exsilium | ♂ 2 ; Video/Action for Unit 107

[A green young woman appears on the screen, smiling happily a few feet away from the tablet that seems to be floating. It looks like she's in the kitchen of one of the apartments, ingredients and bowls on the counter.]

I know it's a couple days late, but I'm baking some holiday cookies if anybody would like some. I promise they're pretty good. Well, if you enjoyed the ones at the masquerade, you'll like these, too! There's gingerbread, chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, sugar...

[She glances at the counter and laughs sheepishly.] I may have gone a little overboard, but that's okay. The more, the merrier! ... sort of.

Um, yes, if you'd like some, let me know! You can drop by Unit 107 or I can bring some to you tomorrow, whichever's easier. Or, if you know someone who you'd like to have some, I can do that, too. I promise I'll keep your name a secret.

[The talking stops as she turns from the camera to retrieve some from the oven by telekinetically opening the oven door. The cookie sheet floats out, landing on the counter nearby before she turns back.]

I'll take requests if I'm able. Please don't be shy about any of this, it's something I really enjoy doing. My name's M'gann, by the way. I hope to hear from some of you. [And with a wave, the camera's shut off.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[For a few-- what seem like very long-- moments, M'gann stays where she is, not speaking, not moving. No dishes float across the kitchen, and cookies and tins stay where they are. Even the bzzt of the oven doesn't move her from where she stands. Conner's words cut across her like a knife, and it hurts. It hurts a lot.

Eventually, the martian slowly turns to face him. Her eyes don't meet his, but her expression says it all. She's hurt, hesitant and remorseful. For what, though, isn't as obvious. The words that are emitted next are laced with regret and truth, spoken in earnest.]

I really wish I could.

Try then. How hard can it be?

[ Though she's not looking at him, Conner has his head lowered and his eyes on her. On that expression. He can read those emotions clearly, but for what... he really wishes he knew. Or that she would tell him. ]

It's harder than you think, especially around you, Conner.

[That's all she can muster for the moment, at least until he says more. She lifts her hand slightly, and the oven door behind him opens, a tray of burnt cookies floating out and over to the trash. Thunk thunk thunk. The sounds of cookies hitting the bottom of the waste bin seem to echo around the room, emphasizing the empty air.]

What do you want me to do, M'gann? If you want me gone, then just say so.

[ Each of those thunk thunk thunks... ]

I just-- Conner, sometimes I feel like you don't want me around. It's like I'm some horrible person that you can't stand talking to. You always seem to get angry when we talk, so I... I don't know what to say to you anymore.

[THUNK, the tray lands in the bin, too, for lack of attention on her part.]

[ Hearing her open up - kind of - is a bit surprising. The last time they'd spoken about their feelings had been on the bio-ship. It always seemed the same; snappy comments, anger spikes, and then eventually a lingering sadness, a dull ache and emptiness. ]

What do you expect me to say? You know why I get upset. [ Okay, just take a breath. This is what she's talking about. Conner makes an effort this time to stray away from that. ] I want things to go back to the way they used to be, M'gann. Not with... just us, but everything.

[She takes in his words, the meaning behind them, and what that implies. While they catch her off guard on some level, she's not as taken aback as she would have initially believed herself to be. Something inside her still knows...

Regardless, she moves. Not towards him, but away. It's nothing big, just her walking over to retrieve the baking sheet from the bin. It's obvious she's not in a state to focus, even on the smaller tasks like that, so when the tray's in her hand, she's not sure where to go. Her back remains to Conner as she stares at the trash.]

Sometimes you just can't go back. Kaldur and Artemis taught us that much. [Her hand grips the tray, and her voice tightens.] We're growing up. I hate a lot of it, but we can't stop it.

[She falls silent, thinking, before turning to look at him for the first time since things became serious.]

It's almost New Year's here. Would resolutions matter?

[ His expression tightens at the mention of Kaldur and Artemis, even if she can't see it with her back turned to him. Conner doesn't want to think about them, it's still painful. It's something that might take him some time to get over, Artemis's death the first real loss of life of someone who had been close to him most of his 'life', Gar's mother being the second.

Conner returns the intent look, eyes searching hers. ]

Then we go forward. Together. [ It's the only thing he knows, for the longest time... ]

Only if you tried your hardest to make them work.

Mm. [It isn't a noise of affirmation or agreement, simply one of acknowledgement. In truth, she'd enjoy nothing more than to build off that statement, to discard doubts and fears and hesitations, agreeing to go forward together with no one else mattering as much. The two of them moving forward in the world, charging it head on!

But what she said is the truth: they're growing up. She's growing up. M'gann is fully aware of the fact it would never be as easy as either of them would like. Hell, easy itself is a dream long gone, stored away in some child's toy box gathering dust with pompoms and cookie recipes from old television shows. A few things are best simply left buried.]

Is there anything you're going to work towards?

[Anyone else looking into her eyes would see nothing but neutrality, an indifference laced with polite curiosity there to carry on the conversation. They would receive a sense of civility and aloof kindness, nothing too personal. Anyone else looking into her eyes would see nothing special. They'd hear nothing special in her voice.

However, Conner is hardly anyone else. He's the exact opposite. He's the one who knows her better than anyone, including her current boyfriend. Conner doesn't need telepathy to read her like a book. Words and emotions are laid out like words on a page. All he needs to do is put them together to form a sentence.]

I have a few things in mind.

[ Those things possibly involving them. Getting her back to Lagoon Boy as it seems like the right thing to do. Getting them both back to the their teammates, to home.

Conner can see and hear those emotions. Instead of acting on what he's feeling, he remains where he is and doesn't take his eyes off of her, latching onto what he can see in her gaze as she watches him. ]

♂ 2 ; Video/Action for Unit 107

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