[”I imagine he didn’t react well” is an almost ridiculous understatement, but given the sober tone of their conversation, Liem can’t bring himself even to smile about it. Now that he’s able to look back at the entire thing, he just finds it sad.]
No, he didn’t. As soon as I revealed what I had to him, he became incandescently angry. His first words to me were “who said you could touch him?”
[Like an aggressive, resource-guarding dog, he’d thought. One used to being treated unkindly. But he hadn’t felt generous enough to be understanding.]
We quarrelled. I took issue with… how antagonistic he immediately was, essentially, because of our history up until then. I told him that if he wished to have the shard returned to him before the conclusion of the trial, he could present me with one of the effigy’s possessions. Otherwise, he would simply have to wait.
[Embarrassment makes his hands fidget a little as he says this, clasped restlessly in his lap. Because, well… he was being a dick. He doesn’t love admitting this to someone like D, who would likely frown at the idea of indulging in petty power trips with teenagers. (Speaking of the incident with John had been much easier, for equally obvious reasons.)]
And, when he promised to bring me the first item he found if I would just give the shard to him immediately… I refused that also. I’d already set terms, and I didn’t want to bend them for him.
[His gaze now rests somewhere in the region of D’s shoulder, uncomfortable as he is with the prospect of meeting his eyes.]
no subject
No, he didn’t. As soon as I revealed what I had to him, he became incandescently angry. His first words to me were “who said you could touch him?”
[Like an aggressive, resource-guarding dog, he’d thought. One used to being treated unkindly. But he hadn’t felt generous enough to be understanding.]
We quarrelled. I took issue with… how antagonistic he immediately was, essentially, because of our history up until then. I told him that if he wished to have the shard returned to him before the conclusion of the trial, he could present me with one of the effigy’s possessions. Otherwise, he would simply have to wait.
[Embarrassment makes his hands fidget a little as he says this, clasped restlessly in his lap. Because, well… he was being a dick. He doesn’t love admitting this to someone like D, who would likely frown at the idea of indulging in petty power trips with teenagers. (Speaking of the incident with John had been much easier, for equally obvious reasons.)]
And, when he promised to bring me the first item he found if I would just give the shard to him immediately… I refused that also. I’d already set terms, and I didn’t want to bend them for him.
[His gaze now rests somewhere in the region of D’s shoulder, uncomfortable as he is with the prospect of meeting his eyes.]