[He doesn't have any issues, what the hell. Raleigh gives him a dead kind of look, like you have got to be kidding him. You lured him in here with burritos and promises and talk about pretty cars.
Keep your chips and guac, he doesn't want your bribe food.
Nevermind that Raleigh has pretty much brought this fate upon himself because he's absolutely awful at being subtle and he should learn that. But if he was more subtle, he wouldn't have been suspended in the first place.]
I'm not having a rough time of anything. He was being a prick. He was picking on some kid and he said something about Jazmine so I kicked the shit out of him.
[And don't even try to convince him that you wouldn't have done the exact same thing. So you have no legs to stand on here, Yance.]
Yancy would laugh in Raleigh's face if it weren't incredibly rude to the staff to do so. Like, he's pretty sure spitting up tortilla chip isn't going to get him any favors.
It's just, Raleigh looks so angry, and it's so -- adorable, and Raleigh's not even trying to be. Yancy shakes his head, schooling his grin into a hopefully reassuring version of the same smile, because, kid. He's not out for blood, here. He brought you to Chipotle for a meal and a conversation.
If he were really mad, Yancy would have taken Raleigh to Denny's. ]
Hey, hey, hey, calm down, alright? No one said anything why you did it -- I know you, Rals. You wouldn't have picked a fight if they didn't give you a solid reason, and I get how that is. Hell, [ he quirks his lips. ] you were just protecting your sister, like you should've.
[ He would have done the exact same thing -- he has done the exact same thing. Yancy leans forward nonetheless, smile smoothing out at the corners, flattening into something more serious. ] But that's not why I wanted to talk to you.
[You brought him here to bribe him with the food of his people and to make him talk about his feelings. Don't lie.
Denny's has good pie though.
Raleigh's not entirely soothed, still eyeing Yancy suspiciously, because if that's not what he wanted to talk about, which is the reason they're even able to have this Last Supper because otherwise he'd be in class and Yancy would be working-- then what is it? Is it something he's going to like because he can already tell that won't be happening.]
I'm sorry you had to come and get me, alright? Won't happen again.
You hear me complaining about having to pick you up? I got to duck out of work early to come get you. [ And he promised himself to an extra shift on Saturday to do it, but Raleigh doesn't have to know that. Yancy drags his soda over to him and, instead of taking a drink, starts playing with the straw, twisting it while he eyes Raleigh right back.
He braces his foot on the chair beside Raleigh too, if only because he knows it's a habit of his that really annoys Raleigh. An annoying habit familiar enough to calm him down some, too, make this feel less like an interrogation. Hopefully.
His voice is lowered now, softer, a touch more placating. ]
Look, I'm just [ a sigh ] worried about you. Alright? Worried that this isn't gonna be the last time, that it'll happen again, and you're gonna keep getting yourself hurt [ pointedly, he focuses his attention on Raleigh's black eye. ] because my little brother doesn't know how to keep himself out of trouble.
[ But he really doesn't want Raleigh to start in on all that without letting him know another thing, because confidence is everything for Raleigh. Yancy twists his mouth into a small smile. ] And, look, I meant it when I said I was proud of you for doing what you did for your sister. I'm just worried about how often you're doing it. You've got two more years of high school to get through, Rals, you know?
[Raleigh's not as stupid as he looks or acts. He knows that by leaving work early now that Yancy has to make that time up somewhere because he hasn't got the PTO to cover it and that they need the money.
While Yancy talks, he drops his eyes to the table, considering. Just listening to what his older brother has to say.]
What do you suggest I do then? I'm not just going to walk away.
[ He loves this kid, really. Raleigh's not nearly as stupid as he looks or acts; he's got a good head on his shoulders, and Yancy has faith that Raleigh knows how to use it -- knows that it's really only recently that Raleigh's been screwing up this badly and letting himself get caught for it. Knows that Mom not getting any better with treatment and the pinched, jumpy look in Raleigh's eyes aren't two separate things.
Yancy pulls at his straw, looking at Raleigh head-on, gaze unwavering. Giving Raleigh time to think it through. ]
I'm not telling you to walk away. If I had it my way, I would let you get away with beating on any shithead that deserves it. [ Heavy swinging brass balls, seriously. Yancy'd beat them himself, but it wouldn't be a fair fight. ] But, [ he snorts, straightening up in his seat, taking his foot away from the chair. ] you could try using your words, little bro, you know, talk shit through. I think you've earned yourself an impressive enough reputation around school that you won't even need your fists to convince them to listen to you.
[What the fuck then, Yancy, let him have his way then. He wants to kick the shit out of shitheads sometimes. Ain't nothing wrong with that.
Though Yancy kind of does have a point. Raleigh does have a reputation around school by now, and he's kind of proud of it because then people know not to fuck with him. Or his sister. Jazmine not want the protection but she's going to get it anyway so shut up, baby sis and let Raleigh punch a guy in the face for you.]
[ He's only trying to be honest with you, Raleigh. It'd be pretty
hypocritical of him to tell Raleigh not to want to fight, given how Yancy
was the one who taught Raleigh to always follow through in the first
place.
That gets Raleigh a mildly incredulous look, because seriously bro, you
literally never shut up about your feelings, so like. Having an actual
discussion about them can't be so different.
But he doesn't say any of that. ] No way are you as bad at it as
you think you are. But if talking to the shitheads gets you mad, just keep
in mind that you need a high school diploma to start punching real
bullies for a living. Let that cool you down some.
[ The Jaeger Academy has some standards, afterall. Yancy smiles, a
gut-reflex. ] Can't do that if you're kicked out of school for
real, huh?
[No, Yancy. He talks to you a lot. He is actually not that much of a social butterfly outside their home. Because people bug him and he's not very good at being a team player and he'd honestly rather read about WW2 than talk about what girl's the sluttiest or whose car is better.
He doesn't care so long as the options don't include his sister and his car's pretty shitty so there's that.
Raleigh sighs because yeah, alright, okay. He can't even apply to the Academy with Yancy if he doesn't graduate high school and that's a big deal. That's something they've been thinking about doing for a couple of months now and there'd be no one else to even consider applying with.]
[ Well, Yancy's with you on that. The whole high-school experience wasn't so bad for him; he had his own share of gritting his teeth through a lot of conversations he didn't like, punching his way out of others he couldn't stand. Still, it wasn't nearly as bad as it is for Raleigh, clearly.
And man, if it were Yancy and Jaz at school and some punk'd said something about her then--
--well, Raleigh's got some restraint, Yancy'll give him that.
But Yancy can tell by the resigned look on Raleigh's face that the point's more or less landed home, sort of, so he's feeling pretty good about Raleigh's chances. They've got a lot of work left to do before they get to apply, but at least they've got the partner issue taken care of. ]
The best way, you mean. Yeah, smart move. [ Yancy smile widens and he sits back in his chair. ]
[Oh is that Raleigh's foot colliding with Yancy's ankle under the table? How clumsy of him. It slipped, honestly. He would never kick Yancy for being smug with him, that's slandering his reputation to think that.]
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Keep your chips and guac, he doesn't want your bribe food.
Nevermind that Raleigh has pretty much brought this fate upon himself because he's absolutely awful at being subtle and he should learn that. But if he was more subtle, he wouldn't have been suspended in the first place.]
I'm not having a rough time of anything. He was being a prick. He was picking on some kid and he said something about Jazmine so I kicked the shit out of him.
[And don't even try to convince him that you wouldn't have done the exact same thing. So you have no legs to stand on here, Yance.]
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Yancy would laugh in Raleigh's face if it weren't incredibly rude to the staff to do so. Like, he's pretty sure spitting up tortilla chip isn't going to get him any favors.
It's just, Raleigh looks so angry, and it's so -- adorable, and Raleigh's not even trying to be. Yancy shakes his head, schooling his grin into a hopefully reassuring version of the same smile, because, kid. He's not out for blood, here. He brought you to Chipotle for a meal and a conversation.
If he were really mad, Yancy would have taken Raleigh to Denny's. ]
Hey, hey, hey, calm down, alright? No one said anything why you did it -- I know you, Rals. You wouldn't have picked a fight if they didn't give you a solid reason, and I get how that is. Hell, [ he quirks his lips. ] you were just protecting your sister, like you should've.
[ He would have done the exact same thing -- he has done the exact same thing. Yancy leans forward nonetheless, smile smoothing out at the corners, flattening into something more serious. ] But that's not why I wanted to talk to you.
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Denny's has good pie though.
Raleigh's not entirely soothed, still eyeing Yancy suspiciously, because if that's not what he wanted to talk about, which is the reason they're even able to have this Last Supper because otherwise he'd be in class and Yancy would be working-- then what is it? Is it something he's going to like because he can already tell that won't be happening.]
I'm sorry you had to come and get me, alright? Won't happen again.
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He braces his foot on the chair beside Raleigh too, if only because he knows it's a habit of his that really annoys Raleigh. An annoying habit familiar enough to calm him down some, too, make this feel less like an interrogation. Hopefully.
His voice is lowered now, softer, a touch more placating. ]
Look, I'm just [ a sigh ] worried about you. Alright? Worried that this isn't gonna be the last time, that it'll happen again, and you're gonna keep getting yourself hurt [ pointedly, he focuses his attention on Raleigh's black eye. ] because my little brother doesn't know how to keep himself out of trouble.
[ But he really doesn't want Raleigh to start in on all that without letting him know another thing, because confidence is everything for Raleigh. Yancy twists his mouth into a small smile. ] And, look, I meant it when I said I was proud of you for doing what you did for your sister. I'm just worried about how often you're doing it. You've got two more years of high school to get through, Rals, you know?
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While Yancy talks, he drops his eyes to the table, considering. Just listening to what his older brother has to say.]
What do you suggest I do then? I'm not just going to walk away.
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Yancy pulls at his straw, looking at Raleigh head-on, gaze unwavering. Giving Raleigh time to think it through. ]
I'm not telling you to walk away. If I had it my way, I would let you get away with beating on any shithead that deserves it. [ Heavy swinging brass balls, seriously. Yancy'd beat them himself, but it wouldn't be a fair fight. ] But, [ he snorts, straightening up in his seat, taking his foot away from the chair. ] you could try using your words, little bro, you know, talk shit through. I think you've earned yourself an impressive enough reputation around school that you won't even need your fists to convince them to listen to you.
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Though Yancy kind of does have a point. Raleigh does have a reputation around school by now, and he's kind of proud of it because then people know not to fuck with him. Or his sister. Jazmine not want the protection but she's going to get it anyway so shut up, baby sis and let Raleigh punch a guy in the face for you.]
Yance. I'm shitty with my words. You know that.
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[ He's only trying to be honest with you, Raleigh. It'd be pretty hypocritical of him to tell Raleigh not to want to fight, given how Yancy was the one who taught Raleigh to always follow through in the first place. That gets Raleigh a mildly incredulous look, because seriously bro, you literally never shut up about your feelings, so like. Having an actual discussion about them can't be so different.
But he doesn't say any of that. ] No way are you as bad at it as you think you are. But if talking to the shitheads gets you mad, just keep in mind that you need a high school diploma to start punching real bullies for a living. Let that cool you down some.
[ The Jaeger Academy has some standards, afterall. Yancy smiles, a gut-reflex. ] Can't do that if you're kicked out of school for real, huh?
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He doesn't care so long as the options don't include his sister and his car's pretty shitty so there's that.
Raleigh sighs because yeah, alright, okay. He can't even apply to the Academy with Yancy if he doesn't graduate high school and that's a big deal. That's something they've been thinking about doing for a couple of months now and there'd be no one else to even consider applying with.]
Yeah, alright. I'll try it your way for a while.
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And man, if it were Yancy and Jaz at school and some punk'd said something about her then--
--well, Raleigh's got some restraint, Yancy'll give him that.
But Yancy can tell by the resigned look on Raleigh's face that the point's more or less landed home, sort of, so he's feeling pretty good about Raleigh's chances. They've got a lot of work left to do before they get to apply, but at least they've got the partner issue taken care of. ]
The best way, you mean. Yeah, smart move. [ Yancy smile widens and he sits back in his chair. ]
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Your ways are mediocre at best and you know it.