wintershepherd | [TUSHANSHU] IC Inbox

[Funny. Less than an hour prior, she and Jack had been thoroughly enjoying one another's presence, still running off the high of a beautifully coordinated, harmless prank. She'd been smiling and relaxed and so much like her usual self.]

[But then something happened. Jack would know something happened even if she didn't specify just by the tone of her voice as she left him a brief message from a public console.]

Can you meet me in the park? Over by the duck pond.

Please.

[ Jack didn't bother to ask questions; the fact that she had asked to meet him in person in such a way already spoke that she wouldn't be sharing on the network, even in a more private setting as his mailbox. ]

Yeah. On my way.

[ The winds have picked up in the slaking of the summer heat so he arrives quickly to where she's specified. ]

[She'd had some time to think while he made his way over. By the time he arrived, she wasn't...upset-upset. Her usual smile was nowhere to be seen, but she wasn't anywhere close to tears. If anything, her expression bore an uncertain neutrality to it as she looked up from where she was watching a small family of ducks swimming across the glassy surface.]

Can I ask you something?

About...when you were still alive. Sort of.

[ Jack's brow furrowed slightly in confusion, but that he didn't mentally recoil from the question spoke a lot about how far he'd come in that regard. He knew he didn't have nearly enough information to make any kind of inference from that one statement so he only nodded, albeit slowly. ]

Sure, you can.

[Here was where she hesitated, because in actuality...she had two questions. Neither of them (she hoped) would ultimately have any affect on their relationship now, but ever since Wan brought it up....]

[She couldn't stop herself from asking.]

I know it was a long time ago. That things were...different then, right?

Like...dating expectations were different?

[ He seemed puzzled by that, nodding. ]

Yeah, it was different. It was more formal and all that, like courtship. I guess "dating" like we think of it now didn't really exist? But everything was different and more rigid then, and a lot of it wasn't for the better.

[A lot of it wasn't for the better.]

[Hinting that maybe...but, just in case, she needed to make absolutely certain.]

Do you ever wish that some things were still the same?

Things like what? You're not making much sense, Zatanna.

[Partially because it didn't all make sense to her; sighing, she figured she might as well start from the beginning. There was plenty of space on either side of her, but she purposely shifted anyway as an unspoken invitation for Jack to come sit beside her. She wanted him there.]

I got into a fight with Wan. Only it wasn't about the doors. [Well, it had started off about the doors, but that hadn't affected her as badly as this] It was about...us.

He couldn't understand how a human and a spirit could be...together. [She almost said something else, but caught herself in time. Whether or not Jack would notice would depend upon how closely he was paying attention. Whether or not he noticed the brief flash of realization in her gaze.] He kept saying it was wrong and it shouldn't be a thing that happens and when I asked him why...

[Ugh, she had been dreading this part the most. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head to look him straight in the eye.]

... he said it was because, back in his time, people only ever dated if they were anticipating getting...you know...married. And stuff.

[ Jack frowned at the revelation of a fight with their roommate, regardless of what it had been about. ]

Well, sure, but he didn't understand how the toaster worked at first either. Lots of things are different between his world and ones like ours. As for "wrong", obviously we don't think so, and since neither of us are dating Wan, it's just a difference of opinion.

[ Not that he seemed especially happy to have heard that -- the Avatar seemed pretty chill when it came to most things -- but Jack was trying to keep an open mind. Still, he could understand why hearing those things might have prompted Zatanna to call him in the way that she had. ]

Maybe someone just needs to explain it better to him.

[The corners of her lips twitched upward. A little. Though her lips were tightly pressed together, as if she were trying to fight the oncoming smile.]

Does that mean you've never...you know...though about...

[Pretty much all of the above.]

[ Jack shrugged carefully. ]

I have before, yeah. But that's different than you and I.

[She could accept that. Sure. The fact that he was separating their relationship from notions and ideals of a different time...a barely audible sigh of relief escaped her. Back straightening, her smile brightened, and she leaned forward to give him a peck on the cheek.]

I tried to tell him that, too.

I just want to be with you. Like we are now. All that talk about getting married and having kids...I mean, I'm sixteen. Even if I was the type of person who wanted that sort of thing? I'm way too young.

[ Jack didn't miss the little expression of relief and smiled, hoping to reassure her. ]

Maybe it's just going to take some repeating for it to sink in for him.

... this really had you upset, huh?

[He was succeeding.]

A little, yeah. [More than a little, but with Jack reacting so nonchalantly to it, she was almost starting to feel silly about the way she'd reacted.] I don't know. It probably shouldn't, but...

[Her eyes lowered.]

...when he said those things about you and me being wrong...it hurt.

[ Jack reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He was similarly hurt, but the sting was lessened being heard secondhand. And he didn't want to be upset for Zatanna, either. ]

We're complicated. [ it's said unironically ] But we're not wrong.

[The squeeze helped. But you know what helped even more? Pulling him into a hug instead. Everything he said...it was just what she needed to hear.]

I can live with 'complicated'

"Me too," he agreed, even as she pulled him into a hug that he returned strongly, tucking her head into the curve of his shoulder. "Don't think this doesn't mean I'm going to talk to him about it though."

I'm okay with that.

[She almost laughed. Like she was going to stop him. Heck, she almost wished she could be there to witness that conversation.]

[ Hey, she was the one with the invisibility powers just like him. She could always lurk if she really wanted to. ]

So should I pretend you're still upset so I can ask what I can do to make you feel better?

[Is that supposed to be a hint?]

I can if you want me to.

You do tend to come up with some pretty good ideas.

[ He would never suggest something like that ~~aloud~~. ]

This is me waiting an appropriate amount of time. Okay, how can I make it up to you?

Surprise me.

[She might come to regret those two words later.]

[ Regret in only the best ways though, Zatanna. ]

((ooc: good to end here?))

[TUSHANSHU] IC Inbox

[After THAT talk with Wan. You know the one.]

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