This is wonderful. The description of the bullet being taken out really sets the scene for the raw hurt that's clearly very much affecting both of them. I love how their usual bickering takes a bit of a philosophical and rather depressing turn. I especially love these lines.
‘Sadly for them, what they don’t know and I do is that you’re a cockroach. You survive any quantity of poison thrown your way and go skittering off into the darkness again.’
For some reason, the image feels like the tweezers beneath his skin, invasive and exposing and humiliating.
This description!!! Absolutely disgusting, it fits so perfectly with the mood of the moment. And its so on brand for Algy to compare him to a cockroach as a (extremely) backhanded compliment.
He chews the edge of his tongue. ‘There is no shame in survival. It is what we all strive for.’
‘Isn’t there? Somehow, I think if that were true you wouldn’t be so keen to tell me about it.’
Another phenomenal character moment for both of them.
‘Not if I can help it, no. Not much use to anyone if I’m dead. Funny, I always thought you were just waiting for a chance to die nobly, and it’s really put you out of joint that you’ve had to go on living.’ Algy ties off the bandages in a knot. ‘Or maybe you’re not that complicated. You’re just a coward like most men.’
This hits like a ton of bricks because it seems so plausible. With the kind of risks everyone (and especially EvS) has taken over the course of the series, a long life probably isn't something they've expected to deal with. With EvS, there's the added shame of constantly being on the losing side of history despite his talents and effort. He's just a broken shell of a man <<333. And then the implication of his cowardice, which I assume is probably the most offensive (and possibly true) thing someone could say to him, not to mention Algy is the one saying it, not to mention Algy just ripped a bullet out of him with hot tweezers, NOT TO MENTION Erich's just stooped low enough to deign to ask Algy for help in his desperation. This is so deliciously whump-y on so many levels, I want to pour your writing over ice and sip it morosely. Thank you for another absolute banger.
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momijizukamori
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Date: 2024-10-26 06:16 pm (UTC)This description!!! Absolutely disgusting, it fits so perfectly with the mood of the moment. And its so on brand for Algy to compare him to a cockroach as a (extremely) backhanded compliment.
Another phenomenal character moment for both of them.
‘Not if I can help it, no. Not much use to anyone if I’m dead. Funny, I always thought you were just waiting for a chance to die nobly, and it’s really put you out of joint that you’ve had to go on living.’ Algy ties off the bandages in a knot. ‘Or maybe you’re not that complicated. You’re just a coward like most men.’
This hits like a ton of bricks because it seems so plausible. With the kind of risks everyone (and especially EvS) has taken over the course of the series, a long life probably isn't something they've expected to deal with. With EvS, there's the added shame of constantly being on the losing side of history despite his talents and effort. He's just a broken shell of a man <<333. And then the implication of his cowardice, which I assume is probably the most offensive (and possibly true) thing someone could say to him, not to mention Algy is the one saying it, not to mention Algy just ripped a bullet out of him with hot tweezers, NOT TO MENTION Erich's just stooped low enough to deign to ask Algy for help in his desperation. This is so deliciously whump-y on so many levels, I want to pour your writing over ice and sip it morosely. Thank you for another absolute banger.