Cousins in Arms

[Gifted]

"Well if you've thought abut it, tell me what you're thinking."

[Raven]

"Well..." Kailen hesitated. "Travelling the world sounds awesome, but I don't want to leave you alone to deal with the city all the time. And I mean, I guess you'll have Emma and Danny, but still." He didn't understand enough about economics to fill the only other position Liam had mentioned, anyway.

[Gifted]

"I mean that's fair. There are two other positions I'm gonna have vacated that might be an option."

[Raven]

"Why do you ask anyway? Think he's gonna kick the bucket soon?"

[Gifted]

"No, not at all." Liam said. There was an awkward pause before Liam realized he probably was gonna have to explain why. "Well, your father being a cunt today kind of totally ruined my plan for all this so just... can I just say something one more time? And then I'll never knowingly side with that asshole again."

[Raven]

Kailen rolled his eyes. "Fine, what?" he asked.

[Gifted]

"...I think you should seriously think about going to college." Liam admitted.

[Raven]

Kailen scoffed. "Why?" he asked.

[Gifted]

"Well, I was kind of hoping to put you in charge of the shell corporation." Liam said. "Thing is to do that you kinda need to understand how the hell accounting works. You can't very well learn from the guy who's currently got the job, since he can't know I'm setting up a replacement for him, so if you were interested you would need to learn from someone outside. And... well, you're the only person I trust who's also willing to work in the drug trade with me and actually has the grades to get to college. Except maybe Emma? I dunno, I kinda doubt it. Also, if and when he actually dies, I kinda also don't really want you to be there for the violence? I mean, if you think the city is violent now, it's not going to hold a candle to later. And you're the most obvious target to get to me, so I'd kind of prefer you had a reason to not be there? Which obviously doesn't work if he doesn't die in the next four years but hey, I can dream."

[Raven]

Kailen smiled slightly. "Math, dude? Really? Ugh," he said, but he seemed to be teasing. "I've always heard economics is a nightmare."

[Gifted]

"Technically I think Accounting is Business, not Economics, but yeah." Liam joked. "I mean, if you really want to do something else, I'd never force you. That's just kind of where my head is at right now, y'know?"

[Raven]

"Yeah," Kailen said. "Guess you need to make a math wiz friend. And anyway, I can take care of myself."

[Gifted]

"Dude, no offense, but you can take care of yourself when you have a gun. I didn't hand you my gun because I didn't need it. I handed it to you so we could have three people to protect instead of four."

[Raven]

"And you think I'm gonna spend my days wandering around Soudoyer unarmed?" Kailen asked.

[Gifted]

"No, I'm thinking one day you're gonna end up in a fight and run out of bullets."