Tale as Old As Time [Finished]

[CalamityJade]

Obsidian gave a bit of a nod. "They do get a little jumpy. Figured that was just not being sure what to do with  a violent criminal that doesn't need to be convinced too hard." He gives a bit of a chuckle at Sieg's comment. "Oh, don't tell me you're still doing that, right?"

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried makes a face. "I have become the Steward of the estate, but yes, I still serve."

[accalia]

With obsidian's words Echo walks over the the guards at the exit, has a short conversation and then exits the room to wait outside in the carpark for Siegfried

[CalamityJade]

Once Echo left, Obsidian gave a sigh. "I figured everyone that it'd effect were dead, there wouldn't be a reason for you to act like a damn butler."

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried looks at his lap. "I am a butler," he says, quietly.

[CalamityJade]

"Right, and I'm an animal person." Obsidian sighed. "At least let me know that Lance isn't THAT far gone that he actually thinks you're just around to fucking clean and cook."

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried clenches his hand into a fist. "Regardless of who my father may or may not have been, I know my place. I harbor no illusions about my relationship with the Young Master."

[CalamityJade]

Obsidian sighed. "Don't give me that. You don't believe it any more than I do." He stands and heads for some of the snacks. "If you did, you wouldn't have come here to talk to me. You'd still be there trying to clean everything up. You want what's best for the family you have left."

[yamikuronue]

"Lance pays me to run things. He tried to fire me. Whatever my feelings about him personally, he doesn't consider me family. He doesn't remember when we were boys together; all he can think about is Muriel. So fine. We're not family. I write out a check to Siegfried Smith once a quarter and he signs it and that's all there is to our relationship." Siegfried tries to keep calm, but he can't keep his voice from escalating.

[CalamityJade]

Obsidian shakes his head as he grabs some snacks. "So you gave up trying to remind him that you were family...and what the hell is this about firing you? Who else is going to take care of shit all? Who's even left in that...place." HE couldn't really call it a home. It might have been once, but it sure as hell couldn't be one now.

[yamikuronue]

"Myself and a maid named Rosanna. Patty comes by twice a week to do basic gardening maintenance, but we've shut up at least 60% of the house permanently. He tried to fire Rosanna and myself out of guilt, but we talked him out of it. He goes out at night and comes back bloody, and while I've never found out where he goes, the graves are always well tended."

[CalamityJade]

"So the only ones left...the ones that stuck with him THIS long, are you and Rosanna." He chuckled. "I was sure she hated him...guess I'm not quite as good as I thought." He sits back down with his snacks before continuing. "He's moving...that's good. And he still has enough of his own head that he's worried about you. Patty probably just needs the money and she didn't buy the story anyway."

So...what, he should just go back. Return to the house where all those..deaths happened like nothing and step back into a life that didn't exist? No...He doubted he could be exactly who he was then. "I'll try, Sig, but I'm not going to pretend you're a stranger for his sake. Probably far past time that shit ended."

[yamikuronue]

"Rosanna left and came back. The maid before her, a part-timer named Marie, he scared off. I just..." He shakes his head. "Sometimes I wish he'd leave. Just move away, go to one of the European properties I had to lease out... other times I'm afraid he'll go into his room one night and never come out again."

[CalamityJade]

"And even then, you stayed...You did more than I could. I managed to wrap up the deaths...but that was it. I just had to sit in a box and play nice while everything else was going to go to shit...I'd...figured that when you came here, the worse'd happened and I'd need to take care of it." He did make some...promises around the time he'd met his nephew, after all. "And now you're telling me he's stayed some weird sort of sane for ten years AND that you did nothing and you couldn't help him? You should give yourself some credit."

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried shakes his head, chuckling bitterly. "Here I was thinking that at least you managed to shield him in some way, sacrificing yourself for his sake. I hope you still think so highly of me when you meet him."