At What Price Respect

[brave_heart_verity]

Verity in the forum? Not a strange sight. Verity without coffee? Rather less common. Verity slumping, exhausted, into a couch? Unusual. Verity covered in scrapes, bruises, and dust? Definitely strange.

"Help isn't if it's forced on someone. This is true. Someone not in possession of all of the facts cannot give fully informed consent. This is also true. But nobody can be forced to listen." Of course Verity has things on her mind. Who here doesn't? "How do you reconcile that? Is ignorance truly bliss? Or do you do what's needed to save someone despite their choices?"

((A note before you come to play with Verity: she's got a magic spell stuck in her that lets her always know when someone is lying to her. This includes sarcasm and knowing when someone believes something to be true when it isn't. This doesn't include lies of omission. She can also see through illusions. Please respect this; if your character is trying to lie to her, please make that known so she can react appropriately. [I completely understand this isn't going to be everyone's idea of fun.] Thanks.))

Comments

[smartass_captain]

You live, you learn. No one's ever proved him wrong, so.

"I dunno. He's all Vulcan and logical and you're a walking lie detector. Plus Spock is good looking. Actually all of my friends are, which is damn distracting sometimes." He nudges Verity right back. "Because I thought you were like, not interested in anyone. Then you start swooning over the good officer while demons are swarming the place and you think, as your friend, I'm not going to be interested in this sudden turn of events?"

[brave_heart_verity]

She's working on it.

"I was not swooning." She was not swooning! "I was glad to see him because I knew he'd know what to do." That was not the only reason she was glad to see him. "If all your friends are so pretty, maybe I should take you back to them now so you can be with people who appreciate your flirtations."

[smartass_captain]

She and Clint both are.

"Sure, Ver." Jim props his chin in hand and grins at her. "Whatever you say. So if you don't want to talk about your boyfriend--" He just grins wider when this earns him a jab in the side.

"You want to get around to telling me what's eating at you then?" He's still holding her with that other arm, don't worry. He'll still be here comforting her.

[brave_heart_verity]

She really doesn't want to talk about Katsuya at the moment. But she really doesn't want to talk about that either.

"I don't suppose you'll let me off when I point out you've got better things to worry about?" She gives him her very best hopeful look. It's not very good because she doesn't have a lot of hope at the moment.

[smartass_captain]

He feels her shift in discomfort and the teasing smile falls. He looks older somehow when he stops playing around. He shifts subconsciously, sitting straighter on the couch before leaning forward so he's close enough to whisper to her.

"That bad, huh? Want me to get you a drink? The rough stuff's always easier to talk about over a good whiskey or bourbon."

[brave_heart_verity]

She shakes her head, putting a hand on his chest to keep him from getting up. She may be uncomfortable with the subject, but she doesn't want him going anywhere.

"It's my mom. I know family stuff can be upsetting so... We don't have to talk about it."

[smartass_captain]

He can stay where he's at, that's fine too. He doesn't lean back right away though. He wants to keep his voice down so the whole forum can't hear them.

"What about her? Is she in danger?" If Verity couldn't save her, jim would. He won't let her go through what Spock had to go through. His jaw ticks slightly.

[brave_heart_verity]

"She's... it's hard to explain." She sighs, shaking her head a little. "Yes, she's in danger. But it's not anything... personal. It's not like anyone's trying to hurt her personally. I want to bring her someplace safe, but she wants to stay where she is."

[smartass_captain]

Stubborn mothers. Jim thinks about what would happen if his own mother was in danger. A Commodore and so far removed form Jim's life that he can't even stop her from dating scumbags, let alone talk her out of going somewhere dangerous.

What would he do?

"So go get her anyway. If she's important, you save her. You can explain why later. And if you can't, you let your friends do it for you. I'll sweet talk her if that'll help?" OKay now he's trying to lighten the mood, but he's serious for the most part.

[brave_heart_verity]

Yeah, that sounds like what he'd do. He gets a brief little smile for the effort. If anyone could flirt her mom into being reasonable for once, it's definitely Jim Kirk.

"So I'm supposed to ignore that she's a rational adult who is capable of making her own decisions?" It doesn't sit well with her, although she sees the appeal. "Not to mention that I don't think she'd like it here."

[smartass_captain]

"What kind of danger are we talking about here?" Jim looks quite serious now. He's thinking. His tongue swipes across his lower lip; it's a habit he has when he's stressing over something or nervous.

"If this is just 'my world is kinda dangerous' then I'd say she can probably look out for herself so long as she's smart. If this is 'there's a very real danger something could happen to her' then you have a choice to make. Could you live with yourself knowing you could have done something and didn't?" It's a blunt question, and Jim meets her gaze when he asks it.

"If not, you get her safe and figure out what to do after. And...you don't have to do it alone. Whatever it is."

[brave_heart_verity]

He's not meeting her gaze for long because she's looking down now. Which probably answers a lot of that question for him.

"I... almost would rather she die happy and knowing I respected her. But what if she ended up resenting me for not pushing her harder?" She feels like a horrible person now. She's just waiting for him to leave now.

[smartass_captain]

"Listen to me." Jim turns Verity so she's facing him now. He dips his head if he has to do so to get back into her line of sight.

"You need to tell me what's going on so I can help."

[brave_heart_verity]

She'll look up at him again, reluctantly, although she's shaking her head.

"You can't. I'm sorry, I wish you could, but you can't fix this."

[smartass_captain]

"Why the fuck not?" He doesn't like to see Verity so wrecked like this. She can't just give up before anything's even been done. He tenses next to her, eyebrows knitting in contained frustration.

Jim has a bad habit of wearing his emotions on his sleeve unless he's trying very hard not to.

"Tell me Verity."

[brave_heart_verity]

She shakes her head again.

"Because. Because nobody can. And if I tell you, you'll tell Clint, and then there'll be a time paradox, and I can't be responsible for that."

[smartass_captain]

"Is she gone already?" He demands because he knows the answer. Jim's raising his voice now. "If you give up before you even start of course no one can stop it!"

And this is the story about how Jim fights with everyone he cares about because he cares so damn much.

"Forget Clint. I can do something. There's no such thing as a no-win scenario unless you give up."

[brave_heart_verity]

Verity doesn't take being yelled at well. When he starts raising his voice, she moves away from him, drawing her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She is her own little fortress, alone and impenetrable.

"Of course. You're always right, aren't you? I'm not doing anything, I certainly haven't tried to save her. I'm just giving up, clearly." She takes a breath to stop her own voice from rising any further before telling him quietly, "If you're going to yell, please go somewhere else to do it."

[smartass_captain]

Jim just watches Verity retreat in shock. He sputters for something to say, hurt and frustration and desperation all easily noticeable on his morphing features.

For someone who's usually so bossy and insistent, Verity doesn't take it from others very well. Jim 's lips draw into a thin line, his eyebrows creasing as he gets up off the couch.

"Whatever makes you feel better, Verity." His voice is cold, clearly angry. He's not shouting anymore. "Sit here and do nothing for all I care. Heaven forbid anyone else try to help you for a change."**

Jim turns and walks off. Where the fuck is Clint?

**((This isn't truthful, fyi. He cares so much.))

[brave_heart_verity]

Fine. He can go. It's what she asked for and that's so clearly always what she actually wants. (It's not what she wants at all. She just wanted him to stop yelling so she could think instead of getting angry at him.)

"You can't stop planets, Jim." She's quiet, defeated. Now he knows.

[smartass_captain]

When Jim calms down he is going to feel awful about all of this.

He hates feeling helpless, hates giving up. Even if he couldn't stop a planet, he could rescue a damn woman. Maybe. Or die trying. But it wouldn't be the first time. And Verity shut down so easily. Curled up and gave up without even considering it (in his mind).

He needs to do something. Talk to someone. Anything that isn't punching a wall because of pent up anger.