Chapter Text
Sitting outside of Sam's house while he waited for his friend to grab something, Lysander pulled out one of his strawberry-flavored cigarillos and lit it, taking a long drag of it and exhaling a thin stream of smoke. He stretched out on his back in the shade of the tree, one ankle hooked over a bent knee and his hands folded behind his head. Presently, he heard the sound of people approaching, and adjusted his sunglasses so he could better see who it was. "Hey mate, how goes?" he smiled waving at Penny, who approached with Vincent and Jas in tow.
"Hello, Lysander, we're off to the library, are you waiting for Sam?"
"Yup, figured I'd enjoy a bit of sunshine, it's a nice day out. While staying downwind, of course," he noted removing the smoke from his lips and gesturing with it.
Vincent wrinkled his nose. "Aren't those bad for you? Like, they're supposed to make your teeth fall out and your breath smell like butt and your lungs to shrivel up like raisins and-" He was interrupted by a surprised gasp from Penny, but Lysander simply laughed and sat up, removing his sunglasses and taking another drag from his cigarillo.
"Technically, kinda yeah. Though Sebastian and I don't smoke normal cigarettes, so while these aren't technically as bad they're still hardly good for you."
"Then why do you smoke them? It sounds stupid."
Penny gently admonished Vincent for his statement, but once more Lysander laughed and waved a hand. "Nah, he's got the right of it, it is stupid, but funny enough, some of the most interesting habits often are." He flicked some ash carefully into the dirt so as to not risk sparks. "That's one of many things you'll find out as you get older. Some things that are bad for you are kinda fun and even satisfying. Some foods, habits like this, and some others that I can't mention 'cause you're too young." He chuckled and grinned at them, taking a long pull once more. "Things like cookies and candies are irresistible now, but other things are going to get addictive, too, and it takes a lot of discipline and willpower to do the right thing and not do or consume those things."
"Then does that mean you're really weak because you keep smoking those, then?"
Before Penny could scold Vincent for continuing to speak up like this Lysander burst out laughing. "Ha! Where's the lie? No, he's being a little rude about it, but it's okay, Penny, it's the truth. I've got a lot of willpower and stuff, but I let myself have bad habits like this because it makes resisting the harder stuff easier. If you try to refrain from having anything nice at all then you get really unhealthy people. Y'know, mentally. All of that energy has to go somewhere, y'know, and if you've got pent-up frustration it can turn into some very nasty emotions and habits really easily. So," he remarked, once more flicking ash off of the end and taking a small puff, "these are bad, yeah, but they're less bad than some other things, and keep me from indulging in really bad stuff or being miserable because I don't let myself have anything nice. Make sense?"
Jas had been examining him quietly, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. "Oh, so that's why Uncle Shane drinks so much, then! To keep himself from doing really bad stuff, right?"
Lysander and Penny went silent, and he exhaled deeply, running his fingers through his bangs. "...No, actually. What Shane is doing is exactly the opposite. He's not doing that because he wants to or because it feels good, but because there are things in his life that hurt a lot right now and that is how he's, well... How he's surviving. He isn't weak, let me get that right out of the way right now, but sometimes there are things that are too big and bad to handle and you just...don't heal. On the inside. Maybe soon he'll be able to deal with what's causing that pain and not need to drink so much, and I hope so, because how much he takes in is causing harm of its own. But people like him don't take well to people getting into his business. I know from personal experience. All you can do is provide him with, well, a place to be. A place where he can get better but not need to ask for help or have people pitying him. Because when you're in a spot like he is having people look down on you only makes it worse."
The sound of Sam leaving the house interrupted Lysander, and he was somewhat grateful for it. "Hey Lys, I'm ready! ...Oh, hi Penny." She and Lysander smiled at the way he got very shy and quiet around her, and she blew him a kiss, giggling at how he got even more crimson. "Err, heh, thanks, um... Oh! Lys, so, ready to go?"
Getting up and dusting himself off, Lysander put his sunglasses back on. "Yeah, let's head out. Cheers all, have fun at the library, learn amazing things, okay?"
A harmony of "okay!" from both children made him smile, and he waved at them and Penny as they walked off. "So, I didn't keep you waiting long, did I?"
"Nah, just offering a bit of an adult perspective and some wisdom, that's all."
"Pfft, as if, you're a terrible influence and we all know it."
Laughing and exhaling another long stream of smoke, Lysander nudged his friend. "You only know part of it, mate."