It doesn't need to make him friends. It needs to fucking stop the behavior.
Is there even anything you can do? [Riley says softly.
Zetta makes a frustrated noise.] No. Because they would've learned that shit from their parents and the rest of the goddamn Institute. I swear to god, nothing fucking changes. [Her anger is spiking again. She wants to fucking hit something. She couldn't adequately protect Riley from this shit, or undo the damage it did to him. And now she can't keep it from happening to her fucking son.
... no. S9 isn't her son. Her son is perfectly happy. They're going to be having dinner together later, as a family, on his birthday. Breathe. Fucking breathe.]
no subject
Is there even anything you can do? [Riley says softly.
Zetta makes a frustrated noise.] No. Because they would've learned that shit from their parents and the rest of the goddamn Institute. I swear to god, nothing fucking changes. [Her anger is spiking again. She wants to fucking hit something. She couldn't adequately protect Riley from this shit, or undo the damage it did to him. And now she can't keep it from happening to her fucking son.
... no. S9 isn't her son. Her son is perfectly happy. They're going to be having dinner together later, as a family, on his birthday. Breathe. Fucking breathe.]