Angus opened and closed his mouth a few times to argue before sitting back down. He swivelled around in his seat and sulked, "Let me go back to my room, Merle."

"I will when you stop going off like a bugbear with a bee sting. Or a little bear as the big guy would say." Merle said. "Your feelings are valid, but Pan, you are an angsty kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Angus snaps. "I'm seventeen in three months! And I'm as tall as most of the human adults. so not so little anymore!"

"Angsty teen then! Gods and Pans sake, you're worse than my two." Merle scoffed.

Then laughed, "Since when did you care so much what people thought of you? around your family? The world knows we're arseholes! Brilliant too but boy, we sure have fucked up a lot."

"I don't. I don't care." Angus insisted and wiped his face. His eyes are leaking again. Traitors. Another breath.
Turning back to Merle he started, "at least I didn't think I did. But today-! Gah. Today? Fuck!"

Angus stands and starts to pace again. Abet slower this time, more to ground himself.

"Today? Taako? He's taken it too far." Angus tried to explain. "Someone got hurt, a lot of others got scared. Probably cost a lot in replacement drink orders. Mrs Cosie doesn't take it out of our wages like fantasy Starbucks would have? But still. One of the trainees probably thinks I lied to her because I held out on saying I knew Taako. Dale's cross with me. Florence is going to freak. And possibly kick my ass next time she sees me on the quad. The others are going to be annoyed or nervous to come into work. And we ran out of milk at one point! Okay. That isn't exactly Taako's fault, as such? We just used a lot making all those extra drinks. But it's always a pain when that happens." Angus said.

"I'm more annoyed that he keeps coming into the shop when I asked him to stop…"

Merle huffed. "Pfft, like Taako ever does what he's told?"

"I know. But I told him not to. It wasn't funny the first time when he showed up, he was really rude and he broke his promise. And I like that job. I really do but everyone…"
Angus stopped and sighed, "I'm sorry Merle I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Damn right you ort to be!" Merle said. "Kidding, kiddo, Kidding. You didn't kill me or set me on fire. If yelling in parley lets you blow off steam in a healthy way, then I'm all for it."

Angus chuckles and wipes his face again. Merle doesn't mention it but a box of tissues and a jug of punch appears on the table. He pours out two glasses and hands one to Angus. It doesn't feel quite solid in his hand, but it tastes okay.

"Thanks…and? Thanks for listening, sir. If everyone's bummed out How's the party?" Angus asked, "I'm sorry for ruining it-."

"Hey!" Merle cuts him off. "Stop that there. You haven't ruined anything, quit apologising right now."

"But-?"

"Ah!" Merle is suddenly on his feet on top of the picnic bench, a finger in Angus's face and a big scowl on his own.

There's a part in the story that's often overlooked. Merle is the peacekeeper, sure. That doesn't mean he has no authority, or he'll take shit from just anybody. That he won't get mad or call out horse shit when he hears it.

Angus slowly sits back down. Merle slowly sits back down too. And clears his throat.

"It's a quiet one. In number I mean not just cos- well you know. The dryads couldn't make it this time, same with the bugbears." He grumbles, pulling on his beard and redoing one of the elastics.

"The Moon team are heading home soon anyway so I think it's going to wind up early. No one's really in the mood for a party-party Party. It's a chill session if anything? Which to be completely honest is what some of them needed anyway. Everyone's either sitting on the beach watching the water or bonfire. Or in the bar with Mookie, watching reruns of Goldcliff races."
"Sweet flips look beat, been all day on some site or other. And 'Cretia's got a meeting with some brass at stupid o'clock in the morning tomorrow about another orphanage. Barry says him, Lup, and Kravitz were out all night. and most of the day as well, tracking a bounty and haven't had a long rest yet themselves."

This from the guy who used to try getting everyone up to dance at the end of the world, a world going up in war.

"So I think everyone was a little ratty anyway to begin with before- well all that. But like I told Dav a bunch of times, if you don't feel in the mood for partying right now, I've party points to spare. What's worse, eh? You staying where you are and taking a breather? Or coming out and saying something you'll later regret? Especially if you're still mad at Taako."

"I think I already said stuff I regret." Angus said. He put his head in his hands again. Tears prick his eyes again too. Angus starts counting on his fingers. "To him. Lup and Krav? And Magnus. Lucretia and the bureau squad. Like I know I apologised to those four, but it was still bad? I mean that's like half of everyone I know?! They're my family and I- OW!"

Merle has stood back on the bench. He had also taken off his wooden arm, lent forward, and used it to box Angus upside the head. Not hard. A little one.

"I didn't think you could hurt people in parley!?" Angus gapped.

"Yeah well, neither did I." Merle said. "But apparently little slaps are allowed."

"That wasn't little!" Angus argued. Merle ignored him.

"For a detective you're being a real dummy! Them bozo's put their foot in. They love you but come on kid. You know we're all dumb as shit at times. No More Apologising!" he said, emphasising each word with another jab. "What Taako did was shitty, and his behaviour had consequences that kept getting you in trouble."

"So don't worry about the party. Or the actual adults. Have you eaten yet?"

Angus shook his head.

"I'll get Lup to send you over a burger or two. Well, if there's one that she hasn't burnt to a crisp."

"Thanks." Angus said, his voice breaking to a squeak.

"You're welcome." Merle said, sitting back and belting his arm into place.

"Mavis is banned from watching Fantasy drag race, by the way. For another two weeks." He added, fumbling with the strap, "after that incident with giving out your stone number the other day? I don't care if her friend put her up to it. I told her "Sweetheart that was not what we do". Don't say I never parent."

"I never said you didn't! … wait does Mavis even like drag race still?" Angus asked. "I thought she stopped watching it after Rude Paul made her favourite queen cry last season?"

"Huh?... well shit." Merle frowned. Then shrugged. "oh well I tried. I really mean it though; I Hope it goes okay with your boss tomorrow. Are you gonna be okay?"
"Yeah. I hope I will be." Angus smiled. "Thanks… Earl Merle."

"You're welcome, Angus Mc…maac McNerdDonald!" Merle said.

"That really the best you could do sir?"

"Shove it." Merle chuckled. "I'll let you get back to whatever it is you students do nowadays. Mind how you go as Pan says."

"I will. Goodnight, sir." Angus said. He can see his room coming back taking shape around them.

"Night." Merle wished, his voice already sounding far away. "And hey kid?"

"Yeah?" Angus asked, looking back at him.

Merle flipped him off. "Made you look!"