"You hurt people, you're dangerous, it seems wrong to just let you go." Shouldn't he do something? Call the guards, get the sheriff, stop Leonard while he can. He was going to have to do something, this guy was a criminal. He was dangerous. Maybe he should make a move and do something. Get someone. Yet, it was Leonard. Handsome, brilliant Leonard who always had time for him and always wanted to see him. Way back when anyway.
"What happened to you? You used to be -- better." He used to not be a wanted criminal.
"I used to be younger, Scarlet. Now I've lived." And from the looks of him, Len wondered if Barry had really lived. Probably didn't get much of a chance though, having to live in the caste and under an ever so watchful eye. Under a lot of watchful eyes, really. High time to come and visit him and part of him wished that he had something to offer, somewhere he could take someone like Barry. Alas. Not these days, not after all that had been taken from him.
"I was a knight, hurting people is par of the course. I was in the war. If I didn't hurt people there, then what would be the point of going?" Not that he was still a knight, even if he felt he acted more knightly now than ever before. In accordance with the code he had sworn to obey.
"But you hurt the right people." Wait, no, that came out wrong. Barry furrowed his brow and tried to think of the right word that didn't sound like he was being a dick about this. They weren't so much as bad people as just the people they were fighting at the time, people who wanted bad things. "I meant you fought the opposition. Like you're supposed to. It's a good thing, it's a noble thing. Fighting for your side, helping your fellow man." Killing people horribly and painfully. Barry wasn't overly in love with the idea of war but he was pretty certain it was needed to control the worse of the world.
Maybe one day things would be easier and there would be no need for war. "Being a knight was better than being criminals who hides in the forest and robs innocent people. Or worse." He heard some horror stories. Few were true but hearsay was always rampant in the castle.
"War isn't a noble thing. It's slaughter. You don't fight for what is right on the battlefield, you just fight to kill and to survive. There is nothing noble about war, there's nothing noble about death." This talk was the norm in the right places, in the bad places, in places someone like Barry would never see. Someone who hadn't smelled the blood and bodies. Leonard didn't want him to have the experience he had, but it made the difference between them starker. Even more so than it had always been. Compared to him, Barry was an innocent, a blank slate. Easily led into the wrong direction, just as the Prince would want him.
"There are no innocent people, but even if there were any, you can believe me when I say that almost none are found in the castles and most would be found in gutters." With a scoff, Leonard raised his eyebrows. "Worse than robbing them, do I? Seems hard to believe. For the people I take from, I don't think anything worse than losing the smallest part of their riches even exists."
"It's noble." He wasn't sure how much to agreed with it, he never really knew. Everyone told him it was a noble things, knights had been telling him grand stories since he was a boy and yet, certain people seemed less thrilled. Joe always gave him a look when he talked about it, like he didn't want to burst his bubble but he didn't agree. And Cisco was never overly positive but Barry was certain that came from jealousy of his brother and was more biased than not.
"The people here are good people. You should know that." Leonard had known some of them growing up, given his father was sometimes stationed here. Barry didn't think anyone here was a bad person, they took him in and let him stay when he lost his parents, he loved everyone he knew here. "I've heard about the things you've done. The people you've killed. I didn't want to believe it but -- it's what I was told."
"I'm not in the business of explaining colours to blind people." Perhaps he should be, but he didn't have enough time for that. "You set foot out of this castle and look beneath you, you might notice the trampled bodies all this luxury is built upon."
That painted a picture at least and unfortunately a rather accurate one, if he thought of some of the poor he had seen lately. On the other hand, he doubted it would go through to Barry, who had no reason to believe him. "You haven't told me yet how you are, Scarlet. I've come all this way just to ask, you should at least be polite enough to answer."
Best to call someone like that out of his lack of manners, even if Leonard was here without permission and sitting on his windowsill in a manner that nobody noble should do in an important meeting. But he'd never held much with protocol.
"I set foot outside all the time." To ride his horse badly with Iris around his grounds and stroll the gardens when he got claustrophobic. He wasn't actually allowed further right now, apparently people would hurt him if he went to far and every time he tried, people suddenly appeared. He missed going out, he used to do it all the time with his parents. He used to go talk to the other kids, he used to buy food and look at all the cool little houses in the villages. Now if he tried to do that, someone was always there to stop him. "It's just a little trickier these days. And I have allergies."
Well, hayfever, but that so counted. Barry looked at Leonard for a few moments before he shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. How was he? He was pretty bored overall. "I'm fine." He bit his lower lip, knowing his life sounded insanely boring with such a casual word as 'fine' and true it was but well, it wasn't entirely dull. There was one thing.
"I'm working on some stuff. With a friend." He looked to the side with a casual shrug, trying to hide that mischievous look in his eyes because it seemed unwise to brag to a criminal like this was some childish contest but Leonard was still so frustratingly awesome that he wanted something to match up. "Cool stuff."
"You're a very important person these days, Barry. Of course it'd be hard for you to go out." Noble, rich and whatever else made him of this much importance to the Prince, honestly Leonard din't even care to know. Luckily Barry kept talking and so the topic could change until he could lean forward with a grin of his own, really not bothering to hide his own mischievous streak. "Working on cool stuff with a friend, are you? Funny, so am I."
More or less. Say about their life what you wanted, it was definitely far from boring.
Barry had no idea if he should be doing this with a criminal who he should really be reporting right now but something about Leonard brought up this old nostalgic feeling and once again, like he was young, he just wanted to prove himself to Leonard. He wanted to seem like he was more than just a spoilt kid. He didn't like Leonard to think ill of him and he had no idea why, he just didn't. It must have been leftovers from the past. "I bet my stuff is cooler."
Barry playfully eyed under his bed and then looked back at Leonard, eyes fixed on him. "If I showed you something, you have to promise not to steal it? And maybe then, if I'm feeling generous and I can trust you, I can show you something pretty cool."
"I don't know. It's so very hard to refrain from stealing." The eyeroll didn't actually happen, but it was very much implied. "Maybe for you, I can manage." That said he smiled, hoping to dispel any insecurity. No, he didn't actually expect much from whatever Barry might show him. A way to travel to fairy land or how to kill a dragon, a mirror through which to talk to dragons or an angel's feather, these were all things he had been shown by Barry before and not just when he had been very, very young. He didn't want to discourage him however. He'd missed him and his mind, as strange as it might be at times.
Barry gave him a look before he moved to his bed and pulled out a rather nice looking box, it was leather bound and hand stitched, something that had been given to him as a present to contain whatever he wanted. And of course, he chose to put something very special in it. Something his resources and Cisco's genius had made. He opened up the box and pulled out a rather sophisticated looking optical scope, on this one wasn't hand sized, it was big and had all kinds of fancy attachments. Then out came the stand. "I didn't so much make this as I did fund it, you know? My friend built it."
Barry set it up then made a shooing motion for Leonard to get out of the way so he could set it up to point out of the window. "Check it out. You can see stars, sometimes you can see planets and oh man, you can see so far." When Barry had lamented at how little he could see, Cisco drew up the designs, Barry got the materials and this was what he got for his birthday last year. Barry set up the device and aimed it at the moon, standing back so Leonard could look through it. Oh yes, way more valuable and interesting than an angel's feather.
A telescope? Here? Leonard frowned, because that was a lot more than he'd expected and the craftsmanship was looking impressive. "Your friend is very skilled." Where had he learned such skill? Leonard had been to other countries, he had learned and seen a lot in places that were scoffed at for being uncivilised and unchristian, neither of which concerned him much. "Has he travelled a lot?"
Leonard moved to actually look at the telescope, studying the skill involved further. He looked up at the moon as Barry wanted him to, already wondering about other applications. He didn't look for long, because it was never a wise move to turn his back on someone. Looking at Barry again he smiled, nodding his head. "You're right, that really is, as you say, cool. Thank you for sharing. Have you seen anything of interest with it?"
"No, not really. He lived with his parents then he came to be with me to make some money. I think he came around the time you left. Maybe you remember him? His name was Cisco." Barry leaned down and tapped the side of the telescope, the whole middle was nicely stitched over with leather and at the end, near the base, Cisco had stitched a C and R all nice and neatly. "He's technically my servant but he's more my best friend. He makes all kinds of things."
Barry moved back through the room and went under his bed again, pulling out a strange looking device that could be held in his hand but had a strange spout attached that made it almost look like a weapon. He picked up his glass of water and began pouring it into a little hatch at the top, holding the handle steady as he did. "I see a lot of things. In the day I see birds and animals in the tress, sometimes people beyond the gates. At night, I've seen planets and stars." He closed the hatch, tightened it and set the glass of water down before aiming the item at Leonard and pumping a little attachment on the top. "Who needs to go outside? I got plenty here." And with that he fired and water splattered across at Leonard. Out of all the things Cisco had made for him, the water gun was his favourite.
"I remember." Not very well, but there had been a small kid of hard to determine gender who followed Barry everywhere and proved to be mostly useful where actually serving was concerned. Yes, he remembered. Leonard nodded and leaned back against the window to watch Barry, wondering how a kid like that could gain this kind of knowledge. Perhaps he'd have to question Stein about this, because him teaching the boy was the most likely explanation he could think of, off-hand. He might have asked more questions about what Barry saw and point out that it still wasn't the same as actually being outside, but then he was hit by water and immediately changed his stance, raising one hand to shield his face and reaching inside his coat, hand closing around his weapon.
Then he remembered what the situation actually was and relaxed with a snort and a shake. "That's quite something. Your friend is inventive, I'll give him that. Shame I couldn't meet him."
"He's like a genius. A bit of a chaotic genius, he keeps accidentally blowing up parts of the castle but he has some cool ideas. You should see what he can do. Eobard is considering giving him some funding to do more." Once he was sure he had somewhere for Cisco to work where he wouldn't trash the castle. Barry pumped the gun a few more times, not really noticing the way Leonard went for his own weapon. Instead, he sprayed himself in the mouth with the water.
"Cisco is probably outside feeding the horses and whining because he has to feed the horses." Barry shrugged his shoulders, lowering the playful weapon and smiling sadly at Leonard. "I don't think you should meet him. Or anyone here, I guess. You're sort of a criminal."
"Sort of, yes." Leonard grinned, clearly not bothered by the accusation. Barry didn't seem in any hurry to throw him out after all. He watched this man that he'd known as a boy, who in most ways really didn't appear to have changed at all and he wondered how they could connect again. He wondered how much it would really take to have him see what a tower of lies all of this was built on, what a tyrant the Prince was, whom Barry addressed by his first name so casually. "Now, I'd love to stay and steal your innocence, but I believe I should leave soon. The guards will come to check on you before the full hour hits, won't they?"
"They will." Barry looked at Leonard for a while before he set the gun down and moved up to Leonard. He didn't know what to think still, he wasn't sure what to do or where to go with this but he didn't think Leonard meant him harm. He looked at Leonard and he just didn't see the villain he was told about. He shrugged his shoulders a little and looked around his room. "They check every four hours at night, just to make sure. So. Yeah. Now you know. So if you, I don't know, did want to come back."
Was he really suggesting this? Oh God. "Maybe you could show me something cool you're working on some time."
How could he help but smile in the face of that? Villain or not, apparently underneath it all Barry still saw him as he had years ago. Show him what he was working on? Maybe that was the solution, as simple as that. Leonard turned his head when he heard a bird cry outside, then looked at Barry again and inclined his head. "I'll be by again some time soon, Scarlet. I have a lot that I can show you, if you'll come with me and trust that I'll keep you safe." Maybe that was the way to go. Even if he had no idea where it would end, at least it could be a start.
That said he approached the window, sitting on the sill and turning so his legs were outside. "I'll see you soon."
"I don't know if I trust you but I guess it sounds way more interesting that what I have going on in here. Just don't let me down, Leonard." The last thing Barry needed was to be lured out to a trap and get kidnapped, he'd never live it down, it'd be so embarrassing and he was pretty sure Joe and Eobard would ground him. Somehow. Some way. He watched Leonard move away and took a step back.
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"What happened to you? You used to be -- better." He used to not be a wanted criminal.
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"I was a knight, hurting people is par of the course. I was in the war. If I didn't hurt people there, then what would be the point of going?" Not that he was still a knight, even if he felt he acted more knightly now than ever before. In accordance with the code he had sworn to obey.
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Maybe one day things would be easier and there would be no need for war. "Being a knight was better than being criminals who hides in the forest and robs innocent people. Or worse." He heard some horror stories. Few were true but hearsay was always rampant in the castle.
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"There are no innocent people, but even if there were any, you can believe me when I say that almost none are found in the castles and most would be found in gutters." With a scoff, Leonard raised his eyebrows. "Worse than robbing them, do I? Seems hard to believe. For the people I take from, I don't think anything worse than losing the smallest part of their riches even exists."
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"The people here are good people. You should know that." Leonard had known some of them growing up, given his father was sometimes stationed here. Barry didn't think anyone here was a bad person, they took him in and let him stay when he lost his parents, he loved everyone he knew here. "I've heard about the things you've done. The people you've killed. I didn't want to believe it but -- it's what I was told."
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That painted a picture at least and unfortunately a rather accurate one, if he thought of some of the poor he had seen lately. On the other hand, he doubted it would go through to Barry, who had no reason to believe him. "You haven't told me yet how you are, Scarlet. I've come all this way just to ask, you should at least be polite enough to answer."
Best to call someone like that out of his lack of manners, even if Leonard was here without permission and sitting on his windowsill in a manner that nobody noble should do in an important meeting. But he'd never held much with protocol.
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Well, hayfever, but that so counted. Barry looked at Leonard for a few moments before he shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. How was he? He was pretty bored overall. "I'm fine." He bit his lower lip, knowing his life sounded insanely boring with such a casual word as 'fine' and true it was but well, it wasn't entirely dull. There was one thing.
"I'm working on some stuff. With a friend." He looked to the side with a casual shrug, trying to hide that mischievous look in his eyes because it seemed unwise to brag to a criminal like this was some childish contest but Leonard was still so frustratingly awesome that he wanted something to match up. "Cool stuff."
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More or less. Say about their life what you wanted, it was definitely far from boring.
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Barry playfully eyed under his bed and then looked back at Leonard, eyes fixed on him. "If I showed you something, you have to promise not to steal it? And maybe then, if I'm feeling generous and I can trust you, I can show you something pretty cool."
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"Show me what you have, Scarlet. I want to see."
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Barry set it up then made a shooing motion for Leonard to get out of the way so he could set it up to point out of the window. "Check it out. You can see stars, sometimes you can see planets and oh man, you can see so far." When Barry had lamented at how little he could see, Cisco drew up the designs, Barry got the materials and this was what he got for his birthday last year. Barry set up the device and aimed it at the moon, standing back so Leonard could look through it. Oh yes, way more valuable and interesting than an angel's feather.
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Leonard moved to actually look at the telescope, studying the skill involved further. He looked up at the moon as Barry wanted him to, already wondering about other applications. He didn't look for long, because it was never a wise move to turn his back on someone. Looking at Barry again he smiled, nodding his head. "You're right, that really is, as you say, cool. Thank you for sharing. Have you seen anything of interest with it?"
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Barry moved back through the room and went under his bed again, pulling out a strange looking device that could be held in his hand but had a strange spout attached that made it almost look like a weapon. He picked up his glass of water and began pouring it into a little hatch at the top, holding the handle steady as he did. "I see a lot of things. In the day I see birds and animals in the tress, sometimes people beyond the gates. At night, I've seen planets and stars." He closed the hatch, tightened it and set the glass of water down before aiming the item at Leonard and pumping a little attachment on the top. "Who needs to go outside? I got plenty here." And with that he fired and water splattered across at Leonard. Out of all the things Cisco had made for him, the water gun was his favourite.
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Then he remembered what the situation actually was and relaxed with a snort and a shake. "That's quite something. Your friend is inventive, I'll give him that. Shame I couldn't meet him."
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"Cisco is probably outside feeding the horses and whining because he has to feed the horses." Barry shrugged his shoulders, lowering the playful weapon and smiling sadly at Leonard. "I don't think you should meet him. Or anyone here, I guess. You're sort of a criminal."
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Was he really suggesting this? Oh God. "Maybe you could show me something cool you're working on some time."
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That said he approached the window, sitting on the sill and turning so his legs were outside. "I'll see you soon."
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"I'll see you soon."