catchacold | ICy Inbox for Entranceway

You really think I'm the person to ask for advice there? I've never bent for anyone.

[Wait.]

No pun intended.

But, fine. Father issues, yeah? You want to support, but not overwhelm her, I'm guessing?

[ he nods, this time managing to keep from laughing. he's serious when he clarifies: ]

I need to bend. I need you to not bend when it comes to fixing me.

[ he has friends who'd be kind in this endeavor, but kind means slow. he needs to be able to support sarah asap. ]

I can't keep telling her that I love her no matter what. I know that's not the thing that's going to help.

All right. [He snaps his fingers as he thinks, already formulating a plan here. Leaning forward he crosses his arms, loosely holding himself as he talks, eyes just so never quite meeting Ray's face.]

When I was ten, my father shot a man right next to me, to see if I'd flinch.

I didn't. I knew better by then.

[He pauses, eyes lowered, then he lifts them, looking right at Ray.]

How do you react?

I--

[ he's immediately stuck trying to imagine it as if he were there and how horrified he'd be and also a little deafened probably not to mention he's not exactly a fan of when blood is on the outside of anybody's body let alone a dead person's

what did they do with the body oh my god he didn't even flinch when he was ten wait is this a real story? ]

--'m so sorry. That's ... awful?

Yeah, well, it sure ain't great.

[Sarcasm probably isn't helping right now, so Leonard breathes out and nods.]

Try it without the question mark next time. So, I'm Sarah, how would you proceed from this?

Well. Uhh...

[ ray stands up and strides toward where len's lounging on the bed, manufactured confidence making his movements stiff and abrupt. he moves to plant himself at the edge, robotic and methodical, and extends a hand toward len's thigh. ]

[Mick clearly picked the wrong time to stroll in, rat on shoulder, beer in hand, looking for a game of cards. Apparently he was interrupting Ray making a move on Leonard. Well... couldn't say that wasn't a plan that Mick had too.]

The hell are you doing? [First Rip and now Ray. What was wrong with people?]

He's practising.

[Leonard doesn't miss a beat, now almost glad that he hasn't immediately showed Ray away, because this is definitely entertaining. Still, he moves his leg to the side, just to be safe.]

You can just describe what you'd do, Raymond.

[ ray falls right the fuck off the bed. he's on his back on the floor. turtling. ]

Practising what? How to get laid? Well, that ain't the way.

[Mick pulls a face and huffs a little, moving to set his beer down.]

Especially not with Snart. [There's a beat. Wait. Huh.] Also don't practise on Snart, that ain't for rookies.

He's practising how to respond to Sarah dealing with heavy stuff. Comforting, I guess.

[And doing a bang-up job of it, obviously.]

Come back up, Raymond. Mick can help.

[ he pops up, head peeking up over the bed and waves. ]

Hey buddy! You startled me.

[ allow him to just casually dust himself off and go for a ramble. ]

Comforting her, yeah. But also just-- helping her deal, I guess? I think it's something with her childhood and her dad and while I didn't have the best ones, I can't exactly call them bad. I just-- I know I'm outta my depth, here...

Heavy stuff? Like feelings? [Mick pulls a face and grunts in dismay.] We don't feel. Feeling is for wimps. We drink and pretend we don't have feelings.

[He is currently going to open himself a beer cause he doesn't like where this is going already and he needs some alcohol to help him get through.]

Bad parents suck, everyone deals differently. I bet me and Snart don't deal the same as your girl.

I really hope she doesn't deal like we do.

[Especially not like him. Mick burns more things down, but at least he lets his feelings out. Leonard is a different matter.]

Look. Just be there. That's enough sometimes.

[ ray tries not to look too daunted just yet. never give up, never surrender. ]

No, I know. But my speed is more, you know. [ his hands dart around in front of him as he performs: ] Oh I'm so sorry to hear your dog died. Here's a casserole.

[ ...that's a thing, right? ]

[Mick frowns. Okay, there is now a bigger issue here and he is going to need to address it.]

Wait, my partner died saving my ass while I was saving your ass and I never got a damn casserole. Where's my casserole? [Seriously? What did a guy have to do to score himself some pity casserole?] Is that just something you get when you lose a dog?

Woof.

[Leonard adds, helpful as ever.]

[ fully daunted, ray's mouth drops open. ]

What? I made you a casserole! You yelled at me through your door about it. [ performing again, ray's hands form fists and his voice pitches down lower, gruff and more cookie monster than mick... ] Haircut I swear if you come in here right now that casserole's going where the sun don't shine!

[Mick takes a long while to consider this before finally, he does pinpoint the moment in which he had to reject the casserole.]

That was the ninth time you knocked my fucking door that day. I thought you were lying just to get back in. [It was three updates on the chore wheel he was never going to do, two checking in moments, one mission update and then three social calls later, he wasn't feeling overly up to letting Ray in after that.] You should have come back later with two and left them outside the door, idiot. That's customary. Ain't it, Snart?

I've never found you more attractive, Raymond.

[Said as deadpan as could be expected and then Leonard shrugs his shoulders at Mick's question before nodding.]

I ain't up on the casserole etiquette, but that's what they say.

[ ray's face pinches at len's comment, and then pinches even more as mick continues. ]

I've said it once, I'll say it a thousand times: the Waverider is not a hotel.

It ain't my house neither. Stop mothering me, you weirdo.

[Mick huffs because no, they are not having this discussion again.]

Look, do you want our help or do you want to discuss chores? [Honest to God, he will shove that chore wheel down your throat.]

We're not discussing chores. You sound like an old married couple.

[This isn't even the stuff that would get him to be jealous, it's just ridiculous.]

Raymond. Just ask her if she wants to talk about it. Think that's how people do it.

[ ......ok so part of him wants to talk about this chore thing still. ]

I just--

[ he thinks better of it, and perches his butt on the edge of the bed. ]

But I can't fix it. I don't know what to do with a problem I can't even try to fix.

You're not supposed to fix it, you're just supposed to care. You know how to care, right?

[Mick doesn't know how to explain empathy to someone, he barely gets it himself.]

I always wanted to fix the shit going on with Snart and I never could. So I just gave a shit and tried to have his back when he needed me. I didn't fix nothing, I was just there. As a distraction, as back up, as a babysitter. You gotta be what you need to be for the people who need you and that changes all the damn time.

[There's a slight pause.]

To be clear, I'm not saying pretend to be someone else. Just adapt how to act.

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