No. You don't have to try and be sorry, or- he didn't even really get hurt. It's more that I want to know what happened so I can avoid doing it to someone. My mind works pretty similarly to his. I've just kept my mouth shut through more of my life.
He oversteps. He's treating everyone on this barge as patients even if they don't want the help. Every single conversation I've seen him in on the network is talking about coping mechanisms and deflecting and using whatever training he has in all the wrong ways.
I know what's wrong with me and I don't need him trying to fix me. I'll do that on my own. As I'm sure a lot of other people do.
[ Laura is quiet, not entirely sure if this conversation was really for his own benefit or if there was some amount of fishing being done for Malcolm's sake. Maybe had they been closer here like they had in Seattle, or if the times they were able to connect hadn't been cut short or their talks interrupted that this one would be an easier one to have. ]
It's everything he sticks his nose into. If it's not preaching to me that I need better ways of coping or that I fucking deflect pretty good for a drunk person or outright telling people false shit and when he's called on it still tries to make it seem like he's the one who's right.
[ If it isn't her, it's Sweeney. And if it isn't Sweeney, it's Roman or his brother or Lestat or anyone else who Malcolm feels it necessary to fix. ]
If I wanted to do a deep dive into my past to figure out why I am who I am, I'd ask for help with it. Most people will. But he oversteps and won't stop until he's provoked a reaction.
[ He's quiet again for a few long moments, noting that the parts he admires of Malcolm seem to be what everyone else hates. But she's also not willing to go any deeper, too defensive to go into specifics. So he's just going to have to take this and run with it. ]
I...uh, I can't apologize for him, even if I wanted to. But I'll try to avoid doing that to you, in the future. Looks like my public-school socialization is still working for me here.
But feel free to punch me if you need to. If I'm being too stubborn and...I don't know, getting Harkin hurt or something. I'd understand.
[ Laura lingers, understanding how hard this must be for him and she doesn't want to make it harder for him knowing that his affection for Malcolm is real and therefore biased. ]
I don't think you'd do that. But you asked and I wanted to give you an answer because..
[ she cares about him, even if it's from afar. yet, sometimes saying so is too much of a gamble to worry about losing. maybe Addy felt like a painful memory that was too much to remember now. ]
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And...I wanted to know if you're okay.
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I know what's wrong with me and I don't need him trying to fix me. I'll do that on my own. As I'm sure a lot of other people do.
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Would you be willing to talk about specifically what he said to you- or someone you care about- that set you off? There's always a last straw.
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It's everything he sticks his nose into. If it's not preaching to me that I need better ways of coping or that I fucking deflect pretty good for a drunk person or outright telling people false shit and when he's called on it still tries to make it seem like he's the one who's right.
[ If it isn't her, it's Sweeney. And if it isn't Sweeney, it's Roman or his brother or Lestat or anyone else who Malcolm feels it necessary to fix. ]
If I wanted to do a deep dive into my past to figure out why I am who I am, I'd ask for help with it. Most people will. But he oversteps and won't stop until he's provoked a reaction.
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[ He's quiet again for a few long moments, noting that the parts he admires of Malcolm seem to be what everyone else hates. But she's also not willing to go any deeper, too defensive to go into specifics. So he's just going to have to take this and run with it. ]
I...uh, I can't apologize for him, even if I wanted to. But I'll try to avoid doing that to you, in the future. Looks like my public-school socialization is still working for me here.
But feel free to punch me if you need to. If I'm being too stubborn and...I don't know, getting Harkin hurt or something. I'd understand.
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[ Laura lingers, understanding how hard this must be for him and she doesn't want to make it harder for him knowing that his affection for Malcolm is real and therefore biased. ]
I don't think you'd do that. But you asked and I wanted to give you an answer because..
[ she cares about him, even if it's from afar. yet, sometimes saying so is too much of a gamble to worry about losing. maybe Addy felt like a painful memory that was too much to remember now. ]
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[ She doesn't have to say it out loud. The fact that she didn't completely shut him down here shows her feelings. ]
And I don't think I'd hurt him either, but I've done some pretty shitty things in my life- my not-Seattle life. I guess you never know.
Anyway, uh... [ He lets out a small sigh. ] That was it. Other than checking in on you and seeing how you were doing, party night aside.
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Okay. Promise me we'll talk soon?
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Take care, okay?