[Don't think he hasn't noticed the scarcity of a particular Cherub. Though he has put the pieces together to realize the reason Salt had taken the initiative to come clean was because Pavlova must have figured something out with his power, so he thinks he understands why someone might have a guilty conscious. Despite how raw he feels still, over the multitude of things that confession brought him, there is one thing he wants to set right.]
[So, come evening, Shadow Milk knocks on his bedroom door.]
[ It takes a second, but Pavlova does answer the door. After all, trying to avoid it when he lived in the same house was just a bad idea.
He feels horrible. Not least of which being his own complicated feelings over the reveal... but his father is particular about loyalty sometimes and this feels like something of a betrayal on some level, too. ]
[Alright, time to Be Dad. He's got to do this right. Communication and all that! He knows they've had a few dicey conversations in the past, and Shadow Milk has tried to learn from them.]
[He straightens up.]
May I come in? I'd like to talk to you about something.
[ Pavlova has been fairly particular about his room since recieving it, rarely having others in with him and instead venturing out when he wanted company.
It's probably a positive sign that he lets Shadow Milk come in, given that. Not much about it has changed since it was first added. Lots of books, half scribbled magic circles for homework, art, and the witches forsaken cage he kept and made a planter out of. ]
[He does take in his room, quietly. He's really made it his own and that makes him happy. His eyes linger on the cage though, but that's not what they're here to talk about.]
[Good, he doesn't have to explain himself.]
Mm.
[He takes a deep breath. His voice becomes ...dangerous for a moment.]
[It's true, and Shadow Milk does use it to glean as much. That Pavlova wasn't outright threatened, but he had assumed consequences for not doing as he's told. A part of him wishes he had maybe throttled Salt after all, if just for that.]
[But that is also as he expected. He nods, satisfied.]
I'm not mad at you. Given that fool's record for executing those under him, I don't fault you for doing as he said under the circumstances.
[Perhaps, but Pavlova had no way of knowing that, so acting on a worst-case scenario basis is more than fair. Shadow Milk is glad he did not tempt fate and manage to gather the cookie's ire.]
[If Salt had laid even a hair on Pavlova, Shadow Milk would have regressed just enough to make him regret it.]
I didn't crumble him, and for that I think I deserve a round of applause!
[It could have gone worse.]
After all, there are worse punishments than death! I look forward to his self-inflicted guilt ridden torment. It will make me feel better.
Oh, I'm aware it was well deserved, don't worry. However, I find it far more ...satisfying if he has to writhe every time he looks at me. If every time he hears my name he feels guilt like rot under his dough!
[The grin on his face is delighted and a little twisted, just a little. It's clear that Shadow Milk does in fact believe his words.]
Do not forget, little Cherub. Death is a mercy, but penitence is torture!
[Don't ask him how he knows. Anyway, moving on-]
Mm. They came to collect me after the fact. They got the gist of the matter.
Well at least I don't have to keep it a secret now.
[ He seems relieved about that. ]
I'm not really sure what to do now though.
[ He'd been trying to get along, but now he's not sure. Silent Salt may have realized his mistake, but does it change anything? He couldn't get much of anything out of him as far as his thoughts on any of this so he's left in an odd place of being unsure if Silent Salt even cares about what he put them through.
Well, at least past acknowledging he messed up. "What I want doesn't matter until I've made up for my failures" or whatever.
He's an idiot to think the two aren't connected.
Pavlova huffs softly, lifting his arms to latch onto his father, pressing into his warmth. At least his father doesn't hate him now. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the next day after The Reveal
[So, come evening, Shadow Milk knocks on his bedroom door.]
Cherub?
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He feels horrible. Not least of which being his own complicated feelings over the reveal... but his father is particular about loyalty sometimes and this feels like something of a betrayal on some level, too. ]
Yes dad?
no subject
[He straightens up.]
May I come in? I'd like to talk to you about something.
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It's probably a positive sign that he lets Shadow Milk come in, given that. Not much about it has changed since it was first added. Lots of books, half scribbled magic circles for homework, art, and the witches forsaken cage he kept and made a planter out of. ]
Its... about Lord Silent Salt Cookie, isn't it.
no subject
[Good, he doesn't have to explain himself.]
Mm.
[He takes a deep breath. His voice becomes ...dangerous for a moment.]
Did he threaten you?
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Not... outright.
[ He didn't verbally threaten him, but when he's told not to do something, he assumes there's force behind it of some kind. ]
He told me not to tell anyone what I knew, but didn't say what the consequences would be.
[ Considering he lived with two people with built in lie detectors that was a hell of a thing to ask of him. ]
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[But that is also as he expected. He nods, satisfied.]
I'm not mad at you. Given that fool's record for executing those under him, I don't fault you for doing as he said under the circumstances.
[And he makes a noise. Unhappy.]
It was best that I heard it from him anyway.
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It really didn't feel like a request, though. Not with the way he stormed off and watched him like a hawk at the party.
He'd been willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on that up until he found out what exactly he was hiding. ]
Mm... are you okay? I knew it... wasn't going to go very well.
[ To put it lightly. ]
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[If Salt had laid even a hair on Pavlova, Shadow Milk would have regressed just enough to make him regret it.]
I didn't crumble him, and for that I think I deserve a round of applause!
[It could have gone worse.]
After all, there are worse punishments than death! I look forward to his self-inflicted guilt ridden torment. It will make me feel better.
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[ Of course, Pavlova was in the Garden the whole time. He doesn't know how much Shadow Milk was involved.
He can't begrudge either their anger. He doesn't even know how to articulate how he feels. ]
Do miss Lily and mister Vanilla know now?
[ He can't imagine his father won't tell them. ]
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[The grin on his face is delighted and a little twisted, just a little. It's clear that Shadow Milk does in fact believe his words.]
Do not forget, little Cherub. Death is a mercy, but penitence is torture!
[Don't ask him how he knows. Anyway, moving on-]
Mm. They came to collect me after the fact. They got the gist of the matter.
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[ He seems relieved about that. ]
I'm not really sure what to do now though.
[ He'd been trying to get along, but now he's not sure. Silent Salt may have realized his mistake, but does it change anything? He couldn't get much of anything out of him as far as his thoughts on any of this so he's left in an odd place of being unsure if Silent Salt even cares about what he put them through.
Well, at least past acknowledging he messed up. "What I want doesn't matter until I've made up for my failures" or whatever.
He's an idiot to think the two aren't connected.
Pavlova huffs softly, lifting his arms to latch onto his father, pressing into his warmth. At least his father doesn't hate him now. ]