nexus_crossings | Leather and fine wine

Leather and fine wine

The days are getting darker, the air has started to bite. Naturally this means that a certain Winter spirit is starting to brighten. With Hazel's beautiful influence all around him, he's been spurred on to keep busy and ready himself to do an equally (if not better) job. While people may have seen him marching around the Nexus, often with full arms, today he's taking the time to stay in the Nexus to do a little work. Back on his world the weather took a turn into torrential rain. Here, however, it's dry. Cold, blustery, but dry.

Reynard has his trademark leather coat spread out on one of the tables in the Plaza. Two pairs of boots are waiting on the ground, one pair noticeably newer and smaller than the other. His feathered hat rests on one of the chairs, carefully weighted down with a brush. Perhaps it's no surprise then that Reynard is dressed rather lightly then, with his coat all laid out. It's around this table that Reynard moves, brushing and wiping and occasionally taking a sip from a cup. Those who approach will be met with the rich scent of mulled wine and the more cloying smell of whatever he's using to treat the leather.

Finally he pauses for a moment, thinking over his cup before asking, "What is your least desirable quality? What could you stand to improve about yourself?"

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"They. Make. Me. Human." Harley says slowly. "You do not know what I have changed over the years. Or what I have done to take responsibility for my mistakes. But you still sit there and judge me."

"And are still avoiding your own damn question."

Reynard's eyes roll all the way round and he counts off on his fingers quickly. "Selfish, Vindictive. Violent. Cold. And so many more."

That out of the way, he continues, "These aren't your mistakes. They're your flawed qualities. Which you brush over. The first few things you said aren't even flaws. Whimsical and open-hearted? That's what you call a child to compliment them. Obliviousness and gullibility, on the other hand... Those are flaws. If you're not going to be honest with me or yourself about them you could at least do me the courtesy of saying 'liar' and be done with it."

"Obliviousness and gullibility are traits that you claimed I must have... based off our conversation. So tell me... why do you think I must have them?"

"They're actual flaws that you described as 'whimsy' and 'open-heartedness'. And, let's be honest. If you can't recognise why your own flaws are bad that's got to be some fair amount of obliviousness."

"If we are going down this rabbit hole..."

"Every characteristic and every personality trait a person has could either be defined as a flaw or a positive attribute. Some people may call you violent... but there are going to be people who call you powerful. And some people may call me gullible... but there are going to be those who call me whimsical."

"You claim that I don't recognize my own flaws... when I know that I am not the same psychotic bitch I was five years ago. Two years ago. One year ago."

"I don't get as violent as I used to get. I don't trust as easily as I once did."

"But I can't be trying to make other people think of me differently. I don't expect to change your opinion of me. You are allowed to have it."

"I do what I can so I can be happy with myself. And right now... considering the changes I have made in the last year... I am pretty happy with who I am."

"Of course everything has its counterpart, but calling a flaw by its opposite isn't acknowledging it. Nor is recognising what you aren't. You can still be happy with who you are and unhappy with your flaws."

"But pretending your flaws are quirks that are a core part of who you are, to be guarded and defended and fought for as equally as your virtues? That's beyond foolish. That's dangerous. Not for me, who you would rather see as a bully than someone trying to shine a light. It won't matter to me in the slightest. I have nothing to gain or lose here. But the people you care about? It will hurt them."

"Your 'whimsy' will make you blind to people's legitimate pain. Your 'open-heartedness' will invite manipulative people into your life to hurt you and your friends. Your irresponsibility and impulsiveness will get you into bad situations along with anyone who followed you. Your wilful ignorance might bring you happiness. That's fine, that's your choice. Own it. The only cost is the safety of yourself and those around you."

"I never called you a bully."

"I am enjoying our conversation. It is a challenge to have a good debate with someone." Harley grins. Even a person who has yet to introduce himself.

"I can see others' pain. My whimsy and open-heartedness makes it possible for me to help them. And yes, I have gotten into bad situations, but I have also saved others because I was there... to handle other bad situations."

"So I guess that for you... your vindictiveness, coldness and violet behaviours makes it hard for people to be around you? That they get hurt too?"

"Not aloud, no."

"You're describing the things you call your flaws as strengths, not flaws. Which are they?"

"It does and they do. Often and repeatedly. It's only my own self-awareness that gives me the ability to make that happen less often."

"How many people have called you a bully before, for you to assume it is something I would think about you?" Harley's voice gets soft.

Reynard stares at her from under a knotted brow for half a minute before shifting his weight and tilting his head at her. "Why are you asking that instead of answering my question?"

"Well you sort of asked me to repeat myself. And I think we have been going in circles..."

"And I would really like to know why you think that I would think of you as a bully. I don't." She replies.

"No, I asked you to tell me what amounted to your flaws, and you talked about your virtues instead. Trying to get me to 'open up' while dodging questions you don't like isn't just hypocritical... It's not going to work. Because it's hypocritical."

"You keep on saying that my answer is not good enough to your standards. And I ain't changing my answer just so you can be satisfied with it. It is not what I think or feel... And if you want that to be good enough for you to dodge my questions back... fine with me."

"So we can both be hypocritical." She smiles.

"'My standards'," he repeats. "That's what suggests you consider me to be unfair, or unkind. I'm not judging you, or making you adhere to 'my standards'. I'm asking you simple, straightforward questions, but you don't like them, so you lay the fault with me. With 'my standards'. Which they're not. I am simply trying to unravel this contradictory mess you've put in front of me."

"Nope. Don't consider you unfair or unkind either. You really like insulting yourself, dontcha? What else you got?"

"And I have given you answers to your questions. That you don't like. So you lay the fault with me."

"It's not that I don't like them. It's more than they don't make any sense. It's like me asking you your favourite colour and you saying 'lasagne' and then insisting that because lasagne has a colour, several in fact, that it's an acceptable answer."

"In this place... where so many different worlds connect... how could you be so certain that there ain't a color called lasagne in someone's world? I am sure I could find a color called lasagne in a Crayola pack back home..."

"Just because it is an answer that doesn't make sense to you does not make it wrong. It is good that you are honest about the fact that you disagree with my answers... because you are entitled to your own opinion. But we ain't getting anywhere by you trying to convince me to change my mind about my opinion."

"We have a difference in interpretation. It happens."

"A difference in interpretation?" He stares at her incredulously for a pointed moment. "You're saying that our understanding of this language is different at its very core. If telling you 'I rowed a boat to the Australian islands' means 'tornados speak five languages' then we can't exactly hold a conversation."

"In which case, there's no point talking any further, since I'm wasting my breath speaking a language you can't understand." Taking a deep breath, he shakes his head and waves a hand to dismiss her.

"Well I hope you do find someone who will answer your question exactly in the way you want. And that you get to smile at the end of it."

"Have a great night!" She smiles at him. Then heads off on her way.

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Leather and fine wine

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