dadbeatdad | Seasons - Lucifer's Voicemail

[Wukong has to think about that for a good minute, nursing his tea before leatting out a sigh.]

I want to know what was going through your head. When you told him to take it off, and MK's response was to set himself on fire in order to strangle himself to snap it...why didn't you stop him? Think of some other way to remove the collar if it was that dangerous to him?

Let's start there.

And what if Red Son doesn't have an answer? I think it is a good question to start with.

But what if the answer is he doesn't know? Would that anger you?

No. I'd rather if he could just say that.

If he could? So you think he'll say something else?

We don't have a great track record of him being able to honestly admit that kind of stuff when one or both of us is upset. Because of the obvious.

It didn't matter if it was something as minor as him actually wanting to get me a housewarming gift or the reason he offered for me to move in with him when I first got here. And when it was the whole hurting MK the first time it was just apparently easier to think of reasons he didn't need to think he should have talked to MK before things went how they did...because it was me and I was a source of pain. Which he did when it came to trying to empathize with him and to get him to at least acknowledge the deeper reasons for the lack of support the world gave him when it came to DBK.

Which I get, even though I don't hold those kinds of grudges. But it's frustrating because it's not about us, it's about them. And it feels like it happens any time I press him to think about the reasons behind what he's doing.

Alright. So it sounds like his distrust of you makes it hard to communicate. Not surprising. But especially when it comes to other people. Hmmm.

Something to try is remind him the conversation at hand isn't about you and him. It's about him and MK. And you, Mk's mentor and mate, and him, his other mate, need to talk about this. And that you need him to be honest with you for Mk's safe. He doesn't have to trust you or forgive you but Mk deserves it. Because you both can't help him if you aren't honest with one another.

That could help actually. Possibly.

[Finally, he sits down next to Lucifer with a loud, somewhat overdramatic sigh.]

Where were you in the fall?

In Hell, kicking the crap out of my ex-wife's ex-husband. It was fun.

Oh! Speaking of. If it comes to it, and I don't recommend it, but if for some reasons hands to get thrown or he does some big dramatic like punish me thing? Just out your hand on his shoulder and go;

'No. How does mercy taste, you little bitch?' It's gold. And it feels great. So if you gotta, use it.

[That handily derails the sour mood noticeably. Wukong just gapes at him for a moment before he bursts into laughter.]

You seriously did that?!

Fuck yes I did! I told him I fucked both his ex-wives, kicked his ass with my daughter, and then didn't kill him. Charlie stopped me. Then I delivered that line and it felt so good.

Then a janitor stabbed him. Hilarious!

Oh geez...the janitor?! That had to hurt as much as the disrespect!

[Wukong has a good laugh with that one.]

Oh I'm sure it did. She stabbed him at least ten times. Prick deserved it. Ha! Anyway. You got that in your pocket. Just in case you need it.

And I think you needed that laugh so two wins for the price of one.

IIIII guess you're not wrong. Though you're setting a bar that I need to laugh at least once per visit.

I'll keep that in my pocket for if I need it.

I will endeavor to not disappoint you friend. Ha!

Good. You deserve a good one-liner. Now. Thinking about your talk. What goal are you looking for? Do you even have one?

Not really. I just...this can't keep happening. It's only been twice that I know of, but that's twice in less than a year, since it's only just coming around to a year that I've been here.

I want him to think about that. For someone like MK, who lives like a mortal, since that's been his life, a year's still not that long. For someone like me, or you, or Red Son...a year might as well be a few days. It's no time at all.

You want him to consider MK. Consider why this has happened twice and for him to, perhaps, try to change things so he doesn't do it again. That's what it sounds like.

What about MK? All of this can't be good for him. Is he fragile? Has he always been fragile? The way you talk about him, it seems he has a few weak spots. And all this is hitting them pretty hard.

Pretty much that.

MK is...not confident. At all. He either tries to brute force his way to succeeding while acting like things are fine, or he blames himself for everything that goes wrong or for not being able to fix it.

He's attacked by Red Son's mother before he has my powers and robbed of my staff, that's his fault. His energy is stolen by a spider demon, when he has the spider phobia, also his fault. Me dying to protect him and Red Son here when they were literal children in danger...you get the picture. It's why my first instinct when having him apologize for being killed by Red Son is regretting my no-murder stance.

Between that and how afraid he is of himself, and how much he struggles with himself and where he fits into people's lives...yeah, I'm pretty sure he's always been fragile but we're all the first time he's seriously had to try to work through it all.

That is a lot. A lot of self blame and identity issues. Not to mention holding himself up to impossible standards.

I see why you're struggling to feel like you can do anything. ...He clearly looks up to you. Maybe when you praise him, remember that someone as amazing as you truly is proud of him. Go into that. Not just that you're proud but why. Explain it to him.

Maybe that will help it sink in more. It will also have you really think more about what you are proud of, and help point out what he is overcoming and why you are proud of him for it.

Maybe. It might have been expecting a bit much to expect him to read between the lines.

[His tone makes it obvious that's not an insult. That's just not really been MK's strong suit.]

Well, he is. But he's reading the worst version of what's between the lines. If you want him to read the best between the lines, best to show him what to actually look for.

I get that, I just don't get where I there's a negative to find for "Better! Way way better! You're getting good."

I do get where pretty much every point I've been frustrated was...even though that's almost never compared to that.

But that's not a him problem so much as the "Me never having to worry about confidence or insecurity" thing.

So you're not wrong.

When you say better. Way way better. Did he win whatever it was that was about?

Because what you see is improvement, he may see as the gap between where he is and where he wants to be.

So though you see how far he's come, he only sees how far he has to go.

Alright, fair.

Because, no. He didn't win, since he was sparring against me...so unrealistic expectations.

But fair.

And you just found the problem. Unrealistic expectations.

He is measuring himself up to you instead of his past self. Or rather not also with his past self.

Let's face it. You are a very hard act to follow in a lot of ways.

You're not wrong, again.

It's just getting him to not do that, I guess? I mean, he's also done an amazing job of bailing me out of trouble.

Which I maaaay need to spell out past thanking just him for always doing that.

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