( gene reaches out an' thumps him one — not hard, on the shoulder. or, well, maybe more the elbow seein' as how he's still sittin' down to jason's standin' upright. )
An' for what it's worth, you'd be the first one I'd holler at to fish me outta a like upset just the same.
( he won't mention how it's his fault his own damn brother lost an arm. how it's his fault his team got sucked into a black hole. how he fucked up so bad he got disowned for a --what, third time? how when his own older brother got here, all he could do was look at jason with contempt despite how hard he tried to prove he wasn't batshit crazy anymore.
how he'd left his best friend who then showed up here, expecting shit to be the same as it was before. how he fucked up in the sim, over and over again.
I stayed Catholic in a foxhole, Jason, where we were usin' the frozen bodies of dead men to keep mortars off our heads.
( ain't a thing he's proud of, but at the end of the day, the dead were past carin' what their bodies were in use for. most of 'em, anyway. an' he'd know.
truth is, a frozen body absorbs impact better than any number of treebranches you could cover your dugout with. little known facts of the battle of the bulge. )
My faith is boundless.
( but he tosses off the rest'a that beer an' stands, claps a hand to jay's shoulder. his fingers flex. ain't quite a stand-in for a hug, but it's a close thing. )
You've earned that from me. Ain't no changin' it now.
now that's a terrifying thing to hear. not the bodies, not gene's own faith but the faith he's giving jason. there's absolutely nothing more scary than hearing someone believes in him, thinks they will eternally. because that's just it:
jason todd is a fuck up. he makes friends, he does good by then, and then he fucks everything up and destroys it. gets people killed, tortured. his expression goes--tight for a moment, worried, before it relaxes into something a little less obvious. )
( but he doesn't push. there's an equilibrium to be had, an' jason's already had a day. he doesn't exactly need an escort back, but he lets jason fall into step beside him anyhow. silence settles in the cracks, but it ain't the sort born out of discomfort or shame — it's just easy an' calm, leastwise for him to bear.
Roy's alright. Most the time. Sometimes he's an annoying asshole.
( he doesn't follow gene all the way. just far enough. enough to know that no one's going to jump out at it him in alleys for being at jason's place, enough to know he'll (most likely) be alright. and then he's turning around on his heels, raising a hand in a slight wave. )
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no subject
Date: 2020-07-26 06:24 am (UTC)An' for what it's worth, you'd be the first one I'd holler at to fish me outta a like upset just the same.
no subject
Date: 2020-07-26 05:57 pm (UTC)( an easy dig at himself but--whatever, he's fine. feels better already, at least. )
Finish your drink, then I'll take you back home.
( it'll get him out of the room for a bit too. )
no subject
Date: 2020-07-26 06:02 pm (UTC)( he knows self-deprecation when he hears it, an' don't think for a minute he's gonna let you wallow in it, jay. )
no subject
Date: 2020-07-26 08:05 pm (UTC)( he won't mention how it's his fault his own damn brother lost an arm. how it's his fault his team got sucked into a black hole. how he fucked up so bad he got disowned for a --what, third time? how when his own older brother got here, all he could do was look at jason with contempt despite how hard he tried to prove he wasn't batshit crazy anymore.
how he'd left his best friend who then showed up here, expecting shit to be the same as it was before. how he fucked up in the sim, over and over again.
but jason knows. that's all that's important. )
You haven't given me the opportunity.
cw for desecration of the dead
Date: 2020-07-26 08:11 pm (UTC)( ain't a thing he's proud of, but at the end of the day, the dead were past carin' what their bodies were in use for. most of 'em, anyway. an' he'd know.
truth is, a frozen body absorbs impact better than any number of treebranches you could cover your dugout with. little known facts of the battle of the bulge. )
My faith is boundless.
( but he tosses off the rest'a that beer an' stands, claps a hand to jay's shoulder. his fingers flex. ain't quite a stand-in for a hug, but it's a close thing. )
You've earned that from me. Ain't no changin' it now.
no subject
Date: 2020-07-26 08:24 pm (UTC)now that's a terrifying thing to hear. not the bodies, not gene's own faith but the faith he's giving jason. there's absolutely nothing more scary than hearing someone believes in him, thinks they will eternally. because that's just it:
jason todd is a fuck up. he makes friends, he does good by then, and then he fucks everything up and destroys it. gets people killed, tortured. his expression goes--tight for a moment, worried, before it relaxes into something a little less obvious. )
Let's get you back home, yeah?
( so he can never talk to gene again. )
no subject
Date: 2020-07-26 10:56 pm (UTC)( but he doesn't push. there's an equilibrium to be had, an' jason's already had a day. he doesn't exactly need an escort back, but he lets jason fall into step beside him anyhow. silence settles in the cracks, but it ain't the sort born out of discomfort or shame — it's just easy an' calm, leastwise for him to bear.
though, after a spell of it — )
I like him, you know. Your pal Roy.
no subject
Date: 2020-07-27 04:07 am (UTC)( he doesn't follow gene all the way. just far enough. enough to know that no one's going to jump out at it him in alleys for being at jason's place, enough to know he'll (most likely) be alright. and then he's turning around on his heels, raising a hand in a slight wave. )
'til next time, Genie.
no subject
Date: 2020-07-27 09:28 pm (UTC)Yeah. Take care, Jay.