driftfleet | (no subject)

[He nods.] Is this why it's stressful? [He's been in the situation himself, but it was different for him. They didn't know he even existed, so that was easily the hard part.]

Yeah...you know, I don't even remember what being on the same page with everyone is like. Feels like someone's always ahead, behind, keeping something.

I didn't mind sharing more when it was me, but I wasn't sure you guys believed anything I was saying.

Definitely believed a bunch, definitely wanted to believe it all.

Thanks, Winn. You've always been good to me. Both places.

I could've been better. I'm sorry I wasn't.

Your best friend was telling you not to trust Daxamites, right? You were pretty great considering.

But I know it's wrong, it's wrong to stereotype and judge people over things they can't control - just like it's wrong to judge me for my dad, or Kitty for being a mutant, or a woman, or Jewish - or any of the superficial things people judge each other for. I know that and I didn't do anything about it, I was cowardly. I'm sorry.

You didn't make me feel judged. And I could have tried harder when I got here. It was hard again and I just wanted to drown it in a bottle instead of being someone worth knowing better.

Good. Can't go ruining my excellent friendship rep.

[ he goes for a joke and a smile but really - he's relieved. it's been weighing on him. ]

I never thought you weren't worth knowing. Well, maybe at the very beginning, when we thought you were trying to kill the president? Sorry, there were a lot of circumstantial evidence -

At least I got to learn what a president was.

[ he smiles; gotta love that attitude. he can't imagine what i is that mon-el is hiding but he really wishes he could find some way to help him spit it out. he's been through enough, he doesn't need to be bringing himself down on top of it. as an expert at bringing himself down - he feels responsible. ]

For what it's worth? I think giving us a chance was pretty brave.

Well, I was also kind of a prisoner for awhile, so I didn't have much of a choice not to get to know you. [He smiles.] And I didn't have anywhere to go.

Yes you did, you were a prisoner, hating us would've been the easy way.

It's much harder to hate any of you once you get to know you. [And he was too busy hating himself for the way he'd left Daxam.]

I do try to be as unhateable as possible.

[ he really does, sometimes he takes it too far, indulging things he knows he shouldn't. but he's been hated so long, he can't help it - it's instinct. ]

You do that well. And I was the one crash landing at your door. You kept me alive.

You didn't really have a choice in that, so why don't we settle on - everyone was understandable?

I accept your terms since you are my jailer. [Smiling.]

I thought I was your friend.

[ it's really not funny to him, he doesn't want to be anyone's jailer, anyone's atroma. ]

You are. I was kidding. It's a bad joke. I haven't felt like I was a prisoner for a long time and you never felt like a jailer.

I'd be a really bad jailer, don't leave me to babysit any prisoners.

Because you might take them out to a bar.

[ he laughs and shakes his head. ]

You weren't a prisoner at that point - [ but yeah he can't be trusted ]

[He smiles.] It still felt prisoner adjacent, but I know why now.