Badger and the Beast

 Badger and the Beast are thieves, first and foremost. They desperately want the precious thing you have—the thing which they traded off long ago. But they cannot reach into your pocket and take it, as it is intangible and perfect, and quite literally the best thing in the universe. They cannot take it, and this infuriates them. So they rob you of other things instead, contenting themselves with your discomfiture. They steal your joy, should you let it shine. They steal your dignity, whenever they can get their hands on it. They particularly like stealing your good mood—it’s simple and pure and ephemeral, and can be easily vaporized with a few well-chosen words.

Badger and the Beast have grown increasingly sadistic over the years. Stress and exhaustion have ground them down such that the full, natural scope of empathy and warmth has, within them, shrunk to a narrow slice. On either side stretch bitterness, envy, and the deep disappointment that comes with realizing decades too late that the wrong choices have been made. The wrong irreversible choices. Their souls are full of cavities, and ache with pain. Your pain is the only anesthetic, and they dose themselves liberally.

Badger fancies himself brilliant, undervalued, possessed of a rare talent. Something of a wunderkind, his exasperation at the lack of expertise in others is like a favorite toy to clutch and stroke. All day, every day, he runs his hands over the failings of others. Detecting and declaring faults. Comforting himself with them.

The Beast is quite stupid, and only knows a few basic games. She always wins, of course. Her targets are callow and unarmed—for now. But it is like watching a child play at psychological warfare: clumsy and transparent.

I see them, truly, and they are failing. They choose what is comfortable and easy, always. They do just enough to secure their reputation and take care of themselves—and nothing more. Blinders firmly affixed, they willfully ignore the shoddy foundation on which they are standing.

And they do it because they are thieves who cannot steal the unstealable.