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WHO: Terry Ward, Rick Bradbury, & Mitchell Hundred.
WHERE: City Hall.
WHEN: Backdated to before Christmas.
WARNINGS: Probably a degree of social awkwardness.
SUMMARY: Terry's got a problem. Its name is Jenny Quantum.
FORMAT: Quicklog. Threads within, yo.

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[ he has to laugh at that, though it's a bit of a rueful sound, and he rolls his shoulders back. ]

Shit, only eighty percent? I can't think of anyone who doesn't have daddy issues. It's like a rule of the universe, or something.

[ there's half a beat's pause, like he's considering whether or not to elaborate. bradbury doesn't usually talk about growing up, and for good reason. he doesn't really get what terry's situation is with his father, but he has a pretty good idea that the whole demon thing's part of it. ]

At least her dads stuck around, right? [ it's about as close as he'll get to talking about his own history without terry actually prying into it. ]

I'm pretty sure there's a whole different level of daddy issues required for superheroes.

[ he holds his hand up as if indicating a height, but says out loud: ]

"You must be exactly this fucked up to ride."

[ he won't talk further about jenny's dads without being pressed though. because the whole sticking around thing -- well. let's just say that's only half true, if you can say it's true at all. ]

[ There's a flicker of a smile. ]

Superman doesn't seem too bad. [ not that he'd know, to be honest. He's not the fanboy, here, though he can claim to know the biggest superman fan in the city right now.

he doesn't seem to be interested in prying into any further details about jenny, maybe out of respect, or maybe because he doesn't want to push terry to share any more about a friend than he's comfortable doing on his own. instead, he clears his throat. ]

So. Feel up to seeing the boss?

[ right. that. it's still happening. this is not a bad dream. terry exhales. ]

I don't think I'm ever gonna feel up to it exactly. Might as well do it now, before I realize I could have just run off to Africa and had a promising career as Jenny's accomplice in terrorism.

[ he scrubs a hand over his face. the sarcastic jokes aren't really helping any, but it's easier than conveying his real feelings. as he starts heading off to mitch's office, he pauses just once, tension in his shoulders as he glances back at bradbury. ]

I'm doing the right thing. Right?

[ it's a fair question. ]

Honestly? I don't know. [ it's not a reassuring answer. he's not sure if terry even wants one. but it's not all there is to his answer, and he goes on, more certainty settling into his voice as he looks at terry, gaze unwavering. ]

Way I see it, there's no way to tell if you're doing the right thing or not. The best you can hope for is that you're doing it for the right reason. [ he pauses. ]

She's your friend. I figure that means you wanna protect her, even if that means protecting her from herself and all the crazy shit she decides to get into. [ he grimaces. ] Or, yeah, running off to Africa.

[ at least it isn't stupid coddling. adults always seem to think kids like him and jenny need either strict discipline or stupid coddling -- endless it'll-be-okays -- when really all they wanted from anybody was the truth. and maybe a little understanding. terry's a little surprised, inwardly, to find those things here.

he takes another deep breath. tries to reassure himself with some thought like in two or three centuries, he'll probably barely remember this incident and it probably won't even matter so much, a few hundred years from now. ]

Yeah, okay. Let's get this over with then.

[ pause, then reluctantly, half under his breath: ]

Thanks.

[ it's not that bradbury wouldn't coddle, given the option, but at terry's age? yeah, he'd been screwed over by the system already. he knows a little bit of what it's like, being on the receiving end of forced smiles and awkward reassurances, and he can't imagine they want to hear it any more than he did. he doesn't touch terry again, but he makes the distinct impression that he at least considered it. ]

Don't thank me yet. [ the contact he settles for is nudging terry in the shoulder, nodding at the door. ] I haven't actually done anything.

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