Alcuin tilted his head a little further to the side to give his friend a better vantage point with which to plait his hair, the motion smooth and automatic with years of practice. His foster-sister had so loved to play with his hair when they were children; indeed, it was one of the many ways they had bonded over the years they were together. It seemed like it had only been a short amount of time since the incident, but already he missed the easy companionship of his previous household.
“We do what we must.” Alcuin agreed, his expression was grave but affectionate. “Even when it hurts – perhaps especially when it hurts.”
He would never hold it against Hermes for playing the fool in the face of rumor and gossip; that was, after all, the most effective way to wheedle their way into the vast tapestry of lies in search of the truth. It was enough for him to know that Hermes found it important enough to investigate to the best of his abilities. Of course, leave it to the spiteful shifter to exact his own brand of vengeance. “Oh, Hermes. Surely not!” He scoffed incredulously, his grin like a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds. “What if you had been caught out at it?”