sixwordstories | (no subject)

No, no. I disagree.

I'm listening.

Not completely, at least.

There has to be a certain amount of softness, to be able to make the right decisions.

Although I am fond of vertebrates much more so then invertebrates.

A vertebrate is soft on outside. An invertebrate is hard on the outside, and soft on the inside.

Uh-huh?

Really?

Soft on the outside...hard on the inside.

You're not hard on the inside, so are you not a good person?

There has been no hardness in our love, Abby. And I pray there will never have to be.

Even when you're continuously trying to push me away?

He looks down.

*sighs, crosses arms*

I love you too much, Abigail.

For what, Murphy? To keep me or let me go?

Both.

Then make up your mind, Murphy. I've made it clear that I'm here, now you get to decide and then stop worrying.

Be weak, for once in your life, Murphy...be weak!

He looks to the side, his hands clenched together in front of him.
In one hand, there was hope. In the other, there was...selflessness.
A man should never have to decide between the two, but being the man that he was...

He turned away entirely.

I'm just a machine, Abigail. I never loved you, and I never can.

*For a second, she looks like she had been slapped but then there is nothing. She was a hunter and a Whistler, she was good at being both. She couldn't be the only one fighting here, she was too tired of fighting at times but she wouldn't admit that she was tired.*

Fine.

*Turns around and walks away*

There are times to be hard and times to soften. The hard part is knowing which is which.

I find the hard part...is being hard. For me it is usually painfully apparent.

The inclination warring with the ethical? I've been there often enough.

*hesitates* That ... looks like more than just an impressive suit of body armor. Is it?

It is my body.

I'm hard on the inside!

Yes, you are. But that is not what I meant.

What did you mean?

It means that...a person should be able to do the hard things when necessary, and be soft when not.

I think I am like that! I can be very fun but when it comes to fighting evil I am all business!

I think the moment you go hard, sweetie, you lose a bit of what makes ya good in the first place. Some weakness is not bad.

He speaks in a weary whisper.

...weakness...

Bein' good is more than just doing the right thing all the time. It's about doing the right thing, the right way, and for the right reasons. But not every situation is that simple. Sometimes sticking to the play book is the wrong thing. Sometimes compassion is needed more than justice. It's not all black and white.

Compassion? Define compassion.

Well darlin', the fact that I gotta define it's not a great start but I guess the simplest definition would be to know someone did something wrong and pardon them.

I don't mean that you should pardon everybody but sometimes a person does something out of desperation and they know they did wrong, feel really bad about it, and wouldn't do it again.

People are not mine to judge.

You're the strong silent type, aren't ya? It's good that you don't judge. I still just think that ya don't have to be hard to be good. That bein' soft is part of it.

You have to do hard things.

True but there has to be rewards too or why would continue fighting?

Sometimes, there can be no reward.

Mister, I think you are missing the point of the whole thing.

To do things only for a reward?

Rewards can be so many thing. It's not all money an glory. Sometimes it's a certain feeling or the right person to come home to.

A certain feeling.

Is that a question?

Yeah. That good feeling about helping someone. satisfaction of a job well done. The warm and fuzzies

I never feel warm and fuzzy.

maybe that's part of the problem

Maybe that's the problem entirely.

*sad eyes* Then I'm sorry