Post by Gabriel King on Nov 10, 2015 5:53:14 GMT -6
"There a reason you're such a Debby Downer?" He asked. People commonly didn't disregard their mental and emotional health for no reason whatsoever. She had to be having some kind of trouble for a decision that drastic.
Considering that and the way she stared at his hand like it was a foreign object, Gabe was beginning to question whether he'd made the right introduction. "For avoiding people, you're not exactly bad at dealing with them...erm, me. What makes them so unattractive?"
Post by Cassie Stryker on Nov 10, 2015 12:59:14 GMT -6
"Yes I have plenty of reasons." She didn't say just then though. And then he spoke about her people skills and she nodded.
"Just because I avoid them now doesn't mean I don't know how to deal with them. Me and a lot of people just don't mix. I've hurt them, they've screwed me over. I paralyzed a guy from the waist down accidentally. My powers took his legs clean off. And I haven't exactly had the best track record with people being attentive and kind to me, so I just stay away. Safer for everyone that way. Why do you care?" She genuinely was curious. Generally people DIDN'T care.
Post by Gabriel King on Nov 12, 2015 22:26:08 GMT -6
It was hard not to push, but Gabe knew his boundaries well enough by now. 'Don't force yourself into a stranger's life' had been the first, and hardest lesson. He was empathetic by nature, he wanted to be involved, and it kind of sucked.
"But 'knowing how to deal with them' isn't the same as 'dealing with them'. You're missing the benefits." He pointed out awkwardly, cocking his head. He quickly covered his mouth, lowering his face as he smiled. "That's pretty impressive," Gabe admitted, trying not to chuckle. "But attentive and kind, what are you, a dog? That doesn't sound like friendship to me." Whoop, he was involved. That was quick, but Cassidy was so very interesting. "I care? Hmmm, that's a big leap. I'm curious about you because you're a person and I like people. Now if we became friends I might care, but you seem pretty averse to that, aye?"
Post by Cassie Stryker on Nov 15, 2015 1:32:56 GMT -6
She shrugged.
"I'm not averse persay. I'm just saying that it's their funeral. People get hurt when they try to get closer. And generally they don't really bother to try to get involved if I look...unapproachable. To my knowledge, there aren't that many benefits to friendship that can't be achieved through other means. Then again, I haven't exactly had many friends so perhaps I am not the best person to judge."
Post by Gabriel King on Nov 23, 2015 21:52:01 GMT -6
Maybe it was his stubbornness that made Cassie's logic seem so ridiculous to him. He couldn't resist a snort. "Getting hurt is a risk everyone takes, but that is certainly their decision. I don't think you get to blame yourself for that unless you held a knife to their throat and said 'Stop being my friend bitch, or I'll cut you'."
He cocked his head, evaluating whether she'd actually believed him. "What do you define as a 'friend' anyway?"
Post by Cassie Stryker on Nov 24, 2015 0:47:54 GMT -6
What did she define as a friend? Cassidy scratched her chin trying to think of it.
"Umm...someone who has your back in situations? Someone who will tell you something honestly without pulling punches?" Honesty. That was what she saw in a friend. But honesty wasn't a trait that was common around her. Being an heiress had a tendency to make honesty difficult.
Post by Gabriel King on Dec 7, 2015 14:42:40 GMT -6
Gabriel caught his lip between his teeth thoughtfully, mulling over the question. He couldn't argue with Cassie's own idea, but honesty seemed to be only one small part of what he was looking for. Though he could have easily been defined as picky.
"Doing something you don't want to do to make someone else happy. That's friendship," he eventually supplied. He nodded once, pleased with his own answer. "Honesty, loyalty, kindness. It's all a part of it." Though Cassie had made a point of stating that she'd never kept a friend before, which seemed both unbelievable and sad. "So you've never met a honest person before, is that what you're saying?"
Post by Cassie Stryker on Dec 7, 2015 17:04:29 GMT -6
Cassie shrugged at his question and sighed.
"I don't know. Everyone seems to lie sooner or later. I prefer when they lie sooner so I know. Better to actually know you can't trust them to tell the truth than believe they're telling the truth from the beginning."
Post by Gabriel King on Dec 7, 2015 17:32:27 GMT -6
"Then you're looking for a saint, not a friend," Gabriel laughed. He shook his head, bemusement evident. "Did you know statistically the average person lies around seven times a day? I mean, if they say 'I do not have a nuclear bomb strapped to my back' and then they suddenly blow up Kalispell, then fair enough." He fingered his chin thoughtfully, trying to find a better way to phrase his thoughts.
"But you gotta let some things go, you know? Not going to keep anyone around otherwise."
Post by Cassie Stryker on Dec 8, 2015 0:37:50 GMT -6
"Little lies don't matter, but you're talking to someone who has encountered people who lied about themselves, and everyone they knew. I learned not to trust anyone and to fact check instead otherwise I'd always be disappointed." The one time she'd truly trusted someone she had accidentally paralyzed him. Of course she found out afterwards he had ulterior motives, but that was another kettle of fish entirely.
Post by Gabriel King on Dec 9, 2015 6:45:14 GMT -6
Gabriel chuckled. "' I like to expect the worst. There's a small chance I'll be pleasantly surprised' Or something like that, right?" He quoted. When you stopped to think about it, it was sound enough logic. But it also seemed incredibly sad. "Sounds to me like your analyzing your trust away. Haven't you ever stumbled upon someone you'd want to take a chance on?"
It could have just been his romantic heart at play, but Cassie's outlook irked him. In the past he would have tried to change it immediately, he really wasn't above doing that now, but at least he'd grown enough to try giving the complete stranger some privacy.
Post by Cassie Stryker on Dec 10, 2015 17:19:23 GMT -6
"Not yet I haven't." Of course someone could come along and she could fall madly in love with them, but that had as much chance of happening in the world as, say...wolves raising a human baby.
"For the most part, humans are worth the time obsessing over how next they'll make you cry. I had a boyfriend and I took his legs off accidentally. It's safer for everyone if I don't trust."
Post by Gabriel King on Dec 11, 2015 15:28:15 GMT -6
He waved away her words. "You will," Gabe enthused knowingly. "Everyone deserves at least one fairy tale moment." If he got even five minutes of a Disney movie in his life, he'd be content.
"You....Took off his legs?" He repeated, confused. Sounded like she'd been playing with a doll instead of her boyfriend. "With what, a chainsaw?" Something about the wording of her statements seemed oddly suspicious though, almost backwards? Shaking his head, Gabriel hummed thoughtfully. "Sounds to me like they shouldn't trust you, not the other way around." Not that he had an issue with trusting her, apparently. Knowing that might have sounded rude anyway, he held up his hands apologetically. "But since all my body parts in tact, I've decided to trust you."
@tag
Last Edit: Dec 11, 2015 15:29:14 GMT -6 by Gabriel King
Post by Cassie Stryker on Dec 11, 2015 17:23:16 GMT -6
"Ah but does the fairytale moment cast you as the princess, prince, or villain. That's the true question." She sighed, shaking her head. Then he asked about the legs.
"Teleportation. I happened to be touching him when I manifeste and I didn't bring him completely with me. Just his legs." And the situation that had ensued sometimes kept her up at night. And when he brought up the opposite, she thought over what she'd said.
"I did mean that. Apparently I said the opposite. Dammit I thought I'd said the right one for sure..." She just sighed again.
Post by Gabriel King on Dec 16, 2015 2:20:56 GMT -6
He chuckled gleefully, arms spreading wide. "Does it matter? You've watched Disney movies, aye? There are some pretty awesome villains there."
He could hardly imagine how traumatizing the image Cassie produced must have been on her. And yet despite that, it sounded kind of bloody awesome. Smartly, he didn't say as much out loud in so many words. However as a male of the human species, he felt obliged to ask at least one question. "With the legs did you.....You know, take the whole package?" He bit his lip to banish the smirk on his face.
He accepted her apparent mistake with a forgiving shrug. "Potato, tomato, shromata." That presented him with a more difficult argument, apparently. "I don't think you get to choose who trusts you. It just happens."