xp_logs | Log: Bas and Maya

Maya tries to ask Bas out on a date, and Bas takes the opportunity to question her about her statements on the journals. It goes about as well as can be expected.

Maya flopped down beside Bas and waved a ticket in front of his face. On it were written the words, Batman vs Superman and the seat allocation appeared to be a good one.

"So, you're probably going to see it with Clea and Stephen but how would you feel about going to see it with me as well?" She asked.

"Sure," Bas responded with a smile, which was quite the display of emotion for him. "You can never have too much of the superheroes. Is that ticket for me? Or are you going twice as well?"

“Well, I suppose I could go by myself like a complete loser, but it’d be nicer if a certain British type came with me and made sure I didn’t eat all the popcorn by myself,” Maya noted with a smile, despite her somewhat harsh way of speaking. “Of course it’s for you, who else am I likely to spend money on? Well, not my money exactly, adjacent to me money given to me by someone who promised to take care of me, which just happens to be movie money today.”

"It's not like there's much else to spend your money on around here, eh?" Bas commented. "I think I've been to the cinema more times since I've been here than I'd been my entire life back home. Is it like that for you, too?"

“Sort of, yeah,” Maya replied, shifting closer slightly so their shoulders brushed. “I was always too busy doing things like dance, or just being outside and besides, we never had all that much money to spend on things like movies. Strictly downloadable content for this little girl. So, what’s been your favourite movie so far then?”

"Probably Pacific Rim," Bas smiled. "You?" He also wanted to know what kind of dancing she'd done before moving to the mansion, but would wait until she'd answered one question first. Bas wasn't much of a chatterbox.

“That was awesome!,” Maya exclaimed, her smile animated as she grinned at him. “Stacker Pentacost was my favourite character, although Mako Mori was awesome too. That whole speech about cancelling the apocalypse was so cool. I kinda liked ‘Up’ actually, although I didn’t go to a cinema for that one. The start made me absolutely cry my eyes out though.”

"Yeah, Pentecost was pretty brilliant," Bas agreed. "So was Mako." He shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "Haven't seen that one. Pixar and Disney... I dunno. Just never been into them. Comics and anime, sure. Just something about the art styles those guys use... I dunno," he repeated.

"Noted, no Disney and Pixar movies if you take me on a date," Maya replied, giving him a half hopeful, half expectant look.

Bas stared at her for what was probably an uncomfortable amount of time. "Uhh... date? Are... are we dating?"

"Um, well, unless you're seeing someone else," Maya replied, a blush turning her skin darker. "I mean, not dating yet, but go on a date. Not that you have to, I mean, unless you want to. Ahh, you like girls, right? And, um...me in particular?"

Oh, wow. This was going to suck. "Umm... I like girls, sure. And I like hanging out with you, Maya. But, you've made it pretty clear how you feel about, you know." He shifted uncomfortable again. "White people. Why would you date one? I mean, that's got to go against everything you stand for, or something."

"Oh Spirit," Maya replied with a sigh. "I don't like white people who act like self righteous assholes and don't check their privilege, that doesn't mean I hate everyone who has white skin."

Maya took a deep breath and moved away slightly, feeling more then a little awkward now. This was so not going how she'd thought it would.

"I like you, I think you're cute but if you're saying you're one of the people who thinks it's okay how the world treats my people or people of colour in general...Then no, I don't think I could go on a date with you."

"You didn't say that to that girl who commented to you," Bas reminded her, shrugging. "You basically told her that since she was saying it wasn't all white people- 'defending herself', as you called it- that she was being racist. But now you're trying to call me out and make this about me? According to you, what I'm saying when I question what you said pretty bloody clearly, is that I think bigotry and racism is 'okay'?" He nearly laughed at that, but his tone never wavered above his usual quiet monotone.

"If you want to spin it that way, if that helps you get through your day, go for it." He shrugged again. "I know who I am and what I'm about." He'd been working for half his life to get into the armed forces. To go places where he could defend people who were being treated badly by others. He didn't need Maya's special and apparently rare dispensation as one of the few 'good' white people in the world to sleep just fine at night. "You're clearly the one with the problem here, not me."

"Is that what you heard?" Maya asked, feeling sick and angry as she stood up. "I don't need to defend myself to you or anyone here. I certainly don't need to be made to feel like my pain is wrong because I didn't word it perfectly enough to not hurt anyone's poor feelings. I was wrong about you, it won't happen again."

Maya stepped back, wanting to leave but hoping he'd take it back. The conflict hardened her expression, and she clenched her fists against the tears that she Would. Not. Shed.

"If that's what you want to tell yourself, tell yourself that. You're the one who has to live with it." Bas shrugged again, unpausing and focusing his attention on his video game once again.

Maya stood there for a moment longer, completely dumbfounded before she simply nodded once and walked away.