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Post by therunawaygirl on Apr 15, 2022 15:34:42 GMT -5
”Survivor’s guilt won’t help you, or her.”
There wasn’t anything wrong with those words, or with the tone behind it, but nevertheless, Jack only frowned. How many times had he heard that? He knew survivor’s guilt wouldn’t help anyone, but he couldn’t part ways with it —not with how close it was to his heart. If anything, it was that guilt that drove him to move onwards, but was now threatening to push him into a corner, not letting go until the teen gave up. Oblivious as he was, he didn’t even notice Kujo walking forward, leaning a little bit only to flick his fingers against his forehead —the hit stinging more than he’d expect.
“Ouch…!”
Immediately, Jack raised his head, placing one hand over where it stung, glaring at Kujo with a faint hint of defiance —though mostly it was due how unnecessary the hit was. His words stung even further, but only because he knew they were right —and Jack, in the wrong. He knew it, and yet due to something or another. Jack couldn’t bring himself to face those facts. As Kujo went on, explaining what they’d figure out, Jack listened only with half of his attention span. But it didn’t end there.
”You can’t give up here—especially since you’ll never be able to meet whoever you’re mourning for in the next life proudly if you do.” The teen flinched, hearing such a blatant fact being tossed his way. Just as quickly as he was startled, he drooped, looking away with disappointment in his eyes —yet his gaze was only for him to know. It wasn’t directed at anyone but him. Now that he was more at ease, yet still with his panic evident, he could keep quiet about certain things that before he would’ve said aloud.
“I know that… Why do you think I’m doing what I do…?” he frowned, looking away.
Jack sighed a little, looking away with pain in his eyes. He knew he couldn’t give up —how else would he face them otherwise? How would he face Alice, the one person he had left? All this time, he’d work up to deserve his atonement —but how quickly his hard work was destroyed in the matter of seconds was more than enough reason for someone to give up.
If some adults couldn’t do such a thing no matter how hard they tried, what was Jack in comparison?
Kujo’s offer to help was heard, but it wasn’t something Jack would accept. Stubborn as usual, he prioritized his own view of things. He let silence take hold for a moment, before standing up and heading to his room, not even looking at Kujo while he did so.
“…I don’t need your help” he muttered, “Nor am I gonna thank you for it… I’ve done things on my own, and that’s the only way things have ever worked for me —so that’s the way I’ll do things. I know I can’t give up, even if it’s easier than goin’ on… I still haven’t atoned for anything —and I know I can’t give up until I get to that point…”
Jack kept his way out of the common room, his head slightly tilted downward, but still adamant in going his way. A flaw of his already more than clear, the teen was stubborn in his ways, not knowing any other way out. Still, some things would have to change, for the better of things…
And at the very minimum, it seemed he acknowledged that, right now, he was nothing more than a liability.
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 16, 2022 11:52:16 GMT -5
Thankfully, Jack seemed enough in mind to understand him. Sitting in the silence for a moment, Kujo simply smoked and watched the teen with a careful eye. Of course the man knew his words would be hard to hear—but it was time for Jack to hear them. “I don’t need your help.” After digesting everything, it seemed the teen was as stubborn as ever. Though Kujo wanted to lean into his annoyance—he oddly found himself refreshed at at least seeing this much of the younger boys personality in tact.
“I know I can’t give up, even if it’s easier than goin’ on…” Walking out of the common space and towards their room, Jack left without Kujo following. The man had hounded the boy enough. It seemed like at the very least, something had gotten through. Once the teen was gone, Kujo let out a long sigh of smoke before plopping himself down on the couch. ”Tch—I really can’t catch a break…” He’d have to help M’Lyn explain what they could to Alice—not that he wanted to tell the girl the whole truth. Still…she’s sharper than she seems.
Leaning his head back as he watched the smoke raise to the ship ceiling, Kujo couldn’t help but simmer over the next steps to come. He’d let M’Lyn handle delivering the crystals to the twerp—knowing all too well his presence wouldn’t be appreciated. Still, he had his back up plan—not that it’d ever been tested… Whatever. Allowing his vice to take him out of his sour mood, Kujo would wait on the couch for M’Lyn and Alice to arrive on the ship.
They had work to do, after all…
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Post by therunawaygirl on Apr 16, 2022 12:26:49 GMT -5
After closing the door behind him, Jack’s body found itself sliding against it, until the teen was sitting with his knees up. A hefty sigh left his mouth, hiding his head in the space between his knees and chest, his arms helping his cover. He couldn’t deny the truth standing in front of him, but sometimes, a lie was far sweeter —and he couldn’t help but think that, maybe, it was better to dive deeper into a lie. To dive deeper into the darkness, where no noise nor images followed…
You can’t seriously be considering that.
Once again, the voice he’d been hearing rose to his mind —seemingly chastising his decision, or darker thoughts. Did it even know what it was talking about, though? It was a voice that had only begun ringing after he’d begun wielding that strange sword —ironically, the thing that had placed a target on his back. If the voice had been only since then—
You’ve gotta be joking. You seriously think I wouldn’t know what goes through your head? “You haven’t always been ‘ere…” That’s what you think, but you’re wrong. I know exactly what you’re thinking about —what you were referring to. And it’s precisely because I know that, that I’m telling you what I am. “Just… Leave me alone…” …You’re not at fault —you never were. You know that, but you keep looking the other way. You’re your only tormentor, not anyone else.
The teen flinched at those worse, but instead of acknowledging them, he tightened his grip, curling even further as if to fully disappear. If only he wasn’t there, if only he didn’t hold that strange sword, if only he hadn’t meddled further… The many thoughts were eventually too much for him to handle —too much to keep up with his already fatigued mind. Little by little, those thoughts began to dissolve, but Jack knew they weren’t fully gone.
They would never be gone for good.
M’Lyn shoved away a strand of hair getting in the way, before once again crossing her arms over her chest, glancing over at Alice, who was sitting down with both hands tightly clasped over her lap, looking down with red cheeks and eyes —though they were faint by now. The Miqo’te had tried to persuade her to resting a little bit, having discovered that she’d been in Navigations looking through countless databases for something with which to help her brother, only for the search to prove fruitless. Of course, the girl at first stubbornly refused, but even after she gave up, Alice couldn’t get a single second of rest, far too stressed about her brother’s condition as well as frustrated that she was powerless to help.
Overall, M’Lyn didn’t enjoy a second of it —but she knew that the small annoyance would only be momentary to get a move and continue following the trail she and Kujo had grasped from Eorzea. Speaking of the man…
“…Say —pray tell when you’re finished?” the Miqo’te chastised him, “I know you said you’d take him to the ship, but ‘tis been far too long… You’re not suggesting we walk our way there, are you?” she added, unamused.
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 16, 2022 12:59:11 GMT -5
Having finally finished his vice, Kujo sat up in the couch, sitting in the silence. Jack had left to their quarters—though he wasn’t sure what had been taking M’Lyn so long with Alice. Hadn’t he told her to give him word when the two were ready for departure? “Say—pray tell when you’ll be finished?” As though the Miqo’te could read his mind, M’Lyn’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “You’re not suggesting we walk our way there, are you?” Her snarky tone only cemented the image of her smirk in his mind.
Tch—lazy cat… What was he, a chauffer? She had known where they’d parked… With a sigh, Kujo pushed himself up from the couch before reaching up to the earpiece he wore. ”Yeah, yeah—if you’re finally done, I’ll come get you…” Ending the intercom communication as his form shimmered, Kujo brought forth his Akogare once more. Maybe he’d made a mistake, showing that cat his powers…
[Break]
As a bright rift of light seemed to tear through space itself, Kujo stepped out from their bizarre portal as their shimmering guardian was dismissed. He appeared directly outside of the Navigations room, calmly walking in with his hands in his pockets as though he wasn’t a man who had just manifested from thin air. It took no time at all for him to find Alice and M’Lyn.
”So—you both ready to go?” His question was clearly directed more towards Alice, knowing all too well that the Miqo’te was prepared at a moments notice. ”Don’t forget anything. I don’t want to hear you ask to turn the ship around.” Good grief, he really was starting to sound like a babysitter… He swallowed his sigh, trying his best not to grimace. He’d noticed Alice’s face the moment he’d seen her. Puffy red eyes and clear exhaustion…the girl needed rest, not chastising.
”Come on…” Reaching out a hand, Kujo would walk Alice and M’Lyn outside the room once more, where he’d prepare to transport them all back to the ship—
That is, unless Alice had forgotten something, or had something she needed to do before they left…
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Post by therunawaygirl on Apr 16, 2022 14:02:42 GMT -5
The shimmer caught M’Lyn’s attention almost immediate, yet she gave out no reaction as Kujo walked forward. Alice seemed to barely notice at first, only reacting after hearing Kujo’s voice. Hidden deep beneath her frustration and stress was a faint hint of determination, wanting more answers before doing anything else. Before, her efforts hardly did anything, since the two people she’d wanted to ask things to had left or drove the conversation elsewhere. Now, however…
While M’Lyn followed along rather calmly, her face stoic with knowing, Alice hardly followed suit. She stood up, still holding the edge of her skirt tightly with both hands, her eyes still somewhat teary, but her fears and sorrow were overpowered by her want of knowing. Standing in place, the girl managed to make her meek voice echo louder than before —enough for both Kujo and M’Lyn to notice.
“Not yet…” she said —her voice was still faint, but it wasn’t a mumble like usual, “I can’t leave yet… Not until I know what’s going on.”
M’Lyn stopped cold in her tracks, yet her expression hardly gave anything away. She could understand where the girl was coming from, but her questions didn’t come at a proper timing. They had to leave at earliest —not to mention, the Miqo’te had yet to test her own theory regarding the crystals she’d taken with her in order to temporarily suppress the darkness inside Jack’s heart. The more time passed, the longer it would take for her to properly understand how things worked, and the higher the chances of them losing the teen for good.
She knew Alice was smart enough to understand when it was adequate to ask questions. Had she overestimated her capabilities? Or was her sense of touch being overpowered by her worry? Either seemed likely —Alice was still a child.
“You haven’t explained anything yet… You say we gotta leave, but… You haven’t said where, or why…” Alice continued, trying to make her point clear, “It doesn’t add up… I’m the only one who’s being left out of this —and it’s not fair. So…” the girl’s grip tightened, “Where are we going? And what is it you two are up to? …Why haven’t you said anything about this?” “…” M’Lyn sighed, her arms crossed over her chest, “Surely, you understand our current predicament, at the very least?” she asked, receiving a small nod, “Staying here won’t aid us at all —your brother as of now is nothing more than a liability for the Brigade.” “That still doesn’t clear up what you two are up to… Or why you’ve kept this to yourselves.” “There’s things you’re better of not knowing —not now, at the very least. Rest assured, we’re doing what we can to keep you two safe.” “Then why’d you leave?! Why’d you leave, and told no one about it?! I know you left —I know you can! No matter how much I tried to find you, you… Weren’t there…” Alice’s body shook, yet she did her best to hide her tears, “I don’t care if you took me with you or not, but… I also wanna help… You could’ve just… Told me you were going to leave… Even if you made a promise to come back only to never…”
The girl’s voice quieted down, realizing she’d spoken out of turn. Immediately, she looked away, clear embarrassment in her expression. As for M’Lyn, one look at her would clearly showcase her anger —or perhaps frustration was a better word. While she understood the girl’s concern and where her questions came from, they’d been through quite an ordeal together. It made no sense for either Kujo or M’Lyn to leave them to fend for themselves —not yet.
Did the girl really think that low of them, or was it something else at work?
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 16, 2022 14:53:37 GMT -5
“Not yet…” Alice’s voice reached Kujo’s back, causing him to pause. The girl was hellbent on knowing what was happening beforehand. Good grief… Why couldn’t her brother be more courageous like this? Truthfully, Kujo wished Alice was half as smart as she was as well as half as empathetic. “You haven’t explained anything yet…” Turning to look the young girl in the eyes, Kujo grimaced before glancing M’Lyn’s way.
First Jack, now Alice. Both were still kids, overall, needing different guidance while also being proud individuals with capabilities beyond their years. What a hassle. Weren’t kids supposed to be obedient? “Surely you understand our current predicament, at the very least?” Thankfully M’Lyn was quick to step up. Dealing with Alice was even harder than dealing with Jack, for him—though for entirely different reasons. “There’s things you’re better off not knowing—not now, at the very least.” Kujo found himself nodding along with the Miqo’te’s words.
“I know you left—I know you can!” Suddenly the usually quiet and composed girl had a burst of strong passion, causing the stoic man to raise an eyebrow in surprise. “I don’t care if you had taken me with you or not, but…I also wanna help…” Ah, the crux of the issue. Immediately realizing what she’d done, Alice’s face flushed in embarrassment as the girl turned away. M’Lyn looked beyond over it, causing Kujo to sigh. Figures. It looked like he was up to bat. Before preparing to speak, the man couldn’t help but think of his mother. Who’d have thought dealing with kids was so tough? No wonder she had anger problems…
”I know you want to help Jack.” Stepping forward, it was almost numerous how small she looked in comparison. Resting a large hand on Alice’s turned shoulder, Kujo looked down at the girl with a look of sincerity and also sternness. ”But that doesn’t mean we’re going to put you in danger, too.” With a faint smirk, he lifted his hand to rest on top of her head, ruffling her brown hair only slightly. ”That annoyingly big brain of yours is suited to better things than labor.” With a faint sigh, Kujo couldn’t help but at least toss the girl a bone.
”Besides, we’re going to need your Navigation skills once we leave.” Kneeling down on one knee so that he wouldn’t continue to tower over her, he’d turn her gently and look her in the eyes with a firm determination. ”You’ll get the chance to help your brother, Alice—but it will be with your own skills, not jumping into the front lines. Got it?” He hoped the logic in his words would ring true to her.
Similar to Jack, the girl was surprisingly stubborn—despite her usual gentle and quiet demeanor…
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Post by therunawaygirl on Apr 16, 2022 16:27:53 GMT -5
Seeing Kujo taking the iniciative before her, M'Lyn allowed herself a room to cool down. Truthfully, her retort was going to be far from tactful, but nevertheless true to her nature. Just like Kujo, the Miqo'te stepped closed to the girl, who was looking down in embarrassment as she blurted out her thoughts yet again.
Kujo's words lulled her out of embarrassment, thankful that at the very least her point got across, but it still wasn't enough for her to raise her head up. That is, until the man's hand ruffled her hair a little, causing Alice's embarrassment to flare, quick to flail her arms in an attempt for Kujo to stop it. ”That annoyingly big brain of yours is suited to better things than labor.” By the time Alice finally looked up, she found Kujo looking straight at her, the usual towering figure no longer visible. Even M'Lyn was shocked at the sight, but she knew how to keep quiet.
"You’ll get the chance to help your brother, Alice—but it will be with your own skills, not jumping into the front lines. Got it?” It took a little bit of silence for Alice to nod slightly, her eyes teary, but she was determined enough. As if to ascertain her answer, the girl rubbed her forearm against her eyes, rubbing off any rebel tear that dared fell and betray her intentions, before nodding with more strength. M'Lyn sighed, though she was truthfully relived by the girl's ability to jump back up.
If only her brother was half as courageous...
"Just... Just promise that... That you'll let me help" the girl said, her hands now clutching against her chest, "I wanna help... As much as I can... So please —let me know if there's anything I can help with. Aside navigating." "Truly now..." M'Lyn growled slightly, a faint smirk threatening at the edge of her lips, "Did you really think we'd just leave you here? Wander our merry way?" "I... It is something that's crossed my mind a few times... And after you two left, I thought... You'd..." "For the love of the Twelve... Even if we've worked for a short period of time, I can't believe you'd think we would just leave. Have you no faith in us?" "I couldn't help it..." Alice shook her head, "I've known about it... For a while now, so... I figured, eventually... You guys wouldn't need us anymore. Kujo could just... Take you back to your world, and then he'd go to his own... So, if that was the case, you wouldn't need the Almira... Or us..." Alice shook her head with vigor, before looking at both Kujo and M'Lyn, “Even if I thought that… I… I wanted to believe you wouldn’t. I really did. So…” “Just as long as you keep that away from your thoughts will suffice for me” M’Lyn said.
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 17, 2022 10:22:22 GMT -5
It took Alice a moment to regather herself, though it was still quick enough to allow Kujo a moment of relief. “Just promise that…that you’ll let me help.” Regardless, the girl had a force of will worthy of a warrior, that much showed for true.
“Truly now…” M’Lyn’s mild tempered growl only caused Kujo to smirk as he straightened himself up, crossing his arms over his chest while looking between the two. “Did you really think we’d just leave you here?” Of course the two grown warriors wouldn’t abandon the young siblings so easily—though it was understandable (to a degree) how someone so young would think such a thing. Especially considering how long they’d been on their own… Just her and Jack. Outside of the Brigade, of course.
Watching the two’s back and forth, Kujo couldn’t help but sigh. Of course M’Lyn’s exasperation was deserved, as neither of the two older guardians could imagine doing such a thing (well, Kujo imagined it plenty of times but never acted on it at least). At least she’s honest. Hearing how Alice had had her concerns since he’d obtained his world traversing abilities thanks to Genie, the man only gave a mild roll of his eyes before shaking his head.
”Tch—I don’t think I could shake any of you off if I tried.” Despite the towering man’s stoic demeanor, both Alice and M’Lyn would see the faint grin on his face as he tossed the light-hearted jab. Not wanting further problems down the line, he wanted to stomp out the girls fears of abandonment as soon as possible. ”Besides, don’t you remember? Weren’t you the first to even see the powers Genie gave me?”
It had been back when he’d first been granted the bizarre ability. He’d wanted to check up on his mother, back in his home world. He’d brought Alice along for that—not that it had been originally intended…
But either way, hadn’t he proved enough?
”Now come on. If you really want to help your brother, we’ve got work to do. We’re heading back to the ship. From there, we can explain what we can…” His look was stern but fair. It was clear this was a compromise, but not a commitment. She’d have to be willing to meet them halfway in this, after all. Despite her young age, Kujo had faith the bright girl would be capable of such a feat.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Apr 17, 2022 12:57:39 GMT -5
Alice had managed to calm down a little, looking back at Kujo and M’Lyn with her hands back at her lap in a relaxed matter. Though she was a little apprehensive about both of their postures, noticing their annoyance to what she’d said, neither dismissed it as childish. If anything, they at least validated why she had thought of something like that.
The reminder of her trip with Kujo caused the girl to blink in confusion, though a clear red was quick to rise to her cheeks. Almost immediately, she looked away once more, wanting to almost hide the fact that she’d overlooked that —though M’Lyn wasn’t about to let it go. Maybe later, she’d pick on her a little for it…
“If you really want to help your brother, we’ve got work to do.” It was a good reminder, to bring them out of temporary teasing back into work. While M’Lyn gave a curt nod as a response, Alice was more than eager to lend a hand, knowing now she could —they were counting on her, for… Something. But no matter what that “something” was, they trusted her to do it. That alone eased her enough to push herself forward.
“Let’s go” Alice said, nodding with vigor, “We can’t lose any more time.”
Once Kujo took them back to the Almira, Alice would look around a little bit, trying to spot Jack —not that she hoped to see him. Knowing how he was, it was a safer bet to say he was there, and leaving it at that. She then would turn to face Kujo and M’Lyn, a little less eager than before, but still relaxed enough to execute orders.
“So… We gotta leave as soon as possible, right…?” she asked, “…Where to?” “The first thing to do would be leaving Milennia” M’Lyn replied, “Once we’re out we should be able to debate on where to go next.” “Okay… Then… I’ll set course just outside. After that…” “You’re getting some rest.”
Alice flinched at M’Lyn’s comment, but seeing the sternness of the Miqo’te’s glare cowed her into simply nodding in compliance. It took no time for the girl to head to the Bridge, quick to set course outside of the world, and afterwards try once again for a small break she had prived herself from before.
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 18, 2022 1:45:00 GMT -5
Sighing in mild relief as the girls mood turned around, Kujo couldn’t help but feel a sense of humor mingled with a hint of defeat. His life had really become something else… “Let’s go.” Alice seemed prepared for the journey ahead, despite hardly knowing much around their latest needs. That tenacity is almost frightening. Just what would she be like when she was older? For some reason the man couldn’t help but feel like Jack and the rest of them would have their work cut out for them, at that point.
Leading Alice and M’Lyn out of the room to a more secluded hallway where less eyes could watch them—Kujo summoned his Akogare once more, preparing to create a portal back to the ship.
((OOC: Lmao now all I can think of is Akogare with a taxi driver hat on or something))
[BREAK]
Emerging into the vacant common lounge of the Almira, Kujo was hardly surprised to see that Jack was still holed up somewhere, most likely their room. “So…we gotta leave as soon as possible, right?” It hadn’t taken much for the young Navigator to return to their usual busy-body self. Though refreshing to hear, the older man also couldn’t help but notice the clear fatigue wracking her.
“You’re getting some rest.” M’Lyn had noticed it, too. After giving Alice a brief and vague description of their next steps, the Miqo’te was quick to draw a line in the sand. Nodding alongside her, both of the older warriors had clearly made up their minds. As the young girl complied and began to make her way to the Bridge for take-off and then her bed to rest, Kujo took the chance to address M’Lyn.
”Tch—there’s always something, with them.” Scratching at the back of his head with mild frustration as he sighed, he decided to level with the Miqo’te. ”Careful with Jack, when you go to use the crystals. That twerp has been a ticking time bomb.” Of course, Kujo wasn’t heartless. He understood that the teen and young girl had been dealing with things beyond their years since even before he’d met them. Still, it hadn’t changed the fact that he’d been more than annoyed at Jack’s refusal to take help.
”At this rate, we’ll have to knock those rocks into that thick skull of his…” As the Almira prepared for takeoff, the man couldn’t help but brood over their next steps. They’d be mostly flying in the ‘in-between’, the space between worlds. That being said, Kujo doubted it would make much sense for them to skip around worlds aimlessly. There’s got to be a way to tell which ones might have something we need. Unfortunately, the older man knew little about interplanetary machines—meaning he’d have to rely on someone else to help.
Good grief…
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Post by therunawaygirl on Apr 19, 2022 9:09:01 GMT -5
With Alice gone, one less worry to take care of —M’Lyn hardly feigned her relief at the sight, her sigh heavy with a mix of both ease and also some annoyance. Her tail, though low, flickered left and right impatiently, her arms crossed still as she debated her current options. It had been, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a tough back-and-forth —what with their current “orders”, Jack’s predicament and Alice’s tantrum (at least, M’Lyn considered it as much). Now, thankfully, things had calmed down enough to at least refocus things properly.
”Careful with Jack, when you go to use the crystals.” At first, the comment hardly caught the Miqo’te’s attention, though her ears did twitch in response. As he continued on with his thoughts, M’Lyn drew a cold smirk, looking away as she too felt the annoyance of the matter. In a sense, while she wasn’t fully aware of what happened between Kujo and Jack, she could make an assumption or two.
“If only it were that simple, I don’t think I would’ve waited this long…” M’Lyn replied, looking away, before sighing, “There’s still a few things I need to make sure of… But rest assured, I don’t plan on stalling this for a second longer.”
M’Lyn’s tail continued to flicker, but this time less annoyed. Still, there were a few things that had continued to bother her in her mind, but was it really the time? Maybe, or maybe not. With a following sigh, M’Lyn shoved a strand of hair out of the way, glancing over at Kujo before making her leave.
“There’s a few things I must do before I even attempt it… But in the meantime, we ought to see where we have a possibility of finding information. I’m sure we came across one or two worlds we haven’t been into that may have what we’re after. But… Please —let Alice rest somewhat. Gods know how long she spent in front of those screens…”
Having said her part, and willing to listen to Kujo’s retort, M’Lyn took her time before checking on the crystals she had on her pouch. A small, clear crystal stood in her hand as she examined it. The glow was dim, but evident. The Miqo’te examined it for a bit, her face fixed in a frown as she attempted to understand the basics of it.
It was certainly something that would take its time. In the meantime, the ship began to take off, leaving Milennia for good. Only once the Almira was out in the space between worlds would the two warriors hear the faint steps of the team’s Navigator heading into her room for a break —as M’Lyn had ordered.
Things would remain quiet, until someone decided to make the move…
[END. To be continued…]
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