The Family [Finished]

[accalia]

Bear shrugs "we all lie, little ones, big ones, sometimes, most times, everyone's a little different but one thing is constant, we all lie. Do you intend harm by it? I don't think you do."

[yamikuronue]

Vic lowers his head. "That doesn't mean they'll forgive me. It's better if... it's better if I'm a nobody. If I blend in. If I keep my head down." His voice shakes a little, but he plows through his creed without looking up.

[accalia]

"Harumph. You sound like my brother, Cassandra. Well, at least before she stepped out anyway. Moved to Australia she did, and according to her letters is having a grand time of it." Bear says, unwittingly nailing Vic's secret. "Sounds like you just need more confidence in yourself."

[yamikuronue]

Vic starts coughing violently, having sucked a bit of burger down his windpipe in shock as he caught what Bear said.

[accalia]

"Woah there. no need to inhale that! a burger this fine you need to enjoy." Bear says, patting Vic on the back to help clear the errant burger bits.

[yamikuronue]

Vic manages to get some air, gasping for breath. "I'm sorry, what?" he chokes out.

[accalia]

"Enjoy your burger. No need to inhale it. Your lungs won't appreciate that burger near as much as your stomach." Bear replies, still completely missing the cause of Vic's sudden inhalation.

[yamikuronue]

"No, no -- before that."

[accalia]

"About my brother, what of it? she's happy being who she is instead of hiding it just to fit in."

[yamikuronue]

"If she's your brother she's a he," he says, frowning. "You're... just fine with that?"

[accalia]

"Why wouldn't i be? she's family."

[yamikuronue]

"But she lied to you. Maybe for years."

[accalia]

"She only lied when she tried to be someone she wasn't. And she only did that to try and make mom happy. I don't hold any grudge for that."

[yamikuronue]

"What if there wasn't any parents involved? What if she just kept lying and lying, and changing her mind, and couldn't just decide to be something? What if sometimes she wanted to be a boy so she could go work and not be picked on but sometimes she wanted to wear dresses and everything sucked and was confusing all of the time and--"

[accalia]

"And maybe i should just take that shovel from you, yes?" Bear says kindly "You are you, whoever, whatever you decide to be. If you don't have at least one existential crisis as a teen you ain't lived. As long as you're trying to be true to yourself that's telling the truth as far as i'm concerned."