Selene paused for a moment as Lucas ordered a sampler of tartare meats. Robert and Venus were conveniently somewhere else at the moment, Robert having called Venus away for some reason.
Selene/Neruite knew something was off about Lucas. As if she felt ashamed, but were doing her best not to let it show.
"Okay. What's buggin' ya?"
"What?" - Lucas Blushed - "Er... Nothing, really."
"Come on. I've been inside your head." - Said Selene, smirking.
"I... Er... I'm sorry. I mean, I was... Rude." - Said Lucas.
"No, you weren't. You were pissed off, but you actually made one of the best attempts at staying polite I've ever seen. It was successful, too." - Said Neruite - "You were pissed off at me because I was telling you you shouldn't go after Jeff. And that was a perfectly normal reaction, given that I had just talked you off of doing something to help one that reminds you so much of yourself..." - Said Neruite.
Lucas sighed.
"I... I just feel it was wrong of me..."
Neruite gently hugged her protegé.
"You are sorry about how you felt. But how you felt was normal. And it was not something you could help. I do not forgive you, Lucas. I absolve you. You did nothing wrong."
Lucas blushed harder.
"Okay... Thanks." - She then paused and sighed - "Do I get to watch?"
"You mean watch Jeff get his." - Said Neruite - "Yes. I'll call you myself when it's time. It's the least I could do."
"Least you could do for what? You have nothing to make amends for." - Said Lucas.
"I know how bad it felt for you..." - Said Neruite.
"So? I needed to learn that and doing anything would harm the changed in general... It's not your fault. It sucks, I'll be the first to admit it, but it's not your fault." - Said Lucas.
Neruite smirked.
"So you're absolving me as well?"
Lucas smiled.
"You did nothing wrong either."
Robert looked at the table. She and Venus had been sitting at the bar - and had yet to pay for one drink.
"We should go back." - She said - "I think they're done."
Venus smirked.
"You figured Lucas needed to be alone with Selene... Clever."
Robert just smiled lightly. There were, after all, some things she knew best.
