Meghan spends the next few weeks just working on her own well being.
She has yet to discover where all the best study materials materialize in this city and surrounding ruralities are hiding. It's likely that she will never learn about them all.
Dustin has taken to spending his time selling mixed beverages on the weekends, for some reason. Even he doesn't know why he wants to, aside from the fact that there is some showmanship he can exhibit, and the owner of the Luminous Bar loves having a famous celebrity there to draw crowds and keep them happily coming back. People from Starlight hang out here a lot, so it's a familiar crowd.
Jyoti keeps to herself at the house these days when work is not requiring her, not wanting to call Kevin or risk facing him by having another large family party. She takes on most of the preventive maintenance for her dad while she's at it. With her new outlook on life and focus on being a responsible adult, she can do this.
After Christian finishes the sushi that Dustin pulled out from wherever it's kept under the bar (we all know he only makes cheeseburgers), he observes his daughter's friends coming in with the after work crowd.
Howard grew up with a great nose. He's laughing at Kevin about something, but they were always friends with many contentions.
I am not going to get involved, Dustin decides. Let the younger generation be...
He freezes when someone else comes in the front door.
Here comes Darla! (TM). Kevin's sister is crazy enough to be a Sparrow. Thinking about it, so is he.
Loki is not interested in his 'place in the world', like the Fae are. Vampires make their own way, and can thrive with, or without, a community.
Dustin sits down and allows the regular mixologist to return. Kevin comes over to the bar at the exact same time. “Was there something you wanted to say to me, young man?”
Apparently there wasn't. Kevin thinks better of it and walks away again. Maybe Dustin's manner of speaking wasn't polite. Not that he cares at the moment.
Speaking of men he wanted nowhere near his daughter...
Then this clown shows up. “I'm willing to bet that you have more things to tell me.” Dustin begins.
“...why am I imagining that you know the tone of my thoughts, that would be absurd.” The blond man mutters to himself.
Dustin takes a moment to look at the ceiling for inspiration. “It seems like there is something after all. Well, spit it out. It's not like you to avoid it. You butt into business that's not yours more than anyone else I know.”
“That's a bit unfair.”
“It's based on experience. I know that there's more you've been keeping from us, Loki. You found Jiraya, thank-you-for-that, and...?”
“-and I was thinking about getting a drink.”
“You do that.” Maybe it'll clear your head out for you.
“In fact, I'll even make it for you.”
“You want to know what your problem is? You think you're going to outlive us. That what you've become is somehow a superior being.”
“But the thing that makes life worth living well, is that it is finite.” Dustin ignites the vapors off the drink and exhales them as blue fire.
“The moments that are lost, they can never come back. So, we make the next moments even better however we can. To heal our wounds, to recover from what is lost. To survive. Our children thrive because we don't get to live forever, they are not suppressed by constant interference from older generations. Eventually, they succeed us.”
“Are you thriving, Loki? Are you living well in each moment, or are you just... here?”
Loki finally speaks his curiosity. He recalls a conversation that they had a long time ago, where Dustin had said he was too big for a little place like Aurora Skies. It was a small place, and old people went there to retire, but he was gonna be famous. “Do you feel, working in a place like this, is a good use of all the fame you've worked tirelessly to accrue?”
“I'm having fun here, that's all.”
“That's all.”
“Yes, I'm entitled to it. You see as I get older I realize that the things I already have, are what I would've wanted after all. Famous or not, loaded or not, I have my family with me.”
“But not everyone. Does Circe... still have members of my family tucked away somewhere?”
“Is there work, yet to be done? If so, who will do it?”
“What is one of my oldest friends still hiding?” Dustin continues conversationally. “Are you afraid that we aren't going to love Casimir in the same way? Do you think we are shallow, like you are?”
Loki sighs, uncharacteristically. “No- that's not it.”
Dustin has a rare moment of seriousness. “So, what are you planning to do?”
“Nothing. I'm not going to intervene any longer.”
“So you've interfered with just about every part of my family in one way or another and now that there's a chance you could help repair the damage that has been done, you're running away from it?”
Dustin slams his hand down hard on the bar and the counters shake. “Get your head out of your machines and go help my daughter get her life back together. Jiraya told us everything.”
He goes back to cleaning glasses but fixes a hard stare on the still impossibly young man standing in front of him. “Don't be a coward Loki, you have nothing to lose.” Loki never does debate about all of the labels people seem to enjoy pinning on him.
“Dustin?”
“Yes?”
“Make me another drink.”
Dustin laughs, and makes one.
“I'll make you one, and you'll get out.”
“And you'll think about it this way. What if it had been Casimir?”
“Thanks.” Loki says noncommittally.
Dustin knows he's said all that he can. There are many things that Jiraya is not talking about, actually. But Loki doesn't need to know the specifics. Assuming Loki knows more than he's letting on, there is hope that his imagination and any required guilt will work in the background his mind, to change things for the better.
Loki turns to leave with an uncharacteristic scowl on his features. “It'll all be over soon enough.” He says as he goes.
“Next!” Dustin calls out, pretending not to hear it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So I went back and forth in my head about writing this scene between Dustin and Loki as it doesn't change much of the following story, but I do think it helps to frame what their relationship is as we near the end of Dustin's life (plus I like writing things that happen in game and it looked like a good conversation). This is either the last time, or very close to it, that they will be seeing one another. Dustin is also not one to leave things alone when it regards his family, so even though he doesn't know what Loki knows, and he doesn't necessarily believe everything Jiraya's been claiming about the lab, he still wants a guarantee of any kind that things will come out well, should they still be out there somewhere.
Again, my apologies to those who are tired of seeing Loki. He was not meant to be so central to the story, it just sort of happened. Pretty soon younger people will upstage him.
I don't think I changed the eye defaults but why have their eyes been so doggone sparkly lately? ...you are not that cute, sir. Sparkly eyes do not become you.
I must've been playing around with them.
Lookin' like the riddler as an old man.
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