trans_9 | [Closed to Kaylee and Matt]

Kang didn't think he'd ever been this shaken up before in his entire life. He hadn't even been able to shove it aside long enough to handle answering questions during podpop; he'd tried, but only having been back for a half hour... it wasn't enough time. So, he'd left, to try and get his head straight enough to be able to give his report to Captain Kennedy.

Still, he knew that the captain had definitely picked up on it. He'd slipped a few times.

Practicing with his weapons against imaginary foes in the Sensoriums hadn't helped; neither had taking a two hour long walk through a part of the City that had previously been unexplored. He didn't feel like dealing with other people yet, but he didn't want to go back to his room, either.

However, it was late enough that Kaylee was probably closing up the tavern by then. He could deal with her, at least, and having a drink or five was incredibly tempting. Being in a place from home would probably help him with sorting out the memories, too--

--except for the fact that there was a sprig of mistletoe hanging in the doorway, and he now knew exactly what the tradition was.

Kang froze in the doorway, staring up at the sprig with an odd, almost confused expression.

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"Ain't everythin'." She wrinkled her nose and gave his forearm a comforting squeeze before setting back to work on her table. If he didn't want to talk about it just yet she wasn't going to press, no matter how curious she was.

Kang smiled wryly and finished cleaning his tables, feeling very tired all of a sudden. "I'm extremely glad you weren't there. I don't even want to think about what might have happened to you."

Kaylee gave him a reassuring smile. "Well, don't gotta think about it if you don't wanna. I weren't there, so there ain't a use in ponderin' it." No need to worry at all on his part. She could do all the worrying herself.

"No, there isn't," Kang agreed, sitting down again and finally taking a drink from his tankard. "The mission... we thought we were being sent for diplomatic talks with a powerful being, but it was a trap."

Pleased to see him at least finally sitting back down, the 'trap' didn't register until she had already started on the next table. She stopped and frowned at Kang. "Billy was soundin' kinda iffy on things from the beginnin', but.

"Kinda trap? If you don't mind my askin'. Ain't heard a lot..."

Kang frowned, "We had false memories, and false bodies if we weren't human, forced on us, and we were shoved into a town full of people that had the same done to them. Two gods had a bet going on how much mundane oppression and bullshit we could take before we broke."

She didn't have a proper reaction in her. What were you supposed to say to something like that? There was no telling what Kang must have gone through, or Jamie, or anyone who had gone down.

Instead of trying to find words that weren't full of babbling, Kaylee did the only thing she could and moved to give Kang a hug, as comforting as she could.

The hug was a little unexpected, but not unwelcome, and after a moment of tensing up, he relaxed and returned it.

It was a relief, him relaxing and not jumping away from her. Kaylee pulled back and gave him a soft smile.

"Whatever it was, s'over now. Don't make it any less real, and it don't mean you should forget, but. Just remember there's folk here who're ready to help you out when you need it. Dong ma?"

[[ Translation: Understand? ]]

"...thank you, Kaylee," Kang smiled gratefully, wings rustling. "I'll be alright."

"Good," she replied, leaning over to kiss his cheek again, "'cause there're still more tables need washin'."

[Closed to Kaylee and Matt]

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