batmanschmatman | 017 [audio]

~~I guess I hoped you meant what you said.~~ It was dumb. I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry.

I did mean what I said. We were talking fine just now.

Look, I don't understand what you want from me. You pick friends, you say I can't talk to you, you get mad when I try to tell you I don't want things to change, and now you're mad at me or something for trying to have a conversation with you.

You know, if I wanted you to read it, I wouldn't cross it out.

Never mind. I told you I'm sorry. It was stupid and I shouldn't have talked to you. Ariadne already claimed you and turned you against me, so I don't even know why I'm trying.

Force of habit.

No one turned me against you. Why would you even say something like that?

Oh, come on. She says she needs time to think and then comes back and chooses you and you say it's totally my fault because she told you to keep talking to me? It sounds to me more like she was playing the victim to get you on her side than because she was actually opposed to making the deal. I mean, if she really didn't want to? Why didn't she just say no? I didn't force her into it; there were no threats or anything. You already made up your mind before you even came to talk to me.

Are you guys a couple now? Is that it?

Edited 2011-02-05 11:20 (UTC)

We're not a couple. Why are you so obsessed with the idea of us getting together? This is the second time you've brought it up.

I'm not out to get you. She's not out to get you. And you're right, I did make up my mind before I came to talk with you, and it was that I wasn't going to make a choice.

Because that's what people here do when they get bored.. sacrifice friendships for a good lay.

You're not even listening to what I'm saying because you've already made up your mind about her too. But you can't have it both ways, Dick. Not when you're not even listening.

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm doing. [/sarcasm]

How am I not listening?

Weren't you just complaining about being bored not that long ago?

Because she's as much to blame for this as I am and you haven't even considered that maybe, just maybe, I'm right. That maybe she's manipulating you or something. How do you know she's not a Batman Villain from your future or something? Another Tarantula?

I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't care who else you're friends with and, really, I can't stop you from being friends with her. I'd just appreciate a little equal consideration. That's all. How much do you know about her? You don't know me (except, you know, my most personal secret), yeah, but do you really know her either?

Edited 2011-02-05 11:44 (UTC)

Yeah, being bored doesn't mean I'm looking for sex.

And what's this then? You not being manipulative? Because it seems to me like you're trying to twist it so that I end up agreeing to only speak with you and ignore her for the rest of the time we're here. Fine, maybe you both made mistakes with this stupid plot or whatever the hell it was, but I'm trying to figure out a way to make this work. I didn't want any of this, no one asked me, and you're not in charge of who I'm allowed to be friends with. Period.

What were you honestly hoping to achieve with this, Hayley?

I'm not trying to manipulate you into doing anything except think about how unfair you were! It's not like we're going to be friends again no matter what you do, so do whatever you want. Just think about it.

[Pause.] Honestly? I don't know. I guess I have a harder time letting go than I like to think, okay? Don't take it personally.

Hayley, I don't understand what the issue was. You made an ultimatum. Ariadne picked me. She then said she just followed through with it because she didn't want to upset you and you seemed really annoyed with her being here, and that she doesn't care if we stay friends. I tried to tell you that, and all you've been doing is trying to since then is shove me away and question my motives and accuse me of only being friends with Ariadne because I want to sleep with her. I am trying to understand, but when you do things like accuse me of trying to sacrifice a friendship for sex and using things I told you that have nothing to do with this to try and make me doubt Ariadne, it's really goddamn hard to be sympathetic.

I didn't mean you're only friends with her to sleep with her. That was sarcasm, Dick. I'm sorry I even said it.

All I'm saying is you're awfully quick to judge me without even considering her. She told you "she just followed through with it because she didn't want to upset me" and "I seemed really annoyed with her being here?" First of all, I never cared that she was here other than asking to split up friends. I talked to her when my warden told me not to and she has no reason to agree to what you think is a ridiculous ultimatum to avoid upsetting me when she doesn't even know what I'm like when I'm upset. Not to mention, if she really felt forced? Why did she claim Eames and Arthur too?

And that whole "she doesn't care if we stay friends," thing? It just sounds like a ploy to make her look like the good guy after she made a stupid mistake.

Did you even read the conversation? [Transcript attached.] She seems awfully okay with it for someone forced.

Didn't feel like sarcasm.

Did it ever occur to you that maybe the reason I'm not more frustrated with Ariadne is because it seems like she's realized her "stupid mistake" and is trying to do something to fix it, whereas it seems like you're trying to get me to turn around, not trust her and say I'll only be friends with you? And where the hell do you get off trying to compare her to -

... Okay. What are you trying to do? Because all I want right now? Is to move on with my life and stop getting dragged in between the two of you because you apparently can't let something go. I'm officially frustrated with both of you, and if we keep this conversation going, we're really just going to end up saying stuff we're going to regret later.

Wow.. you're like, a really bad listener. Let's try this again.

It doesn't matter how you feel about her. You and I? Still not going to talk, because you already made your choice. So this isn't me trying to turn you against her and to my side. This is me trying to make you consider that she's just playing a victim to win your affection. It has nothing to do with me after you agree to consider it.. it's my last friendly duty.

I told you, I want you to agree to consider it and I don't even care what the results are as long as you actually think about it. Then I'll leave you alone.

It's part of my charm.

You've got a really fucked up idea of what a "friendly duty" is, you know that?

Yeah, I know. How dare I care about you right before I keep my word. Fine, whatever. I tried. You obviously want to just blame me for everything, so.. that's cool. She needs the friends more than I do anyway.

I can make my own decisions and I'm not trying to "blame you for everything". I don't need you telling me I should be suspicious and expect everyone to try and manipulate me.

I know you can make your own decisions, Dick, but that doesn't mean you don't need help every now and then like the rest of us. I'm only suggesting you take a closer look at one person's actions; that's it. Just that.

It doesn't even matter if you do or not anyway. At least I tried.

I'll see you around.

017 [audio]

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