poly_chromatic | [ 85th consult

Drag night at the gay bar.

Clearly.

I can only hope he didn't use the pineapple I bought in a hat this time.

Probably have height restrictions at the door.

Oh clearly it's me.

Well I didn't decide to cover everything in glitter.

Is that all? There aren't any random sparkles or rainbows or ribbons or anything?

Not... that I've noticed? There's just a great deal of glitter and I have a cowlick that won't sit down.

Then that's not so bad! Today is completely crazy. I mean, if it's not rainbows and sparkles and giant eyes and bows and stuff, I'd say you're doing pretty well.

[Optimism. She has it.]

As long as the glitter vanishes at midnight, I think I'm okay. I think I'd have an easier time convincing House to move than trying to clean it.

He should try living with it for a while. Maybe it'd lighten him up a little.

Maybe. Or maybe it'd make him angry. Hard to say.

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[Because he's going to have to bring it up eventually, right?]

I was meaning to talk to you, you know... about the weekend.

[Aw, she was trying to not bring that up.]

Oh! Sure. The weekend.

What about the weekend?

I just...

[He didn't want to either, but. This is important, okay?]

If you're uncomfortable with... anything that happened, I wanted to apologize. Even if it was a curse.

James... you don't need to apologize, okay? Please don't. It's not like I haven't thought about most everything that happened.

[Well, there's that information.]

Well, it's just... curses always have a way of making things strange, you know? Though, really, as far as curses go-- well, it really was a decently happy couple of days.

Yeah, they do. Mostly I feel bad for Neil and Todd, though--Todd especially. Did you know he wasn't even cursed?

But you're right. It was nice. I mean, I've always wanted to get married and do the domestic thing and have a husband who's sweet and thoughtful and pretty much exactly like you, so... I liked that.

[There's an implied 'but' somewhere in there.]

Yeah... and Todd-- well, in retrospect, it does seem apparent. I have spoken to Neil, at least, I think... well, they seem to be all right.

[That "but" is not difficult to pick up on. It's not the best implication to notice.]

So have I. I mean, do the domestic thing-- kids, for example, not the husband part, but. Well, it's never quite worked out that way. Sometimes, things just don't go the way you want them to.

Yeah... a weekend wasn't nearly long enough to scar either of them permanently.

[It's said playfully, but that 'but' is still hanging around.]

Kids would've been nice. Actual kids, not... you know, kids who're only a decade younger than me. I guess a house and a picket fence and the whole package'd be a little too much, but having someone to come home to, or to be home for...

Like you said, though, things don't always work out.

Or kids who are, perhaps, slightly less perfect duplicates...

[But. But. He hates that, the way it's hanging there, an uncomfortable little ball of tension.]

Well. The City's a lot of things to a lot of people. I don't think it'd be anywhere near impossible for you to make something like that here, for yourself.

Aw, I thought it was kind of cute... like in Disney movies where the boys always look exactly like the dads. And you could've done a lot worse. Neil's a good kid.

[The lingering unpleasantness isn't going anywhere soon. Penny can't for the life of her think of a way to say what she'd like to, let alone in a way that won't sound awful.]

Oh, no--you're right, completely. I don't know if there'll ever be a real family in the City, but I'm making more things here than I ever did at home. [Insofar as working goes. She does, after all, have two charitable organizations.]

James? ...What's the City to you?

Edited 2012-06-30 11:13 (UTC)

Neil is a good kid... I'd be lucky to have a son anywhere near that good.

[Hm. That's... a loaded question. It's been his death and his resurrection for one...]

The City's-- I don't know. I can't say I've entirely enjoyed my stay here, by any means, or that I really put much trust in it, but. [He is going somewhere Not Bleak with this, really.] I've been here for years, I honestly doubt I'm leaving anytime soon, so... I try to make what I can of it. There's plenty of good here, if only because of all the people I never would have met otherwise.

That's good... making the most of it, for however long you're here. Although that's kind of what we do when we're alive and at home, right? Make the best out of what we're given?

But yeah, the best part is meeting people. I'm really glad I got to meet you, y'know.

[Does this sound like a lead up to something? Yes? No? Maybe?]

It is... just usually with a bit less adversity. Or at least, less of the supernatural variety - well. For me, at least.

[He knows plenty of people from magical, supernatural, whatever else worlds now, after all.]

I'm glad that I met you, too. Both times.

[If it is, he can feel it coming. Of course, as much as he may be anticipating, he'd rather let her say what she wants to when she's ready than press the issue.]

Me too. I mean, L.A. has superheroes and supervillains, but they're definitely not the worst problems there.

[Yes, she did classify superheroes as a source of adversity.

Penny's response to the last comment is halting.]

The first time... the one I don't remember. We were just friends?

[Y e p.]

Yeah. We were friends.

Okay.

[Well, darn. She's in a bit of a corner, isn't she?]

So, you know. When we were cursed...

[He hates how that statement is hanging there.]

We were cursed.

Penny... it only means as much as you want it to.

Know, but... would it've mattered if we weren't? I've thought about it, y'know.

[She's working herself up to a fine bout of frustration.]

You're perfect, James. Like, if I had to write down everything I thought I was looking for in a guy, you'd have it all, and that's why I don't get it! I want it to mean a lot, but it just... doesn't. I think you're amazing and super smart and about the nicest guy in any dimensions I've ever been to, but it's not...

[Struggling for a word. Struggling, struggling.]

It's just not.

I've thought about it, too, but...

[It really is better having it out there; he knows, rationally, that they wouldn't really work. Both of them want too much to be the supportive one, to be the caretaker. Rationally, he knows that.]

It's all right. It really is. Penny, you're a wonderful, sweet, caring and beautiful person, and I'm honored to be your friend. I always will be.

[Why do you have to be so nice and understanding, Wilson? This is exactly why this can never work!]

James...

[She's not going to cry. There will be no tears because they're both rational adults and adults can totally decide that the person who's perfect for them isn't the person they want and still be friends and oh god why, Wilson, are you complimenting Penny when she's a terrible person with terrible judgment--

Rational. Right.]

Thanks. And the same goes for you, too, okay? You've got a friend right here.

[He can totally maintain rationality. The compliments are how he rolls; damage control, making sure that at least friendship is maintained. It's not quite a breakup, of course, but he does have an almost pathological need to stay on good terms with all of his exes, and this might as well fall under that.

But he means it, really. He is grateful to be her friend, and he doesn't want to lose that much.]

And I'm very grateful for that. Really.

[It's about as close to being the instigator of a break-up as Penny's ever been, at least with someone she really, really likes and has known for more than a few days.

Because she does really, really like him.]

Okay. Then we'll... have to do something. Sometime. Like karaoke.

[What really can be said? Wilson's a bit more accustomed to breakups.]

Of course. Just say the word - I'd never pass up a good karaoke night.

[ 85th consult | voice ]

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