“…but that’s just playing around, isn’t it?” Andie’s voice and body language started to grow more steady. “The world isn’t just some toy box I can use for my own amusement. It’s full of important things, things that need to be protected!”
There were a lot of things Finnegan wanted to say in response to that. A hundred comebacks and counterpoints, each veering in a different direction. It was tempting to list them all out. So tempting. But Andie didn’t need a lecture right now, and the more Finnegan pushed her the more she’d stubbornly dig in her heels. Finnegan knew this, because he too, had been young once. He too, had been tired of people twice his age believing they knew everything. He too, had seen that the only thing that made people more stubborn than youth, was age.
Finnegan took a deep breath. Andie was a smart girl, she would find the truth eventually. More importantly, her recklessness, although very real, was not as plentiful as others made it out to be. She knew how to pace herself, and when she forgot, she had friends to snap her out of it. “I apologize, Andie. I know you have your own beliefs, your own worldview. I know you are not a fool who simply read a comic and took it as reality.” Finnegan’s tone of voice dropped slightly, muffled by humility. “…and I know age does not grant an immunity to being wrong.” His usual quiet confidence returned to him. “But I have been around for a long time, and I did not spend those decades simply repeating what I was told. This is a conclusion I came to after quite a lot of thought, so I’d appreciate it if you gave what I said some thought as well.” He smiled faintly. “Can you do that for me, Sprout?”
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“…yeah. Sure.” Andie spoke with a reluctant tone. “Alright.”
“In the meantime… try not to worry. I know it isn’t easy to be patient when people are hurting, but awakenings come when they are destined to - no sooner.” Finnegan chuckled. “If it makes you feel any better, though, awakenings tend to come in bunches.”