was he but... he could hope.
"Well... who knows." Lee grinned. "Maybe ya scored some ladyfriends outta that one."
"I sincerely hope not," he said carefully, putting his hands into his pockets. Seeing Sienna's face as he ran by had been, to say the least, mortifying. At least he had succesfully rid her of any lingering feelings she might have had for him...
Lee
Lee apologizes to Ise, and Ise sighs over the streaking.
Lying on his bed, hands behind his head, Isegrim took a deep breath and tried to think of something to do. He hadn't been in the best of moods lately (he tried not to wonder why), and had become rather apathetic. The earth guardian was especially weary of leaving his room after the disaster that had been yesterday. It was always the mark of a bad day when being forced to run through a public area naked wasn't the worst part of it. From now on, he told himself, there should be a rule against playing truth or dare.
Another one of these... Saying something to Ise slouched-shouldered, tail-between-his-legs... the whole nine yards. Apologizing, this time, though he didn't want to. Not 'cause he didn't mean it, per se, just that he was embarrassed about having to. Yeah, yeah, he'd been an ass - even admitting it silently made him frown as he shuffled down the hallway - and he'd yelled and pitched a fit, etc. etc. Not that Sei hadn't too, but no one was telling HIM to apologize. He sighed loudly, stopping in front of Ise's door and scowling warily at it. He really didn't want to do this.
He reluctantly knocked twice and waited. "Ise?"
Speak of the devil... Isegrim's brow furrowed as he raised his voice, "Come in, Lee!" He pointedly ignored the shrill note he hit the boy's name on. He wasn't annoyed, no, his patience was infinite... wasn't it?
He came in with his hands in his pockets, lightly kicking the door shut with his foot as he usually did. "Hi." He fidgeted for a moment, standing there and staring awkwardly at Isegrim. "Uh. About yesterday..."
Oh, tell me about it... His mouth in a thin line, the blond kept his eyes locked on the ceiling. He had gladly taken his leave of Lee last night; sometimes he was just ridiculous, that boy. He and Sei had been butting horns for the hell of it and had practically woken the entire cathedral up. They had carried on like children and Isegrim had thanked Freya that there hadn't been anyone around to see how guardians behaved when not in public. They streak through dining halls. He could've kicked himself, but instead decided to just kick Lee if it came down to it. Maybe it would do him some good.
...he didn't say anything. Bad sign. He shifted from foot to foot, staring nervously at his silent friend. "Uh. I just wanted to. Um. Y'know, say I'm..." Pause. "I'm sorry. For bein' a dick." That'd help, wouldn't it? Insulting himself? Maybe... Ise seemed pretty pissed.
"Apology accepted," he sighed, though his expression didn't change. Isegrim was glad that Lee had apologized, he just wasn't ready to not be angry anymore. "Have you apologized to everyone else yet?" He didn't expect him to apologize to Sei until someone forced him too, but Sienna and Ciera deserved apologies more than he did. 'STAY THE FUCK OUT OF IT SIENNA!' They had just been trying to help and Lee had tried to pick fights with them, too.
Lee looked bewildered. "No..." Who else would he apologize to? Not Sei, that was for fucking sure... He frowned. Ise was still mad. Shit. "Not... not yet." Smooth cover, Lee.
"Why'd you come to me first, then? I'm used to putting up with you, after all," Isegrim tried to force a small smile as he spoke, but it came out crooked. "Ciera is, too, I've a feeling, but Sienna didn't deserve that. Neither did Sei. You dared him just to push his buttons. You said you'd forgiven him, Lee."
"Sienna's on Sei's side," Lee argued, immediately scowling. Sure, he'd said he'd forgive Sei, but only 'cause he felt bad for him at the time. He couldn't be pissed right after the guy got brainwashed, but they hadn't scrubbed the Asshole out of him, and so Lee's forgiveness had evaporated quickly. "And fuck yes Sei deserved it." He crossed his arms. Why was Ise being all nice to Sei all of a sudden? Fuckin' all of them were turning against him.
"Sienna isn't on anyone's side, she was just trying to sort things out. I'm not saying that you were wrong and Sei was right but... How would you have felt if he had dared you to kiss another man?" He really didn't feel like being Lee's therapist at the moment, but he figured that he might as well try to talk some sense into him. Besides, wasn't that all he was good for? Supporting everyone else? Might as well be helpful...
"That he was bein' an ass," Lee mumbled. "But-" His voice grew louder again. "I was just gettin' back at him for what he did to me n' Altair before! He deserved it. No one else did anything..." He glared down at the carpeting. That wasn't even a fair comparison. Sei was ALWAYS a jerk. Lee only was sometimes.
That wasn't a good way of looking at the situation. Lee needed to start growing up, he thought with a frown. "So are you going to get back at all of us for teasing you? Sei might have done the worst of it, but a lot of people were involved, including me. And should Seth get back at you for teasing him? What about Sienna? Or Marcine? You need to learn to deal with things in a healthier way, Lee. Everyone has to take some shit now and again. If everything is alright with you and Altair now, you should have let it go."
Lee's mouth moved to protest, but he couldn't think of an argument. But... "W-..." What Ise said made sense, he admitted grudgingly, and he resented it. He still wanted to say that it was different, that Sei's teasing was worse than all the others - and he felt this at least was truthful - but he knew Isegrim's argument still held sway. Goddammit. He said nothing, scowling at the floor.
"I get that it's sometimes hard to do, but... presumably, you'll spend most your life in the cathedral. So will Sei. So will the rest of us. At least try to be civil." That seemed like a good spot to end the lecture. To think Lee was only three years younger than him and he felt like his father. "Are you alright, though? I can see you're angry." Who couldn't? "But is anything else wrong?"
He plopped down onto the floor, sighing. "No. Just that." He thought, anyway. He couldn't remember anything else he'd fucked up on recently.
Well, that was a relief, at least. Drawing another deep breath, Isegrim smiled. "It's like I'm the one you come to confess to."
He looked up, managing a tiny grin. "Yeah, well, you're the nicest one."
He was? The blond's eyes widened in thought and he brought a hand down to scratch at his chin absently. "Mm? I am?" This was news to him.
Lee laughed. "Yeah! You didn't think so? You're like... like a grandma." With a giant pen- Ugh.
...a grandma. His expression immediately fell into a frown. He wasn't even a grandpa... Well, if one was so inclined, it could be a compliment. "Thanks, Lee. I do mt best. I'll be sure to start baking you pies and knitting socks for you."
Lee blinked. "Whoa, you can knit?" Awesome! He wanted more hats!
"No, Lee. It was a joke." Isegrim blinked slowly at the boy. For a moment he almost pitied Branwen.
His face fell. "Oh..." Damn. He'd have to buy them after all. Speaking of buying, he wondered if Ise remembered the money he still owed him for his shoes from like, a year ago... Better not bring it up! "Well you uh... wanna go hang out and get dinner?" he offered, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.
Biting his lower lip, the guardian tried to look as thoughtful as he could. "Hmmm..." Lee deserved to squirm a bit for all the grief he'd caused.
He stared hopefully. "W-well?" C'monnnn, Ise...
"'M not sure I can eat with you right now, Lee." His tone was very grave as he finally turned his eyes to the boy.
"O...oh. Okay," Lee mumbled, getting to his feet slowly and hanging his head. Geez, he'd apologized... And Ise had seemed happy a minute ago...
"I'm kidding!" he said with a grin, though he would've appreciated a bit more of a reaction from Lee. He'd never been very good at teasing people. Sigh. "I just hope no one brings up... yesterday in the cafeteria."
"Wh- Your yesterday or my yesterday?" he asked, recovering from his initial dismay almost immediately. His yesterday was loud, but Ise's was... well, naked.
"My yesterday," Isegrim sighed while climbing to his feet. Lee wasn't done living his yesterday down. Neither really was he but... he could hope.
"Well... who knows." Lee grinned. "Maybe ya scored some ladyfriends outta that one."
"I sincerely hope not," he said carefully, putting his hands into his pockets. Seeing Sienna's face as he ran by had been, to say the least, mortifying. At least he had succesfully rid her of any lingering feelings she might have had for him...