"Ah, if it isn't our esteemed contact in the priesthood. All's well on the religious front, I trust?"
"Never been better."
"Mmn... yes. I'd suppose you have lovely chances to save souls as you send them on their merry way, to paradise or the inferno."
Bastard. And I'd thought his little toy was bad. Too witty for their own good. Nonetheless, I really am quite fond of living, and I know better than to bait the dandelion too much. "It's a unique opportunity for a man of the cloth."
"You know, I've got some good methods for getting bloodstains out of white," murmured the blue-maned man, examining his left hand idly. I know better than to rise to the occasion, but every time he says something my trigger finger twitches...
"Any particular reason you called, sir?" I say. It's so much fun forcing words out from between clenched teeth. Cigarettes make a good excuse for the tone. I smoke more than usual when I'm summoned.
"No, no... just wondering how my beloved sibling fairs."
"Miserably. If he wasn't such a pacifist he might well kill himself."
"Excellent." Knives smiled. He looks so damn much like his brother... only much more malicious. I find myself wanting to strangle him for the nth time today, and I just got here. What I wouldn't give for a can of weed spray.
Legato glances up at me and smirks. I wonder; is he reading my mind or my expressions? Or is he just being a bit stupid and grinning at me to try and set me on edge? In either case, it doesn't work. I'm already on edge, and everyone knows it. Now, everything depends on how well I can hide it.
I grind the cigarette out into the grass, smiling a little as Knives twitches. A new one, freshly arrived in its crumpled state from the dark depths of my pocket, and a match. As usual, I don't blow it out, just toss it behind me. Maybe one of these days I'll burn the place down.
Oops. Hehe.
"Tsk, tsk. Not good for you, Reverend. Bad for the lungs."
Yeah, I know, weed. Just like a bullet through the cranium's bad for migraine sufferers. If it annoys you, how bad can it be? "Allow me my little addictions. I can't see any real reason for it. And aren't I expendable anyway, as you're so fond of pointing out?"
"I'll be happy to expend you, Father." He grinned ferally at me again. You know, his predatory effect would be more effective if he didn't have screaming blue hair. It just makes him look cheap, I think.
"Legato." Knives sounded exasperated. My life has meaning again. "In any case, Reverend, won't you sit down and have some tea? I'd like to discuss... the usual business arrangements with you."
I ground out the cigarette on the closest tree and lit another. Wow, wow. Two twitches in one day.
Okay, so maybe my life ain't so bad after all