My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room
Maeve tucks her chin in towards her chest, taking a breath and hating every second of this, "That wasn't my intention. I didn't think she would do something like this. That much is true. From what you told me and what I understood of her, but you're right. I don't know her like you do and perhaps it is naive of me to think anything else, but it wasn't because she made it seem like that." Even with his frustrations and her own, Maeve doesn't raise her voice. She hasn't this whole time, trying desperately to keep something in check even as it all falls apart, knowing it would be best to walk away and leave him be.
"What happened in Torchline? To the ring and to the society? Yeah, that was an attack against you. Implying that you're the only one who is going to lose things in this war? That your end of it is going to be worse? That isn't fair." It wasn't what she meant when she said it in the first place, but neither of them are thinking clearly at all, it seems. Both of them too caught up in the back and forth to even take a breath to stop. Maeve doesn't meet his gaze and he doesn't look at her either. Neither of them able to handle it. "Everyone will lose in this. What you feel when it happens? That isn't something I'd wish on anyone, but it won't just be you. I know you know that..."
So many of them are going to be pitched against those they hold dear. They're all going to lose. They're all going to fall apart. Maeve knows he's got a bad deal here, but that doesn't change the fact that he won't be the only one.
He stands suddenly and she does too, tears finally slipping down her cheeks and she's helpless to stop them, not caring if he sees her cry. "That's the thing, Jata, you don't get to decide who cares about you! Whether you wanted it or not. Whether you asked for it or not. It's too fucking late." He's so fucking obstinate. So gods damn stubborn. Maeve wishes she could shake sense into him, but she can't. All she can do is talk and make things worse, apparently.
"I wish it wasn't like this. For your sake, I wish you didn't have to go through this. You and Nate deserve to be happy. You deserve quiet and peace and time with your family." She means it too. All of her feelings against Nate aside, Sunjata deserves that in her eyes. He's been through so much. He's still going through it. Maeve let's put a breath, shaky and pained, licking her lips as she takes a moment, "Nothing about your father was right, Sunjata. Not a damn thing he did was right. None of it. I'm sorry... For all of it. For what he did, the war, the fires, this. I really am."
"What happened in Torchline? To the ring and to the society? Yeah, that was an attack against you. Implying that you're the only one who is going to lose things in this war? That your end of it is going to be worse? That isn't fair." It wasn't what she meant when she said it in the first place, but neither of them are thinking clearly at all, it seems. Both of them too caught up in the back and forth to even take a breath to stop. Maeve doesn't meet his gaze and he doesn't look at her either. Neither of them able to handle it. "Everyone will lose in this. What you feel when it happens? That isn't something I'd wish on anyone, but it won't just be you. I know you know that..."
So many of them are going to be pitched against those they hold dear. They're all going to lose. They're all going to fall apart. Maeve knows he's got a bad deal here, but that doesn't change the fact that he won't be the only one.
He stands suddenly and she does too, tears finally slipping down her cheeks and she's helpless to stop them, not caring if he sees her cry. "That's the thing, Jata, you don't get to decide who cares about you! Whether you wanted it or not. Whether you asked for it or not. It's too fucking late." He's so fucking obstinate. So gods damn stubborn. Maeve wishes she could shake sense into him, but she can't. All she can do is talk and make things worse, apparently.
"I wish it wasn't like this. For your sake, I wish you didn't have to go through this. You and Nate deserve to be happy. You deserve quiet and peace and time with your family." She means it too. All of her feelings against Nate aside, Sunjata deserves that in her eyes. He's been through so much. He's still going through it. Maeve let's put a breath, shaky and pained, licking her lips as she takes a moment, "Nothing about your father was right, Sunjata. Not a damn thing he did was right. None of it. I'm sorry... For all of it. For what he did, the war, the fires, this. I really am."
Maeve
