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.))

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[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.