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[finewithhalf]

If you're looking for me, I'm out. Drop me a message, and I'll get back to you when I feel like it.

Comments

[catchacold]

Sure you are. You're also allowed to tell me to fuck off.

[Language. Eh, whatever.]

But I'm still allowed to be curious. Why?

[finewithhalf]

I just do. It's not a big deal.

[Except it could potentially become a big deal.]

But you can't tell Riley.

[catchacold]

You're lucky that works better than me telling you what not to tell Mick.

[But he's not actually upset about that, so he says it more as an aside than anything before focusing on the main issue.]

I don't think there's any way to guarantee staying here. Sorry, princess. But I know a lot of geniuses are trying to figure things out, so who knows.

[finewithhalf]

I don't want you to be dead, Lenny.

[Because that part should be the most important part.]

[catchacold]

Hey.

[He kneels down, more level with her, after a moment's hesitation reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder.]

I ain't wild about it either. But I knew what I was doing. I made the choice. That's not so bad, as death goes.

[finewithhalf]

Did it hurt?

[catchacold]

[He hesitates to answer, not to shield her but as he tries to figure out how to respond.

Finally he shakes his head.]

We were at the Vanishing Point. It's a place a bit like here, outside the time stream. Looked like something out of Star Wars. There was this thing called the Oculus. The Time Masters used it to predict events and manipulate them so that the timeline would turn out the way they wanted it.

Sounds very out there, I know. [What can he do? Such has his life turned into.] We needed to destroy it, but to do that someone had to stop the fail-safe. Mick wanted to do it, but I wasn't gonna leave him to it, so I took his place. And then [He holds out one fist and slowly uncurls his fingers.] it all blew up. Me at the centre. I don't think I had time to feel anything. Last I remember was the light of the explosion, then I woke up here.

[finewithhalf]

So wait... [This is hard, and requires paying more attention than she normally likes to pay.]

If you died in a place like here. Then don't you get to do it again? People come back, right?

[catchacold]

Nah. It ain't like that, sorry.

[There are some questions he has regarding his death, but none of them really consider that he might come back somehow. He doesn't buy it. No need to give her any hope.]

I'm not coming back.

[finewithhalf]

Then figure out how to get this place to be forever. I don't do goodbyes.

[catchacold]

I'll do what I can, Maya.

I'd not wanna leave you here alone. But you still got a life to live back home too.

[finewithhalf]

Yeah, sure.

[She looks away from him once more.]

Lots of it.

[catchacold]

[He's silent for a while, finally tightening his hand on her shoulder, just a little. Reassuring, he hopes.]

You wanna talk about it?

[finewithhalf]

There's not a lot to talk about. It's not like I'm gonna go around shooting at superheroes or changing time or anything.

[catchacold]

I see how that seems like you're downsizing. Though I gotta tell you, I didn't do that most my life either.

[He pauses for a moment, then he tilts his head to the side.]

When I was your age, I raised a baby.

[finewithhalf]

Yeah? I'm raising a Riley right now. How'd yours turn out?

[catchacold]

Oh, she's hell. You'd love her. [What else can really be said?]

She can take care of herself.

[finewithhalf]

You're talking about that sister of yours? I wouldn't hate meeting her sometime.

[catchacold]

Lisa, yeah. Think she'd like you too.

[It's not that difficult to imagine, really.]

So, you like Mick? What about him?

[finewithhalf]

[She shrugs then, because it was a lot easier to have this conversation when she didn't suspect that he was just trying to get her to talk about herself.]

He's kinda rough, and kinda broken... But he's working on it. He knows who he is. Not a lot of people do.

[catchacold]

[Look, Maya, everything isn't about you all the time!

Contrary to all evidence in your life so far.]

Don't know if he does. He thinks he's a lot worse than he is. But I know he's better.

He's always looked out for me.

[finewithhalf]

[Lies and slander. This is all going to twist around to the way she was rude to Kanji at their three-day joint birthday party. Maya's just not sure how it'll connect yet.]

Well, broken people gotta look out for each other. Nobody else is gonna do it.

[catchacold]

[How to connect the forty-something criminals to tweens' issues...]

Yeah, you got a point.

Mick ain't stupid or simple, but he likes to pretend he is, so people don't expect more from him. He didn't pretend with you, did he?

[finewithhalf]

Not once. Tried to scare me off, but it takes a lot to shake me like that.

[This is a revisionist history.]

[catchacold]

Just be careful. He's still got a habit of getting into his own way.

[All her history is revisionist.]