[ Jaime doesn't look at Ruka as she sits down. He's not sure if that's to take some of the pressure off of her while she unwinds her speech, going down the path of a memory that nobody would care to relive, let alone someone who lived through it when she was fourteen, or if it's so he can keep it together long enough to puzzle his way through this, figure out how to deal with how something can feel so remote and so personal at the same time. It's easy to say that what another version of him did doesn't affect him. It's harder to believe it when the ramifications of his past self's actions are in front of him, in the form of his most terrible enemy and -
Well. And someone he'd really like to be his friend. ]
Yeah, [ he admits. ] The people I made those plans with are gone now too.
[ But he's confident that he doesn't have to say it for people to take him down. Batman will figure out a way. Green Lantern would probably relish the opportunity as much as his past self did. And... he wouldn't wish that fate on Laura, but he knows she could kill him with a word if she needed to.
It's also not a surprise to hear that Ruka feels indebted to the past Jaime, in some way. It makes sense, considering what she's said to him, the way she's tried to bolster his spirits in the past. She's doing him a kindness but she's acting on a memory as well, the same as he's doing with Shinji right now.
The two of them are birds of a feather that way, he supposes; masochists, unable to step away for the good of themselves or others. It worked out for him and Shinji. He hopes it will work out for the two of them as well. ]
...I'm sure it's what he would have wanted. Not the how, but the what. [ He pauses, then finally, he looks at her. ]
You've already told me more than enough. But there's just one thing I don't understand. How? Khaji Da's strong. Stronger than me. He's... he's not easy to take down.
[ The question in his gaze isn't necessarily about her power, but about the cost. Is that how she lost her eye? How she gained any of her scars? Nobody can walk away from something like that physically unscathed. ]
no subject
Well. And someone he'd really like to be his friend. ]
Yeah, [ he admits. ] The people I made those plans with are gone now too.
[ But he's confident that he doesn't have to say it for people to take him down. Batman will figure out a way. Green Lantern would probably relish the opportunity as much as his past self did. And... he wouldn't wish that fate on Laura, but he knows she could kill him with a word if she needed to.
It's also not a surprise to hear that Ruka feels indebted to the past Jaime, in some way. It makes sense, considering what she's said to him, the way she's tried to bolster his spirits in the past. She's doing him a kindness but she's acting on a memory as well, the same as he's doing with Shinji right now.
The two of them are birds of a feather that way, he supposes; masochists, unable to step away for the good of themselves or others. It worked out for him and Shinji. He hopes it will work out for the two of them as well. ]
...I'm sure it's what he would have wanted. Not the how, but the what. [ He pauses, then finally, he looks at her. ]
You've already told me more than enough. But there's just one thing I don't understand. How? Khaji Da's strong. Stronger than me. He's... he's not easy to take down.
[ The question in his gaze isn't necessarily about her power, but about the cost. Is that how she lost her eye? How she gained any of her scars? Nobody can walk away from something like that physically unscathed. ]