Molly made a face that was almost back up to her normal levels of adorable - wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at him. "Well, I guess you're not super dumb or anything."
She didn't say anything more for a minute as they walked, kicking a rock candy pebble down the path in front of her. She didn't have to talk to Raph about it. She didn't have to talk to anybody about it. Or, conversely, she could talk to Bunny, or Jack, or maybe Tooth. It didn't have to be now.
Except... honestly it was kind of a relief that he'd called her on it. And the idea of talking about it was enough that the words just started tumbling out almost on their own.
"They all tried so hard, you know? And it was just a little bit at first, so it wasn't a big deal, but..." But life went on. Life got harder. She grew up, fast, but couldn't let anyone know. "I mean, I know I can't do it forever, and it's not all pretend, but it's just... They tried so hard. Even Chase. The only one who really tried to help me deal with stuff was Gert, but I didn't..."
She sighed. "I didn't realize I needed her to, and then she was gone. And Nico and everybody just tried so hard to keep me from knowing about the worst stuff, but I'm not stupid or anything, and I'd listen in on them sometimes, and... and I do like ponies and my cute animal hats and stuff, so it's not totally a lie, and they'd all be so upset if they realized it didn't work." She looked at Raph sidelong, not quite meeting his eye, and then back down. "So much stuff got screwed up and didn't work, and I figured I could be the thing that did"
no subject
She didn't say anything more for a minute as they walked, kicking a rock candy pebble down the path in front of her. She didn't have to talk to Raph about it. She didn't have to talk to anybody about it. Or, conversely, she could talk to Bunny, or Jack, or maybe Tooth. It didn't have to be now.
Except... honestly it was kind of a relief that he'd called her on it. And the idea of talking about it was enough that the words just started tumbling out almost on their own.
"They all tried so hard, you know? And it was just a little bit at first, so it wasn't a big deal, but..." But life went on. Life got harder. She grew up, fast, but couldn't let anyone know. "I mean, I know I can't do it forever, and it's not all pretend, but it's just... They tried so hard. Even Chase. The only one who really tried to help me deal with stuff was Gert, but I didn't..."
She sighed. "I didn't realize I needed her to, and then she was gone. And Nico and everybody just tried so hard to keep me from knowing about the worst stuff, but I'm not stupid or anything, and I'd listen in on them sometimes, and... and I do like ponies and my cute animal hats and stuff, so it's not totally a lie, and they'd all be so upset if they realized it didn't work." She looked at Raph sidelong, not quite meeting his eye, and then back down. "So much stuff got screwed up and didn't work, and I figured I could be the thing that did"