finewithhalf | ic inbox ;;

Everyone leaves, sooner or later.

[She shrugs.]

Sometimes they get mad. Sometimes they get frustrated. Sometimes they think you're never gonna change and they're better off without you.

Did you start a different family after you left? [That's how it usually goes, isn't it?]

Not for a long time. The family I have now is built around my friends. [But he realizes he needs to point out something important.] I do still talk to my parents and my brother, and see them, it's just...in small doses, because we really don't get along at all.

Sounds nice, for you.

[Her father didn't even have a good reason for leaving. He just messed up. People mess up and it ruins lives.]

[He doesn't know her story, but he thinks given how young she still is, it must have been one of her parents. He can't pretend to know how that feels, but he can imagine it's harsh. The kind of reality someone so young shouldn't have dropped on them so early.]

Know what? [He leans forward a little, smallest of smiles tugging at one corner of his mouth.] Found family can be a thousand times better than your real one, sometimes. You can have that, Maya. The people you care about, the ones that care about you, the friends you surround yourself with? They can be family, too. Family's more than shared DNA. What counts is they care.

Edited 2017-01-01 18:19 (UTC)

[But she bristles at the sudden heart to heart. This guy brings her out here to try turning her against her found family, just to tell her that found families are important? What can he possibly know about that?]

You're new at this lecture thing aren't you?

[He was never actually trying to turn her against Leonard, just make her understand why he did what he did for him.

He winces a little at that.] That obvious, huh?

At least yours comes with candy.

[She snatches a Twizzler from the table, shrugging her shoulders.]

[He chuckles lightly at that.] So...you still want the snow gun?

[But that question makes her sober.]

Did you ever bother asking me why I want one?

[His lips pull into a soft line. She's right, actually. He never thought to ask, just went straight to saying no because she's still a kid.]

No, I didn't. But I'll listen, if you wanna tell me now.

I got a friend here. She still thinks the world is full of good stuff, you know? Problem is, it's hard to keep her thinking that in a place like this.

[She shrugs, turning away from him.]

So I keep her safe.

[He nods slowly. He can understand that instinct. It's why he's made a good number of the things he's made for The Flash, after all. Because he wants Barrh safe.]

Do you think this is the only way you can do that?

[He doesn't sound judgmental or like he's making assumptions at all, it's just a genuine question.]

I think I'll do anything to do it. But some toy snow gun ain't gonna do anyone any good.

So do what you want. I'll figure it out by myself if I have to.

[He thinks it's great that she wants to go to these lengths to protect her friend, but he still can't agree to this.]

Think we could find a compromise, here? I don't disagree, you could do with a way to protect yourself. [Just not with a gun like Leonard's. She can hate it or not, but there are things that just aren't age appropriate, and that he can't hand her in good conscience.]

Your compromises are toys and I'm not interested in your pity.

[He's talking down to her. He thinks she can't handle herself. It's infuriating.]

This would be me, asking for your input. [He perks a brow at her. There must be some kind of middle ground they could agree on, here.]

[ She glances back to him, doing her best to keep up a disinterested appearance. ]

You care what I think? Since when?

Since you made me see what a jerk I was being by not even considering what your reasons were in the first place. [Hey, he can admit when he was wrong, okay? He might have made a few too many assumptions in that particular department, a bit too quickly.]

[ she'll turn back around then, softening. ]

Yeah? You're not just saying that to shut me up?

[He shakes his head a little.] No, I'm serious. I should have asked, you're still young, but you're not a little kid, either. You have your own thoughts and opinions, ideas... [He can't stop a slight smirk crossing his lips.] I'd be pretty ticked, too, if someone was listening and not really hearing me.

I guess. [And maybe she could have been nicer about asking. But she's not quite guilty enough to vocalize that consideration. Instead, she reaches into her shirt and pulls out the pendant she wears around her neck. It's a golden snowflake, glittering with diamonds.]

Lenny got this for me, when he first got here. I thought the cold stuff might be appropriate. Or something.

[Feelings are complicated and she doesn't entirely understand them.]

Edited 2017-01-06 05:30 (UTC)

[He watches her slip the necklace out from under her shirt and the pendant on the end of the chain makes his lips twitch up into a smile. Gold and diamonds--it's a combination of Leonard and Lisa, in Cisco's mind, and he can't help wonder if Leonard sees a bit of Lisa in Maya.

He's just opening his mouth to say something--]

[-- but Maya keeps talking, oblivious to whatever it was he was going to say.]

So I guess it's like. I mean, look. I'm a New Yorker. I know how to take care of myself. I know what to do when someone pulls out a knife, or if someone gets a little grabby on a subway. But the kind of stuff that happens here? It's bigger. So I need something bigger too.

[She tucks the pendant away, hesitant to leave it exposed for too long. It belongs over her heart.]

[He snaps his mouth shut when she barrels on, but he doesn't say anything for a moment, listens like he'd promised he would. He nods a little, wheels are turning, but he's got to have more time to get concrete ideas.]

All right.... if you give me some time, let me sketch some stuff out and see what I can come up with...I'll get you something made. Something real.

[She shrugs in response. It all sounds kind of empty at this point.]

I don't hope for things. I'll believe it when it happens.

action

thisismadfreaky - 2017-01-11 04:36 (UTC) - Expand

ic inbox ;;

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

Re: action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action