[Marco gets back to his feet and gently pulls her forward in a hug, quietly patting her head.]
It's okay, Sunshine. It's okay.
I know.
You're doing your best, eh? No one can ask more than that, and I won't let him ask more either. It's okay.
[He wishes he had a neckerchief to tie on her like Thatch had put on him earlier, or at least something. Then he remembers, duh he just gave her a flower crown and bracelet, so those will just have to do.]
Listen okay? It's not your fault. It's not your fault, it's not your fault. Ikki doesn't want to hurt you, that's why he's scared, that's why he gets angry, that's why he pushes you away, that's why he's a dumbass. There's a lot more to it, but for now, that's the biggest.
And I don't want you hurt. No one does. You deserve all smiles, okay? Maybe something's broken, but I don't know yet. I can't see all the pieces and they're all still scattered for me. But it's not your fault, eh? You can only do your best.
[His emotions are pingponging all over and flipping upside down and then back again like a ferris wheel and he's dizzy. His heart sinks all over again, thinking about how he'd been worried about this with Robin. Unwilling to take a chance because she might not be strong enough to handle it, to stand up to him, to slap him in the face if the occasion called for it.]
[No, even if everything is broken, he can still tell Selphie this much.]
[He pulls back from the hug, crouches back down on one knee and gently grabs her wrist in one hand, and turns into a fist with his free hand.]
Listen. I don't know if Ikki's the same as me about this or not. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't. But I would be remiss not to tell this to a nakama, no matter what, eh?
Here, make a fist.
Now take a strong stance.
Like you're gonna punch the sky forward.
[Mimes punching off to the side with the fist.] And you say, "No, Ikki! You're pissing me off! BAD IKKI!" and punch him in the chest. Not when he's wearing his armor, that would bruise your knuckles.
Ikki and I... there's a LOT we don't get. [Marco holds his hands out wide as if to encompass a small universe between them.] There's this girl.... I would date... if she could do that. If she could promise me that before I even start to make her cry she'd just slap me across the face and tell me exactly what I did wrong, aye? I don't think she can though. Either she didn't get that that's what I need or she's not strong enough. [He gives Selphie a sad smile.] Either way. Before it starts reaching a point you want to cry, do that. Say stop! Tell him to stop! Give him the chance to stop.
It's a two-way canal here. It's not all on you, and it can't all be on him. You're trying to understand him, but that puts pressure on him where he has to try to be understandable. For him and me... that's... [He spreads his arms wide.] A BIG THING. Like a mountain. We wouldn't know where to begin. And that's stressful. [He makes a Timeout T-symbol with his hands.] So don't. Put the pause on it. Say "wait, what's really going on here?" If you're both just reacting or only one of you is, he's going to feel like a puppet on strings you're pulling.... and he'll get mad. [Wow Marco can't begin to express how mad that would make Ikki. He himself would have a kneejerk reaction that could only be described as "dangerous," and Ikki would be even worse given Ikki's past.]
So don't just try to understand Ikki. Sometimes you can't. That's okay. You're human. It's good. Human is good. Embrace that.
So understand too, there are things Ikki doesn't understand about people and you too. Two-way canal. Give him a chance to understand those things. Don't force it. If he's not ready, he's not ready. But listen for clues, [He flicks both his ears forward because, well, he's still incredibly manic for one, but also because Selphie does better with visual clues and body language in his opinion.] and hold his attention, [Marco gestures with his fingers to his eyes to Selphie's and back.] and don't be afraid to try to get sense into him too.
Right now it sounds like neither of you knows how to talk to each other anymore. Lots of hurt emotions, eh? And that will take time to get past, but you will because you're both strong and I know it. So when you're ready remember that, all right?
And remember what I said. Ikki doesn't want to hurt you. He doesn't want to make you cry. When he does make you cry, he'll hate himself to the core. So unfortunately it's on you. [Points a finger.] To be the smart one. When he starts to get you mad, tell him. Call him on it. Punch his nose. Tell him he did something wrong. [Holds both hands up.] Not all the time. Unless literally every word he says hurts and then I can't help you, [VERY DRAMATICALLY spreads his hands and shakes his head with a perfect actor's expression, trying to make her giggle, though it's a risk since it might be unfunny, but he's hoping for laughs.] At that point I'll just have to castrate him to save us all.
no subject
It's okay, Sunshine. It's okay.
I know.
You're doing your best, eh? No one can ask more than that, and I won't let him ask more either. It's okay.
[He wishes he had a neckerchief to tie on her like Thatch had put on him earlier, or at least something. Then he remembers, duh he just gave her a flower crown and bracelet, so those will just have to do.]
Listen okay? It's not your fault. It's not your fault, it's not your fault. Ikki doesn't want to hurt you, that's why he's scared, that's why he gets angry, that's why he pushes you away, that's why he's a dumbass. There's a lot more to it, but for now, that's the biggest.
And I don't want you hurt. No one does. You deserve all smiles, okay? Maybe something's broken, but I don't know yet. I can't see all the pieces and they're all still scattered for me. But it's not your fault, eh? You can only do your best.
[His emotions are pingponging all over and flipping upside down and then back again like a ferris wheel and he's dizzy. His heart sinks all over again, thinking about how he'd been worried about this with Robin. Unwilling to take a chance because she might not be strong enough to handle it, to stand up to him, to slap him in the face if the occasion called for it.]
[No, even if everything is broken, he can still tell Selphie this much.]
[He pulls back from the hug, crouches back down on one knee and gently grabs her wrist in one hand, and turns into a fist with his free hand.]
Listen. I don't know if Ikki's the same as me about this or not. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't. But I would be remiss not to tell this to a nakama, no matter what, eh?
Here, make a fist.
Now take a strong stance.
Like you're gonna punch the sky forward.
[Mimes punching off to the side with the fist.] And you say, "No, Ikki! You're pissing me off! BAD IKKI!" and punch him in the chest. Not when he's wearing his armor, that would bruise your knuckles.
Ikki and I... there's a LOT we don't get. [Marco holds his hands out wide as if to encompass a small universe between them.] There's this girl.... I would date... if she could do that. If she could promise me that before I even start to make her cry she'd just slap me across the face and tell me exactly what I did wrong, aye? I don't think she can though. Either she didn't get that that's what I need or she's not strong enough. [He gives Selphie a sad smile.] Either way. Before it starts reaching a point you want to cry, do that. Say stop! Tell him to stop! Give him the chance to stop.
It's a two-way canal here. It's not all on you, and it can't all be on him. You're trying to understand him, but that puts pressure on him where he has to try to be understandable. For him and me... that's... [He spreads his arms wide.] A BIG THING. Like a mountain. We wouldn't know where to begin. And that's stressful. [He makes a Timeout T-symbol with his hands.] So don't. Put the pause on it. Say "wait, what's really going on here?" If you're both just reacting or only one of you is, he's going to feel like a puppet on strings you're pulling.... and he'll get mad. [Wow Marco can't begin to express how mad that would make Ikki. He himself would have a kneejerk reaction that could only be described as "dangerous," and Ikki would be even worse given Ikki's past.]
So don't just try to understand Ikki. Sometimes you can't. That's okay. You're human. It's good. Human is good. Embrace that.
So understand too, there are things Ikki doesn't understand about people and you too. Two-way canal. Give him a chance to understand those things. Don't force it. If he's not ready, he's not ready. But listen for clues, [He flicks both his ears forward because, well, he's still incredibly manic for one, but also because Selphie does better with visual clues and body language in his opinion.] and hold his attention, [Marco gestures with his fingers to his eyes to Selphie's and back.] and don't be afraid to try to get sense into him too.
Right now it sounds like neither of you knows how to talk to each other anymore. Lots of hurt emotions, eh? And that will take time to get past, but you will because you're both strong and I know it. So when you're ready remember that, all right?
And remember what I said. Ikki doesn't want to hurt you. He doesn't want to make you cry. When he does make you cry, he'll hate himself to the core. So unfortunately it's on you. [Points a finger.] To be the smart one. When he starts to get you mad, tell him. Call him on it. Punch his nose. Tell him he did something wrong. [Holds both hands up.] Not all the time. Unless literally every word he says hurts and then I can't help you, [VERY DRAMATICALLY spreads his hands and shakes his head with a perfect actor's expression, trying to make her giggle, though it's a risk since it might be unfunny, but he's hoping for laughs.] At that point I'll just have to castrate him to save us all.