SORRY FOR EVERYTHING HERE. SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR ANY CREEPER-NESS.
The real Al-Cid would have been able to see this for what it was. The real Al-Cid would have sauntered forward, taking the other man around his shoulders. It would be a close touch, an intimate touch, but only that of one person pouring comfort into another like precious drops of water over parched earth. The real Al-Cid would have invited Xerxes away from this place to enjoy drinks from an aged bottle worth more than their combined Seed salaries for the next six months. Also, the real Al-Cid was presently cocooned and squirming for his life somewhere down below.
So, you know. That was awkward.
Hard to say whether Al-Cid's clone was among the most convincing or that he simply lucked out and imitated the easiest human being imaginable. The original was a man almost too cartoonish in his mannerisms to be real. His deliberate flamboyance made people roll their eyes away, and in doing so they couldn't see any imperfections in the spider's act. He spoke with the same lilt, he leaned in to seduce men and women alike as fodder for his kin. They had followed one by one and now he wanted this one; this chiseled Adonis among younger, paler faces.
"What a fine specimen of masculinity." Observed a rich voice. It wasn't so far off from compliments given in the infancy of their friendship. Only time gave their relationship any real meaning, and right now 'Al-Cid' had no concept of exactly how much time they had shared. "Is that your battle cry, then? Bullshit?"