Upon Silver Devil: Chapter Two

Deeply Acus sighed as he paused and turned around, arms crossed. "Yes?"

Dawn just went to the galley to get something to eat and get some soup for her uncle to eat as well, though his would be in a container to keep it warm until he was ready for it. Once she was done eating, she would check on him and leave him the soup before going back to the medical room later on.

James squirmed under Acus' gaze. "Look, I shouldn't have assumed the worst. It's just..." Ugh, apologies were hard. "Having no natural defenses messes up your mind a bit, makes you see danger where there isn't any. And I've been trapped under oppressive masters for so long, it's hard to deal with one who isn't forcing me to behave a certain way."
He shook his head. "Look, man, I'm sorry. I'm trying to deal with this, but it's really different, and I'm taking it out on you more than I probably should."

Acus sighed, "Its fine, I'm use to the hate and the disgust. Honestly the day I get it would probably be the day I am dead." He shrugged, "At this point I figured instead of taking my problems out on people I just enjoy the bottle. Less heartache."

"Guess we're both messed up, huh?" James shook his head, smiling sadly. "I'll try to give you a break, if you ease up on the references to robot destruction."

"I only done it a couple of times." Acus pointed out, "Your banter been daily, like you wanted me to order you to shut up." He sighed.

James winced. "Yeah, I know." He said after a bit of hesitation, "I guess... I guess I'm scared that eventually you will order me to do something, and I want to try and pretend that when you do, it was my idea all along. So that I can go, 'ha ha, I made him do this, he totally isn't in control here and I am'."

Acus sighed, "Which I am going to try my best not to. Hence why I havent allowed anyone else to order you because I know they wouls."

James nodded, and his mouth twitched into a tired smile. "I'm grateful for that, I really am. I'll try and change my behavior, I really don't want to lose the first owner who never ordered me to shut up."

Weakly Acus smirked, "No offense but I am gonna question that statement slightly." He joked.

"Well I'll try, anyway. Who knows if I'll succeed," James said.

Acus softly chuckled, "I am doubtful you can screw up as badly as I did in my priesthood years with driving people up the wall..."

James looked curious. "What did you do?"

"I..ahem may of had a habit of back talking and sassing out the elders...alot. And being able to control water I maaay of purposely froze a fe jackasses tail feathers off..." Acus said sheepishly.

James laughed. "Well, at least I'm not the only one who has trouble with authority. They must have been mad at you."

"Ahaha yea, no matter how old you are if you piss off the elder hen enough she will use a switch on your ass."

"I'll remember to be careful around avian priests," James said with a chuckle. He added hesitantly, "Any chance you can not drink today? It's not good for the liver, I've heard."

He blinked, "It not as if I am gonna be needed." She countered defensively.

"Your liver is needed," James pointed out. "But hey, it's your body. If you want to drink, then that's up to you."

He snorted, "Sadly being a vessel it hard for me to get posion." Acus remarked like he been tryingz

James frowned. The First Law unnecessarily told him to worry about Acus' choice of words. "You're not... trying to end it, are you?"
It wouldn't be a huge surprise, come to think of it. War veterans certainly had a history of instability, after all.

Esk grunted and shrugged. "You need a less unstable crew then." He remarked idly.

Vicky chuckled, "What the fun of that?"

---

Acus shrugged, "If I am who'll care? Anyway c'ya for now." He headed to leave.

"You may try peoples' patience sometimes, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't miss you," James said weakly, "Please stick around, man."

He sighed a just shrug, "why don't you go see if dawn need help settling her uncle in? I'll be cook in a couple of hours since I am on mess duty." The only way he would probably stop drinking would be if someone removed all boozed off ship and put on one of those anti addiction bracelets on his ass.