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So what, did you murder 2 child kings?!
I am 18 months clean from my last child-smuggling incident, no royalty involved.
Have you done a big confession on the network? Maybe that's all it takes.
[ another long, considering pause. ]
brb.
After Tess makes her post about helping the Barge with rationing, Arthur waits a few hours for the chatter to die down, and then swings around to knock on her door. The flood hit him hard, and he hasn't been out much beyond the usual rounds - and Tess has been busy too. They haven't talked much. Haven't talked about the versions of themselves who came from the same world.
It's about time, he figures, and she'll need something to distract her from food scarcity issues.
When he knocks, she moves to the door, stepping over piles of cans and other dry goods she's had stored for well over a year. She opens the door like it might be someone coming to take it all, her body blocking the doorway, but the moment she sees it's Arthur, she relaxes again –– at least as much as she ever could. She steps back to let him in.
"Hey, Outlaw," she says. She searches his face. "You okay?"
He has been quiet, and his troubles feel immediately more concerning than her ancient ones.
"Sure," he says, peering around her, facial expression going more gentle than brooding.
"You're busy. Can I help?"
Beer won't serve much medical use soon, not like the better spirits. Might as well drink something more wasteful to the end of easy living.
He looks actually relieved that she's offering it, and immediately reaches out to put an arm around her shoulders and pull her in.
"Won't need the beer to last any longer than today. You still good on energy, ride won't tire you out?"
He rubs her shoulder a little, then pulls away so they can go on ahead to the Enclosure. "Startin' to act like you're their mama. Takin' care of your brood."
"Oh please," she replies, crossing the room to pick up her bag and cram a few things into it. A beer, a can of beans, two spoons. "They're just lucky it's the one thing I have a mess of experience with, and if they want to act stupid about it, it's their lesson to learn."
God knows she did. But it does feel nice, knowing it won't be as hard of a lesson. Here, they've had warning.
He pulls a bar of chocolate out of his belt and shows her - they have dessert, too.
"I thought everyone reacted pretty well to your lesson. You do got authority."
“I was expecting it to blow up in my face.”
"People here don't like to listen to others, but it's not easy to hear you might be runnin' outta food soon. Hell, I'm listening - ain't got any place to hunt or forage or anything."
He shakes his head. "Can't really think about that, can you? People dyin', bein' brought back to life after that?"
Jesus Christ, that's bleak. "Best not focus on the worst case."
She touches his arm briefly as she passes him to head to the Enclosure.
“You know, it’s funny,” she remarks. “Three people in the last week have said I’m acting like a warden. What does that even mean?”
He looks at her as they walk, a small, proud smile showing through. "Is that right? They ain't wrong. You been takin' care of people. Helpin' out. Ain't you?"
“Yeah,” she replies, favouring it. “It just feels so undramatic. In movies there’s always this big moment, people swear they’re going to be different, like it’s this big life and death thing. I’m just waiting for everything to explode in my face.”
See where she comes out in the wreckage. That’s been her whole life, anyway.
“How did you know you were a good enough person?”
This feels like a big conversation to be having, but Arthur is nothing if not calm. He can look outwardly relaxed while being aware that this might be a moment - like so many that they've had.
"I don't know that I did, until the Admiral came and asked me to join up. What would explode in your face?"
Not all of it was to survive, but some of it was.
"So did I - and a lot of the heinous shit I did, I did just because I didn't care enough. But I started to care."
He shrugs, and takes the few steps down to the Enclosure's door. "Weren't a big moment for me. But sometimes I had a choice between stealing or giving, and I started to choose giving. I started to see that it was a choice, most of the time."
“You think the Admiral knows you’re going to go back to your life after this and make all the right choices?”
"I don't reckon he thinks I'm gonna do everything right after I get back," he says, before holding up a finger - he needs to set the scene. He picks a favorite of theirs, the plains of New Hanover, the strange, jutting rocks creating enough interest that it's not just an endless plain. The horses are waiting for them when he opens the door.
"You think every warden makes every decision the right way, all the time? You think I do that, now?"
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