day 2 (evening)

[puffing]

[ it's been a long day. even with Bigby's and Luke's involvement in the trial being... scripted, to say the least, he hadn't anticipated things developing the way they did. it still hurts to walk and he will probably not have an appetite for the next day or so. he had gone back to his apartment and sat around for a while, waiting for the others to inevitably pass out. turns out that he was the first one to arrive at the scientists' meeting place, and you best believe the first thing he did was pull out a trusty cigarette to try and ease the discomfort.

he sat around for a while, realizing he was a bit too early. a part of him considered trying to ease some sleep in, but that was disregarded when Luke seems to have gotten the same idea. one good look at the kid and his nose when he walked in, regardless of how much it's healed by now, has him already wincing. there is maybe the slightest bit of a smirk hidden in there somewhere. ]

Makes sense we got here first, I guess. Can lick our wounds for a bit before the rest of them start giving us shit.

Comments

[chiseler]

[He tries his best to send a glare in Bigby's direction, but he knows it's not the older man's fault. His nose is healed up enough that he's not blinded by throbbing pain, but at the same time he knows he can't exactly deny Bigby's statement. He's definitely hear to lick his own wounds. But he can at least approach quietly and settle into his rolling computer chair. This time, however, he doesn't spin in circles.]

How bad do you think it's gonna be?

[puffing]

[ Luke can blame him to an extent. he's okay with shouldering some of the responsibility. Elizabeth should probably get a partial amount as well, considering she was the one that struck the idea of apprehending Diva in the first place. did any of it matter either way? it helped sell the image of Diva being guilty regardless of her involvement in Charles' murder. maybe that was worth the busted nose and balls.

on the other hand... no, it probably wasn't. ]

What? The shitstorm? Or the fact that we have to find out why one of them cut off Charles' foot for some damn reason?

―Unless that was you. That wasn't you, was it.

[ he had such higher hopes for you, Luke........ ]

[chiseler]

[Nothing is ever worth a busted nose, but at least Bigby got the short end of the stick with that. Regardless, he makes a face that's partially lost in an effort not to hurt himself but when he speaks again he sounds a little more than amused.]

Just because I brought shoes with me doesn't mean I have a foot thing. What would I even do with it? [He shakes his head.] I'm not sure I'm ready to find out what idiotic excuse is behind that, but I meant the former anyway. They can't tell us that we didn't play our parts well today. [...hopefully.]

[puffing]

You weren't the only one that brought shoes. She died.

[ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]

Heh. Whatever they end up doing, I feel like I made myself more known than I meant to. Already received my first vote of what I can only expect will be many. [ a pause follows in the form of a long drag of his cigarette. ] You were just the unlucky guy that got involved. Sorry about that, by the way.

[chiseler]

At least my shoes are supposed to have a purpose. [But he doesn't really care about arguing the point. He lifts his eyebrows and he even spins in a small circle so he can't be feeling too bad. He watches Bigby with his cigarette, seemingly taking in the image to try and figure out how to copy the technique himself. The cigarette from a few days ago is definitely hidden somewhere.]

Guess you and me both have to keep our heads down for a little bit. [A hand comes up to rub his nose, pressing down to check the swelling a bit.] Think you can do that?

[puffing]

You didn't kill the old owner 'cause of how pretty they were to you?

[ he's particularly salty about everything involving Diva at this point. enough to have been the only damn person to vote for her. ―which was maybe a bit too big of a risk in the grand scheme of things. had votes been public to everyone, everyone would have some Questions about why he was the only one that thought she was "guilty". still, though, there is some hilarity in the fact that one owner of a strange pair of shoes broke the nose of another. the only two in the Complex, even. ]

And what is the purpose of those shoes? If you don't mind my asking.

[ Bigby can't exactly interrogate Luke. they're on the same side for one, his balls hurt secondly, and third, he kind of liked the kid. they've already had some weird conversations as is.

at his question, however, he just snorts. ]

That's probably not going to happen. Bad habits die hard, I guess. Still kind of used to doing my job. Y'know. Before this one came along.

[chiseler]

Way too much effort. [He knows that was a jab at Diva, but Luke also can't help but throw in his own remarks. He brings a hand up to rub at his eyes, trying to force himself to pay attention. Ever since the trial ended he's found himself draining energy to stay awake. That's troublesome.]

My shoes are supposed to help me fly. [Plain and simple. There's absolutely no hint of irony in his statement, it just...is.] You say a word to activate the wings and they allow you to fly. It isn't working here though.

If your job before we got here was to intimidate people I think you're doing okay. But next time you can help them back and I'll take the front. I think I can dodge faster than you.