[ Her cheeks flush at his words, but all he can do is smile warmly and a bit sheepishly back, it's sweet that she still reacts like that, like a normal teenage girl, which Steve is seeing more and more.
Which is so unlike everyone else in Legion, Frank and Julie can be dicks, especially to him, but it usually feels so...antagonistic, and Susie... well it feels more defensive, like she's protecting herself. Which she might be, according to a recent conversation with Julie. But it just has him feeling empathy for her. ]
I'm not just trying my luck, I swear. Look, we have our differences, we're on the opposite side of...well, whatever the hell's going on, you know? We're supposed to be enemies. But we don't have to be, Julie told me you guys are...forced to do this. Sometimes against your will. Or else.
[ Julie didn't go into much detail, mostly just implying that Trapper and the Hag used to be normal, until the Entity got it's hooks in them. Literally. ]
I just want to get to know you, give you a chance. I mean, hell, you haven't killed me yet and I'm standing here like a juicy steak looking all like appetizing and stuff. I think there's good in you. And Joey. I'd be telling him the same thing if he were around. Probably not that he's like... you know.
[ How many times can he imply that he thinks Susie is cute before it gets weird? ]
[ Well, this is uncharted territory for Susie. She's never had someone tell her she's cute this many times in one sitting before, so it's probably getting more and more obvious that she doesn't really know how to navigate the situation. Rejection is difficult, but acceptance is too, because Steve's readings on her rude remarks are spot-on: it is defensive. Susie feels like she can't trust this, like Steve is only going to end up hurting her, so in an attempt to save herself the trouble, she's just going to keep trying to push him away. ]
Give me a chance for what? I don't need any favors from you, Steve.
[ Who knew he was this persistent though? She would have guessed he would have given up by now. She gives another sigh, exasperated, her act of not being the least bit interested in Steve back starting to take its toll on her. She's getting fatigue now, but her voice is still stern when she talks. ]
No, the Entity didn't give us a choice about being here or doing this. We wandered into this place. Some killers made a deal with the Entity after suffering their more painful, horrible, worst days. I don't care about killing outside of trials. I do it when I have to, but it's not fun for me.
[ She doesn't go on to elaborate on the "or else" part of whatever Julie told him. Frankly, she likes to pretend that part doesn't happen unless it's Julie or Joey she's talking to. She's told Quentin about it, briefly, but no gory details for him either and she'd rather suffer more torture sessions with the Entity before telling him anything else about them. ]
Killing is... exhausting. In so many ways. You can't understand what it's like.
I'm not trying to do you a favor. Unless that helps my case at all? I just came here to prove a point that you're flat our refusing to see.
[ But he's stubborn so he stays put. She'll see. ]
That sucks, Suze, and I'm sorry. I really am. We're both stuck in this shit, together. Not that I wasn't constantly running and fighting shit back home...
[ He can empathize more than she thinks he can for sure. He hears the sadness in her voice, maybe the want for something more here? Than just the senseless violence they're forced to live and relive here, ]
You know. I might know more about it than you think, Susie. Being here in this other dimension or whatever the hell it is? Not even new for me. Neither is the killing or being killed. Watching friends bleed or get hurt. Losing loved ones. The only thing that's nice here is... is that it's not permanent. Everything else about this goddamn place, it sucks. Hard. I'm sure we can both empathize with each other. No one here is having a good time. Killer or Survivor. Stupid labels anyway, you don't look like a killer right now. You just look like a normal girl. A girl I'd be friends with, one I'd want to know better. With nice hair.
[ Susie's pink lips frown deeply and her brows stitch together the more Steve talks. She stares at the floor, not at him, what he's saying resonating with her. She's heard just enough about their world from Robin and Billy both by now that she knows none of them have really had it easy there. They've had to deal with things Susie couldn't even imagine before ending up in the Fog and the very real consequences of making the wrong choice there is, ultimately, what led to Billy suffering like he did. If that happened to him, then she knows what Steve says about having witnessed a lot of suffering and horrific things is true. He doesn't need to elaborate. She believes him.
But that just really reinforces her idea that this is just more bad news. It saddens her to think that he'd seen a lot of death already before waking up in the Fog and she doesn't want to subject him to more by getting close to her. If he wakes up and realizes the kind of person she really is, there's no way he'd forgive that or stick around. The whole thing is enough to make Susie want to just cry and how upset and scared the situation makes her is enough to make her chin tremble once before she clenches her jaw to make it stop, enough to make hot tears sting at her eyes before she furiously blinks them back. ]
[ It's after that banger of a speech that he looks up again at Suze, trying not to cry and failing, still blushing, but now Steve's not sure if the redness is leftover from his compliments or the harsh reality he just laid out for her.
He's not even sure what exactly is going through her head right now, but he walks towards the stairs, towards her, letting confidence take over and his brain have the backseat. Not exactly new territory for him, but it's worked in the past so it'll work now. He hopes.
He reaches her quickly, his pace kind of brisk to get to her. He shows his hands the whole way up, no surprises, just him. His eyes concerned, but predominantly caring. And he's looking at her, like really looking at her. And he just slowly reaches his hand out to hers, if she'll let him and pulls her into him, for a hug. ]
It's ok. Susie. I mean it. I want to be here. Now will you please believe me?
[ She could really do with less of his speeches. They're annoying. This one just happened to also hit its mark, which kind of makes it more annoying. When Steve rushes to her, she does flinch backwards a little, surprised by the movement, as though he's the more dangerous one of the two of them. It all happens so fast-- his hand taking hers, the space between them closing, his arms wrapping around her... Susie honestly just freezes up, not resisting less because she initially accepts his comforting, and more because she simply doesn't know how to respond. It's not really even until he actually speaks to her, murmuring soothingly into her ear while he holds her tight, that the tension in her smaller frame begins to melt away.
She still doesn't answer Steve, but she does press her face into his chest, her breathing harsh as she squeezes her eyes shut fiercely and her fingers clinging to his clothes. A sort of acceptance, even if Susie can't say the words herself. Maybe she's just tired of fighting. She doesn't know why she lets him in like this. Steve's directness with his feelings and in how he goes about getting what he wants is a whole new problem she's never faced before, far more used to much blurrier communication. Maybe he just blindsided her with his blunt honesty. ]
[ He's never not been great at delivering a speech, capturing his audience, speaking from the heart, and motivating people to shoot the winning shot. It's kind of his thing, and it didn't fail here. And he's glad, because even though he's in his element with that, there's still the ever present risk that one wrong word gets him killed. But he sees that good in her, and he'll take a chance on that. Every. God. Damn. Time. Because that's what good guys do, and Steve is one of the best.
He's got some height on her, maybe 7 inches? So when she nuzzles into him, fingers digging into his shirt, eyes drying themselves on the fabric against his chest, he just rests his chin on top of her head, letting her take in the moment and recover, obviously unsure of the situation and how she feels about it. It's....comfortable, nice even. Like he fits right into her, like he was here meant to do this, meant to bridge the gap between them. He has no idea it was his directness that earned her trust, but he's always been direct, to a fault. Hopefully this time doesn't bite him in the ass, but it seems like it's working for now.
He takes in the moment as well, wrapping his arms tightly around her,continuing to rest his head lightly on hers, his breathing slow and calm while he waits for her to process, react. to all of this.]
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no subject
Which is so unlike everyone else in Legion, Frank and Julie can be dicks, especially to him, but it usually feels so...antagonistic, and Susie... well it feels more defensive, like she's protecting herself. Which she might be, according to a recent conversation with Julie. But it just has him feeling empathy for her. ]
I'm not just trying my luck, I swear. Look, we have our differences, we're on the opposite side of...well, whatever the hell's going on, you know? We're supposed to be enemies. But we don't have to be, Julie told me you guys are...forced to do this. Sometimes against your will. Or else.
[ Julie didn't go into much detail, mostly just implying that Trapper and the Hag used to be normal, until the Entity got it's hooks in them. Literally. ]
I just want to get to know you, give you a chance. I mean, hell, you haven't killed me yet and I'm standing here like a juicy steak looking all like appetizing and stuff. I think there's good in you. And Joey. I'd be telling him the same thing if he were around. Probably not that he's like... you know.
[ How many times can he imply that he thinks Susie is cute before it gets weird? ]
no subject
Give me a chance for what? I don't need any favors from you, Steve.
[ Who knew he was this persistent though? She would have guessed he would have given up by now. She gives another sigh, exasperated, her act of not being the least bit interested in Steve back starting to take its toll on her. She's getting fatigue now, but her voice is still stern when she talks. ]
No, the Entity didn't give us a choice about being here or doing this. We wandered into this place. Some killers made a deal with the Entity after suffering their more painful, horrible, worst days. I don't care about killing outside of trials. I do it when I have to, but it's not fun for me.
[ She doesn't go on to elaborate on the "or else" part of whatever Julie told him. Frankly, she likes to pretend that part doesn't happen unless it's Julie or Joey she's talking to. She's told Quentin about it, briefly, but no gory details for him either and she'd rather suffer more torture sessions with the Entity before telling him anything else about them. ]
Killing is... exhausting. In so many ways. You can't understand what it's like.
no subject
[ But he's stubborn so he stays put. She'll see. ]
That sucks, Suze, and I'm sorry. I really am. We're both stuck in this shit, together. Not that I wasn't constantly running and fighting shit back home...
[ He can empathize more than she thinks he can for sure. He hears the sadness in her voice, maybe the want for something more here? Than just the senseless violence they're forced to live and relive here, ]
You know. I might know more about it than you think, Susie. Being here in this other dimension or whatever the hell it is? Not even new for me. Neither is the killing or being killed. Watching friends bleed or get hurt. Losing loved ones. The only thing that's nice here is... is that it's not permanent. Everything else about this goddamn place, it sucks. Hard. I'm sure we can both empathize with each other. No one here is having a good time. Killer or Survivor. Stupid labels anyway, you don't look like a killer right now. You just look like a normal girl. A girl I'd be friends with, one I'd want to know better. With nice hair.
[ He means every word. ]
no subject
But that just really reinforces her idea that this is just more bad news. It saddens her to think that he'd seen a lot of death already before waking up in the Fog and she doesn't want to subject him to more by getting close to her. If he wakes up and realizes the kind of person she really is, there's no way he'd forgive that or stick around. The whole thing is enough to make Susie want to just cry and how upset and scared the situation makes her is enough to make her chin tremble once before she clenches her jaw to make it stop, enough to make hot tears sting at her eyes before she furiously blinks them back. ]
no subject
He's not even sure what exactly is going through her head right now, but he walks towards the stairs, towards her, letting confidence take over and his brain have the backseat. Not exactly new territory for him, but it's worked in the past so it'll work now. He hopes.
He reaches her quickly, his pace kind of brisk to get to her. He shows his hands the whole way up, no surprises, just him. His eyes concerned, but predominantly caring. And he's looking at her, like really looking at her. And he just slowly reaches his hand out to hers, if she'll let him and pulls her into him, for a hug. ]
It's ok. Susie. I mean it. I want to be here. Now will you please believe me?
no subject
She still doesn't answer Steve, but she does press her face into his chest, her breathing harsh as she squeezes her eyes shut fiercely and her fingers clinging to his clothes. A sort of acceptance, even if Susie can't say the words herself. Maybe she's just tired of fighting. She doesn't know why she lets him in like this. Steve's directness with his feelings and in how he goes about getting what he wants is a whole new problem she's never faced before, far more used to much blurrier communication. Maybe he just blindsided her with his blunt honesty. ]
no subject
He's got some height on her, maybe 7 inches? So when she nuzzles into him, fingers digging into his shirt, eyes drying themselves on the fabric against his chest, he just rests his chin on top of her head, letting her take in the moment and recover, obviously unsure of the situation and how she feels about it. It's....comfortable, nice even. Like he fits right into her, like he was here meant to do this, meant to bridge the gap between them. He has no idea it was his directness that earned her trust, but he's always been direct, to a fault. Hopefully this time doesn't bite him in the ass, but it seems like it's working for now.
He takes in the moment as well, wrapping his arms tightly around her,continuing to rest his head lightly on hers, his breathing slow and calm while he waits for her to process, react. to all of this.]