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[ william drops by albert's beautiful, large new office from time to time, especially when he's available; it's been a slow day in the ruby underground, and naturally, he finds himself craving his brother's company -- especially now that it's so close to evening time.
he checks his watch again, before politely making his way into albert's office, nodding warmly to albert's colleagues along the way. when he enters his office, he smiles briefly, closing the door behind him with care. ]
It's been awhile since you've come home before midnight, dearest brother.
he checks his watch again, before politely making his way into albert's office, nodding warmly to albert's colleagues along the way. when he enters his office, he smiles briefly, closing the door behind him with care. ]
It's been awhile since you've come home before midnight, dearest brother.
[They're good-looking arms! Don't make him hide them from the (undeserving) world!
He leads on to the study, and he closes the door behind them. It's a sizeable enough room, with obvious, central seating with a couch and two chairs, and endless books, a writing desk, and a few other tasteful pieces.
Albert crosses to a wooden cabinet, which when opened turns out to have wine, liquors, and various glasses. It so happens he bought a pair of what pass for sake cups here, and he pulls those out.]
Make yourself comfortable. You don't have to stand on ceremony with me even if I am a rotten politician.
He leads on to the study, and he closes the door behind them. It's a sizeable enough room, with obvious, central seating with a couch and two chairs, and endless books, a writing desk, and a few other tasteful pieces.
Albert crosses to a wooden cabinet, which when opened turns out to have wine, liquors, and various glasses. It so happens he bought a pair of what pass for sake cups here, and he pulls those out.]
Make yourself comfortable. You don't have to stand on ceremony with me even if I am a rotten politician.
[Albert pours more sake for himself, then looks at Chuuya thoughtfully.]
You know... I can't say that I do. I haven't brought any of my hobbies with me, other than wine drinking, and I've been informed that alcohol is a character defect, not a hobby.
[What does he do for fun? Talk to people... go to the gardens... Probably more sex than is reasonable to bring up...]
I ought to take up knitting again.
You know... I can't say that I do. I haven't brought any of my hobbies with me, other than wine drinking, and I've been informed that alcohol is a character defect, not a hobby.
[What does he do for fun? Talk to people... go to the gardens... Probably more sex than is reasonable to bring up...]
I ought to take up knitting again.
Quite right. Though the weather isn't suitable for knitted items at all... Perhaps by the time I have some done the weather will have cooled.
[He smiles.]
Do you know what's surprised me? The fact that I can give speeches endlessly and not tire overly much. It's the opposition that causes me grief, as always.
[He smiles.]
Do you know what's surprised me? The fact that I can give speeches endlessly and not tire overly much. It's the opposition that causes me grief, as always.
[He leans into the touch, letting out a tremulous breath. Albert... He does everything with his all, doesn't he? It's a feeling Mitsuki understands whole heartedly. What's the point of being alive if you can't live life to the fullest, if you can't chase after your hopes and dreams and see them to fruition because you've given the world everything you can?
It worries him, in some ways, but in other ways he understands. In other ways he knows he would do anything for Albert. He wants to make this work. He wants Albert to be happy, he wants to see those soft, genuine smiles again, he wants... What they had before, but he knows that there's a new life ahead of them.
That... Doesn't mean that life will be bad, though. It'll be better for them, he thinks, with the shadows of Albert's past no longer a mystery. He's not sure he will ever understand all the things Albert has done, but maybe he doesn't have to. Maybe he should just focus on the man Albert is now and the man he will become.
His gaze falls to Albert's chest as he contemplates what he wants to say, before he lifts his chin and meets Albert's eyes. A small, sad smile crosses his face.]
Please. Talk to me. Tell me everything you want to say.
[He reaches for Albert's other hand, wanting even more contact, and when he speaks next his voice is soft. Softer than he's probably ever heard Mitsuki, who's always so bright and exuberant.]
I love you.
It worries him, in some ways, but in other ways he understands. In other ways he knows he would do anything for Albert. He wants to make this work. He wants Albert to be happy, he wants to see those soft, genuine smiles again, he wants... What they had before, but he knows that there's a new life ahead of them.
That... Doesn't mean that life will be bad, though. It'll be better for them, he thinks, with the shadows of Albert's past no longer a mystery. He's not sure he will ever understand all the things Albert has done, but maybe he doesn't have to. Maybe he should just focus on the man Albert is now and the man he will become.
His gaze falls to Albert's chest as he contemplates what he wants to say, before he lifts his chin and meets Albert's eyes. A small, sad smile crosses his face.]
Please. Talk to me. Tell me everything you want to say.
[He reaches for Albert's other hand, wanting even more contact, and when he speaks next his voice is soft. Softer than he's probably ever heard Mitsuki, who's always so bright and exuberant.]
I love you.
[When his other hand is taken, Albert's heart leaps again. He knows he should be cautious, not throw everything he is and everything he feels out into the open. But this is Mitsuki. This man has never been anything but himself with Albert, genuine and true, honest, pure, and vibrant. He has more right than anyone to the truth about Albert.
But still, he has to take a moment to look Mitsuki over again, again, again... Searing everything about him into his heart and soul after a month without. He remembers how their hands fit together. Just what angle he has to tip his head to get Mitsuki's attention. This was almost lost to him...]
I love you. [He says it breathlessly, softly, ardently and adamantly.] I would turn this world on its head to keep you safe. Know that, to begin with. The rest...
[It's so hard to know where to begin.]
...My God, I've no idea where to start. [He laughs faintly, then guides Mitsuki over to the plush sofa in the room. Once they're comfortable, with Mitsuki's hand in his, he looks up to the ceiling as though it will tell him what he needs to know.] It's funny... I don't know if you'll find any of this palatable to hear. Apparently some people think having a past full of intrigue and danger is exciting, and some people are more sensible. I will say, though, that other than my brothers, only you and Ignis know any of this about me. I... told some of it to another dear friend, but she's since left here.
[And with that... His free hand combs through Mitsuki's hair, gently rearranging it and smoothing it down in turns.]
I began life as a noble, of course, and my position in the House of Lords was hereditary, by virtue of being the eldest Moriarty son. This much is common knowledge and factually correct.
[He smiles faintly at him, apologetic but sincere.]
William and Louis... are adopted, actually. I met them when I was a young man and they were charges at an orphanage I frequently visited for charitable causes. Through a series of circumstances, it came to be just the three of us against a world we found bitter and shameful. We trained under an elite retired soldier as teenagers and attended Eton College, and when I came of age, I joined Her Majesty's military, as required of me.
But still, he has to take a moment to look Mitsuki over again, again, again... Searing everything about him into his heart and soul after a month without. He remembers how their hands fit together. Just what angle he has to tip his head to get Mitsuki's attention. This was almost lost to him...]
I love you. [He says it breathlessly, softly, ardently and adamantly.] I would turn this world on its head to keep you safe. Know that, to begin with. The rest...
[It's so hard to know where to begin.]
...My God, I've no idea where to start. [He laughs faintly, then guides Mitsuki over to the plush sofa in the room. Once they're comfortable, with Mitsuki's hand in his, he looks up to the ceiling as though it will tell him what he needs to know.] It's funny... I don't know if you'll find any of this palatable to hear. Apparently some people think having a past full of intrigue and danger is exciting, and some people are more sensible. I will say, though, that other than my brothers, only you and Ignis know any of this about me. I... told some of it to another dear friend, but she's since left here.
[And with that... His free hand combs through Mitsuki's hair, gently rearranging it and smoothing it down in turns.]
I began life as a noble, of course, and my position in the House of Lords was hereditary, by virtue of being the eldest Moriarty son. This much is common knowledge and factually correct.
[He smiles faintly at him, apologetic but sincere.]
William and Louis... are adopted, actually. I met them when I was a young man and they were charges at an orphanage I frequently visited for charitable causes. Through a series of circumstances, it came to be just the three of us against a world we found bitter and shameful. We trained under an elite retired soldier as teenagers and attended Eton College, and when I came of age, I joined Her Majesty's military, as required of me.
[He lets Albert speak, leaning into his side and looking at their joined hands. He's not quite sure what to make of all of this, but he thinks he understands it well enough.
Albert wants to change the world. He's seen the way Albert works, the way he's trying so hard to navigate the political climes of Noctium, and it seems that's always been something he's wanted to do. In a way, it explains a lot. It doesn't excuse the measures he's taken, but...
Does having good intentions override everything he's done? The lives he's taken? Do corrupt people deserve to die?
Mitsuki doesn't think he has the right to decide that, but... The world he comes from, the world he's familiar with, it all seems so frivolous compared to Albert's.
He won't press about his brothers - there's more there, but everything is complicated enough, and he doesn't want to pour salt in the wounds. So, instead, he goes for the topic that seems... Maybe a little bit safer.]
So you went straight into the military?
[The fact it was expected of him... It gets Mitsuki to frown, as he can't imagine doing something like that. It must have been awful.]
Albert wants to change the world. He's seen the way Albert works, the way he's trying so hard to navigate the political climes of Noctium, and it seems that's always been something he's wanted to do. In a way, it explains a lot. It doesn't excuse the measures he's taken, but...
Does having good intentions override everything he's done? The lives he's taken? Do corrupt people deserve to die?
Mitsuki doesn't think he has the right to decide that, but... The world he comes from, the world he's familiar with, it all seems so frivolous compared to Albert's.
He won't press about his brothers - there's more there, but everything is complicated enough, and he doesn't want to pour salt in the wounds. So, instead, he goes for the topic that seems... Maybe a little bit safer.]
So you went straight into the military?
[The fact it was expected of him... It gets Mitsuki to frown, as he can't imagine doing something like that. It must have been awful.]
[Albert nods.]
More or less. Considering there were only the three of us young men, there were complications when it came to our inheritance. Most first sons did serve the Empire, and I wasn't any exception. I served in the military until... Well, I would say a year or so before I came here? I had a slight change of profession after being noticed...
[Oh, how in the hell does he explain Mycroft? Maybe he can come back to that. After all, his relationship with Mycroft grew deep and rather tangled in certain ways, ways that become more relevant later in his timeline. This is somehow just the beginning, in Albert's mind. It's when William's plans began to truly pan out.]
While I was an ordinary officer, I discovered and dismantled an opium operation, you see. It had some ties to high ranking officers and officials, so I suppose both to shut me up and to utilize my talents, I was transferred from the military into Her Majesty's more direct service.
[He laughs faintly. There's distinct fondness when he speaks again, nostalgia and a hint of sadness.]
If you remember Colonel Moran, formerly of my world and a short visitor in this one... The man technically outranked me. It did drive him crazy to take orders from me thereafter, as it turned out, but he was a good man and a fine shot.
More or less. Considering there were only the three of us young men, there were complications when it came to our inheritance. Most first sons did serve the Empire, and I wasn't any exception. I served in the military until... Well, I would say a year or so before I came here? I had a slight change of profession after being noticed...
[Oh, how in the hell does he explain Mycroft? Maybe he can come back to that. After all, his relationship with Mycroft grew deep and rather tangled in certain ways, ways that become more relevant later in his timeline. This is somehow just the beginning, in Albert's mind. It's when William's plans began to truly pan out.]
While I was an ordinary officer, I discovered and dismantled an opium operation, you see. It had some ties to high ranking officers and officials, so I suppose both to shut me up and to utilize my talents, I was transferred from the military into Her Majesty's more direct service.
[He laughs faintly. There's distinct fondness when he speaks again, nostalgia and a hint of sadness.]
If you remember Colonel Moran, formerly of my world and a short visitor in this one... The man technically outranked me. It did drive him crazy to take orders from me thereafter, as it turned out, but he was a good man and a fine shot.
[Processing… Processing…]
Wait.
[There’s a lot to unpack here. He wasn’t expecting Albert’s life to be so… Much.
He turns to look up at Albert, raising an eyebrow.]
Are you saying you were a spy?
[…Are all people born into royalty and nobility like this?
He presses his lips together, brows furrowing. It… Is kind of cool, he has to admit, but he also imagines it’s not as glamorous as it is in the movies.]
Wait.
[There’s a lot to unpack here. He wasn’t expecting Albert’s life to be so… Much.
He turns to look up at Albert, raising an eyebrow.]
Are you saying you were a spy?
[…Are all people born into royalty and nobility like this?
He presses his lips together, brows furrowing. It… Is kind of cool, he has to admit, but he also imagines it’s not as glamorous as it is in the movies.]
Edited (STOP) 2021-08-13 02:19 (UTC)
[Albert smiles, then laughs faintly at the reaction.]
I was. And then I became the unofficial head of MI-6, upon discovering some rather nasty secrets about the French Revolution and certain royal involvement. Yes, technically it was blackmail... But I saved lives in doing it, so I have no regrets.
[Even if only Bond's life was directly saved, the many underclass people Albert knows suffered less because of their actions outweighed blackmailing the very Queen. It was never an eye for an eye. It was all machinations and plotting to degrees even Albert often simply left to the genius of the family. He could hold his own in business and war, and he knows people like few can, but William to this day knows systems more intimately. The balance of talents is why the Lord of Crime worked.
Thoughtfully, he strokes Mitsuki's hair again, then smooths a fingertip over his furrowed brow.]
I wonder if I ought to regret other things, however. I think... I accepted very early on that we had to go to extremes to get extreme results. Though dear William and Louis will insist otherwise, our deeds were something I started, and something I saw through with all the gravity and seriousness it deserved. I never took joy in our crusade. To be frank, I thought I would die before we created the revolution that was needed. I'm told, however... [He shifts uncomfortably.] That it is my brother, William, who may have instead died. I remanded myself to the custody and mercy of Her Majesty's guard and was locked up quite soundly for my crimes. So I am told. Nothing is without consequence, and I knew this from the first step I took. I saw the mercy of this world bringing you and I together as a sign that I should continue to use my skills to help others, but in a way that harmed no one, if I could avoid it. A second chance, if you will.
[With a genuine, soft smile, he looks into Mitsuki's eyes.]
The man who did those things isn't the man who now loves you, with all of his heart. My crimes weigh on my conscience, and they torment me, but my heart and soul were saved by you.
I was. And then I became the unofficial head of MI-6, upon discovering some rather nasty secrets about the French Revolution and certain royal involvement. Yes, technically it was blackmail... But I saved lives in doing it, so I have no regrets.
[Even if only Bond's life was directly saved, the many underclass people Albert knows suffered less because of their actions outweighed blackmailing the very Queen. It was never an eye for an eye. It was all machinations and plotting to degrees even Albert often simply left to the genius of the family. He could hold his own in business and war, and he knows people like few can, but William to this day knows systems more intimately. The balance of talents is why the Lord of Crime worked.
Thoughtfully, he strokes Mitsuki's hair again, then smooths a fingertip over his furrowed brow.]
I wonder if I ought to regret other things, however. I think... I accepted very early on that we had to go to extremes to get extreme results. Though dear William and Louis will insist otherwise, our deeds were something I started, and something I saw through with all the gravity and seriousness it deserved. I never took joy in our crusade. To be frank, I thought I would die before we created the revolution that was needed. I'm told, however... [He shifts uncomfortably.] That it is my brother, William, who may have instead died. I remanded myself to the custody and mercy of Her Majesty's guard and was locked up quite soundly for my crimes. So I am told. Nothing is without consequence, and I knew this from the first step I took. I saw the mercy of this world bringing you and I together as a sign that I should continue to use my skills to help others, but in a way that harmed no one, if I could avoid it. A second chance, if you will.
[With a genuine, soft smile, he looks into Mitsuki's eyes.]
The man who did those things isn't the man who now loves you, with all of his heart. My crimes weigh on my conscience, and they torment me, but my heart and soul were saved by you.
[Albert's buried (proverbially!) in papers at his grand desk, his assistants and colleagues knowing better than to disturb him this close to evening. If they're all lucky, he'll remember to tell them to go home; if they're unlucky, he'll forget the time entirely and ask for help at the eleventh hour.
But it's William who walks into his office, causing Albert's face first to break into a pristine, brilliant smile, but then to look apologetically at the clock.]
Oh. You had me believing it was that late already, Will. I've... missed dinner again, haven't I?
But it's William who walks into his office, causing Albert's face first to break into a pristine, brilliant smile, but then to look apologetically at the clock.]
Oh. You had me believing it was that late already, Will. I've... missed dinner again, haven't I?
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