A slightly smaller Mess

charles sighs
"I mean, being polite"

Noctis: sorry sir

Raeven: "It's fine. I'm probably just paranoid."

Noctis: about the lord commander?

Raeven: "Yes... He was... around at the time of the lost legions."

Noctis: I think he would like you.

Raeven: "Or i may share our lost brother's fate. It is a risk i do not wish to take."

Noctis:...I do not follow, sir.

Raeven: "Of course... you don't know what happened to the lost legions do you... Noone does these days."

"....sir?"

"A conversation for another time... But the fact remains that... Robute... is not someone i wish to know of me."

Noctis: I..do not understand sir

Raeven takes a bite as he contemplates how to explain this. "...perpetuals... do not have a good track record."

"....sir?"

"Various perpetuals... namely John Gramaticus... have worked with xenos to bring down the imperium."

Noctis:...I doubt he is common knowledge sir

"Guilliman definitely knows."

"He did not show a bias against them"

"...How did the conversation arise?"

"We were speaking of Vulk-..our father. He...believes, or has at least heard rumor, that our father may also be perpetual"

"...He is. We spoke of it."

",...oh"

"Vulkan lives... It takes on a rather different meaning now, does it not?"

"It cannot be otherwise...I see"

"I would appreciate... however that you refrained from telling Robute this."

"Telling him what sir?" *rae can tell he's being coy*

He chuckles, and takes another bite. "Good answer."

he nods back, finally reaching up and removing his helmet

Having seen his face when he removed it to prove his heritage to logen, hes rather nonplussed. "Do you have... any other questions?"

"Sir... well..."

"I will do my best to answer."

"Well...my brothers and I... Be honest about us sir. Are we...wrong? unneeded? Heretical even?"

"Now... there is a question. Some would say yes... that the changes cawl made are heresy... But... A short story... if you will... Have you heard of the raptors?"

"Vaguely"

"Not the chapter of the same name... But the attempt by corax to produce astartes quickly... Using the undiluted dna of primarchs."

"oh...then no sir"

"The project failed. Some say it was the alpha legion tampering with it... But, either way, the astartes produced were monsters."

"Ah...the alpha legion tampering...does fit their modus operandi"

"It does indeed. But a complete lack of evidence does also... They are irritating good at what they do. Regardless. These... mutated horrors were some of the most valorous men i have yet met."

Noctis pauses, not sure how to respond

"It was a dark time then... Darker than now perhaps... but we gave them the benefit of the doubt... Men who were visibly infected with chaos. What i am trying to say brother is... I shall judge you on your actions."

"...thankyou sir"

"In any case, you are less monster than i."

he sees noctis' eyes widen at that
"...sir?"

Raeven is not looking, instead, gazing off into the middle of the room, without any apparent focus. "Men were not made to live this long..."

"...no sane man would call you monster, sir"

"Many have. My own brothers have..."

"It is not for us to decide how long we have. Only what we do with the time we are given."

"Of course... it is the emperor's will..." He sounds far from convinced at the words.

"The emperor has nothing to do with it sir"