Connor was like, my brother, but that doesn't mean I didn't like you. And now... You're like my brother too. I, uh, hope that doesn't freak you out too much.
[Connor's long gone. They would have stopped speaking a long time ago if that were the only reason she talked to him. He hesitates before replying to the rest of what she says. It doesn't freak him out. She is family, at least to him, but he also knows they don't share the same bond that she and Soeki have always had.]
You know you don't have to say that just because you and Soeki feel like that, right? I know I'm still important to you.
[Jade shoots him a worried look, chewing at her bottom lip with her sharp canines. She's mistaking the reasoning behind his hesitation, assuming it really does freak him out.]
[Well, that was the wrong thing to say. His heart sinks.]
I'm sorry. It doesn't freak me out. You guys are basically family to me. I just didn't know if you wanted that... and I don't know how to be a big brother. Mine was kind of mean, and I love him, but he didn't exactly set the best guides on how to act.
[Jade tilts to one side, leaning against Oliver. This conversation's easier if she isn't expected to look at him.]
What do you mean? You've been acting like a big brother for months... You know how to be one. A good one. You don't let me get away with as much shit as Soeki does, but that doesn't mean you're a bad brother. You're just different.
[Jade shakes her head as she shifts just enough to look Oliver in the eye.]
I don't think so. It annoys me sometimes, but it's like... If you weren't pushy then Soeki and I would end up spending all of our time like, knocking over trash cans and eating junk and sleeping in the woods and listening to MCR and I'd have like a dozen tattoos just because they're cool and Soeki encourages me and I'd have no clue how to run the finances of my store. We'd probably get into all sorts of stupid trouble. It's, uh, good that we have you.
[She shrugs, smiling sheepishly. It's not a part of her past she's particularly proud of, but it was still a very big part of her life right after her mom died, a way to channel all of her excess anger and pain.]
[She shifts under his gaze, worried by his reaction. She tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear before as she tries to explain herself.]
Yeah. I... I mostly set fields and like, abandoned sheds on fire. I didn't want to hurt anyone or anything. I know it sounds fucked up. I was really fucked up.
[She leans against him, tucking herself under her chin. She's glad he doesn't seem that angry or, even worse, scared of her. Her voice comes out hoarse, she's obviously close to tears.]
It started the day of my mom's funeral. People were going on and on about it being okay and her being in a better place, but it wasn't okay. Nothing about it was okay and no one understood that. I-I was so angry...
I don't think I'd be okay if my mom died. I did a lot of illegal things when I was younger already, but if I lost someone that close to me...
[He'd have been even worse. He knows that. It wouldn't have been arson, but he'd have lashed out in his own way and it would have had the potential to be just as devastating.]
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At least that's what I thought then.
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Connor was like, my brother, but that doesn't mean I didn't like you. And now... You're like my brother too. I, uh, hope that doesn't freak you out too much.
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[Connor's long gone. They would have stopped speaking a long time ago if that were the only reason she talked to him. He hesitates before replying to the rest of what she says. It doesn't freak him out. She is family, at least to him, but he also knows they don't share the same bond that she and Soeki have always had.]
You know you don't have to say that just because you and Soeki feel like that, right? I know I'm still important to you.
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I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it.
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I'm sorry. It doesn't freak me out. You guys are basically family to me. I just didn't know if you wanted that... and I don't know how to be a big brother. Mine was kind of mean, and I love him, but he didn't exactly set the best guides on how to act.
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What do you mean? You've been acting like a big brother for months... You know how to be one. A good one. You don't let me get away with as much shit as Soeki does, but that doesn't mean you're a bad brother. You're just different.
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It's not being different that worries me. I just don't want to bully you.
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You don't bully me. You're not a bully.
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I think you think I'm kind of pushy though.
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I don't think so. It annoys me sometimes, but it's like... If you weren't pushy then Soeki and I would end up spending all of our time like, knocking over trash cans and eating junk and sleeping in the woods and listening to MCR and I'd have like a dozen tattoos just because they're cool and Soeki encourages me and I'd have no clue how to run the finances of my store. We'd probably get into all sorts of stupid trouble. It's, uh, good that we have you.
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You guys are always really good at stressing me out.
[Not that he'd change that. He loves both of them, and part of that is who they are.]
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And I'm not even trying to stress you out. It could be so much worse. I haven't ended up in jail even once.
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Oh, my god. That's not an achievement.
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Really? I mean, I know you used to have problems, but...
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I, uh, went through an arson phase.
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[It's not as though Oliver's never broken the law, but arson... that's a big deal.]
Are you serious?
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Yeah. I... I mostly set fields and like, abandoned sheds on fire. I didn't want to hurt anyone or anything. I know it sounds fucked up. I was really fucked up.
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It's... [It's not okay. Being a faerie is hard sometimes, when it comes to situations like this.]
We all screw up. I know you wouldn't have done that if you thought it would hurt anyone.
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It started the day of my mom's funeral. People were going on and on about it being okay and her being in a better place, but it wasn't okay. Nothing about it was okay and no one understood that. I-I was so angry...
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[He'd have been even worse. He knows that. It wouldn't have been arson, but he'd have lashed out in his own way and it would have had the potential to be just as devastating.]
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When did you think I learned how to hack?
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