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"Yeah, it is."
He sniffed at the cookie before he gently took it from her. It was gone after a few crunches. He shook his fur out and licked his lips.
"Not as good as yours!" He declared with certainty. More than that, he thought they had a strange texture but that was probably because he had a hard time mixing up the batter. They were edible and he was satisfied she probably wouldn't get sick from them. That was a relief.
He sniffed at the cookie before he gently took it from her. It was gone after a few crunches. He shook his fur out and licked his lips.
"Not as good as yours!" He declared with certainty. More than that, he thought they had a strange texture but that was probably because he had a hard time mixing up the batter. They were edible and he was satisfied she probably wouldn't get sick from them. That was a relief.
It's the ideal.
[She got to laugh at Zack when he tried doing a blond streak, he made fun of her for being so fussy about being cute. And they enjoyed being themselves. The most important part.]
But you two don't have that. So...it seems it's going to be a bumpy ride.
Not that I'm saying anything new. I'm sure it's been difficult just to be here.
[She got to laugh at Zack when he tried doing a blond streak, he made fun of her for being so fussy about being cute. And they enjoyed being themselves. The most important part.]
But you two don't have that. So...it seems it's going to be a bumpy ride.
Not that I'm saying anything new. I'm sure it's been difficult just to be here.
[He watched her reaction carefully. His eyes lingered on her throat for a moment, taking in the sight of the necklace, noting how she fidgeted with it.]
I'm sure the flowers are wonderful and distractin'. They keep you busy.
[He gently called her out on that. He had no doubt they brought her joy, but right now it was short lived. It was more of a distraction from everything else, he thought.]
I think the population of the Barge doesn't often get sick. And I also think that maybe yer prevaricatin' ta keep from sayin' anything meanin'ful. It don't quite have yer usual ring to it today, petal.
Granted, maybe you are just tired lately. It's a wonder we're not all just exceedingly tired all tha time with tha way things go here. Perhaps you ought ta get more sleep.
Hmm. Or you could talk about what's keepin' you up at night and makin' you so tired durin' tha day. [He said pointedly.]
I'm sure the flowers are wonderful and distractin'. They keep you busy.
[He gently called her out on that. He had no doubt they brought her joy, but right now it was short lived. It was more of a distraction from everything else, he thought.]
I think the population of the Barge doesn't often get sick. And I also think that maybe yer prevaricatin' ta keep from sayin' anything meanin'ful. It don't quite have yer usual ring to it today, petal.
Granted, maybe you are just tired lately. It's a wonder we're not all just exceedingly tired all tha time with tha way things go here. Perhaps you ought ta get more sleep.
Hmm. Or you could talk about what's keepin' you up at night and makin' you so tired durin' tha day. [He said pointedly.]
"She's the one of those who can transform into a wolf. There's a couple of others who can transform into animals- someone can also turn into a tiger, and I think some can turn into wolves...? I'm not sure how it works?"
Werewolves were wild. And Arthur had a magic bracelet, but she didn't know that.
"But no, Wu Xin isn't Wutian. He claims to be a monk but he's...mostly a teenager that likes to nap."
In trees even. She sighed. "He slacks off a lot, but if I get firm with him, he'll do it. And Zack and Cloud..."
She laughed under her breath. "They'd be very helpful. Maybe we can provide the water when they need a break?"
For sure teasing. The two of them are too hardworking to slack off.
Werewolves were wild. And Arthur had a magic bracelet, but she didn't know that.
"But no, Wu Xin isn't Wutian. He claims to be a monk but he's...mostly a teenager that likes to nap."
In trees even. She sighed. "He slacks off a lot, but if I get firm with him, he'll do it. And Zack and Cloud..."
She laughed under her breath. "They'd be very helpful. Maybe we can provide the water when they need a break?"
For sure teasing. The two of them are too hardworking to slack off.
Mmm.
[It was lovely in the Greenhouse. Beautiful and she worked hard there. She felt like she kept working there, and other places, and just...kept pushing. Florian was right, in her having a pressure of the Barge of being emotional support.
And it kept getting bigger and bigger.
She closed her eyes briefly, before taking in a deep breath.]
Maybe I do need to get more sleep.
[She offered him a small smile. He was trying to be gentle, trying to kind.
And she didn't know how to offer how to talk about it.]
I don't know. This...isn't something I can talk about. Not really.
Not to anyone.
[It was lovely in the Greenhouse. Beautiful and she worked hard there. She felt like she kept working there, and other places, and just...kept pushing. Florian was right, in her having a pressure of the Barge of being emotional support.
And it kept getting bigger and bigger.
She closed her eyes briefly, before taking in a deep breath.]
Maybe I do need to get more sleep.
[She offered him a small smile. He was trying to be gentle, trying to kind.
And she didn't know how to offer how to talk about it.]
I don't know. This...isn't something I can talk about. Not really.
Not to anyone.
That made her laugh, and she bent down to give him a quick hug.
"I think," She teased, "you just want me to make more cookies."
But she gave him a little happy squeeze.
"Thanks Nanaki. This was very thoughtful."
"I think," She teased, "you just want me to make more cookies."
But she gave him a little happy squeeze.
"Thanks Nanaki. This was very thoughtful."
Mmn.
[A shrug. It isn't something he gets into that much because honestly, it's a tired topic.]
There's a gap there. Abel doesn't... get what it feels like to be in prison. Not like I do. But at least he's stopped trying to get me to play along with this shitshow.
[A shrug. It isn't something he gets into that much because honestly, it's a tired topic.]
There's a gap there. Abel doesn't... get what it feels like to be in prison. Not like I do. But at least he's stopped trying to get me to play along with this shitshow.
Oh no.
[She winced. Abel...could be so smart. But also real dense.]
Do you have any...rules, that you use for being here?
Like...I can't picture you using the Inmate showers.
[Too exposed.]
[She winced. Abel...could be so smart. But also real dense.]
Do you have any...rules, that you use for being here?
Like...I can't picture you using the Inmate showers.
[Too exposed.]
['How can someone so smart be so fucking stupid' is something that has crossed Alexei's mind more than once.
But then he looks over at her with a wry smile.]
You can't? Alliance had communal showers too. I use Abel's sometimes. Or Florian's. [Shrug.] But if I need to I'll use those. Just make sure it's quiet. Usually is.
[He shakes his head a bit.]
Less need to defend myself from a shiv in the back here, and I don't give a shit if anyone sees my bare ass. They can look all they want.
But then he looks over at her with a wry smile.]
You can't? Alliance had communal showers too. I use Abel's sometimes. Or Florian's. [Shrug.] But if I need to I'll use those. Just make sure it's quiet. Usually is.
[He shakes his head a bit.]
Less need to defend myself from a shiv in the back here, and I don't give a shit if anyone sees my bare ass. They can look all they want.
I'm sure your butt is very nice.
[Not that she's looked. That'd be weird to do to a sibling.]
But it's the shiv thing I was thinking of, not your butt. I'm not sure how it was with the Alliance. Neither have you have told me about it.
[Not that she's looked. That'd be weird to do to a sibling.]
But it's the shiv thing I was thinking of, not your butt. I'm not sure how it was with the Alliance. Neither have you have told me about it.
[He tilts his head slightly. Not his favourite topic, sure, but...]
Well... what do you wanna know?
Well... what do you wanna know?
Well...
What was it like? For you. Was it like prison?
Because...it sounds like you and Abel view it very differently.
What was it like? For you. Was it like prison?
Because...it sounds like you and Abel view it very differently.
[He stares at her for a moment, looking like he's frozen, then he looks away and sniffs slightly.]
Yeah, we do.
[Alexei rubs a hand over his face.]
Abel joined the Alliance by choice. I was conscripted.
Yeah, we do.
[Alexei rubs a hand over his face.]
Abel joined the Alliance by choice. I was conscripted.
[She bit her lip, and looked down at her hands. Yeah...that tracked.]
From a prison.
[She peered up at him.]
Wanna know a secret?
From a prison.
[She peered up at him.]
Wanna know a secret?
[A small nod. Yeah, from a prison. That probably gives her a good idea of how the dynamics were.
Then he cocks his head slightly.]
Sure.
Then he cocks his head slightly.]
Sure.
[She leaned in and murmured,]
I dislike being in small confined spaces because of prison cells.
But mine was likely much...different then yours.
I dislike being in small confined spaces because of prison cells.
But mine was likely much...different then yours.
[He studies her for a moment. Aerith is someone who consistently surprises him with the things she says and the experiences she's had. Maybe that's why he's not as shocked as he could be to hear her say something like that.]
I'd bet.
[There's no reason for him to doubt her assumption.]
For me, prison was... [Huff.] Prison on the colonies is... it's bad. There are supposed to be rules, but Mars is a long fucking way from Earth.
I'd bet.
[There's no reason for him to doubt her assumption.]
For me, prison was... [Huff.] Prison on the colonies is... it's bad. There are supposed to be rules, but Mars is a long fucking way from Earth.
Oh yeah. For me too. Last time was...a couple of days.
The morning, the doors were unlocked and me and my friends could escape.
The days I was there...I,was terrified. There was no one to stop...him from doing all the things he planned for me.
At least I got out with support. But you- they twisted your arm, right? You would have done anything to feel safe.
I know I would have.
The morning, the doors were unlocked and me and my friends could escape.
The days I was there...I,was terrified. There was no one to stop...him from doing all the things he planned for me.
At least I got out with support. But you- they twisted your arm, right? You would have done anything to feel safe.
I know I would have.
[A frown.]
I got offered an out by the Alliance. Something that seemed easy. Just do what they said and they'd clear my record.
[He sniffs slightly and rubs his free hand around the back of his neck.]
I failed twice. Abel was my last shot. If I fucked it up with him they were gonna send me back. [There's a small, bitter smile at that.]
'Back where you belong', Bering would say. He knew sending me back there would be a death sentence.
I got offered an out by the Alliance. Something that seemed easy. Just do what they said and they'd clear my record.
[He sniffs slightly and rubs his free hand around the back of his neck.]
I failed twice. Abel was my last shot. If I fucked it up with him they were gonna send me back. [There's a small, bitter smile at that.]
'Back where you belong', Bering would say. He knew sending me back there would be a death sentence.
That sounds horrible.
And they sound like super awful people. And...I've met some super awful people.
You did what you had to right? Just do the job, stay somewhere that's safer then where you were, whatever those crummy people said?
[Alexei...he was so young. Vulnerable. Trapped.
A perfect pawn.]
I won't ask what it is. I just know when you find a rope, you try to take it.
Even if it leaves blood on your hands.
You feel awful but...the Alliance- Bering- took advantage of you.
They hurt you. And they hurt Abel. They used you both.
And they sound like super awful people. And...I've met some super awful people.
You did what you had to right? Just do the job, stay somewhere that's safer then where you were, whatever those crummy people said?
[Alexei...he was so young. Vulnerable. Trapped.
A perfect pawn.]
I won't ask what it is. I just know when you find a rope, you try to take it.
Even if it leaves blood on your hands.
You feel awful but...the Alliance- Bering- took advantage of you.
They hurt you. And they hurt Abel. They used you both.
[He lifts his tea to disguise the faint tremor in his hand, letting the cup rest against his lower lip for a couple of seconds as he focuses very intensely on a single blade of grass somewhere out in front of him.]
I knew what I was doing. [Alexei tells her quietly.] I could have done everything differently, but I didn't.
[He shakes his head.]
Abel got the worst version of me I could have been. It wasn't just the Alliance that hurt him. I did.
I knew what I was doing. [Alexei tells her quietly.] I could have done everything differently, but I didn't.
[He shakes his head.]
Abel got the worst version of me I could have been. It wasn't just the Alliance that hurt him. I did.
Yes. You did.
I'm not pretending you're perfect.
But you're not the worst either.
[She took in a deep breath.]
You feel guilt, and you admit you messed up. That's a long way from being the worst person.
And you're still my brother. And I love you.
And I'll still love you, even if you did something horrible to Abel.
I'm not pretending you're perfect.
But you're not the worst either.
[She took in a deep breath.]
You feel guilt, and you admit you messed up. That's a long way from being the worst person.
And you're still my brother. And I love you.
And I'll still love you, even if you did something horrible to Abel.
[Alexei goes still, then exhales sharply and puts his arm around her to pull her in against his side so he can press a kiss against the side of her head.]
Love you too, little sister.
[And maybe his voice sounds just a little thick. Don't worry about the way his Russian accent is sliding in around the edges.]
It just... it makes it hard to feel justified being angry at him. When he does something fucking stupid.
Love you too, little sister.
[And maybe his voice sounds just a little thick. Don't worry about the way his Russian accent is sliding in around the edges.]
It just... it makes it hard to feel justified being angry at him. When he does something fucking stupid.
[She smiles softly, before leaning against him, gently wrapping an arm around his waist in return. She squeezes gently, and leans her head against his arm for a few moments.]
Well...would it help if you'd ask yourself: would you be still angry about whatever stupid thing that was said if it was someone else? More so? Less?
But more...if you're angry at him...isn't that a chance to talk to him about your feelings?
Well...would it help if you'd ask yourself: would you be still angry about whatever stupid thing that was said if it was someone else? More so? Less?
But more...if you're angry at him...isn't that a chance to talk to him about your feelings?
"Werewolves? Those are real here? For sure?" Well that was something! It certainly explained all the smells on the deck. He got that there were a surprisingly large number of dogs and cats on the ship, but he hadn't expected wolves. Or humans that turned into wolves.
"Well I'll get onto him, too, if he slacks off! He shouldn't offer to help if he's just going to be lazy about it."
He was more bark than bite but the rudeness was intolerable, really!
His tail flicked once in amusement. "Definitely. We can get them whole bucketfuls if it would help them cool off!" And be hilarious to boot.
"Well I'll get onto him, too, if he slacks off! He shouldn't offer to help if he's just going to be lazy about it."
He was more bark than bite but the rudeness was intolerable, really!
His tail flicked once in amusement. "Definitely. We can get them whole bucketfuls if it would help them cool off!" And be hilarious to boot.
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