"As you can imagine, I have a great track record with people who try to give orders," she replies. "Back home I would press her into working for me instead, or I'd just kill her, but obviously neither of those would make a viable plan here. I also can't change departments because that'd be conceding. So I think I'd just have to make it agonizing for her to ask me to do anything. She can't make me do anything and you're the only warden I'll even think about listening to, so the easiest thing for her would be to take my attitude up with you, until you're so annoyed that going to you is miserable for her, and then she changes departments to get away from us difficult people."
She actually kind of likes it. Not being easy to get along with means she has standards. Not everyone cuts it.
"Maybe it's kind of like with Marlene," she replies. "I don't like her, but I respect the way she runs things. She can keep people in line, she sticks to her guns."
"I don't think Sadie wants to keep people in line. She wants people to take her seriously, though. People don't, where I'm from. Not a woman wearing trousers."
"Yeah?" Tess chuckles. "I have to shoot some people to get men to take me seriously, but at least no one gives me shit for wearing pants. That's so damn stupid."
"They figure she wants to be a man more than she wants to be herself. Which
ain't the truth. She wanted to kill the motherfuckers who killed her
husband more than anything else, that's what."
"I never understood that, that bullshit about wanting to be a man." It never made sense. Sure, there must be some perks to being a man, but none Tess ever considered worth giving up being a woman. "She get that revenge?"
Ethical murder. She wonders how it stacks up differently: Sadie and Arthur razing a rival gang, Joel and herself razing a former partner's gang. It's impossible to quantify.
She ponders something Ellie had mentioned, talking about cannibals and the girl and all of that shit. How many people were out for Joel's blood, and how many could have been out for hers, too. Family of their victims. Is there a point to all that cyclical shit?
"I don't think I would either," she says. She and Sadie can be the same in that way, too.
"Exactly," she replies. "It's the most reliable way to survive."
Tess laces her fingers with his, supposedly under the guise of inspecting his injuries some more, but she ends up holding his hand just because she can, thumb idly stroking along an unmarred patch of skin.
"Sadie and I are going to have to get along, even just long enough to help you out."
His eyes stay closed, in that case. The touch is a comfort unlike anything he thought he'd needed. After nearly dying, after being manipulated, tortured, he needs an anchor.
"She was one of the few people left I could trust. Could rely on. I reckon you're all too aware of how much that means, ain't you?"
“I can’t believe I have such a sap for a partner,” she informs him, but it comes out so much softer than intended. It means something to her too, more than she’s ever been comfortable putting into words. She leans the side of her head against his. “But I’ll let you say it as many times as you want.”
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He listens with varying degrees of drawn eyebrows - killing, really? Calm down, tiger.
"Well, you're cunning, I'll give you that," he says, after some consideration. "But you don't think there's a possibility she's as stubborn as you?"
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"No one's as stubborn as me."
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He snorts out a laugh and reaches to ruffle her hair a little.
"Damn straight. Not even the Admiral's gonna change that."
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"Exactly. She has no idea what she's in for if she tries it with me."
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He grins a little, but when he settles back he closes his eyes and lets out a deep sigh.
"Only ever met one woman who was your match in stubbornness. You both came by it the hard way, too."
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"She'd shoot you in a heartbeat," he says, regretfully. "I'd hate to see the two of you fight, but there is no doubt in my mind that you would."
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"You wouldn't. Not that she's easy to get along with, but that goes for the both of you."
Please don't hit him, you know how you are.
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"Maybe it's kind of like with Marlene," she replies. "I don't like her, but I respect the way she runs things. She can keep people in line, she sticks to her guns."
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"I don't think Sadie wants to keep people in line. She wants people to take her seriously, though. People don't, where I'm from. Not a woman wearing trousers."
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"They figure she wants to be a man more than she wants to be herself. Which ain't the truth. She wanted to kill the motherfuckers who killed her husband more than anything else, that's what."
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"Gang leader got hanged. And then she asked me to come an' help her kill the rest of the gang."
So, yes. Revenge was thoroughly had, because Tess must know what Arthur said to that request.
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"Did it settle shit?"
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He doesn't know if it was ethical, but it was the right thing to do for a person he cared about. One of the last things he could do for her.
"For her? I don't know. Revenge ain't ever what you want it to be. But I know she wasn't ever gonna rest until it was done."
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"I don't think I would either," she says. She and Sadie can be the same in that way, too.
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"I know," he sighs, somewhat fondly. "I know. Take care of yourself first, and fuck up your enemies second."
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Tess laces her fingers with his, supposedly under the guise of inspecting his injuries some more, but she ends up holding his hand just because she can, thumb idly stroking along an unmarred patch of skin.
"Sadie and I are going to have to get along, even just long enough to help you out."
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His eyes stay closed, in that case. The touch is a comfort unlike anything he thought he'd needed. After nearly dying, after being manipulated, tortured, he needs an anchor.
"She was one of the few people left I could trust. Could rely on. I reckon you're all too aware of how much that means, ain't you?"
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He cracks one eye open and gives her the smallest of smiles, pulling at his moustache.
"So you understand how much it means to me I can rely on you too. Don't know that I say it enough."
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