Very different in some most, but... not so different, in a few.
[ The younger Genji had been rude, brash, short-tempered, puffed-up with pride, but... there had been traces there os the grown-up him. They'd mostly shown through when he had spoken about Shigeru. Cisco can't be sure, but he thinks it is because being with Shigeru brings out something youthful in Genji, in the best possible way. It's nice to know he hadn't lost all of that humor, and mischief, and lightness, when Hanzo had tried to kill him.
But when Shigeru gives the exact answer that Cisco had been expecting - a no, with some perfectly reasonable-sounding excuses of course - his shoulders sag. He nods a few times, not saying a word. He doesn't speak for a long moment. After all, now the thought is in his head - if he's too harsh, if he says the wrong thing, is Shigeru going to go off once more? Cisco had definitely not intended for that sort of field test.
Eventually, he says: ]
I'm gonna level with you. Right now, I feel like... if we test this out, and it works, and I give it to you, you're just gonna use this to find more reasons to keep not telling him. Just like you found reasons to try to deal with everything all on your own, before. And that makes me feel like I'm enabling you, and I'm not.... super comfortable with that. I mean - no matter how awesome my tech is, this is not a magic bullet. It's not foolproof. It gets damaged, or lost, or you forget to put it on one day, and- and we're right back where we started.
[ Cisco sets down the bracelet, crossing his arms tightly over his chest and doing his best not to remember how his blood had turned to ice when Shigeru had advanced on him, shadow writhing unnaturally, black smoke pouring out of his mouth. He's not trying to make an ultimatum, here, but all his pretense at cheerfulness and nonchalance earlier is gone. He clears his throat, not looking at Shigeru, voice gone just a touch throaty with emotion as he explains: ]
I know you said... you don't remember stuff, after, so, I'm just gonna tell you this... I'm just gonna tell you this not because I want you to feel bad or apologize or any of that, but because I want you to understand why I really think you need to tell Genji, for everybody's sake, beyond just, you know, respecting him and being honest to the guy you're with.
[ Cisco risks a glance up at Shigeru, and then drops his gaze to somewhere on the ground near to their feet again. He knows his friend is miserable, that this will likely make him feel worse, but it needs to be said. ]
I'm... we're lucky things didn't go worse. A lot worse. You were... [ A long, uncomfortable pause as Cisco decides how to word this. ] ... about to hurt me. And just by accident, I mentioned Genji's name, talking about meditation techniques, and that was- you kind of snapped out of it, right then. I'm pretty sure, if I hadn't...
[ Cisco looks up again, and there's no hiding the hurt in his face. He tries to be casual, gives a feeble shrug though his arms are still crossed. Looking back, he thinks that saying Genji's name on accident had meant the difference between how things had played out, and running for his life, and probably getting murdered because who could outrun magic? But he needs to not think about that, right now. ]
Maybe you only would've hurt me real bad. I don't know. The point is... I think Genji, uh, Genji and how you feel about him, reminded you that you weren't a monster, after all. And so at a certain point, it's not about his peace of mind, or your relationship, it's about - having another card up our sleeve, in case the dampener ever gets broken.
no subject
[ The younger Genji had been rude, brash, short-tempered, puffed-up with pride, but... there had been traces there os the grown-up him. They'd mostly shown through when he had spoken about Shigeru. Cisco can't be sure, but he thinks it is because being with Shigeru brings out something youthful in Genji, in the best possible way. It's nice to know he hadn't lost all of that humor, and mischief, and lightness, when Hanzo had tried to kill him.
But when Shigeru gives the exact answer that Cisco had been expecting - a no, with some perfectly reasonable-sounding excuses of course - his shoulders sag. He nods a few times, not saying a word. He doesn't speak for a long moment. After all, now the thought is in his head - if he's too harsh, if he says the wrong thing, is Shigeru going to go off once more? Cisco had definitely not intended for that sort of field test.
Eventually, he says: ]
I'm gonna level with you. Right now, I feel like... if we test this out, and it works, and I give it to you, you're just gonna use this to find more reasons to keep not telling him. Just like you found reasons to try to deal with everything all on your own, before. And that makes me feel like I'm enabling you, and I'm not.... super comfortable with that. I mean - no matter how awesome my tech is, this is not a magic bullet. It's not foolproof. It gets damaged, or lost, or you forget to put it on one day, and- and we're right back where we started.
[ Cisco sets down the bracelet, crossing his arms tightly over his chest and doing his best not to remember how his blood had turned to ice when Shigeru had advanced on him, shadow writhing unnaturally, black smoke pouring out of his mouth. He's not trying to make an ultimatum, here, but all his pretense at cheerfulness and nonchalance earlier is gone. He clears his throat, not looking at Shigeru, voice gone just a touch throaty with emotion as he explains: ]
I know you said... you don't remember stuff, after, so, I'm just gonna tell you this... I'm just gonna tell you this not because I want you to feel bad or apologize or any of that, but because I want you to understand why I really think you need to tell Genji, for everybody's sake, beyond just, you know, respecting him and being honest to the guy you're with.
[ Cisco risks a glance up at Shigeru, and then drops his gaze to somewhere on the ground near to their feet again. He knows his friend is miserable, that this will likely make him feel worse, but it needs to be said. ]
I'm... we're lucky things didn't go worse. A lot worse. You were... [ A long, uncomfortable pause as Cisco decides how to word this. ] ... about to hurt me. And just by accident, I mentioned Genji's name, talking about meditation techniques, and that was- you kind of snapped out of it, right then. I'm pretty sure, if I hadn't...
[ Cisco looks up again, and there's no hiding the hurt in his face. He tries to be casual, gives a feeble shrug though his arms are still crossed. Looking back, he thinks that saying Genji's name on accident had meant the difference between how things had played out, and running for his life, and probably getting murdered because who could outrun magic? But he needs to not think about that, right now. ]
Maybe you only would've hurt me real bad. I don't know. The point is... I think Genji, uh, Genji and how you feel about him, reminded you that you weren't a monster, after all. And so at a certain point, it's not about his peace of mind, or your relationship, it's about - having another card up our sleeve, in case the dampener ever gets broken.