Fifth Floor Common Room, Sunday evening

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

It had been a long day, at the end of a long weekend, at the end of a long week, and so on. So Bruce was pleased enough to take it easy for a night and head to the common room. But that was just a cover for something he really wanted to test.

When Bruce made his contributions to remembering everything back into existence, he cheated in one area and changed one small detail in the dorms. Bruce turned the television on and flipped channels freely.

He won.

That - and the overall return of Fandom, his home reality, his cave, and apparently all other realities - meant that he was even willing to compromise from his habit of watching true crime documentaries by watching a stupid-looking Christmas movie about a con. Why not? Twas the season, after all.

[OOC: TAKE THAT, TV! Ahem. The common room is open, naturally.]

Comments

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara's afternoon had started out great, there had been large amounts of fighting and (re)killing the undead. Then had come the swamps, and having to remember, and the emotional gut-punch had left her feeling stretched and scraped raw, with an intense need for company.

Not that that last one was readily apparent from the way she barely grunted something a greeting at Bruce before falling back onto the couch.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Hello to you, too, Cara," Bruce said. "I see you're enjoying tonight's return to relative normalcy."

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara managed a shrug.

"Beats the alternative." Like that swamp, which she still smelt vaguely of.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Is everything okay?" Bruce asked. This didn't seem to be Cara's normal displeasure with the world.

[wrongkindofsith]

"I'm fine." This would be what they called a blatant lie.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"You can be honest with me, Cara," Bruce said. Because he didn't buy that for a second.

[wrongkindofsith]

"It doesn't matter." Cara was too drained to even try snapping at Bruce. "It's not important."

The sad part was, she believed that.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Something has you upset when most of the people I've seen are elated to be back," Bruce said. "You're important, so whatever is bothering you is important."

[wrongkindofsith]

"I'm happy for them." Well, she didn't begrudge them their elation. That was almost the same thing, right?

She didn't bother refuting his clearly wrong second statement. Welcome to the twisted mire that was Cara's self worth issues, Bruce.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"You're important to me. Otherwise I wouldn't be so persistent in asking," Bruce said.

[wrongkindofsith]

"I'm fine." Because that reply had worked so well last time, the throaty voice would make it that much more convincing. "Long day is all."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"You're lying. And you're not even lying well," Bruce pointed out.

[wrongkindofsith]

Nonsense. Cara was a brilliant liar, really she was.

"Why wouldn't I be happy? Yay. We won." Even her sarcasm had failed her.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"That's why I've been asking," Bruce said, shaking his head. "I don't know why you refuse to answer the least bit honestly."

[wrongkindofsith]

Because on some level she was still afraid of the beating she'd catch for displaying weakness, and that level was a lot closer to the surface than usual today.

"And I don't know why you think I need to." The attempt at defiance might have worked better if she'd actually look at him.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"You don't have to," Bruce said. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't show some basic trust in a friend."

Yes, Bruce was a hypocrite on that end. The difference was, he was generally better at hiding his issues.

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara was usually better at it, but, well, swamp, and ripping scabs off all that unhealed, barely acknowledged, trauma. Not even the flying puppy had fixed it.

"Some of us have things we'd rather not remember." She actually managed to meet Bruce's eyes this time, but the effect was ruined somewhat by the fact she looked less stoic and more completely miserable.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"All you can do to get past a problem is shove it aside and move on or actually confront it," Bruce said. "Trying to ignore it hasn't worked since you walked in, and I clearly can't force you to confront it. But if you're just going to wallow, it's because you're choosing that."

[wrongkindofsith]

Quick question, Bruce, how are your parents?

Normally Cara's response to that would have been to a) punch Bruce, b) punch Bruce and point out he hadn't let her ignore it, or c) punch Bruce, point out he hadn't let her ignore it, and walk out. Instead she crumpled in on herself and silent tears started trickling down her face.

Congratulations, you made the Mord'Sith cry.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

Bruce was confronting that that issue with a giant war against the very concept of crime. It wasn't the most direct route, perhaps, but he never said his rules applied to himself.

"I'm sorry," Bruce said. "I'll leave it alone from here on out." He wasn't convinced that she would make use of the fact that she did have friends, but he wouldn't push it. He'd tried and failed there.

[wrongkindofsith]

Face it Bruce, if punching things actually solved those kind of issues, Cara'd be the picture of emotional health instead of curled up on the couch wibbling.