Jack B., Flash, & Opeila Valentines

He should have known, he should have seen it when it was the two of them together with him. Conversation was not going to be light and easy, things weren't just going to be a matter of asking the right question, or acknowledging the awkwardness between them. Burnett seemed downright pissed, his off-handed jabs turning into something more like a spear. Flash's trailed off words were snapped at, his insistence that they were hiding something needled. It had been so long since the two had been able to talk at length that it came as a shock. A strangely nostalgic shock.

When Opeila tentatively agreed and continued, Burnett launched into a tirade, like the fuse had finally reached the bomb. He was gesturing wildly, nearly yelling. Flash sat completely still, somewhat paralyzed. His brain was working a mile a minute, but his body only beat with a feeling-- fear. He hadn't realized it until then, but that was the real reason he had shamefully avoided Burnett and Ruka since the start of this school year. They asked questions. They noticed when something was wrong. Before, it was something he admired, even found brilliant, but now... it was a liability.

As he threw his arm at Flash and accused him of refusing to talk about himself, he jumped slightly, now actively put on edge. He opened his mouth like he intended to say something in response, but his voice was choked of air. He could feel his face stinging with fresh humiliation, though it was really only the truth being laid out bare. He had good reasons for being quiet. Didn't he? Of course, he didn't even have a choice in the matter. It wasn't even his life he would be gambling with if he were to say something, it was Val's.

To Opeila, he argued that he wouldn't be offering information without an exchange with her. That was certainly true of him historically, and Flash would look over at Opeila almost pleadingly, wondering how she would take it. Would it just turn into an outright fight, or would she actually talk about it? Somewhat wanting to flee the scene before he became the one on the chopping block, Flash was instead kept in place by curiosity. He very badly wanted to know what she would say.

"No one said it would be a sacrifice."

Opeila raised her eyebrows. "So you would suddenly willingly spend time with me? That would be a change." It didn't even bother her anymore. That was what he made her believe over the last year and she didn't mind. She had avoided him mostly as well after the first while in which she had thought that she could somehow fix what broke. What he broke.

Her attempt to start a more lighthearted conversation backfired completely. If the Slytherin had expected anything, it was not that reaction. With an expression of complete disbelief she stared at Jack, who called her insensitive for demanding information. The more he talked, the angrier Opeila got. You know why I am hiding. You know it all, I trusted you with more info than I shared with him. And if Flash was hiding, he for sure had his reasons too. She would not ask either of them to share there deepest thoughts tonight. Nor would she share hers.
When Flash jumped back at Jack's accusations, she had enough.

"Burnett. Burnett.", she repeated, almost wanting to grab his shoulder and shake him a little. "Stop it." Opeila wanted to yell at him, she really did. There were two reasons she didn't- One, she didn't have the intention to make or support a scene tonight. Two, Flash's look at her when Jack exploded. She owed it to him at least to not let the evening go down in flames without trying to prevent it, right? So she tried to swallow her anger and kept her voice low.

"Can you be a little quieter? People are already looking at us. Also- I wasn't asking you to tell me your deepest secrets of the last days, but would it have killed you to tell us that... I don't know... You found an interesting book in the library or a teacher said something funny lately?", she asked him, doing her best to ban all annoyance from her voice. Why only was it so hard to have normal conversations with this boy?

"Fine, then I am going to start, if that makes you happy. The last weeks I participated in a few errands. In one I looked after a flobberworm with Ileen and a Ravenclaw girl. We bathed them in the abandoned bathroom. Actually, I have no idea if flobberworms need water, but if they produce mucus, they would, right?" Opeila was getting lost in weird details, but was that the worst thing in that moment?

"And... Yesterday I was in the cookie decoration errand with Evelynn and Zykeal, that was also cool. Also the new issue of the Enchantments Magazine arrived yesterday, which was cool. I subscribed to it last winter holidays. It's totally worth the price, I enjoy reading it.", she finished and looked at Jack again. "It's called smalltalk, Burnett, relax. We won't use mundane things of your everyday life to put together a masterplan for your downfall."
Her voice was not firm at all anymore, but rather asking. Please give this evening a chance of passing without any explosions.

It wasn't until Opeila called Jack's name twice that he finally seemed to pay proper attention to her, yanked from the ferocity of his own tirade. He shut up at last and slumped in his seat like a scolded child, scowling at the picnic basket as he refused to meet either of the other's gazes. From then on he listened to her in silence, his body language conveying all that he felt he had to say. There was hurt, anger, frustration...but shame, too. Shame at his own outburst. He hadn't wanted it to be that way, but...nor could he have just sat back and allowed the conversation, the situation, and the evening in general to remain what they had been thus far.

To his surprise, Opeila actually changed them in his stead. Whether she knew it or not, she actually did as he'd requested and began by offering information about herself rather than asking for it. He looked at her with a bewildered expression at first. Then, as he listened to her converse more, he gradually looked away again in disappointment and disgust.

No. He had been wrong. It was still nothing. It seemed like it would always be nothing. Why had he thought she would have done something different for a change? Shouldn't he have known better by now than to expect such a thing? People didn't change so easily - if they even changed at all.

He glared at Flash then, irritated that the other boy hadn't stood up for himself or denied anything or said or done anything besides appear panicked. Is this how you want it to continue to be, or isn't it? Neither seems to make you truly happy. Make up your mind, he thought, irked. Then he looked away because the sight of his dorm mate in that shirt continued to redden his face and piss him off. Fine. Have it your way.

"It's called smalltalk, Burnett, relax," Opeila was telling him, finishing with her personal news. "We won't use mundane things of your everyday life to put together a masterplan for your downfall."

When Jack answered, it was from a low rumble in his throat. "You don't understand. You never did. That's why we never got on." He stared at his knees, still not wanting to look her in the eye. "Small talk is pointless when you talk about stuff that doesn't matter to anyone; not even the person talking. And if it does, well..."

The Welsh boy shook his head with furious sorrow. "Mundane things that are appreciated are more useful for bringing about one's downfall than you realize. Same for anything else that can be missed." He fought the urge coursing through every cell of his body to glance at Flash then.

Interacting with: @Flash Holmwood & @Opeila Winters
Wearing:

Reducio

While it looked at though Opeila might lose it, she instead seemed to simmer down and collect herself. Flash quietly sighed in relief-- unlike the year before when Flash was forced to play the peacekeeper between the two, Opeila had grown in maturity and let go of the desire to bicker. Once she started talking about small things in her life, things she had enjoyed recently, it lifted Flash's tension greatly. He was never going to talk about summer, but he could talk about other things. His life was certainly never uneventful.

As she began to describe things she was excited about and looking forward to, a smile even grew on his face, one of comfort. Her being a fan of attending errands was no news, but he hadn't known she was subscribed to a magazine about enchantments. She was on the dueling team, after all, and it was encouraging to see her still trying her best to learn more instead of being discouraged by her less-than-stellar matches so far. It was practically inspiring.

Burnett, of course, was not stirred in the slightest. In fact, he seemed forlorn, or even seething. It wasn't surprising that he wasn't fond of the topic of conversation that arose, but to call it pointless seemed out of line. It was true that given certain circumstances, Flash would also find this information to be useless, even a waste of his time. Perhaps he only liked it because it rescued him from a worse fate, therefore... useful. Likening it to bringing about one's downfall was certainly an overstatement. He must have been talking about something else, though he would stop talking rather than elaborate.

"I think that's lovely, Opeila." Flash said, with a bit of hesitance. "I can talk about myself as well, as sinful as that might be."

He doubted Burnett would appreciate the humor in his state, but he wasn't being forthcoming about why he was being so upset. Perhaps he might even be convinced to enter this 'small talk' of theirs under the right conditions.

"I've been accepted into the Quidditch team for one, that was a pleasant surprise when it happened." Flash picked through the offering of treats, though he paid little attention to it. Just needed something to do with his hands. "I've also started to help my friend Alan run SWAG, and of course I was involved in planning the Masquerade earlier this year. I've been pleasantly occupied, been meeting new people. We also had that hockey game--"

Flash gave another glance and even bigger smile in Opeila's direction, it had been an entertaining diversion for sure. All thanks to Ruka... the connection had Flash quickly looking away and clearing his throat. He had already told himself to not think about Ruka once today-- why was he still floating to the top?

"It has been lovely seeing the Dueling Club start its tournament. I've been watching the matches with great interest. Oh, and of course, I started dating Miss Anastasia."

Flash finished, looking over to Burnett expectantly.

Opeila was relieved that she seemed to reach Burnett in his outbreak. He really seemed to listen to her. Or... well, at least for a moment, then his expression changed and he turned away. Again Opeila felt the urge to grab his shoulder and make him look at her. What is your expectation of this evening? What is it that you want? A part of her wanted to shout at him. Another part of her wanted to pull back, keep quiet and hide for the rest of the evening. And then, a little part of her wanted to simply give it up and cry.

And then Jack did say something.
"You don't understand. You never did. That's why we never got on."
Opeila's head jerked up and to her classmate, deep anger in her eyes, but this time she couldn't stay calm. Jack was talking down to her like someone with no capability of understanding and she wouldn't have it. Especially from him. "Small talk is pointless when you talk about stuff that doesn't matter to anyone; not even the person talking. And if it does, well..."
Stronger than before, she felt like she wanted to cry. At least she had tried, right? Was Jack testing her? If so, that one was on him alone. "Mundane things that are appreciated are more useful for bringing about one's downfall than you realize. Same for anything else that can be missed."

Opeila had to swallow before she could answer, her voice was audibly trembling, as was her self-control. If Jack looked up he would be able to see it. "How... How dare you?", the young girl got out, her voice heavy with indignance.
"One- What did I not understand? Explain it to me, Jack, by all means.", she started, knotting her fingers together. There were different emotions showing on her face and she needed a moment to sort her thoughts. "Two- You are making it very easy for yourself. What you say is not true and I think that you are too intelligent to truly believe that yourself. We once got along. Do I have to remind you?" One year. It had not been a lot more than one year. "The afternoon at the lake? The night on the Astronomy Tower? I don't think so, but, you know what, I'll do it anyway. You offered me your help back then, when I was naive enough to open up to you about my fears." It almost felt like the memory was tightening her throat. She could remember it. Two strangers joking around and talking about their parents and beliefs. How much Hogwarts had changed them in only one year.

"Do you want to know why we never got along after? When I was needing your help, which I know you did see, whether I was too proud to admit it or not..." Opeila did not look at Flash, who she had told the story as well. She felt so sorry that he had to witness this but she felt like she needed to get it off her chest. She couldn't even say why Jack's words caused such a strong reaction... "You let me down. And I am actually not sure if you know what that means. That where we stand right now started then." Her hands turned into tight fists. "I made the mistake to count on you once. And I do not plan to do it again. After that day in the courtyard, I could not just move on from that." Opeila could hear the tears in her own voice but the look in her eyes when she talked to Jack was almost resembling hatred.

"For a while I had hope that there was something to fix and it was Ruka who opened my eyes there. I did not try again and I will not try again. Those are your choices and that I did not talk to you again as the girl that I know, that you at least looked at in a positive way, is a consequence of your choice, because you fricking hurt me. I have been let down my whole goddamn life and you continued a pattern that I hoped to break in Hogwarts and for that, Jack Burnett, I do hate you. Your game with the 'forgetfulness potion'? Even worse. You knew that my mother poisoned herself and that I was scared she might die from it, you knew all that! And you used it to hurt me. That is why we never got along after that incidence. Don't you dare tell me that it has been all my fault." The words seemed to almost break their way out of the child. A tear left the corner of her eye and angrily she wiped it away. She had not talked about the courtyard day since she had told Flash about it.

"I am talking to you and acting around you the way I do because I cannot undo or change your choices, but I will not allow myself to give you a reason to make me care again. I don't want you hurt or dead and I don't want to fight everytime we see each other. That is all." She picked up her drink again. "In that way it has pretty much played into my hands that I feel like I have never spoken to the boy on the Astronomy tower again. I feel like I have been communicating only with your paranoia these days."
Carefully she took a sip of her hot chocolate, trying to catch herself again. "I just wish you could drop it once in a while." Her cheeks were red from anger as well as the cold wind and there were tears in her eyes, but when she put down the cup, the tension seemed to move from her body and the anger in her expression was replaced with resignation. "Is that the sort of conversation you hoped for, Jack? Cards on the table? Here are mine that I've been hiding from you- You used my fears to cause me pain and keep me distant, out of fear. I don't know if you could have hurt me a lot worse back then." Her voice broke off.

Opeila managed to send Flash weak smiles at his story. She wanted to congratulate him on his position in Quidditch and SWAG, tell him how much she loved the ball, react to his relationship with Ana. But she felt like she had just thrown out all her energy. The little girl could only bring out a quiet "That... That is really great." She meant it, she really did, but the emotions rising up inside her during this topic were still shaking her and every word, every breath brought her closer to crying. Quickly she looked down into her cup. This was not what she wanted. She had wanted to control herself.

Jack's back straightened, rigid with tension, when Opeila began to ask him 'how dare he'. His eyes on her were serious, challenging her to choose her words carefully as she proceeded. Did she really, actually want him to explain to her what he thought she didn't understand? Truly? Because that suggested she would have been willing to accept some measure of it and he doubted she would have regardless of what he said.

Nevertheless...she asked for it. So he would do his best.

"You want me to explain it to you? Fine. We may have seemed to have started to get along when we first met, but that wasn't true friendship and I doubt it would have ever become it, either, even if I'd given it a chance. At best, it likely wouldn't have turned into anything more than the poor excuse for a bond that you and Flash maintain right now." He glared sternly at her.

"I offered you my help, sure, but that didn't make us friends. Strangers offer each other help all the time. I repaid a debt to you for your making me feel better, whether you meant to or not. That's all that was." The boy poured himself a hot drink, not even caring what it was. It could have just been steaming water for all he knew or tasted. Anything to curb the intensity of his growing, churning, raging, burning feelings.

"You are the one who doesn't know why we never got along after. I do. I always did. I let you down on purpose and when I tried to explain to you why in our letters, you proved to me that you couldn't, or maybe wouldn't understand. That's all there is to it."

He threw his arms up at her self-proclaimed mistake. "'Mistake'?!" he repeated. "If you didn't plan to count on me again, what did you use your birthday favor for? You're still relying on me even now - even more than before! Or don't you care anymore about what you asked me to do not so long ago?" He shook his head vehemently, then once more out of pity. "You're still talking out of your depth, Winters. However you may have grown or changed over the past couple of years, that part still stays the same about you."

Jack looked up again, expression drained and weary. "You said I used the information I learned from you to hurt you, but if I did, I didn't do it intentionally. I could have, still could even now, but I'm not going to because that's not what I do." The line of his mouth was twisted as he scowled. "I never said this was all your fault. I've been trying to make sure we don't become friends. Can't you see?!"

The Welsh boy took a deep breath and closed his eyes, putting his head in his hands as he tried to calm himself. Then he chuckled bitterly when she told him she wouldn't give him a reason to make her care again.

"If you really didn’t care, you wouldn’t bother arguing with me about this right now," he pointed out to her with a wry, mirthless smirk. "You already do care, whether you know it or not. That’s the nature of caring. That’s why it’s so dangerous. You can do it without even knowing. It creeps up on you and disguises itself in the sneakiest of ways. Even hating someone requires you to care about them more than if you were just indifferent toward them."

He swirled the liquid in his own cup when she picked her own up. His eyes darkened as he stared into the drink. "It’s not paranoia if it’s rational and plausible. The fact that you’re calling my fears paranoia just shows how much you look down on me whether you know you’re doing it or not! Why would I bother with someone like that? Why would I bother trying to correct or explain anything to you when you don’t even want to think you might be wrong or be willing to listen to any opinion other than your own?" The redhead downed the rest of the warm beverage in a single swig.

"I may fear friendship, but at least I know the true nature of what, exactly, I fear. You still don't understand it, much less the harm it can do, so how could you possibly understand me or my fears about it?" He set down his cup. "The answer is you can't."

The second year rolled his eyes at her accusation. "I didn't use your fears to do anything; not on purpose. And you're too selfish and self-centered to try to figure out mine. Or his." Jack nodded toward Flash.

"You know, it really makes me sick watching you two. Since you just like talking about yourself and he likes talking about anyone and anything except himself, you two just feed off each other in this dependancy you call friendship! It's disgusting! If he focuses on you and you focus on you, it becomes all about you. Like now!"

He put his hands up again only to run both back through his disheaveled hair."Can't you see how wrong that is? That's not real friendship! And because you don't know what it takes to be a true friend, you can't even begin to understand why it scares me so much."

Interacting with: @Flash Holmwood & @Opeila Winters
Wearing:

Reducio

Flash remained silent as the two of them bickered between each other over issues they had which he had no information on. Vague accusations and pointed arguments about one thing and then another. They both seemed so angry, and yet nothing of value was being exchanged or absorbed. It wasn't that it wasn't illuminating, their relationship was in shambles, and it was perhaps useful to see all the shards of the broken pieces laid out clearly. Opeila was transfixed on the idea of keeping people always leaving her, Burnett wanted nothing more than to leave her. Opeila had fond memories of their time together that were tainted, whereas Burnett felt disrespected and ignored by her attempts at friendship that ignored his own feelings. Certainly, it was becoming vividly clear why the conversation had been so stilted and tense, it was much worse than Flash had thought. A lost cause, really, by his standards.

Then, Burnett once again directed an argument to Opeila's treatment of Flash. Flash started a bit again, having felt a bit ignored and unimportant to the conversation. Apparently his and Opeila's relationship made him sick, and was disgusting. He listened to Burnett's words carefully, but they only led him to feel even more detached. He didn't depend on Opeila, she was one of many people he had such a relationship with. Connection, power, information. He never asked her to be kind to him, to be friendly with him, yet she constantly offered him comfort.

He wouldn't defend their relationship, though. He wasn't in the business of defending himself in pointless arguments, especially when all that mattered was his actions. Words were only useful if they could be used to create action, and he doubted his rationalization would mean anything to Burnett. Why waste the breath? In fact, he was starting to realize his expectations of their behavior had been completely off the mark, no doubt due to this tumultuous past they shared. It turned out Burnett was right to begin with, or perhaps he orchestrated the conversation so that he would become right. Either way, Flash was wasting his time at this dinner.

With that, the three of them being in the same room would end much the same way it did on his last birthday, nothing had really changed. Standing up, Flash briefly looked at both of them, having not partaken in anything the set-up had to offer.

"I don't think I'm needed here." Flash wasn't angry, but drained. Enough bad things were happening in his life, if this was someone's idea of a joke to put them all together, he hoped at least they were laughing. "I'll see you both around I'm sure."

He wouldn't have anything else to say.

Opeila was trembling with anger.
When did the evening take this turn? Why couldn't she just keep it together and ignore Burnett's attempts of stirring chaos? Why was he able to get her self-control to blow up with so few words?
It was a little late for questions like that.

The second year wasn't sure if Jack had tried to get their conversation that tense or if this was an accident, but here they were, Opeila close to pressing her palms on her ears because she didn't want to hear his response. Jack had this ability to answer in logical ways she had not even considered, that drove her all the way back into blaming and questioning herself for everything.

But when Jack answered, she realized that he had misunderstood her. More than that. The way he tried to put the stinger onto Flash's and her friendship calmed her down. When he accused her of being self-centered and selfish and thereby their friendship was all about her and toxic, she thought it would hurt more than it did in the end.
Jack had done this before, Opeila was familiar with his ways of biting at sore spots in other peoples lives like a cornered dog.

It didn't catch her off guard anymore.
Maybe it was the feeling prepared that made her capable of really listening to him this time. Opeila was not the best listener, especially when it came to uncomfortable topics, even less since summer. There had been enough negativity, enough tragedy for her, for days she had stayed in one spot in the same room, turned into herself, not talking to anyone. It had been her way of protecting herself from losing her mind, but now that she was not in that place anymore, she didn't want to return. She was scared of getting pushed back so far that she would only find safety in her own head again.

And then Flash got up and left, saying that he wasn't needed there. Opeila did not contradict. She would have loved to spend a nice evening with her friend, but as things were now, this was not going to end well. The girl had seen Flash wince at Jack's words, she had seen that this conversation caused him pain. So maybe it was not the worst that he left, leaving Jack and Opeila behind at a table.
Time for painful truths between the two remaining.

The letters the two of them shared... She had read them once. It had been an attempt to undo the pain that he had caused her, and when it hadn't worked, she had locked the letters away. Opeila was not masochistic enough to put herself through the self-doubt she felt back then more than once. It had taken a while for her to get over Jack's message and it seemed that the boy had not realized that she was now. She was over the message, she was over him not wanting to be friends. What she hated was his cowardly way of telling her this. His way of causing her pain like that. It had been unfair.

But she listened. Opeila forced herself to keep her mouth shut and hear him out. That was what she found that she owed to her housemate. Her features would turn visibly calmer. Opeila did not doubt that she was not over with being emotional for this night, but maybe that did not have to stop the two of them to have a civilized conversation.

"For someone who makes so much effort to not make friends, you claim to know a lot about friendship." There was no anger in her voice anymore, no mockery, it was a neutral and honest statement. "The 'poor excuse for a bond' that Flash and I have is far from perfect, you are right. What friendship is perfect? That is not what it is about. What matters is that, in the end both Flash and I know that there is someone who we can trust and who we can rely on. There is someone who catches the other if we fall." Jack had made her feel guilty before. He had made her worry if she was too much to take. If she was nothing but a burden for Flash.

And Flash knew of that fear of hers and he had told her that it was fine. "I know, I talk a lot about myself. Too much, while he barely talks about himself at all. But he knows that he could. I will not press him to talk about himself if he can't do that. I can wait.
The only thing I will not- I cannot do- is putting him in danger."
She paused and emptied her cup. "You don't understand. I am not talking about being friends. I don't care if you don't want to be friends anymore- I have my opinions, of course, but that is your choice. What I am talking about is the way you brought this to me. After letting me down, you would have at least owed it to me to explain it into my face. Why letters? Why couldn't you meet me and look me in the face and talk to me like I asked you to? And even if you didn't know that you were pushing my fears with the forgetfulness potion game- What was the purpose of it? The only thing I can think of is that you did that to hurt me. And while I may have been blind, I may have been... clingy, fine, I am certain that I did not deserve that."

Opeila stayed calm. Jack had always spoken about things that sometimes went far past her grasp, but she tried not to tune out this time, but to follow his words anyway. She already regret her little contradictive outbreak a minute ago- time to bring some order into her emotional words. "I know, what I said isn't true, I was being emotional. I trust one thing about you- favors that you give away clearly. The one in the astronomy tower- Words said in a moment, gone quicker than they appeared. The birthday wish was different, it was something that you gave away consciously. And as someone who seems to build up his whole life on giving favors for favors... Those are the only thing I can trust about you."

Opeila nodded at his claim that she talked out of her depth- she always had. "I do." If anything that had become worse. Since she was unable to talk to her grandmother, since she carried all those secrets she could not talk about... Other things, seemingly meaningless things regularly broke out of the little girl. "I can't help it." The last time she had said that phrase to the redhead, he had accused her of not even trying. "If I don't, I drown in it." She didn't know if Jack would understand. She couldn't word it any differently.

"Yes, dammit.", she broke out, her control over her face dropping for a moment, showing pure helplessness in her eyes. "I do. I do care about you, about Flash. Victor wanted to get me killed and I still... I don't want to see anyone hurt. And you care as well. I saw it. You cared about Victor. You care about Ruka and Selim." And me as well, why else would you have saved my life...

Jack's words about her looking down on him, proven by her calling his fears paranoia, made her blink in surprise for a moment. How did he understood that so entirely wrong? Opeila put down her cup. "My talking out of my depth ends there, before I make a total fool out of myself." Opeila had been looking up to him since she had first met him. His way to talk, his knowledge about... seemingly everything... For that she had admired him, and did it still.
Yes, she did feel like she was only talking to his fears at this point. She had not even meant to say paranoia, she couldn't ask Jack to not be reckless about her fears and then put his off like that. It had been subconscious. Had she tried to challenge him? Possibly.

When Flash stood, Jack's heart leapt to his mouth. He opened it but couldn't think of anything to say. He sat there for a few precious seconds, flummoxed and gaping like a fish, before realizing Opeila wasn't going to try to do or say anything to stop the brunet herself.

"Flash, wait," he forced out, desperation tinging his voice. Not liking the sound of that, Jack cleared his throat to recompose himself. "I'd...I'd consider it a personal favor if you stayed," he told him, trying to keep his expression neutral though he was sure his eyes were pleading. "I'll be the one to leave if someone has to. I was going to go find whoever was responsible for this in the first place, remember? You and Opeila can...can have your dinner together and talk."

He wasn't sure Flash would stay, but he knew he had to at least try. Opeila, on the other hand, didn't seem to plan on going anywhere. When she continued to address him, calmer than before, he slowly turned back to face her. Fine. If Flash decided to stay, he - Jack - would leave. But before then, if Opeila wanted to talk, they'd talk.

"For someone who makes so much effort to not make friends, you claim to know a lot about friendship."

"You say that like you expect me not to know or want to know about what I fear," he commented with cold disdain. "But why wouldn't I try to know as much as I can about the thing I fear most? If everyone knew as much as I did about the nature of friendship, they'd probably have the good sense to try to avoid it, too."

His eye twitched. "I'm not saying your and Flash's friendship is imperfect. I'm saying it's non-existant," the boy stated. "It's not even a friendship at all. You say that you won't press him to talk about himself, but don't you know that some people never talk about themselves if no one ever asks? They figure no one cares enough to want to know, so they don't bother saying anything if no one shows interest by asking.

"As for someone you trust and rely on?" His teeth shone in a twisted, sardonic, mirthless grin. "If you really trusted him, you would have gone to him instead of me for what you had to tell me. Besides, having someone to trust and rely on doesn't make them a friend. Business partners and contractual partners also trust and rely on each other. You still don't understand what friendship actually is."

He stared at her in disbelief when she began to ask him about the letters. "Why letters?!" he exclaimed, throwing up his arms. "Did you forget? You started the letters, not me! Ask yourself why letters! I just responded to the ones I got!"

When she spoke of pushing her fears, though, his brows furrowed and his forehead creased in confusion. "Fears? What fears?" Jack prompted. "Do you have a fear of forgetfulness potions? Of people forgetting you? Because if you do or did, I knew nothing of that. I had my own reasons behind implying I took the potion and none were about trying to hurt you. And I didn't lie about any of it, either." He crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.

"One reason was to see if you would try to understand the way I thought - if you were clever enough to be observant, pay attention, and realize that I never said I drank the potion. Clearly, however, you didn't notice and thought I said I did." He waved a hand dismissively as he moved on. "Another reason, believe it or not, was for your sake. I wanted to give us a fresh start after having left you in the courtyard crying like I had. It was wrong and I knew it, so I didn't want to just ignore and avoid you forever and never talk to you again." The redhead took a deep breath.

"I wanted to continue being able to interact with you without the mess of what we once were or had been. I wanted to keep us from getting too close, but also to keep from ignoring or avoiding you, either. Acting as though I'd forgotten our past was the best way I could think to do that. So, if you'll believe it, my reason behind doing that was to do the opposite of hurt you - it was to keep from hurting you. Because what person prefers to be ignored or avoided rather than interacted with?" He gave her a sidelong glance. "Would you have preferred I ignored or avoided you instead of pretending not to have met you before?"

The mention of Victor's name overcast Jack's expression with a new kind of shadow. He glared at her with a renewed fury. "What do you mean Victor wanted to get you killed? He didn't want anyone killed! How dare you! Take that back!" he snarled, half rising from where he sat. "You never knew him! You didn't talk to him like I did!"

Realizing at once that his temper was getting out of control, he clamped down his jaw hard and tried to sit back down, closing his eyes and taking long, shaky breaths. When he spoke again, it was calmer, but he didn't yet open his eyes, as if he didn't trust the sight before him not to set him off all over again.

"...Maybe I did care," he agreed with obvious difficulty. "But that's where I went wrong. Where I keep going wrong." Jack's eyelids raised half-way. "I was reminded of that when I learned that Vlad caring so much about Victor is what got Victor killed." His gaze flickered to Flash and then back to Opeila. "I can't afford to care like that about anyone else again. Because then what's to stop me from turning into someone like Vlad?"

Interacting with: @Flash Holmwood & @Opeila Winters
Wearing:

Reducio

He hated the sound of the words pulling him back. They were cloying words, begging him to stay. It flipped a switch, the part of himself that he was desperately trying to hold back-- the ugliness brewing underneath his stress-worn façade. His throat was so stoked with anger that he thought he might burst into tears on the spot. It was an over-reaction, for certain, something he'd have to stay looking away from them to be sure to conceal. He just froze and paused, his shoulders raising with a laborious, slow inhale.

"What for?!" Flash turned around, yelling. "I don't want to be here! I don't want to be around anyone!"

His voice becoming weaker the longer he spoke, he frowned deeply, knowing it had been a waste of his breath, as a possible misstep. He was on the verge of a tantrum, and he was the only one around to stop himself, so he did. He needed to leave, the tears felt inevitable at that point. He certainly wasn't going to stick around, he didn't have to explain why he wanted to leave.

Really, he couldn't have explained it regardless, as he knew Burnett's words were no cause for outrage. Still, he was mad. His expectations dashed, his hopes squashed, and his vulnerability ripped from him without his permission. Everything was so tiring, there was no respite for even a moment.

No other word to spare, Flash would turn back around and leave.