entranceway | -3° - Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot

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-3° - Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot

[The feed comes to life and Leonard's sitting in his room, mostly illuminated by candle-light, which does soften the still visible bruises (as a result of this) on his face a little. He's playing with a lighter in one hand, turning it, palming it and flipping it open and shut, but never actually lighting it.

Mostly he looks at the camera, both eye by now able to open fully again.]

Time doesn't really seem to do much in the way of passing here, but things happen anyway. So, guess this is still a worthwhile question.

You got any resolutions?

[Which of course also begs the question whether he has any himself. He looks as if he wants to keep talking at first, but his mouth stays shut and he looks off past the camera, the flame of a candle reflected in his eyes. Finally he cuts off the video.]

[ooc: This post can be used as a jump-off for New Years and other talk among other people too, so feel free to threadjack! ALL THE THREADJACKING, always encouraged.]

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[There's a long, long pause.]

Maya, is it friend betrayal to tell him?

[Maya sits up straighter, setting her hands primly on her knees.]

We're all friends here, Riley. Say what's on your mind.

[There is a right answer and a wrong answer and Riley ought to know very well which one will start the yelling.]

Yeah. We respect each other.

[He raises his eyebrows at Maya, but says nothing more, simply waiting.]

Maya's smart, and I think she knows when to be careful. There's nobody I trust more than I trust Maya.

[So it's not nearly as scandalous as it probably sounded. Also, she was trying to figure out how to word what she wanted to since she knows Maya is pretty bad at the whole caution thing, but also she's Maya and Riley also trusts her with her life despite that. That has to count for something, right. :(]

[ Yes, that's exactly what Maya wanted to hear. The tension drains out of her, and she lets out a delighted noise. ]

Good girl, Riley.

[ Disaster fully averted. ]

See, that's what I think too. I'd like to, anyway.

[He shrugs a shoulder, movement a bit tighter than usual, but the bruises are loosening up.]

But she doesn't trust me.

[She frowns, edging towards Maya to take her hand.]

Maya doesn't trust people very easily.

[ She reaches out to meet Riley's hand halfway, and pulls her up into the mattress so they can sit together. ]

What's that supposed to mean? I do way more trusting than I used to!

I don't trust people either, as a rule.

[Nothing wrong with that, in his considerable experience.

All right, he looks at them and sighs. This isn't really the time for guessing games and misunderstandings.]

Mick's dangerous, Maya. Especially for you.

[With a frown, he adds to that, so her thoughts won't go down the wrong path. Hopefully.]

Because you matter to me.

[She's quick to reassure Maya, before Len continues.]

You've gotten a lot better about it, Peaches. But you're not me. And that's okay.

[When Len actually continues to talk, though, she just squeezes Maya's hand tighter. She knows a potential bonding moment when she sees one and she doesn't want to interrupt that if she can help it.]

[Oh. Oh, they're gonna have this talk? Here? In front of Riley?]

Why'd you leave him?

[Her fingers squeeze Riley's tightly enough to hurt.]

Best friends are supposed to be forever.

He's my partner. That's forever. I meant to come back for him and I couldn't.

[It's complicated and there's time travel involved, as well as minor details that he hasn't filler her in on yet, but that much is fact.]

I thought I'd have options that I hadn't until I only had one. I made mistakes, Maya, but me being in the wrong doesn't make him any less dangerous to you.

[He glances at Riley and then just looks at them both.]

I made a lot of mistakes.

[She doesn't flinch, even with how tightly Maya is squeezing her hand—and while she doesn't say anything (since she's not sure what she could say), she's definitely listening intently.

And squeezing Maya's hand back, too, of course.]

But you left him.

[ That's the crux of it. There's no greater sin than that of abandonment. ]

You're his Riley and he was counting on you to save him and you left him.

How long do we have until you leave us?

I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going to leave him again either.

[The situation was and is complicated, but he's not an idiot, he knows that's not really what this is about.

It hurts, mostly because even if it's skewed and she doesn't know the details, this is still what it comes down to for Mick and he knows that. He sees his hurt and insecurity reflected in her and he doesn't want them to have a reason to feel that way.]

I shouldn't have done what I did, but I thought I was keeping him safe. I'd do anything to save you. Any of you.

[He looks at Riley and then Maya, shrugging.]

We ain't like you two. If we were, maybe I'd not have messed up.

[So it's that. Abandonment. She had a feeling on where it was going because of what Maya said, but...]

Anything can happen in the future, too. If you're not gonna leave him again, either, it might get better. It might not get better right away, but... it'll get better. I hope it will.

[She wants to believe. She doesn't know many of the details, but she knows it's serious. And she has a lot of hope. And she knows Len is a good guy and hasn't ever doubted that one.]

[Maya should be reasonable. She should take Riley's reassurances and accept his promises for what they are. She should be better. Isn't she supposed to be whole again? Isn't that the whole point?

But she sees something ugly in his promise to recover from having "messed up." It sounds too much like someone else who'd stepped on someone innocent just to grow up and move on.]

You're just like my father.

[She spits the words out, cheeks growing hot. She slides off the bed while still yanking Riley with her.]

[This is baggage that isn't really caused by him, but the connection's there. He physically recoils at the word 'father', because he knows that doesn't mean to her what it does to him, but it's close enough, it's too close. He doesn't want to make this about his issues, because she's what matters here, but emotions aren't that easily controlled.

Nothing he can say that would help anyway. He turns his head to the side, fingers tightening around his upper arm, holding himself as he often does.]

[Maya does manage to get Riley up and off the bed, but she still notices Len's reaction—and that's why she tugs back against Maya, just a bit. Words are hard and she really doesn't know what's up but someone still wouldn't react like that if they weren't hurt.]

Maya, wait—I don't think—I mean, I think he's completely serious. I don't think he's like your dad—

[ Maya stumbles when Riley pulls her back. ]

Are you taking his side?!

Riley, you know. You know better than anyone.

[ is this it? Is Riley about to choose Lenny over her?]

[The last thing he wants is to cause Maya and Riley to fall out, however temporary that would likely be. Leonard pushes away from the wall, quickly stepping forward to grab Maya's arm - he doesn't hold it tightly, he'd not want to do that, just enough to hopefully have her attention for at least a moment.

His voice is quiet.]

Maya. The reason I didn't come back for him as planned is that I can't. [Slight confusion with the tenses there, but time travel will do that.] I don't make it.

[Is that clear enough? He remembers who he's talking to.]

I'm dead.

[Maybe that's enough to shake her out of it, to stop equating this with her own situation.]

No, Maya, I'm not taking his side—[But before she has a chance to say anything else, Len's there and taking her arm and talking and.

Dead.

Dead???

He definitely said dead. Even though he's here. And Wonderland is definitely a thing but dead?]

Yes you are you're

[There's pressure against her arm, and suddenly everything's happening way too fast and she doesn't have time to catch up.]

... wh... what do you mean?

[He spoke clearly enough. But there has to be more to it. This has to be some kind of joke, or.... Or something.

He doesn't mean that. Adults don't really die before they're ancient.]

[He releases Maya's arm, because he wouldn't want to keep her against her will, withdrawing his hand to hold his side instead as he takes a step back.]

I'd have always come back for Mick. Always.

[But there's no coming back for him.]

[People shouldn't die before they're ancient. She never actually doubted Len because Len is a great guy, but. Dead. He's dead.]

Always?

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