[ Stephen might be mad, but seeing the portal makes Gabriel smile a little. He puts his book down on the side table with a thump and stands. ]
Did I say that? I don't think I did. I thought we could share info. Guess it's not such a good idea when you're feeling so defensive.
But hey, if you are about finding solutions, I'm not sure what's gotten tangled up so wrong. Unless you don't believe any of what Zephyr or their family's been telling us, which is what I've been trying to suss out.
And now you're putting more words in my mouth. I don't have to disbelieve them to have had personal disagreements with them. Unless you're going to appoint yourself my relationship counselor, this has absolutely nothing to do with you.
The thing that helps them here is building a community, helping them develop--
[ -and Stephen's not going to listen to his particular theories about that now. So fine, let's get to the heart of the matter. The way the sorcerer's talked around specifics has just kept pointing at it. ]
These disagreements, are they about you not apologizing to a five-year-old for messing up other people's stuff? Or their stuff?
[Stephen's mouth drops open and stays that way as he makes an indignant noise or two.]
They're about a five-year-old child deciding they have the authority to decide what I'm allowed do and to dictate my responses to their asinine punishments!
[ And now they're making some progress. Gabriel rubs his cheek for a moment. ]
It's 'cause they're a god, right?
[ He wonders how much of this is fear, after fighting- bargaining- with Dormammu. But he's not going to say it, even if the concern flashes in his eyes for a moment. ]
I'm guessing you followed the normal 'rules' of society all right back home- no property damage out of the blue, no stealing other people's things, no murder. But this- it's just a kid with too much power, trying to do their best to set up a world and help people that literally fell out of existence.
I've felt bad for them, personally. It's a lot to lay on a child. And I don't think you should expect them to have a whole justice system worked out already.
[Progress, yes, but more anger, more defensiveness. Gabriel's not wrong; one of Stephen's earliest missteps in the Meadous was to treat his first meeting with Zephyr as a negotiation. Zephyr had broken down crying not long into it.]
Believe it or not, I've had this conversation with someone else already. I haven't done anything since the incident with the tower; I've been a perfect citizen for them. I've been ready to let all of this go for months.
[ Gabriel entirely brushes off the psychoanalyst jab. He used to do this to everyone, so a friend can handle it for a bit. ]
It's- okay, I can't claim to know what it's like to be a kid. I don't remember my childhood. But when you were a kid, how important were apologies to you? Was it devastating when you thought someone was mad at you?
If you just tell them you're sorry you upset them, I bet it would help things a lot. Tell them that you've been through a lot and it makes you angry and scared sometimes, that you don't think they should have to be in charge but you didn't mean to hurt their feelings. Anything like that would tell them that you're actually ready to move on.
Maybe the parents won't feel better about you, but- seriously, who cares about them? I'm mostly being nice to them to get more information.
[ A little untrue, as he does genuinely like Zephyr's family so far. But when it came down to it, the kid is the important one. ]
[Those are all very good points and despite Stephen's resistance, Gabriel's planting a seed at this moment. At this moment, though, he's not ready to hear it, and he's certainly not ready to hear it from someone he's been inclined to keep at arm's length.]
It seems everyone knows how I feel except me. Thanks for enlightening me; that's extraordinarily helpful. Step by step instructions and everything.
[He's not angry and scared, you're angry and scared. He shifts like he's going to turn back to the portal from whence he came; he's losing this argument and he doesn't care for it.]
[ Gabriel smirks, but it's lacking any of his normal malice. There's a reason he hasn't brought up Dormammu explicitly- and he's tempted now, but that's just going to get Stephen to shut down entirely, he suspects.
Not that that's probably going to make a difference in a second. ]
I mean, when the sociopath has to tell you how to make a kid feel better- yeah, maybe you need 'em. So you're welcome.
[ If Stephen looks back before the portal closes, he'll glimpse the genuinely hurt look on Gabriel's face. It seems like that jab hit his target, at least. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2018-08-09 03:37 pm (UTC)Did I say that? I don't think I did. I thought we could share info. Guess it's not such a good idea when you're feeling so defensive.
But hey, if you are about finding solutions, I'm not sure what's gotten tangled up so wrong. Unless you don't believe any of what Zephyr or their family's been telling us, which is what I've been trying to suss out.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-09 04:10 pm (UTC)And now you're putting more words in my mouth. I don't have to disbelieve them to have had personal disagreements with them. Unless you're going to appoint yourself my relationship counselor, this has absolutely nothing to do with you.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-09 04:24 pm (UTC)The thing that helps them here is building a community, helping them develop--
[ -and Stephen's not going to listen to his particular theories about that now. So fine, let's get to the heart of the matter. The way the sorcerer's talked around specifics has just kept pointing at it. ]
These disagreements, are they about you not apologizing to a five-year-old for messing up other people's stuff? Or their stuff?
no subject
Date: 2018-08-09 04:53 pm (UTC)They're about a five-year-old child deciding they have the authority to decide what I'm allowed do and to dictate my responses to their asinine punishments!
no subject
Date: 2018-08-09 05:08 pm (UTC)It's 'cause they're a god, right?
[ He wonders how much of this is fear, after fighting- bargaining- with Dormammu. But he's not going to say it, even if the concern flashes in his eyes for a moment. ]
I'm guessing you followed the normal 'rules' of society all right back home- no property damage out of the blue, no stealing other people's things, no murder. But this- it's just a kid with too much power, trying to do their best to set up a world and help people that literally fell out of existence.
I've felt bad for them, personally. It's a lot to lay on a child. And I don't think you should expect them to have a whole justice system worked out already.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-09 05:37 pm (UTC)[Progress, yes, but more anger, more defensiveness. Gabriel's not wrong; one of Stephen's earliest missteps in the Meadous was to treat his first meeting with Zephyr as a negotiation. Zephyr had broken down crying not long into it.]
Believe it or not, I've had this conversation with someone else already. I haven't done anything since the incident with the tower; I've been a perfect citizen for them. I've been ready to let all of this go for months.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-09 06:31 pm (UTC)It's- okay, I can't claim to know what it's like to be a kid. I don't remember my childhood. But when you were a kid, how important were apologies to you? Was it devastating when you thought someone was mad at you?
If you just tell them you're sorry you upset them, I bet it would help things a lot. Tell them that you've been through a lot and it makes you angry and scared sometimes, that you don't think they should have to be in charge but you didn't mean to hurt their feelings. Anything like that would tell them that you're actually ready to move on.
Maybe the parents won't feel better about you, but- seriously, who cares about them? I'm mostly being nice to them to get more information.
[ A little untrue, as he does genuinely like Zephyr's family so far. But when it came down to it, the kid is the important one. ]
no subject
Date: 2018-08-09 06:48 pm (UTC)It seems everyone knows how I feel except me. Thanks for enlightening me; that's extraordinarily helpful. Step by step instructions and everything.
[He's not angry and scared, you're angry and scared. He shifts like he's going to turn back to the portal from whence he came; he's losing this argument and he doesn't care for it.]
no subject
Date: 2018-08-09 07:23 pm (UTC)Not that that's probably going to make a difference in a second. ]
I mean, when the sociopath has to tell you how to make a kid feel better- yeah, maybe you need 'em. So you're welcome.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-09 07:36 pm (UTC)I don't even know you, asshole. We're not friends and you're not my confidant. Don't write to me again.
[And he's out through that portal, waving a hand to collapse it behind him.]
no subject
Date: 2018-08-09 07:49 pm (UTC)