imperious | dark is the new black

Self awareness never was your strong point.

Projection is a dangerous habit, Your Majesty.

Hey, maybe I was wrong. You might be better at self awareness than I thought.

[Jade crouches down and really looks at Peony, and when he does, he smiles.] Well. I was expecting a fair few things in common.

Permission to make a query? Your Majesty.

[he stares back at Jade curiously, and for the first time, he truly feels unsettled, but he smiles to hide it]

Go for it.

[Jade continues to smile, watching him. It has been said that Jade is a cold person. Certainly, his eyes aren't any warmer for their redness. And watching Peony--looking at him--he is unfeeling now, the data coming to him like numbers to a machine.]

You mentioned the Professor. It wasn't in ignorance. Tell me about Keterberg. And tell me what happened after.

[The smile is as bright as icicles.] And please, Your Majesty, don't concern yourself with sparing my sensitive feelings. I know you wouldn't want to hurt me by bringing up painful experiences, but I think I can manage to suffer through it.

[his smile fades, and he pauses, before he recites the facts the same way he would read a new proposal set before his cabinet] You and Saphir were reckless, you played with artes you couldn't handle, and you burned down the Professor's house. You spent the next few years being an idiot and trying to resurrect her, before I pounded some sense into your head.

Anything else?

[Nothing wavers.] A poor effort. Try again.

[irritated and genuinely confused] I don't know what else you want. You asked me what happened with the Professor and I told you.

No, Franz. I asked you about Keterberg. Professor Nebilim was important. Yet even she wasn't everything.

[he frowns, rolling his eyes, before he recites off facts again] I was moved to Keterberg after all that succession stuff started. You managed to break into my mansion. I snuck around with you guys for a couple years and ended up attending school with you, too. I used the name Franz, which you obviously know. Then the Professor died, you were adopted by the Curtiss family, and you and Saphir went off to military school. I tried to keep in contact with you, but you got annoyed when I told you that fomicry was a bad idea. I didn't start to see you again until after you fought on the battlefield and you started visiting Keterberg again. After my brothers and sister killed each other off I moved back to the capital. That's when I finally managed to get you to stop fomicry. Saphir ran off, you retired your research. I got married, had a kid, became Emperor, and here we are.

Anything else?

That's all I needed. [His smile is the same as he stands.] Thank you, Your Majesty.

Don't I get to know what purpose that served?

Oh, but Your Majesty. Whatever different realities we're from, you'll always know me. Doubtless you can work it out.

[and now it's his turn to be speechless, before he dusts himself off and stands up. he smiles, although his smile is angry and bitter, but there is some hurt in his eyes as well.]

Fine. You win. I guess I don't know you. I'm sorry that I wanted to believe I'd know my friend despite something as trivial as another reality.

[stepping into Jade's personal bubble again]

I'm a stranger, and you're a stranger I just told my life story to. I think I get to ask why a stranger needed to know any of that. So, what was the point of that exercise?

[This time, there is not a hint of discomfort. Jade's a monster, don't you know? He's not human. That's why he feels nothing, even when he can see how hurt Peony is.]

Was that your life story? It didn't sound like that to me. Why, you hardly figured in it.

Have you ever sat in on any interrogations?

Is this what it's like sitting on the other side of the Necromancer. [smiling, curiously, although he still looks hurt] Do they call you that in your world, too?

Of course. Jade the Necromancer, His Imperial Majesty's monster on a leash. As you had guessed, the spine of the events stayed much the same. You did quite a good job paring the flesh away. I have nothing but the skeleton I always did for my reconstruction.

It's hard to know what details are important, when you won't even share anything with me.

What do interrogations have to do with anything?

Won't I? You hadn't even asked before you told me that you knew me. Then proved it, of course, with a lie.

You really don't let anything go, do you? If you want to hit me, I wouldn't stop you.

[curiously]

When this is all over, if it's all an experiment and I'm really the person you think I am, are you going to hold this over his head, too?

[Something does change then. It's not loud, but there is in his smile the sort of viciousness he reserves only for his friends.] Even royalty needs to remember accountability. I would be a very poor right hand if I didn't remind him of what he might prefer to forget.

It's a good thing he has someone like you to keep him in check. I'm sure your service is invaluable.

So, are you going to tell me what you needed to know about interrogations or are you just going to keep me hanging?

I'll note that Your Majesty's soldiers have been trained never to answer questions during an interrogation. On either side of the table, in fact. In both cases, it's too compromising.

[laughs]

I guess we know why I'll never be a soldier.

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