The Human Paradox

[madginger]

WHO: Max, Billy, Robin + anyone else left
WHERE: the bar of the Peanut Party
WHAT: Saying goodbye
WHEN: Before leaving
WARNINGS: Panic attacks, grief, course language, upcoming violence


Welcome to my delirium - open to anyone
Max listens to everything, to their options, to the explanations, and feels the world shift as she does. For a second, it feels like she's going to pass out - please no - so she reaches out to steady herself.

Go home. She can't even begin to process the conflicting fear and grief with the elation of maybe seeing Lucas and El again. Seeing Will, Mike, Dustin, Steve, Nancy - her friends. But, she's also made friends here, and there are some she'll never see again, no matter what. There's also knowing the first thing she's going to deal with when she returns is Vecna part. Her heart thuds in her chest, painfully and she finds herself gulping in air.

Sure, she could go into the open with everyone at the bars, maybe that would help, but she's embarrassed at the lack of courage. Not that she doesn't want to face and fight Vecna - she does. She wants to rip a hole through his damned chest for everything he's done to all of them, their home. But right now, Max needs to rely an older tactic of hers. She runs. She finds a small, hidden away, dark area and breaks into frightened, torn sobs. Collapsed into a ball, head buried in her knees, she cries in a way she's not accustomed to. Max hates it, hearing herself, feeling the heat on her face, but she can't seem to stop it, either.

She knows what she has to do, and she suspects what Billy is going to do. She won't deny him, hell, she would encourage him to go with Tommy, but it's a little bit like losing him all over again.

When she finally cries it out and feels stronger, she stands up with the knowledge at least Billy will be alive somewhere, and get the happy ending he always deserved but was robbed of. She can live with that.

No matter what, she's taking her memories with her, the offered crystal, the chance to return once in a while, and she's taking some time to say farewell, first. She manages to find one last piece of paper, and a pen that's survived.

Her eyes are still red, but she forces a smile as she starts to approach people she wants to say goodbye to. Max reaches out to touch an arm, first, then gives a silent hug.


Dear Billy, 2.0 - closed to Billy

When she's ready, Max breathes in, deeply, and starts to look for Billy. No matter what, they need to say goodbye, but she can't pretend she doesn't clench her hands into fists and that her feet feel like lead. It takes everything she has, because she doesn't want to speak to him for the last time.

And what did Max take time to write? The letter she plans to give Billy as they part ways?

Dear Billy,
I had this letter for you from home, but when I came back I couldn't find it. It was kind of terrible, anyway, and I was planning to burn it. It was from my heart when I first wrote it, but after we met here on Agra-10 and reconciled, it felt immature when I reread it.

Maybe it's best I couldn't find it. Now, you get this one.

We both know I have to go home, and I can't promise you things are going to end well, but I can promise I'm going to fight with everything I have. I can promise you I'm never going to forget having you as a brother here. I'm not going to forget how far we both came.

I also suspect you're going to go home with Tommy. I want you to go with the knowledge I'll be fine, and that I'll always cherish the extra time we got to steal from the universe. You deserve that happiness, especially after how hard you've worked, and how you were robbed back home. Take this second chance. Don't make me push you.

I'm probably going to say some of this, but I want you to have it in writing, to take with you, since this is probably the last thing I'll be able to give you. The last things I'll get to say to you.

You became the big brother I always wanted. You earned this. Don't you ever forget that. Every time you question that, and we know you will, read this and remind yourself how much you struggled, how much you changed. Remember the fact you became a good person. That was a choice you made. Remember I'm somewhere back in Hawkins, alive and well, thinking of my brother, and my brother-in-law, somewhere living a better life.

Love, your shitty little sister,
Max


Step right into pandemonium - closed to Robin
Sure, they weren't that close back home, but after spending time together on Agra-10, the ships, this whole adventure, she feels far more sentimental about her, closer to her, so Max decides to at least speak to her before she takes the final steps to leave.

"Hey, Robin," she calls out and waves to her as she approaches. "So, I can't turn away from what's happening back in Hawkins. But I wanted to check in and see what you're thinking."

Comments

[madginger]

Max's head snaps up and her eyes widen. Not what she was expecting, no.

Quickly, she starts to rub her eyes, humiliated, as she says, voice thick, "Just, you know, gotta say goodbye and everything."

It's not entirely a lie, after all.

A beat, then she peers at Sephiroth in the dim light. "I met you before...." It's been a long while, and it was once, but long white hair is hard to forget.

[3wingedangel]

He nods in understanding. "Hm.

"Yes.... I remember. It was when I first arrived."

[madginger]

"Didn't realize you were still here. I vanished for a bit. Just got back," Max mumbles through, waving her hand. She's been back a couple of months, but it feels like a blur at this point.

[3wingedangel]

"Radley and I vanished for several weeks, but otherwise I have been here," he said. He sighs. "It must be bewildering to return just in time for all this."

He assumes she literally means she just got back.

[madginger]

"I've been here for a few weeks before this. But it's still weird. Feels to soon." But it's supposed to be a good thing, so Max tries to smile. Her smile is weak and doesn't reach her eyes.

"What happened while you vanished? Do you know?"

[3wingedangel]

"Oh, I see. Were you caught up in that ... mer adventure I was told happened?"

He sighs. "I do not. I was trying to convince the others to wait and think about it before making a deal with a sea witch, as I have had personal experience with such a person back home and she is not someone to trust. Radley was the only one who listened to me. Then ... we were gone. All I am sure of is that we were together and our bodies were not changed. Where we were and what we were doing is a complete blank to me. It is very disturbing."

[madginger]

"Not really," Max admits with a shrug. She vaguely knows something happened, but ginger mermaids...definitely a danger near sea witches. Best she was kept away.

"That sounds weird. Just...one minute you're here, nothing, then you're just back. At least was home for a split second."

A beat, then she has to ask, because she is genuinely curious, "What experience did you have with a sea witch back in your world?"

[3wingedangel]

"Yes. I've heard it's happened to others, but I wasn't expecting to be among them."

He sighs. "While I was never foolish enough to make deals with her, I have encountered her on several occasions. She tried to tempt me into making a deal with her, but I refused. I knew of deals that had gone sour, such as when she made a deal with a mermaid to turn her human in exchange for her voice. The sea witch deliberately sabotaged that because she wanted to get at the girl's father. I don't know if she always sabotaged the deals, but I did know she kept a garden of transformed people who 'failed to meet her price.' I wasn't going to be foolish enough to try it myself.

"She also tried repeatedly to get me to join a villains' council she was part of. She mistakenly assumed I would be a good candidate for it. I refused that as well."

Even though he doesn't feel like a hero any longer, deep down he still has enough light to know he does not belong among the villains.

[madginger]

Max's face scrunches up with distaste as she listens.

"Sounds like a conniving person. Probably best you didn't make deals with her, yeah." She can't just leave it there, either.

"Why would anyone think you make a good candidate for a villains' council, anyway?"

[3wingedangel]

"Yes. So I was understandably concerned when those here wanted to do just that with someone who seemed to want to make similar deals."

He sighs. "She ... misinterpreted some of my actions, as others have done. I wouldn't be surprised if some here are still suspicious of me as well."

[madginger]

"Guess it's a bit different when they don't know that history, though," Max points out with a frown.

Then her eyebrows furrow.

"Why would anyone here be suspicious of you? What did you do?" Did he do something while she was gone?

[3wingedangel]

"I told them as I told you," Sephiroth replies.

"It seemed people didn't like my patrolling of Temba or how I would fly down in front of them for a greeting," he grunts. "I suppose things had gone on as they did with their Security for some time, so someone coming in who did things differently was not appreciated. And for all I know, perhaps some are suspicious because of my strange disappearance. I have barely spoken to anyone since my return. I realize there aren't many left to even speak with, however."

[madginger]

Yes, everything else here is important, but Max's head snaps up.

"You fly?" Her expression of wide, curious eyes might look like fear, but really, she's intrigued. Superhero? He sounds like a superhero!

[3wingedangel]

He looks amused at that. “These aren’t just for show.” He raises the wings a bit.

[madginger]

Her eyes widen again. They move!

"Right. I just think that's cool. And it's probably easier to look out for people flying around. Not sure why that would bother anyone."

[3wingedangel]

"I received more than one complaint that landing in front of people disturbed them," Sephiroth remarks. "I don't fully understand why either."

[madginger]

Max shrugs.

"Maybe it was too close. Maybe you should have given them a little space," she suggests. "I mean, I'd be a little startled if someone just landed in front of me out of no where."

Beat. "But it's still kind of cool."

[3wingedangel]

"Yes, I started doing that," he acknowledges.

A smirk. "I enjoy it. I unfortunately can't fly very easily on the ship, except in the most open area."

And that doesn't allow for much more than flying in circles. But he takes what he can get.

[madginger]

"Yeah...." Her eyes look over his wings. "Guess you can't fly in space, huh?"

[3wingedangel]

"Unfortunately, no," Sephiroth said. "I wouldn't be able to breathe."

[madginger]

Max frowns to that, twists up her lips and voices, "Shame," which is probably unnecessary.

Then her eyes flicker back to the wings as she adds, "Still cool, though."

She puts her hands behind her head then asks, "What else did you do here? Other than look out for people? I didn't do much beyond skateboard around and pilot a ship."

[3wingedangel]

He nods, and then sighs. "That is mostly what I did. Including trying to catch the serial killers that were at large." He is still frustrated that took so long.

[madginger]

That gets Max's head to snap back in Sephiroth's direction.

"Thanks for helping with that. One of my friends was targeted by those dicks."

[3wingedangel]

A nod. "I'm pleased we were finally able to catch them before anyone actually died. But I'm sorry so many were hurt by their nonsense."

[madginger]

Max's eyes trail down for a moment.

"Luckily, they didn't kill her, but they really hurt her. I would have liked to have stopped them myself." And maybe hit them with a bat a bit.