The Cat and the Canary in the Coalmine

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

He worked hard to get his position. He fought through so much and finally got away from his father, but with every day that went by he could hear the accursed man's laughter in the back of his head. The corruption ran deep. The whole thing had gone rotten. Systems that had been put in place had been eroded by nepotism, under-the-table money, and blind loyalty to the other boys in blue.

Alex had enough. He could feel his skin burning with his rage, as even now his reports have been 'lost'. If his bosses think they had cowed him, they made the common mistake of underestimating him. He sat in his cubicle or went out to investigate, keeping his head low and biding his time.

Meanwhile at home he worked on a different investigation. He remembered stumbling across a rather interesting hitman some years prior, one of the many with rules about who they would not hunt. This man, however, had a discount on scum, even if that hadn't been exactly the same wording used. He'd taken mental note about it and moved on at the time, doubting he could afford that since he decided to take a job in something extremely dangerous with awful pay that generally kept him too drained to do much in the way of coding at home. Having certain reports ignored was taking it's toll, and he knew he wouldn't last much longer under so much corruption; he spent too many sleepless nights staring at his service pistol, not sure what impulse felt stronger.

 

He started spending those nights tracking down that one hitman again. It took entirely too long, but finally he sends a message.

 

I need your help. Police corruption is blocking investigation on a Mr. Furest. Children are involved.
 

He signs with his contact information, none of which are traceable back to any real, or at least living, person. He made sure to cover his tracks, just to prove he at least isn't some random kid trying to cause trouble. He steps away from his laptop in his small apartment to drop on the couch and check the news of the day, hoping there would be a ping alerting him of a response sooner rather than later.

Comments

[monsieurnoir]

Felix is taking the mic gently at setting it aside before keying in a code for a song. Reaching into his suit jacket he's taking out and handkerchief; offering it to him. "It's fine. Here. It's fine to cry. I won't think less of you for it. You're a person after all."

He's considering a moment before going back to gently petting Alex. "It's better to get all that out anyway. Bottling it up isn't good for anyone. It just isn't healthy." He knows a thing or two about that. He's certainly loved and lost.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex nervously laughs, taking the handkerchief gratefully. "I know I hear i-it a lot myself, b-but you seem a bit young to have the same pain." He could see a hint of a shadow that mirrored his own grief over his lost love. However, he couldn't take back those words when he realizes he commented on something he should have no way of knowing. Well, Felix would find out soon enough.

He still hopes Felix doesn't ask about it just yet, but could only think to message Mikel to ask how long it would take him to get there. Felix's song comes on, and Alex nods to the screen, "Ah, your song's loaded!"

[monsieurnoir]

Felix hummed softly. "That's the thing about pain though. It doesn't care about age, Alex. No matter how young or how old. Pain just happens." There's a shrug of his shoulders as he leaned up, picking up his drink and taking a thoughtful drink of the iced tea.

Reaching out, the blond is picking up the mic. He's moving to his feet. Like Alex Felix had his past. In fact, it was exactly why he was here like this now. Why he took over an crime empire and starte taking justice into his own hands. But neither of them are ready for that conversation.

They're not close enough - Felix never told anyone about what happened to Luka who wasn't part of it. When he sings his song it's soulful, jazzy but it's obvious there's a lot of emotion behind it.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

ALex is mainly relieved that Felix doesn't seem to notice anything odd. People often thought he was good at reading people, but it's really their shadows that give him that insight. Every time he made a mistake he could feel his stomach flip in fear, praying people would make sensible excuses and not jump to super-powers.

He queues up a song for himself while listening to Felix sing. There were a lot of things they were not close enough to share, but they could share a lot without sharing much through music. Alex had always been one to speak through music, and he had a feeling Felix was no different. His love of music meant the biggest issue was finding a song that was actually in the song book, but after a few tries he found that a more unusual pop artist had gotten into the catalog with just the song he wanted to sing. The bottom corner flashes a confirmation notification that 'Alec Benjamin- Boy in the Bubble' has been added to the queue.

"I guess you're right, but most people have better fortune in their earlier years. Others seem cursed," he shrugs and shakes his head, "or maybe blessed. I-I don't know."

[monsieurnoir]

"Mmm." He murmured as his song ends and he's offering the mic to Alex. "That depends on how you define it. Some people would say I was very, very blessed." He had a good home, money, a family. Things like that. But...

"Maybe I'm not cursed but some times the people around me are less fortunate for knowing me." It was kind of the truth. He did after all blame himself for what all happened with Luka. Even if he hadn't known about the situation until it was too late. Felix would have stepped in. He would have done something.

But neither he or Luka knew the deep shit Asher Couffaine had gotten himself into. Shit that had cost Luka his life and he'd gotten no justice so Felix took it. He tookit and balanced the scales and then some. "Maybe I'm just some bad luck black cat."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

"Money doesn't solve problems past a certain point," he says with a shrug. Sure a lock of money could surely make you miserable, but it didn't matter how much money you have if your social needs aren't being met. "Having to struggle makes you a s-stronger person, g-gives you the tools you need." He laughs a bit, "But I sometimes wonder if I'm an unlucky charm myself. Maybe we'll just counter the other's bad luck out."

He queues up 'Clint Eastwood' by the Gorillas, enjoying the shift in tone. He keeps glancing to Felix, using the music to get across how much he wanted to turn around the future. He felt impotent and useless tied down as he is by the rules, the unfair system, every obstacle in his path, but he wasn't going to allow himself to ever give up. He would change things, and they'd regret keeping him down.

[monsieurnoir]

"Exactly so. I have money but it didn't do much past a point." Luka still died. He still held him as he bled outon the street waiting for help. The people that did it got away scot free because no one wanted to go look into it. Luka was just some guy who worked at a bar, performed local gigs with a track record of being in fights. Anarka had pushed for an investigation but died before anything came of it. Juleka had been heartbroken and left Paris. Felix... Felix had done the same. He'd hunted the men down, wiped them out, and left. Especially when he found out they were part of a bigger organized crime branch.

He'd taken all of them down and taken over. All the way to the fucking top. But to do that... To do that he changed everything he was. He built up this whole other life from the ground up. The Felix Luka had known was dead and burned to ashes with all that had been left of the aspiring rockstar's broken body.

Felix hadn't been thinking when he keyed in the song he picked. He hadn't really given it any pause or actually consideration. Thoough when it does start Alex will notice that it's a slower version than the album release and... Felix seems to be changing the pronouns.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex could really appreciate the song as he restrains his desire to sing along. He was clearly a little surprised at the pronoun change, but smiles. He also wouldn't have thought Felix would be interested in other men, but he had never been good at reading that.

Even Alex had made great sacrifices and changes to who he was for someone else. Obviously police work is not his dream line of work, and he had made countless sacrifices trying to fight the CRP. But for him, more than anything else, this song seemed to him like a theme for Mikel and Loretta. He's just not sure how metaphorical it would be in Mikel's case. Maybe it would be just as it was with Felix- both. Even Alex could see how he restrained himself and dulled his fangs for Loretta even as he sharpens his claws. He made her morals his own, and while they still were not official Loretta had become so central in Mikel's life Alex couldn't see them apart. They had grown more distant since Alex joined the force, but only because it meant Alex wouldn't need to compromise his morals as an officer if he knew nothing about the white-collar crimes Mikel was committing. They still worked closely together, but now it was mostly digitally.

Loretta came around more, but for less time than she used to. Alex had grown up, she didn't have to mother him like she used to, but they both were busy enough juggling a 9 to 5 with leading a top-secret rebellion to have much time for socializing anyway. That constant feeling of loneliness had been what drove him to accept a bar invite by some of the other detectives. It had been what convinced him to wonder if a drink could really hide the pain. He learned after just one night that no, it was not. It wouldn't make anything better. But it did help him stop being so self-judgmental. Another drink is finished as Felix finishes his song with Alex mouthing the words with Felix while rocking with the music.

[monsieurnoir]

Luka had been Felix's first love, first kiss, first everything - It was all with Luka and he cherished it. He remembered calloused fingers moving over his cheek and jaw as the musician's other hand held him close by his tie. That stupid tie - Luka only liked it because it was 'handy' since he liked to tie Felix up or pull him closer by it; they'd even used it as a blindfold. They had met by accident and had fallen into a fast friendship that turned into more after one of Luka's gigs.

When the song was over, Felix is just standing there for a moment. Blinking. For a fleeting few seconds he could have sworn... He could have sworn he saw Luka leaning against the wall behind the sofa, smirking at him; smug and flirty as fuck all. But he was gone after that blink and Felix felt his heart clench. He can only hope Luka isn't pissed at him for what he's done in his name; what he's become.

"Right, uh.. Here." He's moving to sit offering the mic to Alex. Moving he's reaching for one of those non-alcoholic drinks and taking a sip. It's fine. He'll be fine. It might be because he's drank so much or the fact that he's got a bit of anxious energy building up waiting for Alex's friend to come and fuck with his head... Any sane person would be a bit uneasy. That must be it.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex sees Luka, standing there, just as Felix remembered him. His eyes widen but he manages to get a control of his reactions before Felix turns around. His eyes are still looking at Luka, even if Felix can't see him. That shadow must have been lurking in the background for Felix, but with that song, here he was, watching Felix with a beautiful pleasant emotion Alex wished he could read. He'd only seen a shadow like this once before. He had one of his own, and they are a terrifying type of shadow that could and would take lives.

It wasn't anything the human world wasn't familiar with. Suicides often came in threes- or at least that was the lore around them. Murders of passion, deaths in self defense from someone driven by their shadow to attack another person. It didn't mean that would happen for sure. Normally those shadows ease and lighten over time, and many people could get through them without incident. But this wasn't some new wound, this was an old, festering wound, a wound not healing. And Alex knew well how dangerous one so strong could be. He nervously puts a hand on Felix's back, gently rubbing it. "H-hey, it's okay. Y-you shouldn't run f-from those feelings."

A random Japanese song queues up and starts playing over some random anime scene while Alex puts the mic down. "F-frick waiting," he sighs, putting a hand on Felix's knee, "I can sense your pain, I c-can... see it. It's what I eat instead of food. I can see your..." he can't find the English word so he falls back to German, "Mutterseelenallein." He pushes a smile of comfort, "Tell me about him."

[monsieurnoir]

Hadn't he just told Alex something a long those same lines? So he's a bit startled to have his own words tossed back at him like that. Only three people in his life dared and one of them is dead. "What feelings I'm fine." It's default at this point. But Alex had been staring at where Luka was Felix didn't imagine that - right? He's pretty sure he wasn't. But he doesn't want to say anything straight off an sound fucking crazy either.

He's quiet mulling over the fact that Alex sai he ate pain? There's definitely some confusion. Maybe he's not the only questionably sane person in this room. Or maybe they're both very much sane. Because he's seen Luka before. Never as a danger, never as anything but just... fondly watching him? It's strange. For a long moment, he's just staring into his drink until Alex's hand is on his knee and he mentions seeing him. Not seeing his pain that kind of thing is obvious but seeing him.

It occurs to him that he may be misconstrueing what Alex is saying but honestly? Does it matter? It wouldn't be hard to find out about Luka. A few nice deep searches - the kind he knows Alex is capable of would pull up more than enough so is there a reason to make him wait to unlock the tragic backstory of how Felix Agreste, promising socilite who could do anything become a mob boss and contract killer, really?

He's pressing his lips together before he slumps back into the couch his head tipping back, eyes falling closed. "His name was Luka Couffaine. He worked at this shitty bar in Paris; played gigs on the side with with bass sometimes with a band. There was nothing about Luka that wasn't good. He just kind of went with the flow, easiest person to get along with as long as you were a decent fucking person."

Felix can feel a faint brush a ghosting of fingers through his messy hair and lifts his hand to follow that path; it's familiar. Luka used to do that all the time when he found Felix taking a break from pooring over this paperwork or that in the mornings after they spent a night together and Felix decided to work remotely the morning after just to bask in it all.

"He died. Unforturnately. His asshole druggie son of a bitch father got on the wrong side of the wrong people and I guess when they couldn't find Asher..." His jaw clenched and his eyes squeezed tightly shut. There's absolute silence then he takes a sharp shuddering breath. "I found him all fucked up - dying in a trashed out alley. I'd have paid off Asher's debts if I knew about it. I would have even blinked. I could've done it a dozen times over. Luka didn't have to die. We were dumb kids still just in our mid-twenties..."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex hadn't had the time to do that searching. He only just got Felix's name after they arrived, and he's only had his phone out twice, both times he left it visible to see what he was doing. He's an honest man. Honest to a fault if anything. He's a bleeding heart, and he sits quietly and listens to Felix explain his story, gently rubbing his back as he does.

He doesn't say anything. He doesn't have to. He wraps his arms around Felix, just hugging Felix tightly. There's nothing to say for that kind of pain anyway. Not without first just being there. He can see Luka behind Felix, sitting up on the back of the couch, smirking and just watching over them. Alex was glad- the only other one he encountered had taken the life of it's... host? A suicide, and the disembodied shadow had been driving those that lived in it's house to the same empty place, growing stronger with how well fed it had been.

He can hear the song the shadow is humming, and he mimics the same notes. He doesn't know their meaning to Felix, but his perfect pitch made it easier for him to hum it as he hears it. Maybe it was because of which emotion this shadow embodied, but it seemed less malicous than the shadow of the unfortunate woman he met years ago. Maybe it was because Felix had done well to feed it, or because Felix is still alive; somehow it seemed the shadow wished to offer some help for Felix's pain. He could only hope he was right in that, and that the song wouldn't only hurt Felix more.

[monsieurnoir]

Felix might tense up when that touch changes into a hug. At least at first. He is tense and stiff but eventually, he exhales and hugs him back only to give a shudder as Alex starts to hum. He doesn't know. He doesn't know how Alex knows this song but he's melting into that hug, gathering Alex close, and pressing his face into the hollow of his throat. Is he crying? No, but there's obviously something going on.

Luka shifts on the back of that couch and he's gently stroking a hand over Felix's hair. His eyes are meeting Alex's for a long moment - their bright aquamarine color meeting Alex's own blue. He's only here to watch over Felix. To help him. To try and heal him - that's why he is here. That's his nature. Felix blamed himself for Luka's death and Luka was not having it but there's only so much he can do while dead. He's reached out to Felix in his dreams, in his less lucid moments because that's the only time Felix seems to be able to feel, see, or even sense him.

Felix seems to just melt and cling to Alex. Maybe he shouldn't be. He doesn't know Felix that well and they're not close but something about this feels oddly, right? Like there's just something about this? Something about this is just what he needs and there's this odd feeling of peace .

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex holds him like that for a long time. He would keep holding him for Luka. As long as it takes. He follows the strokes Luka does, his hands able to take up the same space as Luka's. He didn't fully understand, but touching the shadow like this he could feel the pain, like someone putting a hard candy in their mouth. He tears up himself, wondering if Kaylee was standing behind him, or if his sharing of this feeling was reserved for Luka, regardless of how much the story reminds him of her. They really didn't understand how any of it worked, beyond there was probably some kind of quantum mechanics involved because the lack of understanding of that was the only way shadows could possibly fit into their understanding of science.

Alex makes a decision to risk upsetting Mikel, possibly even putting their whole operation at risk, because he has a way to allow Felix to at least see Luka. He could not just keep that quiet while helping him like this. It felt like lying, and that just felt wrong. "Sh-shadows a-are just a p-part of your p-psyche. I n-need you to remember that i-if I show you how I see your pain. C-can you do that?"

[monsieurnoir]

And Luka is grateful for it. He can't properly tell Alex how much seeing Felix able to open up and let someone give him comfort. He's tilting his head aching a brow at Alex. He's used to being heard, seen, and even felt but to him Alex's offer is strange, every strange. Stranger still, Alex doesn't seem to be lying.

Felix has a similar reaction. He's drawing back a bit to peer at Alex. "I don't really understand but yes. I can keep that in mind." He's curious as to what Alex is talking bout but if Alex wanted to show if - if he thought that it would be helpful to Felix then he's willing to let him try. He might not know what he's getting into but honestly - does he ever? And more over what does he have to lose?

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex takes Felix's hands in his and takes a breath. "I haven't had much practice with this one," he warns, "I might not manage to keep it for too long, so I'm sorry if I suddenly drop it." He closes his eyes and slowly Felix will start to see dark shadowy shapes around Alex, over him, looking almost like Alex was sitting in a hologram made out of the lack of light instead of light. It has a noticeable shape, texture, even smell and a slight taste to it that there were no words to use to describe. Alex keeps his eyes closed so he can focus, but starts to slowly draw away his hands, leaving a shadowy strand between them that looked like it came right out of a video game effect for a shadow creature's trail. Even Alex could be mistaken for a Shadow Man if there was low enough light to obscure Alex himself.

Alex maintains that connection, and the strands won't move if Felix does. The two strands stay where his arms and shoulders were right to the back of his neck. That connection point tethers out to Felix, so he can move as he likes as long as it isn't too far. He could turn to see Luka, every bit the same man he remembers. He's in the clothes Felix would imagine him in, his appearance as young or old as Felix would see him. Luka would also know that he is himself a figment of Felix's mind, or even just the part of Luka's soul that would stay with Felix forever. He's just as real as Felix imagines him to be, so it probably wouldn't matter to Luka all too much. Alex doesn't know what to expect with this. He'd never let someone face their shadows like this. Usually they looked like Alex's sympathy and concern, but with one strong enough to be only attached to Felix by a small tether from Felix across the ground to Luka.

"You should face your emotions," Alex advises even as he keeps his eyes closed, meditating on his strong sense of sympathy. If Felix examines their connection carefully he could follow those strands directly to a shadow around Alex, a soft cloudlike misty aura, his sympathy for Felix's pain.

[monsieurnoir]

"I... Okay. It's fine." He doen't know what it is but he's letting Alex have his hands. Those pale eyes are watching him closely. There's a small spark of alarm as things started to change, shifting in ways that Felix can't explain or really understand other than the fact that Alex is doing it. He knows it's not dangerous but his surprise is expected.

He's inhaling looking around them confused at what he was seeing. Seeing Luka though his breath left his lungs in a huff. Luka - His hair was short and carefully cut, he was wearing snug black pants, his usual boots, dark suspenders over his like blue button down that was one a tight tank top. Tattoos stood out against his skin and he's moving to Felix reaching out for him, touching his cheek before leaning to rest his forehead against Felix's.

"Fe - my handsome boy."

Felix shudders and a sob slipped out of his throat. "Luka." He's not real but he's real and he's been there the whole time. The whole time.

"I'm right here. I'm always going to be here with you but we need to talk about this. About you. You can't just stay with me, Fe. You didn't die with me and it's not your fault. You didn't kill me." His fingers ran through Felix's hair and he's gathering him closer. "It hurts me to see you this way. I love you and I want you to be happy."

Felix is shaking just down right trembling and there's tears running down his face. He can't stop them and he doesn't even try to wipe them away. It's been years since he heard Luka's voice and god but he needs to hear this all so much.

"I'm always going to be here. I don't blame you and I'm not angry. I understand why you're doing what you're doing. It's okay."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex, eyes still closed- visual input was far more distracting than just speaking, "I w-won't be able to see him if your memory of him stops hurting so much, b-but he'll still be there. J-just like he is now." He can't see positive feelings, but it would only make sense those too carried their own kind of energy.

Alex reaches out to find Felix to put a comforting hand on his arm or knee, or back, or wherever reasonable he finds. It hurt him to keep holding this up, holding onto the sympathetic pain he has for Felix, his own memory of Kaylee threatening to draw his attention. But even as his attention slips the connection remains. He doesn't want to think about her death being his fault. It wasn't. He knew it wasn't, but his guilt and self-esteem meant those things still bothered him.

[monsieurnoir]

"He's right but that's a good thing. You don't need to see me and you need to stop sleeping with a ghost and clinging to shadows of the past." Luka's fingers are moving over Felix's jaw. "Move on, Felix. Live. That's what I want for you. I can't be with you like I was even if I will always be here - I can't be your lover or husband."

Felix is swallowing looking at Alex as his hand rests on his knee. He's inhaling softly. "You're not mad? About all this about..."

"No. You were right. They weren't going to do shit about my murder and you're helping people now. You're going to do a lot of good. Both of you are." And Luka is looking over at Alex. "You're not alone either but you need to stop blaming yourself, too. We see and sense each other. You should take what I say to heart just a much as Fe."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex doesn't see Felix, but didn't need his eyes open to feel the attention of that very dangerous shadow turning it's attention to him. He can feel his heart skip a beat as he does, but the words ease his worries. "I-I'm trying my best," he promises. He really is, because Kaylee would hate to see him beat himself up over her passing. Even if she didn't love him how he loved her, she loved him dearly as a friend and had died because she cared enough that seeing him in pain turned her against her own uncle, one of the higher-ups in the CRP.

Alex ventures to open his eyes, getting a good look at Luka himself before he could fade away. He didn't know if it would happen now, or in some days, or if nothing would change. It's an area not well researched, considering how few opportunities there are for study to happen. "Luka's r-right, we will. And w-we'll n-name a huge venue with f-free performance booking after h-him once w-we do," he encourages with a smile, glancing to Luka. He was surprisingly into underground music, mostly electronic, but he'd had conversations about how there used to be a lot more places for new bands to get free stage practice at a rave that had offered a kind of open-mic night for DJs. He loved that idea himself, a little place even DJs could book for free that made it's money off of the bar alone. That night had been the very night that convinced him to pick up DJing as a hobby, working mostly with programming to make his music.

If nothing else Alex had enough bitcoin to cover the kind of place he was talking about. He could easily just transfer the bitcoin to Felix and have him do the buying. He's sure Felix had ways to withdraw bitcoin to cash without any excess suspicion, something Alex wouldn't risk.

[monsieurnoir]

"Good but it never hurts to have someone remind you. We worry you know. That's why we're here. To watch over you." There's a little shake of Luka's head. "Focus on helping people. Focus more on this - there will be plenty of time later for something like that. What you're doing now is more important. Helping those kids - that's where you need to pull all your energy now."

Luka smiles gently as he starts to fade. He's not going to be gone but that connection is wavering - not because of Alex but because he'd said what he was waiting for. He would still be there. He would still watch Felix and keep an eye on him for a bit yet because that guilt and hurt still is there even if it's diminished a bit.

Felix is taking a few deep breaths watching Luka disappear. Then his gaze is focusing on Alex. He's reaching out to him and running his fingers gently though his hair. "Thank you for that. It helped." And it had. Felix feels a little lighter and it's nice to know Luka thinks he's on the right path; that approval is a miracle to him.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex nods as he listens. It did help to be reminded sometimes. And no one could tell Felix what he needed to hear than he would. He wasn't about to remind Felix right now that Luka was, for all Alex knew and could tell, a figment of Felix's own mind. He'd told Felix already, and he didn't seem the kind of man to go mad with obsession over one supernatural encounter.

Alex drops the link, letting out a sigh as he can stop needing to keep careful control on his emotions. "I'm glad," he mutters, smiling shyly to Felix.

[monsieurnoir]

Felix is relaxing into the couch, his head lulling against the leather back. He's reaching for Alex and tugging him to settle against him gently. "You probably need to rest a few minutes at least, right..." Felix only vaguely understands what happened in the way that people understand how if you microwave grapes they give off plasma and sparks.

Which is to say he knew it could happen but the how's and why's were beyond his understanding without some in-depth study. Study he wasn't inclined to do. He glances to Alex before closing his eyes. "I won't tell your friend. This can be between us..."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

It's not like Alex was doing more than making educated guesses himself. He allows himself to be scooped into a hug, laughing nervously. He didn't really need that much of a rest right now, but he would sleep more heavily later. He didn't mind leaning into Felix while he tries to decide on a song to sing. "Lets s-sing until Mikel g-gets here. Always found it ta be th'best way to get out the excess." He had to be careful about his emotional health. If channeling his shadows and he lets any one he draws on overpower him, it would be disastrous.

"It'll be o-our secret, let's pick a s-song to seal it." His words are a little slurred, as the drink starts to really hit him. He'd already been slurring here and there, and it's still small enough that it would be hard to notice if not for the stutter also coming out.

[monsieurnoir]

Felix arches a brow. "Sing? Together? Like a duet? That might be fun." He's humming softly moving to draw the catalogue into his lap so that they can look over the songs. "I know a lot of songs so maybe we should find something you know and see if I know any of them. I'm sure there's something in here we both know really well."

Then he notices that slur and he's reaching to touch his cheek. "Alex? Are you a bit of a lightweight, mon chéri?" There was a soft chuckle as he reached for one of the non-alcoholic drinks and offering it to him. "Here have a a bit of this water. It'll help."