Avery is probably the second most interesting character to me, even though he ranks a bit lower on my favorites list. A lot of that comes from how he contrasts with Bailey, and how the story keeps comparing them on purpose or by accident, considering they occupy such similar positions in the town’s power structure and in their relationship to PC. Bailey is younger, but somehow Avery’s mentality and lifestyle feel less “old.” I really admire Bailey’s almost brutal level of diligence and self discipline, but there’s also something inherently appealing about Avery’s whole philosophy of living for pleasure and desire.
They both have trauma-related emotional stagnation to some extent. When Avery gets angry, he still feels like a child demanding something precious back. With Bailey, though, that teenage boy underneath his anger is much harder to see. On the “dad” issue, Bailey wins without question. What Avery offers instead is a completely different atmosphere. Honestly, he’s the one who actually needs PC to take care of him. That really is the dynamic. But he handles it in a very sly way, intentionally or not. Avery never promises PC anything beyond money, yet the polished and gentlemanly image he presents at first is loaded with implications, like he could offer a new system, something more civilized, safer, and more orderly than Bailey’s.
I used to think Avery was always the one provoking first, but that’s actually not true all the time. During their first meeting, after investigating PC’s background in the café, Avery has that little moment where he keeps glancing around nervously. QA explained it as him being afraid Bailey might see him. And during the café opening, Bailey openly wipes off the hand Avery touched, and Avery just swallows it, like he does in a lot of smaller moments.
At first Avery didn’t really have the same level of influence Bailey did. But once he joins Remy and the others, he suddenly gains the nerve to provoke Bailey through the issue of “ownership” over PC, even though PC clearly matters to him for reasons beyond that. And then we get to the fun territorial conflict part. Valstrax just bit down on Kirin.
Bailey’s reactions to provocation are always funny to me. If he truly didn’t care the way he claims he doesn’t, he wouldn’t get visibly irritated just because Avery is casually flirting with PC. He always has to look one more time. I originally thought Bailey showed up at Avery’s banquet to gather information, but he actually seems pretty uninterested in whatever is happening on Elk Street. He came there specifically to warn PC, mostly through sarcasm and by taking shots at Avery. But after hearing PC was being abused, his tone softens a little. And honestly, if PC weren’t there, he would’ve just left immediately without giving Avery even the slightest respect.
Did nobody tell him tsundere behavior went out of style already?
Anyway. Just late night rambling. I should sleep. I refuse to lose focus tomorrow over two old men who are almost eighty combined.