[ Cisco had always found it interesting, how in so many of the peoples who came to this place, there were certain facts of body language and tone that seemed to be universal. So he can tell, he's hit some kind of nerve. That whatever this story is, it's not just long, but complicated, and painful, and probably deeply personal. Something about the way Zelda's eyes go distant, like she's not really seeing the lab around her, for a moment.
So he doesn't push, or crack a joke. Just accepts the change of subject without protest or comment.
But he is still thinking about it, still wondering what the explanation could be. So he misses it, for a second, when she says- ]
Hold up, for real?
[ Cisco's met more than a few people in this place who come from worlds that have monarchies, but meeting someone who is royal themselves is way different. He stammers for a moment, caught off guard, not sure what to say. ]
You're like... a for real princess? Of... of all of it? You?
[She has to crack a smile at that. One day she'll work out the right balance to take in giving her title and not wrong-footing the people she speaks to.]
Yes, me. I'm sorry I didn't say so earlier, but-- I didn't really think it was necessary in this place. I'm no different from anyone else who ends up in the Quarantine.
[ She may be smiling, but Cisco is still reeling. It's not even meeting a royal person, necessarily. He's met so many types of people that he would get over that sort of a surprise fairly quickly. Instead it's that this particular girl is royal. She just seems so... what? Friendly? Down to earth? Approachable? In any case, not any of the things he would have expected, but perhaps that's just a sign of his narrow-mindedness. ]
Hey, you don't gotta apologize... I mean. I get it. In Hyrule, everybody probably already knew, right? So you didn't have to do the whole, 'Hey, I'm Zelda, I'm a Pisces and I like long walks on the beach, oh and by the way, totally a princess!' spiel.
[ Her explanation that it doesn't make much difference now that she's here is an interesting one. Humble. ]
Probably means you were raised a lot different, though, right? I mean, I'm just guessing here. Like I said, we're not really on that whole monarchy thing where I come from, but in all the stories and stuff, there's a whole lot of towers and tutors and expectations and rules.
[ But there's something else. Cisco knows that, not everyone, but a lot of the people who end up here were isolated in their own worlds. Most people that the portal chose were feeling disconnected, from the people around them, from their homeland, from their lives. Had Zelda been feeling like that? Was it because of that Calamity, and the aftermath, or was it because of this? Her rank? Maybe this place is also an opportunity, for her to be just like everyone else. ]
Guess that's not too different from having strict helicopter parents, though, when you really think about it.
[That's exactly it - she's never had to tell people before. And when she realised no one here would know her by name or look alone, she simply decided not to mention it. A small part of her has always wondered what it would be like to truly be normal, a person of no importance. The Quarantine lets her do that.]
They did, yes. I was being introduced as such long before I could do my own introductions, so it's definitely different here.
[Zelda chews on her bottom lip, wondering how to answer. She knows her upbringing was different from virtually everyone else's in Hyrule for those exact reasons. But how different would it be from other worlds? She isn't sure.]
Well, my room was in a tower, and I did have a lot of tutors. Hyrule doesn't really have organised classes like they do here... the schools and universities? [Which she thinks are a great concept that she'd like to try sometime.] As for whether I was raised differently, I was. That was the same at home too, compared to everyone else.
[ Her room was really in a tower, huh? That's some Disney shit if he's ever heard it. But he listens, aware that as wild as it all sounds to him, it was just life for Zelda. There's probably almost nothing that their backgrounds have in common; and yet there's no mistaking that he likes Zelda. Likes speaking with her, getting to know her.
When she's confused, Cisco smiles: ]
Oh! Right, sorry. It means... the kind of parents that are obsessed with their kids and stay all up in their business all the time. Who think the sun shines out of their kid's ass and get them all these tutors and ballet lessons and all of that shit. But the downside is they gotta know where their kid is every second of every day, and they're always micromanaging them, never giving them an inch of freedom. They expect them to be perfect, and when their kid does well, they get a huge ego boost for themselves or whatever.
[ And, well, it seems only fair that since he's asking questions about her life and business, that he say something about himself, even if it's just brief. ]
So kinda the opposite of mine.
[ He rubs at the back of his neck, feeling a little awkward after that personal admission. Not really a great way to segue into the whole 'my parents didn't give much of a shit about me' thing. Cisco doesn't really make a habit of talking about them all that much. Time to redirect the conversation gently away from all of that. ]
Anyway, uh. I promise I'll still treat you normal, even though you're a princess. If that's, like, what you want.
Edited (sorry for all the edits!) 2018-04-22 13:10 (UTC)
[She can't help but reflect on her own father as Cisco explains. Some of it sounds true - not giving her any freedom to make her own choices, expecting her to achieve things that she simply couldn't. But thinking she was perfect? No, that wasn't like Rhoam at all. She finds herself shaking her head unconsciously and stops herself.]
I don't think it was too dissimilar... [Zelda looks up at Cisco, noting the awkward shift.] I am sorry if this brought up something uncomfortable for you though. Parents... are not all that simple.
[In many ways. Maybe that's too real for this conversation, but she doesn't want him to think she's unsympathetic. She smiles then, grateful for the change of subject.]
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no subject
So he doesn't push, or crack a joke. Just accepts the change of subject without protest or comment.
But he is still thinking about it, still wondering what the explanation could be. So he misses it, for a second, when she says- ]
Hold up, for real?
[ Cisco's met more than a few people in this place who come from worlds that have monarchies, but meeting someone who is royal themselves is way different. He stammers for a moment, caught off guard, not sure what to say. ]
You're like... a for real princess? Of... of all of it? You?
[ This is just too weird. ]
no subject
Yes, me. I'm sorry I didn't say so earlier, but-- I didn't really think it was necessary in this place. I'm no different from anyone else who ends up in the Quarantine.
no subject
Hey, you don't gotta apologize... I mean. I get it. In Hyrule, everybody probably already knew, right? So you didn't have to do the whole, 'Hey, I'm Zelda, I'm a Pisces and I like long walks on the beach, oh and by the way, totally a princess!' spiel.
[ Her explanation that it doesn't make much difference now that she's here is an interesting one. Humble. ]
Probably means you were raised a lot different, though, right? I mean, I'm just guessing here. Like I said, we're not really on that whole monarchy thing where I come from, but in all the stories and stuff, there's a whole lot of towers and tutors and expectations and rules.
[ But there's something else. Cisco knows that, not everyone, but a lot of the people who end up here were isolated in their own worlds. Most people that the portal chose were feeling disconnected, from the people around them, from their homeland, from their lives. Had Zelda been feeling like that? Was it because of that Calamity, and the aftermath, or was it because of this? Her rank? Maybe this place is also an opportunity, for her to be just like everyone else. ]
Guess that's not too different from having strict helicopter parents, though, when you really think about it.
no subject
They did, yes. I was being introduced as such long before I could do my own introductions, so it's definitely different here.
[Zelda chews on her bottom lip, wondering how to answer. She knows her upbringing was different from virtually everyone else's in Hyrule for those exact reasons. But how different would it be from other worlds? She isn't sure.]
Well, my room was in a tower, and I did have a lot of tutors. Hyrule doesn't really have organised classes like they do here... the schools and universities? [Which she thinks are a great concept that she'd like to try sometime.] As for whether I was raised differently, I was. That was the same at home too, compared to everyone else.
[And then... she blinks, confused.]
'Helicopter' parents?
no subject
When she's confused, Cisco smiles: ]
Oh! Right, sorry. It means... the kind of parents that are obsessed with their kids and stay all up in their business all the time. Who think the sun shines out of their kid's ass and get them all these tutors and ballet lessons and all of that shit. But the downside is they gotta know where their kid is every second of every day, and they're always micromanaging them, never giving them an inch of freedom. They expect them to be perfect, and when their kid does well, they get a huge ego boost for themselves or whatever.
[ And, well, it seems only fair that since he's asking questions about her life and business, that he say something about himself, even if it's just brief. ]
So kinda the opposite of mine.
[ He rubs at the back of his neck, feeling a little awkward after that personal admission. Not really a great way to segue into the whole 'my parents didn't give much of a shit about me' thing. Cisco doesn't really make a habit of talking about them all that much. Time to redirect the conversation gently away from all of that. ]
Anyway, uh. I promise I'll still treat you normal, even though you're a princess. If that's, like, what you want.
no subject
I don't think it was too dissimilar... [Zelda looks up at Cisco, noting the awkward shift.] I am sorry if this brought up something uncomfortable for you though. Parents... are not all that simple.
[In many ways. Maybe that's too real for this conversation, but she doesn't want him to think she's unsympathetic. She smiles then, grateful for the change of subject.]
I would like that. Thank you, Cisco.