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[cobbledtogetherenvy]

[No recording. Envy doesn't want to talk to any stupid humans.]

Comments

[choosetoforget]

[Daniel is polite and proper. He does not curse unless the moment calls for it. This moment calls for it.]

Goddammit.

Well, what can you do about it? Did Trevor get rid of his?

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

Probably made nice with some other warden. They like him, remember? He's got the same kind of hero delusions they like.

[They've talked about this before. Why have they talked about this? He should be protecting the useful human, not chatting with him. Ugh.]

I'll have to experiment. If it's just physical violence that's the trigger, there's always poison and accidents.

[choosetoforget]

I have some laudanum left, if that would help. It is what I used to subdue Elias.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

Could be a good start. I want to figure out the limits, first. It doesn't help if I turn untouchable and drop it on the floor before I'm anywhere near his morning coffee.

[choosetoforget]

I'll still give you want I have. The infirmary gave me a substitute.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

I'm sure there'll be some use for it. Do you want to go back to escorts again? If it's the same rules as the big guy, I can probably still fight if someone attacks you.

[Or, if not, he can go crying to the wardens at large. It wouldn't do Daniel any permanent harm, and might get them out of this. Just covering his bases here.]

[choosetoforget]

No. I don't think he will outright attack me.

But you should figure out what you can and cannot do.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

How much laudanum do you have?

[choosetoforget]

About a quarter of a bottle. Two ounces or so.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

It just seems like the easiest way to experiment. But I don't want to use it all up.

[choosetoforget]

It's yours to do with as you wish. But I have some requests. Don't experiment on my warden, Connor, Crozier, Tim Stoker, Sweeney, Gonou, or B. Please? They help keep me safe, too.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

[Sweeny seems both useful and dangerous. Gonou potentially the same. The rest he either doesn't care about or can't place, but he's not feeling quite sullen enough to target them just to show Daniel he can. Yet.]

I'll find someone else.

[choosetoforget]

Thank you.

[And they might also be people he knows can take care of themselves. He's not dumb enough to drop names of people like himself.]

I'll see you soon.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

[Envy turns up promptly for the goods and knocks, determined to be efficient about this. He's being practical and effective and maybe having a little fun at someone's expense later. Daniel is just an asset to protect, no different from the sacrifices of days past.]

[choosetoforget]

[Daniel answers the door and, upon seeing Envy, he retrieves the remainder of the laudanum and hands it over to him.]

You didn't get this from me.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

Of course not.

[Short and snappish. Nothing in Envy's behavior to Daniel has resembled anything a human might call affection in the past, but he's aware of the possibility of it being interpreted that way now. So. Watchful.]

If it comes up I'll say I stole it.

[choosetoforget]

[Daniel frowns. He didn't consider Envy a friend - not in the sense that he considered most of his other people friends - but Envy had been kind to him, in his own way. This sudden change is a little jarring. Daniel just chalks it up to his annoyance at being punished without being told.]

Good luck.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

When I get to the new one. You just need him dead, or scared?

[choosetoforget]

[He hesitates.]

Please don't kill him.

[He would absolutely get in trouble if Envy killed someone else. But that's the only stipulation.]

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

[He makes a show of rolling his eyes, just to let Daniel know he's being unreasonable. And he does not mention that killing him was absolutely the plan earlier. The kid would be dead already if not for Envy's little ghost problem.]

You want to keep playing nice and repentant with your warden, fine, but if you let that get under your skin and start believing it, this won't work. Me roughing up some human and not implicating you at all means there's no connection for them to make. The best he'll be is scared in general if your name's completely out of it.

[choosetoforget]

I don't care if you use my name. I know I will get in trouble no matter what.

But I would rather you not kill him on principle.

[He shrugs.]

I don't want to be a victim here any longer.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

[Fine. They're agreed. And he can respect that.]

Once I figure out what my limits are, I can work within them. There are plenty of ways to hurt people without just punching them.

[choosetoforget]

[He nods.]

If that's what you wish. Thank you, Envy.

[cobbledtogetherenvy]

Just don't do anything stupid until then.

[And he spins on his heel to go.]