ic inbox ;;

[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]

[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.]

[finewithhalf]

Well so do I. We'll just have to see who wins.

[catchacold]

Wouldn't be a winner than, Maya, everyone loses.

But he's with me now. I'm with him. How it should be.

[finewithhalf]

So you stop him from taking things too far. And he works on himself. And eventually things reach a point where they don't suck so much. Right?

[catchacold]

Guess so. But he can't stop me from taking things too far.

[More than one issue at play here.]

[finewithhalf]

Like how? When do you ever?

[catchacold]

What, Maya, you somehow got the idea in your head that I'm the moderate one?

Nah. I'm just more controlled. Issue is, I'm the one in control of it all. When things go wrong, it's on me. And when there's something I can't control, I deal with it.

I ain't very nice.

[finewithhalf]

You're plenty nice to me. Riley, too.

[And really, who cares how he treats people outside of that? He's good where it counts.]

[catchacold]

Cause you matter to me. I told you I'd take care of you, whenever needed.

[Maybe that is enough. It's not as if he aspires to be a good person.]

I just want you to know, Maya. Mick and I ain't you and Riley. You got that? We're not one and the same. Your history's not gonna be ours.

[finewithhalf]

Well yeah -- Riley already told me she's not going to come visit me in Juvie.

[catchacold]

Don't worry about it, I never got visitors either. Mick did, his mom baked cookies.

[finewithhalf]

Was she good to you? When you didn't have anywhere else to go?

[catchacold]

What?

[It takes him by surprise and he snorts before he can stop himself, than shakes his head.]

No. No disrespect, she was good to Mick, far as she could be. Mick's father was just worried I'd make him queer.

[finewithhalf]

Would it be wrong if you did?

[catchacold]

Can't be done anyway. People are the way they are and they'll like who they like.

But there's nothing wrong with that, no.

[He does wonder whether she even knows what he's talking about.]

[finewithhalf]

So then his dad is just a jerk who didn't get it.

[catchacold]

Lots of people were. Still are. But especially back then.

My father was worse. He usually wins that contest.

[finewithhalf]

[She jerks away, pulling her knees in tighter.]

I don't want to talk dads right now okay?

[catchacold]

I'm with you. Never really want to.

[He pulls his hand back and puts it on the ground instead, leaning back.]

Point is, when Mick and I got together, it was illegal. We just didn't care. But the circumstances are different than Riley and you. You don't gotta see yourself in either of us. You got your own life.

[finewithhalf]

I know that. You don't think I know that?

[The sulking continues.]

[catchacold]

[Well.

Honestly?]

Comes and goes.